LOS ANGELES // A change in just one gene may have jump-started the transition of ancient fish into animals that could move on land - by deleting a fin and replacing it with the rudiments of a limb, scientists reported in the journal Nature.
Marie-Andree Akimenko and co-workers at the University of Ottawa in Canada identified a set of genes that was absent in tetrapods, the animals with four limbs that descended from fish, but present in all seven species of fish they investigated.
The scientists blocked the activity of these genes in zebrafish, which are commonly used in lab research. The result was stunted fin growth. Effects were apparent as early as two days after fertilisation, at which point the structure that normally goes on to form the skeletal foundation of the fin was completely missing. This suggested that inactivating the genes provided a blank canvas for an entirely new structure.
The genes also appear to play a role in digit development. The fossil record shows that the earliest tetrapods had eight digits per appendage, which over time slowly decreased to the maximum of five seen today. The genetic programme of the modified zebrafish looked like it was heading toward having many digits, like the early tetrapod ancestors.
The study is important, the scientists said, because it suggests how a pivotal step in the evolution of life may have occurred.
"I think it is really exciting that here we have this gene that obviously seems critical for fin development and it's lost in tetrapods," said the Yale University biologist Scott Weatherbee. "It really makes sense."
There are a few complications that still need to be smoothed out. For one thing, to affect the fin, the researchers needed to inactivate two similar genes in the zebrafish, an event that would be unlikely to occur naturally.Second, if the loss of this gene was the first step toward limb development, the resulting fish probably would have had very short fins. How they survived until further genetic modifications furnished more functional limbs remains an open question.
Still, the line between fin and limb becomes hazy in these early transitional species. Fish originally developed stumpy limb-like appendages for life in swamps, about 350 million years ago, when plants were colonising shallow waters, creating marshes rich with nourishment.
Finned fish, built to navigate open water, had trouble maneuvering in the crowded swamps. To provide an advantage, the developing limbs didn't have to be the long, lithe legs of a gazelle; they just needed to help steer around plants or push off the ground to pounce on passing prey.
* Los Angeles Times
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
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North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5