Browsing Dissertations and Theses by Author "Balakrishnan, Christopher N."
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Behavioral and genetic divergence among wild and domesticated populations of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
Lansverk, Allison L. (East Carolina University, 2017-07-18)Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) have been the subject of extensive neurological and behavioral research having served as the dominant model for vocal learning over half a century. Learned vocal communication, or vocal ... -
Gene Expression and the Evolution of Reduced Sexual Dimorphism in a Threespine Stickleback Color Trait
Newsome, William Burns (East Carolina University, 2017-01-03)Elucidating the processes and mechanisms responsible for sexual dimorphism has been a central task for evolutionary biologists since Darwin first proposed the concept of sexual selection. However, our understanding of the ... -
Gene Expression Divergence Between Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata) Subspecies And Gene Regulation In Hybrids
Davidson, John H. (East Carolina University, 2015)Since the publication of Mayr's Systematics and the Origin of Species, birds have been important model organisms for studies regarding evolutionary processes such as sexual selection and speciation. In this study, I will ... -
MHC class I variation among wild, domestic and insular populations of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
Newhouse, Daniel J. (East Carolina University, 2014)The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a passerine bird native to Australia and the Lesser Sunda Islands, with domesticated populations derived from each of these localities. The Lesser Sundas and domesticated zebra ... -
The effects of stress on avian gene expression and microbiomes
Newhouse, Daniel J (East Carolina University, 2019-07-24)Organisms must cope with stressors throughout their lifetime. Stressors are broad and come from both intrinsic and extrinsic sources. In this era of rapid global change, exposure to stressors will become more unpredictable ...