The rhythmic and sequential segmentation of the vertebrate body axis into somites during embryogenesis is governed by a multicellular, oscillatory patterning system called the segmentation clock. Despite many overt similarities between vertebrates, differences in genetic and dynamic regulation have been reported, raising intriguing questions about the evolution and conservation of this fundamental patterning process. Recent studies have brought insights into two important and related issues: (1) whether individual cells of segmentation clocks are autonomous oscillators or require cell-cell communication for their rhythm; and (2) the role of delays in the cell-cell communication that synchronizes the population of genetic oscillators. Although molecular details differ between species, conservation may exist at the level of the dynamics, hinting at rules for evolutionary trajectories in the system.

中文翻译：

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等待边缘：细胞自治和分段时钟中的信号延迟。

在胚胎发生过程中，脊椎动物体轴有节奏和连续地分割为体节，这是由称为分割时钟的多细胞振荡模式系统控制的。尽管脊椎动物之间有许多明显的相似之处，但已经报道了遗传和动态调节的差异，这引发了关于这种基本模式过程的进化和保护的有趣问题。最近的研究对两个重要且相关的问题提出了见解：（1）分割时钟的单个细胞是自主振荡器还是需要细胞间通信来实现节律；(2) 延迟在同步遗传振荡器种群的细胞间通讯中的作用。尽管分子细节因物种而异，但在动力学水平上可能存在保护，