Brian Walter

My current research interests involve developmental variation in animals. Specifically, I am interested in morphological variation in vertebrates and the differences in the underlying molecular mechanisms which produce those variations. In my research, I use a group of fishes known as characids, many of which are small fishes with clearly observable variations in morphology and coloration. By comparing the embryogeneses and larval growth patterns between species, alterations to their respective developmental programs can be observed. These observations can be used to generate hypotheses which can be tested at the cellular and/or molecular levels. Currently, I am focused on development in the red-eye tetra Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae, notably the development of the jaw elements and their variations from those of the developmental model zebrafish Danio rerio.