Digital Commons Network^™

Predator Cues Increase Silkmoth Mortality, Alex K. Baranowski, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

While prey responses to predators reduce the threat of consumption, the physiological costs of these responses can be considerable. This is especially true for organisms that lack effective anti-predator defenses and must rely on camouflage or mimicry for protection. The luna moth, Actias luna, is a large saturniid native to Eastern North America that is preyed on and parasitized by a wide variety of predators and parasitoids. We report the results of two separate experiments assessing the responses of Actias larvae to predatory wasps (Vespula maculifrons) that were rendered non-lethal but remained able to move freely, as …

Using A Logic Model To Direct Backward Design Of Curriculum, Aria Mia Loberti, Bryan M. Dewsbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Contemporary approaches to STEM course design typically encourage the backward design of curricula. This is to say that the learning activities and assessments of the course are explicitly guided by the learning outcomes of the course. Less discussed is the fact that this paradigm is also used in nonacademic settings. From this perspective, drawing from the nonacademic world, we discuss the use of a logic model approach as a structured, orderly way to implement backward design. We use the design and implementation of an introductory biology class to illustrate how a logic model template helped frame our inclusive, Freirean approach …

Nephromyces Encodes A Urate Metabolism Pathway And Predicted Peroxisomes, Demonstrating These Are Not Ancient Losses Of Apicomplexans, Christopher Paight, Claudio H. Slamovits, Mary Beth Saffo, Christopher E. Lane

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The Phylum Apicomplexa is a quintessentially parasitic lineage, whose members infect a broad range of animals. One exception to this may be the apicomplexan genus Nephromyces, which has been described as having a mutualistic relationship with its host. Here we analyze transcriptome data from Nephromyces and its parasitic sister taxon, Cardiosporidium, revealing an ancestral purine degradation pathway thought to have been lost early in apicomplexan evolution. The predicted localization of many of the purine degradation enzymes to peroxisomes, and the in silico identification of a full set of peroxisome proteins, indicates that loss of both features in other …

The Past, Present, And Future Of The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges Tsugae) And Its Ecological Interactions With Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) Forests, Aaron M. Ellison, David A. Orwig, Matthew C. Fitzpatrick, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The nonnative hemlock woolly adelgid is steadily killing eastern hemlock trees in many parts of eastern North America. We summarize impacts of the adelgid on these forest foundation species; review previous models and analyses of adelgid spread dynamics; and examine how previous forecasts of adelgid spread and ecosystem dynamics compare with current conditions. The adelgid has reset successional sequences, homogenized biological diversity at landscape scales, altered hydrological dynamics, and changed forest stands from carbon sinks into carbon sources. A new model better predicts spread of the adelgid in the south and west of the range of hemlock, but still under-predicts …

Revisions To The Classification, Nomenclature, And Diversity Of Eukaryotes, Christopher E. Lane, Et Al

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

This revision of the classification of eukaryotes follows that of Adl et al., 2012 [J. Euk. Microbiol. 59(5)] and retains an emphasis on protists. Changes since have improved the resolution of many nodes in phylogenetic analyses. For some clades even families are being clearly resolved. As we had predicted, environmental sampling in the intervening years has massively increased the genetic information at hand. Consequently, we have discovered novel clades, exciting new genera and uncovered a massive species level diversity beyond the morphological species descriptions. Several clades known from environmental samples only have now found their home. Sampling soils, …

Potential Roles Of Smell And Taste In The Orientation Behaviour Of Coral‐Reef Fish Larvae: Insights From Morphology, Yinan Hu, John E. Majoris, Peter M. Buston, Jacqueline F. Webb

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

An ontogenetic analysis of the olfactory organ and the number and distribution of internal taste buds was carried out in two neon gobies (Elacatinus lori and Elacatinus colini) with the goal of revealing morphological trends that might inform an understanding of the roles of olfaction and taste in larval orientation behaviour. The pattern of development of the olfactory organ is unremarkable and enclosure of the olfactory epithelium occurs concurrently with metamorphosis and settlement in both species. Like other gobies, juvenile and adult E. lori and E. colini lack complex olfactory lamellae, and lack the accessory nasal sacs present …

Domain Swaps Of Arabidopsis Secondary Wall Cellulose Synthases To Elucidate Their Class Specificity, Joseph Lee Hill Jr., Ashley Nicole Hill, Alison W. Roberts, Candace H. Haigler, Ming Tien

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cellulose microfibrils are synthesized by membrane‐embedded cellulose synthesis complexes (CSCs), currently modeled as hexamers of cellulose synthase (CESA) trimers. The three paralogous CESAs involved in secondary cell wall (SCW) cellulose biosynthesis in Arabidopsis (CESA4, CESA7, CESA8) are similar, but nonredundant, with all three isoforms required for assembly and function of the CSC. The molecular basis of protein–protein recognition among the isoforms is not well understood. To investigate the locations of the interfaces that are responsible for isoform recognition, we swapped three domains between the Arabidopsis CESAs required for SCW synthesis (CESA4, CESA7, and CESA8): N‐terminus, central domain containing the catalytic …

Genetic And Developmental Origins Of A Unique Foraging Adaptation In A Lake Malawi Cichlid Genus, Moira R. Conith, Yinan Hu, Andrew J. Conith, Maura A. Maginnis, Jacqueline F. Webb, R. Craig Albertson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phenotypic novelties are an important but poorly understood category of morphological diversity. They can provide insights into the origins of phenotypic variation, but we know relatively little about their genetic origins. Cichlid fishes display remarkable diversity in craniofacial anatomy, including several novelties. One aspect of this variation is a conspicuous, exaggerated snout that has evolved in a single Malawi cichlid lineage and is associated with foraging specialization and increased ecological success. We examined the developmental and genetic origins for this phenotype and found that the snout is composed of two hypertrophied tissues: the intermaxillary ligament (IML), which connects the right …

Asymmetric Biotic Interactions And Abiotic Niche Differences Revealed By A Dynamic Joint Species Distribution Model, Nina K. Lany, Phoebe Zarnetske, Erin M. Schliep, Robert N. Schaeffer, Colin M. Orians, David A. Orwig, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A species’ distribution and abundance are determined by abiotic conditions and biotic interactions with other species in the community. Most species distribution models correlate the occurrence of a single species with environmental variables only, and leave out biotic interactions. To test the importance of biotic interactions on occurrence and abundance, we compared a multivariate spatiotemporal model of the joint abundance of two invasive insects that share a host plant, hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae) and elongate hemlock scale (EHS; Fiorina externa), to independent models that do not account for dependence among co‐occurring species. The joint model revealed …

Microbial Diversity In The Eukaryotic Sar Clade: Illuminating The Darkness Between Morphology And Molecular Data, Jean David Grattepanche, Laura M. Walker, Brittany M. Ott, Daniela L. Paim Pinto, Charles F. Delwiche, Christopher E. Lane, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite their diversity and ecological importance, many areas of the SAR—Stramenopila, Alveolata, and Rhizaria—clade are poorly understood as the majority (90%) of SAR species lack molecular data and only 5% of species are from well-sampled families. Here, we review and summarize the state of knowledge about the three major clades of SAR, describing the diversity within each clade and identifying synapomorphies when possible. We also assess the “dark area” of SAR: the morphologically described species that are missing molecular data. The majority of molecular data for SAR lineages are characterized from marine samples and vertebrate hosts, highlighting the need for …

Cellulose Microfibril Structure: Inspirations From Plant Diversity, Alison Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cellulose microfibrils are synthesized at the plasma membrane by cellulose synthase catalytic subunits that associate to form cellulose synthesis complexes. Variation in the organization of these complexes underlies the variation in cellulose microfibril structure among diverse organisms. However, little is known about how the catalytic subunits interact to form complexes with different morphologies. We are using an evolutionary approach to investigate the roles of different catalytic subunit isoforms in organisms that have rosette-type cellulose synthesis complexes.

Short-Term Thermal Acclimation Modifies The Metabolic Condition Of The Coral Holobiont, Emma M. Gibbin, Thomas Kreuger, Hollie M. Putnam, Katie L. Barrot, Julia Bodin, Ruth D. Gates, Anders Meibom

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The nutritional symbiosis between coral hosts and photosynthetic dinoflagellates is fundamental to the functioning of coral reefs. Rising seawater temperatures destabilize this relationship, resulting in drastic declines in world-wide coral cover. Thermal history is thought to play an important role in shaping a coral's response to subsequent thermal stress. Here, we exposed Pocillopora damicornis to two thermal acclimation regimes (ambient vs. warm) and compared the effect that acclimation had on the coral holobiont's response to a subsequent seven day heat stress event. We conducted daily physiological measurements at the holobiont level (gross photosynthesis, respiration, host protein content, symbiont density and …

