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Replaying evolutionary transitions from the dental fossil record

Author

Listed:
  • Enni Harjunmaa

    (Developmental Biology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Kerstin Seidel

    (Program in Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94114, USA
    University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94114, USA)

  • Teemu Häkkinen

    (Developmental Biology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Elodie Renvoisé

    (Developmental Biology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Ian J. Corfe

    (Developmental Biology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Aki Kallonen

    (University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Zhao-Qun Zhang

    (Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Alistair R. Evans

    (School of Biological Sciences, Monash University
    Geosciences, Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia)

  • Marja L. Mikkola

    (Developmental Biology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Isaac Salazar-Ciudad

    (Developmental Biology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
    Genomics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Spain)

  • Ophir D. Klein

    (Program in Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94114, USA
    University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94114, USA
    University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94114, USA
    Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94114, USA)

  • Jukka Jernvall

    (Developmental Biology Program, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland)

Abstract

The evolutionary relationships of extinct species are ascertained primarily through the analysis of morphological characters. Character inter-dependencies can have a substantial effect on evolutionary interpretations, but the developmental underpinnings of character inter-dependence remain obscure because experiments frequently do not provide detailed resolution of morphological characters. Here we show experimentally and computationally how gradual modification of development differentially affects characters in the mouse dentition. We found that intermediate phenotypes could be produced by gradually adding ectodysplasin A (EDA) protein in culture to tooth explants carrying a null mutation in the tooth-patterning gene Eda. By identifying development-based character inter-dependencies, we show how to predict morphological patterns of teeth among mammalian species. Finally, in vivo inhibition of sonic hedgehog signalling in Eda null teeth enabled us to reproduce characters deep in the rodent ancestry. Taken together, evolutionarily informative transitions can be experimentally reproduced, thereby providing development-based expectations for character-state transitions used in evolutionary studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Enni Harjunmaa & Kerstin Seidel & Teemu Häkkinen & Elodie Renvoisé & Ian J. Corfe & Aki Kallonen & Zhao-Qun Zhang & Alistair R. Evans & Marja L. Mikkola & Isaac Salazar-Ciudad & Ophir D. Klein & Jukka, 2014. "Replaying evolutionary transitions from the dental fossil record," Nature, Nature, vol. 512(7512), pages 44-48, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:512:y:2014:i:7512:d:10.1038_nature13613
    DOI: 10.1038/nature13613
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