Correction: MamA as a Model Protein for Structure-Based Insight into the Evolutionary Origins of Magnetotactic Bacteria

Darwin's dual interests in evolution and plants formed the basis of evolutionary botany, a field that developed following his publications on both topics. Here, we review his many contributions to plant biology—from the evolutionary origins of angiosperms to plant reproduction, carnivory, and movement—and note that he expected one day there would be a ‘true’ genealogical tree for plants. This view fuelled the field of plant phylogenetics. With perhaps nearly 400 000 species, the angiosperms have diversified rapidly since their origin in the Early Cretaceous, often through what appear to be rapid radiations. We describe these evolutionary patterns, evaluate possible drivers of radiations, consider how new approaches to studies of diversification can contribute to our understanding of angiosperm diversity, and suggest new directions for further insight into plant evolution.

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Insight into the mechanism and factors on encapsulating basic model protein, lysozyme, into heparin doped CaCO3

Colloids and Surfaces B Biointerfaces ◽

10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.11.079 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 175 ◽

pp. 184-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Pengzhong Shi ◽

Jianghui Qin ◽

Jingyan Hu ◽

Yu Bai ◽

Xingjie Zan

Keyword(s):

Basic Model ◽

Model Protein ◽

Insight Into

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Crystallographic insight into the evolutionary origins of xyloglucan endotransglycosylases and endohydrolases

The Plant Journal ◽

10.1111/tpj.13421 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 89 (4) ◽

pp. 651-670 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Nicholas McGregor ◽

Victor Yin ◽

Ching-Chieh Tung ◽

Filip Van Petegem ◽

Harry Brumer

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary Origins ◽

Insight Into

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Structure, ontogeny and evolution of the patellar tendon in emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and other palaeognath birds

10.7287/peerj.preprints.404v1 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Sophie Regnault ◽

Andrew A Pitsillides ◽

John R. Hutchinson

Keyword(s):

Patellar Tendon ◽

Age Groups ◽

Knee Extensor ◽

Fat Pad ◽

Mechanical Advantage ◽

Evolutionary Origins ◽

Extensor Muscles ◽

Dromaius Novaehollandiae ◽

Insight Into ◽

Knee Extensor Muscles

The patella (kneecap) exhibits multiple evolutionary origins in birds, mammals, and lizards, and is thought to increase the mechanical advantage of the knee extensor muscles. Despite appreciable interest in the specialized anatomy and locomotion of palaeognathous birds (ratites and relatives), the structure, ontogeny and evolution of the patella in these species remains poorly characterized. Within Palaeognathae, the patella has been reported to be either present, absent, or fused with other bones, but it is unclear how much of this variation is real, erroneous or ontogenetic. Clarification of the patella’s form in palaeognaths would provide insight into the early evolution of the patella in birds, in addition to the specialized locomotion of these species. Findings would also provide new character data of use in resolving the controversial evolutionary relationships of palaeognaths. In this study, we examined the gross and histological anatomy of the emu patellar tendon across several age groups from five weeks to 18 months. We combined these results with our observations and those of others regarding the patella in palaeognaths and their outgroups (both extant and extinct), to reconstruct the evolution of the patella in birds. We found no evidence of an ossified patella in emus, but noted its tendon to have a highly unusual morphology comprising large volumes of adipose tissue contained within a collagenous meshwork. The emu patellar tendon also included increasing amounts of a cartilage-like tissue throughout ontogeny. We speculate that the unusual morphology of the patellar tendon in emus results from assimilation of a peri-articular fat pad, and metaplastic formation of cartilage, both potentially as adaptations to increasing tendon load. We corroborate previous observations of a ‘double patella’ in ostriches, but in contrast to some assertions, we find independent (i.e. unfused) ossified patellae in kiwis and tinamous. Our reconstructions suggest a single evolutionary origin of the patella in birds and that the ancestral patella is likely to have been a composite structure comprising a small ossified portion, lost by some species (e.g. emus, moa) but expanded in others (e.g. ostriches).

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Evolving complexity: how tinkering shapes cells, software and ecological networks

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2019.0325 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 375 (1796) ◽

pp. 20190325 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ricard Solé ◽

Sergi Valverde

Keyword(s):

Biological Networks ◽

Network Models ◽

Scale Free ◽

Philosophical Foundations ◽

Evolutionary Origins ◽

Proper Formulation ◽

Modular Architectures ◽

The Individual ◽

Insight Into ◽

Selection Of

A common trait of complex systems is that they can be represented by means of a network of interacting parts. It is, in fact, the network organization (more than the parts) that largely conditions most higher-level properties, which are not reducible to the properties of the individual parts. Can the topological organization of these webs provide some insight into their evolutionary origins? Both biological and artificial networks share some common architectural traits. They are often heterogeneous and sparse, and most exhibit different types of correlations, such as nestedness, modularity or hierarchical patterns. These properties have often been attributed to the selection of functionally meaningful traits. However, a proper formulation of generative network models suggests a rather different picture. Against the standard selection–optimization argument, some networks reveal the inevitable generation of complex patterns resulting from reuse and can be modelled using duplication–rewiring rules lacking functionality. These give rise to the observed heterogeneous, scale-free and modular architectures. Here, we examine the evidence for tinkering in cellular, technological and ecological webs and its impact in shaping their architecture. Our analysis suggests a serious consideration of the role played by selection as the origin of network topology. Instead, we suggest that the amplification processes associated with reuse might shape these graphs at the topological level. In biological systems, selection forces would take advantage of emergent patterns. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Unifying the essential concepts of biological networks: biological insights and philosophical foundations’.

