EvoDevo Papers latest posts

Viewing trees: an investigation into how students visually interact with phylogenetic trees

Description

Tree-reading is the ability to understand, use, and communicate hypotheses represented within phylogenetic trees accurately. Unfortunately, students often face difficulties with tree-reading. We investigated eye movement patterns of introductory biology students to determine how they visually assessed trees during tree-interpretation tasks. We used an eye-tracking approach to capture participants' visual processing while solving tree-reading problems. We documented specific areas of interest that students may visually assess when solving tree-reading questions. By analyzing participant eye movements, we identified significant differences in dwell time and fixation event counts between participants who answered tasks accurately versus inaccurately. Participants who provided incorrect responses showed longer dwell times on the task prompt and less visual attention to the phylogenetic tree than participants who provided correct responses. They also spent more time visually processing less informative phylogenetic tree features than more accurately performing students on each task. While tree-reading instruction has been expanded in introductory biology courses, more explicit tree-thinking instruction is needed to enhance students' comprehension of phylogenetic trees. By identifying visual elements of these models that are likely causing longer dwell time or are being ignored by learners, educators can begin focusing on how to better adapt instruction in ways that enhance informative areas of interest and promote more accurate tree-thinking.

Details

Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13227-026-00276-8

Source: Developmental Biology Advances (Most recent articles of the journal Developmental Biology Advances (formerly known as EvoDevo).)

Published: Oct. 4, 2026, 3 a.m.

Evolution of MAF and OTX families during the emergence and stabilization of rod photoreceptors across Metazoans

Description

Res Sq [Preprint]. 2026 Sep 11:rs.3.rs-10144266. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-10144266/v1.

ABSTRACT

A central question in evolutionary developmental biology is how gene regulatory networks are rewired to generate new cell types. In mammals, rod specification and maintenance depend on the MAF-family transcription factor NRL; yet, non-mammalian vertebrates also possess NRL-independent rods, suggesting that alternative regulatory mechanisms may underlie rod evolution across lineages. Here, we investigate the evolutionary history and functional diversification of the MAF transcription factor family across metazoans. Phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses reveal that large and small MAFs expanded through ancient duplication events, whereas the ancestral large and small MAF genes predate metazoan diversification. We uncover signatures of episodic positive selection and markedly elevated expression of NRL in mammals compared to non-mammalian orthologs. This upregulation is associated with cis-regulatory elements that include binding sites for the OTX-family homeodomain proteins, OTX2 and CRX. Furthermore, we identify evidence of co-evolution between the DNA-binding domain of NRL and its interacting partner CRX, suggesting coordinated evolution of transcription factor complexes together with their target cis -regulatory sequences. Our findings support a model in which gene duplication, regulatory innovation, and protein co-evolution collectively drive the emergence and stabilization of mammalian rod photoreceptor identity, with NRL playing a pivotal role in enabling mammalian survival through the Mesozoic era. These studies highlight context-specific deployment of conserved transcription factor networks to generate new features and functions during evolution of sensory systems in vertebrates.

PMID:42818957 | PMC:PMC13622825 | DOI:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10144266/v1

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42818957/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Oct. 1, 2026, 1 p.m.

Genome-wide discovery of cis-regulatory elements in a large genome

Description

Elife. 2026 Oct 1;15:RP111378. doi: 10.7554/eLife.111378.

ABSTRACT

Identifying cis-regulatory elements typically relies on trial and error to test the activity of DNA fragments using reporter constructs. This approach is particularly challenging in large eukaryotic genomes, where cis-regulatory elements can be dispersed over long distances, separated by large stretches of non-functional DNA. Here, we generate two types of resources that can be used to narrow the search for such elements in the 3.6 Gbp genome of Parhyale hawaiensis. First, we use bulk ATAC-seq to uncover genome-wide patterns of chromatin accessibility in Parhyale embryonic and adult tissues, and single-nucleus ATAC-seq to identify regions of open chromatin in diverse cell types. Second, by sequencing the genomes of three congeneric species - P. darvishi, P. aquilina, and P. plumicornis - we identify islands of sequence conservation across the genome, likely corresponding to functionally constrained DNA. We find that low-coverage (10-15×) short-read genome sequencing, without genome assembly, is sufficient to provide reliable maps of sequence conservation. This approach cuts the cost and labour required to generate these maps, making the identification of cis-regulatory elements more widely accessible. We demonstrate the utility of these resources by identifying cis-regulatory elements that drive robust expression of fluorescent reporters ubiquitously and in specific cell types.

