Q2813@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Creative Business Decisions) (10/15/87)
Christian Ronse writes: >I have read that the paleontologist W.K. Gregory proposed in 1935 (Quart. Rev. >Biol. 10) that a frequent occurrence in evolution is the sudden replication of >an existing body part followed by a subsequent elaboration and divergence of >function of the two parts. Is this suggestion verified? The fossil record seems to indicate this, but can't _prove_ it. Recent studies with fruit flies also support the idea. Sorry, no references; this is the word from my professors. Allometry is the name I know for this subject. >I am particularly interested in the case of the evolution of the human (or >simply primate) brain. Such a mechanism has been invoked to explain the >multiplicity of visual areas in the primate occipital lobe (Allman, 1977), and >the similarity between the perception of short-range movement and stereopsis >(Anstis, 1970). >Any pointer to serious articles or books appreciated. Use "allometry" as a keyword when searching through publication permutation indices. A classic "must read" on the topic is D'Arcy Thompson, Sir Wentworth; _On_Growth_and_Form_; ed. J.T. Bonner; 1961; Princeton University Press. This book did for allometry what Darwin's _Origin_of_the_Species_ did for evolution. It is also well written and enjoyable. -Una