Life Sciences Commons^™

Urban Ecology Of Birds In Mexico City, E. Elias Johnson, Byron J. Adams, Jerald B. Johnson, J. Jaime Zuniga-Vega

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

How organisms persist under extreme conditions has received a lot attention in ecology. Some extreme environments are natural and pristine (e.g., Antarctica or the Atacama Desert), while others are highly impacted by humans (e.g., large cities). Unfortunately, we know little about the ecology of species that live in urban environments relative to those in pristine environments.

Mystifying Mimics: The Influence Of Distribution On Mimicry, Taylor Probst, Dallin Kohler, Alison Whiting, Jacob Searcy

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

Many animals display bright colors or patterns to advertise or warn predators that they are dangerous. Coral snakes effectively use bright red and yellow bands to warn of their venom. There are also many harmless snakes which try to copy or mimic the color patterns of the coral snakes to gain that same protection from predators without the venom. This is known as Batesian mimicry. It has long been thought that for mimicry to be effective, both the dangerous animals and their mimics need to be found in the same geographic area. This study focuses on two species of kingsnake, …

Is God A Magician Or Scientist?, Sarah Palmer, Josh Oliver, Jessica Abele, Jamie Jensen Ph.D

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2023

There is a body of evidence in biology education indicating that most American undergraduate students believe evolution acceptance to be an aesthetic position (1). Introductory biology professors at Brigham Young University have gathered essays written by students entering the class on their experiences with evolution since about 1980. Because BYU is a religious college, most of these students wrote about how their understanding of God impacts their acceptance of evolution. To learn whether student perceptions of God have changed in the past 30 years, we qualitatively analyzed these essays from a cohort of students in 1992 and another cohort of …

Effect Of Climate History On The Genetic Structure Of An Antarctic Soil Nematode, Abigail C. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Historical climate disturbances such as glacial cycling and fluctuating stream, lake, and sea levels strongly influence the distribution and evolutionary trajectories of Antarctic terrestrial species. Antarctic invertebrates, with limited long-range mobility, including the ubiquitous sentinel nematode species Scottnema lindsayae, are especially sensitive to climate disturbances. We tested hypotheses associated with the historical geographic and population genetic structure of this species as it occurs across the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) of Antarctica. In order to reconstruct the influence of climate disturbance and ecological conditions on this species, partial mitochondrial COI gene sequences were sequenced and analyzed from individual S. lindsayae collected …

The Development Of A Genomic Toolbox For Studying The Evolutionary Genetics Of Reptilian Lungs Using The Chicken Model, Logan Thomas Edvalson

Theses and Dissertations

There is a vast diversity in tetrapod lung branching morphology. Phylogenetically, much of the pulmonary diversity among vertebrates appears to arise from the way epithelial tubes branch or form saccular (cyst) structures. Fgf10 activity has been shown to play a critical role in regulating branch versus cyst morphology. We hypothesize that the species-specific differences in lung morphology may be primarily due to species-specific differences in Fgf10 expression. To test this hypothesis, we have performed bioinformatic analyses on the Fgf10 locus and have identified a conserved 11 kb noncoding region that potentially contains the Fgf10 lung enhancer. We are taking a …

Acceptance Finds A Way: How To Teach And Use Evolution's Explanatory Power, Daniel George Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

The theory of evolution is the central combing theory that brings together all the tenets of biology that bring about a solid understanding of life. It is also one of the most controversial scientific theories of all time and is widely rejected by about 40% of the general public in the United States. One of the biggest reasons for low evolution acceptance is the perceived conflict between evolution and religious beliefs. Educators and researchers have been working hard to improve how we teach evolution in the classroom; some methods, such as focusing on evolution knowledge, have shown to be mixed. …

Comparative Sequence Analysis Elucidates The Evolutionary Patterns Of Yersinia Pestis In New Mexico Over Thirty-Two Years, M. Elizabeth Warren

Theses and Dissertations

Yersinia pestis, a gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of plague. Y. pestis is a zoonotic pathogen that occasionally infects humans, and is endemic in the western United States. History gives evidence of three main plague pandemics. The first, originating in Egypt in 541AD, is known as the Justinian plague. The second, perhaps most well-known, is thought to have emerged in 1347AD in China, and is called the Black Death. The third, and current plague pandemic, also emerged in China in 1855. In 1899, Y. pestis was established in California, and the plague in other parts of America evolved from …

In-Class Evolution Discussions Change Bible Interpretation, Jessica Abele

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2022

Conflict between religion and evolution is a major barrier for religious biology students. Educators have been working to increase evolution acceptance by using a variety of methods (e.g., increasing evolution knowledge, addressing creationism in class, etc.) with little success. However, recent research shows using a reconciliatory approach to evolution and religion increases evolution acceptance while overall religiosity is unaffected (Lindsay et al., 2019).

