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About UCMP : Contact UCMP
Sarah Amugongo
Hlusko LabEmail: amugongo@berkeley.edu Phone: (510) 643-8851 Her research: "I investigate the effect of maternal prenatal stress on bone development in the offspring. I study rats as a model system.
"Skeletal phenotypes have long been studied for the information they provide about an organism's functional morphology, phylogenetic placement, and overall health, as well as the paleo-environment in which it evolved . Variation in skeletal phenotype is a result of both genetic and non-genetic factors. Considerable research is being done on the genetic factors. Some of the non-genetic factors that have been well investigated are mechanical loading, diet and aging. However, factors influencing early skeletal development, especially prenatal, have not received much attention.
"Given the potentially significant impact of prenatal stress on skeletal phenotypes, evolutionary studies will benefit from a more detailed understanding of how these effects are manifested in the skeleton.
"I think we can understand the past better by first of all having a clear understanding of what goes on in organisms alive today. It is amazing to watch the animals grow from blind helpless creatures to very playful juveniles and finally lazy old males and females, all in just a couple of months!"
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| Publications: Rizk, O.T., S. Amugongo, M.C. Mahaney, and L.J. Hlusko. 2008. The quantitative genetic analysis of primate dental variation: History of the approach and prospects for the future. In: Technique and Application in Dental Anthropology (J.D. Irish and G.C. Nelson, eds). Cambridge University Press.
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