title: [Progress on the degeneration mechanism of cave fishes' eyes].
abstract: Attempts to understand the degeneration of the eyes in cave fish has largely been explained by either various extents of gradual degeneration, ranging from partial to total loss, observed in various species or by acceleration of loss caused by dark environments. However, neither the theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin nor the neutral theory of molecular evolution formulated by Kimura Motoo adequately explains these phenomena. Recent trends in utilizing multidisciplinary research, however, have yielded better results, helping reveal a more complex picture of the mechanisms of degeneration. Here, we summarize the current progress of the research via morphology and anatomy, development biology, animal behavior science and molecular genetics, and offer some perspectives on the ongoing research into the development and degeneration of eyes in cave fish.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Tiao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003624:Darkness; D005123:Eye / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005399:Fishes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins