Neural crest cells and the evolution of a phenotypic syndrome
The cell is the fundamental unit of life and in multicellular animals, all cells are derived from stem cells. To understand how stem cell development may influence phenotypic evolution, this thesis studies a population of vertebrate stem cells known as neural crest cells (NCCs). With unparalleled potency and migratory behavior, NCCs affect many different traits spread over the entire vertebrate boThe cell is the fundamental unit of life and in multicellular animals, all cells are derived from stem cells. To understand how stem cell development may influence phenotypic evolution, this thesis studies a population of vertebrate stem cells known as neural crest cells (NCCs). With unparalleled potency and migratory behavior, NCCs affect many different traits spread over the entire vertebrate bo