PMID:42821319 | PMC:PMC13630387 | DOI:10.7554/eLife.111378

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42821319/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Oct. 1, 2026, 1 p.m.

Bidirectional redistribution of actomyosin drives epithelial invagination in ascidian siphon tube morphogenesis

Description

Elife. 2026 Oct 1;14:RP108588. doi: 10.7554/eLife.108588.

ABSTRACT

How epithelia perform a spatiotemporal heterogeneous force-generating program to drive a sequential tissue morphogenesis remains unclear, particularly the underlying precise mechanical mechanisms. This study investigated dynamic actomyosin reorganization between apical and lateral membrane cortex regions during two sequentially invaginated stages of atrial siphon tube morphogenesis in the ascidian Ciona. At the initial invagination stage, the originally lateral-located actomyosin redistributed to the apical domains, while that actomyosin redistributed back to lateral domains at the accelerated invagination stage. Using genetic mutants to modulate myosin activities, the initial invagination was strengthened or abolished, indicating invagination is apical constriction-dependent. Optogenetic inhibition of myosin activities in lateral domains after initial invagination stage blocked the further processes, suggesting lateral constriction of actomyosin is required for the accelerated invagination. Vertex model simulations uncovered a coupled mechanism underlying epithelial invagination driven by apicobasal tension imbalance and lateral contraction. We thus propose an actomyosin redistribution mechanical model: lateral actomyosin first redistributes apically to drive apical constriction and shape the initial invagination, then apical actomyosin redistributes laterally to promote lateral contractility and accelerate invagination. Our findings reveal a bidirectional reorganization of the actomyosin network as a central mechanism driving epithelial invagination, providing insights on epithelial invagination and organ morphogenesis during development.

PMID:42821441 | PMC:PMC13630385 | DOI:10.7554/eLife.108588

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42821441/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Oct. 1, 2026, 1 p.m.

A DRACH Observed/Expected Metric Reveals the Evolutionary Landscape of Epitranscriptomic Regulation Across Bilateria

Description

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2026 Oct;1564(1):e70413. doi: 10.1111/nyas.70413.

ABSTRACT

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) RNA modification is a dynamic post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism that rapidly modulates gene expression by influencing RNA stability, export, splicing, translation, and decay. In bilaterians, m⁶A is predominantly deposited at the DRACH consensus motif, which comprises 18 sequence variants. Although the presence of a DRACH motif does not indicate whether a transcript is currently, or has ever been, methylated, it reflects its potential for m⁶A-mediated regulation. Here, we introduce a new metric, DRACH observed/expected (DRACH o/e), to quantify the relative enrichment of DRACH motifs independently of sequence composition. We applied this approach to characterize the abundance, distribution, and genomic organization of DRACH motifs in the Pacific oyster Magallana gigas, a representative lophotrochozoan species in which m⁶A regulation remains poorly characterized. These analyses were extended to eight additional species spanning major bilaterian lineages and exhibiting contrasting ecological traits. Comparative analysis revealed strong conservation of the m⁶A regulatory machinery together with conserved and lineage-specific patterns of DRACH motif distribution and functional enrichment. This work introduces a robust framework for estimating the potential for transcript m⁶A methylation while overcoming the inherent variability of epitranscriptomes, thereby paving the way to explore comparative analyses of its potential phylogenetic and/or ecological drivers.

PMID:42820711 | PMC:PMC13629450 | DOI:10.1111/nyas.70413

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42820711/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Oct. 1, 2026, 1 p.m.

Directional Internal Selection

Description

ABSTRACT

Internal selection is a process of natural selection in which fitness differences between organisms are caused by factors internal to the organism and are invariant across environments. Internal selection has been most successfully applied to explain conserved features such as the phylotypic stage of gnathostomes. In this contribution, we introduce a form of internal selection that can drive evolutionary transformations rather than trait conservation, that is directional internal selection. The basic idea is that evolutionary change of one character can induce directional selection on another trait due to interdependencies internal to the organism. We provide a formal definition of this concept and discuss examples of directional internal selection as well as its implications.

Details

Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jez.b.70044?af=R

Source: Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B (Latest articles from the Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution.)

Published: Sept. 29, 2026, 8:45 a.m.

