A5046009297- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Plant and animal studies
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Sulfur Compounds in Biology
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Tardigrade Biology and Ecology
- Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Nitric Oxide and Endothelin Effects
- Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
University of Chicago
2020-2024
Field Museum of Natural History
2024
University of Notre Dame
2004-2023
Northeastern University
2010-2011
How vertebrate blood vessels sense acute hypoxia and respond either by constricting (hypoxic vasoconstriction) or dilating vasodilation) has not been resolved. In the present study we compared mechanical electrical responses of select to H2S, measured vascular H2S production, evaluated effects inhibitors synthesis addition precursor, cysteine, on hypoxic vasoconstriction vasodilation. We found that: (1) in all examined date, produce temporally quantitatively identical even though vary from...
Abstract The earth is in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, and projections indicate continuing accelerating rates global changes. Future alterations communities ecosystems may be precipitated by changes abundance strongly interacting species, whose disappearance can lead to profound other including an increase extinction rate for some. Nearshore coastal are often dependent on habitat food resources provided foundational plant (e.g., kelp) animal shellfish) species. We quantified blue...
The small cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae , is a major agricultural pest of cruciferous crops and has been introduced to every continent except South America Antarctica as result human activities. In an effort reconstruct the near-global invasion history P. we developed citizen science project, “Pieris Project,” successfully amassed thousands specimens from 32 countries worldwide. We then generated analyzed nuclear (double-digest restriction site-associated DNA fragment procedure...
A major goal of evolutionary biology is to understand how variation within populations gets partitioned into differences between reproductively isolated species. Here, we examine the degree which diapause life history timing, a critical adaptation promoting population divergence, explains geographic and host-related genetic in ancestral hawthorn recently derived apple-infesting races Rhagoletis pomonella. Our strategy involved combining experiments on two different aspects (initial intensity...
Abstract Speciation with gene flow may require adaptive divergence of multiple traits to generate strong ecologically based reproductive isolation. Extensive negative pleiotropy or physical linkage genes in the wrong phase affecting these diverging therefore hinder speciation, while genetic independence “modularity” among phenotypic reduce constraints and facilitate divergence. Here, we test whether genetics underlying two components diapause life history, initial intensity termination...
Significance Organisms living in seasonal environments must synchronize their growth and reproduction to favorable times of the year. Our study highlights how timing dormancy can rapidly evolve insects with changes food sources. Dormancy is often conceptualized as suspended animation or arrested development, but our results suggest slow, progressive development during dormancy, rate affected by many genes. Moreover, a population that recently shifted source available earlier year has evolved...
Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is a recently identified endogenous vasodilator in mammals. In steelhead/rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Osteichthyes), H(2)S produces both dose-dependent dilation and unique constriction. this study, we examined vasoactivity all vertebrate classes to determine whether universally vasoactive identify phylogenetic and/or environmental trends. was generated from NaHS unstimulated precontracted systemic and, when applicable, pulmonary arteries (PA) Pacific hagfish...
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a recently identified gasotransmitter that may mediate hypoxic responses in vascular smooth muscle. H2S also appears to be signaling molecule mammalian non-vascular muscle, but its existence and function non-mammalian muscle have not been examined. In the present study we examined production physiological effects urinary bladder from steelhead rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) evaluated relationship between hypoxia. was produced by bladders, sensitive inhibitors...
Abstract Background The advancement of sequencing technologies results in the rapid release hundreds new genome assemblies a year providing unprecedented resources for study evolution. Within this context, significance in-depth analyses repetitive elements, transposable elements (TEs) particular, is increasingly recognized understanding Despite plethora available bioinformatic tools identifying and annotating TEs, phylogenetic distance target species from curated classified database element...
Phylogeographic studies provide critical insight into the evolutionary histories of model organisms; yet, to date, range-wide data are lacking for rough periwinkle Littorina saxatilis , a classic example marine sympatric speciation. Here, we use mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence demonstrate that L. is not monophyletic this marker, but composed two distinct mtDNA lineages (I and II) shared with sister species arcana compressa . Bayesian coalescent dating phylogeographic patterns indicate...
Abstract Taxa harboring high levels of standing variation may be more likely to adapt rapid environmental shifts and experience ecological speciation. Here, we characterize geographic host‐related differentiation for 10,241 single nucleotide polymorphisms in Rhagoletis pomonella fruit flies infer whether genetic adult eclosion time the ancestral hawthorn ( Crataegus spp.)‐infesting host race, as opposed new mutations, contributed substantially its recent shift earlier fruiting apple Malus...
