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Functional Genetic Approaches To Provide Evidence For The Role Of Toolkit Genes In The Evolution Of Complex Color Patterns In Drosophila Guttifera, Mujeeb Olushola Shittu
Functional Genetic Approaches To Provide Evidence For The Role Of Toolkit Genes In The Evolution Of Complex Color Patterns In Drosophila Guttifera, Mujeeb Olushola Shittu
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Toolkit genes are set of genes that orchestrate the development of basic body plan of animals, and they are highly conserved in all animals. The co-option of the toolkit genes into the pigmentation pathway has led to the evolution of novel species. This study focuses on understanding how the complex color patterns in animals develop by using the Drosophila species in the quinaria group as models. We developed an mRNA in situ hybridization (ISH) protocol, which allowed us to study gene expression patterns in the abdomen of developing pupae of non-model Drosophila species (Chapter 2). Through ISH, we found that …
The Development Of Complex Abdominal Spot Patterns In Three Drosophila Species, William A. Dion
The Development Of Complex Abdominal Spot Patterns In Three Drosophila Species, William A. Dion
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
Complex color patterns like the spots on leopards and butterfly wings beg the question – how did these traits evolve? To understand the evolution of novel morphologies, we need to study the differences in morphogenesis between closely related species. Here, I examine and compare the development of complex abdominal spot patterns among three species of Drosophila closely related in evolutionary time. Through in situ hybridization, I have characterized the expression patterns of three pigmentation genes among the fruit fly species. Additionally, I have built upon previous work in our lab regarding the regulation of pigmentation by beginning to develop an …