Patterns of Proliferation in the Pacific Hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) Retina Suggest an Ancient Origin for Adult Neurogenesis

Description

J Comp Neurol. 2026 Oct;534(10):e70206. doi: 10.1002/cne.70206.

ABSTRACT

Comparative morphology has revealed fascinating structural and organizational differences in the eyes of cyclostomes (jawless vertebrates) compared to gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates). This work has helped us to better understand the evolutionary origin of the vertebrate retina, but certain questions remain unresolved. Here we complement that approach by examining retinal development. We sought to characterize post-larval ("adult") retinogenesis in a representative cyclostome, the Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii). Knowledge of hagfish neurodevelopment is limited by poor access to embryos, but evidence suggests continued retinal neurogenesis occurs late into their ontogeny. A brief pulse of EdU was used to detect proliferating cells, if any, in the retina. This was followed by in situ hybridization to test whether homologs of gnathostome genes might have conserved expression patterns that direct retinogenesis in a jawless vertebrate. EdU+ cells were detected at the retinal periphery of the hagfish (a region reminiscent of the ciliary marginal zone of gnathostomes) and within the central retina. In addition, hagfish eyes were found to express several key genes required for vertebrate retinal neurogenesis. At least two of these genes, OtxA and Rx (retinal homeobox), were enriched within the proliferative retinal periphery. These findings support adult retinogenesis as an ancient and deeply conserved trait within the vertebrate lineage.

PMID:42803506 | PMC:PMC13618028 | DOI:10.1002/cne.70206

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42803506/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Sept. 28, 2026, 1 p.m.

Divergent expression and conserved function of Alx4 for limb development in amniotes

Description

Background

Morphological diversification among amniote limbs is widely thought to arise through evolutionary changes in developmental gene regulation, yet whether divergent gene expression is accompanied by divergence in developmental function remains unclear.

Results

Here, we examined this question using Alx4, an Aristaless-like homeobox gene required for vertebrate limb development. Comparative expression analysis showed that Alx4 exhibits divergent spatial expression patterns in chicken and mouse limb buds. In contrast, evolutionary sequence analysis across 51 amniote species revealed strong conservation of the coding sequence, including complete conservation of key functional domains and pervasive purifying selection. Cross-species gain-of-function assays in chicken embryos showed that chicken, mouse, and human Alx4 orthologs induce highly similar limb phenotypes, characterized mainly by skeletal shortening and less frequently by tibial widening, syndactyly, and ectopic sesamoid-like cartilage. Transcriptomic profiling further identified shared downstream responses involving extracellular matrix organization, focal adhesion, Wnt signaling, and skeletal development.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that Alx4 retains a conserved developmental function despite divergence in limb bud expression, suggesting that differences in Alx4 regulation may contribute to variation in limb development, whereas changes in Alx4 protein function are less likely to explain the observed evolutionary differences.

Details

Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13227-026-00275-9

Source: Developmental Biology Advances (Most recent articles of the journal Developmental Biology Advances (formerly known as EvoDevo).)

Published: Sept. 27, 2026, 3 a.m.

The evolution of novel floral organs from an evo-devo perspective

Description

Ann Bot. 2026 Sep 26:mcag308. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcag308. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Novel floral organs represent new types of floral organs that have acquired novel identities distinct from those of the four canonical floral organs (sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels). These organs have evolved independently in multiple lineages and exhibit extensive morphological and functional diversification. However, the molecular mechanisms and ecological drivers underlying their origin and diversification remain largely unresolved in most lineages. Recent advances suggest that novel floral organs can arise through multiple developmental routes, including modification of organ identity programs, rewiring of gene regulatory networks, and elaboration of boundary regions between floral organs. In this review, we summarize these key insights and milestones by focusing on two types of novel floral organs (the staminode and corona) and one specialized floral structure (the inflated calyx). Furthermore, we propose that integrative evolutionary developmental frameworks that combine comparative morphology, functional genetics, and ecological context are therefore required to fully elucidate the origins and diversification of novel floral organs in angiosperms for future research.

PMID:42799330 | DOI:10.1093/aob/mcag308

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42799330/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Sept. 26, 2026, 1 p.m.

