Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2006, Plant Biology (Arts and Sciences)

The phylogenetic affinities of five Australasian species of the freshwater red algal genus Batrachospermum were investigated using molecular and morphometric data. Specimens attributed to B. pseudogelatinosum, B. campyloclonum, B. kraftii, B. theaquum and B. bourrellyi, were collected from eastern Australia, Tasmania, New Caledonia and New Zealand. DNA sequence data from the plastid rbcL gene was used to infer interspecies relationships for all taxa. The mitochondrial cox2-3 gene spacer region was utilized to infer the intraspecific relationships among specimens of B. pseudogelatinosum, B. campyloclonum and B. bourrellyi. Two clades were resolved for B. pseudogelatinosum specimens in the rbcL, with B. bourrellyi placed equivocally as sister or within the clade. B. theaquum formed a separate clade in all analyses. B. kraftii specimens were placed within both of the B. pseudogelatinosum clades. Morphometric data was incongruent with the molecular data, and implications for species concepts in these Australasian taxa will be discussed.

Committee: Morgan Vis (Advisor) Subjects: Biology, Botany

MS, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Earth Sciences

Phyllocarid mandibles are an underutilized morphological component of phyllocarid morphology which can aid in identification at the species or genus level. Mandibles from various species of Dithyrocaris from throughout the United States were described and compared to those of Paraechinocaris punctata. Morphological characteristics from these specimens concerning denticle arrangement, crown morphology, as well as size and shape of the corpus mandibulae, revealed that significant differences exist between genera and species within the same genus. Thus, mandible morphology is shown to be useful in identification at the genus and species level.

Committee: Rodney Feldmann (Advisor); Joseph Ortiz (Committee Member); Carrie Schweitzer (Advisor) Subjects: Geology; Paleontology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

The overarching goal of my dissertation is to ameliorate the North American primary burrowing crayfish taxonomic impediment by describing new species and revising taxonomic classifications. I specifically focus on revising the taxonomy of Cambarus diogenes and other members of what I provisionally term the Devil Crayfish Group (DCG) using an integrative taxonomic approach. My work elucidates the evolutionary relationships between the species in this group and generates a robust taxonomic framework that will help managers identify and prioritize species for conservation. In chapter 2, I take the first steps towards resolving the taxonomy of the DCG by testing the hypothesis that this group is monophyletic through phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequence data (mtDNA) from multiple specimens of the eight DCG species and a broad sampling of taxa representing approximately 70% of the species in what is currently recognized as the genus Cambarus. My analyses show that seven of the eight species from the DCG form a clade that is distinct from the remainder of what has traditionally been recognized as Cambarus. Based on these results and on unique morphological and ecological characteristics, I split seven of the eight DCG species from Cambarus and elevate the subgenus Lacunicambarus to generic rank to accommodate them. I redescribe Lacunicambarus and the devil crayfish sensu stricto (Lacunicambarus diogenes comb. nov.) and designate a neotype for the species to facilitate subsequent revisionary work. In chapters 3, 4 and 5, I continue my investigation of what is now the genus Lacunicambarus. In each case, I increase depth and breadth of my sampling as I gradually collect additional specimens to use in my morphological and molecular analyses. As my datasets increase in size, so too does my understanding of Lacunicambarus, allowing me to describe several new species. Specifically, in chapter 3, I describe the Crawzilla Crawdad, Lacunicambarus chimera, a specie (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Marymegan Daly (Advisor); Rachelle Adams (Committee Member); Catherine Montalto (Committee Member); John Freudenstein (Advisor) Subjects: Animals; Biology; Ecology; Environmental Science; Evolution and Development; Systematic; Zoology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Physics

