12. The Tynamo That Harnessed the Lateral Line: Evolutionary Physiology

01/14/25 • 32 min

Adapt or Die! The Evolutionary Biology of Pop Culture

Welcome to this brand new episode of Adapt or Die! The evolutionary biology of pop culture hosted by Austin Ashbaugh. The current cultural phenomenon we are discussing this season is Pokémon and todays episode is focused on the electric type. Our evolutionary connection to the electric type is evolutionary physiology.
In the Safari Zone, I get into what physiology is, how it evolves, and how some of the systems that we see in real life have been used to generate pokémon lines. During the pokémon professors rant, I appropriately rant about the need for a dowsing machine / pokeradar on water through electroreception. Lastly, we will end todays episode with describing a regional variant of a platypus line and results from our latest pokémon spectacular competition. Sit back and relax in a chair older than yourself, open an old dusty tome, and join me as we adapt or die!
Link to Google Slides of Pokémon discussed in this episode
Resources cited for research in this episode:
1. Garland, T., & Carter, P. A. (1994). Evolutionary physiology. _Annual review of physiology_, _56_(1), 579-621.
2. Greenwood, P. G., & Mariscal, R. N. (1984). The utilization of cnidarian nematocysts by aeolid nudibranchs: nematocyst maintenance and release in Spurilla. _Tissue and Cell_, _16_(5), 719-730.
3. Herring PJ, Munk O. The escal light gland of the deep-sea anglerfish Haplophryne mollis (Pisces: Ceratioidei) with observations on luminescence control. _Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom_. 1994;74(4):747-763. doi:10.1017/S0025315400090020
4. Lissmann, H. W. (1958). On the function and evolution of electric organs in fish. _Journal of experimental biology_, _35_(1), 156-191.
5. Noble, D., Jablonka, E., Joyner, M. J., Müller, G. B., & Omholt, S. W. (2014). Evolution evolves: physiology returns to centre stage. The Journal of physiology, 592(Pt 11), 2237.
6. Wägele, M., & Johnsen, G. (2001). Observations on the histology and photosynthetic performance of “solar-powered” opisthobranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia) containing symbiotic chloroplasts or zooxanthellae. _Organisms Diversity & Evolution_, _1_(3), 193-210.
7. Wernegreen, J. J. (2012). Endosymbiosis. _Current Biology_, _22_(14), R555-R561.
8. https://www.serebii.net/pokemon/type/electric/

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Previous Episode

11. Fahrenheit 006: Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Welcome to this brand new episode of Adapt or Die! The evolutionary biology of pop culture hosted by Austin Ashbaugh. The current cultural phenomenon we are discussing this season is Pokémon and todays episode is focused on the fire type. Our evolutionary connection to the ice type is evolutionary developmental biology.
In the Safari Zone, I get into developmental modularity, novelty, and allometry with appropriate fire-type pokémon case-studies. During the pokémon professors rant, I appropriately rant about pokémon eggs. Lastly, we will end todays episode with describing a regional variant of the Torkoal line and results from our latest pokémon spectacular competition. Sit back and relax in a chair older than yourself, open an old dusty tome, and join me as we adapt or die!
Link to Google Slides of Pokémon discussed in this episode
Resources cited for research in this episode:
1. Grant, P. R., Abbott, I., Schluter, D., Curry, R. L., & Abbott, L. K. (1985). Variation in the size and shape of Darwin's finches. _Biological Journal of the Linnean Society_, _25_(1), 1-39.
2. Huxley, J. S. (1950). Relative growth and form transformation. _Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B-Biological Sciences_, _137_(889), 465-469.
3. Lewis, E. B. (1978). A gene complex controlling segmentation in Drosophila. _Nature_, _276_(5688), 565-570.
4. Müller, G. B. (2007). Evo–devo: extending the evolutionary synthesis. _Nature reviews genetics_, _8_(12), 943-949.
5. Peterson, T., & Müller, G. B. (2013). What is evolutionary novelty? Process versus character based definitions. _Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution_, _320_(6), 345-350.
6. https://thelostlambda.github.io/pokestats/#:~:text=The%20fastest%20Pok%C3%A9mon%20type%20is,type%20was%20the%20Rock%20type.
7. https://www.serebii.net/pokemon/type/fire/

Next Episode

13. I, Seviper: Evolution of Poison and Venom

Welcome to this brand new episode of Adapt or Die! The evolutionary biology of pop culture hosted by Austin Ashbaugh. The current cultural phenomenon we are discussing this season is Pokémon and todays episode is focused on the poison type. Our evolutionary connection to the electric type is the evolution of venom and poison.
In the Safari Zone, I get into the difference between venom and poison, how so many groups have evolved venom/poison, and introduce the idea of evolutionary arms races with pokémon case studies lines. During the pokémon professors rant, I appropriately rant about clarity around venom or poison in pokémon and how toxic should be the type and venom/poison type should only existing as a sub-typing. Lastly, we will end todays episode with describing a regional variant of slowking and results from our latest pokémon spectacular competition. Sit back and relax in a chair older than yourself, open an old dusty tome, and join me as we adapt or die!
Link to Google Slides of Pokémon discussed in this episode
Resources cited for research in this episode:
1. Dickinson, C. C. (2019). The Curious Poisoned Weed: Poison Ivy Ecology and Physiology.
2. Espiritu, D. J. D., Watkins, M., Dia-Monje, V., Cartier, G. E., Cruz, L. J., & Olivera, B. M. (2001). Venomous cone snails: molecular phylogeny and the generation of toxin diversity. _Toxicon_, _39_(12), 1899-1916.
3. Gladman AC. Toxicodendron Dermatitis: Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 2006;17(2):120-128. doi:10.1580/PR31-05.1
4. Harris, R. J., & Arbuckle, K. (2016). Tempo and mode of the evolution of venom and poison in tetrapods. _Toxins_, _8_(7), 193.
5. Labadie, M., Aldabe, B., Ong, N., Joncquiert-Latarjet, A., Groult, V., Poulard, A., ... de Haro, L. (2012). Portuguese man-of-war (_Physalia physalis_) envenomation on the Aquitaine Coast of France: An emerging health risk. _Clinical Toxicology_, _50_(7), 567–570. https://doi.org/10.3109/15563650.2012.707657
6. Mebs, D. (2001). Toxicity in animals. Trends in evolution?. _Toxicon_, _39_(1), 87-96.
7. Possani, L. D., Becerril, B., Delepierre, M., & Tytgat, J. (1999). Scorpion toxins specific for Na+‐channels. _European journal of biochemistry_, _264_(2), 287-300.
8. Undheim, E. A., & King, G. F. (2011). On the venom system of centipedes (Chilopoda), a neglected group of venomous animals. _Toxicon_, _57_(4), 512-524.
9. Vonk, F. J., Admiraal, J. F., Jackson, K., Reshef, R., de Bakker, M. A., Vanderschoot, K., ... & Richardson, M. K. (2008). Evolutionary origin and development of snake fangs. _Nature_, _454_(7204), 630-633.