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2019

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Articles 91 - 120 of 1904

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Gmr41c04, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh Dec 2019

Gmr41c04, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh

DVE Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dve enhancer

  • ID - GMR41C04
  • Location -2R: 18143594, 18147064
  • Base pairs - 3470


Gmr42h01, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh Dec 2019

Gmr42h01, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh

DVE Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dve enhancer 48150

  • ID - GMR42H01
  • Location - 2R: 18158419, 18162751
  • Base pairs - 4332


Evaluating The Effects Of Bisphenols F And S With Respect To Bisphenol A On Primordial Germ Cell Migration In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Embryos Using Immunofluorescence Microscopy, Siti Sarah Safura, George Roba, Edward A. Freeman Dec 2019

Evaluating The Effects Of Bisphenols F And S With Respect To Bisphenol A On Primordial Germ Cell Migration In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Embryos Using Immunofluorescence Microscopy, Siti Sarah Safura, George Roba, Edward A. Freeman

Undergraduate External Publications

Primordial Germ Cell (PGC) migration occurs in early embryonic development and is highly conserved across taxa. PGC migration occurs within the first 24 hours post fertilization (hpf) in zebrafish, making the organism an efficient model for observing the migration pathway. Proper PGC migration is necessary for normal gonad development and, in some species, sex determination. Disruption of this process leads to defects in gonad formation and abnormal sex determination and differentiation. Studies show that endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) disrupt PGC migration in zebrafish. BPA is an estrogenic compound that has been linked to a variety of human …


Bifurcation Analysis For Prey-Predator Model With Holling Type Iii Functional Response Incorporating Prey Refuge, Lazaar Oussama, Mustapha Serhani Dec 2019

Bifurcation Analysis For Prey-Predator Model With Holling Type Iii Functional Response Incorporating Prey Refuge, Lazaar Oussama, Mustapha Serhani

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, we carried out the bifurcation analysis for a Lotka-Volterra prey-predator model with Holling type III functional response incorporating prey refuge protecting a constant proportion of the preys. We study the local bifurcation considering the refuge constant as a parameter. From the center manifold equation, we establish a transcritical bifurcation for the boundary equilibrium. In addition, we prove the occurrence of Hopf bifurcation for the homogeneous equilibrium. Moreover, we give the radius and period of the unique limit cycle for our system


On The Weighted Pseudo Almost Periodic Solutions Of Nicholson’S Blowflies Equation, Ramazan Yazgan, Cemil Tunç Dec 2019

On The Weighted Pseudo Almost Periodic Solutions Of Nicholson’S Blowflies Equation, Ramazan Yazgan, Cemil Tunç

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This study is concerned with the existence, uniqueness and global exponential stability of weighted pseudo almost periodic solutions of a generalized Nicholson’s blowflies equation with mixed delays. Using some differential inequalities and a fixed point theorem, sufficient conditions were obtained for the existence, uniqueness of at the least a weighted pseudo almost periodic solutions and global exponential stability of this solution. The results of this study are new and complementary to the previous ones can be found in the literature. At the end of the study an example is given to show the accuracy of our results.


Telophase Correction Refines Division Orientation In Stratified Epithelia, K. J. Lough, K. M. Byrd, C. P. Descovich, D. C. Spitzer, A. J. Bergman, Gerard M.J. Beaudoin Iii, L. F. Reichardt, S. E. Williams Dec 2019

Telophase Correction Refines Division Orientation In Stratified Epithelia, K. J. Lough, K. M. Byrd, C. P. Descovich, D. C. Spitzer, A. J. Bergman, Gerard M.J. Beaudoin Iii, L. F. Reichardt, S. E. Williams

Biology Faculty Research

During organogenesis, precise control of spindle orientation balances proliferation and differentiation. In the developing murine epidermis, planar and perpendicular divisions yield symmetric and asymmetric fate outcomes, respectively. Classically, division axis specification involves centrosome migration and spindle rotation, events occurring early in mitosis. Here, we identify a novel orientation mechanism which corrects erroneous anaphase orientations during telophase. The directionality of reorientation correlates with the maintenance or loss of basal contact by the apical daughter. While the scaffolding protein LGN is known to determine initial spindle positioning, we show that LGN also functions during telophase to reorient oblique divisions toward perpendicular. The …


Evolution - #7: Speciation Jigsaw, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall Dec 2019

Evolution - #7: Speciation Jigsaw, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

This is a lesson intended to be complementary to the selection simulation. Whereas the simulation was used to develop a conceptual understanding of selection, the readings done here are used to allow students to see the application of their conceptualized understanding to researched examples of selection and speciation.


