Sophie LaBelle Project Description
Title: The Evolutionary and Morphological Diversification of the Subtribe Papionina
Abstract:
Analysis of variation is critical in understanding evolutionary processes. The subtribe Papionina, defined commonly as baboons and their closest relatives, is a highly morphologically diverse group of primates that is useful for the examination of the relationship between variation and evolution. The subtribe is also a valuable behavioral, ecological, and morphological analogy for hominins. This study uses landmark-based cranial geometric morphometric data and multivariate analysis to test whether the pattern of morphological diversification present in the Papionina is consistent with genetic drift and/or selection. The study sample consists of six extant genera of Papionin, represented by 619 individuals collected by Michelle Singleton and Stephen R. Frost from predominantly wild populations. Multivariate analysis was performed on 17 linear measurements obtained by following principles of morphological integration. The proportionality of variance/covariance matrix structure within and between populations was compared in order to identify the mode of morphological diversification present in the subtribe. Our results indicate that the mechanism driving diversification is unlikely to be drift alone and requires selection. The facial prognathism distinguishing baboons and mandrills from the rest of the subtribe is primarily the result of selection having acted on an immediate common ancestor.
Acknowledgements:
I want to thank my advisor, Dr. James M. Cheverud, whose brilliance is unsurpassed. The theory he has taught me is itself more than I ever thought I could possibly learn. Dr. Daniela Rossoni’s scholarship primarily through the data analysis portion of this project has added invaluable sophistication and depth to my conclusions. Their help through this process has allowed for a thesis of which I am forever proud. Thank you to my committee members, Dr. Thomas Sanger and Dr. Anne Grauer, for your guidance and thoughtfulness.
In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Michelle Singleton for allowing me to use her cranial landmark data from 238 specimens referenced in her 2002 paper titled “Patterns of cranial shape variation in the Papionini (Primates: Cercopithecinae).” I also want to thank Dr. Stephen Frost for allowing me to use his cranial landmark data of 452 specimens detailed in his 2003 paper, “Cranial Allometry, Phylogeography, and Systematics of Large-Bodied Papionins (Primates: Cercopithecinae) Inferred from Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Landmark Data.” This dataset represents specimens from 17 different institutions located across 3 continents. Dr. Singleton and Dr. Frost have my deepest gratitude for their trust and for the gift of an extraordinary dataset and sample size.
Lastly, I am forever grateful to my parents for their unconditional and unending support. I only strive to make them proud. Thank you also goes to my husband, Ben, for his encouragement, humor, and positivity. He is the best partner I could ever expect in this life.
Vita:
Sophie LaBelle grew up spending summers “Up North” in Michigan and school years in Arizona. Prior to attending graduate school at Loyola University Chicago, she received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology from the George Washington University in the nation’s capital. While an undergraduate, she served as secretary of the GW Roots & Shoots chapter and mentored children with the D.C. Reads nonprofit organization. After graduating, she volunteered at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
During her time at Loyola, Sophie was elected Vice President of the Biology Graduate Student Association, worked as a mammal preparator at Chicago’s Field Museum, and completed an animal care internship at the Cosley Zoo. She is currently enjoying life with her husband, two poodles, and newborn daughter, Lucy.
