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Teaching
My
teaching interests are in evolution, entomology and systematics.
Courses
I teach:
- Pinciples
in Biology: Evolution for non majors
Research
My
primary interest is exploring molecular and morphological diversity
in insects. Evolutionary history, molecular evolution, and developmental
biology are critical in investigating the patterns and processes
of morphological change and adaptations in groups of insects.
Fundamental to my investigation of diversity and morphological
and ecological change is seeking the evolutionary history of
organisms. Beetles, in particular, offer a spectacular example
of evolutionary success and diversification. They are a particularly
good group of insects to examine the patterns and processes
of morphological, ecological, and molecular change.
My
research interests fall into two major areas: understanding
evolution and relationships of major groups of beetles at deeper
levels and understanding processes producing patterns of morphological
diversity in insects. Insects are incredibly diverse, and they
offer good models to study evolution and morphological adaptation.
The broad array of adult insect morphologies are a direct result
of the developmental pathways expressed in embryonic and larval
development, and the timing and mode of this development. Most
recently, I have been building on my interests in insect diversity
and morphological innovations that have made this group so successful.
I am using a comparative approach to uncover how developmental
pathways and genetic mechanisms influence morphological evolution.
Ober
Lab Research
Publications
Kjer, K., Gillespie, J., Ober, K. 2007. Opinions on multiple sequence
alignment, and an empirical comparison of repeatability and accuracy
between POY and structural alignment. Systematic Biology 56(1):133-146.
PDF
Ober, K.
and Jockusch, E. 2006. The roles of wingless and decapentaplegic
in axis and appendage development in the red flour beetle, Tribolium
castaneum. Developmental Biology 294: 391-405. PDF
Karl M.
Kjer, Joseph J. Gillespie, Karen A. Ober 2006. Structural homology
in ribosomal RNA, and a deliberation on POY. Arthropod Systematics
& Phylogeny 64(2):71-76. PDF
Jockusch,
E. and Ober, K. 2004. Hypothesis Testing in Evolutionary Developmental
Biology: A Case Study from Insect Wings. Journal of Heredity 95:
382-396. PDF
Ober, K. 2003. Arboreality and morphological evolution in ground
beetles (Carabidae: Harpalinae): testing the taxon pulse model.
Evolution 57:1343-1358. PDF
Ober, K. 2002. Phylogenetic relationships of the carabid subfamily
Harpalinae based on molecular sequence data. Molecular Phylogenetics
and Evolution. 24: 227-247. PDF
Jockusch, E. and Ober, K. 2000. Phylogenetic analysis of the Wnt
gene family and discovery of an arthropod Wnt-10 orthologue. Journal
of Experimental Zoology Molecular and Developmental Evolution.288:105-119.
PDF
Maddison, D., Baker, M., Ober, K. 1999. Phylogeny of Carabid Beetles
as Inferred from 18S Ribosomal DNA (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Systematic
Entomology 24:1-36. PDF
Maddison, D., Baker, M., Ober, K. 1998. A Preliminary Phylogenetic
Analysis of 18s Ribosomal DNA of Carabid Beetles (Coleoptera:
Carabidae). In "Phylogeny and Classification of Caraboidea
(Coleoptera: Adephaga). Proceedings of a Symposium (28 August,
1996, Florence Italy) XX International Congress of Entomology"
(G.E. Ball, A. Casale and A.V. Taglianti, Eds.), pp.229-250.
Some of My Favorite
Websites:
Tree
of Life
FlyBase
The
Interactive Fly
Systematic
Biology
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