Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 The concept of the adaptive landscape
- 2 Modelling natural selection in adaptive landscapes
- 3 Modelling evolutionary phenomena in adaptive landscapes
- 4 The concept of the theoretical morphospace
- 5 Analysing the role of adaptive evolution in theoretical morphospaces
- 6 Analysing evolutionary phenomena in theoretical morphospaces
- 7 Evolutionary constraint in theoretical morphospace
- 8 Evolutionary development in theoretical morphospace
- 9 There is much to be done …
- References
- Index
8 - Evolutionary development in theoretical morphospace
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 January 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 The concept of the adaptive landscape
- 2 Modelling natural selection in adaptive landscapes
- 3 Modelling evolutionary phenomena in adaptive landscapes
- 4 The concept of the theoretical morphospace
- 5 Analysing the role of adaptive evolution in theoretical morphospaces
- 6 Analysing evolutionary phenomena in theoretical morphospaces
- 7 Evolutionary constraint in theoretical morphospace
- 8 Evolutionary development in theoretical morphospace
- 9 There is much to be done …
- References
- Index
Summary
The heuristic power of building theoretical morphospaces rests on the capability of generating hypothetical morphologies out of real processes, thus surpassing the usual analytical observation of natural occurrences. At some level, any experimental manipulation involving gain and loss of gene function is a strategy that parallels morphospace building. In both cases, natural occurrences are violated, and new forms appear that have to be explained with normal biological processes. The gain in insight is enormous: looking at the logic of theoretical occurrences can single out the logic of real occurrences.
Rasskin-Gutman and Izpisúa-Belmonte (2004, p. 411)The concept of developmental constraint
In Chapter 7 the concept of developmental constraint for species x is defined as the boundary between the two sets DPFx = {f| f = developmentally possible forms for species x} and DIFx = {f| f = developmentally impossible forms for species x} (Fig. 7.5). Forms that belong to the set DPFx, developmentally possible form for species x, must be phylogenetically possible and geometrically possible, belonging to the sets PPFx and GPF, but can either be functional (DPFx ∩ FPF) or lethal (DPFx ∩ NPF). Actual existent form for species x can only belong to the former set intersection, such that potential existent form for species x, PEFx, is constrained to be PEFx ⊂ DPFx ⊂ FPF ⊂ GPF = {f| f ∈ GPF, f ∈ FPF, f ∈ DPFx} (Fig. 7.6).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Geometry of EvolutionAdaptive Landscapes and Theoretical Morphospaces, pp. 152 - 173Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006