title: Allometry and size control: what can studies of body size regulation teach us about the evolution of morphological scaling relationships?
abstract: The relationship between organ and body size, known as morphological allometry, has fascinated biologists for over a century because changes in allometry generate the vast diversity of organism shapes. Nevertheless, progress has been limited in understanding the genetic mechanisms that regulate allometries and how these mechanisms evolve. This is perhaps because allometry is measured at the population level, however adult organ and body size depends on genetic background and the developmental environment of individuals. Recent findings have enhanced our understanding of how insects regulate their organ and body sizes in response to environmental conditions, particularly nutritional availability. We argue that merging these developmental insights with a population genetics approach will provide a powerful system for understanding the evolution of allometry.
authors.affiliation: Development, Evolution and the Environment Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal; School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia. Electronic address: christen.mirth@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Christen K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Mirth
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Anthony Frankino
authors.affiliation: Lake Forest College, 555 North Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Shingleton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D049628:Body Size; D004777:Environment; D007313:Insecta / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*