Evolution Commons^™

Genetic Differentiation Between Two Species Of Buckwheat (Eriogonum), Paul G. Wolf, Jenessa B. Lemon

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Discovering the extent of genetic differentiation between closely related taxa facilitates decisions regarding species protection under the Endangered Species Act. Here, we analyze genotype data to explore the relatedness of two buckwheat species: Eriogonum soredium Reveal- a narrow endemic under consideration for protection, and a widespread close relative, Eriogonum shockleyi S. Watson. Eriogonum soredium grows only on Ordovician limestone outcroppings in west central Utah, whereas the range of E. shockleyi is broad, spanning the western United States from Colorado to California, and Idaho to Arizona. Eriogonum shockleyi is suspected of hybridizing with other buckwheats throughout this range. We detected higher …

Charles Darwin, Will You Be My Valentine?, Meredith Bennett

D.U.Quark

No abstract provided.

Scorpions Of Sri Lanka (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Ii. Family Hormuridae, František Kovařík, Kithsiri B. Ranawana, V. A. Sanjeewa Jayarathne, Sanjaya Karunarathna, Alexander Ullrich

Euscorpius

Liocheles australasiae (Fabricius, 1775) is reported for the first time from Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan population is fully complemented with color photos of live and preserved females, as well as its habitat.

Two New Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Hispaniola, Greater Antilles, Rolando Teruel, Gabriel De Los Santos

Euscorpius

Two new species of Buthidae scorpions of the genus Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 are herein described from the Greater Antillean island of Hispaniola. One of them belongs to the "crassimanus" species-group and is known from an adult pair collected at Massif de la Hotte, in southwestern Haiti. The other belongs to the "quisqueyanus" species-group and is known from a single adult female from a high peak in the Central Range (= Cordillera Central), in northwestern Dominican Republic. Moreover, two fossil taxa from this island are retained as junior synonyms of Tityus geratus Santiago-Blay, 1988†.

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Xiv. Hottentotta Somalicus Sp. N. (Buthidae) From Somalia, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Hottentotta somalicus sp. n. from Somalia is described and fully complemented with color photos. Morphologically it is similar to H. polystictus (Pocock, 1896). These two species have very narrow metasomal segments (1.63–1.73 in both sexes versus 1.31–1.61 in both sexes of other Hottentotta species from the Horn of Africa). H. polystictus and H. somalicus sp. n. occur in separate areas (Somaliland versus Somalia) and can be differentiated by color.

Advancing Behavioural Genomics By Considering Timescale, Clare C. Rittschof, Kimberly A. Hughes

Entomology Faculty Publications

Animal behavioural traits often covary with gene expression, pointing towards a genomic constraint on organismal responses to environmental cues. This pattern highlights a gap in our understanding of the time course of environmentally responsive gene expression, and moreover, how these dynamics are regulated. Advances in behavioural genomics explore how gene expression dynamics are correlated with behavioural traits that range from stable to highly labile. We consider the idea that certain genomic regulatory mechanisms may predict the timescale of an environmental effect on behaviour. This temporally minded approach could inform both organismal and evolutionary questions ranging from the remediation of early …

Revision Of The Mesobuthus Caucasicus Complex From Central Asia, With Descriptions Of Six New Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Victor Fet, František Kovařík, Benjamin Gantenbein, Ronald C. Kaiser, Alexander K. Stewart, Matthew R. Graham

Euscorpius

A widespread Mesobuthus caucasicus complex, which includes some of the most common scorpions found from the Caucasus to China, is revised for the first time based on new extensive collections from Central Asia, using both morphological and DNA marker data. Mesobuthus caucasicus (Nordmann, 1840), s.str. is restricted to the Caucasus Mts. Four taxa are elevated to species rank: M. fuscus (Birula, 1897) (Tajikistan), M. intermedius (Birula, 1897) (Tajikistan), M. kaznakovi (Birula, 1904) (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), and M. parthorum (Pocock, 1889) (Afghanistan, Iran, Turkmenistan). Six new species are described: M. brutus sp. n. (Iran), M. elenae sp. n. (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), M. gorelovi …

Convergent Evolution Of Biochemical Innovations In Polychaetes: Characterizing The Molecular Basis Of Bioluminescence And Venom Production, Aida E. Verdes Gorín