The ΛCDM model of cosmology offers the most successful description of the large-scale Universe to date. Containing just two mysterious components, dark matter and dark energy, this model is able to tie together observations across 13.8 billion years of cosmic history and from megaparsec to gigaparsec scales into one cohesive picture. These observations have origin in the wealth of cosmological data produced by astronomical surveys over the last few decades. Observations taken by substantially more precise surveys expected over the next 10 years will permit researchers to test ΛCDM against alternative frameworks, better understand the growth of structure, better understand the expansion history of the Universe, and place the tightest constraints on cosmological parameters hitherto produced. To do this successfully, it is imperative that researchers be able to precisely model cosmological observables and their sources of systematic errors. In the first part of this dissertation, I present my work on modeling the clustering of biased tracers in redshift space to second order in perturbation theory using the Lyman-α forest as an example. I find that there are eight unique terms that arise at second order. I then determine the expected shift in the Lyman-α forest baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) scale caused by one systematic -- namely, the streaming velocity effect -- when using this improved model. I find streaming velocity-induced shifts in the BAO scale of 0.081%–0.149% (transverse direction) and 0.053%–0.058% (radial direction), depending on the model for the biasing coefficients used. In the second part of this dissertation, I present work I led on charge diffusion and quantum yield measured in candidate flight detectors for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. I built new analytic expressions for charge covariance in H4RG-10 detectors incorporating interpixel nonlinearity (IPNL), classical nonlinearity (CNL), quantum yield, and charge diffusion based o (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christopher Hirata (Advisor); John Beacom (Committee Member); Eric Braaten (Committee Member); Klaus Honscheid (Committee Member) Subjects: Astronomy; Astrophysics; Physics; Theoretical Physics

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2020, Geological Sciences

The evolution and biogeographic changes of three Ordovician brachiopod genera were examined using species-level phylogenetic analyses and phylogenetic biogeographic analyses in order to examine geological drivers of biogeographic evolution during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE). Species-level phylogenetic hypotheses are reconstructed for Laurentian species of Hesperorthis Schuchert and Cooper 1931, Mimella Cooper, 1931, and Oepikina Salmon, 1942 using Bayesian inference. The reconstructed phylogenetic relationships were then used to investigate biogeographic patterns within the speciation of each lineage in order to evaluate how speciation occurred during the GOBE. Results indicate that alternating dispersal and vicariance events throughout the lineages of Hesperorthis, Mimella and Oepikina contributed to their increase in diversification during the Middle Ordovician which conforms to the BIME model of diversification. The oscillations of dispersal and vicariance events were related to fluctuating sea-level changes observed during the Middle to Late Ordovician.

Committee: Alycia Stigall Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Geology; Paleontology

MS, Kent State University, 2019, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Earth Sciences

A relatively small, wooded hill near Neunkirchen, Austria, constitutes the type locality of the Kambuehel Formation. Preserved as an erosional remnant in the northeastern-most part of the Northern Calcareous Alps, this Paleocene limestone formation represents a shallow-water coralgal environment that teemed with life around 60 million year ago. It is from this formation that a novel decapod assemblage, including the anomurans described herein, was collected. The fossils have been described and classified in order to evaluate the relative diversity of the anomuran assemblage. Although the size of the collection is small, the diversity is high, with six new taxa: Hispanigalathea nov. spec. A, Eomunidopsis nov. spec. A, Protomunida nov. spec. A, Protomunida nov. spec. B, Disipia nov. spec. A, and Annuntidiogenes nov. spec. A. The new species are arrayed into Catillogalatheidae, Galatheidae, Munididae, Porcellanidae, Annuntidiogenidae, Galatheoidea family indeterminate, and Paguroidea family indeterminate. Comparison of the Kambuhel decapod fauna to various decapod collections across similar environments of Cretaceous to Eocene age show that it consists of genera known from both before and after the K/T extinction and closely resembles decapod faunas from the mid-to-Late Cretaceous and early Eocene. With the new taxa described, two genera are now known to have crossed the K/T boundary: Hispanigalathea and Annuntidiogenes.

Committee: Rodney Feldmann Dr. (Advisor); Carrie Schweitzer Dr. (Committee Member); Neil Wells Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geology; Paleontology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Plant Biology (Arts and Sciences)