On The Relationship Of Diabetes And Sleep Apnea: Evolution And Epigenetics, Nancy Wilson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis gives an overview of the relationship between diabetes, sleep apnea, obesity, and heart disease. It then addresses evidence that the traditional understanding of this relationship is incomplete or misleading. In the process, there is a brief discussion of the evolutionary rationale for the development and retention of sleep apnea in light of blood sugar dysregulation, as an adaptive mechanism in response to environmental stressors, followed by a brief overview of the general concepts of epigenetics. Finally, this paper presents the results of a literature search on the epigenetic marks and changes in gene expression found in sleep apnea …

Empathy And Fairness In Nonhuman Primates: Evolutionary Bases Of Human Morality, Colt Halter

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Darwin offered an evolutionary perspective on the origins of human morality, suggesting that humans share a biological foundation with nonhuman primates. This paper reviews the current literature on moral and prosocial behaviors of nonhuman primates, specifically examining whether nonhuman primates exhibit behaviors that are typical of empathy and fairness. The literature documents that nonhuman primates exhibit empathetic behaviors regarding emotional contagion and sympathetic concern. There is also evidence that nonhuman primates have a sense of fairness, seen in their reciprocal behaviors and aversion to inequity. Taken together, this suggests that there are evolutionary roots of morality, lending empirical support to …

Evolution And Selection: From Suppression Of Metabolic Deficiencies To Bacteriophage Host Range And Resistance, Daniel Kurt Arens

Theses and Dissertations

The evolution and adaptation of microorganisms is so rapid it can be seen in the time frame of days. The root cause for their evolution comes from selective environmental pressures that see organisms with beneficial mutations survive otherwise deadly encounters or outperform members of its population who fail to adapt. This does not always result in strict improvement of the individual as in the case of antibiotic resistant bacteria who often display fitness tradeoffs to avoid death (see Reviews [1-3]). For example, when an ampicillin resistance gene (ampC) containing plasmid that is occasionally found in the wild was transformed into …

Floral Traits Underlying Evolution In Gilia Yorkii, Joseph Detemple, Veronica Mosquera, Clinton Whipple

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Gilia yorkii and Gilia capitata are two closely related species that have remarkably different inflorescence and floral structures. In this project we are seeking to find specific floral traits that differentiate the different species. These two species are ideal for this study because they produce a fertile hybrid in which elements of the two different phenotypes can be observed.

Does Negative Frequency-Dependent Selection Maintain Gonopodial Asymmetry In Xenophallus Umbratilis?, Mary-Elise Johnson, Erik S. Johnson, Jerald B. Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

How does negative frequency-dependent selection emerge in populations?

The idea of negative frequency-dependent selection is elegant and simple: Traits are evolutionarily favored when they are rare but disfavored when they become common. This can theoretically lead to oscillations in the ratios of morphs within populations. Unfortunately, there is still little evidence that this process occurs in the wild. The live bearing fish Xenophallus umbratilis exhibits uniquely asymetrical morphology in the male mating structure, called a gonopodium. In this species, the gonopodium terminates with either a dextral (right-handed) or sinistral (left handed) twist, suggesting that mating within this species could be …

A Race Against Time: Deciphering Evolution And Describing New Species Of Threatened Tropical Stick Insects (Phasmatodea), Michael F. Whiting

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Funding was received in 2016 to support mentored research into the phylogeny and evolution of stick insects. Specific goals include providing students with scientific design experience, field-based research experience, collections-based experience, molecular lab experience, bioinformatics experience, and experience in presentation at national meetings and publication in peer reviewed journals. One particular focus was to describe new stick insect species, but it became clear very quickly that the phylogeny portion of this work was essential before any new species could be described, so we concentrated our efforts on stick insect phylogeny. The following is a brief summary of accomplishments.

Guided Evolution To Expand The Host Range In Phages, Jamison Walker, Sandra Hope

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My project proposal included the use of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection to determine if genetic mutations will arise in Bacteriophages that would allow them to infect related strains in a species of bacteria. Bacteriophages naturally have a target host range that they can infect. Within species of bacteria, the phage has tail receptors that allow it to infect specific strains. The other strains of the bacteria will be unaffected by the phage. In phage therapy, multiple phages with varied host ranges are chosen to combat this problem. Some phages are more effective than others in killing a …

Multispecies Character Displacement In Mexican Poeciliopsis Fishes, Andrea J. Roth

Theses and Dissertations

Competition has long been recognized as a central force in shaping evolution, particularly through character displacement. Yet research on character displacement is biased as it has focused almost exclusively on pairs of interacting species while ignoring multispecies interactions. Unfortunately, communities are seldom so simple that only pairs of species interact, and it is not clear if inferences from pairwise interactions are sufficient to explain patterns in nature. A more realistic approach is to ask how traits evolve when multiple species interact. Here I explore the importance of multispecies competitive interactions on trait evolution in four congeneric species of livebearing fishes …

Reconciling Evolution In A Biology And Theology Classroom, Jamie Jensen

ScholarsArchive Data

Data collected from Biology and Theology classes before and after a reconciliation lesson.

