Patterning and Post-patterning Modes of Evolutionary Digit Loss in Mammals

Overview

Journal Nature

Specialty Science

Date 2014 Jul 4

PMID 24990742

Citations 66

Authors

Kimberly L Cooper

Karen E Sears

Aysu Uygur

Jennifer Maier

Karl-Stephan Baczkowski

Margaret Brosnahan

Doug Antczak

Julian A Skidmore

Clifford J Tabin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A reduction in the number of digits has evolved many times in tetrapods, particularly in cursorial mammals that travel over deserts and plains, yet the underlying developmental mechanisms have remained elusive. Here we show that digit loss can occur both during early limb patterning and at later post-patterning stages of chondrogenesis. In the 'odd-toed' jerboa (Dipus sagitta) and horse and the 'even-toed' camel, extensive cell death sculpts the tissue around the remaining toes. In contrast, digit loss in the pig is orchestrated by earlier limb patterning mechanisms including downregulation of Ptch1 expression but no increase in cell death. Together these data demonstrate remarkable plasticity in the mechanisms of vertebrate limb evolution and shed light on the complexity of morphological convergence, particularly within the artiodactyl lineage.

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