Wonderful Wacky Water Critters
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Conceptual Barriers to Progress Within Evolutionary Biology
Found Sci (2009) 14:195–216 DOI 10.1007/s10699-008-9153-8 Conceptual Barriers to Progress Within Evolutionary Biology Kevin N. Laland · John Odling-Smee · Marcus W. Feldman · Jeremy Kendal Published online: 26 November 2008 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008 Abstract In spite of its success, Neo-Darwinism is faced with major conceptual barriers to further progress, deriving directly from its metaphysical foundations. Most importantly, neo- Darwinism fails to recognize a fundamental cause of evolutionary change, “niche construc- tion”. This failure restricts the generality of evolutionary theory, and introduces inaccuracies. It also hinders the integration of evolutionary biology with neighbouring disciplines, includ- ing ecosystem ecology, developmental biology, and the human sciences. Ecology is forced to become a divided discipline, developmental biology is stubbornly difficult to reconcile with evolutionary theory, and the majority of biologists and social scientists are still unhappy with evolutionary accounts of human behaviour. The incorporation of niche construction as both a cause and a product of evolution removes these disciplinary boundaries while greatly generalizing the explanatory power of evolutionary theory. Keywords Niche construction · Evolutionary biology · Ecological inheritance · Ecosystem ecology · Developmental biology 1 Introduction On the face of it, evolutionary biology is a thriving discipline: It is built on the solid theoret- ical foundations of mathematical population biology; it has a rich and productive empirical K. N. Laland (B) School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, Bute Building, Queens Terrace, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS, UK e-mail: [email protected] J. Odling-Smee Mansfield College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TF, UK M. -
Wingless Is a Positive Regulator of Eyespot Color Patterns in Bicyclus Anynana Butterflies
bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/154500; this version posted June 23, 2017. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. wingless is a positive regulator of eyespot color patterns in Bicyclus anynana butterflies 1,* 1 2 1 1,3,* Nesibe Özsu , Qian Yi Chan , Bin Chen , Mainak Das Gupta , and Antónia Monteiro 1 Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543; 2 Institute of Entomology and Molecular Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Shapingba, 400047 Chongqing, China 3 Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138614 * Corresponding authors: Nesibe Özsu5or Antónia Monteiro Department of Biological Sciences, 14 Science Drive 4 Singapore, 117543 Tel: +65 97551591 [email protected] or [email protected] 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/154500; this version posted June 23, 2017. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. 1 Summary 2 Eyespot patterns of nymphalid butterflies are an example of a novel trait yet, the 3 developmental origin of eyespots is still not well understood. Several genes have been 4 associated with eyespot development but few have been tested for function. One of these 5 genes is the signaling ligand, wingless, which is expressed in the eyespot centers during early 6 pupation and may function in eyespot signaling and color ring differentiation. Here we 7 tested the function of wingless in wing and eyespot development by down-regulating it in 8 transgenic Bicyclus anynana butterflies via RNAi driven by an inducible heat-shock promoter. -
Development, Plasticity and Evolution of Butterfly Eyespot Patterns" (1996), by Paul M
Published on The Embryo Project Encyclopedia (https://embryo.asu.edu) "Development, Plasticity and Evolution of Butterfly Eyespot Patterns" (1996), by Paul M. Brakefield et al. [1] By: Zou, Yawen Keywords: Butterfly eyespots [2] Paul M. Brakefield experiment [3] Bush-brown butterfly [4] eyespot patterns [5] Paul M. Brakefield and his research team in Leiden, the Netherlands, examined the development, plasticity, ande volution [6] of butterfly [7] eyespot patterns, and published their findings in Nature in 1996. Eyespots are eye-shaped color patterns that appear on the wings of some butterflies and birds [8] as well as on the skin of some fish [9] and reptiles. In butterflies, such as the peacock butterfly [7] (Aglais io [10]), the eyespots resemble the eyes of birds [8] and help butterflies deter potential predators. Brakefield's research team described the stages through which eyespots develop, identified the genes [11] and environmental signals that affect eye-spot appearance in some species, and demonstrated that small genetic variations can change butterfly [7] eyespot color and shape. The research focused on a few butterfly [7] species, but it contributed to more general claims of how the environment may affect the development of coloration and how specific color patterns may have evolved. At the time of experiment, Brakefield was a Chair in Evolutionary Biology at the University of Leiden [12], in Leiden, the Netherlands, though in 2010 he moved to Cambridge, UK to direct the University Museum of Zoology. While in Leiden, he persued a research program in evolutionary developmental biology [13] and had started working on butterfly [7] eyespots in collaboration with Vernon French, who was at the University of Edinburgh [14] in Edinburgh, Scotland. -
