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Articles 1 - 30 of 32
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Cognitive And Web Phenotypes Of The Western Black Widow Spider, Clint Michael Sergi
Cognitive And Web Phenotypes Of The Western Black Widow Spider, Clint Michael Sergi
Theses and Dissertations
Animals with brains create mental representations of their environment and their own position within it, and use these representations to make decisions. The information used to create mental representations, and how animals use representations to make decisions, are functions of an animal’s evolution and ecology. Mental representations can be as simple as remembering the direction and distance home, or as detailed as a human’s mental map of their own home. I used behavior assays designed to reveal the contents of mental representations to investigate how a web spider creates representation of its environment and objects within it, and uses these …
Evaluating Population Genetic Structure And Potential Genomic Signals Of Natural Selection In A Migratory Songbird (Protonotaria Citrea), Tyler A. Hohenstein
Evaluating Population Genetic Structure And Potential Genomic Signals Of Natural Selection In A Migratory Songbird (Protonotaria Citrea), Tyler A. Hohenstein
Theses and Dissertations
In this study I attempted to further resolve the population genetic structure in the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea), and conducted an outlier SNP analysis and exploratory gene ontology analysis to investigate potential ongoing natural selection in the species. This analysis of population structure confirms previous work by DeSaix et al. (2019), where weak population structure was observed between eastern sites along the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and western sites in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, possibly due to a genetic discontinuity across the Appalachian Mountains. I conducted two forms of outlier SNP analyses, a principal component analysis (PCA)-based approach to identify SNPs …
Identifying The Human Homologs Of Yeast Rab Proteins Ypt10 & Ypt11 And A Global-Scale Louse Endosymbiont Genome Variation, Nathaniel P. Smith
Identifying The Human Homologs Of Yeast Rab Proteins Ypt10 & Ypt11 And A Global-Scale Louse Endosymbiont Genome Variation, Nathaniel P. Smith
Theses and Dissertations
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a late-onset fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes loss of upper and/or lower motor neurons, and currently has no treatment or cure available. Over 90% of cases occur spontaneously with unknown causes, highlighting the complexity of the disease, and only 10% of cases are linked to heritable genetic mutations. Numerous ALS-linked genes are conserved through evolution, and model organisms may therefore provide opportunities to understand disease pathology at a molecular or cellular level, proving instrumental in identifying therapeutic targets. ALS subtype 8 (ALS8) is caused by an autosomal dominant P56S mutation in the VAPB gene that …
Practical Problems And Moral Discourses: An Ethnography Of Breastfeeding, Tara Ann Gallagher
Practical Problems And Moral Discourses: An Ethnography Of Breastfeeding, Tara Ann Gallagher
Theses and Dissertations
Universal and bioactive, breastfeeding is a burgeoning biocultural topic because it incorporates biological and social determinants of human behavior. The topic has amassed media attention framed as part of a bigger imagining of motherhood as an idealized state directed at the female body’s performance. This paper questions media and public policy’s role in the dissemination of culture and the symbolic value of breastmilk. This study examines breastfeeding discourses through the lens of an American, mostly white, Midwestern middle-class social structure. Using participant observation data of two postpartum support groups and semi-structured interviews with six primiparous mothers, my data suggests that …
Interspecific Gene Flow Potentiates Adaptive Evolution In A Hybrid Zone Formed Between Pinus Strobiformis And Pinus Flexilis, Mitra Menon
Theses and Dissertations
Species range margins are often characterised by high degrees of habitat fragmentation resulting in low genetic diversity and higher gene flow from populations at the core of the species range. Interspecific gene flow from a closely related species with abutting range margins can increase standing genetic diversity and generate novel allelic combinations thereby alleviating limits to adaptive evolution in range margin populations. Hybridization driven interspecific gene flow has played a key role in the demographic history of several conifer due to their life history characteristics such as weak crossability barriers and long generation times. Nevertheless, demonstrating whether introgression is adaptive …
Evidence Of Local Adaptation To Climate In An Invasive Ectotherm: A Study On The Eurasian Gypsy Moth (Lymantria Dispar) In North America, Phillip M. Gibbs
Evidence Of Local Adaptation To Climate In An Invasive Ectotherm: A Study On The Eurasian Gypsy Moth (Lymantria Dispar) In North America, Phillip M. Gibbs
Theses and Dissertations
