Publications by authors named "Madeleine Carruthers"
Article Synopsis
- The mechanosensory lateral line system in fishes is crucial for survival behaviors like finding food and navigating in low-light conditions, and its morphology may undergo disruption during ecological speciation.
- In a study of two ecomorphs of the cichlid fish Astatotilapia calliptera in Lake Masoko, it was found that the deeper-water zooplanktivorous ecomorph has larger lateral line canal pores compared to the shallower-water invertebrate-feeding ecomorph.
- The findings highlight the early divergence in lateral line morphology as a potential contributor to adaptive radiation, an indication of how ecological specialization can influence sensory adaptations.
Live birth (viviparity) has arisen repeatedly and independently among animals. We sequenced the genome and transcriptome of the viviparous Pacific beetle-mimic cockroach and performed comparative analyses with two other viviparous insect lineages, tsetse flies and aphids, to unravel the basis underlying the transition to viviparity in insects. We identified pathways undergoing adaptive evolution for insects, involved in urogenital remodeling, tracheal system, heart development, and nutrient metabolism.
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- Freshwater fishes, like the cichlid Astatotilapia calliptera in Lake Masoko, have undergone rapid speciation along depth gradients, with distinct ecomorphs developing in just 1,000 years.
- Researchers used genome-wide transcriptome data to analyze the molecular mechanisms behind these changes, specifically focusing on gene expression and splicing variations.
- They discovered thousands of differently expressed genes, with certain regulatory variants significantly influencing craniofacial development, indicating that modifications in gene regulation are key to early-stage speciation and adaptive divergence.
Article Synopsis
- - Epigenetic variation can influence gene expression and lead to differences in traits among populations adapting to different environments, specifically in the early stages of speciation.
- - The research examines the DNA methylome changes in two morphologically and ecologically distinct ecomorphs of Astatotilapia calliptera in Africa's Lake Masoko, which evolved about 1,000 years ago, despite no fixed genetic differences.
- - Findings show extensive differences in methylation patterns related to critical biological functions, supporting the idea that epigenetics plays a role in early vertebrate speciation, with some traits being inherited across generations.
Article Synopsis
- Amniotes reproduce either by laying eggs (oviparity) or giving live birth (viviparity), with the genetic basis for these methods not fully understood.
- This study used hybrid lizards to examine genes related to reproduction modes and found that viviparity involves more complex gene networks than oviparity, particularly related to hormone function, tissue remodeling, and immune pathways.
- The research indicates that similar genetic regulatory networks are repeatedly adapted for viviparity across different animal groups, including mammals, reptiles, and fish, suggesting deep evolutionary connections.
Understanding the extent to which ecological divergence is repeatable is essential for predicting responses of biodiversity to environmental change. Here we test the predictability of evolution, from genotype to phenotype, by studying parallel evolution in a salmonid fish, Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), across eleven replicate sympatric ecotype pairs (benthivorous-planktivorous and planktivorous-piscivorous) and two evolutionary lineages. We found considerable variability in eco-morphological divergence, with several traits related to foraging (eye diameter, pectoral fin length) being highly parallel even across lineages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is well recognized that environmental degradation caused by human activities can result in dramatic losses of species and diversity. However, comparatively little is known about the ability of biodiversity to re-emerge following ecosystem recovery. Here, we show that a European whitefish subspecies, the gangfisch Coregonus lavaretus macrophthalmus, rapidly increased its ecologically functional diversity following the restoration of Lake Constance after anthropogenic eutrophication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFollowing the publication of this article [1], the authors noticed found that they incorrectly reported the BUSCO completeness for the PhyloFish brown trout and European whitefish transcriptomes. This was due to an error in their TransDecoder pipeline and restricted to those two datasets and their interpretation. They apologise for this misreported result and thank the authors of the PhyloFish database for bringing it to their attention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Salmonid fishes exhibit high levels of phenotypic and ecological variation and are thus ideal model systems for studying evolutionary processes of adaptive divergence and speciation. Furthermore, salmonids are of major interest in fisheries, aquaculture, and conservation research. Improving understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying traits in these species would significantly progress research in these fields.
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