HARPER, F.M.*; Dalhousie University: Morphological and phylogenetic analyses of Asterias forbesi and A. rubens in sympatry and allopatry. The seastars Asterias forbesi and A. rubens co-occur in a zone of secondary contact from Nova Scotia to Cape Hatteras. The initial vicariance event occurred about 3 Mya resulting in a North American and a European species. […]

ADDISON, J.A.; Dalhousie University: Circumpolar phylogeography of the green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis). The green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis is a circumpolar species found subtidally at high latitudes. These urchins are thought to have colonized the north Atlantic from the north Pacific shortly after the Bering Seaway opened 3-3.5 Mya. Glaciation events during the Pleistocene […]

BERGMANN, P.J.*; RUSSELL, A.P.; University of Calgary; University of Calgary: Application of Bayesian inference in the phylogenetic analysis of multiple data sources: Intraspecific systematics of the turnip-tailed gecko. Bayesian inference is used to implement a maximum likelihood approach to analysis of morphological, morphometric, and mtDNA sequence data obtained from samples of the neotropical gecko, Thecadactylus […]

KELSO, Erin*; MARTINS, Emilia; Indiana University; Indiana University: The evolution of color pattern morphology within the true chameleons The true chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are recognized for their unique adaptations, including the ability to undergo rapid color changes that facilitate social communication. Very little research, however, has addressed the evolution of color pattern morphology or their […]

SPINAR, S.M.; REED, W.L.; CLARK, M.E.; North Dakota State University; North Dakota State University; North Dakota State University: Sex ratios in the American coot (Fulica americana) Several recent studies in avian ecology suggest that females are capable of controlling the sex of their offspring. It has been hypothesized that females increase their reproductive fitness by […]

KROCHMAL, A.R.; GARDNER, C.E.; Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, USA; Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, USA: Potent poison or Liquid Lysol: On the evolutionary origins of snake venom Snakes have been generally classified as being either venomous or non venomous, a dogma that has been recently challenged by the widespread occurrence of medically significant bites […]

RAGLAND, GJ; KINGSOLVER, JG; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Interaction of thermal biology and diapause timing in pitcher plant mosquitoes In temperate, seasonal environments the occurrence of a dormant life history stage is generally believed to be a consequence of limits to thermal tolerance and/or performance: […]

COLLIN, Rachel; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Effects of Conspecific Associations on Size at Sex Change in Calyptraeid Gastropods Sex change is widespread among both vertebrates and invertebrates. In marine molluscs sex change is often labile and is thought to be largely the result of interactions with conspecifics. Calyptraeid gastropods have been the subject of several […]

SINCLAIR, B.J.; CHOWN, S.L.; Univ. Nevada, Las Vegas; Univ. Stellenbosch, South Africa: Climatic variability and hemispheric differences in insect cold tolerance: Support from southern Africa Insects generally survive sub-zero temperatures by utilising either freeze tolerance or freeze avoidance. Meta-analyses from a limited dataset have indicated that freeze tolerance may be predominant among species at temperate […]

DEMPSEY, T.D.*; ESMAILKA, L.R.; HAGOOD, J.G.; KITAYSKY, A.S.; Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks; Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks; Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks; Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks: Perception of food availability affects the adrenocortical stress response of Northern Shovelers In birds, corticosterone (CORT) secretion increases in response to nutritional deficits. In this study, we examined whether the perception […]