Jack Ullman
Pronouns: he/him
Research Mentor(s): Rodrigo Tinoco Figueroa
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Earth & Environmental Sciences / LSA
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 6 – 4:40pm – 5:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Jack Ullman, Rodrigo Tinoco Figueroa
Presenter: 26
Abstract
Fishes are the most diverse group of vertebrates in recent times in terms of number of species, and show a wide range of morphologies and ecologies. However, very little is known about the soft tissue anatomy of many fish lineages. Fish brains vary widely among species, based upon evolutionary relationships as well as ecology. This project consists of creating three-dimensional (3D) models of fish brains and cranial cavities, known as endocasts. By modeling the anatomy of fish brains across several species, we will study how brain morphology is affected by the environment in which the fish lives and their evolutionary trajectory. This will expand our understanding of how brain anatomy (in fishes, but also more broadly) is shaped by evolution based on environmental conditions. We are currently working on creating 3D models of the brains of various fish species from CT scans. We hypothesize that different ecologies will correlate with brain shape, but that close shared ancestry (i.e. closely related lineages) will also lead to similarities between their brains despite ecological adaptations. If we observe certain morphological changes in the brains of fish based on their environment, we may be able to look at other groups (mammals, amphibians, etc.) to see if there are corresponding changes in brain shape. This information will shed light on what the relative morphologies of brain regions really say about a species. Current results include models of the brains of the Actinopterygii Metynnis luna, Alosa alosa, Hiodon alosoides, Elops affinis, the Sarcopterygii Latimeria, and the Chondrichthyes Plesiotrygon and Squalus; these models indicate a deep correlation between shared ancestry and brain morphology, although ecology may also play a more subtle role. We will continue to make comparisons between species and to contextualize their brains through evolutionary history and lifestyle.
Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary
