鳥類手指同源問題是進(jìn)化生物學(xué)研究領(lǐng)域最具爭論性的問題之一,。近年來,，包括古生物學(xué)家和發(fā)育生物學(xué)家在內(nèi)的研究者在《自然》和《科學(xué)》等雜志上發(fā)表了一系列論文，對這一問題展開了新一輪的激烈討論,。2013年6月17日出版的《當(dāng)代生物學(xué)》雜志上,，刊登了中國科學(xué)院古脊椎動物與古人類研究所徐星研究員和美國國立衛(wèi)生研究院(NIH)癌癥與發(fā)育生物學(xué)實驗室的S. Mackem博士的綜述論文，全面回顧了這一爭論的原因,，比較了各種不同的假說,，并提出了未來的研究方向。
在這篇題為“追尋鳥類手指演化”的論文中,，徐星和S. Mackem比較了幾種確定同源結(jié)構(gòu)的常用標(biāo)準(zhǔn),，評價了這幾種標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的優(yōu)缺點(diǎn)，重點(diǎn)介紹了鳥類手指演化過程中的復(fù)雜性,，強(qiáng)調(diào)了同源異型機(jī)制在鳥類手指演化過程中的作用,。這一研究是徐星課題組用整合的方法，結(jié)合古生物學(xué)和發(fā)育生物學(xué)資料來解釋重要結(jié)構(gòu)演化的一個新成果,。
《當(dāng)代生物學(xué)》Current Biology是生物學(xué)領(lǐng)域一個具有重要影響的雜志（影響因子超過10）,，刊登包括演化生物學(xué)在內(nèi)的各類生物學(xué)文章。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1016/j.cub.2013.04.071
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Tracing the Evolution of Avian Wing Digits
Xing Xu, Susan Mackem
It is widely accepted that birds are a subgroup of dinosaurs, but there is an apparent conflict: modern birds have been thought to possess only the middle three fingers (digits II-III-IV) of an idealized five-digit tetrapod hand based on embryological data, but their Mesozoic tetanuran dinosaur ancestors are considered to have the first three digits (I-II-III) based on fossil evidence. How could such an evolutionary quirk arise? Various hypotheses have been proposed to resolve this paradox. Adding to the confusion, some recent developmental studies support a I-II-III designation for avian wing digits whereas some recent paleontological data are consistent with a II-III-IV identification of the Mesozoic tetanuran digits. A comprehensive analysis of both paleontological and developmental data suggests that the evolution of the avian wing digits may have been driven by homeotic transformations of digit identity, which are more likely to have occurred in a partial and piecemeal manner. Additionally, recent genetic studies in mouse models showing plausible mechanisms for central digit loss invite consideration of new alternative possibilities (I-II-IV or I-III-IV) for the homologies of avian wing digits. While much progress has been made, some advances point to the complexity of the problem and a final resolution to this ongoing debate demands additional work from both paleontological and developmental perspectives, which will surely yield new insights on mechanisms of evolutionary adaptation.
