Deconstructing the genesis of animal form

Santa Fe - with its museums and galleries full of art and crafts inspired by natural forms - was the perfect setting for a Keystone conference on vertebrate organogenesis in February 2004. Organized by Gail Martin and Cliff Tabin, the conference sessions were loosely subdivided into anatomical systems - 'skin, hair, teeth', 'pancreas, liver, gut', 'skeleton', and so on. However, from the outset, common themes emerged that transcended particular organ systems and generated a sense of unity and excitement among the participants.