MOORE, F. B.-G.; BAGATTO, B.; University of Akron; University of Akron: Evolutioary response to oxygen stress in Zebrafish (Danio rerio): An Experimental Evolution Approach Measurements of adaptation have traditionally been performed by comparisons between taxa. Inherent in this approach is a confounding of natural selection and other uncontrolled factors. This has led to a criticism […]

LIU, W; VLECK, CM; Iowa State Univ.; Iowa State Univ.: Does oxidative damage to DNA increase with age in birds? Aerobic respiration and exposure to various exogenous agents results in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause oxidative damage to biological systems. Cumulative damage to cellular macromolecules, like DNA, may contribute significantly to […]

SHOOK, D.S. *; KELLER, R.; University of Virginia, Charlottesville: Variation among Amphibians of Morphogenetic Mechanisms Driving Gastrulation Vertebrate embryos use a great variety of mechanisms to drive morphogenesis during gastrulation and neurulation, as they reorganize a simple ball or sheet of cells into a complex tube that has most of the features of the adult […]

MARTINEZ, G.M.; Univ. of New Hampshire: Early mantle function in embryonic squids. Abstract: The muscular mantle of squids has two primary functions:locomotion and respiration. In squid embryos, the mantle is able to contract well before hatching. The mantle contractions seen in early squid embryos are mainly attributed to incipient respiration and the movement of water […]

BRISCOE, AD; SISON-MANGUS, MP; Univ. of California, Irvine: Blue Opsin Genes for Blue Butterflies Physiological study has shown that butterflies belonging to the Lycaenidae or the �blues� have 4 spectral types of visual pigments (Bernard and Remington 1991). In this study, we characterized these visual pigments molecularly. A cDNA library from the eyes of 2 […]

KOROPATNICK, T; KIMBELL, J. R.; MCFALL-NGAI, M. J.; University of Hawaii, Honolulu: Bacteria-induced loss of ciliated epithelia: bacterial signal factors, hemocytes, and the light organ of a squid The loss of a ciliated epithelium is a common event during the metamorphosis of marine invertebrate larvae; however few studies have explored the underlying mechanisms. The squid […]

O’NEILL, M. W. *; GIBB, A. C.; Northern Arizona University; Northern Arizona University: Unexpected feeding asymmetries in the hogchoker, Trinectes maculatus We investigate the purpose and function of extreme morphological asymmetry of the jaw apparatus in flatfishes. Previous research demonstrated that species with greater morphological asymmetry of the jaws display greater behavioral asymmetry during feeding. […]

FRANCIS, JR., A. W.*; Saint Joseph’s University: Feeding Functional Morphology and Biomechanics of Southern Flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma An ontogenetic series of Paralichthys lethostigma was collected from aquaculture facilities and subsequently cleared and double stained for bone and cartilage. From photomicrographs of cleared and stained larvae, measurements were made of head shape, eye migration, quadratal angle, […]

HULSEY, C/D; Univ. of California, Davis: Evolutionary Decoupling of Oral and Pharyngeal Jaws in Central American Cichlid Fish I investigate whether a single species of cichlid fish, Herichthys minckleyi , possesses oral jaw mechanics that vary independently of mechanical and functional specializations in its pharyngeal jaw. One explanation for the unparalleled trophic raditaion in cichlid […]

LEVINE, Robert P.; MONROY , Jenna A. ; BRAINERD, Elizabeth L.; University of Massachusetts Amherst; Northern Arizona University; University of Massachusetts Amherst: Contribution of eye retraction to swallowing performance in the northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens Most frogs retract their eyes during swallowing. This observation has led to the suggestion that eye retraction may aid […]