Brian K. Hall

Last updated
Brian K. Hall
Born1941
Known forNeural Crest as a Fourth Germ Layer
Scientific career
InstitutionsDalhousie University

Brian Keith Hall FRSC (born 1941) is the George S. Campbell Professor of Biology and University Research Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. [1] [2] [3] Hall has researched and extensively written on bone and cartilage formation in developing vertebrate embryos. He is an active participant in the evolutionary developmental biology (EVO-DEVO) debate on the nature and mechanisms of animal body plan formation. Hall has proposed that the neural crest tissue of vertebrates may be viewed as a fourth embryonic germ layer. As such, the neural crest - in Hall's view - plays a role equivalent to that of the endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm of bilaterian development and is a definitive feature of vertebrates (as hypothesized by Gans and Northcutt[1983]). As such, vertebrates are the only quadroblastic, rather than triploblastic bilaterian animals. In vertebrates the neural crest serves to integrate the somatic division (derived from ectoderm and mesoderm) and visceral division (derived from endoderm and mesoderm) together via a wide range novel vertebrate tissues (bone, cartilage, sympathetic nervous system, etc...).

Contents

He has been associated with Dalhousie University since 1968. Since his retirement in 2007, he has been University Research Professor Emeritus and Emeritus Professor of Biology.

Early life and education

Hall is the son of Doris Garrad and Harry Hall. He was born in Port Kembla, New South Wales, on 28 October 1941. He attended the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales, receiving a B.Sc. in zoology in 1963, a B.Sc. (Honors) in zoology in 1965, a Ph.D. in zoology in 1968 and a D.Sc. in biological sciences in 1978.

His Ph.D. thesis, undertaken under the supervision of Patrick D. F. Murray, FAA (Fellow of the Australian Academy), concerned the differentiation of bone and secondary cartilage in chicken embryos. [4]

Career

Over the course of his career, Hall's laboratory research has focused on developmental biology and evolutionary biology. His work played a major role in integrating these two fields into the discipline now known as Evolutionary Developmental Biology (evo-devo). He and his students, according to one source, "pioneered an epigenetic view of bone differentiation and of vertebrate development in general, and highlighted the importance of epigenetic tissue interactions in vertebrate evolution." His 1975 paper "Evolutionary consequences of skeletal differentiation" (American Zoologist) marked the beginning of "the process of building a bridge between evolutionary and developmental biology from the developmental biology side." His 1992 textbook Evolutionary Developmental Biology is widely viewed as definitive. "This work defines a field, which, in turn, has revitalized the study of evolution," writes one source.

Hall is particularly interested in the vertebrate neural crest and in skeletal tissues that arise from neural crest cells.

He has also written extensively about the history of evolutionary biology and about leading figures in the field. "Hall's understanding of the intellectual roots of his discipline," one source observes, "deepens his perspective on current theoretical issues and colors much of his writing." [4]

Hall has spent his career in the Biology Department of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he was hired as an assistant professor in 1968. He was made full professor in 1975, was Chair of the department from 1978 to 1985, was Izaak Walton Killam Research Professor from 1990 to 1995, was Faculty of Science Killam Professor of Biology from 1996 to 2001, George S. Campbell Professor of Biology from 2001 to 2007, and University Research Professor from 2002 to 2007. [4]

He was also Canada Council for the Arts Killiam Research Fellow from 2003 to 2005. Since 2007, he has been University Research Professor Emeritus and Emeritus Professor of Biology. [5]

In 2008 he was appointed Visiting Distinguished Professor at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. [4]

Retirement

Hall retired in July 2007 and became a University Research Professor Emeritus and Emeritus Professor of Biology. He continued to hold NSERC research funding until 2017 and continues to collaborate in research with a number of colleagues in Canada, England, Belgium and The USA. [6]

Honors and awards

Hall received the first D.Sc. in Biological Sciences from The University of New England in 1978.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) in 1985, won the Fry Medal from the Canadian Society of Zoologists in 1994, won the International Craniofacial Biology Distinguished Scientist Award in 1996, and won the Alexander Kowalevsky Medal and honorary membership in the Saint-Petersburg Society of Naturalists in 2001.