Ontogenetic Partial Migration Is Associated With Environmental Drivers And Influences Fisheries Interactions In A Marine Predator, James S E Lea, Bradley M. Wetherbee, Lara L. Sousa, Choy Aming, Neil Burnie, Nicholas E. Humphries, Nuno Queiroz, Guy M. Harvey, David W. Sims, Mahmood S. Shivji

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The ability to predict animal movement based on environmental change is essential for understanding the dynamic nature of their spatial ecology, and in turn the effectiveness of conservation strategies. We used a large marine predator that displays partial migration (the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier) as a model to test the role of oceanic conditions in predicting the space-use of different size classes. By using generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs), we revealed that environmental variables (sea surface temperature, primary productivity, thermal fronts, and bathymetry) had much greater predictive power for the movements of large, migratory tiger sharks than for small, …

Cellulose Synthase ‘Class Specific Regions’ Are Intrinsically Disordered And Functionally Undifferentiated, Tess R. Scavuzzo-Duggan, Arielle M. Chaves, Abhishek Singh, Latsavongsakda Sethaphong, Erin Slabaugh, Yaroslava G. Yingling, Candace H. Haigler, Alison Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cellulose synthases (CESAs) are glycosyltransferases that catalyze formation of cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls. Seed plant CESA isoforms cluster in six phylogenetic clades, whose non‐interchangeable members play distinct roles within cellulose synthesis complexes (CSCs). A ‘class specific region’ (CSR), with higher sequence similarity within versus between functional CESA classes, has been suggested to contribute to specific activities or interactions of different isoforms. We investigated CESA isoform specificity in the moss, Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) B. S. G. to gain evolutionary insights into CESA structure/function relationships. Like seed plants, P. patens has oligomeric rosette‐type CSCs, but the PpCESAs diverged independently and …

Adaptive Radiation Along A Deeply Conserved Genetic Line Of Least Resistance In Anolis Lizards, Joel W. Mcglothlin, Megan E. Kobiela, Helen V. Wright, D. Luke Mahler, Jason J. Kolbe, Jonathan B. Losos, Edmund D. Brodie Iii

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

On microevolutionary timescales, adaptive evolution depends upon both natural selection and the underlying genetic architecture of traits under selection, which may constrain evolutionary outcomes. Whether such genetic constraints shape phenotypic diversity over macroevolutionary timescales is more controversial, however. One key prediction is that genetic constraints should bias the early stages of species divergence along “genetic lines of least resistance” defined by the genetic (co)variance matrix, G. This bias is expected to erode over time as species means and G matrices diverge, allowing phenotypes to evolve away from the major axis of variation. We tested for evidence of this signal in …

Miami Heat: Urban Heat Islands Influence The Thermal Suitability Of Habitats For Ectotherms, Andrew C. Battles, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The urban heat island effect, where urban areas exhibit higher temperatures than less‐developed suburban and natural habitats, occurs in cities across the globe and is well understood from a physical perspective and at broad spatial scales. However, very little is known about how thermal variation caused by urbanization influences the ability of organisms to live in cities. Ectotherms are sensitive to environmental changes that affect thermal conditions, and therefore, increased urban temperatures may pose significant challenges to thermoregulation and alter temperature‐dependent activity. To evaluate whether these changes to the thermal environment affect the persistence and dispersal of ectothermic species in …

Universal Target‐Enrichment Baits For Anthozoan (Cnidaria) Phylogenomics: New Approaches To Long‐Standing Problems, Andrea M. Quattrini, Brant C. Faircloth, Luisa F. Dueñas, Tom C.L. Bridge, Mercer R. Brugler, Iván F. Calizto-Botía, Danielle M. Deleo, Sylvain Forêt, Santiago Herrera, Simon M.Y. Lee, David J. Miller, Carlos Prada, Gandhi Rádis-Baptista, Catalina Ramirez-Portilla, Juan A. Sánchez, Estefanía Rodriguez, Catherine S. Mcfadden

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Anthozoans (e.g., corals, anemones) are an ecologically important and diverse group of marine metazoans that occur from shallow to deep waters worldwide. However, our understanding of the evolutionary relationships among the ~7,500 species within this class is hindered by the lack of phylogenetically informative markers that can be reliably sequenced across a diversity of taxa. We designed and tested 16,306 RNA baits to capture 720 ultraconserved element loci and 1,071 exon loci. Library preparation and target enrichment were performed on 33 taxa from all orders within the class Anthozoa. Following Illumina sequencing and Trinity assembly, we recovered 1,774 of 1,791 …

Independent Introductions And Sequential Founder Events Shape Genetic Differentiation And Diversity Of The Invasive Green Anole (Anolis Carolinensis) On Pacific Islands, Sozos N. Michaelides, Rachel M. Goodman, Ronald I. Crombie, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Aim: Natural range expansions and human‐mediated colonizations usually involve a small number of individuals that establish new populations in novel habitats. In both cases, founders carry only a fraction of the total genetic variation of the source populations. Here, we used native and non‐native populations of the green anole, Anolis carolinensis, to compare the current distribution of genetic variation in populations shaped by natural range expansion and human‐mediated colonization.

Location: North America, Hawaiian Islands, Western Pacific Islands.

Methods: We analysed 401 mtDNA haplotypes to infer the colonization history of A. carolinensis on nine islands in the …

Living In The Big City: Preference For Broad Substrates Results In Niche Expansion For Urban Anolis Lizards, Andrew C. Battles, Malcolm Moniz, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Persistence of animals in urban habitats, a stark environmental contrast to natural habitats, can be explained through evaluating the mechanisms behind organism-habitat interactions. One of the most notable effects of urbanization is the change in structural habitat; vegetation is removed and modified, favoring large trees and adding artificial structures in cities, which may alter how organismal preferences for aspects of the habitat are realized. We evaluated the mechanisms by which structural habitat changes associated with urbanization alter the available vegetation and substrates on which two species of Anolis lizards perch in urban and natural forest sites in Miami, FL. We …

Direct Observation Of The Effects Of Cellulose Synthesis Inhibitors Using Live Cell Imaging Of Cellulose Synthase (Cesa) In Physcomitrella Patens, Mai L. Tran, Thomas W. Mccarthy, Hao Sun, Shu-Zon Wu, Joanna H. Norris, Magdalena Bezanilla, Luis Vidali, Charles T. Anderson, Alison W. Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Results from live cell imaging of fluorescently tagged Cellulose Synthase (CESA) proteins in Cellulose Synthesis Complexes (CSCs) have enhanced our understanding of cellulose biosynthesis, including the mechanisms of action of cellulose synthesis inhibitors. However, this method has been applied only in Arabidopsis thaliana and Brachypodium distachyon thus far. Results from freeze fracture electron microscopy of protonemal filaments of the moss Funaria hygrometrica indicate that a cellulose synthesis inhibitor, 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCB), fragments CSCs and clears them from the plasma membrane. This differs from Arabidopsis, in which DCB causes CSC accumulation in the plasma membrane and a different cellulose synthesis inhibitor, isoxaben, …

On The Problem And Promise Of Metaphor Use In Science And Science Communication, Cynthia Taylor, Bryan M. Dewsbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The language of science is largely metaphorical. Scientists rely on metaphor and analogy to make sense of scientific phenomena and communicate their findings to each other and to the public. Yet, despite their utility, metaphors can also constrain scientific reasoning, contribute to public misunderstandings, and, at times, inadvertently reinforce stereotypes and messages that undermine the goals of inclusive science. This paper 1) examines the generative potential of metaphors to the advancement of scientific knowledge and science communication, 2) highlights the ways in which outdated metaphors may limit scientific inquiry and contribute to public misunderstandings, and 3) critically analyzes the implications …

Spatial Ecology Of Carcharias Taurus In The Northwestern Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean, D. E. Haulsee, M. W. Breece, L. M. Brown, Bradley M. Wetherbee, D. A. Fox, M. J. Oliver

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The sand tiger shark Carcharias taurus is a highly migratory coastal species with declining populations worldwide. This species exhibits many behaviors that make coastal sharks difficult to manage, including aggregatory behavior, sexual segregation, and large-scale migrations through shallow coastal waters with many opportunities for human interactions. Sand tigers from the Western North Atlantic subpopulation are known to seasonally inhabit Delaware Bay and surrounding coastal waters. This region has been recommended as a habitat area of particular concern for the Western North Atlantic sand tiger population, and increased understanding of their movements and habitat requirements will facilitate management efforts. We developed …

Decimation By Sea Star Wasting Disease And Rapid Genetic Change In A Keystone Species, Pisaster Ochraceus, Lauren A. Schiebelhut, Jonathan B. Puritz, Michael N. Dawson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Standing genetic variation enables or restricts a population’s capacity to respond to changing conditions, including the extreme disturbances expected to increase in frequency and intensity with continuing anthropogenic climate change. However, we know little about how populations might respond to extreme events with rapid genetic shifts, or how population dynamics may influence and be influenced by population genomic change. We use a range-wide epizootic, sea star wasting disease, that onset in mid-2013 and caused mass mortality in Pisaster ochraceus to explore how a keystone marine species responded to an extreme perturbation. We integrated field surveys with restriction site-associated DNA sequencing …

