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How does
this same tool kit (sets of genes) create distinct morphologies
iniverse environments? That is,
given the shared evolutionary history of genes
and proteins involved in development, how have distinct functions
arisen?
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Which
sets of developmental genes define a module or cassette? What is
the role of developmental modules in life histories
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Can
the study of gene regulatory changes in evolution allow us to crack
the code for cis-regulation
of gene expression?
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How
do the major developmental gene families work in different branches
of the ToL? Are there correlative changes with major evolutionary
transitions such as adaptation to terrestrial environments?
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How
do we move from understanding the evolution of regulatory networks
to understanding population level changes that have allowed organisms
to adapt to new environments
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What are
the various mechanisms that have led to genome modifications and
how do these relate to evolving developmental mechanisms?
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How
do developmental constraints affect evolution?