Skeletal gene expression in the temporal region of the reptilian embryos: implications for the evolution of reptilian skull morphology.

ABSTRACT: Reptiles have achieved highly diverse morphological and physiological traits that allow them to exploit various ecological niches and resources. Morphology of the temporal region of the reptilian skull is highly diverse and historically it has been treated as an important character for classifying reptiles and has helped us understand the ecology and physiology of each species. However, the developmental mechanism that generates diversity of reptilian skull morphology is poorly understood. We reveal a potential developmental basis that generates morphological diversity in the temporal region of the reptilian skull by performing a comparative analysis of gene expression in the embryos of reptile species with different skull morphology. By investigating genes known to regulate early osteobla

SUBMITTER: Tokita M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3970585 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature