Process morphology: structural dynamics in development and evolution

Since structure is not completely static, but more or less changing, it appears appropriate to see it dynamically as process. More specifically, each particular structure can be conceived of as a combination of morphogenetic processes. These process combinations may change during development and evolution, during ontogeny and phylogeny. Evolutionary processes, or more specifically modes of morphological transformation, can be seen more dynamically when conceptualized as changes in process combinations. These evolutionary dynamics are illustrated by examples of the evolutionary processes of several schemes such as Zimmermann's scheme (heterochrony, heterotopy, heteromorphy), Takhtajan's scheme (prolongation, abbreviation, deviation) and other processes such as homeosis. Process morphology, which deals with the diversity of plant form in terms of process combinations (instead of structural categories such as root, stem, and leaf), provides a dynamic integration of development and evolution in terms of process combinations and their changes. In other words, the (developmental) dynamics of process combinations representing structures is seen undergoing further (evolutionary) dynamics. Hence, there are (evolutionary) dynamics of the (developmental) dynamics. Key words: plant morphogenesis, evolutionary processes, homology, heterochrony, neoteny, homeosis.