Meeting Abstract 30.7  Friday, Jan. 4  Phylogenetic informativeness of nematocyst ultrastructure in Anthozoa REFT, AJ; Ohio State Univ. reft.1@osu.edu Nematocysts, intracellular stinging capsules, are a strong synapomorphy of phylum Cnidaria. The nematocyst, which consists of a capsule and tubule typically with spines, functions in prey capture, defense, and attachment to substrate. Because nematocysts have considerable morphological variation, […]

Meeting Abstract 30.9  Friday, Jan. 4  Molecular phylogeny and evolution of body size in sub-Saharan puddle frogs (Anura: Phrynobatrachidae) ZIMKUS, B.M.*; HANKEN, J.; Harvard University; Harvard University bzimkus@oeb.harvard.edu Miniaturization, or the evolution of decreased adult body size, is well documented within the class Amphibia. Although the effects of miniaturization on amphibian skeletal morphology are well known, including […]

Meeting Abstract 30.3  Friday, Jan. 4  Molecular Phylogenetics of Forcipulate Starfish (Echinodermata) MAH, Christopher*; FOLTZ, David ; NMNH Smithsonian Inst.; Louisiana State Univ. mahch@si.edu The Forcipulatacea is one of three major lineages of crown-group Asteroidea. Forcipulates occur in cold-temperate water settings at depths ranging from the intertidal (eg Pisaster) to the abyss(eg Freyella).Polar faunas are particularly diverse.Although […]

Meeting Abstract 30.1  Friday, Jan. 4  How quickly are eyes lost? A phylogenetic study of deep sea and shallow water cylindroleberidid ostracods. SYME, A.E.**; OAKLEY, T.H.O.; Univ. of California, Santa Barbara; Univ. of California, Santa Barbara anna.syme@gmail.com Animals migrating to the deep sea often lose their eyes over evolutionary timescales. How fast can it happen? And, contrary […]

Meeting Abstract 30.6  Friday, Jan. 4  Evolution of recent squids (Cephalopoda:Decapodiformes) inferrred from molecular data LINDGREN, AR; Ohio State University lindgren.11@osu.edu Cephalopods are an enigmatic group of mollusc consisting of squid, cuttlefish, and octopus which inhabit an array of marine ecosystems. The squid, or Decapodiformes, are of particular interest from an evolutionary standpoint due to their ecological […]

Meeting Abstract 30.8  Friday, Jan. 4  A Molecular Timescale For Snakes ALAMILLO, Hugo*; ALFARO, Michael E.; Washington State University; Washington State University halamillo@wsu.edu Despite a rich fossil record and a flurry of recent studies of snake origins, patterns of snake diversification remain poorly understood. Many hypotheses of snake evolution, such as accelerated diversification of colubroids during the […]

Meeting Abstract 30.11  Friday, Jan. 4  A Combined-Evidence of Anguimorpha (Reptilia, Squamata) CONRAD, JL*; NORELL, MA; AST, JC; AMNH; AMNH; Univ Mich jconrad@amnh.org Anguimorpha is a clade of limbed and limbless squamates with 181 extant species and a fossil record spanning 100 million years. Morphology-based (MB) and molecule/genetic-based (GB) phylogenetic analyses find contrasting hypotheses for phylogenetic relationships […]

Meeting Abstract 29.3  Friday, Jan. 4  Variation among families in cyprid response to surface wettability for the barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite HOLM, E.R.; Naval Surface Warfare Center, West Bethesda, MD eric.holm@navy.mil The attachment response of cypris larvae to surfaces of differing wettabilities varies among and within species of barnacles. I investigated whether variation in the wettability response within […]

Meeting Abstract 29.2  Friday, Jan. 4  Turbulent sex: assessing the effects of oscillatory flow on fertilization in the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis. KREGTING, L.T.*; YUND, P.O.; BASS, A.L; THOMAS, F.I.M.; University of Hawaii and University of New England, ME; University of New England, ME; University of Hawaii; University of Hawaii kregting@hawaii.edu Sea urchins live in a […]

Meeting Abstract 29.1  Friday, Jan. 4  Measuring the palatability of marine invertebrate embryos in the field ALLEN, JD; Bowdoin College jallen@bowdoin.edu The dispersive larval stages of marine invertebrates likely suffer high rates of mortality due to predation. Several studies have clearly demonstrated that the larval stages of marine invertebrates possess chemical defenses that effectively deter predation during […]