MEYER, Christopher P.*; KOHN, Alan J.; University of Washington and Univ. of Florida; University of Washington: Disparate evolutionary trajectories in two hyperdiverse tropical marine gastropod genera In tropical seas, coral reef-associated environments support maximal benthic biodiversity. Hyperdiverse genera (containing 100->500 species) in several animal groups contribute importantly to the high species diversity. We are investigating […]

DAVIS, R. L.; STEINMAN, M. *; JOHNSON, K. B.; Florida Institute of Technology: The Responses of Marine Invertebrate Larvae to Predator Chemical Cues in the Laboratory We are exposing marine invertebrate larvae to water-borne signals from planktonic and benthic predators as the larvae approach metamorphic competence. In predator treatments, living predators are included in larval […]

DEAL, K. J.; JOHNSON, K. B.*; Florida Institute of Technology: The Effects of Food Level and Trophic Copper on the Development and Metamorphosis of Lytechinus variegatus Larvae Pluteus larvae of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus were raised on algae contaminated by a range of toxic copper concentrations (free Cu2+). The microalga Rhodomonas lens, after being […]

RUGGIERO, R.P*; VON KALM, L.; University of Central Florida; University of Central Florida: Genetic analysis of the intersection between ecdysone and intracellular signaling during Drosophila leg and wing morphogenesis Epithelial morphogenesis is a critical process in the metamorphosis of holometabolis insects, and the product of coordinated endocrine, paracrine, and intracellular signaling events. Our work, and […]

INFANTE, C.R.; Harvard University: Deiodinases and the control of metamorphosis in the carnivorous larvae of the anuran Lepidobatrachus laevis Anuran metamorphosis is one of the most extreme processes in vertebrate development. Typically it transforms a microphagous, herbivorous, aquatic larva into a macrophagous, terrestrial adult. This process is dependent on thyroid hormone (TH), which initiates – […]

HANDRIGAN, G.R.; HAAS, A.; WASSERSUG, R.J.*; Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada; University of Hamburg, Germany; Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada: Bony-tailed tadpoles: The form, function, and fate of supernumerary caudal vertebrae in anurans The anuran axial skeleton consists of no more than 9 presacral vertebrae, a single sacral vertebra, and a coccyx fused with the urostyle. The […]

KERNEY, Ryan; Harvard University: An unexpected role for the skeletal regulator Runx2 in anuran development The runt related transcription factor Runx2 has profound effects on differentiation of the vertebrate skeleton. In zebrafish, chicken, and mouse its mRNA is expressed in early skeletal condensations, and its active protein is critical for the formation of mineralized bone […]

DAVIDOWITZ, G.*; ROFF, D.A.; NIJHOUT, H.F.; University of Arizona; University of California, Riverside; Duke University: The physiological regulation of simultaneously selected life history traits. Integrating physiology and selection experiments can be a powerful tool when asking one of the central questions of evolutionary biology: why do traits respond to selection the way that they do? […]

KINDSVATER, HK*; BONSALL, MB; MANGEL, M; Univ. of Florida; Univ. of Oxford; Univ. of California, Santa Cruz: Physical and Ecological Correlates of Longevity in Pacific Rockfishes (Sebastes) We examined correlations in ecological and physical habitat traits of members of the genus Sebastes, a diverse group of fishes in the family Scorpaenidae that inhabit the North […]

WALGUARNERY, J.W.; University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Nonrandom patterns of sex determination in Anolis lizards Despite the general selective advantage afforded parents investing equally in sons and daughters, deviations from random sex determination do occur and can provide important insight into reproductive adaptation. Recently it was discovered that individuals of the lizard, Anolis carolinensis, a taxon […]