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. 2002 Jul 23;99(15):9930-5.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.152333099. Epub 2002 Jul 11.

Genetic basis for systems of skeletal quantitative traits: principal component analysis of the canid skeleton

Kevin Chase  1 , David R Carrier, Frederick R Adler, Tyler Jarvik, Elaine A Ostrander, Travis D Lorentzen, Karl G Lark
Affiliations

Genetic basis for systems of skeletal quantitative traits: principal component analysis of the canid skeleton

Kevin Chase et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

Evolution of mammalian skeletal structure can be rapid and the changes profound, as illustrated by the morphological diversity of the domestic dog. Here we use principal component analysis of skeletal variation in a population of Portuguese Water Dogs to reveal systems of traits defining skeletal structures. This analysis classifies phenotypic variation into independent components that can be used to dissect genetic networks regulating complex biological systems. We show that unlinked quantitative trait loci associated with these principal components individually promote both correlations within structures (e.g., within the skull or among the limb bones) and inverse correlations between structures (e.g., skull vs. limb bones). These quantitative trait loci are consistent with regulatory genes that inhibit growth of some bones while enhancing growth of others. These systems of traits could explain the skeletal differences between divergent breeds such as Greyhounds and Pit Bulls, and even some of the skeletal transformations that characterize the evolution of hominids.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of a young (a) with an adult (b) PWD. (c) Comparison of a Greyhound (Left) with a Pit Bull (Right). The adult PWD was shorn to display body shape.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Five x-ray views of a PWD. (A) Profile of skull. (B) Pelvis. (C) Ventral–dorsal view of skull. (D) Fore limb. (E) Hind limb. Trait measurements are numbered in each view. Trait numbers are referenced in Table 2.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Genotypic separation of trait values contributing to PC4. Traits were residuals obtained by regressing PC1, PC2, and PC3 onto the trait metrics. These residuals were adjusted to a mean of zero and a standard deviation of 1.0. Each value in a distribution represents a weighting coefficient for a genotype of marker FH2356 obtained from a bootstrap trial. Distributions are given for the three traits humerus width, illium width, and facial length.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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