Research Mentor:
Dr. James M. Cheverud
Committee Members:
Dr. Anne L. Grauer
Dr. Thomas Sanger
Title: Chironomidae (Diptera) Community Structure in Lakes of Contrasting Morphometry, Landscape Position, and Water Chemistry
ABSTRACT
Chironomidae (Diptera) surface-floating pupal exuviae were collected monthly during the ice-free season in 2010-2011 from six lakes in the North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research site in northern Wisconsin. The goal of this study was to determine whether chironomid community structure reflected differences in lake morphometry (i.e. depth, area, shoreline development, etc.), landscape position, and/or water chemistry. Forty-six genera were identified from four subfamilies: Chironominae (57%), Orthocladiinae (28%), Tanypodinae (11%), and Diamesinae (4%). Tanytarsus, Ablabesmyia, and Psectrocladius were found in all six study lakes; whereas certain genera, such as Omisus, Protanypus, and Epoicocladius were each observed in only one lake. An analysis of abiotic variables revealed that pH, Secchi depth, and total phosphorus were the most important factors structuring chironomid communities in the NTL-LTER clearwater study lakes, but a more complete suite of habitat variables that includes biotic factors (i.e., algal growth and availability and macrophyte characteristics) should be sampled in future studies to determine the importance of these variables. Elucidating the factors that influence chironomid community structure can lead to an improved understanding of chironomid ecology and distribution patterns in north temperate lakes and will be a valuable asset in examining the interplay of landscape position and biological communities in lakes
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Loyola University Chicago, Department of Biology for accepting me as a graduate student in 2009 and providing funding for my pursuit of a Master’s degree. Thank you to the Department of Biology office staff and faculty who all have been encouraging and supportive as I worked through the graduate research program. A debt of gratitude goes to Pam Fashingbauer, Dr. Tim K. Kratz, Aaron Stephenson, Dr. Emily H. Stanley, and all other staff that I crossed paths with at Trout Lake Station in the North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Research site during my research field seasons. Without their assistance and knowledge this project would not have been completed. I would like to thank my thesis director, Dr. Martin B. Berg, for his advisement, vast knowledge of the Chironomidae, encouragement, bourbon and beer recommendations, and most importantly, patience. I could not have asked to work with a better scientist and person, especially during the times of doubt. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, sense of humor, and believing in me during this journey; I am truly honored to be known as one of your graduate students. I have experienced your well-known red penned comments over multiple drafts of my thesis and have come out a better aquatic biologist and person. Thank you to my thesis committee members, Drs. Sushma Reddy, Joseph Milanovich and Leonard Ferrington for their insight and helpful comments on my research. My committee probably thought I disappeared, but I was around moving slowly towards the finish line.
Shout out goes to Chantel Adelfio and Nick Furlan for their friendship that developed over the years and will last a lifetime. The Berg Lab would not have been the same without them and I am very lucky they are both in my life. Thank you to the staff at EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC for supporting this effort and allowing my position to remain as I worked on my thesis research. I would be remiss if I did not thank all the people I met through the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish that introduced me to aquatic biology and field work. I have no clue what I would be doing today if I did not accept a summer conservation technician position back in 2003. Special thanks to Dave Propst, Bob Larson, Stephanie Carman, and Amber Kingsbury for showing me the beauty of the rivers in New Mexico and teaching me about the life in them.
My thesis project would not have been completed without the support, poking and prodding, and encouragement from my wife, Sarah Zack. I know at times the process was frustrating, but thank you for sticking with me to reach my goal. Lastly, thank you to my dad, mom, and brother who will no longer ask, “When will you be done?!?”
VITA
Conrad S. Zack graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. As an undergraduate, he had a scientific article published in Wildlife Society Bulletin about the southern oscillation index and encounters between humans and black bears in New Mexico. After graduation, he worked for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) in the Conservation Services Division – Endangered Species Program in Santa Fe where he was introduced to and developed an interest in aquatic biology. Following the position with NMDGF, in 2005, Conrad moved to Chicago, IL and found employment with EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc., PBC., an environmental consulting firm in Deerfield, IL. During this position, he solidified his love of aquatic biota and refined his aquatic macroinvertebrate taxonomy skills ,becoming a Certified Taxonomist in General, EPT, and Chironomidae – eastern taxa in 2013 by the Society for Freshwater Science. He also has advanced his ichthyoplankton taxonomy skills since 2005 working with well known experts Darrel Snyder, Robert (Bob) Wallus, and Larry K. Kay. He has been with the company for 12 years and currently works as an Aquatic Biologist/Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Larval Fish Taxonomist.
