  Nematode species are well-known for their invariant cell lineage pattern
during development. Combining knowledge about the fate specification induced by
asymmetric division and the anti-correlation between cell cycle length and cell
volume in Caenorhabditis elegans, we propose a model to simulate lineage
initiation by altering cell volume segregation ratio in each division, and
quantify the derived pattern's performance in proliferation speed, fate
diversity and space robustness. The stereotypic pattern in C. elegans embryo is
found to be one of the most optimal solutions taking minimum time to achieve
the cell number before gastrulation, by programming asymmetric division as a
strategy.
