Developmental Model Of Static Allometry In Holometabolous Insects

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Veterinary
Article Date: 13 May 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Biological diversity is dominated by variation in the relative sizes of different body parts.

For example, we humans are characterized by our proportionally bigger brains compared to other primates, while butterflies are recognized by their proportionally larger wings compared to other insects.

Nevertheless, almost nothing is known of the developmental mechanisms that regulate the relationship between organ and body size, and how they evolve.

Our paper uses mathematical modeling to predict what these mechanisms are, and how selection may have acted upon them to generate the variation in relative organ size we see around us.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Proceedings B is the Royal Society's flagship biological research journal, dedicated to the rapid publication and broad dissemination of high-quality research papers, reviews and comment and reply papers. The scope of journal is diverse and is especially strong in organismal biology.

www.publishing.royalsociety.org/proceedingsb