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Evolution

Selected Works

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Full-Text Articles in Genetics and Genomics

Joganic Et Al 2018 Ajpa Baboon Heritability.Pdf, James M. Cheverud Dec 2017

Joganic Et Al 2018 Ajpa Baboon Heritability.Pdf, James M. Cheverud

James Cheverud

No abstract provided.

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A Polyglot Approach To Bioinformatics Data Integration: A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Hiv-1, Steven Reisman, Thomas Hatzopoulos, Konstantin Laufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Catherine Putonti Oct 2017

A Polyglot Approach To Bioinformatics Data Integration: A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Hiv-1, Steven Reisman, Thomas Hatzopoulos, Konstantin Laufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Catherine Putonti

Konstantin Läufer

As sequencing technologies continue to drop in price and increase in throughput, new challenges emerge for the management and accessibility of genomic sequence data. We have developed a pipeline for facilitating the storage, retrieval, and subsequent analysis of molecular data, integrating both sequence and metadata. Taking a polyglot approach involving multiple languages, libraries, and persistence mechanisms, sequence data can be aggregated from publicly available and local repositories. Data are exposed in the form of a RESTful web service, formatted for easy querying, and retrieved for downstream analyses. As a proof of concept, we have developed a resource for annotated HIV-1 …

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A Polyglot Approach To Bioinformatics Data Integration: A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Hiv-1, Steven Reisman, Thomas Hatzopoulos, Konstantin Laufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Catherine Putonti Sep 2017

A Polyglot Approach To Bioinformatics Data Integration: A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Hiv-1, Steven Reisman, Thomas Hatzopoulos, Konstantin Laufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Catherine Putonti

Catherine Putonti

As sequencing technologies continue to drop in price and increase in throughput, new challenges emerge for the management and accessibility of genomic sequence data. We have developed a pipeline for facilitating the storage, retrieval, and subsequent analysis of molecular data, integrating both sequence and metadata. Taking a polyglot approach involving multiple languages, libraries, and persistence mechanisms, sequence data can be aggregated from publicly available and local repositories. Data are exposed in the form of a RESTful web service, formatted for easy querying, and retrieved for downstream analyses. As a proof of concept, we have developed a resource for annotated HIV-1 …

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Clusters Of Alpha Satellite On Human Chromosome 21 Are Dispersed Far Onto The Short Arm And Lack Ancient Layers, William Ziccardi, Chongjian Zhao, Valery Shepelev, Lev Uralsky, Ivan Alexandrov, Tatyana Andreeva, Evgeny Rogaev, Christopher Bun, Emily Miller, Catherine Putonti, Jeffrey Doering Sep 2017

Clusters Of Alpha Satellite On Human Chromosome 21 Are Dispersed Far Onto The Short Arm And Lack Ancient Layers, William Ziccardi, Chongjian Zhao, Valery Shepelev, Lev Uralsky, Ivan Alexandrov, Tatyana Andreeva, Evgeny Rogaev, Christopher Bun, Emily Miller, Catherine Putonti, Jeffrey Doering

Catherine Putonti

Human alpha satellite (AS) sequence domains that currently function as centromeres are typically flanked by layers of evolutionarily older AS that presumably represent the remnants of earlier primate centromeres. Studies on several human chromosomes reveal that these older AS arrays are arranged in an age gradient, with the oldest arrays farthest from the functional centromere and arrays progressively closer to the centromere being progressively younger. The organization of AS on human chromosome 21 (HC21) has not been well-characterized. We have used newly available HC21 sequence data and an HC21p YAC map to determine the size, organization, and location of the …

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Genetic Demography At The Leading Edge Of The Distribution Of A Rabies Virus Vector, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Amy L. Russell, Ignacio A. Osorio, Alejandro J. Ramirez, Justin W. Fischer, Jennifer L. Neuwald, Annie E. Tibbels, Luis Lecuona, Gary F. Mccracken Jun 2017

Genetic Demography At The Leading Edge Of The Distribution Of A Rabies Virus Vector, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Amy L. Russell, Ignacio A. Osorio, Alejandro J. Ramirez, Justin W. Fischer, Jennifer L. Neuwald, Annie E. Tibbels, Luis Lecuona, Gary F. Mccracken

