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Molecular Shaping of the Beak

2004; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 305; Issue: 5689 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1126/science.1098109

1095-9203

Ping Wu, Ting‐Xin Jiang, Sanong Suksaweang, Randall B. Widelitz, Cheng‐Ming Chuong,

Medical and Biological Sciences

Beak shape is a classic example of evolutionary diversification. Beak development in chicken and duck was used to examine morphological variations among avian species. There is only one proliferative zone in the frontonasal mass of chickens, but two in ducks. These growth zones are associated with bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) activity. By “tinkering” with BMP4 in beak prominences, the shapes of the chicken beak can be modulated.