Heat shock induces delayed development leading to carryover effects in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

Description

Background

Exposure to stressful environmental conditions during development can disrupt developmental progression in animals and induce lasting physiological effects. Animals can lessen negative effects of stress through physiological and developmental plasticity, yet these processes and associated molecular mechanisms remain uncharacterized in most species. This is an increasingly urgent question for marine invertebrates, which often have externally developing early life stages that are threatened by climate change. We hypothesized that the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis—a marine invertebrate adapted to highly variable conditions including diel temperature fluctuations of > 20 °C—would exhibit developmental plasticity. To test this, we characterized developmental rates, physiology, and gene expression in N. vectensis larvae and juveniles following exposure to transient sublethal heat shock (1 h at 39 °C, which was 21 °C above ambient of 18 °C) as larvae.

Results

Heat shock led to delayed development following return to ambient, with transcriptomic changes indicating a pronounced stress response that included activation of heat shock and innate immunity pathways. Larvae exposed to heat shock also displayed evidence of metabolic disruption including the rapid depletion of lipid stores and a transient decrease in aerobic respiration rate. Further, despite over a week of recovery under ambient conditions, juveniles previously exposed to heat shock as larvae displayed negative carryover effects including reduced sizes and heat tolerance, which were likely the result of heat-induced cellular damage and metabolic disruption.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that the environment shapes developmental outcomes in N. vectensis, and provide insights into the mechanisms underlying cnidarian developmental plasticity. These results also highlight that even estuarine species adapted to high thermal variability can be negatively affected by hyperthermal stress, emphasizing the importance of rapid intervention to limit further ocean warming.

Details

Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13227-026-00274-w

Source: Developmental Biology Advances (Most recent articles of the journal Developmental Biology Advances (formerly known as EvoDevo).)

Published: Sept. 24, 2026, 3 a.m.

On planetary health: medicine, ecology, and ethics

Description

Med Health Care Philos. 2026 Sep;29(3):761-782. doi: 10.1007/s11019-026-10361-3. Epub 2026 Sep 19.

ABSTRACT

The notion of planetary health considers human life and health in the context of biospheric processes. Humans are interconnected with all life on Earth through the evolution from a common ancestor and have developed within omnipresent symbioses with other organisms, and in interactions and nutrients exchanges within the biosphere. Situating human life within the ecological processes and interconnectedness of life on the planet necessitates an expanded perspective on health, and I explore four interpretative contexts: biomedical, biopsychosocial, environmental and ecological. Planetary health is nevertheless also an attempt to conceptualize recent technological interferences with planetary homeostatic processes, resulting in changes of hydrological and atmospheric processes. The expansion of industrial civilization has transformed land and ocean ecosystems, introducing new forms of toxicity and pollution, and destroyed habitats of other forms of life, resulting in diminishing abundance and diversity of life. This predicament has an indisputable ethical dimension, which I explore in my contribution. By grounding human condition as that of biological beings - who share vulnerability, finitude, and interdependence with other forms of life - as primary and central to ethical considerations, I focus on the notions of harm, responsibility, and justice, which reveal also the political dimension of human life. Bringing into dialogue the perspectives of environmental and indigenous ethics, I consider the meaning of ethical concepts such as dignity, personhood, and rights in the ecological context of life, and their implications for medicine. Based on ethical obligation to prevent harm, I argue for a legal transformation to defend the interests of life.

PMID:42762410 | DOI:10.1007/s11019-026-10361-3

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42762410/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Sept. 19, 2026, 1 p.m.

Breaching the Weismann barrier – a role of vitellogenin yolk proteins in nematode non-Mendelian inheritance

Description

August Weismann from Freiburg, Germany played an essential role in the general acceptance of Charles Darwin´s theory of evolution. He argued against the inheritance of acquired characters and formulated the idea of the continuity of the germ plasm within and between generations. This separation of germ line and soma – generally referred to as the Weismann barrier – is still of conceptional importance in contemporary biology. However, many new findings in modern biology contradict this perspective. In response to environmental perturbations, various forms of non-Mendelian inheritance, either intergenerational or transgenerational, are observed in many plants and animals. In particular, work in the nematode models Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus with their short generation time, simple husbandry and self-fertilizing mode of reproduction resulting in isogenic cultures, provide examples of transgenerational memory, often for multiple generations. Known associated molecular processes involve a plethora of mechanisms including among others, small RNA signalling and histone modifications. In this review, we will highlight the potential role of vitellogenin (yolk) proteins in memory transmission. While only rarely considered, yolk proteins represent a major exception to the Weismann barrier as they are synthesized in the soma and are specifically transported into the germ line. We will discuss recent findings that suggest intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance to rely on vitellogenin and will speculate on molecular mechanisms that might allow breaching the Weismann barrier. Finally, we will discuss the potential role of transgenerational inheritance for plasticity-associated evolution, a phenomenon that has been introduced in the last decade as a major facilitator of evolutionary diversification and novelty.

