Download or read book On the Evolution of Correlated Color Traits in Garter Snakes written by Michael F. Westphal and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How complex traits evolve continues to be a major focus of evolutionary investigation. A current topic of debate is the hypothesis that the phenotypic integration of complex traits gives rise to evolutionary constraints. I studied two color traits in the common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, that show a high level of integration in some populations and a lower level of integration in others. Using multiple tools of evolutionary research, including phenotypic, quantitative genetic, and phylogenetic analysis, I describe the historical background of the two traits, investigate the genetic architecture underlying the traits in extant populations, and explore the extent to which both traits have differentiated at the population level. I also describe the among-population diversification of traits as a result of selection usinf FST/QST analysis. Finally, I report the results of a study of direct selection on color traits from avian predators. My main findings are: 1. Garter snake dorsal blotches function as startle patterns in most species of garter snake and as aposematic signals in at least one species; 2. Red pigmentation is derived in the genus Thamnophis; 3. Red blotches, while appearing to be a univariate trait in western populations of Thamnophis sirtalis, can be empirically decomposed into two heritable traits, pattern and pigment; 4. Pattern and pigment are highly genetically correlated in a California population of Thamnophis sirtalis but are less tightly correlated in a Manitoba population; and 5. Population means of pattern and pigment are highly correlated among subpopulations in the California population but are not correlated among subpopulations in Manitoba. I conclude that genetic correlation imposes shortterm evolutionary constraint on the ability of pattern and pigment to evolve independently of each other as predicted by theory. I also conclude that the traits can become decoupled over many generations and can evolve along independent trajectories.
Download or read book Exploring Ecological Correlates Associated with Dorsal Colour Variation in Garter Snakes written by Leigh Anne Isaac and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Colours influence numerous aspects of an animal's ecology and the adaptive significance of colour variation has been intensively studied in diverse taxonomic groups. This study was motivated by the question: Why do garter snakes vary in colour? To answer this question, I focused on Western Terrestrial Garter Snakes, Thamnophis elegans, which exhibit geographic variation in colouration (dark morph vs. light morph), and two different species of garter snake that occur in the same geographic region but vary in colour--light T. elegans and the Common Garter Snake, T. sirtalis. My work provides an objective quantification and analysis of snake colour and evaluates the influence of colour variation on ecological processes such as thermoregulation, crypsis, and antipredator behaviour. I compared body temperatures (Tbs) with available thermal opportunities, both in wild snakes and in a field experiment, to determine how snakes with contrasting colours differ in thermoregulation and temperature-dependent behaviours. Gravid females of the light and dark colour morphs of T.elegans exhibited comparable thermoregulatory behaviour at high temperatures; however, dark T.elegans maintained elevated Tbs when available temperatures dropped. In the field, dark-coloured snakes were more likely to be moving when first detected when Tbs were high, but this trend was reversed in light T. elegans. I quantified crypsis of snakes, in terms of colour and brightness, by measuring the spectral reflectance of snakes and the surrounding habitat. These data were visually modeled from the perspective of potential snake predators and human researchers. Overall, snakes selected basking sites that maximized crypsis and both colour morphs of T. elegans were equally cryptic. There was evidence suggesting that T. sirtalis was more cryptic than light T. elegans to snake predators. I collected a series of behavioural measurements for snakes pre- and post-capture. Light T.elegans were more likely to be moving when originally detected in the field than dark snakes. Distance to cover and injuries were important factors in explaining the antipredator behaviour of snakes in the field. Snakes became generally faster with increasing Tbs, but differences attributable to colour morph were not straightforward. A higher proportion of T. elegans of both colour morphs exhibited some type of movement when exposed to a simulated predatory attack. Thamnophis sirtalis, on the other hand, hung limp and motionless in the air. The less cryptic lightT. elegans had a higher probability of having an injury than T. sirtalis but injury patterns between the equally cryptic light and dark T. elegans differed by sex. The relationships between colour and these various traits were complex, but, taken together, they highlighted how thermal ecology, crypsis, and anti-predator behaviours were related to a snake's visual appearance. These results therefore provide an ecological underpinning for future genetic studies to identify potential candidate genes that may be responsible for the control of colour pattern in garter snakes.
