Exploring the origin and diversification of mammalian tooth classes

Introduction

One long-standing question in evolutionary biology is: how do new morphological innovations arise? Integrative advances in palaeontology, genomics, development, and evolution have unveiled general principles behind evolutionary novelties. However, we are far from understanding the mechanisms by which novelties emerge from ancestral genomic and developmental programs and then diversify in new ecological contexts.

Research Focus

To solve this problem, my research uses the dramatic morphological and ecological diversity of bat teeth as a model system to study the origin and diversification of a major mammalian innovation, the tooth classes.

Methodology

Using morphological, genomic, developmental, and modelling approaches on multiple species of bats from various ecological contexts, my goal is to understand the origin of mammalian tooth classes and establish a predictive model to study their evolution.

Aim 1: Morphological Characterization

Using geometric morphometric approaches, I will first characterize the differences and unique traits in tooth class morphologies in adults and during ontogeny on µCT scans.

Aim 2: Developmental Transcriptomic Signature

Then, to link the morphological variation with the underlying changes in the genomic and developmental program, I will establish a developmental transcriptomic signature for each tooth class using Spatial Transcriptomics and MERFISH in multiple species across developmental stages.

Aim 3: Integrative Data-Driven Model

Finally, I will link these morphological and transcriptomic changes by developing an integrative data-driven model of tooth class evolution using machine learning and extend these models to other mammals.

Conclusion

By establishing bat teeth as a unique study system, my research constitutes an integrative framework using natural variation as a starting point to understand the evolution of morphological novelties in various ecological contexts.