The Evolutionary Significance Of Body Size In Burying Beetles, Ashlee Nichole Momcilovich

Theses and Dissertations

Body size is one of the most commonly studied traits of an organism, which is largely due to its direct correlation with fitness, life history strategy, and physiology of the organism. Patterns of body size distribution are also often studied. The distribution of body size within species is looked at for suggestions of differential mating strategies or niche variation among ontogenetic development. Patterns are also examined among species to determine the effects of competition, environmental factors, and phylogenetic inertia. Finally, the distribution of body size across the geographic range of a species or group of closely related is looked at …

Does Body Size Affect Fitness The Same Way In Males And Females? A Test Of Multiple Fitness Components, Ashlee N. Smith, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

Body size generally has an important relationship with fitness, whereby larger body size leads to an increase in fitness through competition, reproductive output and survivorship. However, the traits through which body size increases fitness often differ between the sexes. We tested for the effects of body size on fitness in both sexes using three separate experiments on competitive ability, reproductive output and starvation resistance in the burying beetle Nicrophorus marginatus. Results varied between sexes as follows: (1) larger body size increased competitive ability differentially between sexes; (2) female body size, but not male body size, significantly affected reproductive output …

Why Does It Take Two To Tango? Lifetime Fitness Consequences Of Parental Care In A Burying Beetle, Ashlee N. Smith, J. Curtis Creighton, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

In species that require parental care, each parent can either care for their offspring or leave them in the care of the other parent. For each parent this creates three possible parental care strategies: biparental care, uniparental (male or female) care, and uniparental desertion by either the male or female. The burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis, typically exhibits biparental care of offspring, and thus provides a unique system that allows us to compare the fitness benefits of these parental care strategies in an unconfounded way. In this study, we assess the lifetime fitness of biparental care, uniparental care, and uniparental …

Interaction Between Predation Environment And Diet Constrains Body Shape In Utah Chub, Gila Atraria (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), Trevor J. Williams, Jerald B. Johnson, Mark C. Belk

Faculty Publications

Evolution typically occurs in response to a suite of selective pressures. Yet, many studies of natural selection in the wild only investigate a single selective agent at a time. This can be problematic when selective agents act in non-additive ways. Here we evaluate the interactive effects of diet and predation on the evolution of body shape in the cyprinid fish Utah chub (Gila atraria). We found that both factors and the interaction between them are significant predictors of body shape. This interaction is likely a result of different forms of selective pressures, where predation is a stabilizing selective …

Phylogenetics, Biogeography, And Patterns Of Diversification Of Geckosacross The Sunda Shelf With An Emphasis On The Genuscnemaspis (Strauch, 1887), Perry Lee Wood

Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation I investigate two genera of geckos (Cyrtodactylus and Cnemaspis) that are distributed across Southeast Asia with an emphasis on Cnemaspis. In Chapter 1 I use a multilocus dataset, ancestral area analyses, and molecular clock dating to generate a species level time calibrated phylogeny to test the monophyly of Cyrtodactylus and to identify major biogeographical patterns. I identified that Cyrtodactylus is monophyletic only if the the Sri Lankan genus often recognized as Geckoella is included. The results of the Biogeographical analyses reveal a west to east pattern of diversification. Chapter 2 I use a traditional morphological dataset to …

Phylogenetics, Biogeography, And Patterns Of Diversification Of Geckosacross The Sunda Shelf With An Emphasis On The Genuscnemaspis (Strauch, 1887), Perry Lee Wood

Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation I investigate two genera of geckos (Cyrtodactylus and Cnemaspis) that are distributed across Southeast Asia with an emphasis on Cnemaspis. In Chapter 1 I use a multilocus dataset, ancestral area analyses, and molecular clock dating to generate a species level time calibrated phylogeny to test the monophyly of Cyrtodactylus and to identify major biogeographical patterns. I identified that Cyrtodactylus is monophyletic only if the the Sri Lankan genus often recognized as Geckoella is included. The results of the Biogeographical analyses reveal a west to east pattern of diversification. Chapter 2 I use a traditional morphological dataset to …