Amy L. Russell

The common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, ranges from South America into northern Mexico in North America. This sanguivorous species of bat feeds primarily on medium to large-sized mammals is known to rely on livestock as primary prey. Each year, there are hotspot areas of D. rotundus-specific rabies virus outbreaks that lead to the deaths of livestock and economic losses. Based on incidental captures in our study area, which is an area of high cattle mortality from D. rotundus transmitted rabies, it appears that D. rotundus are being caught regularly in areas and elevations where they previously were thought to be …

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A Polyglot Approach To Bioinformatics Data Integration: A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Hiv-1, Steven Reisman, Thomas Hatzopoulos, Konstantin Laufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Catherine Putonti Jan 2017

A Polyglot Approach To Bioinformatics Data Integration: A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Hiv-1, Steven Reisman, Thomas Hatzopoulos, Konstantin Laufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Catherine Putonti

George K. Thiruvathukal

As sequencing technologies continue to drop in price and increase in throughput, new challenges emerge for the management and accessibility of genomic sequence data. We have developed a pipeline for facilitating the storage, retrieval, and subsequent analysis of molecular data, integrating both sequence and metadata. Taking a polyglot approach involving multiple languages, libraries, and persistence mechanisms, sequence data can be aggregated from publicly available and local repositories. Data are exposed in the form of a RESTful web service, formatted for easy querying, and retrieved for downstream analyses. As a proof of concept, we have developed a resource for annotated HIV-1 …

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Comparative Phylogeography Of Pteropus Samoensis And P. Tonganus (Pteropodidae: Chiroptera) In The South Pacific, Amy L. Russell, Veronica A. Brown, Ruth C. B. Utzurrum, Anne P. Brooke, Lisa A. Wolf, Gary F. Mccracken Nov 2016

Comparative Phylogeography Of Pteropus Samoensis And P. Tonganus (Pteropodidae: Chiroptera) In The South Pacific, Amy L. Russell, Veronica A. Brown, Ruth C. B. Utzurrum, Anne P. Brooke, Lisa A. Wolf, Gary F. Mccracken

Amy L. Russell

Pteropids are large, highly mobile bats that are distributed widely across islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, southern Asia, and Australia. Dispersal behaviors and colonization patterns of pteropid species among oceanic islands are poorly known. In the southern Pacific, Pteropus samoensis and P. tonganus have partially overlapping ranges, existing in sympatry on the Samoan and Fijian archipelagos. These species exhibit differences in morphology and roosting behavior, with P. samoensis being smaller and tending to roost solitarily or in small groups. Here, we use genetic data to explore whether these species also exhibit differences with regard to patterns of population …

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Is Your Learning Style Paranoid?, Kirby Farrell Sep 2015

Is Your Learning Style Paranoid?, Kirby Farrell

kirby farrell

We learn—and grow—by engaging with anomalies: new things that don't fit our familiar categories. It's a gut process, not just a philosophical choice. Anxiety can make us paranoid about what's new and strange. Knowing that can spur fascination and help us to adapt.

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Range-Wide Genetic Analysis Of Little Brown Bat (Myotis Lucifugus) Populations: Estimating The Risk Of Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome, Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth Jul 2015

Range-Wide Genetic Analysis Of Little Brown Bat (Myotis Lucifugus) Populations: Estimating The Risk Of Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome, Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth

Amy L. Russell

The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is one of the most widespread bat species in North America and is experiencing severe population declines because of an emerging fungal disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS). To manage and conserve this species effectively it is important to understand patterns of gene flow and population connectivity to identify possible barriers to disease transmission. However, little is known about the population genetic structure of little brown bats, and to date, no studies have investigated population structure across their entire range. We examined mitochondrial DNA and nuclear microsatellites in 637 little brown bats (including all currently recognized …

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Two Tickets To Paradise: Multiple Dispersal Events In The Founding Of Hoary Bat Populations In Hawai'i, Amy L. Russell, Corinna A. Pinzari, Maarten J. Vonhof, Kevin J. Olival, Frank J. Bonaccorso Jun 2015

Two Tickets To Paradise: Multiple Dispersal Events In The Founding Of Hoary Bat Populations In Hawai'i, Amy L. Russell, Corinna A. Pinzari, Maarten J. Vonhof, Kevin J. Olival, Frank J. Bonaccorso

