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Fall 2017
Three species of Cretaceous marine squamates are described or redescribed. The first, Pontosaurus ribaguster is described from a relatively complete specimen discovered on Hvar Island, Croatia. Preservation of identifiable nektonic teleosts within the gastric cavity (the first identifiable...
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Fall 2018
A full understanding of the evolution of novel forms requires inference about their origins through the study of variation in extant taxa and clues from the fossil record. However, the origins of morphological diversity in many groups are obscured by the scarcity of transitional fossils or...
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Fall 2019
Cilia are microtubule-based structures that project from nearly every cell in the vertebrate body. While cilia in different contexts can have either sensory or motile functions, all cilia rely upon a core set of genes. When these genes are mutated either singly or in various combinations, a...
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Fall 2010
I investigated the paired sternum V glands in thirty-eight trichopteran families and all lepidopteran families possessing the gland or associated structures. Using my morphological data and literature data on sternum V gland secretions, I examined phylogenetic trends in morphology and gland...
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Development, Anatomy, and Phylogenetic Relationships of Jawless Vertebrates and Tests of Hypotheses about Early Vertebrate Evolution
DownloadSpring 2018
The origin and early evolution of vertebrates remain one of the central questions of comparative biology. This clade, which features a breathtaking diversity of complex forms, has generated profound, unresolved questions, including: How are major lineages of vertebrates related to one another?...
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Genetic diversity and selection in North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus): A Hamiltonian perspective into the processes and mechanisms of evolution
DownloadFall 2013
The theory of natural selection has advanced our understanding in every aspect of biological sciences, yet despite this seeming ubiquity, there remain some components that are not fully resolved. Natural selection predicts the “selfish” advancement of genes that are optimally suited for their...
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Modular Design and Directed Evolution for the Development of Genetically Encodable Fluorescent Sensors
DownloadSpring 2019
The development of genetically encodable sensors for optical imaging has revolutionized the way researchers investigate cellular phenomena. Illuminating the molecular dynamics of the cell has become nearly routine with countless improvements in sensor design and directed evolution efforts to...
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Development and Evolution of Complex Reproductive Traits in the Brassicaceae and Cleomaceae
DownloadSpring 2023
Flowering plants exhibit a bewildering diversity of forms, which raises fundamental questions on how that diversity arises. A cornerstone of evolutionary developmental biology is the expansion of comparative landscapes and establishment of focal clades that enable investigation of complex and...
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Comparative Analysis of the Anatomy of the Myxinoidea and the Ancestry of Early Vertebrate Lineages
DownloadFall 2012
The question of whether a hagfish is a true vertebrate or not has profound implications about the ancestry of the clade. New anatomical evidence allows a test of their systematic position. With dissections and serial sections of original specimens, and with a literature review, a comparative...