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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Cellular And Developmental Insights Into The Early Evolution Of Muscle, Jeffrey J. Colgren
Cellular And Developmental Insights Into The Early Evolution Of Muscle, Jeffrey J. Colgren
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Whereas a great deal has been learned about the molecular underpinnings of morphological evolution in animals, much less is known about the origin of novel cell and tissue types. During the time in which the earliest animal lineages were diversifying, fundamental cell and tissue types, such as muscles, arose. Sponges are one of two animal lineages that lack muscles, yet they undergo coordinated full body contractions. Whereas the signaling processes have been studied, the physical mechanisms of contraction are completely uncharacterized. The main purpose of this work is to understand the primary contractile tissue of the sponge Ephydatia muelleri, …
Land Use Influences Along Elevation Gradient On Macroinvertebrate Communities, Brittany Sprout
Land Use Influences Along Elevation Gradient On Macroinvertebrate Communities, Brittany Sprout
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Land use activities have caused disturbances that affect the quality of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. How the influences of land use along an environmental gradient and the associated environmental variables that may influence stream diversity and function is unclear. We address these issues by studying biodiversity, abundance, and functional diversity of macroinvertebrates across different land types along a gradient in Colorado, USA. We also address how diversity may change along an elevation gradient by analyzing previously published macroinvertebrate research. We found evidence that land use and disturbance are stronger explanations of changes in macroinvertebrate communities, rather than elevation. Functional trait patterns …