Amy L. Russell

The Hawaiian islands are an extremely isolated oceanic archipelago, and their fauna has long served as models of dispersal in island biogeography. While molecular data have recently been applied to investigate the timing and origin of dispersal events for several animal groups including birds, insects, and snails, these questions have been largely unaddressed in Hawaii'i's only native terrestrial mammal, the Hawaiian hoary bat, Lasiurus cinereus semotus. Here, we use molecular data to test the hypotheses that (1) Hawaiian L. c. semotus originated via dispersal from North American populations of L. c. cinereus rather than from South American L. c. villosissimus, …

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Genetic Approaches To The Conservation Of Migratory Bats: A Study Of The Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus Borealis), Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell Apr 2015

Genetic Approaches To The Conservation Of Migratory Bats: A Study Of The Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus Borealis), Maarten J. Vonhof, Amy L. Russell

Amy L. Russell

Documented fatalities of bats at wind turbines have raised serious concerns about the future impacts of increased wind power development on populations of migratory bat species. However, for most bat species we have no knowledge of the size of populations and their demographic trends, the degree of structuring into discrete subpopulations, and whether different subpopulations use spatially segregated migratory routes. Here, we utilize genetic data from eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), one of the species most highly affected by wind power development in North America, to (1) evaluate patterns of population structure across the landscape, (2) estimate effective population size …

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Genetic Structure Of Little Brown Bats (Myotis Lucifugus) Corresponds With Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome Among Hibernacula, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth, Maarten J. Vonhof, Joel Rosenstern, Greg G. Turner, Amy L. Russell Feb 2014

Genetic Structure Of Little Brown Bats (Myotis Lucifugus) Corresponds With Spread Of White-Nose Syndrome Among Hibernacula, Cassandra M. Miller-Butterworth, Maarten J. Vonhof, Joel Rosenstern, Greg G. Turner, Amy L. Russell

Amy L. Russell

Until recently, the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) was one of the most common bat species in North America. However, this species currently faces a significant threat from the emerging fungal disease white-nose syndrome (WNS). The aims of this study were to examine the population genetic structure of M. lucifugus hibernating colonies in Pennsylvania (PA) and West Virginia (WV), and to determine whether that population structure may have influenced the pattern of spread of WNS. Samples were obtained from 198 individuals from both uninfected and recently infected colonies located at the crest of the disease front. Both mitochondrial (636 bp …

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Sex-Biased Dispersal Produces High Error Rates In Mitochondrial Distance-Based And Tree-Based Species Delimitation, Liliana M. Dávalos, Amy L. Russell Dec 2013

Sex-Biased Dispersal Produces High Error Rates In Mitochondrial Distance-Based And Tree-Based Species Delimitation, Liliana M. Dávalos, Amy L. Russell

Amy L. Russell

Species delimitation using mitochondrial sequences aims to identify species as morphological expertise and biodiversity both decline. Species delimitation in animals relies completely or in part on 2 critera: genetic distance and reciprocal monophyly. Using coalescent simulations of populations experiencing continuous and interrupted gene flow we show that these commonly applied criteria incur both high false-positive and high false-negative error rates in species delimitation when dispersal is sex-biased, as it is in most mammals. The combination of distance- and topology-based critera will incur false-positive error rates well above 5% when ancestral effective population sizes are large and when population structure has …

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Deglaciation Explains Bat Extinction In The Caribbean, Liliana M. Davalos, Amy L. Russell Nov 2012

Deglaciation Explains Bat Extinction In The Caribbean, Liliana M. Davalos, Amy L. Russell

Amy L. Russell

Ecological factors such as changing climate on land and interspecific competition have been debated as possible causes of postglacial Caribbean extinction. These hypotheses, however, have not been tested against a null model of climate-driven postglacial area loss. Here, we use a new Quaternary mammal database and deep-sea bathymetry to estimate species–area relationships (SARs) at present and during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) for bats of the Caribbean, and to model species loss as a function of area loss from rising sea level. Island area was a significant predictor of species richness in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and Lesser Antilles at …

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On Characterizing Adaptive Events Unique To Modern Humans, Jessica Crisci, Alex Wong, Jeffrey Good, Jeffrey Jensen Feb 2012

On Characterizing Adaptive Events Unique To Modern Humans, Jessica Crisci, Alex Wong, Jeffrey Good, Jeffrey Jensen

