Date of Award
Spring 5-2012
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Program
Conservation Biology
Department
Biological Sciences
Major Professor
Penz, Carla
Second Advisor
Johnson, Steven
Third Advisor
DeVries, Phil
Fourth Advisor
Grady, James
Fifth Advisor
Anthony, Nicola
Abstract
The butterflies in the genus Hamadryas are popular and noticeable representatives of the Neotropical Lepidoptera fauna. After a thorough taxonomic revision, 20 species were acknowledged within the genus, however no hypothesis of their phylogenetic relationship was proposed. The present dissertation provides a step further into the understanding of this fascinating group of butterflies not only by proposing the first phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus based on morphological and molecular data, but also by exploring for the first time in a group of butterflies the potential effect of venation associated with an specific behaviour on wing shape. Furthermore, this dissertation provides testable evolutionary hypotheses about the pattern of change for some of their most interesting natural history characters such as sound production and sexual dimorphism. The dissertation is organized in three chapters that can be visualized as manuscripts ready for publication; the first of these being already published (Garzón-Orduña, 2012).
Recommended Citation
Garzon, Ivonne J., "Phylogenetic Relationships and Character Evolution of the Neotropical Butterfly Genus Hamadryas (Nymphalidae: Biblidinae)" (2012). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1438.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1438
Included in
Behavior and Ethology Commons, Entomology Commons, Evolution Commons
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.