SYMPOSIUM: 'Physiology Underlying Phenotypic Plasticity and Polyphenisms,' Toronto, Canada, January 4-8, 2003

Proyecto: Research project

Detalles del proyecto

Description

The final form of many animals (perhaps most animals) depends on the environment in which they develop. This symposium will be a series of talks by both faculty and graduate students on how animals regulate modifications in their development in response to environmental changes. Hence, it explores internal controls of the 'nurture' end of the nature-vs.-nurture dichotomy. For example, the eggs of some turtles develop into males if incubated at cool temperatures but develop into females if incubated at warm temperatures. Many such environmental effects on animal development are known, but the hormonal processes involved in regulating these developmental switches are less well known. For example, in turtle eggs, what are the cellular processes underlying the temperature effect on sex hormones and sex determination? The talks in this symposium will present results on environmentally affected developmental processes in animals. Included will be lectures on how toads either undergo metamorphosis to a small adult or grow to a larger larvae, how beetles grow either large or small horns, and how butterflies develop wings with either large or small eyespots. Perhaps most important, there has never been a conference on environmental effects on development that brings together biologists who study a wide range of animals. This cross-disciplinary discussion could lead to new advances in understanding how animals control developmental responses to the environment.

EstadoFinalizado
Fecha de inicio/Fecha fin8/1/027/31/03

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • Physiology
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)