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Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Evolution And Biological Activity Of Cycadophyta, Gustavo M. De Angeli
Evolution And Biological Activity Of Cycadophyta, Gustavo M. De Angeli
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Worldwide, environment gradients effects on leaf physical and chemical defenses traits, were studied in very phylogenetically heterogeneous plants; leading to results that may be confounding. To address this, in this study, we focused on a single Order, Cycadales. We collected data for 8 key leaf traits from 80 Cycads species around the world (~27% of all cycad species known). The leaf traits included, foliar area, leaf mass area, thickness, leaf density, toughness, water, hinokiflavone and amentoflavone content, all of which are closely related to trade ‘offs between plant defenses and leaf construction. We quantified the relative contributions of environment variables …
The Evolution Of Bioluminescence Across The Shrimp Family Sergestidae: A Genomic Skimming And Phylogenetic Approach, Charles G. Golighty Iii
The Evolution Of Bioluminescence Across The Shrimp Family Sergestidae: A Genomic Skimming And Phylogenetic Approach, Charles G. Golighty Iii
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The family Sergestidae provide a unique system for studying the evolution of bioluminescence, with species possessing one of three distinct forms of photophores. This study capitalizes on molecular data to construct a genus-level phylogeny of sergestid shrimp. “Genome skimming” was implemented, capturing mitochondrial genomic data across 19 species. Additional individuals were incorporated through Sanger sequencing of four partial gene regions. The -sergestes group of genera was recovered as non-monophyletic, with the -sergia group of genera being recovered as monophyletic. Ancestral state reconstructions of light organ type indicate the organs of Pesta photophore is the ancestral state for the …
Phylogenetic And Transcriptomic Analyses Of Vision In Two Cave Adapted Crustaceans, Asellus Aquaticus (Isopoda: Asellidae) And Niphargus Hrabei (Amphipoda: Niphargidae)., Jorge L. Perez Moreno
Phylogenetic And Transcriptomic Analyses Of Vision In Two Cave Adapted Crustaceans, Asellus Aquaticus (Isopoda: Asellidae) And Niphargus Hrabei (Amphipoda: Niphargidae)., Jorge L. Perez Moreno
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The unique characteristics of aquatic caves and of their predominantly crustacean biodiversity nominate them as ideal study subjects for evolutionary biology. The present dissertation capitalizes on a perfect natural experiment, the Molnar Janos thermal cave system in Budapest, Hungary. This intricate freshwater cave system and the immediately adjacent Malom Lake present the ideal opportunity to address questions of colonization, adaptation, and evolution. Despite marked environmental differences between the cave and surface waters, both localities are inhabited by natural populations of two emerging model cave species, the isopod Asellus aquaticus and the amphipod Niphargus hrabei. In the present dissertation, I …
Evolutionary And Population Dynamics Of Crustaceans In The Gulf Of Mexico, Laura Timm
Evolutionary And Population Dynamics Of Crustaceans In The Gulf Of Mexico, Laura Timm
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Evolution occurs and can be conceptualized along a spectrum, bounded on one extreme by the relationships between deep lineages – such as phyla, classes, and orders – and on the other by the molecular dynamics of operational taxonomic units within a species, defined as population genetics. The purpose of this dissertation was to better understand the evolutionary and population dynamics of crustaceans within the Gulf of Mexico. In the second chapter of my dissertation, I provide a guide to best phylogenetic practice while reviewing infraordinal relationships within Decapoda, including the promise held by next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches such as Anchored …