Browsing FAS Scholarly Articles by Keyword "Evolutionary Processes"
Now showing items 1-15 of 15
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Adaptive Landscape by Environment Interactions Dictate Evolutionary Dynamics in Models of Drug Resistance
(Public Library of Science, 2016)The adaptive landscape analogy has found practical use in recent years, as many have explored how their understanding can inform therapeutic strategies that subvert the evolution of drug resistance. A major barrier to ... -
An Anatomical Description of a Miniaturized Acorn Worm (Hemichordata, Enteropneusta) with Asexual Reproduction by Paratomy
(Public Library of Science, 2012)The interstitial environment of marine sandy bottoms is a nutrient-rich, sheltered habitat whilst at the same time also often a turbulent, space-limited, and ecologically challenging environment dominated by meiofauna. The ... -
Dietary Variation and Evolution of Gene Copy Number among Dog Breeds
(Public Library of Science, 2016)Prolonged human interactions and artificial selection have influenced the genotypic and phenotypic diversity among dog breeds. Because humans and dogs occupy diverse habitats, ecological contexts have likely contributed ... -
Differences in the Selection Bottleneck between Modes of Sexual Transmission Influence the Genetic Composition of the HIV-1 Founder Virus
(Public Library of Science, 2016)Due to the stringent population bottleneck that occurs during sexual HIV-1 transmission, systemic infection is typically established by a limited number of founder viruses. Elucidation of the precise forces influencing the ... -
Differential Haemoparasite Intensity between Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus) Morphs Suggests an Adaptive Function for Polymorphism
(Public Library of Science, 2013)Recent research suggests that genes coding for melanin based colouration may have pleiotropic properties, in particular conveying raised immune function. Thus adaptive function of polymorphism may be associated with parasite ... -
Evidence for a Trade-Off Strategy in Stone Oak (Lithocarpus) Seeds between Physical and Chemical Defense Highlights Fiber as an Important Antifeedant
(Public Library of Science, 2012)Trees in the beech or oak family (Fagaceae) have a mutualistic relationship with scatter-hoarding rodents. Rodents obtain nutrients and energy by consuming seeds, while providing seed dispersal for the tree by allowing ... -
Evolution after Introduction of a Novel Metabolic Pathway Consistently Leads to Restoration of Wild-Type Physiology
(Public Library of Science, 2013)Organisms cope with physiological stressors through acclimatizing mechanisms in the short-term and adaptive mechanisms over evolutionary timescales. During adaptation to an environmental or genetic perturbation, beneficial ... -
The Evolution of Cell-to-Cell Communication in a Sporulating Bacterium
(Public Library of Science, 2012)Traditionally microorganisms were considered to be autonomous organisms that could be studied in isolation. However, over the last decades cell-to-cell communication has been found to be ubiquitous. By secreting molecular ... -
Genetic Diversity in the Interference Selection Limit
(Public Library of Science, 2014)Pervasive natural selection can strongly influence observed patterns of genetic variation, but these effects remain poorly understood when multiple selected variants segregate in nearby regions of the genome. Classical ... -
Genome Features of “Dark-Fly”, a Drosophila Line Reared Long-Term in a Dark Environment
(Public Library of Science, 2012)Organisms are remarkably adapted to diverse environments by specialized metabolisms, morphology, or behaviors. To address the molecular mechanisms underlying environmental adaptation, we have utilized a Drosophila melanogaster ... -
Indirect Evolution of Hybrid Lethality due to Linkage with Selected Locus in Mimulus guttatus
(Public Library of Science, 2013)Most species are superbly and intricately adapted to the environments in which they live. Adaptive evolution by natural selection is the primary force shaping biological diversity. Differences between closely related species ... -
Inferring Predator Behavior from Attack Rates on Prey-Replicas That Differ in Conspicuousness
(Public Library of Science, 2012)Behavioral ecologists and evolutionary biologists have long studied how predators respond to prey items novel in color and pattern. Because a predatory response is influenced by both the predator’s ability to detect the ... -
The Time Scale of Evolutionary Innovation
(Public Library of Science, 2014)A fundamental question in biology is the following: what is the time scale that is needed for evolutionary innovations? There are many results that characterize single steps in terms of the fixation time of new mutants ... -
Two of a Kind or a Full House? Reproductive Suppression and Alloparenting in Laboratory Mice
(Public Library of Science, 2016)Alloparenting, a behavior in which individuals other than the actual parents act in a parental role, is seen in many mammals, including house mice. In wild house mice, alloparental care is only seen when familiar sibling ... -
What Is Speciation?
(Public Library of Science, 2016)Concepts and definitions of species have been debated by generations of biologists and remain controversial. Microbes pose a particular challenge because of their genetic diversity, asexual reproduction, and often promiscuous ...