Schedule
of Events
Lectures
Invertebrate
Zoology
Location:
Academic Resources Center
- ARC
NHB, Main Building, Ground Floor, Room 60A
Host:
Santiago
Herrera
Speaker:
Ellen Strong
Ellen
studies the higher order systematics of gastopod
mollusks and the evolution of their feeding biology,
including the evolution of snails in ancient lakes
and the invasion of freshwater by marine species.
Topic:
Following
Trails of those Sensational Snails
Since
her hire as new curator in Invertebrate Zoology,
with "foot" in the door, Ellen has persued
a variety of research topics, all focused on our
friends the snails, including new anatomical data
that gave insight into the amazing diversity of
alimentary and reproductive structures in the
17 endemic genera of freshwater snails in Lake
Tanganyika.
Many
gastropod groups have independently colonized
freshwater biotopes. These events have promoted
unique morphological adaptations, of which alterations
in gas exchange and reproductive mode are the
best studied. Although isolated studies have examined
how gastropods have adapted to life away from
the sea, there has been no comparative study within
an evolutionary framework to evaluate what may
be the underlying basis for allowing the repeated
invasion of freshwater in gastropods, nor to evaluate
whether the transition to freshwater is accompanied
by adaptations in kidney structure. To test such
hypotheses, Ellen has been studying morphological
characters of various freshwater gastropod groups
to assess what common structures may have allowed
them to invade freshwater, and to analyze how
this transition is reflected in changes in kidney
anatomy. These studies have provided a unique
insight into the morphological and physiological
basis for the conquest of freshwater.
Learn more:
Snails
in the Pacific
