Brent Hawkins
Using vertebrate appendages as an evolutionary study system, I seek to characterize the developmental genetic mechanisms that control the generation of form and understand how these mechanisms both limit and potentiate evolutionary change. I leverage cutting-edge functional genetic tools in established model systems along with -omics approaches in emerging model species and evolutionary case studies to identify genetic changes that underlie morphological variation.
![](/images/Brent_embryo.jpg)
![](/images/Brent_fin.jpg)
![](/images/Brent_skeleton.jpg)
![](/images/four_fins.jpg)
Related Projects
Flimbs and developmental potential
Unused recipes hidden in the genome.
Hox14
The lost ingredient of the vertebrate recipe.
Publications
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M. B. Hawkins, D. Jandzik, F. J. Tulenko, A. N. Cass, T. Nakamura, N. H. Shubin, & D. W. Stock. 2022. An Fgf–Shh positive feedback loop drives growth in developing unpaired fins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119 (10) e2120150119. PMID: 35238632 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2120150119 [link]
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A. Thompson, M. B. Hawkins, E. Parey, D. Wcisel, T. Ota, K. Kawasaki, E. Funk, M. Losilla, O. Fitch, Q. Pan, & Others. 2021. The bowfin genome illuminates the developmental evolution of ray-finned fishes. Nature Genetics. Sep;53(9):1373-1384. PMID: 34462605 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00914-y [link]
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M. B. Hawkins, K. Henke, M. P. Harris. 2021. Latent developmental potential to form limb-like skeletal structures in zebrafish. Cell. 184(4):854-856. PMID: 33545089 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.003 [link]