WOURMS, J P; Clemson University, SC: The Abdominal Gut Appendage, An Unique Feature of Mesopelagic Fish Larvae The abdominal gut appendage (AGA) occurs in some mesopelagic fish larvae within the Orders Stomiiformes. Ophidiiformes, Myctophiformes, and Pleuronectiformes. It is a long, thin, cylindrical extension of the ventral body wall, coelom, blood vascular system, and hindgut. It […]

TORDAY, J.S.; ROMERO, S.; SANTOS, J.; WANG, Y.; REHAN, V.K.; University of California- Los Angeles; University of California- Los Angeles; University of California- Los Angeles; University of California- Los Angeles; University of California- Los Angeles: Parathyroid Hormone-related Protein (PTHrP) Signaling: Molecular Link from Lung Development to Physiology, Phylogeny and Evolution. PTHrP and PTHrP receptor are […]

STELLWAG, Edmund/J; SETHI, Pooja/R; HOCHBERG, Robert; SCEMAMA, Jean-Luc; East Carolina University; East Carollina University; East Carolina University; East Carolina University: Evolution of developmental gene cis-regulatory elements We developed a computational method for the identification of putative cis-regulatory elements, which incorporates a direct measure of the effects of selection as a determinant in non-protein coding sequence […]

WILLMORE, K; LOZANOFF, S; ZELDITCH, M; HALLGRIMSSON, B; Univ. of Calgary; Univ of Hawaii, Honolulu; Univ. of Michigan; Univ. of Calgary: Direct and Indirect Developmental Effects of a Craniofacial Mutation in a Mouse Model Mutations have been shown to disrupt development directly by creating obvious phenotypic deviations that occur in all individuals with the mutation. […]

ZELDITCH, M.L.*; MEZEY, J.; GARLAND, T.; LUNDRIGAN, B.L.; Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Univ. of California, Davis; Univ. of California, Riverside; Michigan State Univ.: Canalization Restructures Variance The structure of phenotypic variation is determined by the balance of processes generating, forestalling and reducing variance. Because canalization both forestalls and reduces variance, it potentially plays an […]

GREENE, MICHAEL/J; UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER: THE ROLE OF CUTICULAR HYDROCARBON STRUCTURAL COMPLEXITY IN ANT RECOGNITION CUES In social insects, suites of hydrocarbon molecules present on the cuticle, known as hydrocarbon profiles, act as multi-component recognition cues. Social insects can use variation in hydrocarbon profiles as recognition cues in order to recognize group membership […]

TRICAS, T.C.; BOYLE, K.S.; DALE, J.; Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu: Sound production and social pairing in laterophysic butterflyfishes All 87 species of butterflyfishes in the genus Chaetodon (family Chaetodontidae) have a laterophysic connection, a unique anatomical linkage between the swim bladder, lateral line and inner ear. This morphological feature is hypothesized to impart sound pressure […]

NOLAN, P M; JOUVENTIN, P; DOBSON, FS; Arizona State Univ.; CNRS-France; Auburn Univ.: Plumage color predicts immune response in king penguins Mate choice is particularly important in slow-breeding species, like king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), because a poor choice of mate can not be corrected for a year or more. King penguin males are not territorial, […]

WELCH, A.M.*; REICHERT, M.S.; Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Plasticity in frog calling: sexier rivals elicit costlier calls In many species, males aggregate and display during the breeding season, while females choose among potential mates based on display attractiveness. Social interactions among males within these groups can affect […]

OSTERBERG, J.S.; RITTSCHOF, D.; FORWARD, JR. , R.B.; Duke University Marine Lab: Ontogenic Changes in Chemically Mediated Rheotaxis by Blue Crabs, Callinectes sapidus: Implications for Secondary Dispersal Secondary dispersal of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) juveniles from initial settlement habitats (often seagrass beds) to the wider estuarine environment is a crucial step in the blue crab […]