Jessica L Crisci

Ever since the first draft of the human genome was completed in 2001 there has been increased interest in identifying genetic changes that are uniquely human, which could account for our distinct morphological and cognitive capabilities with respect to other apes. Recently, draft sequences of two extinct hominin genomes, a Neanderthal and Denisovan, have been released. These two genomes provide a much greater resolution to identify human-specific genetic differences than the chimpanzee, our closest extant relative. The Neanderthal genome paper presented a list of regions putatively targeted by positive selection around the time of the human-Neanderthal split. We here seek …

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Recent Progress In Polymorphism-Based Population Genetic Inference., Jessica Crisci, Yu-Ping Poh, Angela Bean, Alfred Simkin, Jeffrey Jensen Dec 2011

Recent Progress In Polymorphism-Based Population Genetic Inference., Jessica Crisci, Yu-Ping Poh, Angela Bean, Alfred Simkin, Jeffrey Jensen

Jessica L Crisci

The recent availability of whole-genome sequencing data affords tremendous power for statistical inference. With this, there has been great interest in the development of polymorphism-based approaches for the estimation of population genetic parameters. These approaches seek to estimate, for example, recently fixed or sweeping beneficial mutations, the rate of recurrent positive selection, the distribution of selection coefficients, and the demographic history of the population. Yet despite estimating similar parameters using similar data sets, results between methodologies are far from consistent. We here summarize the current state of the field, compare existing approaches, and attempt to reconcile emerging discrepancies. We also …

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Island Fragmentation Drives Evolutionary Diversification Of Galápagos Lava Lizards (Microlophus Spp.), Mark Jordan, H. Snell Jul 2011

Island Fragmentation Drives Evolutionary Diversification Of Galápagos Lava Lizards (Microlophus Spp.), Mark Jordan, H. Snell

Mark A. Jordan

No abstract provided.

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Population Growth Of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana) Predates Human Agricultural Activity, Amy L. Russell, Murray P. Cox, Veronica A. Brown, Gary F. Mccracken Mar 2011

Population Growth Of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana) Predates Human Agricultural Activity, Amy L. Russell, Murray P. Cox, Veronica A. Brown, Gary F. Mccracken

Amy L. Russell

Background: Human activities, such as agriculture, hunting, and habitat modification, exert a significant effect on native species. Although many species have suffered population declines, increased population fragmentation, or even extinction in connection with these human impacts, others seem to have benefitted from human modification of their habitat. Here we examine whether population growth in an insectivorous bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) can be attributed to the widespread expansion of agriculture in North America following European settlement. Colonies of T. b. mexicana are extremely large (~106 individuals) and, in the modern era, major agricultural insect pests form an important component of their …

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Exploring Demographic, Physical, And Historical Explanations For The Genetic Structure Of Two Lineages Of Greater Antillean Bats, Robert A. Muscarella, Kevin L. Murray, Derek Ortt, Amy L. Russell, Theodore H. Fleming Feb 2011

Exploring Demographic, Physical, And Historical Explanations For The Genetic Structure Of Two Lineages Of Greater Antillean Bats, Robert A. Muscarella, Kevin L. Murray, Derek Ortt, Amy L. Russell, Theodore H. Fleming

Amy L. Russell

Observed patterns of genetic structure result from the interactions of demographic, physical, and historical influences on gene flow. The particular strength of various factors in governing gene flow, however, may differ between species in biologically relevant ways. We investigated the role of demographic factors (population size and sex-biased dispersal) and physical features (geographic distance, island size and climatological winds) on patterns of genetic structure and gene flow for two lineages of Greater Antillean bats. We used microsatellite genetic data to estimate demographic characteristics, infer population genetic structure, and estimate gene flow among island populations of Erophylla sezekorni/E. bombifrons and Macrotus …

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Polyphyly Of The Pikeminnows (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) Inferred Using Mitochondrial Dna Sequences, T. Heath Ogden Dec 2009

Polyphyly Of The Pikeminnows (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) Inferred Using Mitochondrial Dna Sequences, T. Heath Ogden

