Early developmental biology of the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) MAMROTJARED PETER 2019 The spiny mouse is a small rodent that displays remarkable physiological traits: they can regenerate skin without scarring, they have a human-like hormone profile, and they are the only known rodent with a menstrual cycle. During my PhD I explored early development in this species. I assembled a reference transcriptome and mapped gene expression during the 2-cell, 4-cell and 8-cell stages of embryo development. Ultimately, I found that the spiny mouse is a more accurate model of human embryo development in the earliest stages compared to lab mice. This work provides novel insight into the biological mechanisms that govern the creation of new life.