Regeneration among animals: An evolutionary hypothesis related to aquatic versus terrestrial environment

Abstract

The present hypothesis tries to explain animal regeneration in relation to the life cycles and environment of different animals. Regeneration is a basic phenomenon present since the origin of life in the sea, as testimonial in lower or more complex extant marine animals. Aquatic animals that evolved an indirect development, forming larvae and transiting into the adult stage through metamorphosis, use gene networks present in their genome for these transformations. In case of injury or organ loss as adults, they can re-utilize most or part of the gene networks previously activated during larval growth and metamorphosis. In contrast, terrestrial animals that evolved life cycles with the elimination of larvae and metamorphosis for the adaptation to land conditions lost some of the genes implicated in these post-developmental processes and consequently also the ability to regenerate. Few arthropods and lizards are capable to form hydrated regenerative blastemas with a similar consistence of embryonic tissues. The present hypothesis submits that regeneration cannot be activated in the dry land environment and consequently was largely or completely abolished in terrestrial animals. After injury or organ loss, nematodes, most arthropods and terrestrial vertebrates can only form scars or a limited healing or regengrow in juveniles. This is a process where somatic growth is superimposed to wound healing so that the apparent regeneration derives from the combination from both processes. When full growth is terminated these terrestrial animals can only heal by scarring.

Keywords: Gene networks; Life cycles; Metamorphosis; Metazoa; Regeneration.