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SUMMARY:Evolution of the Animal Face: from Principles to Mechanisms - Arkh
 at Abzhanov (Imperial College London)
DTSTART:20160511T120000Z
DTEND:20160511T130000Z
UID:TALK63255@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Marcia Kishida
DESCRIPTION:Understanding the origins of natural diversity remains as one 
 of the chief challenges to modern biology. My research group aims to revea
 l molecular mechanisms underlying evolutionary processes that generate mor
 phological variation in nature. More specifically\, we wish to show how pa
 rticular changes in embryonic development can produce morphological altera
 tions for natural selection to act upon. The principal focus for our studi
 es is on the animal face and head. Cranial diversity in archosaurs is a pa
 rticularly inviting and challenging research topic as their heads and face
 s show many dramatic\, unique and adaptive features which reflect their na
 tural history. Much of this facial diversity depends on the shapes and siz
 es of the bones and cartilages that make up the cranial skeleton. I will d
 escribe how our investigations of craniofacial skeletal development are he
 lping us to uncover mechanisms that generated cranial diversity during evo
 lution of birds\, reptiles and mammals\, some of the most charismatic clad
 es on our planet.
LOCATION:Part II Lecture Theatre\, Department of Zoology
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