Meeting Abstract 58-2  Sunday, Jan. 5 10:15 – 10:30  Examining the Evolution of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) Pathway Ligands in Insects TEWS, VH*; BARNETT, AA; DeSales University; DeSales Univeristy vt7905@desales.edu The EGF pathway is a highly conserved and ubiquitously used cell signaling cascade in the development of many animals. In the highly studied Drosophila melanogaster, four ligands […]

Meeting Abstract 58-6  Sunday, Jan. 5 11:15 – 11:30  Evo-Devo Biorobotics: Masquerading Genomes and the Mapping of Genotype to Phenotype in Embodied Agent Models LONG, JH*; AARON, E; LIVINGSTON, K; HAWTHORNE-MADELL, J; Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY; Colby College, Waterville, ME; Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY; Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY jolong@vassar.edu By Barbara Webb’s codification, biorobots test hypotheses about […]

Meeting Abstract 58-4  Sunday, Jan. 5 10:45 – 11:00  Developmental systems drift in tunicate neural gene regulatory elements LOPEZ JUAREZ, J*; VENTURA, D; ZHANG, L; DAVIDSON, B J; Swarthmore College; Swarthmore College; Swarthmore College; Swarthmore College jlopezj1@swarthmore.edu Developmental mechanisms often remain stable despite changes in the architecture of underlying gene regulatory networks (GRNs). This evolutionary process is […]

THOMPSON, J.T.: The ontogeny of squid mantle structure and function The mantle of cephalopod molluscs is composed of a complicated arrangement of several different muscle and connective tissue components. Much is known about mantle structure and function in adult squid. However, significant alterations in mantle organization occur during ontogeny that may entail significant changes in […]

BARKER, J.U.; ASHLEY-ROSS, M.A.*: The effect of fiber type heterogeneity on work and power output of hindlimb muscles of the tiger salamander Most vertebrate muscles are composed of a mixture of fiber types. However, study of the mechanical performance of muscle has concentrated on homogeneous bundles of muscle fibers. Muscles in the hindlimb of the […]

Wyneken, J.*; Steinberg, F.: The Use of CT and Functional MRI to Examine Cardiopulmonary Structure and Function in Ecologically Distinct Species of Turtles. Sea turtles are secondarily aquatic are migratory specialists. As such, they possess suites of morphological, behavioral and physiological adaptations for migratory life. These include unique sets of cardiopulmonary structures that may serve […]

HOOGE, M.D.*; TYLER, S.: Non-muscle actin in sclerotic components of the female reproductive system of acoel turbellarians The seminal bursa of many acoel turbellarians is associated with an insemination canal, called a mouthpiece or nozzle, that appears sclerotized–that is, stiff and refractile by light microscopy. The mouthpiece is composed of stacks of ring-shaped cells and […]

CAVEY, M.J.*; WILKENS, J.L.: F-actin in the Amuscular Arteries of the American Lobster Seven vessels leave the heart of the lobster Homarus americanus: the unpaired anterior median artery, sternal artery, and dorsal abdominal artery and the paired anterior lateral arteries and hepatic arteries. Superficially, these arteries have a common, relatively-simple organization, consisting of an elastic […]

SCHAACK, S.*; CHAPMAN, L.J.: Cascading effects of hypoxia on the functional morphology, ecology, and diversification of an African cyprinid. Adaptive change in one character may affect associated, but functionally unrelated, characters in an adaptive or non-adaptive way. For example, in some fish species, individuals living in low oxygen environments have larger gills than conspecifics living […]

OMANA, E.C.*; SHUSTER, S.M.: The Ecology and Reproductive Biology of Paradella dianae (Crustacea: Isopoda) Sphaeromatid isopods are distributed worldwide, primarily in shallow marine waters. Paradella dianae is a sexually dimorphic sphaeromatid isopod that inhabits many localities, including the northern Gulf of California. To examine the reproductive biology of this species, we made six collections of […]