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The systematics and evolution of Lantaneae (Verbenaceae), a molecular phylogenetic approach
(2013-07-25)
Lantaneae are a morphologically variable group of 300-400 species, representing the largest tribe within Verbenaceae. They are widespread and diverse in the new world tropics and subtropics; some members are native to Africa, and others, most notably the <italic>Lantana camara</italic> complex, have spread across the globe ...
Embryonic xanthophore fate in the zebrafish, Danio rerio
(2014-04-30)
Pigment patterns are one of the most diverse and visually appealing traits of any animal, playing important behavioral and ecological roles in mate choice, shoaling and predator avoidance. In the zebrafish, <italic>Danio rerio</italic>, these patterns result from the organization of neural crest derived pigment cells, offering ...
The evolutionary implications of alternative larval development in ascidians
(2013-07-25)
Considering traits that facilitate and inhibit evolutionary diversification can best be done with traits where the genetic and developmental basis is known. My PhD. research has focused on the evolutionary implications of larval development in molgulid ascidians. Ascidians or sea squirts, are a group of tunicates, which ...
Evolutionary Dynamics of Pine Squirrels (Tamiasciurus) in Western North America
(2013-07-25)
The evolution of new phenotypes and species is a population genetic process that is governed by four fundamental forces: natural selection, drift, mutation, and gene flow. Ecological genetics is the reciprocal interaction between population genetic theory and empirical observations from nature and the laboratory. Here I present ...
Physiological and behavioral responses to temperature and flow in the barnacle Balanus glandula Darwin (1854)
(2013-11-14)
Given the scale and pace of anthropogenic change in marine environments, it is important to understand the manner in which organisms respond to environmental uncertainty. For many aquatic species, fundamental processes such respiration and feeding are potentially limited by the exchange of materials to and from their fluid ...
The Paleobiology of South African Therocephalian Therapsids (Amniota, Synapsida) and the Effects of the End-Permian Extinction on Size, Growth, and Bone Microstructure
(2013-11-14)
Despite their relative diversity in terrestrial Permian and Triassic rocks, the fossil record of therocephalian therapsids (Eutheriodontia) and their utility for understanding evolutionary patterns in the therapsid forerunners of mammals remains poorly understood. In this study, I investigate the extent to which body size ...
The endocrinology and evolution of tropical social wasps: from casteless groups to high societies
(2013-04-17)
The endocrinology and behavior of three social vespid wasps was studied in northeast Brazil (São Cristóvão, Sergipe) from 2010-2011. There were two main objectives of this work: to test a hypothesis on the origin of reproductive castes (i.e. queen and worker phenotypes) in a communal species (Zethus miniatus: Eumeninae), and ...
Filtration at the mega-scale: Exploring the filter morphology and filtration mechanisms in the cartilaginous fishes
(2013-04-17)
Suspension feeding in the cartilaginous fishes evolved approximately 66-22 million years ago and is manifest in four independently evolved lineages of fishes (Cetorhinidae, Megachasmidae, Rhincodontidae, and Mobulidae). The mechanisms of filtration used by fishes are reflective of the morphology and composition of the filtering ...
Boundaries and dynamics of biomes
(2014-02-24)
Species are packed into biogeographic zones, where evolution can effectively operate independently to forge evolutionary novelty. Biomes are perhaps the most relevant unit of evolutionary progress, with the vast majority of evolutionary radiations being constrained within their walls. A fundamental question in Macroecology ...
The Circadian Regulation Of Glucocorticoid Release In Rodents
(2013-02-25)
Nearly all organisms living near the surface of the Earth contain circadian (circa - "about"; diem- "day") clocks functioning as an endogenous timekeeping mechanism by which the organism can coordinate biological processes with 24h cycles in the external environment (such as the daily light:dark cycle). In nature, the ~24h ...