Zebrafish in comparative context: A symposium

The Symposium "Zebrafish in Comparative Context" was organizedto bring together two largely separate but highly complementaryresearch traditions in order to make developmental and geneticinformation about a model species (Danio rerio, the zebrafish)more accessible to the comparative biology community. The meetingfocused on the relationship of this model organism to othervertebrates (particularly other fishes) using a comparativeand evolutionary approach. Topics included the phylogeny ofcypriniform fishes, genome evolution, the evolution of gastrulation,dentition, pigmentation, craniofacial development, and nervoussystem structure and function. Participants also met informallyto discuss ways to facilitate collaborative projects in areasof common interest and determine priorities for the developmentof shared resources. Continuing interactions between comparativebiologists, with their extensive body of knowledge of morphologicalvariation among fish species, and developmental biologists andgeneticists working with model species such as the zebrafishwill facilitate our understanding of the evolution of developmentalpatterns and processes in vertebrates.