Invasive species exist in nearly every ecosystem both terrestrial and aquatic. Improving our understanding of the mechanisms that shape the ability of these organisms to physiologically cope with their surroundings will be crucial to preparing for future impacts of climate change. The Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar) has been expanding its range across North America over the last 100+ years since its arrival in Medford, Massachusetts. This study quantifies upper thermal limits (UTL) across 8 different populations of L. dispar in North America and seeks to determine if signals of local adaptation to climate across a latitudinal gradient may …
The Influence Of Breeding Density On Female Aggression, Parental Care, And Ornamentation In A Secondary-Cavity Nesting Warbler, Elsa B. Chen
The Influence Of Breeding Density On Female Aggression, Parental Care, And Ornamentation In A Secondary-Cavity Nesting Warbler, Elsa B. Chen
Theses and Dissertations
Tradeoffs between individual survival and reproductive success associated with aggressive behaviors are a driving force of evolution, but these tradeoffs are often overlooked for aggressive conspecific interactions between females. For avian males, it is well documented that more aggressive individuals tend to provide less parental care. In the few studies that address this in females, the tradeoffs seem to be more context-dependent, varying due to factors such as predation pressure and habitat quality. The relationship between female ornamentation and aggression is similarly understudied, but evidence suggests that both aggression and ornamentation are important traits involved in social selection – the …
Temperature Impacts On Embryonic And Larval Development Of Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens), Anne Marie Linkenheld
Temperature Impacts On Embryonic And Larval Development Of Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens), Anne Marie Linkenheld
Theses and Dissertations
Early life stages of fishes are critical stages due to their importance in enhancing recruitment. Given the high mortality through the embryonic and larval stages, managers have started investigating factors that impact these stages. Environmental factors, such as water temperature, have been found to play a larger role in early life survival. Climate change predications will be more apparent in northern temperate systems like the Great Lakes. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are an important sport fish in the region whose populations have been declining since the 1980s. The development of yellow perch as an aquaculture species has occurred in order …
Evolution Of Endurance Running Genes Across Primates, Natalia T. Grube
Evolution Of Endurance Running Genes Across Primates, Natalia T. Grube
Theses and Dissertations
The endurance running hypothesis has emerged as a key idea to explain several unique anatomical, physiological, and genetic features of modern humans—among these features is the evolution of ACTN3 (Bramble & Lieberman 2004, Nature), a gene linked to human athletic performance. An additional gene linked to human endurance performance is ACE. Because endurance running is a uniquely human trait, I predicted that ACE and ACTN3 genes would be evolving adaptively in the human lineage when examined in a wider primatological framework. To test this I compiled ACE and ACTN3 genes from 14 primate species and phylogenetically tested if these genes …
Phylogenetic History Of The Amy Gene Cluster In Catarrhines, Christian M. Gagnon
Phylogenetic History Of The Amy Gene Cluster In Catarrhines, Christian M. Gagnon
Theses and Dissertations
This study phylogenetically analyzed 30 AMY-related genes from 11 primates. The results show the gradual expansion of the AMY gene family which could have allowed primates to adapt to various ecological landscapes and maximize energy intake from starch-rich foods in periods of food scarcity.
Spatial Genetic Structure And Local Adaptation Within And Among Foxtail Pine (Pinus Balfouriana Subsp. Balfouriana) Populations Located In The Klamath Mountains, California, Rebecca D. Piri
Theses and Dissertations
Foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana) is a subalpine conifer endemic to California, notably separated into two disjunct subspecies. Previous studies have described the northern subspecies,Pinus balfouriana subsp. balfouriana,as having an uncommonly high level of genetic differentiation and no discernible spatial patterns in phenotypic variation. This study seeks to characterize the spatial genetic structure and patterns of selection of the northern subspecies (Pinus balfouriana subsp. balfouriana) using genome-wide data and to identify the influence of ecology and environment on the unique genetic patterns. I show that genetic differentiation among populations is much less than previously estimated …
Effects Of Life History And Brain Size On Cognition And Behavior: Studies On Prey-Searching In The Spider Pholcus Phalangioides, Joseph Kilmer
Effects Of Life History And Brain Size On Cognition And Behavior: Studies On Prey-Searching In The Spider Pholcus Phalangioides, Joseph Kilmer
Theses and Dissertations
