The cranial neural crest generates a huge diversity of derivatives, including the bulk of
connective and skeletal tissues of the vertebrate head. How neural crest cells acquire such …

The zebrafish is ideal for studying embryogenesis and is increasingly applied to model
human disease. In these contexts, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) provides mechanistic …

The evolution of a unique craniofacial complex in vertebrates made possible new ways of
breathing, eating, communicating and sensing the environment. The head and face develop …

Cranial sutures separate the skull bones and house stem cells for bone growth and repair. In
Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, mutations in TCF12 or TWIST1 ablate a specific suture, the …

Skin trait variation impacts quality-of-life, especially for females from the viewpoint of beauty.
To investigate genetic variation related to these traits, we conducted a GWAS of various skin …

Collagen is the major structural component of cartilage, and mutations in the genes
encoding type XI collagen are associated with severe skeletal dysplasias …

Contemporary humans are living very different lives from those of their ancestors, and some
of the changes have had serious consequences for health. Multiple chronic “diseases of …

Facial form depends on the precise positioning of cartilage, bone, and tooth fields in the
embryonic pharyngeal arches. How complex signaling information is integrated to specify …

The evolution of the jaw represents a key innovation in driving the diversification of
vertebrate body plans and behavior. The pharyngeal apparatus originated as gill bars …

Facial morphology is highly variable, both within and among human populations, and a
sizable portion of this variation is attributable to genetics. Previous genome scans have …