Cellular Asymmetry in Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii
Cellular asymmetry in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii JEFFREY A. HOLMES and SUSAN K. DUTCHER* Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0347, USA •Author for correspondence Summary Although largely bilaterally symmetric, the two asymmetric. As a result of asymmetric, but differ- sides of the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas rein- ent, locations of the plus and minus mating struc- hardtii can be distinguished by the location of the tures, mating preferentially results in quadriflagel- single eyespot. When viewed from the anterior end, late dikaryons with parallel flagellar pairs and both the eyespot is always closer to one flagellum than eyespots on the same side of the cell. This asymmet- the other, and located at an angle of approximately ric fusion, as well as all the other asymmetries 45° clockwise of the flagellar plane. This location described, may be necessary for the proper photo- correlates with the position of one of four acetylated tactic behavior of these cells. The invariant handed- microtubule bundles connected to the flagellar ap- ness of the spindle pole, eyespot position, and paratus. Each basal body is attached to two of these mating structure position appears to be based on microtubule rootlets. The rootlet that positions the the inherent asymmetry of the basal body pair, eyespot is always attached to the same basal body, providing an example of how an intracellular pat- which is the daugher of the parental/daughter basal tern can be determined and maintained. body pair. At mitosis, the replicated basal body pairs segregate in a precise orientation that main- tains the asymmetry of the cell and results in mitotic poles that have an invariant handedness. -
Temporal Flexibility of Gene Regulatory Network Underlies a Novel Wing Pattern in Flies
Temporal flexibility of gene regulatory network underlies a novel wing pattern in flies Héloïse D. Dufoura,b, Shigeyuki Koshikawa (越川滋行)a,b,1,2,3, and Cédric Fineta,b,3,4 aHoward Hughes Medical Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706; and bLaboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 Edited by Denis Duboule, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland, and approved April 6, 2020 (received for review February 3, 2020) Organisms have evolved endless morphological, physiological, and Nevertheless, it does not explain how the new expression of behavioral novel traits during the course of evolution. Novel traits the coopted toolkit genes does not interfere with the develop- were proposed to evolve mainly by orchestration of preexisting ment of the tissue. Some authors have suggested that the reuse genes. Over the past two decades, biologists have shown that of toolkit genes might only happen during late development after cooption of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) indeed underlies completion of the early function of the redeployed genes (21, 22, numerous evolutionary novelties. However, very little is known 29). However, little is known about the properties of a GRN that about the actual GRN properties that allow such redeployment. allow the cooption of one or several of its components/genes Here we have investigated the generation and evolution of the without impairing the development of the tissue. complex wing pattern of the fly Samoaia leonensis. We show that In this study, we use the complex wing pigmentation pattern of the transcription factor Engrailed is recruited independently from the fly species Samoaia leonensis as a model to address how the the other players of the anterior–posterior specification network to generate a new wing pattern. -
Petrified Forest U.S
National Park Service Petrified Forest U.S. Department of the Interior Petrified Forest National Park Petrified Forest, Arizona Triassic Dinosaurs and Other Animals Fossils are clues to the past, allowing researchers to reconstruct ancient environments. During the Late Triassic, the climate was very different from that of today. Located near the equator, this region was humid and tropical, the landscape dominated by a huge river system. Giant reptiles and amphibians, early dinosaurs, fish, and many invertebrates lived among the dense vegetation and in the winding waterways. New fossils come to light as paleontologists continue to study the Triassic treasure trove of Petrified Forest National Park. Invertebrates Scattered throughout the sedimentary species forming vast colonies in the layers of the Chinle Formation are fossils muddy beds of the ancient lakes and of many types of invertebrates. Trace rivers. Antediplodon thomasi is one of the fossils include insect nests, termite clam fossils found in the park. galleries, and beetle borings in the petrified logs. Thin slabs of shale have preserved Horseshoe crabs more delicate animals such as shrimp, Horseshoe crabs have been identified by crayfish, and insects, including the wing of their fossilized tracks (Kouphichnium a cockroach! arizonae), originally left in the soft sediments at the bottom of fresh water Clams lakes and streams. These invertebrates Various freshwater bivalves have been probably ate worms, soft mollusks, plants, found in the Chinle Formation, some and dead fish. Freshwater Fish The freshwater streams and rivers of the (pictured). This large lobe-finned fish Triassic landscape were home to numerous could reach up to 5 feet (1.5 m) long and species of fish. -
