M. D. MacManes

When the tap runs dry: The physiological effects of acute experimental dehydration in Peromyscus eremicus

This study investigates the physiological effects of acute dehydration in cactus mice, finding reduced energy expenditure, weight loss, and sex-specific changes in body temperature.

Genetic basis of aposematic coloration in a mimetic radiation of poison frogs

This study identifies genes underlying Mullerian mimicry in poison frogs and shows that mimicry evolved through independent selective sweeps on color and pattern loci.

High total water loss driven by low-fat diet in desert-adapted mice

This study shows that desert-adapted mice on a low-fat diet lose more water than those on a standard diet, suggesting limited tolerance to water deprivation under changing food availability.

Prolactin and prolactin receptor expression in the HPG axis and crop sac during parental care in both sexes of a biparental bird (Columba livia)

This study examines prolactin and prolactin receptor expression in the HPG axis and crop sac during parental care in both sexes of rock doves, finding sex differences and tissue-specific responses to offspring presence.

Chromosome size affects sequence divergence between species through the interplay of recombination and selection

The paper investigates how chromosome size influences sequence divergence between species by analyzing empirical data and evolutionary simulations across mammalian clades.

Disentangling environmental drivers of circadian metabolism in desert-adapted mice

This study identifies sex-based metabolic differences and circadian patterns in desert-adapted cactus mice through continuous metabolic phenotyping under varying environmental conditions.

The genomics of mimicry: gene expression throughout development provides insights into convergent and divergent phenotypes in a Mullerian mimicry system

The paper investigates the genetic mechanisms of color and pattern variation in poison frogs using genome and gene expression analyses across developmental stages.

Limited evidence for parallel evolution among desert adapted Peromyscus deer mice

The paper examines genome evolution in desert-adapted Peromyscus mice and finds limited evidence for parallel evolution, suggesting divergent molecular mechanisms of adaptation.

Comparative and population genomics approaches reveal the basis of adaptation to deserts in a small rodent

This study identifies genomic adaptations in cactus mice to desert environments through comparative and population genomics, revealing gene family contractions/expansions and selective sweeps related to protein metabolism and dietary shifts.

White-nose syndrome restructures bat skin microbiomes

This study examines how white-nose syndrome affects skin microbiomes in three bat species, finding species-specific changes in bacterial diversity but not fungal composition.

Variation in pigmentation gene expression is associated with distinct aposematic color morphs in the poison frog, Dendrobates auratus

The paper identifies gene expression differences associated with color morphs in Dendrobates auratus, highlighting genes involved in melanogenesis and iridophore development.