DELPH, Lynda F.*; ASHMAN, Tia-Lynn; Indiana University; University of Pittsburgh: Traits affecting mate acquisition in flowering plants: harmony vs. opposition among traits and sex functions Sexual selection can occur in plants even though individuals do not directly interact via a process known as interaction-independent sexual selection.� For example, if variation exists among individuals in flower […]

MICHIELS, N. K.; BRAUER, B.; University of Muenster, Germany; University of Groningen, Netherlands: The transition from hermaphroditism to dioecy: is sexual conflict important? Hermaphroditism can outcompete gonochorism when mating opportunities are unpredictable and rare, resulting in diminishing returns for the male function. But what happens to hermaphrodites with frequent mating chances? Empirical data from frequently […]

WEEKS, Stephen C.; The University of Akron: The evolution of androdioecy in the ephemeral pool clam shrimp, Eulimnadia texana In androdioecious species, males coexist with hermaphrodites. Androdioecy is rare, found in only a handful of species, and is thought to be a short-lived mechanism for species transitioning from hermaphroditic to gonochoristic reproduction. Most androdioecious species […]

KOENE, J.M.; Vrije Universiteit: Tales of two snails: Sexual selection and sexual conflict in Lymnaea stagnalis and Helix aspersa Sexual selection and sexual conflict have been shown to play key roles in the evolution of species with separate sexes. Experimental evidence is accumulating that this is also true for simultaneous hermaphrodites. For example, many species […]

WEBSTER, Joanne P.; Imperial College Faculty of Medicine: Snails and Schistosomes – Sex and Success. Biomphalaria glabrata are simultaneous hermaphroditic freshwater snails that act as intermediate hosts for the macroparasitic trematode Schistosoma mansoni, the causative agent of schistosomiasis. Heritability and strain-specificity of both snail resistance and susceptibility to schistosome infection have been documented in this […]

PETERSEN, C.W.; College of the Atlantic: Sexual conflict and cooperation in hermaphroditic fishes Mating behavior in simultaneously hermaphroditic seabasses has been often cited as an example of cooperation among unrelated conspecifics. The predominant mating behavior in this group involves egg trading, where individuals reciprocally fertilize parcels of eggs from a partner. Egg trading has been […]

BAUER, R.T.; Univ. Louisiana, Lafayette: Same Sexual System but Variable Sociobiology: Evolution of Protandric Simultaneous Hermaphroditism in Lysmata Shrimps Hermaphroditism is rare in decapod crustaceans except for protandry (male to female sex change) in over 40 caridean shrimp species. In Lysmata spp., individuals go through a male phase (MP) before changing to the female phase […]

HERNANDEZ, LP; George Washington University: Zebrafish: A model system for investigating the generation of novel feeding mechanisms Most research using zebrafish exploits the enormous conservation seen within vertebrate embryogenesis and early larval development. Such conserved processes allow easy extrapolation regarding biomedical implications. Yet in ignoring what makes zebrafish different, we are overlooking the utility of […]

MABEE, P.M.; Univ. of South Dakota, Vermillion: Integrating CToL-related studies with available phenotype and genomics databases for the zebrafish The developing phenotype figures prominently in the work of developmental biology, and connecting gene expression and function to phenotypic effects are major emphases in studies of zebrafish and other model organisms. Approaches toward making this connection […]

MCCUNE, A.R.; Cornell University: Insights from natural variation in Danio rerio Most genetic screens of zebrafish have relied on artificial mutagenesis to generate genetic mutants. However, by inbreeding individuals from wild populations of zebrafish, many natural mutations can be recovered. Study of such natural mutants can be just as informative about genetic and developmental mechanisms […]