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

[902182]在进化生物学的大部分历史中，适应问题一直是其中心议题之一。结合系统发育信息的适应研究的现代方法仍然很新，而且才刚刚开始被广泛应用。蛇的不同颜色模式在躲避捕食方面的适应价值在历史上受到了很多关注，包括在飞行过程中的模仿、隐藏和捕食者混淆。本研究允许将适应性假设的现代检验应用于个体发生过程中变化的线索。它将研究在选择的彩色蛇的个体发生颜色模式变化的适应性意义，因为它可能与防御捕食有关。在系统发育的背景下研究颜色变化和形态计量学的相关性将构成本研究的基础。这项研究的结果将允许测试的假设，颜色模式和个体发生的颜色模式是适应防御捕食。这项工作的结果将进一步加深我们对进化及其影响的理解。

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.