Details

Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2026.1956995

Source: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Recent articles from the Evolutionary Developmental Biology section of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.)

Published: Sept. 18, 2026, 3 a.m.

Mechanisms of Phenotypic Evolution from Molecules to Organisms: Integrating Evolutionary Biochemistry and Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Description

Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst. 2026 Nov;57:545-569. doi: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102924-043757. Epub 2026 Sep 8.

ABSTRACT

Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) and evolutionary biochemistry share a common goal: to understand the causes of phenotypic evolution in terms of the mechanisms that translate genetic sequence information into developmental outcomes or the structure/function of macromolecules. Although dialog between the two fields has been limited, they share a common conceptual foundation and have converged upon many similar conclusions about the causes and dynamics of evolutionary change. By assessing major findings from both fields, we identify common properties of the genotype-phenotype relationship that characterize both biochemistry and development: tinkering with ancestral forms, nonlinear transformations, variable degeneracy, pleiotropy, and epistasis. In turn, these shared properties produce similarities in the evolutionary processes that produce biological diversity across levels, including major roles for large-effect mutations, historical contingency and entrenchment of derived forms, systems drift, convergence on non-optimal properties, and directionality in phenotypic evolution. The common foundations of evo-devo and evolutionary biochemistry also set the stage for a practical integration of their research programs, which would explicitly characterize how genetic evolution causes biochemical evolution, which in turn causes the evolution of development. An integrated view of evo-devo and evolutionary biochemistry promises a more complete mechanistic understanding of how evolution across the hierarchy of biological causality has produced the astonishing diversity and complexity of biological phenotypes.

PMID:42751651 | PMC:PMC13580617 | DOI:10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102924-043757

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42751651/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Sept. 17, 2026, 1 p.m.

Color patterns as a model for connecting developmental mechanisms to phenotypic evolution

Description

Nat Commun. 2026 Sep 17;17(1):9886. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-75406-w.

ABSTRACT

Vertebrate color patterns are experimentally accessible and ecologically relevant traits, making them excellent models for studying how diversity arises during development and evolution. Advances in developmental biology, pattern quantification, and broad phylogenetic sampling now offer an opportunity to investigate how pattern development and evolution influence each other. To facilitate this crosstalk, we propose a conceptual framework connecting pattern development with its diversification through two key developmental principles: self-organization and instruction. This integrative framework advances our understanding of color pattern evo-devo and provides a roadmap for connecting development with diversification across traits and taxa.

PMID:42754552 | PMC:PMC13586203 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-026-75406-w

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42754552/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Sept. 17, 2026, 1 p.m.

A Consideration of the Zoetic Engineering Grand Challenge

Description

Artif Life. 2026 Sep 15:1-33. doi: 10.1162/ARTL.a.490. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The Zoetic Engineering Grand Challenge is a proposal to catalyse work in the field of Cyber-Bio-Physical Systems by attacking the goal of creating a Living Skyscraper. This work builds upon that original idea, introducing the concept of the Zoetic Arcology: a proposal for how the tools of Artificial Life can be applied to the creation of a self-building and self-sustaining alternatives to conventional urban environments. The underlying design philosophy of this concept will be outlined, drawing from the ideas of Arcology and Reconciliation Ecology, followed by a discussion of how it could be implemented from an engineering perspective: investigating pathways to the design and development of the structure; the requirements of that structure's starting point; how to implement the concept of growth in an artificial physical system; and what raw materials & energy generation methods might be utilised. Finally, a road map of future research is outlined.

PMID:42735291 | DOI:10.1162/ARTL.a.490

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42735291/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Sept. 14, 2026, 1 p.m.

Norway spruce spatiotemporal programs of conifer reproductive development

Description

Cell. 2026 Sep 14:S0092-8674(26)01006-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.08.033. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Conifers are essential components of forest ecosystems; however, their reproductive development remains largely understudied due to their genomes' complexity. Here, we present a time-resolved spatial transcriptomics (ST) atlas of 88 tissue sections across three time points from developing reproductive and vegetative shoots in wild-type Norway spruce (Picea abies), as well as transition shoots from the acrocona mutant. By studying their different spatiotemporal gene expression dynamics, we identified molecular processes active during the vegetative-to-reproductive shift and their specific spatial domains in the shoots. We also identified and experimentally characterized the MADS-box gene DAL55, which is active during lateral organ development. Moreover, we shed light on the evolutionary relationships between gymnosperm and angiosperm YABBY genes, responsible for inner or outer cell layers in complex structures. Overall, our spatiotemporal atlas identifies genes, pathways, and evolutionary relationships associated with plant reproductive organs, providing a valuable resource for studying conifer reproductive development.

