During development, initially equivalent cells acquire different identities, in a determined spatial order. Although much is known about the mechanisms through which fates are specified, the dynamics by which spatial patterns arise, and the underlying logic, often remain elusive. Drawing on several concrete examples, I will present a geometric approach to cell fate specification - in the spirit of Waddington's epigenetic landscape - and discuss its implications for how we can approach the collective dynamics of self-organized patterning.

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