Mariana is an undergraduate research student in Biology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. This project investigates how locomotory appendages in the beetle Tribolium castaneum are formed through distinct ontogenetic pathways — embryogenesis and larval regeneration — aiming to identify both convergences and specific features of these morphogenetic programs. Using an integrative approach combining morphometry, mRNA transcriptomics, and small non-coding RNA (ncRNA) profiling, the study analyzes the molecular signatures underlying leg formation and reconstruction. By comparing the embryonic limb bud, formed in a sterile and highly regulated environment, with the regenerative limb bud, generated under somatic and tissue stress conditions, the project explores how modularity, plasticity, and developmental robustness influence final appendage morphology. The results are expected to contribute to the understanding of regenerative evolution in arthropods and provide important insights for Evo-Devo models of anatomical morphospace organization.
