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Evolution of egg mimics in spottail darters

Started by Guest_TomNear_* , Oct 18 2012 05:08 PM

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6 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_TomNear_*

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Posted 18 October 2012 - 05:08 PM

Hello NANFers,
A graduate student in my lab, Rich Harrington, recently published a paper that examines the evolutionary history of egg mimicry in spottail darters, a clade we named Stigmacerca in our 2011 darter phylogeny paper.

Rich's work is based on an analysis of DNA sequences from 15 nuclear genes and a single mtDNA gene. The analyses show that there is extensive mtDNA introgression, where mtDNA genomes are crossing species boundaries because of hybridization. Also, there is gene flow between species detected in the nuclear genes. In particular, there is gene flow between Etheostoma nigripinne and E. neopterum.

Another important discovery in this paper is that the Clarks River population of Etheostoma oophylax is more closely related to the federally protected species E. chienense, than it is to other populations of E. oophylax.

Attached Files

Harrington_et_al_InPress.pdf 1.1MB 70 downloads

#2 Guest_Doug_Dame_*

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Posted 18 October 2012 - 09:56 PM

I feel like I'm getting previews of the cutting edge of science, just hanging around the NANFA fish board. Thanks for sharing.

#3 Guest_danawhicker_*

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Posted 19 October 2012 - 07:06 AM

Pretty cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.

#4 Guest_TomNear_*

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Posted 19 October 2012 - 08:28 AM

@ Doug_Dame, That is just about the nicest thing one can say. Thank you! I think that it is important to share our work here on NANFA because it is ultimately about the animals...in this case NA freshwater fishes. Much of what we know about these wonderful organisms is the result of naturalists, and not necessarily professional scientists, taking the time to make careful and accurate observations.

#5 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 19 October 2012 - 02:22 PM

@ Doug_Dame, That is just about the nicest thing one can say. Thank you! I think that it is important to share our work here on NANFA because it is ultimately about the animals...in this case NA freshwater fishes. Much of what we know about these wonderful organisms is the result of naturalists, and not necessarily professional scientists, taking the time to make careful and accurate observations.

That is just about the nicest thing you could say about the amateur naturalists!

#6 Guest_Kanus_*

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Posted 20 October 2012 - 02:53 PM

I agree. Thanks Tom. It is awesome to have access to this level of scientific information, and likewise to have academics not scoff at our efforts to help.

#7 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 22 October 2012 - 10:25 AM

I suspect some high-flying academics find NANFA a refreshing break from their scientific meetings and technical publications. It keeps them connected with their origins as curious naturalists and hobbyists, and reminds them that their love of nature is the essence of it all.