The convergent evolution of phenotypic traits is a widespread phenomenon across the tree of life and is explained as the outcome of different taxa facing similar selective forces or environmental conditions. A longstanding question in evolutionary biology is whether the evolution of convergent phenotypes in unrelated lineages is driven by similar or different molecular processes. The research presented here investigates this question by characterizing the molecular basis of two biochemical innovations, bioluminescence and venom production, that have evolved independently in different lineages of polychaetes worms (Annelida). We use an integrative approach, combining next-generation sequencing, phylogenetics and computational tools to evaluate whether these two convergent traits are the result of similar genetic and molecular mechanisms in different lineages. We have generated a great amount of genomic resources that allowed us to investigate bioluminescence and identify candidate genes responsible for light production in three species of Syllidae (Chapters 2 and 3) and Polynoidae (Chapter 4), as well as a wide diversity of putative toxins in the transcriptomes of three Amphinomidae species (Chapter 5) and four Polynoidae species (Chapter 6). Our results provide a more comprehensive scenario to understand the molecular basis, gene expression patterns and evolution of bioluminescence and venom production in polychaetes, and suggest that convergent traits are generally the result of similar molecular mechanisms in unrelated lineages.
","abstract_html":"<p>The convergent evolution of phenotypic traits is a widespread phenomenon across the tree of life and is explained as the outcome of different taxa facing similar selective forces or environmental conditions. A longstanding question in evolutionary biology is whether the evolution of convergent phenotypes in unrelated lineages is driven by similar or different molecular processes. The research presented here investigates this question by characterizing the molecular basis of two biochemical innovations, bioluminescence and venom production, that have evolved independently in different lineages of polychaetes worms (Annelida). We use an integrative approach, combining next-generation sequencing, phylogenetics and computational tools to evaluate whether these two convergent traits are the result of similar genetic and molecular mechanisms in different lineages. We have generated a great amount of genomic resources that allowed us to investigate bioluminescence and identify candidate genes responsible for light production in three species of Syllidae (Chapters 2 and 3) and Polynoidae (Chapter 4), as well as a wide diversity of putative toxins in the transcriptomes of three Amphinomidae species (Chapter 5) and four Polynoidae species (Chapter 6). Our results provide a more comprehensive scenario to understand the molecular basis, gene expression patterns and evolution of bioluminescence and venom production in polychaetes, and suggest that convergent traits are generally the result of similar molecular mechanisms in unrelated lineages.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Verdes Gorín, Aida E"],"institution":"The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Mandë Holford","David F. Gruber"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["John Sparks","Dimitri D. Deheyn","Ana Riesgo Gil"],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-02-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-02-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:21Z","subjects":["Evolution","Genomics","Marine Biology","Bioluminescence","venom","comparative transcriptomics","convergent evolution","annelida","polychaeta"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2544","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Mandë Holford","David F. Gruber"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["John Sparks","Dimitri D. Deheyn","Ana Riesgo Gil"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Verdes Gorín, Aida E"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-02-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Evolution","Genomics","Marine Biology","Bioluminescence","venom","comparative transcriptomics","convergent evolution","annelida","polychaeta"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2544"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The convergent evolution of phenotypic traits is a widespread phenomenon across the tree of life and is explained as the outcome of different taxa facing similar selective forces or environmental conditions. A longstanding question in evolutionary biology is whether the evolution of convergent phenotypes in unrelated lineages is driven by similar or different molecular processes. The research presented here investigates this question by characterizing the molecular basis of two biochemical innovations, bioluminescence and venom production, that have evolved independently in different lineages of polychaetes worms (Annelida). We use an integrative approach, combining next-generation sequencing, phylogenetics and computational tools to evaluate whether these two convergent traits are the result of similar genetic and molecular mechanisms in different lineages. We have generated a great amount of genomic resources that allowed us to investigate bioluminescence and identify candidate genes responsible for light production in three species of Syllidae (Chapters 2 and 3) and Polynoidae (Chapter 4), as well as a wide diversity of putative toxins in the transcriptomes of three Amphinomidae species (Chapter 5) and four Polynoidae species (Chapter 6). Our results provide a more comprehensive scenario to understand the molecular basis, gene expression patterns and evolution of bioluminescence and venom production in polychaetes, and suggest that convergent traits are generally the result of similar molecular mechanisms in unrelated lineages.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Convergent Evolution of Biochemical Innovations in Polychaetes: Characterizing the Molecular Basis of Bioluminescence and Venom Production"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Mandë Holford","David F. Gruber"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["John Sparks","Dimitri D. Deheyn","Ana Riesgo Gil"],"dc:creator":["Verdes Gorín, Aida E"],"dc:date.available":["2020-02-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The convergent evolution of phenotypic traits is a widespread phenomenon across the tree of life and is explained as the outcome of different taxa facing similar selective forces or environmental conditions. A longstanding question in evolutionary biology is whether the evolution of convergent phenotypes in unrelated lineages is driven by similar or different molecular processes. The research presented here investigates this question by characterizing the molecular basis of two biochemical innovations, bioluminescence and venom production, that have evolved independently in different lineages of polychaetes worms (Annelida). We use an integrative approach, combining next-generation sequencing, phylogenetics and computational tools to evaluate whether these two convergent traits are the result of similar genetic and molecular mechanisms in different lineages. We have generated a great amount of genomic resources that allowed us to investigate bioluminescence and identify candidate genes responsible for light production in three species of Syllidae (Chapters 2 and 3) and Polynoidae (Chapter 4), as well as a wide diversity of putative toxins in the transcriptomes of three Amphinomidae species (Chapter 5) and four Polynoidae species (Chapter 6). Our results provide a more comprehensive scenario to understand the molecular basis, gene expression patterns and evolution of bioluminescence and venom production in polychaetes, and suggest that convergent traits are generally the result of similar molecular mechanisms in unrelated lineages.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2544"],"dc:subject":["Evolution","Genomics","Marine Biology","Bioluminescence","venom","comparative transcriptomics","convergent evolution","annelida","polychaeta"],"dc:title":["Convergent Evolution of Biochemical Innovations in Polychaetes: Characterizing the Molecular Basis of Bioluminescence and Venom Production"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:21Z"}