Duke University Dissertation Template
Evolutionary trends in phenotypic elements of seasonal forms of the tribe Junoniini (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) by Jameson Wells Clarke Department of Biology Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ H. Fred Nijhout, Ph.D., Supervisor ___________________________ V. Louise Roth, Ph.D. ___________________________ Sonke Johnsen, Ph.D. Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Biology in the Graduate School of Duke University 2017 i v ABSTRACT Evolutionary trends in phenotypic elements of seasonal forms of the tribe Junoniini (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) by Jameson Wells Clarke Department of Biology Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ H. Fred Nijhout, Ph.D., Supervisor ___________________________ V. Louise Roth, Ph.D. ___________________________ Sonke Johnsen, Ph.D. An abstract of a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Biology in the Graduate School of Duke University 2017 Copyright by Jameson Wells Clarke 2017 Abstract Seasonal polyphenism in insects is the phenomenon whereby multiple phenotypes can arise from a single genotype depending on environmental conditions during development. Many butterflies have multiple generations per year, and environmentally induced variation in wing color pattern phenotype allows them to develop adaptations to the specific season in which the adults live. Elements of butterfly -
Crustaceans Body Only Was ~2’ Long, Claw Was an Additional 20”
Crustaceans body only was ~2’ long, claw was an additional 20” =shelled creatures; “the insects of the sea” ! ~ 4’ long total some crustaceans are quite colorful; blue, red, ~67,000 species orange, yellow eg: lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, crabs, water fleas, many are bioluminescent copepods, barnacles, pill bugs, etc A. crustaceans are mostly aquatic, the great majority vary in size from microscopic (<0.1 mm) to 12’ are marine some crustaceans live for several decades; some inhabit most waters of the earth: ocean , arctic , freshwaters, molt throughout life high mountain creeks and lakes thermal springs, brine waters so continuous increase in size 1. many are benthic eg. crayfish & freshwater shrimp eg. especially the larger crustaceans; shrimp and crabs largest crustaceans in freshwaters eg. also isopods, amphipods some up to 2’ and weigh 9 lbs e. Ostracoda (=seed shrimp) a river shrimp, Macrobrachium jamaicense, was collected from Devils River, Tx: body was 10.5” common in freshwater and marine habitats long, 3’ long including antennae, 3 lbs mainly benthic animals that inhabit all types of eg largest (longest) is giant Japanese crab substrates in standing and running water ! up to 12’ from end of claws to tail and a weight of a few actively swim just above the substrate 40 lbs (20 kg) generally use their antennae to move Lobsters may be the longest lived Crustaceans enclosed in bivalve carapace that completely covers one was collected that weighed 35 lbs the entire animal was estimated to be 50 yrs old; Animals: Arthropoda - Crustacea; -
Origin of the Mechanism of Phenotypic Plasticity in Satyrid Butterfly Eyespots
SHORT REPORT Origin of the mechanism of phenotypic plasticity in satyrid butterfly eyespots Shivam Bhardwaj1†*, Lim Si-Hui Jolander2, Markus R Wenk1,2, Jeffrey C Oliver3, H Frederik Nijhout4, Antonia Monteiro1,5* 1Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; 2Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; 3Office of Digital Innovation & Stewardship, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States; 4Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, United States; 5Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore Abstract Plasticity is often regarded as a derived adaptation to help organisms survive in variable but predictable environments, however, we currently lack a rigorous, mechanistic examination of how plasticity evolves in a large comparative framework. Here, we show that phenotypic plasticity in eyespot size in response to environmental temperature observed in Bicyclus anynana satyrid butterflies is a complex derived adaptation of this lineage. By reconstructing the evolution of known physiological and molecular components of eyespot size plasticity in a comparative framework, we showed that 20E titer plasticity in response to temperature is a pre-adaptation shared by all butterfly species examined, whereas expression of EcR in eyespot centers, and eyespot sensitivity to 20E, are both derived traits found only in a *For correspondence: subset of species with eyespots. [email protected] (SB); [email protected] (AM) Introduction Present address: †Department -
A WHALE of a Band!
