Dissertation Research: Phylogenetic Relationships, Ontogenetic Color Change, and Antipredator Adaptation in the Colubrinae (Serpentes)

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9902182LososThe subject of adaptation has been one of the central topics in evolutionary biology for most of its history. Modern approaches to the study of adaptation incorporating phylogenic information are still very new and are only beginning to be widely used. The adaptive value of different color patterns in snakes as it relates to avoiding predation has received much attention historically in different contexts, including mimicry, concealment and predator confusion during flight. This study permits the application of modern test of adaptational hypotheses to a trail that varies during ontogeny. It will examine the adaptive significance of ontogenetric color pattern changes in selected colubrine snakes as it may relate to defense against predation. The correlation of color change and morphometrics studied in the context of phylogeny will form the basis of this investigation. The results of this study will permit testing of the hypothesis that color patterns and ontogenetic color patterns are adaptations for defense against predation. The results of this work will further our understanding of evolution and its effects.