Gmr35a04, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh Dec 2019

Gmr35a04, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh

DVE Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dve enhancer

  • ID - GMR35A04
  • Location - 2R: 18125755, 18128365
  • Base pairs - 2610


Gmr41h07, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh Dec 2019

Gmr41h07, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh

DVE Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dve enhancer 46241

  • ID - GMR41H07
  • Location - 2R: 18150920, 18154671
  • Base pairs - 3751


Gmr41f05, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh Dec 2019

Gmr41f05, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh

DVE Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dve enhancer 50133

  • ID - GMR41F05
  • Location - 2R: 18139042, 18142672
  • Base pairs - 3630


Gmr40c05, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh Dec 2019

Gmr40c05, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh

DVE Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dve enhancer 45682

  • ID - GMR40C05
  • Location - 2R: 18141630, 18144381
  • Base pairs - 2751


Dynamics In A Respiratory Control Model With Two Delays, Saroj P. Pradhan, Ferenc Hartung, Janos Turi Dec 2019

Dynamics In A Respiratory Control Model With Two Delays, Saroj P. Pradhan, Ferenc Hartung, Janos Turi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper we study ventilation patterns in a set of parameter dependent nonlinear delay equations with two transport delays modeling the human respiratory control system with peripheral and central control loops. We present a convergent numerical scheme suitable to perform simulations when all disturbances and system parameters are known, then we consider the numerical identifiability of various system parameters based on ventilation data. We are especially interested in the identification of the transport delays in the control loops because these parameters are not measurable directly, but they have a strong influence on system stability/instability.


Heavy Metal Dissolution Mechanisms From Electrical Industrial Sludge, Viraj Gunarathne, Anushka Upamali Rajapaksha, Meththika Vithanage, Nadeesh Adassooriya, Asitha Cooray, Sudantha Liyanage, Bandunee Athapattu, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Avanthi Deshani Igalavithana, Deyi Hou, Daniel S. Alessi, Yong Sik Ok Dec 2019

Heavy Metal Dissolution Mechanisms From Electrical Industrial Sludge, Viraj Gunarathne, Anushka Upamali Rajapaksha, Meththika Vithanage, Nadeesh Adassooriya, Asitha Cooray, Sudantha Liyanage, Bandunee Athapattu, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Avanthi Deshani Igalavithana, Deyi Hou, Daniel S. Alessi, Yong Sik Ok

Biological Sciences

In this paper, we investigate the release of heavy metals from sludge produced from an electrical industry using both organic and inorganic acids. Single and sequential extractions were conducted to assess heavy metals in different phases of the sludge. Metal release from sludge was investigated in the presence of three inorganic acids (nitric, sulfuric, and phosphoric) and three organic acids (acetic, malic, and citric) at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 mol L−1. Sequential extraction indicated the presence of Cu primarily in the carbonate fraction, Pb in the residual fraction, and Ni in the FeMn oxide fraction. The cumulative release …


Multidrug Resistance Regulators Mara, Soxs, Rob, And Rama Repress Flagellar Gene Expression And Motility In Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium, Srinivas Thota, Lon Chubiz Dec 2019

Multidrug Resistance Regulators Mara, Soxs, Rob, And Rama Repress Flagellar Gene Expression And Motility In Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium, Srinivas Thota, Lon Chubiz

Biology Department Faculty Works

Production of flagella is costly and subject to global multilayered regulation, which is reflected in the hierarchical control of flagellar production in many bacterial species. For Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and its relatives, global regulation of flagellar production primarily occurs through the control of flhDC transcription and mRNA translation. In this study, the roles of the homologous multidrug resistance regulators MarA, SoxS, Rob, and RamA (constituting the mar-sox-rob regulon in S. Typhimurium) in regulating flagellar gene expression were explored. Each of these regulators was found to inhibit flagellar gene expression, production of flagella, and motility. To different degrees, repression via …


Immunogenetic Response Of The Bananaquit In The Face Of Malarial Parasites, Jennifer Antonides, Samarth Mathur, Mekala Sundaram, Robert Ricklefs, J. Dewoody Dec 2019

Immunogenetic Response Of The Bananaquit In The Face Of Malarial Parasites, Jennifer Antonides, Samarth Mathur, Mekala Sundaram, Robert Ricklefs, J. Dewoody