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Darwin’s Unfinished Symphony

Darwin's Unfinished Symphony ◽

10.23943/princeton/9780691182810.003.0001 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 1-30

Author(s):

Kevin N. Laland

Keyword(s):

Sexual Behavior ◽

Life History ◽

Human Evolution ◽

Social Life ◽

Satisfactory Explanation ◽

Foraging Patterns ◽

Behavioral Diversity ◽

Evolutionary Origins ◽

History Of ◽

Insight Into

This chapter poses the question of the evolution of intellectual faculties. But a satisfactory explanation demands insight into the evolutionary origins of some of our most striking attributes—our intelligence, language, cooperation, teaching, and morality—yet most of these features are not just distinctive, they are unique to our species. That makes it harder to glean clues to the distant history of our minds through comparison with other species. At the heart of this challenge lies the undeniable fact that we humans are an amazingly successful species. Our range is unprecedented; we have colonized virtually every terrestrial habitat on Earth; exhibit behavioral diversity that is unparalleled in the animal kingdom; and resolved countless ecological, social, and technological challenges. When one considers that the life history, social life, sexual behavior, and foraging patterns of humans have also diverged sharply from those of other apes, there are grounds for claiming that human evolution exhibits unusual and striking features that go beyond our self-obsession and demand explanation.

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Structure, ontogeny and evolution of the patellar tendon in emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and other palaeognath birds

10.7287/peerj.preprints.404 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Sophie Regnault ◽

Andrew A Pitsillides ◽

John R. Hutchinson

Keyword(s):

Patellar Tendon ◽

Age Groups ◽

Knee Extensor ◽

Fat Pad ◽

Mechanical Advantage ◽

Evolutionary Origins ◽

Extensor Muscles ◽

Dromaius Novaehollandiae ◽

Insight Into ◽

Knee Extensor Muscles

The patella (kneecap) exhibits multiple evolutionary origins in birds, mammals, and lizards, and is thought to increase the mechanical advantage of the knee extensor muscles. Despite appreciable interest in the specialized anatomy and locomotion of palaeognathous birds (ratites and relatives), the structure, ontogeny and evolution of the patella in these species remains poorly characterized. Within Palaeognathae, the patella has been reported to be either present, absent, or fused with other bones, but it is unclear how much of this variation is real, erroneous or ontogenetic. Clarification of the patella’s form in palaeognaths would provide insight into the early evolution of the patella in birds, in addition to the specialized locomotion of these species. Findings would also provide new character data of use in resolving the controversial evolutionary relationships of palaeognaths. In this study, we examined the gross and histological anatomy of the emu patellar tendon across several age groups from five weeks to 18 months. We combined these results with our observations and those of others regarding the patella in palaeognaths and their outgroups (both extant and extinct), to reconstruct the evolution of the patella in birds. We found no evidence of an ossified patella in emus, but noted its tendon to have a highly unusual morphology comprising large volumes of adipose tissue contained within a collagenous meshwork. The emu patellar tendon also included increasing amounts of a cartilage-like tissue throughout ontogeny. We speculate that the unusual morphology of the patellar tendon in emus results from assimilation of a peri-articular fat pad, and metaplastic formation of cartilage, both potentially as adaptations to increasing tendon load. We corroborate previous observations of a ‘double patella’ in ostriches, but in contrast to some assertions, we find independent (i.e. unfused) ossified patellae in kiwis and tinamous. Our reconstructions suggest a single evolutionary origin of the patella in birds and that the ancestral patella is likely to have been a composite structure comprising a small ossified portion, lost by some species (e.g. emus, moa) but expanded in others (e.g. ostriches).

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Calibration problems in hydrogen luminosities

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900053626 ◽

1966 ◽

Vol 24 ◽

pp. 322-330

Author(s):

A. Beer

Keyword(s):

Galactic Structure ◽

B Stars ◽

Insight Into

The investigations which I should like to summarize in this paper concern recent photo-electric luminosity determinations of O and B stars. Their final aim has been the derivation of new stellar distances, and some insight into certain patterns of galactic structure.

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Stochasting modeling of planetary ring systems

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s025292110010154x ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 75 ◽

pp. 461-469 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Robert W. Hart

Keyword(s):

Maximum Entropy ◽

Ring System ◽

The Sun ◽

Ultimate State ◽

Interparticle Interactions ◽

Ring Systems ◽

First Order ◽

Planetary Ring ◽

Insight Into

ABSTRACTThis paper models maximum entropy configurations of idealized gravitational ring systems. Such configurations are of interest because systems generally evolve toward an ultimate state of maximum randomness. For simplicity, attention is confined to ultimate states for which interparticle interactions are no longer of first order importance. The planets, in their orbits about the sun, are one example of such a ring system. The extent to which the present approximation yields insight into ring systems such as Saturn's is explored briefly.

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