The genus Viola (Violaceae) contains 580 to 625 species and is found in nearly every plant community. The Acaulescent Blue violets (subsection Boreali-Americanae (W. Becker) Gil-ad) are a taxonomically challenging group in Viola due to their frequent hybridization and polymorphic variation, causing debate and resulting in divergent species delimitations among taxonomic specialists over the past century. One of these species, Viola subsinuata (Greene) Greene, is a homophyllous violet that expresses a wide range of morphological variation causing confusion among specialists. Recent fieldwork in the mountains of western Virginia, as well as common garden observations and laboratory studies, have suggested that V. subsinuata is a complex containing several distinct evolutionary species. This investigation used an integrative taxonomic approach to generate morphological, environmental, genetic, and reproductive data on the study taxa in Virginia, and applied the Unified Species Concept to detect and delineate distinct evolutionary species in the V. subsinuata complex. In most cases, the data sets supported recognition of five distinct evolutionary species: V. subsinuata sensu stricto, V. “Blue Ridge”, V. “tenuisecta” (a closely related species studied by Bethany Zumwalde), and two other species included for comparison or potential parents of hybrid plants, V. palmata L. and V. sororia Willd. The study highlighted the narrow regional endemic nature of V. “Blue Ridge” in Virginia's (and North Carolina's) Blue Ridge province.

Committee: Harvey Ballard Jr. (Advisor); David Rosenthal (Committee Member); Brian McCarthy (Committee Member) Subjects: Botany; Ecology; Plant Biology; Plant Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Geological Sciences

Phylogeny-based studies of fossil organisms are increasingly utilized in the field of paleobiology to address macroevolutionary questions while taking into account the shared evolutionary history of closely related taxa. Broadly, this dissertation is concerned with tree-based investigations of evolutionary patterns in the fossil record, with a particular focus on the evolutionary history of crinoids. Using the fossil record of camerate crinoids as a model group, chapters herein integrate alpha taxonomy, phylogenetic inference, systematic revision, and phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate diverse macroevolutionary questions. In addition to inferring new phylogenetic trees, this comprehensive approach serves both to improve the primary data used to infer phylogenies (i.e., alpha taxonomy, morphology, and taxon sampling) and to incorporate phylogenetic hypotheses into tree-based studies of evolution in the fossil record. Descriptions of crinoid faunas from the Upper Ordovician (Katian) of Ontario and Spain were conducted to improve the resolution of paleobiogeographic and stratigraphic sampling in morphological datasets, and newly described taxa were included in subsequent phylogenetic analyses. Evolutionary relationships among camerate crinoids were inferred, and the resulting phylogenies were used to inform systematic revisions of crinoid classification. In addition, recovered trees were integrated with high-resolution morphologic and ecomorphologic datasets to conduct phylogeny-based studies of morphologic evolution and extinction selectivity, focusing on the role of ecology in the generation and maintenance of these patterns.

Committee: William Ausich (Advisor); Matthew Saltzman (Committee Member); Lawrence Krissek (Committee Member); Marymegan Daly (Committee Member) Subjects: Evolution and Development; Geology; Paleontology; Sedimentary Geology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Geological Sciences

Phylogenetic paleobiology is an interdisciplinary research program at the nexus of paleontology, systematics, and evolutionary biology. Specifically, phylogenetic paleobiology integrates the deep-time data, techniques, and geologic perspectives of paleontology with phylogeny-based statistical and computational approaches in macroevolutionary biology. Chapters contained within this dissertation revolve around two primary themes: (1) understanding patterns of biodiversity change over geologic time, and (2) assembling a clearer picture of the phylogeny, evolution, and geologic history of marine invertebrates, especially the Crinoidea (Echinodermata). Under the umbrella of phylogenetic paleobiology, the primary objective of this dissertation is to help bridge the disciplinary gap between specimen-based paleontology and statistical approaches in phylogenetic comparative methods. The chapters herein use advanced statistical phylogenetic methods, such as Bayesian “tip-dating” approaches, to infer phylogenetic trees of fossil species, quantify rates of phenotypic evolution, and document patterns of morphospace occupation among fossil members of the Crinoidea (Echinodermata). In addition to these broader studies, a major taxonomic revision of fossil and extant Crinoidea (Echinodermata) is proposed herein, as well as taxonomic description of a new genus of fossil crinoid from the Ordovician (Katian) of Ontario.

