The emergence of squamates as model systems for integrative biology

Abstract

Most of the major vertebrate clades have representative model species with vast molecular and laboratory resources. Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) has progressed on the backs of these model systems using their tools for comparative studies among relatively closely related species. Despite a rich history of ecological, behavioral, physiological, and evolutionary study of squamates (lizards and snakes; Sites et al. 2011), this group has yet to realize a well-developedmodel species. The details of squamate development and the unique qualities of squamate genomes have been largely unexplored. With the advent of more accessible molecular tools, the lower costs of sequencing, and the publication of the genomes of the green anole (Anolis carolinensis) and Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus), this is changing rapidly (Alfoldi et al. 2011; Castoe et al. 2011). One of the hallmark objectives of evo-devo is to understand the developmental and molecular bases of morphological diversity. The goal of this article is to introduce some of the key features of squamate diversity, highlight some of the recent advances in squamate development, and outline ongoing efforts to developAnolis lizards as amodel clade for integrative research.