Papers by Alessandro Minelli
What does it mean to understand a biological form? Traditional approaches have tried to generate ... more What does it mean to understand a biological form? Traditional approaches have tried to generate families of form through generative algorithms, often mathematically elegant (e.g., fractals) but very far from biological reality, or to explain it in terms of adaptation. In recent times, a different reading of living forms has been fueled by progress in developmental biology. The key point is that natural selection can only act on the products of the development mechanisms actually operating in nature. There are biological forms that, had they appeared, would have been successful, but simply never saw the light. There are also reciprocal examples of 'monstrous' individuals whose chances of survival are uncertain and are not able to reproduce, yet they often reach adulthood, demonstrating that existing developmental mechanisms are capable of constructing forms other than normal ones. Thus, to understand living forms as these exist in nature we cannot be satisfied either with th...
Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina, 2015
Scutigera cacahuamilpensis is designated as junior synonym of Dendrothereua linceci based on his ... more Scutigera cacahuamilpensis is designated as junior synonym of Dendrothereua linceci based on his habitat and distribution record.
Bilddenken und Morphologie, 2021
Beyond their role in visualizing the diversity of living forms, illustrations have been used to d... more Beyond their role in visualizing the diversity of living forms, illustrations have been used to depict generalized or idealized models, e. g. Owen'sa rchetype of the vertebrate skeleton and Turpin's Urpflanze. Later,pictorial representations wereu sed to illustrate groundplans of monophyletic lineages or as summaries of invariant features,a si nBoris Schwanwitch'sm odel of the butterflyw ing pattern. This was followed by aw idespread misuse of diagramst oe xpress changes of form as chronoclines based on the assumption of amonotonic, directional changeo fe volving forms. Illustrations of pathways of changeo fl iving forms (extant or extinct; real or generated by algorithms) in am orphospace are useful in presentingontogenetic and phylogenetic transitions among related morphotypes, often with targeted focus on the organisms' potential for change, i. e., their evolvability.Finally, networks of pattern units have proven useful as a tool to represent the evolvability of serialhomologues in modular,e.g.segmented organisms. OpenAccess. ©2 021A lessandroM inelli, published by De Gruyter. This work is licensed under the CreativeC ommons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 1994
A new analysis within the framework of developmentalgenetics provides both raw data and theoretic... more A new analysis within the framework of developmentalgenetics provides both raw data and theoretical support to the “old” morphology and suggests a new, more predictive, approach to the concept of homology. We distinguish between “positional homologues” and “structural homologues” as independent components of the more general concept of homology. We discuss some general patterns seen in the anatomy of animals and in their morphogenesis. Slack et al. (1993) advanced the concepts of the “zootype”, a particular spatial pattern of gene expression, and the “phylotype”, a particular stage of embryonic development that expresses the zootype. We build upon these concepts and expand them. This allows us to propose some additional phylotypes (arthrotype, cyclotype, platytype, malacotype, trimerotype) that may guide future investigations towards understanding the genesis of metazoan form.
Zootaxa, 2007
Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) is a new research area where the traditions of evol... more Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) is a new research area where the traditions of evolutionary biology and developmental biology merge together. As in the past there has been a fruitful two-way exchange between evolutionary biology and taxonomy, and also between developmental biology and taxonomy, now the way is open for two-way exchanges between taxonomy and evolutionary developmental biology.
Zootaxa, 2012
The centipede genus Strigamia Gray (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Linotaeniidae) is revised with reg... more The centipede genus Strigamia Gray (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Linotaeniidae) is revised with regards to morpholog-ical diagnosis, composition in known species, taxonomic nomenclature, major characters differentiating species, and geo-graphical distribution. Published information has been integrated and reinterpreted after direct examination of more thanhalf of the known species. The genus Strigamia is distinguished from similar genera (Agathothus Bollman, AraucaniaChamberlin, Damothus Chamberlin, Zantaenia Chamberlin) mainly by the conspicuous basal denticle of the forcipulartarsungulum, the paired ventral pore areas on the posterior part of trunk segments, and the remarkably swollen ultimatepair of legs in adult males. At least 32 distinct species are known and another 12 are recognized provisionally, whereas 21names are rejected as synonyms. Of all other nominal species that have been referred to Strigamia or its synonyms in thepast, 16 are shown not to actually belong to Strigam...
Zootaxa, 2012
Among the diverse geophilomorph centipedes inhabiting the Mediterranean region, we recognise and ... more Among the diverse geophilomorph centipedes inhabiting the Mediterranean region, we recognise and describe a morpho-logically distinct lineage that has long been misunderstood and neglected. This lineage, which deserves to be treated as adistinct genus (Algerophilus Brolemann, 1925), is broadly similar to Geophilus Leach, 1814 and Tuoba Chamberlin, 1920,but differs from them mainly in the more elongate head and forcipular segment and the coxal pores clustered into elonga-ted pouches. All published and new records are from Western Mediterranean regions including the Baetic Mountains, Ibi-za, the Atlantic Moroccan coastal plain, and the Tell Atlas. A single species A. hispanicus (Meinert, 1870) (=Nesogeophilus mateui Machado, 1953, syn. n.) is recognised on morphological characters, but some geographical varia-tion has been detected in the relative elongation of antennae and forcipules and in the number of trunk segments. The evo-lutionary distinctness and geographical distribution hig...