Virulence Of Photorhabdus Spp.: Examining The Roles Of Environment, Evolution, And Genetics In Insect Mortality, Dana Blackburn

Theses and Dissertations

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) (genera Heterorhabditis and Steinernema) kill their invertebrate hosts with the aid of a mutualistic bacterium. The bacteria (Xenorhabdus spp. for steinernematids and Photorhabdus spp. for heterorhabditids) are primarily responsible for killing the host and providing the nematodes with nutrition and defense against secondary invaders. Photorhabdus is a Gram-negative bacterium in the Enterobacteriaceae family with high virulence towards their insect hosts. To achieve high mortality rates Photorhabdus produces a variety of virulence factors such as toxins, lipases, proteases, secretion systems, and fimbriae. EPNs are amenable to laboratory rearing and mass production for biocontrol applications against insects …

Development And Characterization Of Microsatellite Markers For The Grain Amaranths (Amaranthus Spp. L.), Melanie Ann Mallory

Theses and Dissertations

The grain amaranths (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L., A. cruentus L., and A. caudatus L.) are important pseudocereals native to the Americas that have received increased attention for their nutritional content, specifically their balance of amino acids. The objective of this project was to produce and characterize a set of highly informative, reproducible microsatellite markers for the grain amaranths. A total of 1457 clones were sequenced from three genomic libraries enriched for the microsatellite motifs AAC, AAT and AC. Of these, 353 (24%) contained unique microsatellites. An additional 29 microsatellite loci were identified among 728 BAC-end sequences of a newly developed amaranth …

Evolution And Phylogeny Of Basal Winged Insects With Emphasis On Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), Thomas H. Ogden

Theses and Dissertations

Ephemeroptera (mayflies) is a monophyletic group of semi-aquatic pterygote insects, comprising 3083 species, 376 genera, and 37 described families and are present on all continents, excluding Antarctica, being associated with freshwater and brackish water habitats. The order is unique among pterygote insects in possessing functional wings at the penultimate molt (subimago stage), prior to the full development of genitalia; in all other insects the presence of functional wings occurs only after the final molt. The purpose of this dissertation is to use molecular and morphological data, in order to investigate the position of the order Ephemeroptera among other insect orders, …

Prevalence Of Teleological And Lamarckian Misconceptions Of Natural Selection Among College Students, Bryce T. Battisti

Theses and Dissertations

Science teachers and researchers note that students must correctly understand the role of natural selection in evolution to make sense of biology. The level of understanding of natural selection can be assessed using the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS) which is a 20-item multiple-choice test that incorporates student misconceptions as distractors. In the present study, Item Response Theory (IRT) was used to analyze the occurance of misconceptions on the CINS among 1192 students in an introductory non-majors biology course. The four most difficult topics in the CINS are: (a) how change occurs in a population; (b) origin of variation; …

Plant Dioecy, Ecology, Evolution And Sex Reversal, D. Carl Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

The distribution of dioecious species among forty-four plant communities of western United States was examined. The dioecious habit is most prevalent in harsh environments. In many communities, over 20 percent of the species and 40 percent of the individuals are dioecious. Dioecy is most common among woody species which are pollinated by wind. It is concluded that inbreeding depression alone is insufficient to account for all known facts concerning dioecy. Disruptive selection acting upon differential success of gametes produced on sites of differing quality appears to have played a major role in producing separate sexed individuals. Dioecious species reported to …

Evolution Of The Iguanine Lizards (Sauria, Iguanidae) As Determined By Osteological And Myological Characters, David F. Avery, Wilmer W. Tanner

Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series

The problem of phylogenic relationships within the iguanine phyletic line and the Madagascar iguanids have been investigated in order to explain the discontinuous distribution exhibited by the members of the family Iguanidae. Owing to inconclusive results from cytology and histological methods, the comparative morphology of the anterior osteology, myology, tongues, and hemipenes were used to determine relationships.

An examination of the above structures of the members of the iguanine phyletic lines and a comparison with the Madagascar iguanids indicates the following: ( 1 ) The Madagascar genera Chalarodon and Oplurus appear to be more closely related to each other than …

Evolution Of The Iguanine Lizards (Sauria, Iguanidae) As Determined By Osteological And Myological Characters, David F. Avery

Theses and Dissertations

The family Iguanidae is almost completely restricted to the Western Hemisphere with its main radiations occurring in North and South America. There are also representatives on Fiji, Tonga and the Galapagos Islands, in the Pacific Ocean. Distantly related forms are also found on Madagascar off the Southeastern Coast of Africa. Although the iguanid lizards are familiar to most scientists interested in the tropics, their anatomy and evolution is poorly understood.