Skeletal development and evolution: from neural crest cells to ossification

我的广泛兴趣是比较脊椎动物的发展和进化。我特别感兴趣的是脊椎动物的头部骨骼在进化过程中是如何变化的。因此，我研究了一种非常重要的细胞群，称为神经嵴细胞，它从发育中的大脑迁移到头部的骨骼和软骨；最终形成了我们今天看到的各种各样的头骨。我的重点是位于眼睛内的部分骨骼（即巩膜小骨和巩膜软骨），以及眼睛的发育如何影响脊椎动物头骨的形成。我比较了不同脊椎动物（主要是鸟类和鱼类）眼骨骼的发育和形态（形状）。与从哺乳动物（小鼠、大鼠）和鸟类（鸡）等更传统的模式生物中获得的模型相比，使用鱼类作为模型将为理解骨骼生物学提供重要的替代视角。我在研究中使用的另一种鱼类是墨西哥四环鱼，它以一个物种的两种形式（变种）存在；一个人瞎了，一个人看见了。这种单一物种之间的差异使我能够探索发育中的眼睛和周围骨骼之间的组织相互作用；这两个系统通常是独立研究的重点。从进化的角度来看，我还研究了脊椎动物化石的头骨，以评估骨骼元素的同源性，了解进化轨迹，并试图推断发生在数百万年前的发育过程。

My broad interest is in comparative vertebrate development and evolution. Specifically I am interested in how the head skeleton of vertebrates has changed over the course of evolution. I therefore study a very important population of cells, called the neural crest cells, which migrates from the developing brain to become the bones and cartilages of the head; ultimately producing the incredibly diverse skulls seen today. My focus is on part of the skeleton situated within the eye (namely, scleral ossicles and scleral cartilage) and how development of the eye contributes to shaping the vertebrate skull. I compare the development and morphology (shape) of the ocular skeleton in different vertebrates, primarily in birds and fish. The use of fish as a model will provide important alternative perspectives to understanding skeletal biology, compared to those obtained from more traditional model organisms, such as mammals (mice, rats) and birds (chicken). One of the other fish species I use in my research is the Mexican tetra, which exists as two forms (morphs) of one species; one blind, one sighted. This difference within a single species allows me to explore the tissue interactions between the developing eye and surrounding skeleton; two systems that are usually the focus of independent studies. For an evolutionary perspective, I also study the skulls of fossil vertebrates to assess the homology of skeletal elements, to understand evolutionary trajectories and to attempt to infer developmental processes that took place millions of years ago.