Spine skeleton morphogenesis during regeneration in clypeasteroid and camarodont sea urchins
The process of skeleton morphogenesis is described for broken and totally removed spines in clypeasteroid (hollow spine) and camarodont (solid spine) sea urchins. Spine regeneration after total spine removal is completed in 40–45 days in clypeasteroids and in 60–70 days in camarodont sea urchins. Along with common stages of formation of longitudinal ribs in both hollow and solid spines, fundamental differences were found between the initial stages of reparative growth of the spine shaft. The spine shaft is formed from a single median process in clypeasteroids and from many simultaneously growing processes in camarodont sea urchins. Reparative morphogenesis of totally removed and partly broken spines in clypeasteroid sea urchins and totally removed spines in camarodont sea urchins leads to the formation of a skeletal structure identical to the intact spine. However, during the regeneration of broken camarodont spines, lateral growth is markedly retarded. As a result, the regenerated part of the spine shaft has a smaller diameter when the initial spine length is achieved. A hypothesis is proposed on a paedomorphic origin of spines in the clypeasteroid sea urchins on the basis of the juvenile stage of definitive spines in the camarodont sea urchins.
Evolutionary significance of morphogenetic mechanisms
Different approaches to interpretation of ontogenesis are compared. The importance is emphasized of Ber’s theory of developmental patterns and the law of embryonic similarity. The significance of evolutionary rationalization of morphogenetic mechanisms is discussed (V.N. Beklemishev, V.A. Dogel’ and O.M. Ivanova-Kazas). There are two main pathways of rationalization of morphogenetic mechanisms: by means of epithelial morphogenesis and at the expense of oligocellular primordia (V.N. Beklemishev). When the developmental plans of the taxonomical types are determined, it is important to take into consideration the diversity of morphogenetic mechanisms within a given group in order to reveal morphological spectrums of morphogenetic mechanisms. A comparison of morphogenetic spectrums in different groups provides a wide evolutionary picture and helps us to reconstruct the phylogeny. Influence of morphogenetic mechanisms on the structure of definitive forms is demonstrated: construction technologies determine types of organs, anatomical and histological systems, and even symmetrical features of organisms and their complex parts.
Remotely-Piloted Helicopter Citrus Yield Map Estimation
A remotely-piloted Gas Xcell mini-helicopter with GPS, wireless Ethernet, and a machinevision system was flown over orange trees to take overhead images. The individual tree images were processed to estimate the number of orange pixels in the images. The fruit yield of individualtrees at harvest a month later had an r-squared value of 0.373 with the number of orange pixels onthe irrigated tree images. While it was demonstrated that a remotely-piloted mini-helicopter could beused to acquire useful overhead images of citrus trees, substantial further research is needed toimprove the accuracy of estimates of individual tree yields or health.