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dr. Fiona Kavanagh

Martin Ryan Institute, NUI Galway.
Phone: 00 353 91 493224
Fax: 00 353 91 750526

Email: fiona.kavanaghnuigalway.ie

Research

With a background in morphological taxonomy, I am interested in the the evolution of the incredible range of diversity observed in the Crustacea. Specifically, I am investigating the transformation of the anterior thoracic appendages into specialised gnathopods.

The basic crustacean body plan consists of a head, thorax and abdomen. The head uniformly bears 5 pairs of appendages, but in contrast the number of pairs of appendages in the thorax and abdomen is very variable. In the largest subclass, the Malacostraca, the thorax bears eight pairs of limbs. Up to three of these have undergone evolutionary transformation to feeding appendages known as maxillipeds. Through the examination of their expression patterns, the Hox genes Ultrabithorax ( Ubx), abdominal-A (abd-A) and Sex combs reduced (Scr) have been demonstrated to be involved in this transformation (Averof and Patel, 1997; Abzhanov and Kaufman, 1999; Deutsch and Mouchel-Vielh, 2003). As well as transformation to maxillipeds, crustaceans also show diversity in the first versus the following ambulatory legs, with many taxa showing various degrees of chelation. In the Decapoda, members of the Brachyura (true crabs) often possess a chelate first leg (claw). In other groups such as the Amphipoda and Isopoda, some species have limbs that show an intermediary level of chelation described as subchelate, while other species show no diversification of the ambulatory legs.

The two primary aims of this research project are:

To identify the genes involved in the transformation of locomotory thoracic appendages to food-gathering subchelate and chelate gnathopods.
To determine if this transformation has occurred independently in two orders of Crustacea- the Peracarida and the Decapoda.

publications

Kavanagh, F.A. (2009) A catalogue of the Asellota (Crustacea: Isopoda) off the west coast of Ireland and Britian, from 100-5000m. Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical Society 33, p.14-76

Kavanagh, F.A & Wilson, G.D.F (2007) A revision of the genus Haplomesus (Crustacea: Isopoda: Ischnomesidae) with the erection of four new genera. Invertebrate Systematics 21(5) p487-535.

Kavanagh, F.A., Wilson, G.D.F. & Power, A.M. (2006) Heterochrony in Haplomesus (Crustacea: Isopoda: Ischnomesidae): revision of two species and description of two new species Zootaxa, 1120, 1–33.

Kavanagh, F.A & Sorbe, J.C. (2006) A new species of Haplomesus (Crustacea: Isopoda: Ischnomesidae) from the Bay of Biscay, North Atlantic Ocean. Zootaxa, 1300, 51-68.

Presentations

Euro Evo Devo, Ghent 2008: The evolution of animal appendages: a case study based on Crustacea.

Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, Southampton, July 2006: Heterochrony in the deep-sea: new species of Ischnomesidae show progenesis.

ICC6 (6 ^th International Crustacean Congress) July 2005: Heterochrony in the deep-sea: new species of Ischnomesidae show progenesis. Winner of best student oral presentation.

SYNTHESYS Seminar, Copenhagen, January 2005: A taxonomic study on deep-sea Isopoda off the west coast of Ireland.

Workshops

March 2006- CeDAMar (Census of the Diversity of Abyssal MARrine life) workshop, Germany.

This workshop focused on peracarid taxonomy including techniques for dissection, phylogenetic analysis and confocal microscopy. Study material was from the ANDEEP collections, collected from the Antarctic deep-sea. Participants consisted of invited taxonomic specialists.

PREVIOUS POSTDOCTORAL EXPERIENCE

August 2006-October 2006: CeDAMar (Census of the Diversity of Abyssal MARrine life) fellow, University of Hamburg

Project: Taxonomic study of the Ischnomesidae (Isopoda: Asellota) from the ANDEEP III (Antarctic Deep Sea Project).

This study was used to answer questions regarding the distribution and evolution of the Antarctic fauna. It will be also used to examine levels of speciation in the Antarctic and to discover possible species complexes which exist therein. The results of the work are acknowledged in Brandt et al. Nature 447, May 2007.

POSTGRADUATE WORK

October 2002-August 2006: PhD in Marine Zoology at National University of Ireland, Galway

Title of Project: A taxonomic study of deep-sea isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda: Asellota) off the west coast of Ireland, with particular emphasis on the family Ischnomesidae.

This project involved all aspects of taxonomy and systematics including description of three new species and revision of a genus incorporating phylogenetic methods. Furthermore, a species catalogue of the Asellota off the west coast of Ireland from 100-5000 m was compiled.

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This page was last updated Wednesday, November 25, 2009