USU Research Heralded as 'Evolutionary Gem' by Journal 'Nature'

2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of naturalist Charles Darwin, whose theories of natural selection continue to stir controversy. In commemoration of Darwin’s work, the journal Nature has selected 15 papers it calls ‘evolutionary gems’ from its archives to highlight the impact of evolutionary theory on modern biology. Utah State University research on co-evolution, led by Biology professor Edmund “Butch” Brodie, Jr., is among the ‘gems’ listed that, according to Nature, “illustrates the breadth, depth and power of evolutionary thinking.”

Brodie is internationally renowned for his research in the evolutionary response of various amphibians and reptiles to predators. Frequently collaborating with his son, Edmund Brodie III of the University of Virginia, the elder Brodie has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals. His work has been featured in worldwide media, including Nature, Science, PBS’s Nova series and programs produced by the BBC and Canada’s Discovery Channel.

 

Nature Gem “Toxin Resistance in Snakes and Clams” references the 2005 paper, “Evolutionary diversification of TTX-resistant sodium channels in a predator–prey interaction,” whose lead author was then USU doctoral candidate Shana Geffeney, a former student of Brodie who graduated from Utah State in 2005 and is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford School of Medicine.

 

The paper examines the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis that has developed an amazing resistance to a powerful neurotoxin found in the innocuous-looking newt, Taricha — a favorite food of the snake.

 

“Shana’s work gave us the key to open up this area of co-evolution research for further expansion,” Brodie says. “This work continues and is driving our understanding of the molecular processes that lead to evolutionary changes.”

 

He notes that a number of other Aggie students have pursued successful research in this area, including Robins Award recipient Chris Feldman, who was named “Graduate Research Assistant of the Year” in 2006; USU alum Charles Hanifin, now a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station, recent USU graduate Ashley Wilkinson, the College of Science’s 2008 Scholar of the Year and 2005 Governor’s Scholar Amanda Mortensen.

 

“The research is significant because it provides an important model for co-evolution and because it examines the genetic basis of adaptation,” says Mike Pfrender, a Biology Department faculty member who collaborates with Brodie. “It also demonstrates how species respond to environmental challenges.”

 

 

Contact: Edmund Brodie (435) 797-2489, brodie@biology.usu.edu
Contact: Mike Pfrender (435) 797-7623, pfrender@biology.usu.edu
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto (435) 797-3517, maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu