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Lamprey Hox genes and the origin of jaws

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  • Martin J. Cohn

    (School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading)

Abstract

The development of jaws was a critical event in vertebrate evolution because it ushered in a transition to a predatory lifestyle, but how this innovation came about has been a mystery. In the embryos of jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes), the jaw cartilage develops from the mandibular arch, where none of the Hox genes is expressed; if these are expressed ectopically, however, jaw development is inhibited1,2,3. Here I show that in the lamprey, a primitively jawless (agnathan) fish that is a sister group to the gnathostomes4, a Hox gene is expressed in the mandibular arch of developing embryos. This finding, together with outgroup comparisons, suggests that loss of Hox expression from the mandibular arch of gnathostomes may have facilitated the evolution of jaws.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin J. Cohn, 2002. "Lamprey Hox genes and the origin of jaws," Nature, Nature, vol. 416(6879), pages 386-387, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:416:y:2002:i:6879:d:10.1038_416386a
    DOI: 10.1038/416386a
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