JAMNICZKY, Heather A.; BRINKMAN, Donald B.; RUSSELL, Anthony P.; University of Calgary, Canada; Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller, Canada; University of Calgary, Canada: The Utility of Cranial Arterial Canals and Foramina in the Resolution of Problems in Turtle Phylogeny Turtles have long been considered to be representative of the primitive amniote condition and have […]

BABBITT, C.C.; PATEL, N.H.; University of Chicago; University of Chicago: Phylogenetic relationships within the Malacostraca (Crustacea) based on 18S and 28S rDNA sequences The Malacostraca is the most speciose and morphologically diverse class in the Crustacea, with approximately 30,000 described species. However, because of this diversity in body plan it has been proposed that morphological […]

ARONOWSKY, Audrey; Univ. of California, Berkeley: Evolution of a complex synapomorphy in naticid gastropods Naticid gastropods are a diverse and ecologically important family of marine snails. Previous morphological phylogenetic analyses of Naticidae have demonstrated the monophyly of the family and its close relationship to more derived caenogastropods such as the cypraeids and lamellarids. Several complex […]

SANTOS, SR; GUTIERREZ-RODRIGUEZ, C; LASKER, HR; COFFROTH, MA*; University of Arizona, Tucson; University at Buffalo, NY; University at Buffalo, NY; University at Buffalo, NY: Microsatellites detect high levels of genetic variation and population structure in dinoflagellates symbiotic with the Caribbean gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae Invertebrate-Symbiodinium associations are a common occurrence in marine environments. While a number […]

STRANGE, Rex; Southeast Missouri State University: Historical Biogeography of the Stripetail Darter, Etheostoma kennicotti (Osteichthyes: Percidae), and the origin of the upper Cumberland River Fish Fauna The stripetail darter (Etheostoma kennicotti kennicotti) occurs in headwater tributaries of the lower Ohio River, including the Green and Tennessee rivers. Another subspecies, E. kennicotti cumberlandicum, is endemic to […]

WOURMS, J.P.*; KRUEGER, D.; Clemson University; Clemson University: Gycogen in Gut-Based Embryonic Nutrition of Ataeniobius toweri, A Viviparous Goodeid Fish with Rudimentary Trophotaeniae. A. toweri, long considered the only goodeid whose embryos lack trophotaeniae (external hindgut derivatives), actually have rudimentary trophotaeniae equivalent to an early stage in other goodeids, e.g. Ameca. Prior to parturition, trophotaeniae […]

HUSSAIN, Sofia ; LIVINGSTON, Brian T; University of South Florida; University of South Florida: Codon Usage in a Gene Containing Unusual Repeats within the Coding Region Repetitive DNA sequences often undergo concerted evolution leading to homogenization though unequal crossover and gene conversion. However base substitution can limit unequal crossing over thereby diversifying each repeat. When […]

ANGILLETTA, M.J.*; DUNHAM, A.E.; Indiana State Univ., Terre Haute; Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: The temperature-size rule in ectotherms: simple evolutionary explanations may not be general In many organisms, individuals in colder environments exhibit slower growth but larger adult body size. This widespread pattern is embodied by two well-established rules: Bergmann’s rule and the temperature-size rule. […]

HART, M. W.*; PODOLSKY, R. D.; Dalhousie Univ.; Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Phylogeny and life history evolution of Macrophiothrix brittlestars Macrophiothrix are a species-rich group of geographically widespread tropical brittlestars. Eighteen taxonomically well-characterized species are known from Australia. We inferred phylogenetic relationships among 12 Australian Macrophiothrix species using mitochondrial DNA sequences. Duplicate haplotypes […]

GOVINDARAJAN, A.F.*; CUNNINGHAM, C.W.; HALANYCH, K.M.; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA; Duke University, Durham, NC; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA: Life Cycle Evolution and Systematics of Campanulariid Hydrozoans (Cnidaria) The goal of this research is to understand evolution of life cycles and systematics in Campanulariid Hydrozoans (Cnidaria). Life cycle diversity is a hallmark of the […]