The Fundamental Relevance of Morphology and Morphogenesis to Plant Research

Abstract

Plant morphology, including morphogenesis, remains relevant to practically all disciplines of plant biology such as molecular genetics, physiology, ecology, evolutionary biology and systematics. This relevance derives from the fact that other disciplines refer to or imply morphological concepts, conceptual frameworks of morphology, and morphological theories. Most commonly, morphology is equated with classical morphology and its conceptual framework. According to this, flowering plants and certain other taxa are reduced to the mutually exclusive categories of root, stem (caulome) and leaf (phyllome). This ignores the fact that plant morphology has undergone fundamental conceptual, theoretical and philosophical innovation in recent times. These changes, when recognized, can fundamentally affect research in various disciplines of plant biology. They may even change the questions that are asked and thus may affect the direction of future research. If, for example, plant diversity and evolution are seen as a dynamic continuum, then compound leaves can be seen as intermediate between simple leaves and whole shoots. Recent results in molecular genetics support this view. Phylogenetically, this could mean that compound leaves are the result of developmental hybridization, i.e. partial homeosis. Many other examples are given to illustrate the relevance and potential impact of basic conceptual and theoretical innovations in plant morphology.

Infra-generic morphological variations in some Nepeta L. taxa of Iran

“…Irrespective of how relationship is observed, the basis for its evolution is generally a list of traits and trait state. Traditionally, the mentioned traits have been mainly morphology (Sattler & Rutishauser, 1997), because morphological features play a major role in both phonetic and phylogenetic classifications (Cronquist, 1988;woodland, 1996). High variations were observed among both qualitative and quantitative morphological traits between the studied species and also their populations.…”

Morphospace: Measurement, Modeling, Mathematics, and Meaning

“…3D FractaL Tree addresses two theories of tree development and evolution out of nine theories that have been described by Sattler and Rutishauser (1997). While we personally think that some of their models are much less well supported than others, we believe that it is very important for students to examine each of the theories based on: (1) evidence that they have acquired and that has been reported in the primary literature, and; (2) their own expectations of what a good theory will do for them.…”

Recommendations and Goals for Evo-Devo Research

“…Perhaps homology as a concept is too simplistic to reflect the burgeoning knowledge from evo-devo, and has outlived its usefulness. At a minimum, partial homology seems to be real (Sattler and Rutishauser 1997;Rutishauser and Isler 2001;Vergara-Silva 2003). Perhaps one might say the structure has double homology, with one homology overlain upon the other, if one can infer the order in which the different gene cascades came to be expressed in that structure.…”