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. 2017 Aug 1;144(15):2708-2713.
doi: 10.1242/dev.151308.

The Zahn drawings: new illustrations of Xenopus embryo and tadpole stages for studies of craniofacial development

Natalya Zahn  1 , Michael Levin  2   3 , Dany Spencer Adams  4
Affiliations

The Zahn drawings: new illustrations of Xenopus embryo and tadpole stages for studies of craniofacial development

Natalya Zahn et al. Development. .

Abstract

The embryos and tadpoles of the frog Xenopus are increasingly important subjects for studies of the development of the head and face - studies that are providing novel and crucial insight into the causes and prevention of a suite of devastating birth defects, as well as basic evolutionary and developmental biology. However, many studies are conducted on a range of embryonic stages that are not fully represented in the beloved Xenopus resource, Nieuwkoop and Faber's classic Normal Table of Xenopus laevis (Daudin) The lack of standardized images at these stages acts as a barrier to the efficient and accurate representation and communication of experimental methodology and expression data. To fill this gap, we have created 27 new high-quality illustrations. Like their oft-used predecessors from Nieuwkoop and Faber, these drawings can be freely downloaded and used, and will, we hope, serve as an essential resource for this important model system.

Keywords: Craniofacial patterning; Embryonic development; Stage series; Xenopus laevis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing or financial interests.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Comparison of the styles of the drawings by Prijs and Zahn. Lateral and dorsal drawings of stage 23 Xenopus from Nieuwkoop and Faber (1994) and of stage 23/24 Xenopus by Natalya Zahn for comparison of the styles. Drawings of stage 24 Xenopus ventral and anterior views by Zahn are also shown. The goal was for the styles to be similar enough for the Zahn drawings to be put to use as quickly as possible, yet distinct enough for the correct artist to be recognized and acknowledged. Drawings by Natalya Zahn licensed under CC-BY-NC at http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/faculty/adams/zahnDrawings.htm and reproduced with permission.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Evolution from the view through the microscope to the final digital image. Anterior is towards the left in all images. (A) The micrograph of one of the Xenopus embryos used by Zahn to draw preliminary sketches of the dorsal view of a stage 43 tadpole. (B) Zahn's preliminary sketch of a stage 43 tadpole, dorsal view, based on visual examination of two or three examples, including that shown in A. (C) Vector drawing made in Adobe Illustrator based on the sketch and the micrographs. (D) Final drawings include shading added using Adobe Photoshop.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Anterior views of 15 stages of Xenopus development. Stage 48 is shown with mouth open. Drawings by Natalya Zahn licensed under CC-BY-NC at http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/faculty/adams/zahnDrawings.htm and reproduced with permission.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Dorsal views of 8 stages of Xenopus development. Anterior is towards the left. Stage 48 is shown with mouth open. Drawings by Natalya Zahn licensed under CC-BY-NC at http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/faculty/adams/zahnDrawings.htm and reproduced with permission.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Ventral views of 4 stages of Xenopus development. Anterior is towards the left. Drawings by Natalya Zahn licensed under CC-BY-NC at http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/faculty/adams/zahnDrawings.htm and reproduced with permission.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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