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Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
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Colorful seashells: Identification of haem pathway genes associated with the synthesis of porphyrin shell color in marine snails(Ecology and Evolution, Wiley, 2017-10-30) [Article]Very little is known about the evolution of molluskan shell pigments, although Mollusca is a highly diverse, species rich, and ecologically important group of animals comprised of many brightly colored taxa. The marine snail genus Clanculus was chosen as an exceptional model for studying the evolution of shell color, first, because in Clanculus margaritarius and Clanculus pharaonius both shell and foot share similar colors and patterns; and second, because recent studies have identified the pigments, trochopuniceus (pink-red), and trochoxouthos (yellow-brown), both comprised of uroporphyrin I and uroporphyrin III, in both shell and colored foot tissue of these species. These unusual characteristics provide a rare opportunity to identify the genes involved in color production because, as the same pigments occur in the shell and colored foot tissue, the same color-related genes may be simultaneously expressed in both mantle (which produces the shell) and foot tissue. In this study, the transcriptomes of these two Clanculus species along with a third species, Calliostoma zizyphinum, were sequenced to identify genes associated with the synthesis of porphyrins. Calliostoma zizyphinum was selected as a negative control as trochopuniceus and trochoxouthos were not found to occur in this species. As expected, genes necessary for the production of uroporphyrin I and III were found in all three species, but gene expression levels were consistent with synthesis of uroporphyrins in mantle and colored foot tissue only in Clanculus. These results are relevant not only to understanding the evolution of shell pigmentation in Clanculus but also to understanding the evolution of color in other species with uroporphyrin pigmentation, including (mainly marine) mollusks soft tissues and shells, annelid and platyhelminth worms, and some bird feathers.
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Does color matter? Molecular and ecological divergence in four sympatric color morphs of a coral reef fish(Ecology and Evolution, Wiley, 2020-09-03) [Article]Non-sex-linked color polymorphism is common in animals and can be maintained in populations via balancing selection or, when under diversifying selection, can promote divergence. Despite their potential importance in ecological interactions and the evolution of biodiversity, their function and the mechanisms by which these polymorphisms are maintained are still poorly understood. Here, we combine field observations with life history and molecular data to compare four sympatric color morphs of the coral reef fish Paracirrhites forsteri (family Cirrhitidae) in the central Red Sea. Our findings verify that the color morphs are not sex-limited, inhabit the same reefs, and do not show clear signs of avoidance or aggression among them. A barcoding approach based on 1,276 bp of mitochondrial DNA could not differentiate the color morphs. However, when 36,769 SNPs were considered, we found low but significant population structure. Focusing on 1,121 FST outliers, we recovered distinct population clusters that corresponded to shifts in allele frequencies with each color morph harboring unique alleles. Genetic divergence at these outlier loci is accompanied by differences in growth and marginal variation in microhabitat preference. Together, life history and molecular analysis suggest subtle divergence between the color morphs in this population, the causes for which remain elusive.
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Co-design of Color Identification Applications Using Scenario-Based Personas for People with Impaired Color Vision(Springer Nature, 2020-09-25) [Conference Paper]Designers and system analysts have long struggled to extract and repurpose data from user research by laboriously presenting content in the form of storyboards, behavioral-type personas, or journey maps. An alternative is to convey insights from user research through scenario-based personas that represent user research data through storytelling. This provides a more streamlined way to convey data rather than character-based personas; however, scenarios are effortful for developers to articulate and envision. In this work, we empower assistive technology development teams to access authentic user experiences with scenario-based personas through tangible and digital artifacts. Scenario-based personas were used for conveying the results of a user analysis study for color identification mobile applications for people with visual impairments. We developed scenario-based personas for persons with impaired color vision based on the main contexts identified in user research studies. The method combines personas depicted in silhouettes of people with impaired color vision and scenario contexts that capture the place and activities. Silhouettes were used in the artifacts to reduce the bias that a face often generates in persona-based scenarios. Preliminary findings suggest that scenario-based persona tools were effective in describing the stories and context behind why a person with a visual disability would consider a color identification application. Through this method, scenario-based personas were able to foster understanding of the application’s target user population by showing their main contexts of using these mobile applications and create playful and tangible artifacts to capture and convey such user information to designers and developers in the Humanistic Co-Design community. Methodological considerations for using scenario-based personas in user research will be discussed.