Biology Department Faculty Works

Background: In the arms race between hosts and parasites, genes involved in the immune response are targets for natural selection. Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) genes play a role in parasite detection as part of the innate immune system whereas Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes encode proteins that display antigens as part of the vertebrate adaptive immune system. Thus, both gene families are under selection pressure from pathogens. The bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) is a passerine bird that is a common host of avian malarial parasites (Plasmodium sp. and Haemoproteus sp.). We assessed molecular variation of TLR and MHC genes in a wild …


Dual Activities Of Plant Cgmp-Dependent Protein Kinase And Its Roles In Gibberellin Signaling And Salt Stress., Qingwen Shen, Xinqiao Zhan, Pei Yang, Jing Li, Jie Chen, Bing Tang, Xuemin Wang, Xuemin Wang, Yueyun Hong Dec 2019

Dual Activities Of Plant Cgmp-Dependent Protein Kinase And Its Roles In Gibberellin Signaling And Salt Stress., Qingwen Shen, Xinqiao Zhan, Pei Yang, Jing Li, Jie Chen, Bing Tang, Xuemin Wang, Xuemin Wang, Yueyun Hong

Biology Department Faculty Works

Cyclic GMP (cGMP) is an important regulator in eukaryotes, and cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) plays a key role in perceiving cellular cGMP in diverse physiological processes in animals. However, the molecular identity, property, and function of PKG in plants remain elusive. In this study, we have identified PKG from plants and characterized its role in mediating the gibberellin (GA) response in rice (Oryza sativa). PKGs from plants are structurally unique with an additional type 2C protein phosphatase domain. Rice PKG possesses both protein kinase and phosphatase activities, and cGMP stimulates its kinase activity but inhibits its phosphatase activity. One of …


Understanding The Fundamental Molecular Mechanism Of Osteogenic Differentiation From Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Imelda Trejo, Hristo V. Kojouharov Dec 2019

Understanding The Fundamental Molecular Mechanism Of Osteogenic Differentiation From Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Imelda Trejo, Hristo V. Kojouharov

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

A mathematical model is presented to study the regulatory effects of growth factors in osteoblastogenesis. The model incorporates the interactions among mesenchymal stem cells, osteoblasts, and growth factors. The resulting system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations is studied analytically and numerically. Mathematical conditions for successful osteogenic differentiation and optimal osteoblasts population are formulated, which can be used in practice to accelerate bone formation. Numerical simulations are also presented to support the theoretical results and to explore different medical interventions to enhance osteoblastogenesis.


Humans, But Not Their Dogs, Displace Pumas From Their Kills: An Experimental Approach, Justin P. Suraci, Justine A. Smith, Michael Clinchy, Liana Y. Zanette, Christopher C. Wilmers Dec 2019

Humans, But Not Their Dogs, Displace Pumas From Their Kills: An Experimental Approach, Justin P. Suraci, Justine A. Smith, Michael Clinchy, Liana Y. Zanette, Christopher C. Wilmers

Biology Publications

Domestic dogs are the most abundant large carnivore on the planet, and their ubiquity has led to concern regarding the impacts of dogs as predators of and competitors with native wildlife. If native large carnivores perceive dogs as threatening, impacts could extend to the community level by altering interactions between large carnivores and their prey. Dog impacts may be further exacerbated if these human-associated predators are also perceived as indicators of risk from humans. However, observational approaches used to date have led to ambiguity regarding the effects of dog presence on wildlife. We experimentally quantified dog impacts on the behavior …


Gmr40c09, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh Dec 2019

Gmr40c09, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh

DVE Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dve enhancer

  • ID - GMR40C09
  • Location - 2R: 18132203, 18134987
  • Base pairs - 2784


Gmr42a07, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh Dec 2019

Gmr42a07, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Oorvashi Roy Puli, Amit Singh

DVE Enhancer Sequences Utilized in GMR Line

dve enhancer 45284

  • ID - GMR42A07
  • Location - 2R: 18146520, 18150306
  • Base pairs - 3786


Recruitment Of Polycomb-Group Proteins At Giant In Drosophila Embryos, Elnaz Ghotbi Ravandi Dec 2019

Recruitment Of Polycomb-Group Proteins At Giant In Drosophila Embryos, Elnaz Ghotbi Ravandi

