A striking diversity of compound eye size and shape has evolved among insects. The number ommatidia their are major determinants the visual sensitivity acuity eye. Each ommatidium is composed eight photoreceptor cells that facilitate discrimination different colours via expression various light sensitive Rhodopsin proteins. It follows variation in size, shape, opsin composition likely to directly influence vision. We analyzed these three traits D. melanogaster, simulans mauritiana. show...

Convergent phenotypic evolution is often caused by recurrent changes at particular nodes in the underlying gene regulatory networks (GRNs). The genes such evolutionary 'hotspots' are thought to maximally affect phenotype with minimal pleiotropic consequences. This has led suggestion that if a GRN understood sufficient detail, path of may be predictable. repeated loss larval trichomes among Drosophila species shavenbaby (svb) expression. svb also required for development leg trichomes, but...

Identifying the genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic change is essential to understanding how gene regulatory networks and ultimately genotype-to-phenotype map evolve. It recognized that microRNAs (miRNAs) have potential facilitate evolutionary [1Li J. Zhang Z. miRNA variation in human evolution.Trends Genet. 2013; 29: 116-124Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (33) Google Scholar, 2Niwa R. Slack F.J. The evolution of animal microRNA function.Curr. Opin. Dev. 2007; 17: 145-150Crossref...

MicroRNAs are small (∼22 nt) noncoding RNAs that repress translation and therefore regulate the production of proteins from specific target mRNAs. microRNAs have been found to function in diverse aspects gene regulation within animal development many other processes. Among invertebrates, both conserved novel, lineage specific, extensively studied predominantly holometabolous insects such as Drosophila melanogaster However little is known about microRNA repertoires arthropod lineages...

Abstract Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) have occurred multiple times during animal evolution, including in lineages leading to vertebrates, teleosts, horseshoe crabs, and arachnopulmonates. These dramatic events initially produce a wealth of new genetic material, generally followed by extensive gene loss. It appears, however, that developmental genes such as homeobox genes, signaling pathway components microRNAs are frequently retained duplicates (so-called ohnologs) following WGD. not...

SUMMARY Eye and head morphology vary considerably among insects even between closely related species of Drosophila . Species the D. melanogaster subgroup, other species, exhibit a negative correlation eye size face width (FW); for example, mauritiana generally has bigger eyes composed larger ommatidia conversely narrower than its sibling species. To better understand evolution morphology, we investigated genetic developmental basis differences in FW male simulans QTL mapping showed that...

<ns3:p>We present a genome assembly from an individual male <ns3:italic>Aporia crataegi</ns3:italic> (the black-veined white; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Pieridae). The sequence is 230 megabases in span. complete scaffolded into 26 chromosomal pseudomolecules, with the Z sex chromosome assembled. Gene annotation of this on Ensembl has identified 10,860 protein coding genes.</ns3:p>

Visual systems provide a key interface between organisms and their surroundings, have evolved in many forms to perform diverse functions across the animal kingdom. Spiders exhibit range of visual abilities ecologies, diversity which is underpinned by highly versatile, modular system architecture. This typically includes eight eyes two developmentally distinct types, but number, size, location function can vary dramatically lineages. Previous studies development spiders confirmed that...

Abstract The compound eyes of insects exhibit striking variation in size, reflecting adaptation to different lifestyles and habitats. However, the genetic developmental bases insect eye size is poorly understood, which limits our understanding how these important morphological differences evolve. To address this, we further explored natural within between four species Drosophila melanogaster subgroup. We found extensive among species, flies with larger generally had a shorter inter-ocular...

Abstract The Sox family of transcription factors regulates many processes during metazoan development, including stem cell maintenance and nervous system specification. Characterizing the repertoires roles these genes can therefore provide important insights into animal evolution development. We further characterized several arachnid species with without an ancestral whole-genome duplication compared their expression between spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum harvestman Phalangium opilio....

Abstract Background The compound eyes of insects exhibit extensive variation in ommatidia number and size, which affects how they see underlies adaptations their vision to different environments lifestyles. However, very little is known about the genetic developmental bases differences eye size. We previously showed that larger Drosophila mauritiana compared D. simulans are generally caused by size rather than number. Furthermore, we identified an X-linked chromosomal region results when...

