Heterochrony, modularity, and the functional evolution of the mechanosensory lateral line canal system of fishes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The canals of the mechanosensory lateral line system are components of the dermatocranium, and demonstrate phenotypic variation in bony fishes. Widened lateral line canals evolved convergently in a limited number of families of teleost fishes and it had been hypothesized that they evolved from narrow canals via heterochrony and explore modularity in the lateral line system. Two species of cichlids with different canal phenotypes were used to test a hypothesis of heterochrony. Histological material prepared from ontogenetic series of Aulonocara stuartgranti (widened canals) and Tramitichromis sp. (narrow canals) was analyzed using ANCOVA to determine rates of increase in canal diameter and neuromast size (length, width) and to compare the timing of onset of critical stage

SUBMITTER: Bird NC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4066827 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature