This book by Duncan Irschick and BMSC instructor Tim HIgham examines how and why ‘animal athletes’ have evolved using examples from across the animal kingdom, integrating them into the broader context of ecology and evolution.
Blog Recent Publications
‘Waxopods’ provide a reliable estimate of crab predation intensity
Gastropod wax replicas can be used to quantify the frequency and type of attacks by crab predators, which likely play a vital role in structuring gastropod populations.
How many chromosomes contribute to sex determination in a copepod?
QTL mapping of sex ratio phenotype revealed six independently segregating quantitative trait loci on five separate chromosomes, explaining 19% of the variation in sex ratios in Tigriopus californicus.
Hagfish slime reduces uptake of metals, but not organic nutrients.
Hagfish slime acts as a selective filter, allowing the passage of nutrients across the skin, but impairing the transport of trace elements that may cause toxicity at relatively elevated levels.
Physiological responses of intertidal starfish when exposed at low tide
Physiological mechanisms of Pisaster ochraceus suggest this species is ideally suited for life in the intertidal zone.
Where are the biggest mussels?
Connor and Robles (2015), working on small a spatial scale, show that mussels (Mytilus californicus) from low-shore and high wave exposure habitats grow faster when young and become the largest adults.
How gooseneck barnacles mate despite having ‘unusually short’ penises.
Gooseneck barnacles (Pollicipes polymerus) have evolved novel mating strategies in the wave-swept intertidal.
Anatomical interpretations of fossils tested using acorn worms found at Cape Beale
BMSC researchers Karma Nanglu and Dr. Chris Cameron (BMSC Alumnus, PhD) examine the validity of anatomical interpretations of a Burgess Shale enteropneust.
Long spines means smooth swimming for porcelain crab zoea larvae
BMSC / SFU Alumnus Anna Smith and Greg Jensen, (U of Washington, BMSC Crustacean Biology instructor) show the fantastically long spines on porcelain crab zoea larvea may these larvae to remain in nearshore coastal waters.
Hagfish adapt to high ammonia environments
Graduate student Alex Clifford and collegues report that the Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii) has an exceptional ability to both withstand and recover from exposure to high external ammonia it encounters when burrowed inside the decomposing carcass while feeding.