Karen Wang
Pronouns:
Research Mentor(s): Alison Davis Rabosky
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology / LSA
Program:
Authors: Karen Wang, Natasha Stepanova, Hayley Crowell, Michael Hogan, Ramon Nagesan, Alison Davis Rabosky
Session: Session 1: 9:00 am – 9:50 am
Poster: 37
Abstract
A central question in ecology concerns the factors driving morphological adaptations to diverse habitats. By studying the sensory morphology of snakes, which have evolved to inhabit a wide range of environments, we aim to deepen our understanding of the forces behind these evolutionary changes. This study examined the inner ear structures of snakes and their correlation with diverse environmental habitats, specifically in desert versus rainforest habitats. Using preserved museum specimens, we used CT (computed tomography) scans to generate detailed 3D models for morphological analysis. We measured ear volume and vestibule length, width, and height, and then analyzed each variable using genetic comparative methods. Results broadly indicate no significant morphological differences between inner ears of desert and rainforest snakes. However, when incorporating an extended dataset from previous studies, a significant difference in ear volume was found, particularly between fossorial and arboreal species. The exclusion of arboreal and aquatic snakes in a subsequent analysis also highlighted a significant difference between ear volumes of terrestrial desert and rainforest snakes, where rainforest snake ears were relatively larger. This may be because ears are more useful for hearing and balance in the rainforest’s more complex, 3D environment. This research contributes to the understanding of sensory organ adaptation in snakes, suggesting that while species relatedness predicts some morphological similarities, specific ecological niches may drive the evolution of morphological differences.
