Quantifying Genetic Diversity in Nematode Feeding Rate

Author

• Jacob King, University of MississippiFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-6-2026

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Peter Zee

Second Advisor

Brice Noonan

Third Advisor

Yixin Chen

Relational Format

Dissertation/ Thesis

Abstract

Understanding how populations persist under changing environmental conditions is a central question in ecology and evolutionary biology. Variation in traits related to resource acquisition may play a key role in determining population survival when resources are limited or fluctuate over time. In this study, I investigated how variation in feeding-related traits influences population persistence using a combination of computational modeling and laboratory experiments. I developed a stochastic, individual-based consumer–resource model to simulate population dynamics across varying levels of trait variance and resource regimes. Across 60,000 simulated populations, increased trait variation consistently reduced extinction risk and extended persistence time, although the strength of this effect depended on resource dynamics. Populations with little to no variation exhibited the highest extinction probabilities. To test whether such variation exists in biological systems, I measured feeding behavior across a genetically diverse set of Caenorhabditis elegans strains using bioluminescent bacteria as a proxy for resource consumption. Results revealed the existence of variation among strains in feeding rates and depletion dynamics, with greater variability emerging over time. Together, these findings demonstrate that trait variation in resource acquisition can influence population persistence and highlight the ecological importance of genetic diversity under resource limitation.

Recommended Citation

King, Jacob, "Quantifying Genetic Diversity in Nematode Feeding Rate" (2026). Honors Theses. 3509.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3509