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Laboratory for Evolutionary Morphology
Research Areas
Evolution can be viewed as series of changes introduced to developmental programs of organisms. The ultimate goal of our research project is to reconstruct the mechanical background of development behind evolutionary novelties in vertebrates, such as jaws and turtle crapace, by comparing developmental processes and patterns between different animal species to identify the changed portion of development, by constructing phenocopies to modify a part of developmental programs of model animals, and by integrating the experimental data with fossil data, phylogenetic trees based on molecular data, and variety of genomes in animals. We have also started investigating moth wing patterns and their evolution as the model system in order to seek for possibilities that we will be able to include population genetic, ecological contexts of biology, as well as mathematical methodology for analyses and simulation into our Evolutionary Developmental Biological approach.   Shigeru KURATANI
Group Director
Shigeru KURATANI (Ph.D.)
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Research Subjects
(1) To understand the developmental change that has brought about the gnathostome jaw, or origin of gnathostomes
(2) To understand the conprehensive developmental patterns and mechanisms of hagfish
(3) To understand the developmental changes brought into the body plan and its developmental program in the amniote ancestor to generate the turtle carapace
(4) To understand the mechanical background behind the mammalian ear ossicles, or the origin of mammals
(5) To understand the skeletal muscle evolution from the perspective of molecular developmental biology
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List of Selected Publications
(1) Ota, G.K., Kuraku, S., and Kuratani, S.:
"Hagfish embryology with reference to the evolution of the neural crest."
Nature 21 March (2007)
(2) Takio, Y., Pasqualetti, M., Kuraku, S., Hirano, S., Rijli, F.M., and Kuratani, S.:
"Lamprey Hox genes and the evolution of jaws."
Nature 20 May (2004)
(3) Shigetani, Y., Sugahara, F., Kawakami, Y., Murakami, Y., Hirano, S., and Kuratani, S.:
"Heterotopic Shift of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Interactions in Vertebrate Jaw Evolution."
Science 296, 1316-1319 (2002)
(4) Nagashima, H., Kuraku, S., Uchida, K., Ohya, K.Y., Narita, Y., and Kuratani, S.:
"On the carapacial ridge in turtle embryos: its developmental origin, function and the chelonian body plan."
Development 134 2219-2226 (2007)
(5) Kusakabe, R., and Kuratani, S.:
"Evolution and Developmental Patterning of the Vertebrate Skeletal Muscles: Perspectives From the Lamprey."
DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS 234, 824-834, (2005)
(6) Kuraku, S., Usuda, R., and Kuratani, S.:
"Comprehensive survey of carapacial ridge-specific genes in turtle implies co-option of some regulatory genes in carapace evolution."
EVOLUTION & DEVELOPMENT 7:1, 3-17, (2005)
(7) Nagashima, H., Uchida, K., Yamamoto, K., Kuraku, S., Usuda, R., and Kuratani, S.:
"Turtle-Chicken Chimera: An Experimental Approach to Understanding Evolutionary Innovation in the Turtle."
DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS 232: 149-161, (2005)
(8) Murakami, Y., Pasqualetti, M., Takio, Y., Hirano, S., Rijli, M., and Kuratani, S.:
"Segmental development of reticulospinal and branchiomotor neurons in lamprey: insights into the evolution of the vertebrate hindbrain."
DEVELOPMENT 131, 983-995, (2004)
(9) Murakami, Y., Ogasawara, M., Surahara, F., Hirano, S., Satoh, N., and Kuratani, S.:
"Indentification and expression of the lamprey Pax6 gene: evolutionary origin of the segmented brain of vertebrates."
Development 128, 3521-3531(2001)
(10) Shigetani, Y., Nobusaka, Y., and Kuratani, S.:
"Ectodermally Derived FGF8 Defines the Maxillomandibular Region in the Early Chick Embryo: Epithelial-Mesenchymal Interactions in the Specification of the Craniofacial Ectomesenchyme."
Develomental Biology 228, 73-85 (2000)




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