Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Structural Molecular And Developmental Evidence For Cell-Type Diversity In Cnidarian Mechanosensory Neurons, Julia Baranyk, Kristen Malir, Miguel A.P. Silva, Sakura Rieck, Gracie Scheve, Nagayasu Nakanishi

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Deploying a conserved mechanosensory neuron known as the concentric hair cell, cnidarians have evolved diverse mechanoreceptors from hydroid filiform tentacles to jellyfish statocysts. However, it is unknown whether cnidarian mechanoreceptor evolution has relied solely on repurposing a single ancestral mechanosensory neuron type. Here we report evidence for cell-type diversity of mechanosensory neurons in sea-anemone cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. Uncovered in the ectoderm of feeding tentacles are conventional type I hair cells and previously unrecognized type II hair cells differing in the structure of apical sensory apparatus and synapses. Moreover, we identify TRP channel-encoding gene polycystin-1 as a type-II-hair-cell-specific essential mediator of …

Changes In Morphology, Phenology, Demography Of Several Avian Species Over 18 Years At A Restored Grassland, Ashley Mcmahon, Katie Stumpf, Charlie Muise

Biology Theses

In response to a changing climate and habitat loss, avian species are displaying changes in body size, migration phenology, and demography. Species have often adhered to Allen’s and Bergmann’s rules, displaying increased wing length and decreased body mass, respectively, over time in response to higher temperatures. Additionally, climate change has resulted in earlier spring migration and depending on species, either earlier or later fall migration. Finally, species affected by habitat loss often display male-skewed sex ratios and juvenile skewed age ratios. Our goal was to determine how 1) body size, 2) migration phenology, and 3) demography have changed for grassland …

Scorpiops Tangae Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) From Laos, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský, Mark Stockmann

Euscorpius

A new species Scorpiops tangae sp. n. is described from Laos, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. Scorpiops tangae sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination of five characters: chelal trichobothrium Eb₃ located in distal half of manus between trichobothria Dt and Est; patella of pedipalp with 11 ventral and 17 external trichobothria; fingers of pedipalps undulate in male; pedipalp movable finger with ca. 45 IAD; and chela length to width ratio 3.7 in male. In addition to morphology and hemispermatophore, we also present the …

Clustered Setation On The Pedipalps Of Buthid Scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Graeme Lowe, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Chaetotaxy of the external pedipalp femur and distal ventral pedipalp movable finger was studied in 120 species, 69 genera and 17 families of scorpions. Setation was generally denser in the ‘Buthus’ group, a major arid-adapted buthid lineage distributed across Palearctic deserts. On the external femur, macrosetae formed a prominent cluster, the ‘distal external macrosetal cluster’ (DEMC); on the distal ventral movable finger they formed a dense patch, the ‘distal ventral macrosetal cluster’ (DVMC). In other buthids and non-buthids, the DEMC and DVMC were mostly absent, except in a few arid-adapted genera. Relative setation densities of DEMC and DVMC in different …

Uroplectes Ebogo Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Cameroon, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský, Valeriy Govorov

Euscorpius

A new species Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. is described from Cameroon, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination two characters: metasoma without carinae and metasoma V and telson without punctuation. In addition to morphology and hemispermatophore, we also present the information about the karyotype of Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. (2n=24).

Albinism In Olivierus Martensii (Karsch, 1879) (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Victoria Tang, Zhenbang Liu

Euscorpius

This is a formal case report for the albinism in Olivierus martensii (Karsch, 1879). Albino phenotype is compared with its normal counterpart in terms of their morphology and behavior by cursory experiments. The examined 7 albino individuals (5 of which were adults) were smaller and more slender than their normal counterparts. However, these quantitative differences were not statistically significant and should be treated with caution due to the low sample size. Their abilities to detect both white light and UV light or UV-excited fluorescence were not significantly undermined, although their tendency to ensure a clear vision through self-cleaning behavior appeared …

Précis Of: "Birds, Bats And Minds: Tales Of A Revolutionary Scientist, Donald R. Griffin", Carolyn A. Ristau

