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Proquest Dissertations Ecogeographic, Adaptive, And Phylogenetic Variations In The Crested Duck (Lophonetta Specularioides) And Their Hemoglobins In The Andes Item Type Thesis Authors Bulgarella, Mariana Download date 03/10/2021 02:28:49 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/9072 ECOGEOGRAPHIC, ADAPTIVE, AND PHYLOGENETIC VARIATION IN THE CRESTED DUCK {LOPHONETTA SPECULARIOIDES) AND THEIR HEMOGLOBINS IN THE ANDES By Mariana Bulgarella RECOMMENDED: Dr. Kevin S. Winker Dr. Kevin G. McCracken A s" * Advisory Committee Chair ) Dr. Christa P. H. Mulder Chair, Biology and Wildlife Department APPROVED: Dr. Paul W. Layer Dean, College of Natural Science and Mathematics n. Lawrence K. Duffy Dean of the Graduate School A- Date ECOGEOGRAPHIC, ADAPTIVE, AND PHYLOGENETIC VARIATION IN THE CRESTED DUCK (LOPHONETTA SPECULARIOIDES) AND THEIR HEMOGLOBINS IN THE ANDES A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfdlment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By Mariana Bulgarella Fairbanks, Alaska December 2010 UMI Number: 3451179 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Dissertation Publishing UMI 3451179 Copyright 2011 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. uestA ® ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Abstract Tolerance to high-altitude hypoxia in animals varies widely and is a key factor in determining survival at high elevation. The Andean Cordillera of South America, which spans large elevational and latitudinal gradients, enables the study of native highland populations and the characteristics of hemoglobin proteins that are locally adapted for high-altitude respiration. The waterfowl populations of South America are understudied, little data on demographics and behavior are currently available, and only recently have they been investigated using molecular tools. We studied population genetics, phylogeography, and ecogeographic variation in the crested duck (Lophonetta specularioid.es). The crested duck is a dabbling duck, and it comprises two subspecies endemic to highland and lowland regions of South America. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the genetic differentiation between highland and lowlands populations of crested ducks using molecular markers with varying modes of inheritance and rates of substitution. The second objective was to evaluate morphological differences between the subspecies to better understand the forces shaping morphology in the two different environments. A third objective was to provide additional information on the taxonomic relationships and natural history of the crested duck. First, we examined the population genetics of the three adult hemoglobins (aD, aA, (3A), six autosomal introns, and mtDNA. This multi-locus analysis revealed a significant pattern of differentiation between highland and lowland populations. Four hemoglobin amino acid replacements were found in crested duck that may play a role in influencing high-altitude respiration. The lack of evidence for gene flow for hemoglobin alleles between highland and lowland populations and the biochemical properties of the amino acid substitutions themselves are consistent with the effects of selection acting on these loci. Overall body size was larger for the highland subspecies, body size was intermediate in mid-elevation environments, and smaller individuals were found in the lowlands of Patagonia. We also performed a multi-locus phylogenetic analysis to determine the relationships ofLophonetta within the South American duck clade. Finally, we determined the proportion of genes expressed in bone marow of adult crested duck finding mostly genes related to hemopoietic and immune function. V Table of Contents Page Signature Page .............................................................................................................................i Title Page...................................................................................................................................ii Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... x List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... xii List of Appendices................................................................................................................. xiii Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................xiv General Introduction ..................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1. Phylogenetic relationships of Amazonetta, Speculanas, Lophonetta, and Tachyeres: four morphologically divergent duck genera endemic to South America. 4 1.1 Abstract ........................................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Introduction ...................................................................................................................6 1.2.1 South American duck genera ........................................................................... 7 1.3 Materials and methods................................................................................................. 9 1.3.1 Sampling, PCR, and DNA sequencing............................................................9 1.3.2 Phylogenetic analysis of the mtDNA control region ................................... 11 1.3.3 Additional mtDNA data.................................................................................. 12 1.3.4 Analysis of nuclear DNA ................................................................................ 13 VI 1.4 Results .......................................................................................................................... 15 1.4.1 Monophyly of the South American duck genera ..........................................15 1.4.2 mtDNA control region.....................................................................................15 1.4.3 Relationships within Tachyeres..................................................................... 16 1.4.4 Combined analyses of additional mtDNA .....................................................17 1.4.5 Nuclear DNA data ........................................................................................... 18 1.5 Discussion ....................................................................................................................19 1.6 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................... 24 1.7 References ................................................................................................................... 25 1.8 Figures ..........................................................................................................................32 1.9 Tables ...........................................................................................................................36 1.10 Appendices.................................................................................................................39 Chapter 2. Elevational variation in body size of Crested Ducks(Lophonetta specularioides) from the central high Andes, Mendoza, and Patagonia ......................46 2.1 Abstract ...................................................................................................................... 46 2.2 Introduction .................................................................................................................48 2.3 Methods........................................................................................................................50 2.3.1 Specimen collecting and measurement.........................................................50 2.3.2 Statistical analyses ...........................................................................................51 2.4 Results ..........................................................................................................................52 2.5 Discussion 55 2.6 Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................... 58 2.7 References ...................................................................................................................59 2.8 Figures ......................................................................................................................... 63 2.9 Tables .......................................................................................................................... 67 2.10 Appendix....................................................................................................................70 Chapter
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