Sex-limited polymorphisms, such as mating strategies in male birds and mimicry female butterflies, are widespread across the tree of life frequently adaptive. Considerable work has been done exploring ecological pressures evolutionary forces that generate maintain genetic variation resulting alternative sex-limited morphs, yet little is known about their molecular developmental basis. A powerful system to investigate this Papilio butterflies: within subgenus Menelaides, multiple closely...
Abstract Novel phenotypes are increasingly recognized to have evolved by co-option of conserved genes into new developmental contexts, yet the process which co-opted modify existing programs remains obscure. Here, we provide insight this characterizing role doublesex in butterfly wing color pattern development. dsx is master regulator insect sex differentiation but has been control switch between discrete nonmimetic and mimetic patterns Papilio alphenor its relatives through evolution novel...
Studies assessing the predictability of evolution typically focus on short-term adaptation within populations or repeatability change among lineages. A missing consideration in speciation research is to determine whether natural selection predictably transforms standing genetic variation into differences between species. Here, we test and how host-related diapause timing associates with genome-wide differentiation during ecological by comparing ancestral hawthorn newly formed apple-infesting...
Endosymbiont-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) may play an important role in arthropod speciation. However, whether CI consistently becomes associated or coupled with other host-related forms of reproductive isolation (RI) to impede the transfer endosymbionts between hybridizing populations and further divergence process remains open question. Here, we show that varying degrees pre- postmating RI exist among allopatric two interbreeding cherry-infesting tephritid fruit flies...
Divergent adaptation to new ecological opportunities can be an important factor initiating speciation. However, as niches are filled during adaptive radiations, trait divergence driving reproductive isolation between sister taxa may also result in convergence with more distantly related taxa, increasing the potential for reticulated gene flow across radiation. Here, we demonstrate such a scenario recent radiation of Rhagoletis fruit flies, specialized on different host plants. Throughout...
Abstract Background The ubiquity of sex across eukaryotes, given its high costs, strongly suggests it is evolutionarily advantageous. Asexual lineages can avoid, for example, the risks and energetic costs recombination, but suffer short-term reductions in adaptive potential long-term damage to genome integrity. Despite these lichenized fungi have frequently evolved asexual reproduction, likely because allows retention symbiotic algae generations. relatively speciose fungal genus Lepraria...
Ecological speciation via host-shifting is often invoked as a mechanism for insect diversification, but the relative importance of this process poorly understood. The shift Rhagoletis pomonella in 1850s from native downy hawthorn, Crataegus mollis, to introduced apple, Malus pumila, classic example sympatric host race formation, hypothesized early stage ecological speciation. accidental human-mediated introduction R. into Pacific Northwest (PNW) late 1970s allows us investigate how novel...
Adaptation to novel environments can result in unanticipated genomic responses selection. Here, we illustrate how multifarious, correlational selection helps explain a counterintuitive pattern of genetic divergence between the recently derived apple- and ancestral hawthorn-infesting host races Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae). The apple race terminates diapause emerges as adults earlier season than hawthorn race, coincide with fruiting phenology their hosts. However, alleles at...
Ascertaining the causes of adaptive radiation is central to understanding how new species arise and come vary with their resources. The ecological theory posits via divergent natural selection associated novel resource use; an alternative suggests character displacement following speciation in allopatry then secondary contact reproductively isolated but ecologically similar species. Discriminating between hypotheses, therefore, requires establishment a key role for diversification initiating...
Abstract Insect pests destroy ~15% of all U.S. crops, resulting in losses $15 billion annually. Thus, developing cheap, quick, and reliable methods for detecting harmful species is critical to curtail insect damage lessen economic impact. The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, a major invasive pest threatening the multibillion-dollar industry Pacific Northwest United States. fly also sympatric with benign but morphologically similar genetically closely related species, R. zephyria,...
The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella Walsh (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a serious quarantine pest in the apple-growing regions of central Washington and Oregon. fly believed to have been introduced into Pacific Northwest via transport larval-infested apples near Portland, Oregon, within last 40 yr. However, R. also attacks native black hawthorn, Crataegus douglasii Lindley (Rosales: Rosaceae), ornamental monogyna Jacquin, region. It is, therefore, possible that was not but has always...
The ubiquity of sex across eukaryotes, given its high costs, strongly suggests it is evolutionarily advantageous. Asexual lineages can avoid, for example, the risks and energetic costs recombination, but suffer short-term reductions in adaptive potential long-term damage to genome integrity. Despite these lichenized fungi have frequently evolved asexual reproduction, likely because allows retention symbiotic algae generations. fungal genus Lepraria thought be exclusively asexual, while...