Recognizing William Bateson's contributions.

In their Report “A complex oscillating network of signaling genes underlies the mouse segmentation clock” (8 Dec. 2006, p. [1595][1]), M.-L. Dequeant et al . expand on Pourquie's ([1][2]) work demonstrating that the precursors of vertebrae (somites) are rhythmi cally produced from the presomitic mesoderm (PSM), specifically, how “during the formation of each somite [the gene coding for the transcription factor], Lfng is expressed in the PSM as a wave that sweeps across the tissue in a posterior-to-anterior direction” (p. 1595). Historically, however, the idea of a rhythmical element in the development of repeated or meristic parts, such as somites and vertebrae, belongs to William Bateson. By 1888, Bateson had become consumed by studying variation in plants and animals as differences of expression of repeated parts. In September 1891, Bateson wrote to his sister that his “vibratory theory of repetition of parts” (also called the “Undulatory Hypothesis”) explained “all the patterns and recurrence of patterns in animals and plants” In Materials , Bateson suggested that as waves of differing intensities create different numbers and spacings of sandy furrows, so, too, will developmental waves of differing intensities determine the expression and number of elements in series of repeated structures ([2][3]). Although scientists usually concentrate on recent literature, the work of past scholars may still sometimes enlighten. In addition to translating into English Mendel's sole article and expanding Mendelism to include animals, Bateson struggled with issues such as the origin of species and of the features that distinguish them. His thoughts on alterations of development as the basis of evolutionary or specific novelty may have its roots in Victorian saltationism, but his appreciation of the achievement of difference through alteration of the developmental mechanisms underlying repeated parts foreshadowed by almost a century the current incarnation of developmental biology and the theoretical field of “evo-devo” ([3][4]). 1. 1.[↵][5] 1. O. Pourquie , Science 301, 328 (2003). [OpenUrl][6][Abstract/FREE Full Text][7] 2. 2.[↵][8] 1. W. Bateson , Materials for the Study of Variation, Treated with Especial Regard to Discontinuity in the Origin of Species (Macmillan, New York, 1894). 3. 3.[↵][9] 1. J. H. Schwartz , Sudden Origins: Fossils, Genes, and the Emergence of Species (Wiley, New York, 1999). [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1133141 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #ref-3 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1. in text" [6]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DScience%26rft.stitle%253DScience%26rft.issn%253D0036-8075%26rft.aulast%253DPourquie%26rft.auinit1%253DO.%26rft.volume%253D301%26rft.issue%253D5631%26rft.spage%253D328%26rft.epage%253D330%26rft.atitle%253DThe%2BSegmentation%2BClock%253A%2BConverting%2BEmbryonic%2BTime%2Binto%2BSpatial%2BPattern%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1126%252Fscience.1085887%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F12869750%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [7]: /lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6Mzoic2NpIjtzOjU6InJlc2lkIjtzOjEyOiIzMDEvNTYzMS8zMjgiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyNToiL3NjaS8zMTUvNTgxNS8xMDc3LjIuYXRvbSI7fXM6ODoiZnJhZ21lbnQiO3M6MDoiIjt9 [8]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2. in text" [9]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3. in text"