PUBLICATION
Concordia discors: duality in the origin of the vertebrate tail
- Authors
- Handrigan, G.R.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-030722-2
- Date
- 2003
- Source
- Journal of anatomy 202(3): 255-267 (Review)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Biological Evolution*
- Birds
- Embryonic Induction/physiology*
- Gastrula/physiology*
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Mammals
- Morphogenesis/physiology
- Nervous System/embryology
- Phylogeny
- Tail/embryology*
- Vertebrates/embryology*
- Xenopus
- Zebrafish
- PubMed
- 12713266 Full text @ J. Anat.
Citation
Handrigan, G.R. (2003) Concordia discors: duality in the origin of the vertebrate tail. Journal of anatomy. 202(3):255-267.
Abstract
The vertebrate tail is an extension of the main body axis caudal to the anus. The developmental origin of this structure has been a source of debate amongst embryologists for the past century. Some view tail development as a continuation of the morphogenetic processes that shape the head and trunk (i.e. gastrulation). The alternative view, secondary development, holds that the tail forms in a manner similar to limb development, i.e. by secondary induction. Previous developmental studies have provided support for both views. Here I revisit these studies, describing caudal morphogenesis in select vertebrates, the associated genes and developmental defects, and, as a relevant aside, consider the developmental and evolutionary relationships of primary and secondary neurulation. I conclude that caudal development enlists both gastrulation and secondary induction, and that the application of recent high-resolution cell labelling technology may clarify how these discordant programmes interact in building the vertebrate tail.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping