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Articles 1 - 10 of 10
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
A Tree Theory Case Study In Steinernema, Camille Eileen Finlinson Porter
A Tree Theory Case Study In Steinernema, Camille Eileen Finlinson Porter
Theses and Dissertations
It is widely assumed that current phylogenetic methods are fairly accurate at recovering the evolutionary relationships among different species, but evaluating the relative success of this enterprise is a difficult task. This study addresses some fundamental questions associated with generating phylogenetic trees. The complete genomes of five species of Steinernema were sequenced and assembled. Genes were predicted in AUGUSTUS and orthologous genes were found from those data using OrthoMCL. I aligned 3890 genes in MAFFT and eliminated poorly aligned positions with GBlocks. I created individual trees for each gene as well as a supermatrix tree in PAUP*, using a closely …
Characterization Of Sterile Tassel Silky Earl: A Homeotic B-Class Gene Involved In Specification Of Floral Organ Identity In Zea Mays, Steven Keith Williams
Characterization Of Sterile Tassel Silky Earl: A Homeotic B-Class Gene Involved In Specification Of Floral Organ Identity In Zea Mays, Steven Keith Williams
Theses and Dissertations
Specification of floral organ identity in angiosperm flowers is accomplished by the coordinated activity of A-, B-, C-, and E-class MADS-box genes. In the eudicots, B-class genes specify petal and stamen identity. This eudicot B-class function depends on the simultaneous expression of genes from two paralogous B-class lineages (the DEFICIENS/APETALA3 lineage and the GLOBOSA/PISTILLATA lineage). Proteins produced by genes from these two lineages interact as obligate heterodimers and together regulate the transcription of various downstream targets. These obligate heterodimers also positively regulate the transcription of the B-class genes themselves, thereby mediating a unique B-class autoregulatory feedback loop. There is compelling …
Evaluating The Performance Of Computational Approaches For Identifying Critical Sites In Protein-Coding Dna Sequences, Matthew Lewis Bendall
Evaluating The Performance Of Computational Approaches For Identifying Critical Sites In Protein-Coding Dna Sequences, Matthew Lewis Bendall
Theses and Dissertations
The ability to link a particular phenotype to its causative genotype is one of the most challenging objectives for biological research. Although the genetic code provides an explicit formula for determining the sequence of amino acid phenotypes produced by a given nucleotide sequence, identifying specific residues that are functionally important remains problematic. Many computational approaches have been developed that use patterns observed in DNA sequences to identify these critical sites. However, very few research studies have used empirical data to test whether these approaches are truly able to identify sites of interest.In most empirical studies, the actual protein function and …
Stoneflies Of Unusual Size: Population Genetics And Systematics Within Pteronarcyidae (Plecoptera), John S. Sproul
Stoneflies Of Unusual Size: Population Genetics And Systematics Within Pteronarcyidae (Plecoptera), John S. Sproul
Theses and Dissertations
Chapter 1. The family Pteronarcyidae (Plecoptera) is a highly studied group of stoneflies and very important to a wide variety of aquatic studies. Several phylogenies have been proposed for this group recent decades, however there is little congruence between the various topologies. The present study revises the phylogeny of the group by combining molecular data from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit II, ribosomal subunit 12S, ribosomal subunit 16S, and nuclear loci ribosomal subinit 18S and Histone H3, with published morphological data in a parsimony-based total evidence analysis. The analysis produced a well-supported phylogeny with novel relationships within the genus Pteronarcys. …
Diversification And Conservation In The South American Dry Biomes: Distribution Modeling And Multilocus Lizard Phylogeography, Fernanda Werneck
Diversification And Conservation In The South American Dry Biomes: Distribution Modeling And Multilocus Lizard Phylogeography, Fernanda Werneck
Theses and Dissertations
The understanding of diversification of intraspecific lineages can shed light on speciation processes and ultimately biogeographic patterns across multiple spatial and temporal scales. In this dissertation I investigated the geographical and ecological factors promoting diversification across the South American dry diagonal biomes (i.e. Cerrado, Chaco, and Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests - SDTFs), through a coupled approach between multilocus phylogeographic and geospatial methods, in the larger context of interpreting the consequences of the resulting patterns for the conservation of biodiversity and evolutionary processes. In Chapter 1 I evaluate biogeographic hypotheses previously proposed and emphasize that the dry diagonal biomes are particularly …
