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Articles 1 - 5 of 5
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Function, History, And Ecology In The Exceptional Radiation Of Murine Rodents, Jonathan Allen Nations
Function, History, And Ecology In The Exceptional Radiation Of Murine Rodents, Jonathan Allen Nations
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Life’s diversity is not spread evenly across all lineages, and this unevenness is thought to be due, in part, to a few interwoven factors: biogeographic history, the evolution of successful functional traits, and the ecological opportunity these traits afford. My dissertation focuses on the evolution of a species-rich and morphologically diverse clade of mammals, the murine rodents (Murinae; Muridae; Rodentia) to address 1) morphological adaptations associated with niche transition to arboreality 2) the effect of repeated ecological transitions on murine diversification, and 3) the role of atypical ecological niches in the assembly of hyperdiverse communities. My dissertation has revealed that …
Evolution Of Green Blood In New Guinea Lizards: Phylogenomics, Biogeography, And Comparative Genomics, Zachary Rodriguez
Evolution Of Green Blood In New Guinea Lizards: Phylogenomics, Biogeography, And Comparative Genomics, Zachary Rodriguez
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Non-model organisms with evolutionary novelties and complex distributions can provide valuable insight into the mechanisms underlying biological diversity. Green blood is one of the most unusual vertebrate physiologies and has repeatedly evolved in lizards from the megadiverse island of New Guinea. An unusually high concentration of the toxic green bile pigment biliverdin causes the green coloration of these lizards' blood, muscles, and bones. This dissertation uncovered the complex history of this novel trait (Chapter 2), identified protein-coding sequences that underlie green blood in lizards (Chapter 3), and explored evolutionary processes that drive genetic diversity in high-elevation lizards. To accurately trace …
The Evolution Of Bivalve Shell Matrix Proteins, Mark Ira Duhon Ii
The Evolution Of Bivalve Shell Matrix Proteins, Mark Ira Duhon Ii
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation focuses on the molecular underpinnings surrounding the evolution of the biomineralized shells of marine bivalves. Bivalve molluscs synthesize remarkably complex shells from calcium carbonate and an organic matrix of proteins secreted from the dorsal edge of the mantle. Molecular analyses of shell matrix proteins (SMPs) have suggested high rates of gene turnover despite the conserved nature of the shell itself. Here, I used proteomic and transcriptomic data to identify the SMPs and other biomineralization proteins from seven bivalve species that diverged 3-513 Mya. Contrary to previous studies that identified only a few shared biomineralization transcripts across the Bivalvia, …
Natural Variation And Evolutionary Responses To Climate Change Stressors In Marine Invertebrates, Joanna Sarah Griffiths
Natural Variation And Evolutionary Responses To Climate Change Stressors In Marine Invertebrates, Joanna Sarah Griffiths
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Our rapidly changing climate is putting many species at risk of extinction and there is an urgent need to understand how species will respond to these changes. In this dissertation, I evaluate how three species of marine invertebrates (corals, oysters, and copepods) respond to stressful conditions in their current environments and how plasticity and evolutionary adaptation could alter their response to future climate change stressors. I first employed a space for time study to elucidate population differences in the response of cold-water corals, Balanophyllia elegans, to future ocean acidification. I found evidence that upwelling history (natural low pH exposure) influences …
Evolution Of Alu Elements In The Saimiri And Papio Lineages Of Primates, Jasmine Nicole Brown Baker
Evolution Of Alu Elements In The Saimiri And Papio Lineages Of Primates, Jasmine Nicole Brown Baker
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Alu elements are approximately 300 base pair (bp) primate specific non- autonomous retrotransposons. Alu elements, a short interspersed element (SINE), account for high copy numbers in all primate genomes. Numerous Alu element subfamilies have undergone varying degrees of activity and amplification within primates. Identification of these subfamilies has proved to be very informative in elucidating phylogenies and as phylogenomic markers. Squirrel monkeys, genus Saimiri, are one of the most well-known neotropical primates and the second most commonly used laboratory monkey. Squirrel monkey species diverged approximately 1.5 million years ago and are native to South America. Despite being well-known, there …