Download or read book The Garter Snakes written by Douglas Athon Rossman and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology is the first comprehensive review of the genus Thamnophis in nearly ninety years. The book includes color plates of all species (many never previously figured in color); extensive discussion of ecology, behavior, and captive care; and a modern key to all species - as well as species-by-species summaries of the systematics and natural history of the thirty different garter snakes now recognized. Of particular interest are the descriptions of lesser-known species in Mexico. Because interest in reptiles has grown dramatically in recent years, this comprehensive guide is designed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible - to both the professional herpetologist interested in the biology of Thamnophis and the hobbyist who wants to know more about these diverse and widespread snakes, both in the home aquarium and in the wild. This up-to-date, appealing book, written by the world's leading authorities, will be extremely useful not only to herpetologists but also to conservationists, ecologists, pet owners, and other readers generally interested in natural history.
Download or read book Variations and Genetic Relationships of the Garter snakes written by Alexander Grant Ruthven and published by . This book was released on 1908 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper is an attempt to do classification on the garter-snake group to help define differences between natural groups and clarify the systematic arrangements.
Download or read book Hybridization Between Two Species of Garter Snakes written by Hobart M. Smith and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2020-03-16 with total page 12 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Hybridization Between Two Species of Garter Snakes" by Hobart M. Smith. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.
Download or read book The Princeton Guide to Evolution written by David A. Baum and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 886 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essential one-volume reference to evolution The Princeton Guide to Evolution is a comprehensive, concise, and authoritative reference to the major subjects and key concepts in evolutionary biology, from genes to mass extinctions. Edited by a distinguished team of evolutionary biologists, with contributions from leading researchers, the guide contains some 100 clear, accurate, and up-to-date articles on the most important topics in seven major areas: phylogenetics and the history of life; selection and adaptation; evolutionary processes; genes, genomes, and phenotypes; speciation and macroevolution; evolution of behavior, society, and humans; and evolution and modern society. Complete with more than 100 illustrations (including eight pages in color), glossaries of key terms, suggestions for further reading on each topic, and an index, this is an essential volume for undergraduate and graduate students, scientists in related fields, and anyone else with a serious interest in evolution. Explains key topics in some 100 concise and authoritative articles written by a team of leading evolutionary biologists Contains more than 100 illustrations, including eight pages in color Each article includes an outline, glossary, bibliography, and cross-references Covers phylogenetics and the history of life; selection and adaptation; evolutionary processes; genes, genomes, and phenotypes; speciation and macroevolution; evolution of behavior, society, and humans; and evolution and modern society
Download or read book Evolutionary Quantitative Genetics written by Stevan J. Arnold and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023-06-06 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evolutionary quantitative genetics (EQG) provides a formal theoretical foundation for quantitatively linking natural selection and genetic variation to the rate and expanse of adaptive evolution. It has become the dominant conceptual framework for interpreting the evolution of quantitative traits in terms of elementary forces (mutation, inheritance, selection, and drift). Despite this success, the relevance of EQG to many biological scenarios remains relatively unappreciated, with numerous fields yet to fully embrace its approach. Part of the reason for this lag is that conceptual advances in EQG have not yet been fully synthesized and made accessible to a wider academic audience. A comprehensive, accessible overview is therefore now timely, and Evolutionary Quantitative Genetics provides this much-needed synthesis. The central argument of the book is that an adaptive landscape concept can be used to understand both evolutionary process within lineages and the pattern of adaptive radiations. In particular, it provides a convincing argument that models with a moving adaptive peak carry us further than any other conceptual approach yet devised. Although additive theory holds center stage, the book mentions and references departures from additivity including non-Gaussian distributions of allelic effects, dominance, epistasis, maternal effects and phenotypic plasticity. This accessible, advanced textbook is aimed principally at students (from senior undergraduate to postgraduate) as well as practising scientists in the fields of evolutionary biology, ecology, physiology, functional morphology, developmental biology, comparative biology, paleontology, and beyond who are interested in how adaptive radiations are produced by evolutionary and ecological processes.
