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The Developmental Origins of Mosaic Evolution in the Primate Limb Skeleton

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Abstract

The central hypothesis of this paper is that basic properties of vertebrate limb development bias the generation of phenotypic variation in certain directions, and that these biases establish focal units, or regions, of evolutionary change within the primate hand and foot. These focal units include (1) a preaxial domain (digit I, hallux or pollex, metapodial and proximal phalanx), (2) a postaxial domain (metapodials and phalanges of digits II–V), and (3) a digit tip domain (terminal phalanges and nails/claws of rays I–V). The existence of these focal units therefore provides a mechanistic basis for mosaic evolution within the hand and foot, and can be applied to make specific predictions about which features of the limb skeleton are most likely to be altered in primate adaptive radiations over time. Examination of the early primate fossil record provides support for this model, and suggests that the existence of variational tendencies in limb development has played a major role in guiding the origin and evolution of primate skeletal form.

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Drs. Philipp Gunz and Philipp Mitteröcker for inviting me to participate in the Symposium on Human Evolution and Development held at the Konrad Lorenz Institute in Altenberg, Austria. Prof. Dr. Gerd Müller, Eva Karner, and Astrid Juette provided wonderful hospitality during the visit. Drs. Jukka Jernvall, Frietson Galis, and Benedikt Hallgrimmson provided helpful discussions on aspects of limb evolution and development.

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  1. Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Georgia Health Sciences University, CB1116 Laney Walker Blvd., Augusta, GA, 30912, USA

    Mark W. Hamrick

  2. Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA, USA

    Mark W. Hamrick

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA, USA

    Mark W. Hamrick

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Correspondence to Mark W. Hamrick.

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Hamrick, M.W. The Developmental Origins of Mosaic Evolution in the Primate Limb Skeleton. Evol Biol 39, 447–455 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11692-011-9154-3

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