Dissertation Research: Developmental Analysis of Morphological Evolution: Convergence, Divergence, and the Origin of Novelties in Salamander Pigment Patterns

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9423116 Schaffer Vertebrate pigment cells are derived from the neural crest, a set of cells that also gives rise to the craniofacial skeleton, endocrine glands, the heart and the peripheral nervous system. This research will reveal some of the mechanisms that lead to this developmental diversification. Movements of pigment cells can be followed during development in amphibian eggs. The research will use molecular techniques and experimental manipulation to examine the interactions of neural crest cells with each other, with the extracellular matrix through which they migrate and with the lateral-line sensory system. The results will provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying pigment cell patterns, and ultimately, a deeper understanding of how developmental patterns have evolved to produce the diversity of structure we see within and between species.