Dr. Juan Manuel Malda Barrera

Evol Bioinform Online. 2014 Jun 29;10:97-105. doi: 10.4137/EBO.S14457. eCollection 2014.

Influence of modularity and regularity on disparity of atelostomata sea urchins.

López-Sauceda J¹, Malda-Barrera J², Laguarda-Figueras A³, Solís-Marín F³, Aragón JL⁴.

Abstract

A modularity approach is used to study disparity rates and evolvability of sea urchins belonging to the Atelostomata superorder. For this purpose, the pentameric sea urchin architecture is partitioned into modular spatial components and the interference between modules is quantified using areas and a measurement of the regularity of the spatial partitions. This information is used to account for the variability through time (disparity) and potential for morphological variation and evolution (evolvability) in holasteroid echinoids. We obtain that regular partitions of the space produce modules with high modular integrity, whereas irregular partitions produce low modular integrity; the former ones are related with high morphological disparity (facilitation hypothesis). Our analysis also suggests that a pentameric body plan with low regularity rates in Atelostomata reflects a stronger modular integration among modules than within modules, which could favors bilaterality against radial symmetry. Our approach constitutes a theoretical platform to define and quantify spatial organization in partitions of the space that can be related to modules in a morphological analysis.

Keywords: eutactic stars; evolvability; modularity; regularity; sea urchins

Dra. Karina Alethya Acevedo Whitehouse

1.  Browning, H. M*., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K*., Gulland, F. M. D., Hall, A. J., Finlayson, J, Dagleish, M. P, Billington, K J, Colegrov,e K, Hammond, JA. (2014) Evidence for a genetic basis of urogenital cancer in the wild California sea lion. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. In press.

2.  Brock, P. M., Goodman ,S. J., Hall, A. J., Cruz. M., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K. (2014) Heterozygosity predicts immune variation in a wild carnivore. American Naturalist. Accepted.

3.  Martinez-Levasseur, L. M., Birch-Machin, M. A., Bowman, A., Gendron, D., Weatherhead, E., Knell, R. J., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K. (2013). Whales Use Distinct Strategies to Counteract Solar Ultraviolet Radiation. Scientific Reports 3:2386. DOI: 10.1038/srep02386

4.  Martinez-Levasseur, L. M., Gendron, D., Knell, R. J., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K. (2013) Control and target gene selection for studies on UV-induced genotoxicity in whales. BMC Research Notes 6:264 doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-6-264

5.  Brock, P. M., Hall, A. J., Goodman, S. J., Cruz, M., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K. (2013) The cost of immunity in an endangered marine mammal is modulated by anthropogenic environmental impacts. PLoS ONE 8(6). e67132. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067132

6.  Bowman, A., Martinez-Levasseur, L. M., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K., Gendron, D., Birch-Machin, M. A. (2013) The simultaneous detection of mitochondrial DNA damage from sun-exposed skin of three whale species and its association with UV-induced microscopic lesions and apoptosis. Mitochondrion pii: S1567-7249(13)00066-4. doi: 10.1016/j.mito.2013.04.003

7.  Jepson, P.D., Deaville, R., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K., Barnett, J., Brownlow, A., Brownell Jr, R. L., Clare, F. C., Davison, N., Law, R.J., Loveridge, J, Macgregor S.K., Morris, S., Murphy, S., Penrose, S., Perkins, M.W., Pinn, E., Seibel H., Siebert, U., Sierra E., Simpson, V., Tasker, M.L., Tregenza ,N.,  Cunningham, A.A., Fernández, A. (2013). What caused the UK’s largest common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) mass stranding event? PLoS ONE 8(4): e60953. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060953

8.  Pettorelli, N., Evans, D: M., Garner, T. W. J., Katzner, T., Gompper, M. E.,  Altwegg, R., Branch, T. A., Johnson, J. A.,Acevedo-Whitehouse, K., DaVolls, L.,, Rantanen, E., Gordon, I. J. (2013) Addressing gender imbalances in Animal Conservation 16: 131-133 doi:10.1111/acv.12032

9.  Brock, P., Hall, A., Goodman, S., Cruz, M., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K. (2013) Applying the tools of ecological immunology to conservation: a test case in the Galapagos sea lion. Animal Conservation 16(1): 19-31. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00567.x

10. Gordon, I. J., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K., Altwegg, R., Garner, T. W. J., Gompper, M. E., Katzner, T. E., Pettorelli, N., Redpath, S. (2012) What the ‘food security’ agenda means for animal conservation in terrestrial ecosystems. Animal Conservation 15(2): 115-116. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2012.00541.x