There is tremendous diversity in body size across animals, including many examples of derived miniaturization. A reduction in body size is accompanied by a reduction in brain size, which is predicted to lead to limitations in cognition, but we have yet to find empirical evidence indicating what these limitations might be. I used a behavioral assay common in web spiders to explore this topic. I observed spiders as they searched for prey that they recently captured and lost. This assay has the advantage of being easily quantifiable while reflecting a spider’s evaluation and memory of lost prey. I conducted a …
Chamaecrista Fasciculata In Tallgrass And Sand Prairies: The Potential For Differential Responses, Robert W. Philips
Chamaecrista Fasciculata In Tallgrass And Sand Prairies: The Potential For Differential Responses, Robert W. Philips
Theses and Dissertations
Successful establishment of a diversity of native species has become an important goal for restoration site managers to achieve, however as seed sources for a species may occur in habitats with different abiotic and biotic characteristics. Consequently, seeds from different sources may vary in their success in a restoration. Chamaecrista fasciculata, a native prairie species, occurs in two divergent prairie types - tallgrass and sand prairies. Tallgrass prairies have a moist soil with dense vegetation; in contrast, sand prairies have a well-drained sandy soil with sparse vegetation. I propose differential selection acting on populations in these prairie types would affect …
Sources Of Variation In Social Plasticity In Female Mate Preferences And Male Traits, Daniel Neelon
Sources Of Variation In Social Plasticity In Female Mate Preferences And Male Traits, Daniel Neelon
Theses and Dissertations
Female preferences are an important cause of selection on male traits, and exploring the sources of variation in these preferences has been the focus of intense behavioral research. This is due to the fact that understanding this variation is integral to understating the maintenance of variation and complexity in male traits, as well as the evolution and divergence of populations. This project aims to explore the sources of variation in these mating preferences, as well as examine whether similar sources affect components of male traits. This was accomplished using the well-studied mating system of the Green Treefrog, Hyla cinerea that …
Natural And Anthropogenic Drivers Of Tree Evolutionary Dynamics, Brandon M. Lind
Natural And Anthropogenic Drivers Of Tree Evolutionary Dynamics, Brandon M. Lind
Theses and Dissertations
Species of trees inhabit diverse and heterogeneous environments, and often play important ecological roles in such communities. As a result of their vast ecological breadth, trees have become adapted to various environmental pressures. In this dissertation I examine various environmental factors that drive evolutionary dynamics in threePinusspecies in California and Nevada, USA. In chapter two, I assess the role of management influence of thinning, fire, and their interaction on fine-scale gene flow within fire-suppressed populations of Pinus lambertiana, a historically dominant and ecologically important member of mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California. Here, I find evidence …
Floral Symmetry Genes Elucidate The Development And Evolution Of Oil-Bee Pollinated Flowers Of Malpighiaceae And Krameriaceae, Farahnoz N. Khojayori
Floral Symmetry Genes Elucidate The Development And Evolution Of Oil-Bee Pollinated Flowers Of Malpighiaceae And Krameriaceae, Farahnoz N. Khojayori
Theses and Dissertations
Specialization on insect and animal pollinators is thought to be the driving force for the evolution of floral traits. Specifically in the New World (NW), the oil-bee pollination syndrome has led to the convergence of floral characters in two distantly related families of core eudicots, Malpighiaceae and Krameriaceae. Both families display a flag-like structure that establishes a zygomorphic flower and floral oil rewards in epithelial elaiophores. These traits work concomitantly to attract and reward female oil-bees that help fertilize these flowers and in return receive oils. The underlying genetics of floral zygomorphy were studied in several clades of core eudicots, …
The Influence Of Phylogeny And Niche Differentiation On The Diets Of Malagasy Primates, Rebekka S. Hughes
The Influence Of Phylogeny And Niche Differentiation On The Diets Of Malagasy Primates, Rebekka S. Hughes
Theses and Dissertations
Previous studies have shown that haplorhine diet is affected by phylogeny; however, until now studies in Malagasy strepsirrhines were lacking. The evolution of differences in Malagasy primates’ diets appears to differ from the pattern shown in haplorhines. My results indicate that niche differentiation may be a stronger predictor of diet.
Ecological Niche Modeling Of The Genus Papio, Amanda J. Fuchs
Ecological Niche Modeling Of The Genus Papio, Amanda J. Fuchs
Theses and Dissertations
Ecological niche modeling investigates how climatic variables have influenced taxonomic diversity in Papio. Models performed well suggesting climatic variables influence the distribution of baboon species. Niche overlap among all possible pairs of taxa determined that species exhibited significantly different niches. The results of these models support a parapatric speciation scenario.