PMID:42735688 | DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2026.08.033

Details

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42735688/?utm_source=Other&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&utm_content=1NGmwZeh8Jw0Iyq8hJLJ4hNPRl7Oer50wrzhG1VNL9yVVaOMG_&fc=20250829153137&ff=20261004090020&v=2.20.1

Source: PubMed (Search results for "evodevo" OR "evo devo" OR "evolutionary developmental biology" on PubMed.)

Published: Sept. 14, 2026, 1 p.m.

Floral KNOX Expression Supports Parallel Evolution of Nectar Spurs in Snapdragon Relatives (Antirrhineae: Plantaginaceae)

Description

Nectar spurs have evolved four times across the Antirrhineae. Spur development on ventral petals has been associated with floral KNOX gene expression. KNOX expression across evolutionary events suggests parallel molecular evolution of spurs.

ABSTRACT

Nectar spurs are tubular outgrowths of perianth tissue—a key innovation that has evolved many times independently in angiosperms. These novel floral structures are tightly linked to pollination and pollinator shifts may explain their role in increasing diversification rates. In the tribe Antirrhineae (Plantaginaceae), nectar spurs on the ventral petal have convergently evolved four times, in the Kickxia clade, Cymbalaria, Chaenorhinum, and Linaria. Here we explore the molecular mechanism underpinning this convergence, by investigating two Class I KNOX genes (HIRZ and INA) across Antirrhineae. Such KNOX genes are canonically expressed in the shoot apical meristem (SAM). HIRZ and INA were originally identified in mutants of Antirrhinum majus (snapdragons) whereby ectopic floral expression led to mutated spur-bearing petals; subsequently HIRZ/INA were shown to have floral expression in the naturally spur-bearing relative Linaria vulgaris (toadflax). Orthologues of HIRZ and INA were isolated here from Kickxia elatine, Cymbalaria muralis, and Chaenorhinum origanifolium, and confirmed through phylogenetic and gene structure analyses. Similar expression patterns were found in all three species, with moderate-high expression of both HIRZ and INA in floral buds and mature flowers, consistent high expression in apices (i.e., the SAM), and low expression in leaves. Higher levels of expression were found in floral buds compared to leaves (on average 75-86-fold higher) for INA and HIRZ, respectively. Together these data strongly suggest that the four independent evolutions of the petal spur in Antirrhineae are a result of parallel evolution, through the independent recruitment of similar underlying molecular mechanisms.

Details

Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ede.70061?af=R

Source: Evolution & Development (Recent papers from the journal Evolution & Development.)

Published: Sept. 14, 2026, 11:02 a.m.

Sexual Dimorphism in Vertebral Number: Developmental Implications Inferred From Vertebral and Body Proportions

Description

The developmental basis of sexual dimorphism in vertebral number remains poorly understood. We show pronounced dimorphism in Oryzias setnai, linked to position-dependent variation in vertebral length, providing a model for linking somitogenesis dynamics to body plan evolution.

ABSTRACT

Segmentation is a fundamental feature of vertebrate body plans, and variation in vertebral number contributes substantially to morphological diversity. Although sexual dimorphism in vertebral number has been documented in several vertebrate lineages, its developmental basis remains poorly understood. Here, we report pronounced sexual dimorphism in vertebral number in the western Indian endemic ricefish Oryzias setnai, distributed across ~1800 km. Radiographic analyses of individuals collected throughout its range revealed that vertebral number increased with latitude in both sexes, while males consistently possessed more vertebrae than females irrespective of geographic origin. Size-adjusted analyses showed that this dimorphism is associated with sex differences in head size and position-dependent variation in vertebral length. However, positional allometric analyses demonstrated that both the magnitude and direction of these sex differences vary markedly during growth. In particular, among smaller individuals, posterior vertebrae were relatively shorter in males than in females, suggesting reduced somite length in the posterior body axis of male embryos and potentially reflecting sex-specific differences in the dynamics of somitogenesis. Given that this variation arises between males and females within a single species sharing an essentially identical genetic background, O. setnai provides a rare empirical system not only for linking early developmental processes to intraspecific sexual variation in vertebrate body plans but also as a powerful model to investigate the developmental basis of body plan variation across species.

