Meeting Abstract 44.4  Monday, Jan. 5 11:00  Grasping, gait and arboreal stability in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) CHADWELL, B.A.*; YOUNG, J.W.; NEOMED, OH; NEOMED, OH bchadwell@neomed.edu The modulation of torque about arboreal supports is a critical component of stability for tree-living animals, particularly when moving on narrow branches. Within the primate literature, the combination of grasping hands […]

Meeting Abstract 44.2  Monday, Jan. 5 10:30  Effects of Surface Diameter on Jumping in Two Gecko Species GRABAR, R.G**; GILMAN, C; IRSCHICK , D.J; University of Massachusetts Amherst ; University of Massachusetts Amherst ; University of Massachusetts Amherst rgrabar@umass.edu We tested the hypothesis that surface diameter influenced the jumping ability of two gecko species. We hypnotized that […]

Meeting Abstract 44.1  Monday, Jan. 5 10:15  Coping with compliance during take-off and landing in the Diamond dove (Geopelia cuneata) CRANDELL, KE*; SMITH, AF; TOBALSKE, BW; University of Montana; University of Montana; University of Montana kristen.crandell@umontana.edu http://kriscrandell.com Birds appear to transition smoothly from aerial to terrestrial environments via take-off and landing. These transitions are presumably under high […]

Meeting Abstract 44.7  Monday, Jan. 5 11:45  Constraints and innovations in terrestrial locomotion: how geckos modulate adhesion and limb kinematics with changes in incline HIGHAM, T.E.*; BIRN-JEFFERY, A.; Univ. of California, Riverside; Univ. of California, Riverside thigham@ucr.edu http://www.biomechanics.ucr.edu Geckos, like other vertebrates, must move up and down inclines in their natural habitat. They often utilize an adhesive […]

Meeting Abstract 44.3  Monday, Jan. 5 10:45  Characterization of mechanical properties of bed bug cuticle (Cimex lectularius) BUSTAMANTE JR., J.*; PANZARINO, J.F.; RUPERT, T.J.; LOUDON, C.; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Irvine bustamaj@uci.edu As a result of the plant-herbivore coevolutionary arms race, plants have evolved a variety […]

Meeting Abstract 44-1  Tuesday, Jan. 5 08:00  Xenacoelomorpha is the sister group to Nephrozoa CANNON, J.T.; VELLUTINI, B.C.; SMITH III, J.; RONQUIST, F.; JONDELIUS, U.; HEJNOL, A.*; Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm; Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, Bergen; Winthrop University, South Carolina; Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm; Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm; Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, Bergen andreas.hejnol@uib.no […]

Meeting Abstract 44-2  Tuesday, Jan. 5 08:15  Tracing the origin of nephridia by characterizing excretion related gene complement in Xenacoelomorpha. ANDRIKOU, C.*; RUIZ-SANTIESTEBAN, A.J.; HEJNOL, A.; Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, Bergen; Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, Bergen; Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, Bergen carmen.andrikou@uib.no Excretion is the process of eliminating […]

Meeting Abstract 44-6  Tuesday, Jan. 5 09:15  Interactions of Par/aPKC complex components are necessary for endodermal epithelial integrity of Nematostella vectensis embryos SALINAS-SAAVEDRA, M*; MARTINDALE, MQ; University of Florida, Florida mssaavedra@whitney.ufl.edu The emergence of organized epithelia was undoubtedly one of the most significant events in metazoan evolution. The integrity of this tissue depends on the polarization and […]

Meeting Abstract 44-5  Tuesday, Jan. 5 09:00  Insights into the Evolution of Bilateral Symmetry: a Cnidarians Perspective SIMMONS, D.K.*; CREAMER, K.E.; STEPHENSON, T.Q.; MARTINDALE, M.Q.; University of Florida davidsim@whitney.ufl.edu Dorsal-ventral patterning in bilaterians is controlled by the highly conserved BMP signaling pathway. Morphogenic gradients of BMP signaling and their modulators control the specification of cell fates along […]

Meeting Abstract 44-3  Tuesday, Jan. 5 08:30  Examining the roles of α-catenin/vinculin related proteins in sponges and choanoflagellates MITCHELL, JM*; NICHOLS, SA; University of Denver yinnismc@gmail.com Understanding the evolution and ancestral functions of cell-cell adhesion proteins promises to shed light on how animal multicellularity evolved, and how the first animal tissues were assembled. Here, we examined the […]