Abstract
Integument forms the interface between the organism and its environment. Because of the need for adaptation, it has evolved a robust ability to regenerate under physiological conditions (age, sex, and season) and sometimes in different forms which we call organ-level metamorphosis. Here we identify the organization principles of skin appendage organs: periodic patterning, stem cell renewal, temporo-regional specification, the ability to undergo regenerative healing, and the robust ability to evolve. We identify “core-morphoregulatory modules” for basic appendage formation, and “morphoregulatory modules” which sense environmental changes and mediate the signals to modify core morphogenesis processes. Here, we highlight key knowledge and recent development in the evolution and development of feather, scales, and hairs.
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Acknowledgments
WLC and ML are supported by the Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University in Taiwan (CMU) and Hospital. The work is also supported by the Drug Development Center, CMU, from the Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan, and grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan. PW and CMC are supported by NIH AR 047364 and AR 060306 and a research contract between CMU/Hospital and USC (USC grant number 5351285884), and CMC is a paid scientific advisor of CMU.
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Chang, WL., Lei, M., Wu, P., Chuong, CM. (2020). Evo-Devo of Scales, Feathers, and Hairs. In: Nuno de la Rosa, L., Müller, G. (eds) Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_192-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_192-1
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