The Discovery of the Hemangioblast: An Historical Note

Florence R. Sabin and P. D. F. Murray first proposed that both the endothelial and hematopoietic lineages are derived from a common precursor, the "hemangioblast" in the blood islands of the yolk sac. In the course of time, data from avian, mice, and human embryos consistently show a close association between endothelial and hematopoietic compartments. These findings confirm that a common precursor or "hemangioblast" is conserved between species during early development.