Animal Sentience

Donald Griffin co-discovered bat sonar and founded the field of echolocation. He studied bird migration and founded Cognitive Ethology, the study of animal awareness and mental experiences. In all these endeavors, he faced hostile opposition. The biography (Ristau 2024) examines Griffin's life and the scientific explorations by him and others in these fields. This Précis emphasizes his arguments and supporting evidence for animal consciousness as well as his later research. Griffin considered the inhibiting assumptions made by scientists, including Cartesian views, the misunderstanding of innate behaviors, prejudice against lower animals, concern with violations of parsimony, and the assertions of the …

Ontogenetic Biomechanics Of Tufted (Sapajus) And Untufted (Cebus) Capuchin Mandibles, Taylor A. Polvadore, Caitlin B. Yoakum, Parker M. Taylor, Megan A. Holmes, Myra F. Laird, Janine Chalk-Wilayto, Claudia Misue Kanno, Jose Americano De Oliveira, Claire E. Terhune

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objectives

Cortical bone geometry is commonly used to investigate biomechanical properties of primate mandibles. However, the ontogeny of these properties is less understood. Here we investigate changes in cortical bone cross-sectional properties throughout capuchin ontogeny and compare captive versus wild, semi-provisioned groups. Tufted capuchins (Sapajus spp.) are known to consume relatively hard/tough foods, while untufted capuchins (Cebus spp.) exploit less mechanically challenging foods. Previous research indicates dietary differences are present early in development and adult Sapajus mandibles can resist higher bending/shear/torsional loads.

Materials and methods

This study utilized microCT scans of 22 Cebus and 45 Sapajus from early …

Diverse Origins Of Near-Identical Antifreeze Proteins In Unrelated Fish Lineages Provide Insights Into Evolutionary Mechanisms Of New Gene Birth And Protein Sequence Convergence, Nathan Rives, Vinita Lamba, C.H. Christina Cheng, Xuan Zhuang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Determining the origins of novel genes and the mechanisms driving the emergence of new functions is challenging yet crucial for understanding evolutionary innovations. Recently evolved fish antifreeze proteins (AFPs) offer a unique opportunity to explore these processes, particularly the near-identical type I AFP (AFPI) found in four phylogenetically divergent fish taxa. This study tested the hypothesis of protein sequence convergence beyond functional convergence in three unrelated AFPI-bearing fish lineages. Through comprehensive comparative analyses of newly sequenced genomes of winter flounder and grubby sculpin, along with available high-quality genomes of cunner and 14 other related species, the study revealed that near-identical …

The Influence Of Environmental Change On Genetic Diversity Across Spatial And Taxonomic Scales, Connor M. French

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The spatial distribution of genetic diversity is of interest to biodiversity scientists and conservationists and is a fundamental metric of biodiversity. Genetic diversity patterns across spatial and taxonomic scales contain information about population and assemblage dynamics that can convey their resilience to environmental change. Ectotherms are especially linked to their environments and may be especially sensitive to fluctuations in the environment over time. Herein, I investigate global and regional patterns of genetic diversity in two groups of ectotherms, insects and lizards, to understand the relationship between environmental change and genetic diversity, from populations to assemblages. Overall, my research aims to …

Methodologies For Dry Fixation And Taxidermy Of Education-Oriented Scorpion Specimens, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Scorpions hold a renowned status as iconic creatures across numerous cultures in the world. Traditionally preserved as desiccated specimens for educational purposes, they have been exhibited in museums and pedagogic collections, serving as concrete epistemological conduits for public education on biodiversity. However, these specimens frequently lack meticulous organization, potentially misrepresenting the animals’ ethological characteristics. This brief article aims to offer paradigmatic guidance for taxidermy of scorpions, ensuring a more accurate depiction of their in vivo habitus, achievable through the use of readily obtainable tools and undemanding techniques.

