Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton
Published on: May 7, 2016
Gene expression and feeding ecology: evolution of piscivory in the venomous gastropod genus Conus
Thomas F Duda1, Stephen R Palumbi
1Naos Marine Laboratory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Box 2072, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama. tfduda@u.washington.edu
Abstract:
Differential expression of gene-family members is typically associated with the specific development of certain tissues and organs, but its importance in the ecological adaptation of organisms has rarely been investigated. Several specialized feeding modes have evolved within the predatory marine gastropod genus Conus, including molluscivory and piscivory. Based on phylogenetic investigations of Conus species, it has been concluded that piscivory arose at least twice in this genus. Moreover, molecular analyses of conotoxin mRNA transcripts reveal that piscivores from independent evolutionary lineages express the same subset of four-loop conotoxins, contrary to phylogenetic expectations. These results demonstrate that differential expression of gene-family members can play a key role in adaptive evolution, particularly during shifts to new ecological niches.
Related Concept Videos
Speciation Rates
Frequency-dependent Selection
Osmoregulation in Fishes
Genetics of Speciation
Convergent Evolution
Cis-regulatory Sequences