Chronic Impacts Of Invasive Herbivores On A Foundational Forest Species: A Whole‐Tree Perspective, Claire M. Wilson, Robert N. Schaeffer, Mauri L. Hickin, Chad M. Rigsby, Amanda F. Sommi, Carol S. Thornber, Colin M. Orians, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Forests make up a large portion of terrestrial plant biomass, and the long‐lived woody plants that dominate them possess an array of traits that deter consumption by forest pests. Although often extremely effective against native consumers, invasive species that avoid or overcome these defenses can wreak havoc on trees and surrounding ecosystems. This is especially true when multiple invasive species co‐occur, since interactions between invasive herbivores may yield non‐additive effects on the host. While the threat posed by invasive forest pests is well known, long‐term field experiments are necessary to explore these consumer‐host interactions at appropriate spatial and temporal scales. …

Can Darapsa Myron (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) Successfully Use The Invasive Plant Ampelopsis Brevipedunculata As A Food Resource?, Alex K. Baranowski, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Although biological invasions are generally thought to negatively impact native fauna, native herbivores that can utilize invasive plants may benefit. The East Coast of the United States has been invaded by the vitaceous plant Ampelopsis brevipedunculata. The invaded range of A. brevipedunculata overlaps with that of the native Vitis labrusca, a closely-related species that is a host plant for the native moth Darapsa myron (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). We reared D. myron larvae on either V. labrusca or A. brevipedunculata to assess whether development and survival differed on the two plant species. Larval growth and survival to pupation was only …

Predator-Driven Natural Selection On Risk-Taking Behavior In Anole Lizards, Oriol Lapiedra, Thomas W. Schoener, Manuel Leal, Jonathan B. Losos, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Biologists have long debated the role of behavior in evolution, yet understanding of its role as a driver of adaptation is hampered by the scarcity of experimental studies of natural selection on behavior in nature. After showing that individual Anolis sagrei lizards vary consistently in risk-taking behaviors, we experimentally established populations on eight small islands either with or without Leiocephalus carinatus, a major ground predator. We found that selection predictably favors different risk-taking behaviors under different treatments: Exploratory behavior is favored in the absence of predators, whereas avoidance of the ground is favored in their presence. On predator islands, …

Expressed Exome Capture Sequencing (Eecseq): A Method For Cost-Effective Exome Sequencing For All Organisms, Jonathan B. Puritz, Katie E. Lotterhos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Exome capture is an effective tool for surveying the genome for loci under selection. However, traditional methods require annotated genomic resources. Here, we present a method for creating cDNA probes from expressed mRNA, which are then used to enrich and capture genomic DNA for exon regions. This approach, called “EecSeq,” eliminates the need for costly probe design and synthesis. We tested EecSeq in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, using a controlled exposure experiment. Four adult oysters were heat shocked at 36°C for 1 hr along with four control oysters kept at 14°C. Stranded mRNA libraries were prepared for two …

These Aren’T The Loci You’Re Looking For: Principles Of Effective Snp Filtering For Molecular Ecologists, Shannon J. O'Leary, Jonathan B. Puritz, Stuar C. Willis, Christopher M. Hollenbeck, David S. Portnoy

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Sequencing reduced‐representation libraries of restriction site‐associated DNA (RADseq) to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is quickly becoming a standard methodology for molecular ecologists. Because of the scale of RADseq data sets, putative loci cannot be assessed individually, making the process of filtering noise and correctly identifying biologically meaningful signal more difficult. Artefacts introduced during library preparation and/or bioinformatic processing of SNP data can create patterns that are incorrectly interpreted as indicative of population structure or natural selection. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider types of errors that may be introduced during laboratory work and data processing, and how to …

Structure/Function Relationships In The Rosette Cellulose Synthesis Complex Illuminated By An Evolutionary Perspective, Candace H. Haigler, Alison Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cellulose microfibrils are a key component of plant cell walls, which in turn compose most of our renewable biomaterials. Consequently, there is considerable interest in understanding how cellulose microfibrils are made in living cells by the plant cellulose synthesis complex (CSC). This remarkable multi-subunit complex contains cellulose synthase (CESA) proteins, and it is often called a rosette due to its six-lobed shape. Each CSC moves within the plasma membrane as it spins a strong cellulose microfibril in its wake. To accomplish this biological manufacturing process, the CESAs harvest an activated sugar substrate from the cytoplasm for use in the polymerization …