Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V96
Höfundar / Authors: Dylan O'Hagan (1), Camille Anna-Lisa Leblanc (2)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: N/A
Kynnir / Presenter: Dylan O'Hagan
Divergent evolution is defined as the acquisition of various differences between two populations of the same species. This is primarily catalyzed by geographical factors causing the two populations to become separated, resulting in the populations adjusting to different ecological niches. This divergence in adaptation and evolution can cause two groups of the same species to become vastly different from one another physiologically and phenotypically. From long flowing glacier fed rivers, to mountain pools and lakes, to the underground cave systems filled from volcanically opened aquafers, it is no wonder that when it comes to geographical variety, Iceland is at the forefront. This level of terrain diversity has caused immense variation in aquatic species, specifically the Arctic Charr. Sub-populations of this Salmonid species are a modern-day Darwin\xD5s Finches, with ocean run giants growing up to one meter in length and weighing up to 4.5 kilograms, while cave dwelling dwarfs grow to a maximum of 8 centimeters, weighing as little as 0.2 kilograms. Differences in size, diet, and behavior all contribute to the individual success and fitness of the sub-populations, this is what begs the question of pathogen susceptibility. My proposal for research involves monitoring disease, pathogen, and parasitic sensitivity in the subpopulations of Iceland\xD5s Arctic Charr. Using behavioral analysis, blood sampling, and necropsies, we can monitor the sensitivity among these subpopulations and f