Developmental modularity may facilitate morphological evolution by allowing phenotypic change of a developing body component without negatively impacting other components. I examined foregut development in Amphissa columbiana, a predatory neogastropod with a highly derived foregut and in Crepidula fornicata, a phytoplankton-feeder with a less derived foregut, for evidence of developmental modules. Histological sections revealed that the post-metamorphic buccal cavity and radula of both species form as a ventral outpocketing (ventral module) from the larval esophagus (dorsal module). However, in Amphissa columbiana the ventral outpocketing is semi-isolated from the larval esophagus and also produces an “anterior esophagus” that is not developmentally homologous to the “anterior esophagus” of herbivorous caenogastropods. Semi-isolation of the ventral and dorsal modules of the developing neogastropod foregut allows precocious development of the post-metamorphic foregut during the larval stage without compromising larval feeding. Therefore, development of diverse variants of the post-metamorphic foregut are freed from larval constraints. / Graduate / 2020-08-03
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/9927 |
Date | 16 August 2018 |
Creators | Hanson, Nova |
Contributors | Page, Louise |
Source Sets | University of Victoria |
Language | English, English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Thesis |
Format | application/pdf |
Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
Page generated in 0.002 seconds