Griffing, Aaron H. Gamble, Tony Bauer, Aaron M.
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundEvolutionary transitions in temporal niche necessitates specialized morphology, physiology, and behaviors. Diurnal, heliothermic squamates (lizards and snakes) that bask require protection from ultraviolet radiation (UV) that can damage internal organs such as the brain, viscera, and gonads. Many smaller squamates have accomplished this p...
Auvinet, Juliette Graça, Paula Dettai, Agnès Amores, Angel Postlethwait, John H. Detrich, H. William III Ozouf-Costaz, Catherine Coriton, Olivier Higuet, Dominique
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundChromosomal rearrangements are thought to be an important driving force underlying lineage diversification, but their link to speciation continues to be debated. Antarctic teleost fish of the family Nototheniidae (Notothenioidei) diversified in a changing environmental context, which led to ecological, morphological, and genetic different...
Persson, Nannie L. Eriksson, Torsten Smedmark, Jenny E. E.
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundMost cinquefoils (Potentilla L., Rosaceae) are polyploids, ranging from tetraploid (4x) to dodecaploid (12x), diploids being a rare exception. Previous studies based on ribosomal and chloroplast data indicated that Norwegian cinquefoil (P. norvegica L.) has genetic material from two separate clades within Potentilla; the Argentea and the ...
Obert, Tomáš Vďačný, Peter
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundVarious ecological groups of earthworms very likely constitute sharply isolated niches that might permit speciation of their symbiotic ciliates, even though no distinct morphological features appear to be recognizable among ciliates originating from different host groups. The nuclear highly variable ITS1–5.8S-ITS2 region and the hypervari...
Khodami, Sahar Mercado-Salas, Nancy F. Martìnez Arbizu, Pedro
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundThe family Aegisthidae is known as typical component of deep-sea hyperbenthic waters that gradually colonized other marine environments. The phylogenetic relationships within this family have been examined here including hyperbenthic, planktonic, benthic forms and two associated Aegisthidae species.ResultsNinety four specimens belong to 1...
Łukasiewicz, Aleksandra
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundDiffering evolutionary interests of males and females may result in sexual conflict, whereby traits or behaviours that are beneficial for male reproductive success (e.g., traits related to male-male competition) are costly for females. Since sexual conflict may play an important role in areas such as speciation, population persistence or ...
Wadsworth, Crista B. Okada, Yuta Dopman, Erik B.
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundUnderstanding adaptation involves establishing connections between selective agents and beneficial population responses. However, relatively little attention has been paid to seasonal adaptation, in part, because it requires complex and integrative knowledge about seasonally fluctuating environmental factors, the effects of variable pheno...
Harris, R. Alan Raveendran, Muthuswamy Worley, Kim C. Rogers, Jeffrey
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundHuman chromosome 19 has many unique characteristics including gene density more than double the genome-wide average and 20 large tandemly clustered gene families. It also has the highest GC content of any chromosome, especially outside gene clusters. The high GC content and concomitant high content of hypermutable CpG sites raises the pos...
Merwin, Jon T. Seeholzer, Glenn F. Smith, Brian Tilston
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundBird plumage exhibits a diversity of colors that serve functional roles ranging from signaling to camouflage and thermoregulation. However, birds must maintain a balance between evolving colorful signals to attract mates, minimizing conspicuousness to predators, and optimizing adaptation to climate conditions. Examining plumage color macr...
Maljkovic Berry, Irina Rutvisuttinunt, Wiriya Sippy, Rachel Beltran-Ayala, Efrain Figueroa, Katherine Ryan, Sadie Srikanth, Abhinaya Stewart-Ibarra, Anna M. Endy, Timothy Jarman, Richard G.
...
Published in
BMC Evolutionary Biology
BackgroundIn recent years, Ecuador and other South American countries have experienced an increase in arboviral diseases. A rise in dengue infections was followed by introductions of chikungunya and Zika, two viruses never before seen in many of these areas. Furthermore, the latest socioeconomic and political instability in Venezuela and the mass m...
