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Sensory Bottlenecks and Blind Alleys: Shedding Light on Reptile Sight

10 Oct 2024 - Bruno F. Simões, University of Plymouth | 15h30 | BIOPOLIS-CIBIO, Campus de Vairão
Sensory Bottlenecks and Blind Alleys: Shedding Light on Reptile Sight
CASUAL SEMINAR IN BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION

Squamata, the clade that comprises lizards and snakes, is one of the biggest major lineages among land vertebrates, with huge ecological and taxonomic diversity. Multiple squamate lineages have undergone independent ecological transitions including switching between diel patterns, epigeal to subterranean habits, and land-to-sea lifestyles. However, despite the vast diversity of ecological niches, multiple ecological transitions and over 250 MY of evolutionary history, the study of the visual system of squamates is still poorly understood. Vision is a key sense for many animals, and the evolution of vision plays an important role in understanding ancient ecologies and is part of long debated theories such as the ancestral diel pattern of geckos or the origin of snakes. With the aim of improving understanding of the evolution and function of the squamate visual system, we generated a large genomic and eye transcriptomic datasets across over 250 squamate species spanning many major lineages and ecotypes. This talk will discuss the evolution of vision among lizards and snakes as it relates to their phylogeny, ecology and exceptional retinal photoreceptor diversity.

Dr. Bruno F Simões is a Senior Lecturer in Zoology at University of Plymouth (UK) since 2020. He holds a Licentiate in Biology (University of the Azores), an MSc in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (University of Porto), and a PhD in Zoology from University College Dublin focusing on bat vision. His postdoctoral work at the Natural History Museum and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowship at the Universities of Adelaide and Bristol expanded his research to reptile vision. Bruno's current research interests combine sensory ecology, organismal evolution, and conservation. He studies the evolution of sensory systems in reptiles, particularly lizards and snakes. Additionally, he applies environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques to survey biodiversity in tropical ecosystems of Africa and South America, contributing to both evolutionary understanding and conservation efforts in these complex habitats.

[Host: Maria Joana Ferreira da Silva,  Biodiversity of Deserts and Arid Regions - BIODESERTS]

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