Committee: William Ausich (Advisor); Matthew Saltzman (Committee Member); Lawrence Krissek (Committee Member); John Freudenstein (Committee Member) Subjects: Evolution and Development; Geology; Paleontology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

Penstemon Mitchell (Plantaginaceae) is the largest plant genus endemic to North America with approximately 280 species. Most species are only relatively recently diverged from one another, which has left questions about taxonomy and systematics in Penstemon unanswered. This dissertation considered one section in the genus, Ericopsis Keck, a group of 15 species from the Intermountain Region in western USA. Evolutionary and ecological frameworks were used to investigate phylogenetic relationships, population demographic history, polyploidy, and niche divergence. Chapter 1 presents the results of a phylogenetic study of section Ericopsis. Using a total of 39 nuclear and chloroplast loci obtained from high-throughput targeted sequencing and Sanger sequencing the exact membership of section Ericopsis was able to be determined. This included two taxa not currently classified in section Ericopsis, P. pinifolius and P. dolius var. dolius. It was also determined that three current Ericopsis species, P. acaulis, P. yampaensis, and P. laricifolius, group in a clade with species from section Cristati with high support. Within the Ericopsis clade, however, nodal support for relationships among species was low, so strong conclusions about exact relationships are difficult to ascertain. There was support for a clade comprising the species of subsection Linarioides, as well as groups consisting of the varieties of P. caespitosus and P. crandallii. It is likely that incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization are causing gene tree incongruence in these analyses, which may be alleviated by adding additional sequence data from informative loci. Chapter 1 also provides the context for questions asked in subsequent chapters of the dissertation. Chapters 2 and 3 use a population genetics framework to study evolutionary dynamics in two widespread species from section Ericopsis. In chapter 2 the variable P. linarioides Gray is considered. This population genetics study i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Andrea Wolfe (Advisor); John Freudenstein (Committee Member); Laura Kubatko (Committee Member); Stephen Matthews (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Plant Biology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

The Nematalycidae are among the most bizarre looking arthropods; their extreme body elongation is an especially unusual modification within the Arachnida. However, there have been few attempts to study their morphology in detail. This is partly because there are few available specimens – they live in mineral regolith, which is sampled relatively rarely. But this is also due to their extremely small size and soft integument. The former makes them problematical for examination under a light microscope; the latter renders them inappropriate for conventional scanning electron microscopy. This dissertation is a body of work that attempts to address this knowledge gap via low-temperature scanning electron microscopy (LT-SEM). Chapter 2 is a description of a new genus and species. Chapter 3 addresses how the two main different modes of locomotion, one of which is a novel discovery, correspond with modifications of the integument. Chapters 4 and 5 are concerned with hypotheses on adaptations of the gnathosomas (mouthparts) of three different genera. Chapter 4 includes a hypothesis on a novel form of microbivory, which could explain some of the gnathosomal features of Osperalycus and Gordialycus. Chapter 5 addresses the evolutionary implications of the mouthparts of Cunliffea, which has a rudimentary sheath for chelate (`biting') chelicerae. This structure may help to explain how one of the unusual modifications of the Eriophyoidea, a stylet sheath, originated. Chapter 6 concerns a phylogenetic analysis of morphological characters. The principal finding is that the Eriophyoidea, a diverse group of plant parasites, are more closely related to the Nematalycidae than any other lineage, and they may even be derived from within the Nematalycidae. Therefore, the unusual, vermiform bodies of these two taxa are shared because of their relatively recent common ancestry, and not because of evolutionary convergence. In the final chapter, the conclusion, I suggest that the Nematalyci (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Hans Klompen (Advisor); Norman Johnson (Committee Member); Daly Meg (Committee Member) Subjects: Animal Sciences; Entomology; Morphology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2015, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

The plant genus Heuchera (Saxifragaceae) consists of more than 40 species of plants largely specific to rock outcrops in montane regions, known for its difficult species delimitation attributable to hybridization and polyploidy. Presented herein are taxonomic and phylogenetic studies intended to clarify the evolution of this plant genus and to elucidate species boundaries in problematic species complexes. A study on whole-genus phylogenetic relationships using six nuclear DNA sequence loci and 39 morpological characters constitutes the first chapter. Following this is a study on species delimitation in the Heuchera parviflora complex using molecular and morphological data. Revisionary studies are afterwards presented which treat taxa occuring in Mexico (heretofore the most problematic of all Heuchera species), treated in two separate chapters to reflect two apparently unrelated circles of affinity among the Mexican taxa, and finally a study of southwestern U.S. species of section Heuchera which are also poorly known. This work is concluded with studies using new sequencing technologies to provide a genomic view of Heuchera: a new method for sequence capture in recently diverged complexes is followed by a phylogenomic study that improves upon the work presented in the first chapter.

