Plant evolutionary developmental biology

For a more ecological discussion on the evolution of plant morphology, see Evolutionary history of plants.

Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) is the study of developmental programs and patterns from an evolutionary perspective.[1] It seeks to understand the various influences shaping the form and nature of life on the planet. Evo-devo arose as a separate branch of science rather recently. An early sign of this occurred in 1999.[2]

Most of the synthesis in evo-devo has been in the field of animal evolution, one reason being the presence of model systems like Drosophila melanogaster, C. elegans, zebrafish and Xenopus laevis. However, since 1980, a wealth of information on plant morphology, coupled with modern molecular techniques has helped shed light on the conserved and unique developmental patterns in the plant kingdom also.[3][4]

  1. ^ Hall B (2000). "Evo-Devo or Devo-Evo - Does it matter?". Evolution and Development. 2 (4): 177–178. doi:10.1046/j.1525-142x.2000.00003e.x. PMID 11252559. S2CID 40347284.
  2. ^ Goodman C, Coughlin B (2000). "The evolution of evo-devo biology". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 97 (9): 4424–4425. doi:10.1073/pnas.97.9.4424. PMC 18255. PMID 10781035.
  3. ^ Vergara-Silva F (2003). "Plants and the conceptual articulation of evolutionary developmental biology". Biology and Philosophy. 18 (2): 249–284. doi:10.1023/A:1023936102602. S2CID 81013686.
  4. ^ Minelli, A. 2018. Plant Evolutionary Biology. The Evolvability of the Phenotype. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107034921