Biology Commons^™

Philornis Fasciventris (Wulp) (Diptera: Muscidae): Description Of The Male, Larva And Puparium, With Notes On Biology And Host Association, Marcia Couri, Troy Murphy, Richard Hoebeke

Troy G Murphy

The male, larva and puparium of Philornis fasciventris (Wulp) are described for the first time, as well as the larval habit and host association. The material was collected in Yucatan, Mexico in a nest of the turquoise-browed motmot, Eumomota superciliosa (Sandbach) (Coraciformes: Momotidae), first host record for this species. E. superciliosa is also a new host record for Philornis.

Eurycea Junaluska. Morphology, Travis Ryan

Travis J. Ryan

Morphology of Junaluska salamander.

Behavioural Display Systems Across Nine Anolis Lizard Species: Sexual Dimorphisms In Structure And Function, Michele A. Johnson, Juli Wade

Michele A Johnson

Relationships between structure and function are a primary focus in biology, yet they are most often considered within individual species. Sexually dimorphic communication behaviours and the morphology of associated structures can vary widely, even among closely related species, and these traits provide an ideal opportunity to investigate the evolution of structure-function patterns. Using nine Anolis lizard species, we addressed a series of questions regarding sex differences in and the evolution of relationships between extension of the throat fan (dewlap) and morphology of the muscles and cartilage controlling it. The main results indicated that within species, males displayed the dewlap more …

Combined Morphological And Molecular Phylogeny Of The Clusioid Clade (Malpighiales) And The Placement Of The Ancient Rosid Macrofossil Paleoclusia, Brad Ruhfel, Peter Stevens, Charles Davis

Brad R. Ruhfel

Premise of research. The clusioid clade is a member of the large rosid order Malpighiales and contains∼1900 species in five families: Bonnetiaceae, Calophyllaceae, Clusiaceae sensu stricto (s.s.), Hypericaceae, and Podostemaceae. Despite recent efforts to clarify their phylogenetic relationships using molecular data, no such data are available for several critical taxa, including especially Hypericum ellipticifolium (previously recognized in Lianthus), Lebrunia, Neotatea, Thysanostemon, and the second-oldest rosid fossil (∼90 Ma), Paleoclusia chevalieri. Here, we (i) assess congruence between phylogenies inferred from morphological and molecular data, (ii) analyze morphological and molecular data simultaneously to place taxa lacking molecular data, and (iii) use ancestral …

Evidence For An Epigenetic Mechanism By Which Hsp90 Acts As A Capacitor For Morphological Evolution, Vincent E. Sollars, Xiangyi Lu, Li Xiao, Xiaoyan Wang, Mark D. Garfinkel, Douglas M. Ruden

Vincent E Sollars

Morphological alterations have been shown to occur in Drosophila melanogaster when function of Hsp90 (heat shock 0-kDa protein 1α, encoded by Hsp83) is compromised during development1. Genetic selection maintains the altered phenotypes in subsequent generations1. Recent experiments have shown, however, that phenotypic variation still occurs in nearly isogenic recombinant inbred strains of Arabidopsis thaliana2. Using a sensitized isogenic D. melanogaster strain, iso-KrIf-1, we confirm this finding and present evidence supporting an epigenetic mechanism for Hsp90’s capacitor function, whereby reduced activity of Hsp90 induces a heritably altered chromatin state. The altered chromatin state is evidenced by ectopic expression of the morphogen …

The Interplay Of Host Morphology And Symbiont Microhabitat In Coral Aggregations, B. Helmuth, Briana Timmerman, K. Sebens

Briana Eileen Timmerman

No abstract provided.

Phylogeny Of The Clusioid Clade (Malpighiales): Evidence From The Plastid And Mitochonrial Genomes, Brad R. Ruhfel, Volker Bittrich, Claudia A. Bove, Mats H.G. Gustafsson, C. Thomas Philbrick, Rolf Rutsihauser, Zhenxiang Xi, Charles C. Davis

Brad R. Ruhfel

• Premise of the study : The clusioid clade includes five families (i.e., Bonnetiaceae, Calophyllaceae, Clusiaceae s.s., Hypericaceae, and Podostemaceae) represented by 94 genera and ~1900 species. Species in this clade form a conspicuous element of tropical forests worldwide and are important in horticulture, timber production, and pharmacology. We conducted a taxon-rich multigene phylogenetic analysis of the clusioids to clarify phylogenetic relationships in this clade.

• Methods : We analyzed plastid ( matK , ndhF , and rbcL ) and mitochondrial ( matR ) nucleotide sequence data using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference. Our combined data set included 194 …

Review Of The Nearctic Gallwasp Species Of The Genus Bassettia Ashmead, 1887, With Description Of New Species (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), Warren G. Abrahamson Ii, G. Melika

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

No abstract provided.