Meeting Abstract 63.3  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Tooth Whorls in Chondrichthyes: The Edestoids, Helicoprion, and other Nightmarish Sharks of the Past LUND, R.*; GROGAN, E.D.; Carnegie Museum; Saint Joseph’s University rlund@sju.edu Tooth arches or whorls of the Edestoid and Helicoprionid Chondrichthyes (Euchondrocephali) of the Upper Paleozoic are borne upon calcified cartilage and bear triangular serrated teeth like those […]

Meeting Abstract 63.5  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Convergence and parallelism in the evolution of Anolis tail length MAHLER, D.L.; Harvard University lmahler@oeb.harvard.edu In Anolis lizards, similar environments have spurred the evolution of similar species numerous times. But have these species evolved to look the same via the same mechanisms (parallelism), or has similarity been achieved through different evolutionary […]

Meeting Abstract 63.4  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Body size within species groups; do snail taxa have a specific size? DEMAINTENON, Marta; Univ. of Hawaii, Hilo demainte@hawaii.edu Variation in body size within animal taxa involves anatomical differences, which may take the form of differences in cell numbers, cell size, and/ or variation in overall anatomy. Evolutionary decrease in body […]

Meeting Abstract 63.1  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Bayesian Inference of Discrete Character States ORGAN, Chris*; MEADE, Andrew; PAGEL, Mark; Harvard University corgan@oeb.harvard.edu Most evidence for understanding the biology of extinct organisms is absent from the fossil record. For example, evidence for behavior, genetics, and physiology rarely fossilize. Yet, as a primary research goal, paleontologists endeavor to reconstruct the […]

Meeting Abstract 62.3  Tuesday, Jan. 6  The Role of Melatonin in the Cellular Processes in the suppression of Asexual Reproduction in Stenostomum virginianum (Platyhelminthes, Catenulida) STANTON, Daniel L*; SMITH III, Julian PS; Winthrop University; Winthrop University stantond2@winthrop.edu Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone responsible for diurnal activity in organisms ranging from single-celled algae to humans. We found […]

Meeting Abstract 62.2  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Larval settlement, primary tube formation, and the role of the primary tube in the polychaete Hydroides elegans HADFIELD, M. G.*; HUGGETT, M.; University of Hawaii at Manoa; University of Hawaii at Manoa hadfield@hawaii.edu Larvae of the serpulid polychaete Hydroides elegans, a common member of tropical marine fouling communities, settle selectively on […]

Meeting Abstract 62.1  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Identifying genes from a marine bacterium that are involved in metamorphic induction of the tube worm Hydroides elegans HUANG, Ying*; HADFIELD, Michael G; Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa; Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa yinghuan@hawaii.edu The marine tube worm Hydroides elegans provides an excellent model for laboratory studies of invertebrate metamorphosis. Competent […]

Meeting Abstract 62.5  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Disruption of tissue morphogenesis in pesticide-exposed Xenopus laevis tadpoles LENKOWSKI, J.R.**; MCLAUGHLIN, K.M.; Tufts Univ., Medford, MA jenny.lenkowski@tufts.edu A countless number of anthropogenic chemicals are released into the environment every day without a full understanding of how they may affect non-target organisms. One such chemical is the widely used herbicide atrazine. […]

Meeting Abstract 61.4  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Parallel evolution of key innovations in a phylum of modular animals DICK, M.H.; GORDON, D.P.; LIDGARD, S.*; MAWATARI, S.F.; Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo, Japan; National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand; Field Museum, Chicago; Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo, Japan slidgard@fieldmuseum.org Analysis of convergent structures is emerging as a powerful tool […]

Meeting Abstract 61.5  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Neoblasts in Nemertodermatida SMITH III, Julian P.S.*; EGGER, Bernhard ; TYLER, Seth; LADURNER, Peter; ACHATZ, Johannes; MERLIE, Sara; Winthrop University; University of Innsbruck; University of Maine; University of Innsbruck; University of Maine; Winthrop University smithj@winthrop.edu Our current understanding of the stem-cell (neoblast) system in Platyhelminthes comes primarily from a wealth of […]