Development, Evolution and the Environment Lab, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal; School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Curr Opin Insect Sci. 2016 Feb;13:93-98. doi: 10.1016/j.cois.2016.02.010. Epub 2016 Feb 26.
The relationship between organ and body size, known as morphological allometry, has fascinated biologists for over a century because changes in allometry generate the vast diversity of organism shapes. Nevertheless, progress has been limited in understanding the genetic mechanisms that regulate allometries and how these mechanisms evolve. This is perhaps because allometry is measured at the population level, however adult organ and body size depends on genetic background and the developmental environment of individuals. Recent findings have enhanced our understanding of how insects regulate their organ and body sizes in response to environmental conditions, particularly nutritional availability. We argue that merging these developmental insights with a population genetics approach will provide a powerful system for understanding the evolution of allometry.
器官和体型之间的关系，被称为形态发生的异速生长，一个多世纪以来一直令生物学家着迷，因为异速生长的变化产生了生物体形状的巨大多样性。然而，在理解调节异速生长的遗传机制以及这些机制如何进化方面，进展一直很有限。这也许是因为异速生长是在种群水平上测量的，但是成人器官和体型取决于个体的遗传背景和发育环境。最近的发现增强了我们对昆虫如何根据环境条件（特别是营养供应）调节其器官和体型的理解。我们认为，将这些发育方面的见解与群体遗传学方法相结合，将为理解异速生长的进化提供一个强大的系统。