Committee: John Freudenstein V (Advisor); Marymegan Daly (Committee Member); Andrea Wolfe D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Botany; Plant Biology; Plant Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2014, Botany

This dissertation reports on the molecular systematics, biogeography, and ethnobotany of the pantropical plant family, Cochlospermaceae. The goal was to examine its origin, diversification, and evolution of morphology. Ethnobotanical data were also reviewed and compared across species and geographic regions, in light of phylogeny, to explore similar use patterns. The data support the monophyly of Cochlospermaceae and its distinctiveness from its allied families, Bixaceae, Diegodendraceae, and Sphaerosepalaceae. Amoreuxia is monophyletic and is supported by an herbaceous growth form and dimorphic stamens. However Cochlospermum is paraphyletic with two South American species, C. orinocense and C. tetraporum, that occur as separate basal lineages. Morphological character states that appear to be ancestral for the family include an arborescent habit, radially symmetrical flowers, and anthers with two apical pores. Biogeographic analyses support a late Cretaceous origin for the family in South America and subsequent dispersals into Central and North America, the West Indies, Africa, Australia, and Southeast Asia through a combination of long distance dispersal, vicariance, and human introduction. Divergence time estimates using fossil calibrations support dispersal from South America across Antarctica during the Late Paleocene Thermal Maximum and the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum before South America and Australia separated from Antarctica. Ethnobotanical research uncovered Cochlospermaceae to be an ethnobotanically rich family, with diverse uses spanning its pantropical distribution. Many species of Cochlospermaceae are used in similar ways in different geographic regions among diverse cultures. These uses range from food to fiber to medicine, with most of the human uses being medicinal. The most common medicinal uses are treating skin ailments, gastro-intestinal problems, malaria, and liver issues, with C. tinctorium having the most medicinal uses. Closely (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Linda Watson PhD (Committee Chair); James Hickey PhD (Committee Member); Michael Vincent PhD (Committee Member); Hardy Eshbaugh PhD (Committee Member); Kimberly Medley PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Botany; Comparative; Cultural Anthropology; Geography; Molecular Biology; Morphology

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2014, Plant Biology (Arts and Sciences)

Recent phylogenetic investigations of the Violaceae have shown that Hybanthus s. l. was polyphyletic, consisting of nine macromorphologically and geographically distinct clades. For this study the "Hybanthus enneaspermus" clade was chosen for intensive examination. Morphological traits were identified that distinguish it fully from other clades of Hybanthus, and the clade was described as a new segregate genus, Afrohybanthus. Afrohybanthus is a violet group distributed broadly across the Old World tropics and is composed of annual and perennial herbs, woody subshrubs and shrubs, with a center of species diversity in eastern Africa. The group as a whole has never been taxonomically scrutinized with the few previous treatments being restricted in scope to floras of narrow geographic regions. Study of extensive herbarium collections distinguished all taxa of Afrohybanthus from other hybanthoids and other Violaceae by their zygomorphic corollas with the bottom (anterior) petal substantially longer than the lateral and upper ones, differently shaped and often strongly differentiated into an abruptly expanded blade and claw, with a noticeable spur at the base; usually free stamens; staminal glands often with rectangular body and attached medially or apically on the filament; three-valved capsules with usually 3-4 seeds per valve; and unwinged ellipsoid pale yellow to honey-colored seeds that are longitudinally ribbed and/or foveolate (or rarely smooth). Phylogenetic reconstructions were inferred from chloroplast trnL intron, trnL-F spacer, and nuclear Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences of representatives across Afrohybanthus and outgroups, showing weedy and widespread A. enneaspermus to be a derived clade of populations distinct from several well-supported clades of many morphologically divergent narrow endemics. For a particularly difficult group of Afrohybanthus in tropical East Africa, phenetic analyses were performed on specimens belonging to seven initia (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Harvey Ballard PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Plant Biology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2014, Geological Sciences (Arts and Sciences)