Zootaxa, 2011
Geophilus arenarius Meinert (Chilopoda: Geophilidae), a neglected nominal species from north-west... more Geophilus arenarius Meinert (Chilopoda: Geophilidae), a neglected nominal species from north-western Africa of uncertain identity, is here described in detail and its taxonomic position assessed. G. arenarius is actually a morphologically distinct species belonging to a widespread Western Palaearctic species-complex whose internal taxonomy is still largely unresolved, to the exclusion of the two British species G. carpophagus and G. easoni. G. arenarius differs from both other species mainly by lacking a transverse suture on the head, lacking peculiar integumental features (carpophagus-structures) along the trunk, and having relatively stouter antennae and forcipular coxosternite.
Zootaxa, 2006
Two new species of Neotropical Geophilomorpha are described: Ribautia combinata n. sp. from Peru ... more Two new species of Neotropical Geophilomorpha are described: Ribautia combinata n. sp. from Peru and R. donatellae n. sp. from Brazil. New records from Amazonia are given for R. ducalis Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1995. R. proxima Pereira, Minelli & Barbieri, 1994 is recorded for the first time from Guyane française. Schizoribautia Brölemann, 1912 is synonymized under Ribautia Brölemann, 1909, syn. nov.
Zootaxa, 2007
We present a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the Mecistocephalidae occurring in the Japanese ... more We present a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the Mecistocephalidae occurring in the Japanese main archipelago and in Taiwan, based on both the critical analysis of published information and the comparative morphological examination of representative specimens, including type material. A total of 34 species in 8 genera are recognised. Diagnostic characters, synonyms and geographical distribution are reviewed and discussed for all species, and a detailed redescription is provided for 12 already known species. An identification key to all species is also provided. The following species are described as new: Arrup ishiianus, Arrup lilliputianus, Arrup longicalix, Arrup kyushuensis, Mecistocephalus changi, Mecistocephalus karasawai. The following synonymies are new: Tygarrup monoporus Shinohara, 1961 = Dicellophilus pulcher (Kishida, 1928); Mecistocephalus fenestratus Verhoeff, 1934 = Mecistocephalus japonicus Meinert, 1886; Mecistocephalus insulomontanus Gressitt, 1941 = Mecistoceph...
Annals of botany, Jan 7, 2015
Two indicators of a clade's success are its diversity (number of included species) and its di... more Two indicators of a clade's success are its diversity (number of included species) and its disparity (extent of morphospace occupied by its members). Many large genera show high diversity with low disparity, while others such as Euphorbia and Drosophila are highly diverse but also exhibit high disparity. The largest genera are often characterized by key innovations that often, but not necessarily, coincide with their diagnostic apomorphies. In terms of their contribution to speciation, apomorphies are either permissive (e.g. flightlessness) or generative (e.g. nectariferous spurs). Except for Drosophila, virtually no genus among those with the highest diversity or disparity includes species currently studied as model species in developmental genetics or evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). An evo-devo approach is, however, potentially important to understand how diversity and disparity could rapidly increase in the largest genera currently accepted by taxonomists. The ...
Revue suisse de zoologie, 2004
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2015
Current biology : CB, Jan 2, 2015
Centipedes are a very old lineage of terrestrial animals. The first completely sequenced myriapod... more Centipedes are a very old lineage of terrestrial animals. The first completely sequenced myriapod genome reveals that the blind centipede Strigamia maritima has no gene for light-sensory proteins, lacks the canonical circadian clock and possesses unusual features related to chemosensory perception.
Rihautia (Ri/Jwaia) tropica (Brolemann. I R9R) comb. nov .. transferred here from GeotJhilus. is ... more Rihautia (Ri/Jwaia) tropica (Brolemann. I R9R) comb. nov .. transferred here from GeotJhilus. is redcscribed after type series. A lectotype i> aho 'elected. Riassunto-Sui/a vera idellli{(/ di Geophilus tropic us Rriilcnwnn, /898, 1111 geoji!mnmf(, del Vcne;ue/u (Chilopoda Geophi!olllorp/za Geophi!idae). Viene qui ticlescritta. in seguiro allo 'rudio della scric tipica, Rihautia (Rihauria) I!"Of!icu (Briilemann. 1898) comb. nov.. originariamente clescritta nel gencrc Geophilus e per essa vienc dcsignato un Jeclotipo.
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Papers by Alessandro Minelli