He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2002, won an NSERC Award of Excellence in Research in 2002, won a Canada Council for the Arts Killam Research Fellowship for 2003-2005, was named an honorary member of The Golden Key International Honour Society in 2003, and won the $100,000 Killam Prize in Neural Sciences from the Canada Council for the Arts in 2005.

The "Hall Award" was established by the Canadian Society of Zoologists in 2006 for the best student platform paper presented in the Comparative Morphology and Development Division at the Society annual meeting. [4] [5]

He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D) degree by the University of Calgary in June 2014.

Selected publications

Books

Hall's earlier books include:

Hall and Norman Maclean's 1987 book Cell Commitment and Differentiation (CUP Archive) examines the processes of activation and regulation that make possible the controlled expression of restricted sets of genes in plant and animal species. [7]

Hall 's 1999 book The Neural Crest in Development and Evolution (Springer) recounts the discovery, origins, and cellular derivatives of the neural crest and neural crest cells in agnathan and jawed vertebrates or gnathostomes. It addresses the role of the germ layers in early embryogenesis, the development of nervous systems, and the evolution of the vertebrate head. It also examines mutations, tumors, and the exposure of embryos to exogenous agents. [8]

The Origin and Evolution of Larval Forms by Hall and Marvalee H. Wake (Academic Press, 1999) is concerned with larvae, which "represent one of the classic problems of evolutionary biology and may explain how new body plans originate." [9]

Hall and Benedikt Hallgrímsson, published Variation: A Central Concept in Biology (Elsevier/ Academic Press, 2005; Academic Press, 2011). [10] it is a study of "variation between individuals within the same species," a phenomenon that, although central to evolutionary biology, has "remained peripheral to the study of mechanisms of evolutionary change." The book seeks to "bring...variation back to the center of the evolutionary stage." [11] Carl D. Schlichting, reviewing the book in Bioscience, called the book "authoritative." Daniel E. Lieberman of Harvard called the book "comprehensive, diverse and stimulating...a must-read for anyone interested in development and evolution...a tour-de-force treatment of a critical subject." [12]

Hall 's 2007 book Fins into Limbs. Development, Transformation, and Evolution was published by University of Chicago Press. [13] In a review for Science, Alan C. Love wrote that "Fins into Limbs is an exploration of a longstanding evolutionary puzzle associated with the origin of tetrapods and the vertebrate invasion of land. Brian Hall has assembled a stellar array of contributors from various fields that represent the pieces necessary for a solution." Love called the book "handsomely executed and also timely...a necessary reference and a worthy guide to future research on this and other evolutionary transitions." [14] Mark W. Hamrick, in the Journal of Mammal Evolution, wrote that "in driving a new era of research in skeletal biology, Fins into Limbs is a great success." Michael J. Benton, in Evolution and Development, called the book "essential reading for a broad range of natural scientists, from embryologists to paleontologists, and geneticists to philosophers." And Michel Laurin, in Copeia, called it "an indispensable reference for all scientists interested in the origin, development and evolution of limbs." [15]

Hall and Benedikt Hallgrimsson wrote Epigenetics: Linking Genotype and Phenotype in Development and Evolution (University of California Press, 2011). [16] A review BioScience describes Chapters 4 and 5 of the book as "an excellent primer for genomic methylation and histone modification" and praises its concluding section as "a tour de force review of epigenetic disorders in mammals." Hall and Hallgrimsson, according to the reviewer, "make...a convincing case for an 'epigenetic revolution', at least in medicine." [17]

Related Research Articles

Ontogeny Origination and development of an organism

Ontogeny is the origination and development of an organism, usually from the time of fertilization of the egg to adult. The term can also be used to refer to the study of the entirety of an organism's lifespan.

Mesoderm Middle germ layer that forms muscle, bone, blood vessels and more

The mesoderm is the middle layer of the three germ layers that develops during gastrulation in the very early development of the embryo of most animals. The outer layer is the ectoderm, and the inner layer is the endoderm.

Notochord Flexible rod-shaped body found in embryos of all chordates

In anatomy, the notochord is a flexible rod formed of a material similar to cartilage. If a species has a notochord at any stage of its life cycle, it is, by definition, a chordate. The notochord lies along the anteroposterior axis, is usually closer to the dorsal than the ventral surface of the embryo, and is composed of cells derived from the mesoderm.

