Stickleback Developmental Evolution: Progress and Promise
Our comprehensive review published in Genetica establishes the threespine stickleback as a premier model system for integrating evolutionary and developmental biology.
The Micro-Evo-Devo Synthesis
Studying the intersection of evolution and development (evo-devo) is a promising route for understanding the origin and diversification of organismal form. However, we identified a fundamental gap in the evo-devo synthesis: the integration of mathematical population and quantitative genetics with studies of how genetic variation in natural populations affects developmental processes.
Why Stickleback?
The threespine stickleback offers unique advantages for this “micro-evo-devo synthesis”:
- Countless replicate natural experiments in adaptation
- Phenotypic radiations within a single species
- Extremely rapid evolution on contemporary timescales
- Extant ancestral populations available for comparison
- Genetic and developmental tractability in the laboratory
Research Progress
We review how stickleback research has begun to address:
- The genetic basis of morphological variation
- Developmental mechanisms underlying phenotypic change
- Sex determination evolution
- Speciation genetics
- Population genomics of adaptation
Key Insights
The review highlights several important findings:
- Major loci control many evolved phenotypes
- The same genes are used repeatedly in parallel evolution
- Developmental changes can be traced to specific genetic variants
- Natural variation provides insights unavailable from lab studies
Future Directions
We conclude that stickleback research is well-positioned to continue contributing to our understanding of how organismal diversity arises, bridging the gap between population genetics and developmental biology.
Research Team
- William A. Cresko
- Katrina L. McGuigan
- Patrick C. Phillips
- John H. Postlethwait
Publication: Cresko WA, McGuigan KL, Phillips PC, Postlethwait JH (2007). Studies of threespine stickleback developmental evolution: progress and promise. Genetica 129(1):105-126.