Topic
Cavefish
About: Cavefish is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 416 publications have been published within this topic receiving 12268 citations.
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TL;DR: The generation of a genome-wide linkage map is described to allow quantitative trait analysis of evolutionarily derived morphologies in the Mexican cave tetra, a species that has, in a series of independent caves, repeatedly evolved specialized characteristics adapted to a unique and well-studied ecological environment.
Abstract: The genetic basis of vertebrate morphological evolution has traditionally been very difficult to examine in naturally occurring populations. Here we describe the generation of a genome-wide linkage map to allow quantitative trait analysis of evolutionarily derived morphologies in the Mexican cave tetra, a species that has, in a series of independent caves, repeatedly evolved specialized characteristics adapted to a unique and well-studied ecological environment. We focused on the trait of albinism and discovered that it is linked to Oca2, a known pigmentation gene, in two cave populations. We found different deletions in Oca2 in each population and, using a cell-based assay, showed that both cause loss of function of the corresponding protein, OCA2. Thus, the two cave populations evolved albinism independently, through similar mutational events.
519 citations
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TL;DR: Genetic analysis indicates that multiple genes regulate eye degeneration, and molecular studies suggest that Pax6 may be one of the genes controlling cavefish eye degenerations, and further studies of the Astyanax system will contribute to the understanding of the evolution of developmental mechanisms in vertebrates.
326 citations
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TL;DR: In the study of cavernicolous animals, the Mexican characid fish Astyanax fasciatus has come to play a role equivalent to that of the fruit fly, Drosophila, in genetics.
Abstract: Notable progress in the biological sciences is occasionally made possible by the discovery of a species that exhibits a specialized way of life, but nevertheless will thrive and breed in the laboratory. In the study of cavernicolous animals, the Mexican characid fish Astyanax fasciatus has come to play a role equivalent to that of the fruit fly, Drosophila, in genetics.
306 citations
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TL;DR: It is suggested that cryptic variation played a role in the evolution of eye loss in cavefish and the first evidence for HSP90 as a capacitor for morphological evolution in a natural setting is provided.
Abstract: In the process of morphological evolution, the extent to which cryptic, preexisting variation provides a substrate for natural selection has been controversial. We provide evidence that heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) phenotypically masks standing eye-size variation in surface populations of the cavefish Astyanax mexicanus. This variation is exposed by HSP90 inhibition and can be selected for, ultimately yielding a reduced-eye phenotype even in the presence of full HSP90 activity. Raising surface fish under conditions found in caves taxes the HSP90 system, unmasking the same phenotypic variation as does direct inhibition of HSP90. These results suggest that cryptic variation played a role in the evolution of eye loss in cavefish and provide the first evidence for HSP90 as a capacitor for morphological evolution in a natural setting.
306 citations
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TL;DR: It is proposed that during evolution and adaptation to their cave habitat, cavefish have undergone a behavioral shift, due to modifications of their serotonergic neuronal network, and a link between the development of a neuronal network and the likely adaptive behaviors it controls is demonstrated.
299 citations