Somite Each of several blocks of mesoderm that flank the neural tube on either side in embryogenesis

The somites are a set of bilaterally paired blocks of paraxial mesoderm that form in the embryonic stage of somitogenesis, along the head-to-tail axis in segmented animals. In vertebrates, somites subdivide into the sclerotomes, myotomes, syndetomes and dermatomes that give rise to the vertebrae of the vertebral column, rib cage and part of the occipital bone; skeletal muscle, cartilage, tendons, and skin.

A germ layer is a primary layer of cells that forms during embryonic development. The three germ layers in vertebrates are particularly pronounced; however, all eumetazoans produce two or three primary germ layers. Some animals, like cnidarians, produce two germ layers making them diploblastic. Other animals such as bilaterians produce a third layer between these two layers, making them triploblastic. Germ layers eventually give rise to all of an animal’s tissues and organs through the process of organogenesis.

Cephalization

Cephalization is an evolutionary trend in which, over many generations, the mouth, sense organs, and nerve ganglia become concentrated at the front end of an animal, producing a head region. This is associated with movement and bilateral symmetry, such that the animal has a definite head end. This led to the formation of a highly sophisticated brain in three groups of animals, namely the arthropods, cephalopod molluscs, and vertebrates.

Neurula Embryo at the early stage of development in which neurulation occurs

A neurula is a vertebrate embryo at the early stage of development in which neurulation occurs. The neurula stage is preceded by the gastrula stage; consequentially, neurulation is preceded by gastrulation. Neurulation marks the beginning of the process of organogenesis.

Pharyngeal slit Repeated openings that appear along the pharynx of chordates

Pharyngeal slits are filter-feeding organs found among deuterostomes. Pharyngeal slits are repeated openings that appear along the pharynx caudal to the mouth. With this position, they allow for the movement of water in the mouth and out the pharyngeal slits. It is postulated that this is how pharyngeal slits first assisted in filter-feeding, and later, with the addition of gills along their walls, aided in respiration of aquatic chordates. These repeated segments are controlled by similar developmental mechanisms. Some hemichordate species can have as many as 200 gill slits. Pharyngeal clefts resembling gill slits are transiently present during the embryonic stages of tetrapod development. The presence of pharyngeal arches and clefts in the neck of the developing human embryo famously led Ernst Haeckel to postulate that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny"; this hypothesis, while false, contains elements of truth, as explored by Stephen Jay Gould in Ontogeny and Phylogeny. However, it is now accepted that it is the vertebrate pharyngeal pouches and not the neck slits that are homologous to the pharyngeal slits of invertebrate chordates. Pharyngeal arches, pouches, and clefts are, at some stage of life, found in all chordates. One theory of their origin is the fusion of nephridia which opened both on the outside and the gut, creating openings between the gut and the environment.

Neural crest They are pluripotent embyronic group of cells giving rise to diverse cell lineages

Neural crest cells are a temporary group of cells unique to vertebrates that arise from the embryonic ectoderm germ layer, and in turn give rise to a diverse cell lineage—including melanocytes, craniofacial cartilage and bone, smooth muscle, peripheral and enteric neurons and glia.

Pharyngeal arch Embryonic precursor structures in vertebrates

The pharyngeal arches, also known as visceral arches, are structures seen in the embryonic development of vertebrates that are recognisable precursors for many structures. In fish, the arches are known as the branchial arches, or gill arches.

Body plan Set of morphological features common to members of a phylum of animals

A body plan, Bauplan, or ground plan is a set of morphological features common to many members of a phylum of animals. The vertebrates share one body plan, while invertebrates have many.

Mesenchyme Type of connective tissue found mostly during the embryonic development of bilateral triploblast animals

Mesenchyme is a type of loosely organised animal embryonic connective tissue of undifferentiated cells that gives rise to blood and lymph vessels, bone, and muscle.

Limb development

Limb development in vertebrates is an area of active research in both developmental and evolutionary biology, with much of the latter work focused on the transition from fin to limb.

