A5003928631- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Plant and animal studies
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Banana Cultivation and Research
- Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Plant Disease Resistance and Genetics
Colorado State University
2016-2025
Marian University - Indiana
2025
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
2016-2020
Bumblebees are a diverse group of globally important pollinators in natural ecosystems and for agricultural food production. With both eusocial solitary life-cycle phases, some social parasite species, they especially interesting models to understand evolution, behavior, ecology. Reports many species decline point pathogen transmission, habitat loss, pesticide usage, global climate change, as interconnected causes. These threats bumblebee diversity make our reliance on handful well-studied...
Abstract Transposable elements (TEs) are a major determinant of eukaryotic genome size. The collective properties genomic TE community reveal the history TE/host evolutionary dynamics and impact present-day host structure function, from to organism levels. In rare cases, community/genome size has greatly expanded in animals, associated with increased cell changes anatomy physiology. Here, we characterize landscape transcriptome an amphibian giant — caecilianIchthyophis bannanicus, which show...
Transposable elements (TEs) and the silencing machinery of their hosts are engaged in a germline arms-race dynamic that shapes TE accumulation and, therefore, genome size. In animal species with extremely large genomes (>10 Gb), has been pushed to extreme, prompting question whether also deviates from typical conditions. To address this question, we characterize via two pathways-the piRNA pathway KRAB-ZFP transcriptional repression-in male female gonads Ranodon sibiricus, salamander ∼21 Gb...
Abstract The delimitation of species is an essential pursuit biology, and proper taxonomies are crucial for the assessment conservation management organismal diversity. However, delimiting can be hindered by a number factors including highly conserved morphologies (e.g., cryptic species), differences in criteria concepts, lineages being early stages speciation or divergence process, discordance between gene topologies mitonuclear discordance). Here we use taxonomically confounded complex...
Abstract The angiosperm genus Silene is a model system for several traits of ecological and evolutionary significance in plants, including breeding sex chromosome evolution, host-pathogen interactions, invasive species biology, heavy metal tolerance, cytonuclear interactions. Despite its importance, genomic resources this large approximately 850 are scarce, with only one published whole-genome sequence (from the dioecious latifolia). Here, we provide transcriptomic hermaphroditic...
Morphogenesis is an emergent property of biochemical and cellular interactions during development. Genome size the correlated trait cell can influence these through effects on developmental rate tissue geometry, ultimately driving evolution morphology. We tested whether variation in genome body related to morphological heart liver using nine species salamander genus Plethodon (genome sizes 29-67 gigabases). Our results show that overall organ a function size, whereas structure changes...
Historically, phylogenetic datasets had very few loci, but were overrepresented for cytoplasmic sequences (mitochondria and chloroplast) because of their ease amplification large numbers informative sites. Under those circumstances it made sense to contrast individual gene tree topologies obtained from loci nuclear with the goal detecting differences between them—so-called cytonuclear discordance. However, in current age phylogenomics ubiquitous discordance among thousands this no longer...
Genome sizes (expressed as C-values, or haploid genome sizes) of six species Honduran plethodontid salamanders (one Nototriton and five Bolitoglossa) vary greatly. has a moderate-sized (29.2 pg) relative to other salamanders. in the Bolitoglossa span range 24 pg (∼23.4 gigabases) DNA include largest genomes (83.7 reported for genus family Plethodontidae. A phylogenetic analysis indicates that evolution this group featured mainly large increases mass nuclear DNA. We propose these evolutionary...
The diversity of the tropical climbing salamander genus Bolitoglossa (Magnadigita) in Honduras has been underestimated historically, with 11 new species having described past quarter-century. celaque is known to occur three disjunct mountain ranges across Lenca Highlands region southwestern Honduras, and previous studies have independently demonstrated differences mitochondrial genealogy genome size between populations east west Mejocote–San Juan Depression. Sampling from all represented two...
Abstract Morphogenesis is an emergent property of biochemical and cellular interactions during development. Genome size the correlated trait cell can influence these through its effects on developmental rate tissue geometry, ultimately driving evolution morphology. We tested genome body heart liver morphology using nine species salamander genus Plethodon (genome sizes 29.3–67 Gb). Our results show that whole organ determined by size, whereas structure changes dramatically with evolutionary...
