Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biological Sciences
Committee Chair
Bruce Stallsmith
Committee Member
Yong Wang
Committee Member
Luciano Matzkin
Subject(s)
Etheostoma--Parasites, Darters (Fishes)--Parasites, Host-parasite relationships, Mill Creek (Williamson County and Davidson County Tenn.)
Abstract
This study sought to investigate the parasite-host relationships between two darter assemblages and their gill parasite populations, and to compare the biodiversity present in both systems. Eight darter species were collected over the course of one year from two sites in Tennessee, Flat Creek and Mill Creek, and parasite counts were performed on all sample populations. Parasite loads were compared across darter species in each site to determine whether infection levels differed significantly between host species. Phylogenetic trees containing mitochondrial and nuclear markers were constructed for each set of organisms using Bayesian analysis, and the trees were examined for congruence between parasite and host phylogenies. The detection of coevolution in a parasite-host system through molecular techniques can set the groundwork for further study into the exact nature of the relationship between parasite and host, the levels of biodiversity in the systems, and the principles that govern the way organisms coevolve.
Recommended Citation
Million, Kara, "Analysis of host-parasite interactions between darters (Etheostoma) and monogenoidean gill parasites (Aethycteron) in Flat Creek and Mill Creek" (2015). Theses. 111.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/111