Symmetry Breaking and the Evolution of Development
@article{Palmer2004SymmetryBA, title={Symmetry Breaking and the Evolution of Development}, author={A. Richard Palmer}, journal={Science}, year={2004}, volume={306}, pages={828 - 833} }
Because of its simplicity, the binary-switch nature of left-right asymmetry permits meaningful comparisons among many different organisms. Phylogenetic analyses of asymmetry variation, inheritance, and molecular mechanisms reveal unexpected insights into how development evolves. First, directional asymmetry, an evolutionary novelty, arose from nonheritable origins almost as often as from mutations, implying that genetic assimilation (“phenotype precedes genotype”) is a common mode of evolution…
361 Citations
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