The developing eye, EOMs, and migratory cranial neural crest cells form interdependent relationships that are necessary for the proper development of one another (A, E). Disrupting the development of either the eye or the neural crest during early stages of orbital development (B, C) impact one another and also leave a permanent mark on the structural organization of EOMs, whose development requires input signals from both the developing eye and surrounding cranial neural crest cells. Removal of the eye after the migration of the neural crest into the orbit has less effect on EOM development (D).