Identifying the true geometric model underlying somitogenesis dynamics

Identify the correct geometric (low-dimensional) dynamical model that underlies vertebrate somitogenesis—determining whether clock arrest and anterior–posterior patterning proceed via Hopf plus saddle-node bifurcations, SNIC plus saddle-node bifurcations, homoclinic sequences, or other combinations—and design empirical tests to discriminate among these scenarios.

Background

The authors propose geometric models where oscillatory dynamics transition to bistability via different bifurcation sequences (e.g., SNIC vs Hopf vs homoclinic), each with specific predictions (period divergence, wave asymmetry, robustness).

Selecting the correct geometry would unify diverse observations—period slowing, sawtooth wave profiles, boundary positioning—and anchor model reduction strategies linking gene networks to tissue-level dynamics.