T. Heath Ogden

The phylogenetic relationships of the Colorado pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius, northern pikeminnow P. oregonensis, Sacramento pikeminnow P. grandis, Umpqua pikeminnow P. umpquae, and hardhead Mylopharodon conocephalus were examined by using molecular data to investigate monophyly of the genus Ptychocheilus. Phylogenies generated using DNA sequence data from the cytochrome b and 16S ribosomal DNA genes of the mitochondrial genome reveal that Ptychocheilus is a polyphyletic genus and suggest that the taxonomy of the group is in need of further revision. These data yield insights into the evolution of the pikeminnows and help place the significant evolutionary events in context with the geological …

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Road-Killed Bats, Highway Design, And The Commuting Ecology Of Bats, Amy L. Russell, Calvin M. Butchkoski, Leslie Saidak, Gary F. Mccracken Jun 2009

Road-Killed Bats, Highway Design, And The Commuting Ecology Of Bats, Amy L. Russell, Calvin M. Butchkoski, Leslie Saidak, Gary F. Mccracken

Amy L. Russell

During a Myotis sodalis telemetry project in Pennsylvania, USA, in 2000, road-killed M. lucifugus were recorded and a highway survey was initiated. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of mortality from road kills on this colony, verify which species were being killed in traffic and examine the influence of canopy height and structure on flight behavior. On 10 evenings between 15 May and 26 July 2001, bats were counted as they emerged from day roosts and crossed a heavily trafficked highway en route to foraging areas. A total of 26 442 bats were observed cross- ing …

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Multiple Colonisations Of The Western Indian Ocean By Pteropus Fruit Bats (Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae): The Furthest Islands Were Colonised First, John O'Brien, Carol Mariani, Link Olson, Amy L. Russell, Ludovic Say, Anne D. Yoder, Tom J. Hayden Dec 2008

Multiple Colonisations Of The Western Indian Ocean By Pteropus Fruit Bats (Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae): The Furthest Islands Were Colonised First, John O'Brien, Carol Mariani, Link Olson, Amy L. Russell, Ludovic Say, Anne D. Yoder, Tom J. Hayden

Amy L. Russell

We investigate the genetic relationships between purported island species of Pteropus fruit bat (Megachi- roptera) from the western Indian Ocean islands using mitochondrial DNA sequencing in order to infer the pattern of colonisation of this biogeographic region. Most significantly, our genetic data questions the current taxonomic assignment based on morphology of many of the island species and subspecies, sug- gesting instead that many of the western Indian Ocean islands harbour ‘races’ of P. giganteus from main- land India. Our results strongly argue against a single colonisation event from mainland Asia. Evidence is presented for three colonisation events; the first to …

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The Evolution Of Flight In Insects: Insights From Mayflies And Dna, T. Heath Ogden Dec 2008

The Evolution Of Flight In Insects: Insights From Mayflies And Dna, T. Heath Ogden

T. Heath Ogden

No abstract provided.

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Population Genetic Analysis Of Myzopoda (Chiroptera: Myzopodidae) In Madagascar, Amy L. Russell, Steven M. Goodman, Isabella Fiorentino, Anne D. Yoder Dec 2007

Population Genetic Analysis Of Myzopoda (Chiroptera: Myzopodidae) In Madagascar, Amy L. Russell, Steven M. Goodman, Isabella Fiorentino, Anne D. Yoder

Amy L. Russell

The chiropteran family Myzopodidae is endemic to Madagascar and is characterized by several unique morphologies, such as sessile adhesive discs on the thumb and sole. A new species, Myzopoda schliemanni, was recently described from western Madagascar that is morphologically distinct and geographically disjunct from the eastern species, M. aurita, the only other member of this family. Geographic variation within Myzopoda has only recently been studied at the morphological level and has never been addressed at the genetic level. We used a combination of phylogenetic, coalescent, and population genetic analyses to characterize the speciation history of Myzopoda and to clarify current …

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Coalescent Analyses Support Multiple Mainland-To-Island Dispersals In The Evolution Of Malagasy Triaenops Bats (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae), Amy L. Russell, Steven M. Goodman, Murray P. Cox Dec 2007

Coalescent Analyses Support Multiple Mainland-To-Island Dispersals In The Evolution Of Malagasy Triaenops Bats (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae), Amy L. Russell, Steven M. Goodman, Murray P. Cox