Testing Crayfish Evolutionary Hypotheses With Phylogenetic Methods, Jesse W. Breinholt
Testing Crayfish Evolutionary Hypotheses With Phylogenetic Methods, Jesse W. Breinholt
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation focuses on increasing the understanding of the evolution processes that have contributed to the diversification of freshwater crayfish. Chapter one estimates the divergence time of the three crayfish families and tests the hypothesis that diversification is tied to the break-up of Pangaea, Gondwanna, and Laurasia. I find that the families of crayfish diverged prior to or in association with the break-up of the three super continents. Chapter two addresses the evolutionary history of the genus Cambarus, using molecular data to test hypotheses of relationships based on chela and carapace morphology. The results provide evidence that the morphology used …
Dispersal Behavior Correlates With Personality Of A North American Fish, Josh E. Rasmussen, Mark C. Belk
Dispersal Behavior Correlates With Personality Of A North American Fish, Josh E. Rasmussen, Mark C. Belk
Faculty Publications
The process of dispersal is determined by the interaction of individual (intrinsic) traits and environmental (extrinsic) factors. Although many studies address and quantify dispersal, few evaluate both intrinsic and extrinsic factors jointly. We test the relative importance of intrinsic traits (exploration tendency and size) and extrinsic factors (population density and habitat quality) on dispersal of a medium-sized western United States minnow, southern leatherside chub Lepidomeda aliciae. A generalized linear model with a binomial response was used to determine the probability of individuals dispersing one year after tagging. Medium-sized individuals that were more prone to explore novel environments were 10.7 …
The Phylogeography Of The Mountain Sucker [Catostomus (Pantosteus) Platyrhynchus], Nina Johanna Laitnen
The Phylogeography Of The Mountain Sucker [Catostomus (Pantosteus) Platyrhynchus], Nina Johanna Laitnen
Theses and Dissertations
Pantosteus, a subgenus of Catostomus, includes the mountain sucker (Catostomus playthyrnchus), whose speculated older origins in the Miocene/Pliocene can provide insight into the ancient geographical events of western North America. We believe that major geologic events influencing the diversification of mountain suckers include the rise of the Colorado Plateau, the connections between the ancient Snake River system and the Lahontan system and subsequently the connection of the Snake River system to the Columbia Basin, dispersal of mountain suckers across the continental divide, as well as the Pleistocene Bonneville flood. If this is true, we should see …
Effects Of Predation Environment And Food Availability On Somatic Growth In The Livebearing Fish Brachyrhaphis Rhabdophora (Pisces: Poeciliidae), Brittany Herrod Gale
Effects Of Predation Environment And Food Availability On Somatic Growth In The Livebearing Fish Brachyrhaphis Rhabdophora (Pisces: Poeciliidae), Brittany Herrod Gale
Theses and Dissertations
Variation in somatic growth rates has interested biologists for decades because of the relationship between growth and other fitness-determining traits (i.e. fecundity, survival, and body size), and the corresponding effect of somatic growth on production of organisms humans use for food. The interaction between genetic variation in growth rates and environmentally induced variation in growth rates shows the pattern of growth across multiple environments (i.e. the reaction norm) that clarifies the history and potential future of evolutionary change in growth rates among populations. Theoretical predictions suggest variation in predator-induced mortality rates can influence mean growth rates and the shape of …
Phylogenetics Of Thysanoptera (Insecta: Paraneoptera), Rebecca S. Buckman
Phylogenetics Of Thysanoptera (Insecta: Paraneoptera), Rebecca S. Buckman
Theses and Dissertations
The order Thysanoptera (Insecta: Paraneoptera), commonly known as thrips, includes organisms that exhibit a wide range of social and feeding behaviors that are of particular interest in evolutionary studies. These studies within thrips have been inhibited by the lack of knowledge of thrips relationships. The recognized classification scheme strives to reflect evolutionary relationships and is based upon morphology. Molecular data is next as morphology alone is not enough to resolve relationships. Few molecular studies have been conducted and all were limited in their taxon sampling and genetic sampling. To provide a foundation of future evolutionary studies, the objectives of this …