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Comparative anatomy of vertebrate limbs. The general skeletal structure of vertebrate limbs is similar in each species, despite large differences in individual bone size and shape reflecting the different functions
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In this question and answer article we discuss how evolution shapes morphology (the shape and pattern of our bodies) but also how learning about morphology, and specifically how that morphology arises during development, can shed light on mechanisms that might allow change during evolution. For this we concentrate on recent findings from our lab on...
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... and is based on that of this common ancestor. Although the limbs of vertebrates have diverged functionally into the wings of bats, the arms of humans, the forelimbs of reptiles and the fins of whales, they are nevertheless homologous: the general skeletal structure is similar in each, despite large differ- ences in individual bone size and shape (Fig. 1). In contrast, the common ancestor of humans and fruit flies did not have any limbs, so our limbs and the limbs of the fly are independently evolved and not ...
Citations
... As a result, the understanding of the evolutionary history of this taxon remains uncertain (Mitchell et al. 2002;Shepard et al. 2006;Harbach 2007;Reidenbach et al. 2009;Calvez et al. 2016). It is known that morphology is a useful tool to infer evolutionary processes (Anthwal and Tucker 2017). In this sense, a comparative study of the morphology of different species of mosquitoes may add important information to the phylogenetic data currently available. ...
The mosquito larval midgut is responsible for acquiring and storing most of the nutrients that will sustain the events of metamorphosis and the insect’s adult life. Despite its importance, the basic biology of this larval organ is poorly understood. To help fill this gap, we carried out a comparative morphophysiological investigation of three larval midgut regions (gastric caeca, anterior midgut, and posterior midgut) of phylogenetically distant mosquitoes: Anopheles gambiae (Anopheles albimanus was occasionally used as an alternate), Aedes aegypti, and Toxorhynchites theobaldi. Larvae of Toxorhynchites mosquitoes are predacious, in contrast to the other two species, that are detritivorous. In this work, we show that the larval gut of the three species shares basic histological characteristics, but differ in other aspects. The lipid and carbohydrate metabolism of the An. gambiae larval midgut is different compared with that of Ae. aegypti and Tx. theobaldi. The gastric caecum is the most variable region, with differences probably related to the chemical composition of the diet. The peritrophic matrix is morphologically similar in the three species, and processes involved in the post-embryonic development of the organ, such as cell differentiation and proliferation, were also similar. FMRF-positive enteroendocrine cells are grouped in the posterior midgut of Tx. theobaldi, but individualized in An. gambiae and Ae. aegypti. We hypothesize that Tx. theobaldi larval predation is an ancestral condition in mosquito evolution.
... Significant differences were observed in wingspan, body weight, and body length (Fig. 1), while all other morphometric parameters were nonsignificant (Table 2). Morphological analysis helps understand the evolutionary processes [21,22]. The present study was similar to David [23] and Roberts [2] in the morphometric measurement of body weight, body length, wingspan, and length of the longest primary feather of male and female common hoopoes. ...
Objective: The study was conducted to investigate the gut content and record morphometric and hematological parameters in the common hoopoe (Upupa epops).
Materials and Methods: Twenty samples of healthy birds (10 from each sex) were collected from different locations in Okara District, Punjab, Pakistan, from September 2020 to March 2021. Birds were captured live for blood samples and morphometric and gut analyses.
Results: It was revealed that the concentrations of different hematological parameters were as follows: hemoglobin, 20.03g/dl; red blood cells, 3.28 × 106/μl; white blood cells, 326.67 × 103/ μl; hematocrit, 56.47%; MCV, 173.33 FL; MCH, 57.4 pg; MCHC, 57.4 pg; PLT, 8.33/μl; and RDW, 8.33/μl. The percentages of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils were 84.67%, 11.67%, 2.00%, and 1.67%, respectively. The gut content of the common hoopoe mostly consisted of Coleoptera and Acrididae larvae. However, Lepidoptera, Gryllotalpidae, and sand were also recorded, along with seeds of Salvadora persica.
Conclusions: There were no significant differences between male and female U. epops in feeding content, total weight of the gut, or weight of the empty gut. Regarding the morphometric param¬eters, there was a significant difference in both sexes' wingspan, body length, and body weight. Males were significantly heavier than females. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2022; 9(2.000): 290-294]
... Significant differences were observed in wingspan, body weight, and body length (Fig. 1), while all other morphometric parameters were nonsignificant (Table 2). Morphological analysis helps understand the evolutionary processes [21,22]. The present study was similar to David [23] and Roberts [2] in the morphometric measurement of body weight, body length, wingspan, and length of the longest primary feather of male and female common hoopoes. ...