Amy L. Russell

Aim We investigate the directionality of mainland-to-island dispersals, focusing on a case study of an African-Malagasy bat genus, Triaenops (Hipposideridae). Taxa include T. persicus from east Africa and three Triaenops species from Madagascar (T. auritus, T. furculus, and T. rufus). The evolution of this bat family considerably post-dated the tectonic division of Madagascar from Africa, excluding vicariance as a viable hypothesis. Therefore, we consider three biogeographical scenarios to explain these species’ current ranges: (A) a single dispersal from Africa to Madagascar with subsequent speciation of the Malagasy species; (B) multiple, unidirectional dispersals from Africa to Madagascar resulting in multiple, independent …

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Evolution, Jonathan Eisen Dec 2006

Evolution, Jonathan Eisen

Jonathan A. Eisen Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

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Working At The Interface Of Phylogenetics And Population Genetics: A Biogeographical Analysis Of Triaenops Spp. (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae, Amy L. Russell, J. Ranivo, E. P. Palkovacs, S. M. Goodman, A. D. Yoder Dec 2006

Working At The Interface Of Phylogenetics And Population Genetics: A Biogeographical Analysis Of Triaenops Spp. (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae, Amy L. Russell, J. Ranivo, E. P. Palkovacs, S. M. Goodman, A. D. Yoder

Amy L. Russell

New applications of genetic data to questions of historical biogeography have revolutionized our understanding of how organisms have come to occupy their present distributions. Phylogenetic methods in combination with divergence time estimation can reveal biogeo- graphical centres of origin, differentiate between hypotheses of vicariance and dispersal, and reveal the directionality of dispersal events. Despite their power, however, phylo- genetic methods can sometimes yield patterns that are compatible with multiple, equally well-supported biogeographical hypotheses. In such cases, additional approaches must be integrated to differentiate among conflicting dispersal hypotheses. Here, we use a synthetic approach that draws upon the analytical strengths of …

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Genetic Variation And Migration In The Mexican Free-Tailed Bat (Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana), Amy L. Russell, R. A. Medellín, G. F. Mccracken Dec 2004

Genetic Variation And Migration In The Mexican Free-Tailed Bat (Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana), Amy L. Russell, R. A. Medellín, G. F. Mccracken

Amy L. Russell

Incomplete lineage sorting can genetically link populations long after they have diverged, and will exert a more powerful influence on larger populations. The effects of this stochastic process can easily be confounded with those of gene flow, potentially leading to inaccurate estimates of dispersal capabilities or erroneous designation of evolutionarily significant units (ESUs). We have used phylogenetic, population genetic, and coalescent methods to examine genetic structuring in large populations of a widely dispersing bat species and to test hypotheses concerning the influences of coalescent stochasticity vs. gene flow. The Mexican free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana, exhibits variation in both migra- …

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Genetic Biotechnology And Evolutionary Theory: Some Unsolicited Advice, David Depew Dec 2000

Genetic Biotechnology And Evolutionary Theory: Some Unsolicited Advice, David Depew

David J Depew

In his book The Biotech Century Jeremy Rifkin makes arguments about the dangers of market-driven genetic biotechnology in medical and agricultural contexts. Believing that Darwinism is too compromised by a competitive ethic to resist capitalist depredations of the “genetic commons,” and perhaps hoping to pick up anti-Darwinian allies, he turns for support to unorthodox non-Darwinian views of evolution. The Darwinian tradition, more closely examined, contains resources that might better serve his argument. The robust tradition associated with Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, and others provides an alternative, scientifically sound basis for challenging the rhetoric of genetic reductionism.

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The Genetics And Evolution Of The Mariner Transposable Element In Drosophila Simulans: Worldwide Distribution And Experimental Population Dynamics, Amy L. Russell, R. C. Woodruff Dec 1998

The Genetics And Evolution Of The Mariner Transposable Element In Drosophila Simulans: Worldwide Distribution And Experimental Population Dynamics, Amy L. Russell, R. C. Woodruff

Amy L. Russell

We have studied both the frequency and biogeographical distribution of the transposable DNA element mariner in natural populations of Drosophila simulans and the short-term evolutionary characteristics of mariner in experimental populations. The mariner element has been identified in natural populations of D. simulans from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Japan, Australia, several Pacific islands, North America, and South America. Only four lines out of 296 were devoid of active mariner elements, as measured by the presence of functional mariner transposase. A slight correlation was found between the latitudinal coordinate of the collection sites and the level of mariner activity in …

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