African Wild Dog, Lycaon Pictus, Coloration Patterns And Social Aggregation, Ayong J. Kim
African Wild Dog, Lycaon Pictus, Coloration Patterns And Social Aggregation, Ayong J. Kim
Theses and Dissertations
Packs of African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus, were analyzed for coloration patterns and social aggregation tendencies. Mapped locations determined if the coat patterns followed a geographic distribution that corresponded to Southern or Eastern phenotypic forms. Social aggregation tendencies were observed to determine grouping behavior presumably related to individuals’ roles.
Does Genotype Correlate With Phenotype? Evaluating Ruffed Lemur (Varecia Spp.) Color Vision Using Subject Mediated Automatic Remote Testing Apparatus (Smarta), Raymond Vagell
Theses and Dissertations
Ruffed lemur (Varecia spp.) color vision research was conducted using a multidisciplinary approach: psychophysics, genetic analysis, technology, and animal training. The behavioral manifestation of Varecia spp. trichromacy was shown using a touchscreen apparatus (SMARTA). Trichromats performed better than dichromats when discriminating red from green (G2 = 78.10, p < 0.001).
Effects Of Silencing Cyc2-Like Genes On Floral Development In Solanum Lycopersicum L. And Nicotiana Obtusifolia M. Martens & Galeotti (Solanaceae), Joonseog Kim
Theses and Dissertations
CYCLOIDEA (CYC) and DICHOTOMA (DICH) of the CYC2 clade of the TCP gene family have been shown to play a significant role in regulating the identity of the dorsal petals and abortion of the single dorsal stamen in Antirrhinum majus. It is believed that CYC2-like genes are responsible for the convergent evolution of floral zygomorphy, but their role in the development of actinomorphic flowers is still unknown. In Solanaceae, previous analysis has identified two paralogs of CYC2-like genes, CYC2A and CYC2B, resulting from a gene duplication that predates the origin the family. …
Evolution Of Antagonistic Relationships In Proteins: A Case Study Of Radialis- And Diviricata-Like Genes, Ao Gao
Theses and Dissertations
The antagonistic relationship of proteins describes the opponent interactions that result in one protein suppressing the function of another. Developmental genetic studies of Antirrhinum majus demonstrated that two transcription factors from the MYB gene family, RAD and DIV, interact through antagonism to regulate floral dorsoventral asymmetry. Interestingly, similar antagonistic interactions were found among proteins of FSM1 (RAD-like), MYBI (DIV-like), and DRIF in Solanum lycopersicum, which is involved in fruit development. Here, we report on the homology of these antagonistic MYB proteins based on reconstruction of the phylogeny of I-box-like and R-R-type clades, where RAD- and DIV-like belong, …
Investigating The Nest Sanitation Hypothesis In A Rejecter Species: Is Sanitation A Proximate Link, Pre-Adaptation, Or By-Product Of Egg Ejection?, Alec B. Luro
Theses and Dissertations
Nest sanitation, a behavior similar in motor pattern to egg ejection, has been proposed repeatedly as a potential pre-adaptation to foreign egg ejection in avian brood parasites hosts. We found no support for the sanitation hypothesis--therefore we suggest egg ejection may have evolved independently of sanitation.
Independent Origination Of Floral Zygomorphy, A Predicted Adaptive Response To Pollinators: Developmental And Genetic Mechanisms, Ghadeer Bukhari, Wenheng Zhang
Independent Origination Of Floral Zygomorphy, A Predicted Adaptive Response To Pollinators: Developmental And Genetic Mechanisms, Ghadeer Bukhari, Wenheng Zhang
Theses and Dissertations
Observations of floral development indicate that floral organ initiation in pentapetalous flowers more commonly results in a medially positioned abaxial petal (MAB) than in a medially positioned adaxial petal (MAD), where the medial plane is defined by the stem and the bract during early floral development. It was proposed that the dominant MAB petal initiation might impose a developmental constraint that leads to the evolution of limited patterns of floral zygomorphy in Asteridae, a family in which the floral zygomorphy develops along the medial plane and results in a central ventral (CV) petal in mature flowers. Here, I investigate whether …
Genome Wide Epigenetic Analyses Of Araptus Attenuatus, A Bark Beetle, Chitra Seshadri
Genome Wide Epigenetic Analyses Of Araptus Attenuatus, A Bark Beetle, Chitra Seshadri
Theses and Dissertations
Phylogeographic studies have relied on surveying neutral genetic variation in natural populations as a way of gaining better insights into the evolutionary processes shaping present day population demography. Recent emphasis on understanding putative adaptive variation have brought to light the role of epigenetic variation in influencing phenotypes and the mechanisms underlying local adaptation. While much is known about how methylation acts at specific loci to influence known phenotypes, there is little information on the spatial genetic structure of genome-wide patterns of methylation and the extent to which it can extend our understanding of both neutral and putatively adaptive processes. This …
