Genetic and developmental origins of a unique foraging adaptation in a Lake Malawi cichlid genus.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic novelties are an important but poorly understood category of morphological diversity. They can provide insights into the origins of phenotypic variation, but we know relatively little about their genetic origins. Cichlid fishes display remarkable diversity in craniofacial anatomy, including several novelties. One aspect of this variation is a conspicuous, exaggerated snout that has evolved in a single Malawi cichlid lineage and is associated with foraging specialization and increased ecological success. We examined the developmental and genetic origins for this phenotype and found that the snout is composed of two hypertrophied tissues: the intermaxillary ligament (IML), which connects the right and left sides of the upper jaw, and the overlying loose connective tissue. The IML

SUBMITTER: Conith MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6142203 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature