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Full-Text Articles in Genetics and Genomics
Phylogeny, Systematics And Biogeography Of Short-Tailed Opossums (Didelphidae: Monodelphis), Silvia E. Pavan
Phylogeny, Systematics And Biogeography Of Short-Tailed Opossums (Didelphidae: Monodelphis), Silvia E. Pavan
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Short-tailed opossums (genus Monodelphis) comprise the most species-rich genus of New World marsupials, with 25 currently recognized species. Monodelphis comprise small, terrestrial species collectively widespread in South America, which makes the group potentially informative about biogeographic processes that have shaped the continental fauna. The genus exhibits striking variation in several phenotypic characters, notably pelage coloration, behavior, and reproductive strategies. This diversity is unique among Neotropical marsupials, and makes the group particularly interesting to investigate the evolution and the adaptive significance of phenotypic trait variation. Despite this potential, missing knowledge on phylogeny and basic taxonomy precludes broader studies on evolution …
Comparative Population Genomics And Speciation Of Snakes Across The North American Deserts, Edward A. Myers
Comparative Population Genomics And Speciation Of Snakes Across The North American Deserts, Edward A. Myers
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Understanding the process of speciation is of central interest to evolutionary biologists. Speciation can be studied using a phylogeographic approach, by identifying regions that promote lineage divergence, addressing whether speciation has occurred with gene flow, and when extended to multiple taxa, addressing if the same patterns of speciation are shared across codistributed groups with different ecologies. Here I examine the comparative phylogeographic histories and population genomics of thirteen snake taxa that are widely distributed and co-occur across the arid southwest of North America. I first quantify the degree to which these species groups have a shared history of population divergence …
The Evolution Of The Viral Rna Sensor Oas1 In Old World Monkeys And Cetartiodactyls, Ian Fish
The Evolution Of The Viral Rna Sensor Oas1 In Old World Monkeys And Cetartiodactyls, Ian Fish
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Animals produce an array of sensors patrolling the intracellular environment poised to detect and respond to viral infection. The oligoadenylate synthetase family of enzymes comprises a crucial part of this innate immune response, directly signaling endonuclease activity responsible for inhibiting viral replication. Oligoadenylate synthetase 1 plays a vital role in animal susceptibility to pathogens including flaviviruses such as dengue, West Nile, and hepatitis c virus. This thesis includes a population level analysis of OAS1 diversity within macaque and baboon species followed by a broader survey of the gene in nineteen Old World monkeys. My research found that at the species …