Flipper http://www.markprindle.com/flipper.htm#dvd A WHALE of a band! special introductory paragraph! Generic Flipper Gone Fishin' Live Target Video 1980-81 DVD Blow'N Chunks Live Public Flipper Limited Live 1980-1985 Sex Bomb Baby! American Grafishy Flipper were one of the leading punk rock bands over in San Francisco in the early- to mid-80s, giving a big "frig you" to the rest of the punker scene by playing a louder SLOWER mess of the blues that relied wholly on attitude and bass line. See, the guitarist just played a bunch of scraggly noise. So the drummer would play his little rhythm and if they weren't too doped up, one of the two bass players (Will Shatter or Bruce Lose) would try to keep in time enough to play a catchy four-note bass line for you to tap your toe to. Then the OTHER of the two bassists (whichever one wasn't playing bass at the time) would yell some words that would seem nihilistic but would also occasionally make a statement about how important it is to rise above all the garbage that life throws at you and SURVIVE. They also had a great sense of humor (sample lyric: "Who cares anyway/who it is or what I say?/This song rhymes/And we play it in time!). Unfortunately drug habits have "dogged" the band since day one, resulting in one premature death and one immature reunion. Great ass band though, giving us more catchy bass lines than any band since The Tarney Spencer Group or whatever that band was that did that Run For Your Life album that my dad used to have. -
Guidelines on Rainwater Catchment Systems for Hawai'i
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Keys to the Australian Clam Shrimps (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Laevicaudata, Spinicaudata, Cyclestherida)
Museum Victoria Science Reports 20: 1-25 (2018) ISSN 1833-0290 https://museumsvictoria.com.au/collections-research/journals/museum-victoria-science-reports/ https://doi.org/10.24199/j.mvsr.2018.20 Keys to the Australian clam shrimps (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Laevicaudata, Spinicaudata, Cyclestherida) Brian V. Timms Honorary Research Associate, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney 2001; and Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052 Brian V. Timms. 2018. Keys to the Australian clam shrimps (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Laevicau- data, Spinicaudata, Cyclestherida). Museum Victoria Science Reports 20: 1-25. Abstract The morphology and systematics of clam shrimps is described followed by a key to genera. Each genus is treated, including diagnostic features, list of species with distributions, and references provided to papers with keys or if these are not available preliminary keys to species within that genus are included. Keywords gnammas, freshwater, crustaceans, morphology Figure 1: Limnadopsis birchii – Worlds largest clam shrimp. Keys to the Australian clam shrimps Introduction Australia has a diverse clam shrimp fauna with about 78 species in nine genera recognised in 2017 (Rogers et al., 2012; Timms, 2012, 2013; Schwentner et al., 2012a,b, 2013a,b, 2015b,a; Timms & Schwentner, 2017; Tippelt & Schwent- ner, 2018) . This is an explosion from 26 species in 2008 (Richter & Timms, 2005; Brendonck et al., 2008) when Australia‘s proportion of the world fauna was about 15%; now it is about 30%. It is anticipated another five species will be described before 2020. There have been two periods of active re- search on Australian clam shrimps, the first Figure 2: Number of known species of Aus- from 1855 to 1927 with a peak around the turn tralian clam shrimps over time.