Platyrrhine Phylogenetics With A Focus On Callitrichine Life History Adaptations

<p>The life history of a species is highly impacted by their reproductive strategy. In my dissertation I address the changing reproductive strategies in callitrichine New World monkeys and their genetic underpinnings using a phylogenetic approach. The necessity for a resolved phylogeny is universal to any comparative genomic study. Here we have constructed a reliable phylogenetic framework from which reproductive strategy could be studied in callitrichines. First, to determine the most recent common ancestor of Anthropoid primates we took a phylogenomic approach, using the publicly available whole genome sequences of 17 mammal species. With high confidence, we determined here that Tarsier is the most recent common ancestor to Anthropoid primates. Secondly, we construct a reliable phylogenetic framework for New World monkeys. To do this, genomic sequence databases are developed and parsed for non-genic markers. The resulting phylogeny is based on 40+kb of non-genic genomic data and contains 40 species. Finally the reproductive strategy of callitrichines was investigated. The timing and mechanism of litter size reduction in Goeldi's monkey was accessed though detection of chimerism and adaptive evolution of genes involved in reproduction. We determined based on these analysis that the reduction in litter size is likely pre-ovulation and due to a reversion to mono-ovulation in the species.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Molecular Biology and Genetics

Year dc:date.available

2013

Author dc:creator

• Jameson, Natalie Mae

Contributors dc:contributor

• Derek E. Wildman

• Biogeography
• Chimerism
• Neotropic
• Phylogeny
• Platyrrhine
• Twinning
• Evolution

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/844

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.wayne.edu:oa_dissertations-1843