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Polycomb Group (PcG) proteins are evolutionarily conserved epigenetic transcriptional regulators that maintain the transcriptional repression of silenced genes. PcG mediated silencing is divided into two phases: initiation and maintenance. During the initiation phase, PcG proteins initially recognize and bind to their target genes. Once PcG proteins are recruited to their target genes, they can maintain transcriptional repression through an unlimited number of cell cycles. Most studies on PcG proteins have been focused on the maintenance phase of PcG silencing, and the molecular mechanisms by which PcG proteins are initially recruited to their target genes remained unknown. Two models have been …


Mosquito Diversity And Positive Pools For The West Nile Virus In Forested Versus Non-Forested Areas, Elizabeth C. Paul Dec 2019

Mosquito Diversity And Positive Pools For The West Nile Virus In Forested Versus Non-Forested Areas, Elizabeth C. Paul

Honors Projects

The West Nile virus (WNV) is one of the leading causes of mosquito borne illness in the United States (CDC, 2018). This virus is a neurotropic pathogen that can cause fever and encephalitis. It is known that the Culex species is the primary vector for WNV. Humans infected with the WNV are typically asymptomatic. There is a small portion of individuals that experience West Nile fever which could include symptoms like high fever, vision loss, and coma (CDC, 2018). Previous studies have shown that mosquitoes tend to favor forests and wetlands (Hay et al., 1998), however, it is unknown if …


Understanding Object Motion Encoding In The Mammalian Retina., Victor Julian Depiero Dec 2019

Understanding Object Motion Encoding In The Mammalian Retina., Victor Julian Depiero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phototransduction, transmission of visual information down the optic nerve incurs delays on the order of 50 – 100ms. This implies that the neuronal representation of a moving object should lag behind the object’s actual position. However, studies have demonstrated that the visual system compensates for neuronal delays using a predictive mechanism called phase advancing, which shifts the population response toward the leading edge of a moving object’s retinal image. To understand how this compensation is achieved in the retina, I investigated cellular and synaptic mechanisms that drive phase advancing. I used three approaches, each testing phase advancing at a …


Investigating The Roles Of Bacterial Endosymbionts In The Evolution Of Adelgidae (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha), Kathryn M. Weglarz Dec 2019

Investigating The Roles Of Bacterial Endosymbionts In The Evolution Of Adelgidae (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha), Kathryn M. Weglarz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Insects form close partnerships, or symbioses, with bacteria. These partnerships allow the insects to use resources that would be unavailable to them otherwise. Certain insects, hemipterans, are able to feed on nutrient-poor plant-sap because these bacteria supplement their diets. While this association is beneficial for both the insect and bacteria, it also comes with consequences: the genomes of bacterial symbionts typically undergo extreme degradation, becoming small and lacking many genes necessary for typical bacterial functioning. In the Hemiptera, aphids, mealybugs, cicadas, true bugs, and their relatives, these bacterial partnerships tend to be stable over millions of years. However, adelgids (Aphidoidea: …


Changes In The Diet And Body Size Of A Small Herbivorous Mammal (Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon Hispidus) Following The Late Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction, Catalina P. Tomé, Emma A. Elliott Smith, S. Kathleen Lyons, Seth D. Newsome, Felisa A. Smith Dec 2019

Changes In The Diet And Body Size Of A Small Herbivorous Mammal (Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon Hispidus) Following The Late Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction, Catalina P. Tomé, Emma A. Elliott Smith, S. Kathleen Lyons, Seth D. Newsome, Felisa A. Smith

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The catastrophic loss of large-bodied mammals during the terminal Pleistocene likely led to cascading effects within communities. While the extinction of the top consumers probably expanded the resources available to survivors of all body sizes, little work has focused on the responses of the smallest mammals. Here, we use a detailed fossil record from the southwestern United States to examine the response of the hispid cotton rat Sigmodon hispidus to biodiversity loss and climatic change over the late Quaternary. In particular, we focus on changes in diet and body size. We characterize diet through carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen …


The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson Dec 2019

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera


Polyhistidine Facilitates Direct Membrane Translocation Of Cell-Penetrating Peptides Into Cells, Han-Jung Lee, Yue-Wern Huang, Shiow-Her Chiou, Robert Aronstam Dec 2019

Polyhistidine Facilitates Direct Membrane Translocation Of Cell-Penetrating Peptides Into Cells, Han-Jung Lee, Yue-Wern Huang, Shiow-Her Chiou, Robert Aronstam

