Xenarthran (Mammalia) cranial evolution: modularity and its evolutionary consequen...
Morphologic Integration in Lemuriform (Primates: Strepsirrhini) Skull.
Morphological evolution and cranial integration in Phyllostomidae
| Grant number: | 11/14295-7 |
| Support Opportunities: | Research Projects - Thematic Grants |
| Duration: | February 01, 2012 - January 31, 2018 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Genetics - Quantitative Genetics |
| Principal Investigator: | Gabriel Henrique Marroig Zambonato |
| Grantee: | Gabriel Henrique Marroig Zambonato |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Associated scholarship(s): | 14/26262-4 - Direct estimates of evolutionary parameters via quantitative trait loci analysis,
BP.DR 14/12632-4 - Morphological evolution and cranial integration in Phyllostomidae, BP.PD 13/07299-1 - Skull morphological integration and evolution of cranial morphology in Feliformia (Carnivora; Mammalia), BP.MS + associated scholarships - associated scholarships |
Abstract
Modularity in Biology refers to the pattern of connections among elements: genes, proteins, morphological traits. This pattern emerges whenever a high connectivity between some elements in the system exists, forming modules, and at the same time those same elements are more loosely connected to other elements that compose other modules. Many types of modules have been recognized in Biology, such as: a) functional, composed of characters that work together to perform a function, b) development, which correspond to parts of an embryo that are relatively autonomous with respect to the developing pattern and differentiation, or an independent signaling cascade, c) variation modules, composed of characters that vary together and are relatively independent of other sets of characters. One way to study the modularity of organisms is to investigate the pattern of genetic covariances and correlations between their characters, because traits with common function or development tend to form relatively independent groups of variation among themselves, or modules. If modular organization exists in a organism, the expectation would be a pattern of high correlations between traits within the modules and low correlations between traits in different modules. Studying the modularity, or the morphological integration of organisms, is fundamental to understanding the evolution of complex features, as the modular structure influences the multivariate evolution: the relationship between the inherited patterns of modular covariation and patterns of selection may, for example, restrict or facilitate certain evolutionary paths for a population. In this project we aim to analyze the patterns of modularity and its evolutionary consequences for the phenotypic evolution in mammals in a comparative way, explicitly incorporating the phylogeny of the groups. Those Phylogenies will be obtained in the literature for some groups and others will be produced within the scope of the project itself. (AU)
| Articles published in Pesquisa FAPESP Magazine about the research grant: |
| A theory in motion |
| Teoría en construcción |
| Theory under construction |
| Articles published in Agência FAPESP Newsletter about the research grant: |
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