Details

Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ede.70062?af=R

Source: Evolution & Development (Recent papers from the journal Evolution & Development.)

Published: Sept. 10, 2026, 9:23 a.m.

Fin spine ontogeny in the Devonian chondrichthyan Wellerodus priscus: Paleo-Evo-Devo insights into early chondrichthyan dermal skeleton development

Description

Background

Cartilaginous fishes (chondrichthyans) from the Devonian period (419–359 million years, Ma) are primarily known from fossilized isolated dermal elements such as teeth, scales, and fin spines. Although previous studies have described the morphology and the histology of these elements, their developmental patterns remain poorly understood. In this study, we propose to explore developmental patterns of early chondrichthyan fin spines by integrating paleohistological cuts, micro-CT scan, SEM and microscopy analyses.

Results

We present the first description of the developmental patterns for the fin spines of the Middle Devonian chondrichthyan Wellerodus priscus, from the Cairo Quarry Lagerstätte in New York State, USA. Based on the ornamentation pattern and paleohistological (thin sections and micro-CT scan) characteristics, we identify a longitudinal (length wise) growth and a transverse (width wise) growth, each associated with specific zones of tissue production in the pectoral and dorsal fin spines of W. priscus. Spine developmental patterns observed in Wellerodus are compared among Paleozoic total-group chondrichthyans composed by the stem-chondrichthyans “acanthodians” and the crown group.

Conclusions

Our framework offers a new line of evidence for understanding the evolution of fin spine development by showing that Wellerodus priscus fin spines grow in length and in width. It enhances our comprehension of developmental similarities between early chondrichthyans and more derived Carboniferous, Permian, and even extant chondrichthyans. The histo-morphological criteria used to describe this developmental pattern provide characters potentially suitable for phylogenetic analyses.

Details

Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13227-026-00273-x

Source: Developmental Biology Advances (Most recent articles of the journal Developmental Biology Advances (formerly known as EvoDevo).)

Published: Sept. 8, 2026, 3 a.m.

A Young ahsg/fetuin‐a Inactive Retrocopy Reflects Recent Retrotransposon Activity in the Xenopus laevis Lineage

Description

We report a young ahsg/fetuin-a retrocopy in the allotetraploid frog Xenopus laevis, which was born less than 10 Mya from the ahsg.L homeologue (blue) and landed in the S subgenome (orange). While 5′ truncated, this retrocopy's ORF lies in frame with a putative ATG start codon contributed by the genomic context. Notwithstanding, no expression evidence was gathered at the mRNA or protein level. We propose that this inactive ahsg/fetuin-a retrocopy reflects recent retrotransposon activity in the Xenopus laevis lineage, and that it can be classified as a pseudogene.

ABSTRACT

The vertebrate ahsg (alpha 2-HS glycoprotein, also coined fetuin-a) homologs are highly expressed in the liver, and their secreted protein products exert complex systemic effects, including the regulation of biomineralization of soft and skeletal tissues. Here, we report a previously uncharacterized ahsg retrocopy in the allotetraploid frog species Xenopus laevis. We show that this young retrocopy was born from the ahsg.L homeologue less than 10 Mya, and landed in the S subgenome in a locus located between asic2.S and smarcd2.S. The ahsg.L-retrocopy ends with a poly(A) tail, is intronless, and is flanked by target site duplications. While the ahsg.L-retrocopy's ORF is devoid of frameshifts and nonsense mutations, it suffers from a short 5′ deletion, eliminating the original start codon and the signal peptide. Remarkably, this truncated ORF lies in frame with an ATG codon contributed by the neighboring genomic sequence, suggesting that the ahsg.L-retrocopy might potentially be expressed and translated into a protein product. Nevertheless, examination of RNA-Seq and proteomic experiments respectively performed on liver and bone tissues did not provide expression evidence for the ahsg.L-retrocopy. We propose that, in spite of its rescued ORF, the ahsg.L-retrocopy is non-functional and can be considered a young pseudogene born from recent retrotransposon activity in the Xenopus laevis lineage.

Details

Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ede.70060?af=R

Source: Evolution & Development (Recent papers from the journal Evolution & Development.)

Published: Sept. 4, 2026, 8:10 a.m.