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

The bovine lactoferricin L6 (RRWQWR) has been previously identified as a novel cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) that is able to efficiently internalize into human cells. L6 interacts with quantum dots (QDs) noncovalently to generate stable L6/QD complexes that enter cells by endocytosis. In this study, we demonstrate a modified L6 (HL6; CHHHHHRRWQWRHHHHHC), in which short polyhistidine peptides are introduced into both flanks of L6, has enhanced cell-penetrating ability in human bronchoalveolar carcinoma A549 cells. The mechanism of cellular uptake of HL6/QD complexes is primarily direct membrane translocation rather than endocytosis. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), but not pyrenebutyrate (PB), ethanol, oleic acid, or …


Fragsad: A Database Of Diversity And Species Abundance Distributions From Habitat Fragments, Jonathan M. Chase, Mario Liebergesell, Alban Sagouis, Felix May, Shane A. Blowes, Åke Berg, Enrico Bernard, Berry J. Brosi, Marc W. Cadotte, Luis Cayuela, Adriano G. Chiarello, Jean Francois Cosson, Will Cresswell, Filibus Danjuma Dami, Jens Dauber, Chris R. Dickman, Raphael K. Didham, David P. Edwards, Fábio Z. Farneda, Yoni Gavish, Thiago Gonçalves-Souza, Demetrio Luis Guadagnin, Mickaël Henry, Adrià López-Baucells, Heike Kappes, Ralph Mac Nally, Shiiwua Manu, Alexandre Camargo Martensen, Duncan Mccollin Dec 2019

Fragsad: A Database Of Diversity And Species Abundance Distributions From Habitat Fragments, Jonathan M. Chase, Mario Liebergesell, Alban Sagouis, Felix May, Shane A. Blowes, Åke Berg, Enrico Bernard, Berry J. Brosi, Marc W. Cadotte, Luis Cayuela, Adriano G. Chiarello, Jean Francois Cosson, Will Cresswell, Filibus Danjuma Dami, Jens Dauber, Chris R. Dickman, Raphael K. Didham, David P. Edwards, Fábio Z. Farneda, Yoni Gavish, Thiago Gonçalves-Souza, Demetrio Luis Guadagnin, Mickaël Henry, Adrià López-Baucells, Heike Kappes, Ralph Mac Nally, Shiiwua Manu, Alexandre Camargo Martensen, Duncan Mccollin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Habitat destruction is the single greatest anthropogenic threat to biodiversity. Decades of research on this issue have led to the accumulation of hundreds of data sets comparing species assemblages in larger, intact, habitats to smaller, more fragmented, habitats. Despite this, little synthesis or consensus has been achieved, primarily because of non-standardized sampling methodology and analyses of notoriously scale-dependent response variables (i.e., species richness). To be able to compare and contrast the results of habitat fragmentation on species’ assemblages, it is necessary to have the underlying data on species abundances and sampling intensity, so that standardization can be achieved. To accomplish …


Inhibition Of Serine, Glycine, One-Carbon Metabolism Reduces Proinflammatory Response, Ashlynn Mccall Dec 2019

Inhibition Of Serine, Glycine, One-Carbon Metabolism Reduces Proinflammatory Response, Ashlynn Mccall

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

Acute lung injury affects around 200,000 critically ill patients annually, with a mortality rate near 33%. With a lack of targeted therapies, it is vital to discover and understand the fundamental cellular processes that drive macrophage inflammation. In the field of macrophage immunometabolism, it is accepted that macrophages upregulating glycolysis indicates a role in proinflammatory processes, however, there is a lack of knowledge surrounding the intermediate pathways in glycolysis. This study examined the effects of serine, glycine, one-carbon metabolism inhibition on LPS-induced inflammation in bone marrow-derived macrophages. We show that the enzymatic expression of PHGDH and PSATl is unaffected when …


How Conflict Shapes Evolution In Poeciliid Fishes, Andrew I. Furness, Bart J.A. Pollux, Robert Meredith, Mark S. Springer, David N. Reznick Dec 2019

How Conflict Shapes Evolution In Poeciliid Fishes, Andrew I. Furness, Bart J.A. Pollux, Robert Meredith, Mark S. Springer, David N. Reznick

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In live-bearing animal lineages, the evolution of the placenta is predicted to create an arena for genomic conflict during pregnancy, drive patterns of male sexual selection, and increase the rate of speciation. Here we test these predictions of the viviparity driven conflict hypothesis (VDCH) in live-bearing poecilid fishes, a group showing multiple independent origins of placentation and extreme variation in male sexually selected traits. As predicted, male sexually selected traits are only gained in lineages that lack placentas; while there is little or no influence of male traits on the evolution of placentas. Both results are consistent with the mode …