Systematic revision of the Late Ordovician brachiopod genus Eochonetes was conducted utilizing multivariate analyses and a species-level phylogenetic analysis. Thaerodonta has been previously synonymized with Eochonetes; multivariate and phylogenetic analyses support the synonymy of the two genera. The multivariate analyses allowed delineation of species in morphospace and phylogenetic analysis was used to establish evolutionary relationships among species. Three species which were previously in open nomenclature were described and recognized as valid, these include: Eochonetes maearum, E. minerva, and E. voldemortus. The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis was then utilized to reconstruct biogeographic patterns and speciation mode at cladogenetic events within the genus. Phylogenetic biogeographic analysis of Eochonetes and additional Ordovician brachiopod genera was conducted to uncover large-scale geologic drivers of faunal diversification. Area cladograms indicate oceanographic patterns were the main geologic driver of biogeographic patterns within the focal taxa. Furthermore, the Taconic tectophase contributed to the separation of the Appalachian and Central Basins as well as the two Midcontinent Basins. Four migration pathways into the Cincinnati Basin were recognized, further supporting the multidirectional pathway hypothesis for the Richmondian Invasion.

Committee: Alycia Stigall (Advisor); Daniel Hembree (Committee Member); Gregory Nadon (Committee Member) Subjects: Geology; Paleontology

Master of Science, Miami University, 2013, Zoology

The biological importance of the unit of subspecies has been long debated. Much of the dispute revolves around criteria used to identify subspecies. Historically, taxonomic classifications were constructed using morphological traits. However, established phylogenies based on morphological data may not resemble those constructed using molecular data. Early work divided the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) into 7 subspecies using morphological characteristics, but a morphometric analysis of three subspecies showed no consistent differences among them. I tested the hypothesis that M. ochrogaster subspecies delimitation based on molecular data will be congruent with the current subspecies classification based on morphology. Microsatellite data from the 7 subspecies suggested ~90% of molecular variation was within subspecies. A cluster analysis indicated there were two genetic groups, which do not correspond to existing subspecies or geography. My molecular data failed to support the current subspecific classifications and suggest they may need to be reevaluated using integrative taxonomy.

Committee: Nancy Solomon PhD (Advisor); Brian Keane PhD (Committee Member); David Berg PhD (Committee Member); Richard Moore PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Biology; Evolution and Development; Genetics; Systematic; Zoology

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2012, Biological Sciences

The parasitoid flies of the Tachinidae family are an important and diverse (>10,000 species) lineage of insects. However, tachinids are not well studied partially due to their confusing classification and taxonomy. DNA sequences were obtained from twenty tribal representatives of Tachinidae, along with eight outgroups in order to phylogenetically reconstruct the superfamilial, subfamilial and tribal relationships of Tachinidae. Seven gene regions of six genes (18S, 28S, COI, CAD, Ef1a, and TPI) were sequenced for each taxon (6214 bp total). Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods were used to infer phylogenies. The Sarcophagidae and Oestridae were usually reconstructed as monophyletic. Calliphoridae was paraphyletic with Pollenia typically being sister to Tachinidae. The Rhinophoridae were found embedded within an otherwise monophyletic Tachinidae, a unique finding. Subfamilies of Tachinidae were generally related in a (Tachininae + Exoristinae) + (Phasiinae (Dexiinae)) manner. The problematic Tachininae genera Strongygaster (Strongygasterini) and Ceracia (Acemyini) were placed into their original subfamilies with high confidence. These findings led to a new hypothesis about a slow evolution into the parasitoid habit.

Committee: John Stireman PhD (Advisor); Don Cipollini PhD (Committee Member); Jeff Peters PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Entomology; Genetics; Systematic

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2001, Arts and Sciences : Biological Sciences

Eccremidium floridanum Crum (Ditrichaceae) is described as a structurally reduced, ephemeral moss related to Pleuridium Rabenh. (Ditrichaceae). Ontogetic study of sporophyte development in Eccremidium floridanum Crum (Ditrichaceae) was conducted to ascertain development patterns for comparison with members of the subclass Bryideae. Observations in ontogeny indicate sporophytes of Eccremidium floridanum follow the typical Bryidean-type development up to the three-layered amphithecial stage. Following formation of the third amphithecial layer, development in E. floridanum differs from development reported in other mosses. Differential cell swelling and expansion distort demarcation of the fundamental tissues at the annular level. A line of dehiscence develops from exothecial cells at the sporogenous level. This structure differs from a true annulus that develops from exothecial cells at the annular level in other mosses.

Committee: Jerry Snider (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2009, Biology (Ecology)

The study of biodiversity, at multiple hierarchical levels, provides insight into the evolutionary history of taxa and provides a framework for understanding patterns in ecology. This is especially poignant in invasion biology, where the prevalence of invasiveness in certain taxonomic groups could be related to their evolutionary history. In this dissertation, I examined the systematics, phylogeography, population genetics, and biogeography of a group of Ponto-Caspian endemic gobies that includes multiple introduced species in Europe and North America. In Chapters 2 and 4 I found highly divergent genetic lineages within two morphologically defined species (Neogobius fluviatilis and Proterorhinus marmoratus) that are widespread throughout the Ponto-Caspian region. Statistical analyses of morphology identified significant differences according to genetic lineage within each morphospecies, indicating species level divergence among regional taxa. In Chapter 3 I constructed the phylogeny of the Ponto-Caspian gobies, finding broad paraphyly in Neogobius sensu Miller & Vasil'eva (2003), and identifying a novel relationship between the “neogobiin” gobies (Babka, Mesogobius, Neogobius, Proterorhinus, and Ponticola) and the tadpole gobies (Anatirostrum, Benthophiloides, Benthophilus, Caspiosoma) as a distinct group highly divergent from other gobiids. I redefined the taxonomy and nomenclature according to the molecular phylogeny, and redescribed the subfamily Benthophilinae to comprise all Ponto-Caspian endemic gobies. In all three chapters, I estimated divergence times among genetic lineages at multiple taxonomic levels, and found gross concordance between the timing of diversification events within the Ponto-Caspian gobies and major geologic changes in the evolution of the Ponto-Caspian basin. Additionally, in Chapters 2 and 4, I identified potential source locations in the northwestern Black Sea for introduced goby populations in northern/central Europe and North America. (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Carol Stepien PhD (Committee Chair); Christine Mayer PhD (Committee Member); Elliot Tramer PhD (Committee Member); David Jude PhD (Committee Member); Juan Bouzat PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Ecology; Environmental Science; Zoology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2012, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

The damselfly genus Argia is found throughout the New World where some species are common and abundant members of lotic freshwater and adjacent ecosystems. Argia species are not only important predators of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates but are themselves an important prey item to a variety of other insects and vertebrates. The distribution of species is highly variable within the genus and some species are locally threatened or endangered due to range limitation and habitat loss. Damselflies and dragonflies (Odonata) may be useful indicators of aquatic ecosystem health as well as indicators of climate change. There are approximately 120 species described with at least twenty suspected undescribed species. The taxonomy of the North American species is well known, but the Central and South American species are in need of revision. The phylogeny of the genus has never been studied using modern, repeatable methods. Therefore the evolutionary history of the genus has never been thoroughly explored. The reproductive biology of Odonata is unique among insects and provides a model system for testing hypotheses related to character evolution by sexual selection and other mechanisms of evolution. Argia species have unique morphologies of male and female secondary sexual characters, the modified cerci and paraprocts of males and the corresponding plates of the female pro- and meso-nota that are grasped by males during copulation and oviposition. The patterns of variation in these structures, both within and among species, may reveal the extent to which sexual and natural selection help shape the current diversity of the group. This dissertation presents phylogenetic hypotheses for the genus Argia using data from external morphology and ribosomal DNA. Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses were performed on the data, resulting in topologies that are mostly congruent, well-resolved, and moderately to highly supported. The variation in male cercus morphology is (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Norman Johnson PhD (Advisor); Marymegan Daly PhD (Committee Member); John Freudenstein PhD (Committee Member); Johannes Klompen PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Animals; Biology; Entomology; Morphology; Organismal Biology; Zoology