Ego sum Daniel

Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis and transparent egg cases. (a) 420 mm TL female with egg cases, (b) egg case and 64.8 mm TL embryo, from left oviduct, with external gills, (c) egg case from oviduct, showing transparency, (d) largest embryo 102 mm TL in egg case (d1) and lateral view (d2).

An absolutely beautiful specimen of, what looks like, a unicorn crestfish (Eumecichthys fiski). This is a member of the lampriform order, and thus is a relative of the spectacular giant oarfish.

Finally out in Genome Biology and Evolution! Our new paper on the evolution of carbohydrate 6-O sulfotransferase genes. We submitted this nearly a year ago, and it was accepted Dec 10 last year, so it's been a good while coming. All data is available through figshare as well.

We were able to analyze a much larger set of genomes than any of my previous studies, 158 species, largely thanks to the Vertebrate Genomes Project.

So why should you care about the evolution of an obscure family of enzymes (C6OSTs)? They modify the structures of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) - carbohydrate molecules on the outsides of cells with innumerable essential functions. Just off the top of my head - Neural development and plasticity depend on GAGs, and thus C6OSTs. The correct formation of cartilage and bones as well. Mutations in C6OST genes result in pretty serious conditions like congenital spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, which results in abnormal bone growth and problems with vision and hearing, congenital joint dislocations, hearing loss, and the loss of plasticity in the aging brain.

Our study clarifies the relationships between the 7 C6OST genes in different vertebrates, for example between humans and important model organisms, where several of the genes had been misidentified. We also discovered a new one, that we called CHST16! Can't wait for someone to find what it does.

The 7 genes appear early in vertebrate evolution, but the ancestral vertebrate had 4 genes already. 2 more genes, including our new discovery, appeared through genome duplications, and the 7th through a local gene duplication in land vertebrates, but this is only part of the story. Genes have been added and deleted throughout vertebrates, especially in teleost fishes (not surprisingly).

So this has been a changeable toolkit. At different points, different vertebrates have had to "choose" which tools to throw away and which to keep, modify, or even make new copies of. This process has gone on from very early evolution until relatively recently. This shows that GAG modification has been crucial in the evolutionary process of vertebrates. The fact that we have different bone structures and different nervous systems/brains has probably depended partly on C6OST gene evolution.

Ethno-linguistic groups of the Caucasus region.

The Caucasus region is one of the most diverse ethnic and linguistic areas of the world, with over 50 indigenous ethnic groups spread over only about 186 000 km2 and 10 million people. Predictably, the area has also been home to violent enthic conflicts and is divided by some pretty interesting borders, including semi-autonomous regions, breakaway states, and disputed territories.

Amazingly, the three autoctonous language families - Kartvellian, North-East and Nort-West Caucasian - have little or no similarities between each-other, and seem to be isolated from surrounding language families. The mysterious origins of the Caucasian peoples and languages have entertained linguists for over a hundred years.

The Kartvelian family notably includes Georgian, which uses a unique script system. North-East Caucasian includes Chechen, Ingush, and the diverse languages of Southern Dagestan. North-West Caucasian includes different dialects of Circassian in the Russian autonomous republics of Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Kabardino-Balkaria, as well as the Abazgi language of the disputed territory of Abkhazia in Georgia.

Wonderful photo spread of piranhas and pacus (Serrasalmidae). I've used the genome of the red-bellied piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri in some of my research.