Download or read book Garter Snakes written by Mary Ann McDonald and published by Capstone. This book was released on 1996 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the physical characteristics, habitat, and behavior of the common garter snake.
Download or read book The Role of Flower Color in Angiosperm Evolution written by Montserrat Arista and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-11-05 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Behavioral Mechanisms in Evolutionary Ecology written by Leslie Real and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1994-12-15 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book-length exploration of behavioral mechanisms in evolutionary ecology, this ambitious volume illuminates long-standing questions about cause-and-effect relations between an animal's behavior and its environment. By focusing on biological mechanisms—the sum of an animal's cognitive, neural, developmental, and hormonal processes—leading researchers demonstrate how the integrated study of animal physiology, cognitive processes, and social interaction can yield an enriched understanding of behavior. With studies of species ranging from insects to primates, the contributors examine how various animals identify and use environmental resources and deal with ecological constraints, as well as the roles of learning, communication, and cognitive aspects of social interaction in behavioral evolution. Taken together, the chapters demonstrate how the study of internal mechanistic foundations of behavior in relation to their ecological and evolutionary contexts and outcomes provides valuable insight into such behaviors as predation, mating, and dispersal. Behavioral Mechanisms in Evolutionary Ecology shows how a mechanistic approach unites various levels of biological organization to provide a broader understanding of the biological bases of behavioral evolution.
Download or read book Garter Snake written by William Donald and published by . This book was released on 2020-04-25 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology includes color plates of all species (many never previously figured in color); extensive discussion of ecology, behavior, and captive care; and a modern key to all species-as well as species-by-species summaries of the systematic and natural history of the thirty different garter snakes now recognized. Of particular interest are the descriptions of lesser-known species in Mexico.
Download or read book Evolution written by Douglas J. Futuyma and published by Sinauer Associates, Incorporated. This book was released on 2009 with total page 728 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Douglas Futuyma presents an overview of current thinking on theories of evolution, aimed at an undergraduate audience.
Download or read book Quantitative Genetic Studies of Behavioral Evolution written by Christine R. B. Boake and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1994-08-15 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taken together, these studies document both the benefits and pitfalls of quantitative genetics.
Download or read book Dissertation Abstracts International written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 902 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits written by Bruce Walsh and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-06-21 with total page 1504 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Quantitative traits-be they morphological or physiological characters, aspects of behavior, or genome-level features such as the amount of RNA or protein expression for a specific gene-usually show considerable variation within and among populations. Quantitative genetics, also referred to as the genetics of complex traits, is the study of such characters and is based on mathematical models of evolution in which many genes influence the trait and in which non-genetic factors may also be important. Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits presents a holistic treatment of the subject, showing the interplay between theory and data with extensive discussions on statistical issues relating to the estimation of the biologically relevant parameters for these models. Quantitative genetics is viewed as the bridge between complex mathematical models of trait evolution and real-world data, and the authors have clearly framed their treatment as such. This is the second volume in a planned trilogy that summarizes the modern field of quantitative genetics, informed by empirical observations from wide-ranging fields (agriculture, evolution, ecology, and human biology) as well as population genetics, statistical theory, mathematical modeling, genetics, and genomics. Whilst volume 1 (1998) dealt with the genetics of such traits, the main focus of volume 2 is on their evolution, with a special emphasis on detecting selection (ranging from the use of genomic and historical data through to ecological field data) and examining its consequences.
Download or read book Evo Devo of Color Pattern Formation written by Ricardo Mallarino and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-11-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Snakes written by Richard A. Seigel and published by McGraw-Hill Companies. This book was released on 1993 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive reference for herpetologists, biologists, and others interested in such aspects of snakes as their population genetics, neurobiology, functional morphology, behavioral ecology, and evolution. Also includes a chapter on strategies for conservation. Acidic paper. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