SUMMARY Microtrichia or trichomes are non‐sensory actin protrusions produced by the epidermal cells of many insects. Studies trichome formation in Drosophila have over last 30 years provided key insights towards our understanding gene regulation, regulatory networks (GRNs), development, genotype to phenotype map, and evolution these processes. Here we review classic studies that used as a model shed light on development well recent research architecture GRN underlying formation. This...

Abstract The paradigm of isolation in southern refugia during glacial periods followed by expansions interglacials, producing limited genetic differentiation northern areas, dominates European phylogeography. However, the existence complex structured populations formerly glaciated and islands connected to mainland areas maxima, call for alternative explanations. We reconstructed mtDNA phylogeography widespread Polyommatus Icarus butterfly with an emphasis on British Isles. found distinct...

Abstract In the last 240,000 years, males of Drosophila simulans species clade have evolved striking differences in morphology their epandrial posterior lobes and claspers (surstyli). These appendages are used for grasping female during mating so divergence is most likely driven by sexual selection. Mapping studies indicate a highly polygenic generally additive genetic basis these morphological differences. However, we limited understanding gene regulatory networks that control development...

We investigated the evolution of a large facial bone, opercle (OP), in lake populations threespine stickleback that were founded by anadromous ancestors, Cook Inlet, Alaska. Recent studies characterized OP variation among marine and mapped quantitative trait locus with influence on shape. Using from diverse environments independent evolutionary histories, we examined divergence shape ancestor. report preliminary evidence for between benthic generalist ecotypes, necessitating further...

Abstract Current rates of habitat degradation and climate change are causing unprecedented declines in global biodiversity. Studies on vertebrates highlight how conservation genomics can be effective identifying managing threatened populations, but it is unclear vertebrate‐derived metrics genomic erosion translate to invertebrates, with their markedly different population sizes life histories. The Black‐veined White butterfly ( Aporia crataegi ) was extirpated from Britain the 1920s. Here,...

Among the various types of evolutionary changes in morphology, origin novel structures may be most rare and intriguing. Here we show statistically that origins different correlated phylogenetically clustered into "hot spots" novelty, a case study involving skull elements treefrogs. We reconstruct phylogenetic relationships within clade Middle American treefrogs based on data from 10 nuclear four mitochondrial genes then analyze morphological evolution across this tree. New cranial are among...

Visual systems provide a key interface between organisms and their surroundings, have evolved in many forms to perform diverse functions across the animal kingdom. Spiders exhibit range of visual abilities ecologies, diversity which is underpinned by highly versatile, modular system architecture. This typically includes eight eyes two developmentally distinct types, but number, size, location, function can vary dramatically lineages. Previous studies development spiders confirmed that...

Abstract Ectothermic species such as insects are particularly vulnerable to climatic fluctuations. Nevertheless, many that evolved and diversified in the tropics have successfully colonized temperate regions all over globe. To shed light on genetic basis of cold tolerance species, we conducted a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping experiment for chill coma recovery time (CCRT) Drosophila ananassae, cosmopolitan has expanded its range from tropical regions. We created population...

ABSTRACT Whole genome duplications have occurred multiple times during animal evolution, including in lineages leading to vertebrates, teleosts, horseshoe crabs and arachnopulmonates. These dramatic events initially produce a wealth of new genetic material, generally followed by extensive gene loss. It appears, however, that developmental genes such as homeobox genes, signalling pathway components microRNAs are frequently retained duplicates (so called ohnologs) following whole-genome...

A striking diversity of compound eye size and shape has evolved among insects.The number ommatidia their are major determinants the visual sensitivity acuity eye.Each ommatidium is composed eight photoreceptor cells that facilitate discrimination different colours via expression various light sensitive Rhodopsin proteins.It follows variation in size, shape, opsin composition likely to directly influence vision.We analyzed these three traits D. melanogaster, simulans mauritiana.We show...