Seminars & Events

Nicole Theodosiou, PhD
Associate Professor of Biology
Co-Director of Biochemistry Program
Union College

“Game of Guts: Spirals versus Coils”

The digestive tract of sharks and skates provides a fascinating model for studying the evolution of morphological asymmetries. Unique to all basal fishes is the spiral intestine, which may represent an intermediate morphology in evolution from the straight gut of lamprey to the elongated coils of higher vertebrates. The short spiral allows for a large absorptive surface area that can fit into a restrictive abdominal cavity. My lab is exploring how the spiral intestine forms during development of the little skate and the radial constraints that propagate spiraling.

Nicole Theodosiou, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Co-Director of Biochemistry Program
Union College

The digestive tracts of sharks and skates provide a fascinating model for studying the evolution of morphological asymmetries. Unique to all basal fishes is the spiral intestine, which may represent an intermediate morphology in evolution from the straight gut of lamprey to the elongated coils of higher vertebrates. The short spiral allows for a large absorptive surface area that can fit into a restrictive abdominal cavity. My lab is exploring how the spiral intestine forms during development of the little skate and the radial constraints that propagate spiraling.