Committee Members
Dr. Martin B. Berg
Dr. Sushma Reddy
Dr. Joseph Milanovich
Dr. Leonard Ferrington – University of Minnesota
Title: The Evolutionary and Morphological Diversification of the Subtribe Papionina
Abstract:
Analysis of variation is critical in understanding evolutionary processes. The subtribe Papionina, defined commonly as baboons and their closest relatives, is a highly morphologically diverse group of primates that is useful for the examination of the relationship between variation and evolution. The subtribe is also a valuable behavioral, ecological, and morphological analogy for hominins. This study uses landmark-based cranial geometric morphometric data and multivariate analysis to test whether the pattern of morphological diversification present in the Papionina is consistent with genetic drift and/or selection. The study sample consists of six extant genera of Papionin, represented by 619 individuals collected by Michelle Singleton and Stephen R. Frost from predominantly wild populations. Multivariate analysis was performed on 17 linear measurements obtained by following principles of morphological integration. The proportionality of variance/covariance matrix structure within and between populations was compared in order to identify the mode of morphological diversification present in the subtribe. Our results indicate that the mechanism driving diversification is unlikely to be drift alone and requires selection. The facial prognathism distinguishing baboons and mandrills from the rest of the subtribe is primarily the result of selection having acted on an immediate common ancestor.
Acknowledgements:
I want to thank my advisor, Dr. James M. Cheverud, whose brilliance is unsurpassed. The theory he has taught me is itself more than I ever thought I could possibly learn. Dr. Daniela Rossoni’s scholarship primarily through the data analysis portion of this project has added invaluable sophistication and depth to my conclusions. Their help through this process has allowed for a thesis of which I am forever proud. Thank you to my committee members, Dr. Thomas Sanger and Dr. Anne Grauer, for your guidance and thoughtfulness.
In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Michelle Singleton for allowing me to use her cranial landmark data from 238 specimens referenced in her 2002 paper titled “Patterns of cranial shape variation in the Papionini (Primates: Cercopithecinae).” I also want to thank Dr. Stephen Frost for allowing me to use his cranial landmark data of 452 specimens detailed in his 2003 paper, “Cranial Allometry, Phylogeography, and Systematics of Large-Bodied Papionins (Primates: Cercopithecinae) Inferred from Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Landmark Data.” This dataset represents specimens from 17 different institutions located across 3 continents. Dr. Singleton and Dr. Frost have my deepest gratitude for their trust and for the gift of an extraordinary dataset and sample size.
Lastly, I am forever grateful to my parents for their unconditional and unending support. I only strive to make them proud. Thank you also goes to my husband, Ben, for his encouragement, humor, and positivity. He is the best partner I could ever expect in this life.
Vita:
Sophie LaBelle grew up spending summers “Up North” in Michigan and school years in Arizona. Prior to attending graduate school at Loyola University Chicago, she received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology from the George Washington University in the nation’s capital. While an undergraduate, she served as secretary of the GW Roots & Shoots chapter and mentored children with the D.C. Reads nonprofit organization. After graduating, she volunteered at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
During her time at Loyola, Sophie was elected Vice President of the Biology Graduate Student Association, worked as a mammal preparator at Chicago’s Field Museum, and completed an animal care internship at the Cosley Zoo. She is currently enjoying life with her husband, two poodles, and newborn daughter, Lucy.
Research Mentor:
Dr. James M. Cheverud
Committee Members:
Dr. Anne L. Grauer
Dr. Thomas Sanger
Title: Chironomidae (Diptera) Community Structure in Lakes of Contrasting Morphometry, Landscape Position, and Water Chemistry
ABSTRACT
Chironomidae (Diptera) surface-floating pupal exuviae were collected monthly during the ice-free season in 2010-2011 from six lakes in the North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research site in northern Wisconsin. The goal of this study was to determine whether chironomid community structure reflected differences in lake morphometry (i.e. depth, area, shoreline development, etc.), landscape position, and/or water chemistry. Forty-six genera were identified from four subfamilies: Chironominae (57%), Orthocladiinae (28%), Tanypodinae (11%), and Diamesinae (4%). Tanytarsus, Ablabesmyia, and Psectrocladius were found in all six study lakes; whereas certain genera, such as Omisus, Protanypus, and Epoicocladius were each observed in only one lake. An analysis of abiotic variables revealed that pH, Secchi depth, and total phosphorus were the most important factors structuring chironomid communities in the NTL-LTER clearwater study lakes, but a more complete suite of habitat variables that includes biotic factors (i.e., algal growth and availability and macrophyte characteristics) should be sampled in future studies to determine the importance of these variables. Elucidating the factors that influence chironomid community structure can lead to an improved understanding of chironomid ecology and distribution patterns in north temperate lakes and will be a valuable asset in examining the interplay of landscape position and biological communities in lakes
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Loyola University Chicago, Department of Biology for accepting me as a graduate student in 2009 and providing funding for my pursuit of a Master’s degree. Thank you to the Department of Biology office staff and faculty who all have been encouraging and supportive as I worked through the graduate research program. A debt of gratitude goes to Pam Fashingbauer, Dr. Tim K. Kratz, Aaron Stephenson, Dr. Emily H. Stanley, and all other staff that I crossed paths with at Trout Lake Station in the North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Research site during my research field seasons. Without their assistance and knowledge this project would not have been completed. I would like to thank my thesis director, Dr. Martin B. Berg, for his advisement, vast knowledge of the Chironomidae, encouragement, bourbon and beer recommendations, and most importantly, patience. I could not have asked to work with a better scientist and person, especially during the times of doubt. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, sense of humor, and believing in me during this journey; I am truly honored to be known as one of your graduate students. I have experienced your well-known red penned comments over multiple drafts of my thesis and have come out a better aquatic biologist and person. Thank you to my thesis committee members, Drs. Sushma Reddy, Joseph Milanovich and Leonard Ferrington for their insight and helpful comments on my research. My committee probably thought I disappeared, but I was around moving slowly towards the finish line.
Shout out goes to Chantel Adelfio and Nick Furlan for their friendship that developed over the years and will last a lifetime. The Berg Lab would not have been the same without them and I am very lucky they are both in my life. Thank you to the staff at EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC for supporting this effort and allowing my position to remain as I worked on my thesis research. I would be remiss if I did not thank all the people I met through the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish that introduced me to aquatic biology and field work. I have no clue what I would be doing today if I did not accept a summer conservation technician position back in 2003. Special thanks to Dave Propst, Bob Larson, Stephanie Carman, and Amber Kingsbury for showing me the beauty of the rivers in New Mexico and teaching me about the life in them.
My thesis project would not have been completed without the support, poking and prodding, and encouragement from my wife, Sarah Zack. I know at times the process was frustrating, but thank you for sticking with me to reach my goal. Lastly, thank you to my dad, mom, and brother who will no longer ask, “When will you be done?!?”
VITA
Conrad S. Zack graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. As an undergraduate, he had a scientific article published in Wildlife Society Bulletin about the southern oscillation index and encounters between humans and black bears in New Mexico. After graduation, he worked for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) in the Conservation Services Division – Endangered Species Program in Santa Fe where he was introduced to and developed an interest in aquatic biology. Following the position with NMDGF, in 2005, Conrad moved to Chicago, IL and found employment with EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc., PBC., an environmental consulting firm in Deerfield, IL. During this position, he solidified his love of aquatic biota and refined his aquatic macroinvertebrate taxonomy skills ,becoming a Certified Taxonomist in General, EPT, and Chironomidae – eastern taxa in 2013 by the Society for Freshwater Science. He also has advanced his ichthyoplankton taxonomy skills since 2005 working with well known experts Darrel Snyder, Robert (Bob) Wallus, and Larry K. Kay. He has been with the company for 12 years and currently works as an Aquatic Biologist/Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Larval Fish Taxonomist.
Committee Members
Dr. Martin B. Berg
Dr. Sushma Reddy
Dr. Joseph Milanovich
Dr. Leonard Ferrington – University of Minnesota