Population Genetic Diversity In Two Biological Systems, Alyson Emery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Population genetic analysis can be used to answer questions about population structure and composition in many biological systems. Recent improvements to sequencing technologies have made population genetic studies more accessible than ever before. Many of the same techniques can be applied to different biological systems, but some analyses may differ depending on how genetically divergent the populations in question are. Here, we describe two unique projects using next-generation genome sequencing, each looking at population structure at different levels of genetic divergence: the first involved determining interspecific population structure between two species of hybridizing field cricket using a novel sequencing method, …

Three New Species Of Genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 From Tibet, China (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), With Implications For The Diagnostic Values Of Qualitative Characters, Victoria Tang, Kaichen Ouyang, Zhenbang Liu, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Three new species of genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 are described from Tibet Autonomous Region, China. S. deshpandei sp. n. is described based on an adult male and an immature pair collected from Mêdog County, Nyingchi, with additional molecular evidence substantiating its validity against S. longimanus Pocock, 1893. S. kovariki sp. n. is featured by a single adult female from Zayü. This species is only weakly supported by its genetic distance from S. jendeki Kovařík, 1994, but empirical understanding of the morphological variation in Scorpiops species motivated us to consider them as distinct. S. matthewi sp. n. is based on …

Euscorpius Gulhanimae Sp. N. From The Konya Province, Turkey (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Ersen A. Yağmur

Euscorpius

A new species Euscorpius gulhanimae sp. n. is described from southern Turkey (Beyşehir District of Konya Province). It differs by trichobothrial numbers in Pv and et series; these numbers are the highest in all species of Euscorpius in Turkey. E. gulhanimae sp. n. has light greyish yellow mesosoma, dark reddish-brown chela and dark brown metasomal segments III-V; the new species is distinguished by this two-colored feature from all Euscorpius species. With this description, the known number of species in the family Euscorpiidae in Turkey is increased to 21.

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxxiii. Three New Species Of Gint From Ethiopia And Somaliland (Buthidae), František Kovařík, Hassan Sh A. Elmi, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Three new species, Gint sahil sp. n. from Somaliland and Gint abshiri sp. n. and G. derbiae sp. n. from Ethiopia are described and compared with other species of the genus. Additional information is provided on the taxonomy and distribution of the genus Gint, fully complemented with color photos of specimens of the new species, as well as of their habitats. Furthermore, alongside the analyses of external morphology and hemispermatophores, we have provided description of the karyotype of G. abshiri sp. n. This species exhibits karyotype with 2n=27. Included is distribution map and a key for the genus Gint …

Revision Of The Genus Scorpio In Jordan, With A Description Of A New Genus And Three New Species (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), Bassam Abu Afifeh, Ersen A. Yağmur, Mohammad Al–Saraireh, Zuhair Amr

Euscorpius

Several new Scorpio populations are studied from various habitats in Jordan, including specimens previously identified as Scorpio kruglovi Birula, 1910 and S. fuscus (Ehrenberg, 1829). A new scorpionid genus, Jordanius gen. n. is described, mainly differentiated from the genus Scorpio Linné, 1758 by the elongation and heavy patterns of granulation of chela manus, and granulated chela fingers. Scorpio granulomanus Al-Saraireh et al., 2023 is transferred to the new genus, and Jordanius maysaraensis gen. et sp. n. is described. Also, Scorpio jordanensis sp. n. and S. wahbehi sp. n. are described. Detailed …

A Comparative Analysis Of Extant Oceanic Shark Species Using Trait-Based Ecology, Elizabeth A. Johnson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Over the past few decades, scientists have been working together to mitigate human impacts on global shark populations, but deciding which species need the most immediate attention can be difficult. This study uses a newly emerging approach to ecology, trait-based ecology, to identify trends in trait expression with depth and determine which species have the most unique sets of traits. While trait-based ecology has already been applied to numerous fields, a trait-based approach to shark research is still in its infancy. A total of 15 traits across 337 oceanic shark species were examined to identify trends in trait expression and …

The Role Of Elevation In The Migration, Physiology, And Genomic Diversification Of Birds, Jessie L. Williamson

Biology ETDs

Elevational gradients cause profound eco-climatic variation across short distances. Partial pressure of oxygen (PO₂) is a severe challenge that organisms face at high elevations; due partly to specialization on PO₂, most Neotropical bird species have narrow elevational ranges. However, a small fraction are elevational generalists that span sea level to high elevations, and a subset undertake extreme migratory journeys from low to high elevations biannually. My dissertation combines diverse approaches across levels of biological organization to understand how elevation impacts the ecology, evolution, physiology, and migration of montane birds. I examined ‘extreme’ elevational …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 31. Wallace’S Personal Copy Of “Life Of Alexander Von Humboldt.”, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace owned a personal copy of the two-volume 1873 English edition of the Life of Alexander von Humboldt, now held by the library of the Linnean Society of London. Each volume is highly annotated, and the nature of these notes, and their several-directioned importance, is here discussed.

