Newsletter of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, an NSF-funded collaborative research center operated by Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University. SEPTEMBER 2009 | VOLUME 1 No. 1 | www.nescent.org IN THIS ISSUE: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Research Highlights 1,2,3 New Arrivals 3 The evolutionary fate of ‘useless’ traits Call for Proposals 3 hat happens when traits no longer Latest Happenings 4 Wgive creatures a competitive edge? Some subterranean animals that live in Upcoming Events 4,5 darkness function perfectly well without Recent Publications 5 eyesight, for example. And the tiny leg bones buried in the backs of whales — left over from their land-dwelling ancestors — don’t get much action in the ocean. “All traits will eventually Fossil teeth of Megapiranha paran- disappear if they have no ensis help explain how piranhas got their distinctive bite. P2 function. The question we’re asking now is: how ABOUT NESCENT: do you know how fast that NESCent is an NSF-funded collabora- tive research center operated by Duke will happen?” —David Lahti University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North In a recent review, researchers teamed up Carolina State University. For more Moles and many other subterranean animals that live in darkness have eyes that have dimin- to take a closer look at the evolutionary fate of information about research and ished or even disappeared over evolutionary time. Photo BY MICHAEL David HILL, WIKIPEDIA training opportunities at NESCent, useless traits. Supported by a working group examples of animals that were once subject called relaxed selection, traits that were visit http://www.nescent.org. award from NESCent, their aim was to exam- ine what happens to traits that are no longer to predation, but have since been introduced advantageous in one time and place be- SENIOR LEADERSHIP: needed. “Just about everybody who thinks to areas where predators are absent or have come obsolete in another. Traits that aren’t Kathleen Smith, Director about trait evolution focuses on traits that are been killed off,” Lahti says. In these cases, actively maintained by selection tend to be- studies show that traits which were once key come smaller or less functional over time, Joel Kingsolver, Associate Director beneficial,” writes first author David Lahti, a to survival— vigilance, caution, speed and studies suggest. The researchers wanted to of Science and Synthesis biologist at Queens College. “But few people think about traits that are useless, or that are agility— start to erode over time. “Things know why some traits break down quickly, Todd Vision, Associate Director becoming less useful over time.” like alertness, having to run fast, having to fly while others take longer to go away. “All of Informatics For example, the ability to recognize — traits of predator avoidance end up being traits will eventually disappear if they have Brian Wiegmann, Associate Director and flee from enemies becomes less critical useless to these animals,” Lahti says. no function,” Lahti explains. “The question of Education and Outreach in predator-free habitats. “There are many Under an evolutionary phenomenon see USELESS, p6 HOME | SEPTEMBER 2009 2 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS New fossil tells how piranhas got their teeth An international team of researchers uncover a jawbone that sheds some light on the bite ow did piranhas — the legendary first row,” said John Lundberg, curator at Hfreshwater fish with the razor bite — the Academy of Natural Sciences in Phila- get their telltale teeth? Researchers from delphia and a co-author of the study. Argentina, the United States and Venezuela If this is so, Megapiranha may be an have uncovered the jawbone of a striking intermediate step in the long process that transitional fossil that sheds light on this produced the piranha’s distinctive bite. To question. Named Megapiranha paranensis, find out where Megapiranha falls in the this previously unknown fossil fish bridges evolutionary tree for these fishes, Dahdul the evolutionary gap between flesh-eating examined hundreds of specimens of mod- piranhas and their plant-eating cousins. ern piranhas and their relatives. “What’s Present-day piranhas have a single row cool about this group of fish is their teeth of triangular teeth, like the blade on a saw, explained the researchers. But their closest “What’s cool about this group of fish is their relatives — a group of fishes commonly known as pacus — have two rows of square teeth have really distinctive features. A teeth, presumably for crushing fruits and single tooth can tell you a lot about what seeds. “In modern piranhas the teeth are ar- ranged in a single file,” said Wasila Dahdul, species it is and what other fish they’re a visiting scientist at the National Evolution- related to.” — Wasila Dahdul, visiting scientist at NESCent ary Synthesis Center in North Carolina. “But in the relatives of piranhas — which tend to be herbivorous fishes — the teeth are have really distinctive features. A single in two rows,” said Dahdul. tooth can tell you a lot