A Tale Of Two Morphs: Genetic And Genotypic Structure Between Macrocystis Pyrifera And Macrocystis Integrifolia, Heidi Hargarten
A Tale Of Two Morphs: Genetic And Genotypic Structure Between Macrocystis Pyrifera And Macrocystis Integrifolia, Heidi Hargarten
Theses and Dissertations
Organisms living along environmental gradients often utilize phenotypic plasticity to maximize their survival across a range of conditions. Wherever gradients occur, there is potential for divergence through isolation-by-adaptation (IBA) to build-up between genotypes experiencing different selective pressures. Plasticity in traits pertaining to mating systems in particular are likely to constitute an interesting and revealing model for the study of the underlying mechanisms behind parapatric speciation. Giant kelp, Macrocystis spp., shows striking plasticity in holdfast morphology and reproductive strategy when colonizing intertidal (M. integrifolia morph) versus subtidal (M. pyrifera morph) areas along temperate rocky coastlines of the eastern Pacific Ocean. In …
Effects Of The Developmental Environment On Oxidative Damage And Antioxidants In Red-Eared Slider Turtle ( Trachemys Scripta Elegans ) Hatchlings, Lisa Allison Treidel
Effects Of The Developmental Environment On Oxidative Damage And Antioxidants In Red-Eared Slider Turtle ( Trachemys Scripta Elegans ) Hatchlings, Lisa Allison Treidel
Theses and Dissertations
Developmental environments influence many individual phenotypes. However, currently we have a limited understanding of how the developmental environment influences oxidative stress resistance phenotypes. Oxidative stress is defined as a physiological state during which the production of harmful free radicals exceeds the protective capabilities of antioxidants. Variations among adults in susceptibility to oxidative stress can have important consequences for life history strategies and fitness related traits. Our work was aimed at providing insight in to the role that the developmental environment plays on oxidative stress phenotypes in the model oviparous reptile the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans). Here, we conducted …
Behavioral Responses Of Male Parasitic Wasps To Plant Cues: A Comparison Of Two Host-Plant Complex Sources Of Cotesia Congregata (Say), Megan Ayers
Theses and Dissertations
Prior exposure to plants cues can enhance assortative mating in insects. We hypothesized that, as previously reported for females, males of Cotesia congregata would display inherent responses to plant cues that could be modified by postemergence experience and further, that males originating from two different host-plant complexes (HPCs) would display different behavioral responses to these HPCs. In no-choice contact assays with a non-host plant, searching responses of males and females increased sharply at Day 2 and remained stable through Day 4. In no-choice assays with potential host plants, males searched longer on catalpa than tobacco; responses were not modified by …
Speed And Resolution In The Age Of Technological Reproducibility, Shawn Taylor
Speed And Resolution In The Age Of Technological Reproducibility, Shawn Taylor
Theses and Dissertations
The rate of acceleration of the biologic and synthetic world has for a while now, been in the process of exponentially speeding up, maxing out servers and landfills, merging with each other, destroying each other. The last prehistoric relics on Earth are absorbing the same oxygen, carbon dioxide and electronic waves in our biosphere as us. A degraded .jpeg enlarged to full screen on a Samsung 4K UHD HU8550 Series Smart TV - 85” Class (84.5” diag.). Within this composite ecology, the ancient limestone of the grand canyon competes with the iMax movie of itself, the production of Mac pros, …
Influence Of Genetic Variation In The Biotic Environment On Phenotypic Variation In A Plant-Feeding Insect, Darren Rebar
Influence Of Genetic Variation In The Biotic Environment On Phenotypic Variation In A Plant-Feeding Insect, Darren Rebar
Theses and Dissertations
While many species spend much of their lives in close association with other organisms, only recently have biologists started to explore the implications of the biotic nature of environments for their role as causes of variation in phenotypes. This means that the genotypes of individuals that constitute the biotic environment may influence the phenotypes of individuals that live in that environment. These are called indirect genetic effects (IGEs) when they occur between conspecifics, and interspecific indirect genetic effects (IIGEs) when they occur between heterospecifics. However, the impact of genetic variation in biotic environments remains largely unknown. I used a member …