Evolution of novel sensory organs in fish with legs
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Current Biology
Publication Date
10-7-2024
Abstract
How do animals evolve new traits? Sea robins are fish that possess specialized leg-like appendages used to “walk” along the sea floor. Here, we show that legs are bona fide sense organs that localize buried prey. Legs are covered in sensory papillae that receive dense innervation from touch-sensitive neurons, express non-canonical epithelial taste receptors, and mediate chemical sensitivity that drives predatory digging behavior. A combination of developmental analyses, crosses between species with and without papillae, and interspecies comparisons of sea robins from around the world demonstrate that papillae represent a key evolutionary innovation associated with behavioral niche expansion on the sea floor. These discoveries provide unique insight into how molecular-, cellular-, and tissue-scale adaptations integrate to produce novel organismic traits and behavior.
Volume
34
Issue
19
First Page
4349
Last Page
4356.e7
DOI
10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.014
Recommended Citation
Allard, C., Herbert, A., Krueger, S., Liang, Q., Walsh, B., Rhyne, A. L., Gourlay, A., Seminara, A., Baldwin, M., Kingsley, D., & Bellono, N. (2024). Evolution of novel sensory organs in fish with legs. Current Biology, 34 (19), 4349-4356.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.014
ISSN
09609822
E-ISSN
18790445
