Arkhat Abzhanov

Associate Professor of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology

Phone: 617-496-9704
E-mail:
Office: 4105 BioLabs, 16 Divinity Ave

Lab Website: http://www.oeb.harvard.edu/faculty/abzhanov

My group is interested in a variety of topics related to the vertebrate craniofacial (head) development and craniofacial developmental evolution.

We use molecular, cellular and developmental genetics approaches to study the precise mechanisms of cranial skeletal differentiation, especially in the context of the dermal intramembranous bone, which is unique to the skull and bones. We are also curious about issues of skull morphogenesis and integration of the cranial skeleton with cranial musculature.

To perform functional experiments more effectively, we are designing and testing new viral-based vectors for introducing transgenes into developing embryos. The species we work with range from the laboratory "model" systems, such as chicken embryos and mouse mutants, to the "non-model" species used for evolutionary developmental studies, for example Darwin’s Finches and their close relatives (the classic textbook example of adaptive radiation), other species of birds and, more recently, reptiles, such as the anole lizards (great example of convergent/ parallel morphological evolution) and alligators (basal Archosaurian reptiles useful to study evolution of birds).

Many of our projects are exciting collaborations with ecologists, evolutionary field biologists, applied mathematicians, specialists in biomechanics, virologists, etc.

Recent Publications

  1. T.J. Sanger, D. L. Mahler, A. Abzhanov and J. B. Losos. (in press). Roles for Modularity and Constraint in the Evolution of Cranial Diversity Among Anolis Lizards. Evolution (last authors contributed equally)
  2. R. Mallarino, A. Herrel, W. P. Kuo, B. R. Grant, P. R. Grant, and A. Abzhanov (2011) "Two developmental modules establish 3D beak-shape variation in Darwin's finches" – Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 108, 4057-4062. | PDF
  3. Mansfield, J.H. and Abzhanov, A. (2010) Hox expression in the American alligator and evolution of archosaurian axial patterning. JEZ Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution 314, 629-644 | PDF
  4. Campàs O, Mallarino R, Herrel A, Brenner MP and Abzhanov A, (2010) Scaling and shear transformations capture beak shape variation in Darwin’s finches. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 107, 3356-3360 | PDF
  5. Abzhanov A (2010) Introduction. Darwin’s Galapagos finches in modern evolutionary biology. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 365, 1001-1007 (compiled and edited a special theme issue "'Darwin's Galápagos finches in modern biology") | PDF
  6. Clabaut C, Herrel A, Sanger T, Smith T, and Abzhanov, A (2009) Development of Beak Polymorphism in the African Seedcracker, Pyrenestes ostrinus. Evolution & Development, 11, 636-646. | PDF
  7. Abzhanov, A. (2009) Darwin's finches. Analysis of beak morphological changes during evolution. In: CSH Protocols. Emerging model organisms, Vol. 1. pp. 481-500. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
  8. Abzhanov A, Extavour CG, Groover A, et al. (2008) Title: Are we there yet? Tracking the development of new model systems. Trends in Genetics 24, 353-360 | PDF
  9. Abzhanov, A., Rodda, S.J., McMahon, A.P., and Tabin C.J. (2007). Regulation of skeletogenic differentiation in cranial dermal bone. Development 134, 3133-3144. | PDF
  10. Abzhanov, A., Cordero, D.R., Sen, J., Tabin, C.J. and Helms, J.A. (2007) Cross- regulatory interactions between Fgf8 and Shh in the avian frontonasal prominence. Congenital Anomalies 47, 136-148. | PDF
  11. Abzhanov, A., Kuo, W.,P., Hartmann, C., Grant, R., Grant, P.R. and Tabin, C.J. (2006). The Calmodulin pathway and the evolution of elongated beak morphology in Darwin’s Finches. Nature 442, 563-567. | PDF
  12. Grant, P.R., Grant, B.R., and Abzhanov, A. (2006) A developing paradigm for the development of bird beaks. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 88, 17-23.
  13. Abzhanov, A., Protas, M., B. Grant, R., Grant, P.R. and Tabin, C.J. (2004). Bmp4 and Morphological Variation of Beaks in Darwin's Finches. Science, 305, 1462-1465. | PDF
  14. Abzhanov, A., and Tabin,C.J. (2004). Shh and Fgf8 act synergistically to drive cartilage outgrowth during cranial development. Dev Biol. 273, 134-148. | PDF
  15. Abzhanov, A., Tzahor, E., Lassar, A.B. and Tabin, C.J. (2003) Dissimilar Regulation of Cell Differentiation in Mesencephalic (Cranial) and Sacral (Trunk) Neural Crest Cells. Development 130, 4567-4579. | PDF

Books and Book Chapters

  1. Scholtz G, Abzhanov A, Alwes F, Biffis C, Pint J (2009) Development,
 genes, and decapod evolution. In: 
Martin JW, Crandall KA, Felder DL (eds), Decapod Crustacean Phylogenetics, 
Taylor & Francis,
 CRC Press, Boca Raton.
  2. Abzhanov, A., and Kaufman, T.C. (2003) HOX Genes and Tagmatization of the Higher Crustacea (Malacostraca), In: Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Crustacea ( ed. Gerhard Scholtz), Balkema Publishers, Lisse

 

News Features

  1. Lassagne, F. “Ainsi crée la nature: On a percé le secret de la diversité des formes du vivant” Science & Vie (France), February 7th (2011).
  2. Williams, N. "Darwin’s enduring finches" Current Biology 22, R130 (2010)
  3. Lehman, C. "Studying the Beaks of Darwin’s Finches" The Harvard Crimson March 5th (2010)
  4. "Why Darwin's finches' beak shape varies" The Hindu February 25th (2010).
  5. Cipra, B. "Did Darwin's Finches Do Math?" ScienceNOW, February 17th (2010).
  6. PBS NOVA "What Darwin Never Knew" TV special. John Rubin Productions/ NOVA Television January-March (2010).
  7. Maher, B. "Evolution: Biology's next top model?" Nature 458, 695-698 (2009).
  8. Gee, H., Howlett, R. and Campbell, P. "15 Evolutionary Gems. A resource from Nature for those wishing to spread awareness of evidence for evolution by natural selection." Nature January (2009)
  9. Harrison, R.G. "The Shape of Things to Come?" Evolution 62, 1813-1815 (2008).
  10. Cromie, W.J. "How Darwin's finches got their beaks. A gene's-eye view of evolution" Harvard University Gazette July 24th (2006).
  11. Kaesuk Yoon C., "From a Few Genes, Life’s Myriad Shapes" The New York Times June 26th (2007).
  12. Cook, G. "Recent discoveries about how genes interact are changing the way we think about evolution" The Boston Globe March 13th (2006).
  13. Patel, N.H. "Evolutionary biology: how to build a longer beak." Nature 442, 515-6 (2006).
  14. Pennisi, E. "Developmental biology. Bonemaking protein shapes beaks of Darwin's finches" Science 305, 1383 (2004).
  15. Anderson, M. "Gene controls beak morphology" The Scientist September 3rd (2004).

Courses Taught

OEB 115. Evolutionary Developmental Biology in Animals

OEB 261r. Developmental Mechanisms of Evolutionary Change