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Computational Modeling at the Cell and Tissue Level in Evo-Devo

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Evolutionary Developmental Biology

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Abstract

Computational models of development integrate empirical knowledge about the dynamics of development, including the interactions at the level of genes, cells, and tissues. These models are capable of predicting the relationship between genotype and phenotype for a specific organ or embryo part, that is, the association of specific genetic differences with specific phenotypic differences. Thus, they can provide insights into the evolution of specific lineages by predicting what phenotypic variation is present at each generation for selection to act on. In this chapter we explain how computational models of development are designed and describe several approaches using them in order to address specific and general questions in evolution. Models of development can be used to infer the range of possible phenotypes for a given organ or structure and predict the genetic and developmental bases of specific evolutionary transitions. By including realistic developmental dynamics in population-based models of evolution, one can assess the effect of a complex relationship between genotype and phenotype on the dynamics of adaptation in populations. Furthermore, when the structure of development is allowed to change by mutation in these models, general patterns in the evolution of the mechanisms of development can be inferred.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Excellence in Experimental and Computational Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Miquel Marin-Riera & Isaac Salazar-Ciudad

  2. Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Miquel Marin-Riera & Isaac Salazar-Ciudad

Authors
  1. Miquel Marin-Riera
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  2. Isaac Salazar-Ciudad
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miquel Marin-Riera .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The KLI Institute, Klosterneuburg, Austria

    Laura Nuno de la Rosa

  2. The KLI Institute, Klosterneuburg, Austria

    Gerd Müller

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Philipp Mitteröker

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Marin-Riera, M., Salazar-Ciudad, I. (2018). Computational Modeling at the Cell and Tissue Level in Evo-Devo. In: Nuno de la Rosa, L., Müller, G. (eds) Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_56-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_56-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33038-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33038-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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