Local and global diversity and evolution of animal colorations explored by large-scale pattern analysis and comparative genomics

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H03283
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45030:Biodiversity and systematics-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: MIYAZAWA Seita 大阪大学, 大学院生命機能研究科, 特任准教授(常勤) (10377905)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 模様パターン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Animals have a wide variety of color patterns on their body surfaces. The diversity of these patterns can be divided into "local diversity," which is unique to individual biological taxa, and "global diversity," which is common across multiple taxa. In this research project, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the large biological group of fish to elucidate both local and global diversity of color patterns. Using approaches such as comparative genomic analysis, we uncovered some aspects of the developmental and evolutionary mechanisms underlying them.

Free Research Field

生物多様性・進化

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

動物体表に見られる模様パターンは、同種識別や交配選択、擬態・隠蔽など、適応的にも大きな意義をもつと考えられる形質です。動物たちがなぜ模様をもつのかについてはこれまで多くの研究・議論がありましたが、模様パターンの形成メカニズムや進化プロセスについては、一部のモデル動物などを除いて多くが未解明のままでした。本研究の成果により、複雑なパターンが形成されるメカニズムや進化プロセス、パターン形成に関わる要因などについて新たな知見が得られ、動物の模様パターンの多様性を生み出すしくみについての理解が深まりました。