Developmental sources of conservation and variation in the evolution of the primate eye.
Conserved developmental programs, such as the order of neurogenesis in the mammalian eye, suggest the presence of useful features for evolutionary stability and variability. The owl monkey, Aotus azarae, has developed a fully nocturnal retina in recent evolution. Description and quantification of cell cycle kinetics show that embryonic cytogenesis is extended in Aotus compared with the diurnal New World monkey Cebus apella. Combined with the conserved mammalian pattern of retinal cell specification, this single change in retinal progenitor cell proliferation can produce the multiple alterations of the nocturnal retina, including coordinated reduction in cone and ganglion cell numbers, increase in rod and rod bipolar numbers, and potentially loss of the fovea.
Dyer
Michael A
MA
Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA. michael.dyer@stjude.org
Martins
Rodrigo
R
da Silva Filho
Manoel
M
Muniz
José Augusto P C
JA
Silveira
Luiz Carlos L
LC
Cepko
Constance L
CL
Finlay
Barbara L
BL
D000818:Animals; D016645:Aotidae / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002428:Cebus / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005123:Eye / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D015870:Gene Expression; D009929:Organ Size; D010802:Phylogeny; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology