Maternal influence on thermal adaptation in house mice
Michael Nachman, Professor
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Integrative Biology
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2025.
Within ~500 years, house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) have expanded into a wide variety of habitats across North and South America. House mice can be found from the tropics to the arctic, and populations inhabiting these different environments have adapted to different thermal regimes. Mice from cold regions are larger, have shorter extremities, and build larger nests, conforming to well-documented thermally adaptive phenotypes. These adaptive phenotypes are controlled by both an individual’s genes and the environment they experience during development. We are particularly interested in environmental effects involving the pre- and post-natal environment provided by the mother, deemed maternal effects. We are currently conducting an experiment investigating the role of maternal effects in generating these adaptive phenotypes through performing crosses between lab mice from a warm, tropical environment (Manaus, Brazil) and a cold, temperate environment (Saratoga Springs, New York) to produce genetically identical offspring that are reared by either a New York or Brazil mother, thereby isolating the role of maternal effects. Preliminary results show that maternal effects have a sizable influence on thermal adaptation, most notably though modulating tail length.
Role: Undergraduate students are being recruited to help with all aspects of this research, including 1) tracking mouse pup growth and development 2) collecting samples for gene expression analysis, 3) preparing museum specimen for morphological analysis, 4) CT scanning prepared specimen, and 5) performing maternal care behavioral assays. Students will have the opportunity to gain training in evolutionary biology and genetics, experimental design, mouse husbandry, and museum science. An overall expected outcome is to develop scientific skills and help prepare for a career in science. Sufficiently motivated and talented students may be able to develop independent thesis projects within the context of this research, along with co-authorship on a peer-reviewed scientific paper.
Qualifications: I am particularly interested in recruiting students who are entering their junior year or earlier, with the hope that they will remain involved in the project for 1-2 years. Students who have some background in evolution, genetics, working with museum specimens, and/or handling lab animals is desirable. Previous coursework in organismal biology (i.e. IB 104 or IB 173) and/or anatomy (i.e. IB 130 or IB 131) is also desirable.
Hours: to be negotiated
Biological & Health Sciences