Term of Award

Spring 2025

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Biology

Committee Chair

Aaron Schrey

Committee Member 1

Robert Mans

Committee Member 2

Jay Hodgson

Abstract

Introduced species provide important insights into organismal behavioral responses. Epigenetic mechanisms are one of the various ways in which behaviors can be modified, particularly through DNA methylation. Through such mechanisms, phenotypic changes can occur in response to environmental changes, allowing an organism to be more plastic. Epigenetic potential (EP) represents the capacity for an organism to be epigenetically modified, and can be measured by counting CpG motifs; cytosine adjacent to guanine within a DNA sequence. Phenotypic plasticity as it relates to EP has been studied extensively in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), a globally introduced songbird. It is thought that higher EP may drive colonization success and allow for more mediation of plasticity in house sparrows, particularly towards the apex of introduction. The objective for my project was to examine EP in 100-years time in museum house sparrows samples from five introduced locations to determine the effect of EP changes on introduction success. I found that CpG content was stable over time, with the highest frequency in sparrows closest to introduction. Additionally, I showed that there is evidence that CpG retention is selected for, likely to increase chances of colonization success and survival.

OCLC Number

1521198279

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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