Venom Complexity Within Garter Snakes And The Role Of Diet In Toxin Diversification, Tucker Heptinstall

All Theses

Complex traits, such as body size and venom, are often under strong selection by

dietary ecology and can increase efficiency of prey capture and processing. To investigate relationships between ecology and trait evolution in Thamnophis, we amassed nearly 10,000 diet records for 32/35 Thamnophis species and classified each species’ dietary repertoire. We categorized 15/32 species as generalist predators and 17/32 species as specialist predators of varying prey groups and investigated the hypothesis that generalist predators have larger body size. However, we found no significant relationship between body size and dietary specialization. Venom has evolved over 100 times across the Tree …

Connecting Climate And Geography With Diversification And Conservation Of A Western North American Endemic Mammal, Sorex Monticola, Antonia Androski

Biology ETDs

Repeated glacial cycles of the Pleistocene initiated complex sequences of divergence and secondary contact with gene flow for many North American species. In my first chapter, I expand our understanding of the phylogeography of the montane shrew, Sorex monticola, with range-wide genetic sampling and geospatial analyses to reconstruct the history of clades within this species and test whether evolutionarily divergent clades occupy distinct abiotic niches. In my second chapter, I build upon these hypotheses, providing the first estimates of evolutionary relationships and timing of diversification based on genome-wide markers. In my third chapter, I use a systematic review of the …

Antimicrobials Produced By Ants: Chemical Properties And Microbe Specificity, Katy Chon

Master's Theses

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern worldwide, and for over a decade, we have been witnessing the growth of difficult to treat infectious diseases caused by bacteria that are becoming resistant to antibiotics. This resistance can be mostly related to the misusing and improper use of antibiotics in both humans and animals. To restore this problem, humans have turned to new sources for the production of antibiotics. In this study, we focused on using ants. Social insects, including ants and bees, have faced strong disease pressures during their evolution and have developed a range of methods to fight …

Populations Of The Stygobiotic Amphipod Palearcticarellus Pusillus (Martynov, 1930) Maintain Genetic Connectivity Between The Mountain Springs And The Deep Bottom Habitats Of Lake Teletskoye (Altai Mountains, Russia), Ivan Marin, Liubov Yanygina, Svetlana Ostroukhova, Dmitry Palatov

International Journal of Speleology

The diversity of underground fauna is often associated with the presence of karst areas, which have extensive underground cavities and connecting channels. Non-karst areas, however, make up a larger portion of the planet’ surface, and our understanding of the distribution and dispersal abilities of underground fauna in these areas currently remains limited. During a recent study of the diversity of stygobiotic crustaceans in the mountain streams of the Kurai Mountain Range (Altai, Russia), a small-sized species of crangonyctid amphipod, Palearcticarellus pusillus (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Crangonyctidae) was found in high-altitude springs. This species has been previously known only from deep-water habitats in …

Sexually Antagonistic Coevolution Of The Male Nuptial Gift And Female Feeding Behaviour In Decorated Crickets, Samuel Burns-Dunn, Tassie Mortys, Clarissa M. House, Christopher Mitchell, Kristin R. Duffield, Bert Foquet, Ben M. Sadd, Scott K. Sakaluk, John Hunt

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The evolution of nuptial gifts has traditionally been considered a harmonious affair, providing benefits to both mating partners. There is growing evidence, however, that receiving a nuptial gift can be actively detrimental to the female. In decorated crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus), males produce a gelatinous spermatophylax that enhances sperm transfer but provides little nutritional benefit and hinders female post-copulatory mate choice. Here, we examine the sexually antagonistic coevolution of the spermatophylax and the female feeding response to this gift in G. sigillatus maintained in experimental populations with either a male-biased or female-biased adult sex ratio. After 25 generations, males …

Wildlife Conservation: The Importance Of Individual Personality Traits And Sentience, Karen A. Owens, Gosia Bryja, Marc Bekoff