Nicole Marthe Le Douarin French biologist

Nicole Marthe Le Douarin is a developmental biologist known for her studies of chimeras, which have led to critical insights regarding higher animal nervous and immune systems.

Gerd B. Müller Austrian biologist (born 1953)

Gerd B. Müller is an Austrian biologist who is professor at the University of Vienna where he heads the Department of Theoretical Biology in the Center for Organismal Systems Biology. His research interests focus on vertebrate limb development, evolutionary novelties, evo-devo theory, and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis. He is also concerned with the development of 3D based imaging tools in developmental biology.

Osteochondroprogenitor cell

Osteochondroprogenitor cells are progenitor cells that arise from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in the bone marrow. They have the ability to differentiate into osteoblasts or chondrocytes depending on the signalling molecules they are exposed to, giving rise to either bone or cartilage respectively. Osteochondroprogenitor cells are important for bone formation and maintenance.

Trabecular cartilage

Trabecular cartilages are paired, rod-shaped cartilages, which develop in the head of the vertebrate embryo. They are the primordia of the anterior part of the cranial base, and are derived from the cranial neural crest cells.

Segmentation is the physical characteristic by which the human body is divided into repeating subunits called segments arranged along a longitudinal axis. In humans, the segmentation characteristic observed in the nervous system is of biological and evolutionary significance. Segmentation is a crucial developmental process involved in the patterning and segregation of groups of cells with different features, generating regional properties for such cell groups and organizing them both within the tissues as well as along the embryonic axis.

Scott Frederick Gilbert is an American evolutionary developmental biologist and historian of biology.

Carole LaBonne Developmental and Stem Cell Biologist

Carole LaBonne is a Developmental and Stem Cell Biologist at Northwestern University. She is the Erastus O. Haven Professor of Life Sciences, and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biosciences.

References

  1. ↑ Angier, Natalie (31 May 1995). "Modern 'Wolfmen' May Have Inherited Ancient Gene". The New York Times. p. 10. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "Dr. Brian Hall". Dalhousie University . Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  3. ↑ Somers, Mary (February 13, 2002). "Biologist wins the Kowalevsky Medal". Internet Archive . Dalhousie University. Archived from the original on September 25, 2006. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brian K. Hall". The Embryo Project Encyclopedia.
  5. 1 2 Hall, Brian K; Hallgrimsson, Benedikt (2014), Strickberger's Evolution (5th ed.), Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, ISBN   978-1-4496-1484-3 , retrieved 21 July 2014
  6. ↑ Brian K. Hall's faculty profile, Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University, Department of Biology, retrieved 22 July 2014
  7. ↑ MacLean, Norman; Hall, Brian Keith (1987-08-13). Cell Commitment and Differentiation . CUP Archive. ISBN   9780521308847.
  8. ↑ Hall, Brian K. (1999-07-30). The Neutral Crest in Development and Evolution. ISBN   9780387987026.
  9. ↑ Hall, Brian K.; Wake, Marvalee H. (1999-01-12). The Origin and Evolution of Larval Forms. ISBN   9780127309354.
  10. ↑ "Department of Biology".
  11. ↑ Hallgrímsson, Benedikt; Hall, Brian K. (2011-05-04). Variation. ISBN   9780080454467.
  12. ↑ Hallgrâimsson, Benedikt; Hall, Brian Keith (2005). A Central Concept Biology. ISBN   978-0120887774.
  13. ↑ "Dr. Brian K. Hall". Dalhousie University.
  14. ↑ Love, Arthur C (September 2007), "Putting the Pieces Together", Science, 317 (5844): 1502–1503, doi:10.1126/science.1145812, S2CID   220084887 , retrieved 22 July 2014
  15. ↑ Hall, Brian K. (2007-02-01). Fins into Limbs: Development Transformation. ISBN   978-0226313375.
  16. ↑ Benedikt Hallgrimsson Ph, D.; Brian, K.D. (2011-04-11). Epigenetics. ISBN   9780520948822.
  17. ↑ Badyaev, Alexander V. (March 2013). "Review: Defining Epigenetics in Deterministic Terms" (PDF). BioScience. 63 (3): 224–227. doi: 10.1525/bio.2013.63.3.11 . JSTOR   10.1525/bio.2013.63.3.11.
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