Bmp4 and Morphological Variation of Beaks in Darwin's Finches

2004/09/02 by Arhat Abzhanov, Meredith Protas, B. Rosemary Grant +2 · 13 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Avian ecology and behavior

paper · doi:10.1126/science.1098095

openalex publication_date 2004/09/02 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

Darwin's finches are a classic example of species diversification by natural selection. Their impressive variation in beak morphology is associated with the exploitation of a variety of ecological niches, but its developmental basis is unknown. We performed a comparative analysis of expression patterns of various growth factors in species comprising the genus Geospiza. We found that expression of Bmp4 in the mesenchyme of the upper beaks strongly correlated with deep and broad beak morphology. When misexpressed in chicken embryos, Bmp4 caused morphological transformations paralleling the beak morphology of the large ground finch G. magnirostris.

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• Mechanical stress, fracture risk and beak evolution in Darwin's ground finches ( Geospiza )
• Ecology Shapes Birdsong Evolution: Variation in Morphology and Habitat Explains Variation in White‐Crowned Sparrow Song
• How to Make a Bird Skull: Major Transitions in the Evolution of the Avian Cranium, Paedomorphosis, and the Beak as a Surrogate Hand
• Intereses ocultos y valores manifiestos
• Development of bat flight: Morphologic and molecular evolution of bat wing digits
• Beak [wikipedia]
• Darwin's finches [wikipedia]
• Evolutionary developmental biology [wikipedia]
• Ornithology [wikipedia]