We have examined the morphology of skeletal elements involved in constricted-based tail autotomy Neotropical plethodontid salamanders genus Bolitoglossa. Observed variation transverse processes first caudal vertebra ranges from a relatively generalized condition, similar to that seen North American species, morphologically specialized structures found only tropical species. Here we present evidence most species Bolitoglossa evolved hypertrophied, reversed whose shape and size go beyond what...
Abstract The angiosperm genus Silene is a model system for several traits of ecological and evolutionary significance in plants, including breeding sex chromosome evolution, host-pathogen interactions, invasive species biology, heavy metal tolerance, cytonuclear interactions. Despite its importance, genomic resources this large approximately 850 are scarce, with only one published whole-genome sequence (from the dioecious S. latifolia ). Here, we provide transcriptomic hermaphroditic...
Abstract Transposable elements (TEs) are a major determinant of eukaryotic genome size. The collective properties genomic TE community reveal the history TE/host evolutionary dynamics and impact present-day host structure function, from to organism levels. In rare cases, community/genome size has greatly expanded in animals, associated with increased cell altered anatomy physiology. We characterize landscape transcriptome an amphibian giant — caecilian Ichthyophis bannanicus , which we show...
Multi-trait analyses can be used to measure the differential performance of phenotypic traits in species complexes. Hybridization within these complexes result a mismatch between mitochondrial and nuclear DNA that may lead reduced acclimation capacity hybrids. To test effect this on physiology, we compared physiological metabolic rate (VCO2) total resistance water loss (rT) two sexual Ambystoma closely related unisexual lineage. We also separated unisexuals by their unique biotypes determine...
Abstract Size evolution among gigantic genomes involves gain and loss of many gigabases transposable elements (TEs), sequences that parasitize host genomes. Animals suppress TEs using piRNA KRAB-ZFP pathways. hosts coevolve in an arms race, where suppression strength reflects TE fitness costs. In enormous genomes, additional costs become miniscule. How, then, do invoke further addition massive DNA amounts? We analyzed proliferation histories, deletion rates, community diversities six...
Abstract Transposable elements (TEs) and the silencing machinery of their hosts are engaged in a germline arms-race dynamic that shapes TE accumulation and, therefore, genome size. In animal species with extremely large genomes (>10 Gb), has been pushed to extreme, prompting question whether also deviates from typical conditions. To address this question, we characterize via two pathways — piRNA pathway KRAB-ZFP transcriptional repression male female gonads Ranodon sibiricus , salamander...
The taxonomy of the diminutive bolitoglossine salamanders subgenus Nanotriton has previously been a source confusion among specialists. At various times, at least three different species have reported to occur in Honduras: Bolitoglossa nympha, B. occidentalis and rufescens. Phylogenetic analysis 16S cyt b from samples localities Honduras (departments Yoro, Copán Cortés) confirms that most populations are assignable nympha. Nine collected single locality on northern slope Sierra de Omoa,...
Abstract Previous studies demonstrated that nasolacrimal ducts were present in the ancestral plethodontid lineage. Two lineages within Plethodontidae contain individuals do not possess ducts: Desmognathus and Eurycea . Earlier works examined only two species of , D. fuscus monticola We obtained every Desmognathini ( Phaeognathus + ) possible from novel collections museum assessed presence or absence using contrast-enhanced computed tomography routine histological procedures. The goal was to...
Abstract Bumblebees are a diverse group of globally important pollinators in natural ecosystems and for agricultural food production. With both eusocial solitary lifecycle phases, some social parasite species, they especially interesting models to understand evolution, behavior, ecology. Reports many species decline point pathogen transmission, habitat loss, pesticide usage, global climate change, as interconnected causes. These threats bumblebee diversity make our reliance on handful...
Due to their conserved morphology, cryptic species have long been problematic for taxonomists. When attempting assess diversity and delimit within these taxa, it has recognized that an integrative approach can be very useful, whereby independent, yet complementary lines of evidence are utilized. New World microhylids (Anura: Microhylidae: Gastrophryninae) the genera Gastrophryne Hypopachus highly confounding taxonomists, due extreme morphological conservatism, as well fossorial nature...
The skeletal features of six species salamanders in the genus Bolitoglossa (subgenus: Magnadigita) were described and compared. Many osteological Magnadigita subgenus found to be highly conserved, such as presence bifurcated first caudal vertebrae distal expansions on terminal phalanges. Key traits identified that distinct among this study, including prefrontals frontoparietal fenestrae; we suggest these may useful future taxonomic studies Bolitoglossa. We also discuss evolution...