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“Alien” wasps and evolution of development
Author(s) -
Grbić Miodrag
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/1521-1878(200010)22:10<920::aid-bies7>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - biology , evolutionary biology , evolutionary developmental biology , developmental plasticity , embryogenesis , ecology , zoology , plasticity , gene , genetics , physics , thermodynamics
A comparative analysis of early developmental programs in a group of parasitic wasps reveals that closely related species can undergo dramatic evolutionary shifts in their patterns of embryogenesis. Developmental changes detected include alterations in early cleavage divisions, the establishment of embryonic anteroposterior polarity and modifications of the segmentation gene hierarchy described from Drosophila . These changes appear to be adaptations to parasitic development, taking place within the body of the host. Wasps illustrate a surprising plasticity in their early development and embryogenesis. The alterations associated with different parasitic strategies suggest that ecological adaptations may have profound influences on developmental processes in animals. BioEssays 22:920–932, 2000. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.