On the dichotomy (im)posed by developmental autonomy during early human embryogenesis

Excerpt

Not since the seminal investigations of early human development known as the Carnegie Series generated by the infamous “egg hunts of Hertig and Rock” has the characterization of mechanisms driving the human conceptus remained such a well-kept secret. Granted, the introduction of human ARTs and the application of continually emerging technologies aimed primarily at the identification of embryos with live birth potential has yielded an impressive litany of properties which, when weighed against strictly associative outcomes, have fostered the belief that embryo selection strategies have a place in the management of human infertility. But has this newly acquired body of information (sic knowledge) truly afforded insight into the nature and causes of pregnancy loss? And what do we know with a measure of certainty about the relative contributions of the conceptus and endometrium during the earliest stages of implantation? …