Animal Sentience

Individual differences in personality types within the same species have been studied much less than differences between species and populations. Personality differences are related to risk-taking and exploration, which in turn correlate with individuals' daily responses, decisions, and fitness. Bold and shy personality types can have different advantages and disadvantages under different social or environmental pressures. Analyzing personality differences has helped clarify how elk habituate to a well-populated area and how management strategies can be adapted to them. For wolves newly repatriated to Colorado, individual personality factors are likely to prove important for adapting to their new homes as well …

The Influence Of Resource Patch Condition And Size On Social Interactions, Reproductive Behaviors, And Oviposition In A Fungivorous Beetle, Lillian J. Fornoff , '21, C. A. Stahlmann Roeder, E. D. Brodie Iii, Vincent A. Formica

Biology Faculty Works

Variation among resource patches can structure spatial patterns of social behavior. Individual preferences and requirements for heterogeneous resources can lead to differences in where behaviors take place and which kinds of individuals interact. In this study we examined whether properties of habitat patches predict presence of and interactions among wild forked fungus beetles (Bolitotherus cornutus). B. cornutus use shelf-like fruiting bodies of wood decaying fungi (brackets) as social arenas, courtship and mating sites, oviposition locations, and food sources. Brackets on a single log vary in size and condition and represent a dynamic resource as individual brackets decay over …

Climate And Shared Evolutionary History Drive Trait Variation Among Species Of Neotropical Understory Monocots, Eleinis Ávila-Lovera, Oscar M. Vargas, Jennifer L. Funk, Kathleen M. Kay, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Environmental variation commonly drives functional trait diversity within species, among species, and across communities. Climate and shared evolutionary history can both influence trait–environment relationships. We studied variation in plant functional traits among closely related Costus species occurring across environmental gradients, the extent to which this variation occurs within single species, and how that variation may be influenced by shared evolutionary history. We measured leaf, aboveground stem, rhizome, and fine root traits of 17 species of Costus in eight sites in Costa Rica and Panama, which varied in elevation, temperature, and precipitation. We then assessed the relationships among traits and environmental …

Novel Adaptations In Iron Regulation Acquired During Chronic Fungal Cf Infections, Daniel R. Murante

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Chronic fungal infections are highly recalcitrant to treatment; we postulated that as populations persist, increasing genetic diversity is reflected in phenotypic heterogeneity, contributing to treatment inefficacies. The study of evolutionary patterns is underrepresented in chronic fungal infections, and to supplement this body of knowledge, we leveraged isolates acquired from four individuals with chronic fungal-dominated cystic fibrosis infections. We evaluated in-host evolution through a whole-genome sequencing approach, comparing multiple isolates obtained from each subject's sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Our analysis found non-synonymous mutations that arose in parallel across the independent infections in the gene MRS4, which encodes a mitochondrial …

Isolation Of Gametophytic Selection And Selective Embryo Abortion In Mimulus Guttatus, Desmond C. Willson

University Honors Theses

A lack of genomic studies examining gametophytic selection (GS) and selective embryo abortion (SEA)--which occur during the reproduction of angiosperms--leaves questions regarding the adaptive and evolutionary effects of these processes. Analyzing deviations from Mendelian segregation offers an avenue for identifying loci targeted by GS and SEA, and their contributions to purging of genetic load. However, other selective processes such as meiotic drive and cytonuclear interactions, as well as pollen and ovule abortion, can cause distortion. To distinguish the effects of GS and SEA from other causes of distortion, we will perform reciprocal crosses between highly homozygous and highly heterozygous individuals …

The Polyaneuploid Cancer Cell State And Therapeutic Resistance: Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics In Structured Populations, Anuraag Bukkuri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I develop and apply eco-evolutionary modeling techniques to understand how the polyaneuploid cancer cell (PACC) state, entered when aneuploid cells exit the cell cycle after S phase and undergo a whole genome duplication, contributes to therapeutic resistance. Since resistance remains one of the primary causes of treatment failure in cancer patients, it is critical to understand how such demographic state transitions allow for acclimatization of cancer cells to therapeutic stressors and how they interact with evolutionary processes to promote irreversible resistance.

In Chapters Two and Three, I lay the foundation for this work. In Chapter Two, I …