about what species Megapiranha shows an intermediate it is and what other fishes they’re related pattern: it’s teeth are arranged in a zig-zag to,” said Dahdul. Her phylogenetic analysis row. This suggests that the two rows in confirms their hunch — Megapiranha pacus were compressed to form a single row seems to fit between piranhas and pacus in The zig-zag teeth of Megapiranha paranensis are interme- in piranhas. “It almost looks like the teeth the fish family tree. diate between the single row of teeth in piranhas and the are migrating from the second row into the see PIRANHA, p6 double row in their plant-eating cousins. Photo courtesy OF MARK SabaJ-PEREZ HOME | SEPTEMBER 2009 3 OPPORTUNITIES RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Call for Proposals Student software developers showcase their work Looking for funding for a sabbatical, or the third summer in a row, NESCent on an evoinformatics project of their own Data Center project. As their profiles postdoc, or meeting? Since its offered a number of student intern- choosing, each under the guidance of an demonstrate, the students put their beginnings in 2004, more than F 3,000 scientists have turned to ships aimed at expanding participation experienced mentor. summers to very good use! To meet the NESCent for research funding in collaborative open-source software This summer, NESCent received students and learn more about their in evolutionary biology. Find out development projects. funding for 9 students from the Google projects, visit http://hackathon.nescent. how you can take advantage of Interns from around the world were Summer of CodeTM program, and an org/Phyloinformatics_Summer_of_ what NESCent has to offer. given the opportunity to work remotely additional four from the NSF Virtual Code_2009/Summaries l NESCent is now accepting applica- tions for postdoctoral and sabbatical NEW ARRIVALS fellowships, short-term visitors, and meetings. The next deadline NESCent is pleased to welcome the following new arrivals: for postdoctoral and sabbatical Jim Hunt joined NESCent as a sabbatical fellowships and catalysis meetings scholar from North Carolina State is December 1. For short-term University. Jim plans to use his sabbatical visitors, the deadline is January 1. to write a book on the evolution of animal To learn more about funding societies, from ant colonies to schools of opportunities at NESCent, visit our fish. Read more: http://www.nescent.org/ website at www.nescent.org science/awards_summary.php?id=188 Job Openings Benjamin Redelings moved to NESCent Interested in employment opportuni- from a postdoctoral position in bioinfor- ties at NESCent? Our center runs matics at North Carolina State University. with the help of a dynamic team of Ben will extend his work on phylogenetic programmers, financial experts, event software by improving methods for planners, and other specialists. To handling insertion/deletion hotspots in find out about job openings as they DNA sequence data. Read more: http:// become available, visit http://www. www.nescent.org/science/awards_sum- nescent.org/about/employment.php mary.php?id=183 Stay Informed Liam Revell is interested in developing new Subscribe to the NESCent email methods for analyzing phylogenetic trees. New arrivals from L to R: Liam Revell, Julie Meachen-Samuels, Gregor Yanega, Eric newsletter to receive news about While a postdoc at NESCent, Liam will use Schuettpelz, Ben Redelings, Jim Hunt funding, research and training op- these methods to test hypotheses about portunities, and upcoming events. the evolutionary processes underlying the similar questions but deal with divergent www.nescent.org/science/awards_sum- Comments, story ideas and photo diversification of species. Liam moved to scales of time and space. Read more: mary.php?id=186 contributions are welcome. Please NESCent from Harvard University. Read http://www.nescent.org/science/awards_ send corrections and sugges- more: http://www.nescent.org/science/ summary.php?id=189 Gregor Yanega joined NESCent from the tions for future newsletters to Rob- awards_summary.php?id=184 University of Connecticut in August 2009. in Smith at [email protected]. Eric Schuettpelz will combine DNA and Gregor will use his postdoctoral fellowship To unsubscribe, visit: https://lists. Michael Rosenberg is a sabbatical scholar fossil data from vascular plants to examine to compare island birds with their main- nescent.org/mailman/options/ from Arizona State University. While at the origin of modern tropical rain forests. land counterparts using phylogenetic news You can also visit NESCent on NESCent, Mike aims to merge the disci- Formerly a PhD student at Duke University, comparative methods. Read more: http:// Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. plines of landscape genetics and Eric joined NESCent as a postdoctoral www.nescent.org/science/awards_sum- phylogeography, two fields which focus on fellow in August 2009. Read more: http:// mary.php?id=187 HOME | SEPTEMBER 2009 4 LATEST HAPPENINGS UPCOMING EVENTS NESCent launches Darwin Lecture Series ment of Chicanos and Native Americans in Darwin’s legacy in science and society.