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The convergent evolution of phenotypic traits is a widespread phenomenon across the tree of life and is explained as the outcome of different taxa facing similar selective forces or environmental conditions. A longstanding question in evolutionary biology is whether the evolution of convergent phenotypes in unrelated lineages is driven by similar or different molecular processes. The research presented here investigates this question by characterizing the molecular basis of two biochemical innovations, bioluminescence and venom production, that have evolved independently in different lineages of polychaetes worms (Annelida). We use an integrative approach, combining next-generation sequencing, phylogenetics and computational tools to evaluate …

A Model Species For Agricultural Pest Genomics: The Genome Of The Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa Decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Sean D. Schoville, Yolanda H. Chen, Martin N. Andersson, Joshua B. Benoit, Anita Bhandari, Julia H. Bowsher, Kristian Brevik, Kaat Cappelle, Mei-Ju M. Chen, Anna K. Childers, Christopher Childers, Olivier Christiaens, Justin Clements, Elise M. Didion, Elena N. Elpidina, Patamarerk Engsontia, Markus Friedrich, Inmaculada García-Robles, Richard A. Gibbs, Chandan Goswami, Alessandro Grapputo, Kristina Gruden, Marcin Grynberg, Bernard Henrissat, Emily C. Jennings, Jeffery W. Jones, Megha Kalsi, Sher A. Khan, Abhishek Kumar, Fei Li, Vincent Lombard, Subba Reddy Palli, June-Sun Yoon

Entomology Faculty Publications

The Colorado potato beetle is one of the most challenging agricultural pests to manage. It has shown a spectacular ability to adapt to a variety of solanaceaeous plants and variable climates during its global invasion, and, notably, to rapidly evolve insecticide resistance. To examine evidence of rapid evolutionary change, and to understand the genetic basis of herbivory and insecticide resistance, we tested for structural and functional genomic changes relative to other arthropod species using genome sequencing, transcriptomics, and community annotation. Two factors that might facilitate rapid evolutionary change include transposable elements, which comprise at least 17% of the genome and …

Is There A Link Between Aging And Microbiome Diversity In Exceptional Mammalian Longevity?, Graham M. Hughes, John Leech, Sebastien J. Puechmaille, Jose V. Lopez, Emma C. Teeling

Biology Faculty Articles

A changing microbiome has been linked to biological aging in mice and humans, suggesting a possible role of gut flora in pathogenic aging phenotypes. Many bat species have exceptional longevity given their body size and some can live up to ten times longer than expected with little signs of aging. This study explores the anal microbiome of the exceptionally long-lived Myotis myotis bat, investigating bacterial composition in both adult and juvenile bats to determine if the microbiome changes with age in a wild, long-lived non-model organism, using non-lethal sampling. The anal microbiome was sequenced using metabarcoding in more than 50 …

Audiobook Of A World From Dust, Ben Mcfarland

Faculty Open Access Books

A World From Dust is a popular science book about the chemical sequence behind the evolution of creation.

It’s about how geology, biology, and chemistry worked together over billions of years, providing a hidden order under the random flow of genes and lava and water.

It’s about the chemical job that each element takes up in life, and how that job is predictable from its place on the periodic table.

It can be told as the story of many elements: how iron and sulfur gave a spark of life; how manganese was a key for oxygen; and how copper and …

Examination Of Orthologous Genes (Mrub_2518 And B3728, Mrub_2519 And B3727, Mrub_2520 And B3726, Mrub_2521 And B3725) Responsible For Abc Phosphate Transporters In Two Species M. Ruber And E. Coli, Margaret Meyer, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

In this project we investigated the biological function of the genes b3725, b3726, b3727, b3728 and Mrub_2518, Mrub_2519, Mrub_2520 and Mrub_2521 (KEGG map number 02010). We predict that these genes encode the components of a Phosphate ABC transporter: Orthologous genes Mrub_2518 (DNA coordinates 2565359..2566438) and b3728 encodes the periplasmic phosphate binding component; Orthologous genes Mrub_2519 (DNA coordinates 2566499..2567485) and b3727, and Mrub_2520 (DNA coordinates 2567496..2568326) and b3726 encode for the two transmembrane proteins; Orthologous genes Mrub_2521 (DNA coordinates 2568338..2569159) and b3725 encode for the ATP binding protein within the cytoplasm. Within the two species, M. ruber and E. coli, …

Mrub_1325, Mrub_1326, Mrub_1327, And Mrub_1328 Are Orthologs Of B_3454, B_3455, B_3457, B_3458, Respectively Found In Escherichia Coli Coding For A Branched Chain Amino Acid Atp Binding Cassette (Abc) Transporter System, Bennett Tomlin, Adam Buric, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

In this project we investigated the biological function of the genes Mrub_1325, Mrub_1326, Mrub_1327, and Mrub_1328 (KEGG map number 02010). We predict these genes encode components of a Branched Chain Amino Acid ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter: 1) Mrub_1325 (DNA coordinates 1357399-1358130 on the reverse strand) encodes the ATP binding domain; 2) Mrub_1326 (DNA coordinates 1358127-1359899 on the reverse strand) encodes the ATP-binding domain and permease domain; 3) Mrub_1327 (DNA coordinates 1359899-1360930 on the reverse strand) encodes a permease domain; and 4)Mrub_1328 (DNA coordinates 1711022-1712185 on the reverse strand) encodes the substrate binding domain. This system is not predicted to …

Mrub_1283, Mrub_1284 And Mrub_1285 Encode For A Glycine/Betaine Abc Transporter And Are Orthologs Of E. Coli Prov, Prow And Prox, Lan Dang, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

ABC transporters are essential for cellular transport; contribute to maintain the homeostasis of the cells. Generally, ABC transporters are multi-subunit; contain essential cytoplasmic factors which are critical to ATP hydrolysis activity. In this paper, we would like to take a closer look to Mrub_1283, Mrub_1284 and Mrub_1285, three consecutive genes in Meiothermus ruber genome. We hypothesize that these genes are in the same operon and encode for ABC glycine/ betaine transporters. To confirm our hypothesis, we utilizes several bioinformatics tools to predict the potential function of Mrub_1283, Mrub_1284 and Mrub_1285 and to search for their orthologs in Escherichia coli genome. …

Mrub_2120, Mrub_2121, Mrub_2122, Mrub_2123 And Mrub_2124 Are Orthologs Of E. Coli Genes B3458, B3457, B3456, B3455 And B3454, Respectively, And Make Up An Operon That Codes For The Branched-Chain Amino Acid Abc Transporter In Meiothermus Ruber Dsm 1279, Aaron Jones, Madelyn Huber, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

In this project we investigated the biological function of the genes Mrub_2120, Mrub_2121, Mrub_2122, Mrub_2123 and Mrub_2124 (KEGG map number 02010). We predict these genes encode components of a branched-chain amino acid ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter: 1) Mrub_2120 (DNA coordinates 2169247-2170416 on the reverse strand) encodes the branched-chain amino acid binding protein that is localized to the periplasm; 2) Mrub_2121 (DNA coordinates 2170433..2171353 on the reverse strand) encodes the first TMD; 3) Mrub_2122 (DNA coordinates 2171365..2172279 on the reverse strand) encodes the second TMD; 4) Mrub_2123 (DNA coordinates 2172276..2173028 on the reverse strand) encodes the first NBD; 5) Mrub_2124 …

Mrub_1675, Mrub_1676, Mrub_1677, And Mrub_1679 Genes Are Orthologs Of B_3458, B_3457, B_3456, And B_3454 Genes In E. Coli, Respectively, Coding For Abc Transporters. Mrub_1678 And B_3455, Though Perform Similar Tasks, Are Not Orthologous, Ravi Patel, Alaina Hofmann, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

In this project we investigated the biological function of the genes Mrub_1675, Mrub_1676, Mrub_1677, and Mrub_1679 (KEGG map number 02010). We predict these genes encode components of a Branched chain amino acid (ABC) transporter: Mrub_1675 (DNA coordinates 1711022..1712185 on the reverse strand) encodes the permease component, Mrub_1676 (DNA coordinates 1712313..1713170) encodes for the NBD (aka nucleotide binding domain), Mrub_1677 (DNA coordinates 1713167..1714075 on the reverse strand) encodes the NBD (aka nucleotide binding domain), Mrub_1678 (DNA coordinates 1713167..1714075 on the reverse strand) encodes the TMD (aka transmembrane domain) and Mrub_1679 (DNA coordinates 1714781..1715485 on the reverse strand) encodes …

Mrub_0680, Mrub_0836, And Mrub_0837 Found To Be Orthologous To E. Coli Ccma, Ccmb, And Ccmc, Respectively, Coding For Abc-Transport Proteins Involved In Cytochrome-C Biogenesis, Sarah N. Church, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

In this project we investigated the biological function of the genes Mrub_0680, Mrub_0836 and Mrub_0837(KEGG map number 02010). We predict these genes encode components of a Heme ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter: 1) Mrub_0836 (DNA coordinates 823734..824399on the reverse strand) encodes the permease component (aka transmembrane domain), predicted to be an ortho; and 2) Mrub_0680(DNA coordinates 659484..660071 on the reverse strand) encodes the ATP-binding domain (aka nucleotide binding domain); and 3) Mrub_0837(DNA coordinates 824570..825262on the reverse strand) encodes the solute binding protein. This gene system encodes a transmembrane exporter and helper proteins which are thought to …

Meiothermus Ruber Mrub_0320 Gene Is An Ortholog Of The B3452 Gene, Mrub_0321 Gene Is An Ortholog Of The B3451 Gene, Mrub_0322 Gene Is An Ortholog Of The B3453 Gene, Mrub_2366 Gene Is An Ortholog Of The B3450 Gene Found In Escherichia Coli, Which Encode For Components Of An Abc Transporter Involved In Sn-Glycerol - 3-Phosphate, Jenna Hall, Dr. Lori Scott

Meiothermus ruber Genome Analysis Project

In this project we investigated the biological function of the genes mrub_0320, mrub_0321, mrub_0322, and mrub_2366 (KEGG map number 02010). We predict these genes encode components of a sn-glycerol-3-phosphate (ABC) transporter: 1) mrub_0320 (DNA coordinates 288469..289401) encodes the permease component (aka transmembrane domain), predicted to be an ortholog; 2) mrub_0321 (DNA coordinates 289394..290218) encodes another permease domain, and also contains a transcriptional regular; ATP-binding domain (aka nucleotide binding domain); 3) mrub_0322 (DNA coordinates 290234..291541) encodes the solute binding protein; and 4) mrub_2366 (DNA coordinates 2418207..2419352 on the reverse strand) encodes for an ATP-binding domain for multiple sugar-related ABC transport systems …

Chickens Play To The Crowd, Cinzia Chiandetti

Animal Sentience

The time was ripe for Marino’s review of chickens’ cognitive capacities. The research community, apart from expressing gratitude for Marino’s work, should now use it to increase public awareness of chickens’ abilities. People’s views on many animals are ill-informed. Scientists need to communicate and engage with the public about the relevance and societal implications of their findings.

Post-Darwin Skepticism And Run-Of-The-Mill Suicide, John Hadley

Animal Sentience

Peña-Guzmán’s depiction of the opponent of animal suicide as a conservative is a straw man. It is possible to accept that animals are self-conscious and reflexive yet still reject the view that they have the mental wherewithal to commit run-of-the-mill suicide. That animal behaviour can be positioned on a continuum of self-destructive behaviour does not establish that animals can intentionally kill themselves.

An Adaptationist Perspective On Animal Suicide, Timothy P. Racine

Animal Sentience

Peña-Guzmán’s discussion of suicide in nonhuman animals has broad implications. In this commentary, I focus on the logical relation between suicide and intention. Proximate cause must be distinguished from ultimate function in explanations of suicide. I briefly discuss two adaptationist accounts of suicidal behavior.

Lessons From Chimpanzee Sign Language Studies, Mary Lee Jensvold

Animal Sentience

Claims are often made about behaviors being unique to humans; the evidence usually shows they are not. Sign language studies on chimpanzees may provide a useful model for comparative studies of suicide. A productive approach to comparative studies is to focus on observable behaviors rather than getting lost in the pitfalls of vague definitions and changing measures.

Animal Suicide: An Account Worth Giving?, Irina Mikhalevich

Animal Sentience

Peña-Guzmán (2017) argues that empirical evidence and evolutionary theory compel us to treat the phenomenon of suicide as continuous in the animal kingdom. He defends a “continuist” account in which suicide is a multiply-realizable phenomenon characterized by self-injurious and self-annihilative behaviors. This view is problematic for several reasons. First, it appears to mischaracterize the Darwinian view that mind is continuous in nature. Second, by focusing only on surface-level features of behavior, it groups causally and etiologically disparate phenomena under a single conceptual umbrella, thereby reducing the account’s explanatory power. Third, it obscures existing analyses of suicide in biomedical ethics and …

Can Nondolphins Commit Suicide?, David M. Peña-Guzmán

Animal Sentience

This Response addresses the scientific and philosophical criticisms of my 2017 target article “Can nonhuman animals commit suicide?” It defends my key claims and explores topics (such as animal judgment, animal theory of mind, and the evolution of suicide) that did not appear in the original article. It also points out areas in which further research is needed and concludes that we should be wary of accusations of “anthropomorphism” in debates about animal suicide.

Animal Suicide: Evolutionary Continuity Or Anthropomorphism?, Antonio Preti

Animal Sentience

Evolutionary processes are characterized by both continuity and discontinuity. Evidence on suicide in nonhuman animals is faint and often rests on the metaphorical or anthropomorphic use of the term. Suicidal behavior might be an evolutionary jump relatively recent in our species: a byproduct of living in groups of people who are not as closely related genetically as in social groups of nonhuman mammals.

Roots Of Self-Preservation Failure In Animal Behavior, Denys Decatanzaro

Animal Sentience

Affective variation from euphoria to dysphoria, best understood in humans, is also found in the behavior and neurochemistry of many other mammals. Suicide in humans typically occurs in highly dysphoric and despondent individuals. Self-injurious behavior has been observed in dysphoric and despondent nonhuman primates. In humans, suicide is facilitated by a highly-evolved neocortex giving rise to behavioral flexibility and culture. As Peña-Guzmán indicates, some other mammals also have elaborate neocortices and the capacity for cognitive insight, particularly apes, delphinids, and whales. Suicide is most likely to occur in species where individuals live in stable groups of highly interdependent kin.

Animal Suicide And "Anthropodenial", Ryan Hediger

Animal Sentience

Increasing understanding of the impressive cognitive and social capacities of nonhuman animals suggests the possibility that they may sometimes commit suicide. Such notions tend to be dismissed as “anthropomorphism.” That interpretive hazard, I argue, must be weighed against the opposite hazard of “anthropodenial” — “the a priori rejection of shared characteristics between humans and animals” (de Waal 2006). If animals do commit suicide, how often is it motivated precisely by the impact of humans on animal life?

Continuum And Temporality, Gerard Kuperus

Animal Sentience

I fully support the continuum proposed in the target article and argue along the same lines that we should be suspicious of drawing any strict borders between human and non-human animals. Since we can say very little with absolute certainty about human intentions regarding suicide, we have no certainty about the intentions of non-human animals. Although I am very sympathetic to Peña-Guzmán’s overall argument, I suggest that time could be taken into consideration as well.

Thinking About Thinking Chickens, Lori Marino

Animal Sentience

This response focuses on three major conceptual threads that run through the peer commentary on my target article: (1) how the use of chickens influences our views of them, (2) whether education is effective, and (3) what components of chicken psychology are most relevant to understanding who chickens are.

The Life History Of Faxonius Rusticus (Girard, 1852) In Sunfish Creek, Monroe County, Ohio, Kyle Mcgill

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Crayfish are among the most imperiled faunal groups globally. The continued spread of invasive species is a major impact to crayfish. Invasive species, much like the native species, are often understudied. As declines continue, invasive species spread, and new species are discovered; additional life history studies are as important as ever for crayfish conservation. Life history data was collected for rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) from October 2017 to September 2018 in Sunfish Creek, Monroe County, Ohio. Faxonius rusticus are native to the Ohio River drainage around Cincinnati, Ohio but have extensively expanded their range over the past 30 years. Sunfish …