Authors:

Lily Rice

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About Paper:

Threespine Stickleback A central goal of evolutionary developmental biology is to understand how interactions between developing tissues generate diversity of form and function. In vertebrates, these interactions are exemplified by the integration of sensory systems with the skeleton, such as how eyes are housed within sockets. In fishes, the lateral line system provides a powerful model for this integration. The lateral line consists of mechanosensory organs called neuromasts that develop prior to bone formation and typically become enclosed within bony canals of the skull. This system enables detection of water movement, aiding navigation, prey detection, predator avoidance, and schooling behavior. The lateral line is thought to influence nearby bone remodeling through interactions with osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Threespine stickleback are unusual in that their cranial neuromasts are not enclosed in canals but instead occupy superficial bony pits and grooves, and they possess an increased number of cranial neuromasts. These traits make stickleback a valuable model for studying sensory-skeletal integration. We sampled larvae and juveniles across a developmental time series from hatching through neuromast proliferation and cranial ossification. Using fluorescent dyes to label neuromasts and bone in live animals, we documented their interactions through 296 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2026 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM TABLE OF CONTENTS development, providing a foundation for future studies of the genetic and developmental mechanisms linking sensory systems to skeletal morphology.

Source:

University of Oregon / 2026

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Co-authors:

Lily Rice