Amanda Pardini

Fields of interest

I am currently completing my PhD thesis "Genome evolution and systematics in the Paenungulata (Afrotheria, Mammalia)". The Paenungulates form part of the basal eutherian mammalian clade, Afrotheria and comprise species from the orders Sirenia (manatee, dugong, sea cow), Proboscidea (elephant) and Hyracoidea (hyrax). Although Paenungulata is well recognized, the relationship between the three orders is uncertain. Previous studies have used both morphological as well as molecular data in an attempt to resolve the associations, however a consensus between the different approaches remains elusive. To further address the relationships within the Paenungulate trichotomy two approaches have been used in this study:

1. cross-species chromosome painting using fluorescence in situ hybridization to delineate chromosome rearrangements across the genome between representative species.

2. DNA sequencing of nuclear intron regions.

Amanda Pardini

• Evolutionary Genomics

Publications:

2004

McLean, L., Pardini, A.T. , Noble, L.R., Bishop, J.D.D., and Jones, C.S. (2004).  Polymorphic dinucleotide microsatellite loci in the clonal ascidian Diplosoma listerianum: predominance of compound and highly interrupted imperfect repeats. Molecular Ecology Notes 4: 283-285

Waters, P.D., Dobigny, G., Pardini, A.T., and Robinson, T.J. (2004).  LINE-1 distribution in Afrotheria and Xenartha: implications for understanding the evolution of LINE-1 in Eutherian genomes. Chromosoma 113: 137-144

2003

Yang, F., Alkalaeva, E.Z., Perelman, P.L., Pardini, A.T. , Harrison, W.R., O'Brien, P.C.M., Fu, B., Graphodatsky, A.S., Ferguson-Smith, M.A., and Robinson, T.J. (2003). Reciprocal chromosome painting among human, aardvark, and elephant (superorder Afrotheria) reveals the likely eutherian ancestral karyotype. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 100: 1062-1066

2002

Martin, A.P., Pardini, A.T. , Noble, L.R., and Jones, C.S. Conservation of a dinucleotide simple sequence repeat locus in sharks. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 23: 205-213

Pardini, A.T. , Jones, C.S., Noble, L.R., Kreiser, B., Malcolm, H., Bruce, B.D., Stevens, J.D., Cliff GScholl, M.C., Francis, M., Duffy, C.A.J., Martin, A.P. (2001). Sex-biased dispersal of great white sharks. Nature 412: 139-140

2000

Pardini, A.T. , Jones, C.S., Scholl, M.C., and Noble, L.R. Isolation and characterization of dinucleotide microsatellites in the Great White shark, Carcharodon carcharias. Molecular Ecology 9: 1176-1178

Other Relevant Links

Western Cape Nature Conservation Board
The CAPE Project, CAPE Action Plan for the Environment
WWF South Africa
ZSSA
SASSB

Contact Details

Department of Botany & Zoology
University of Stellenbosch
Private Bag X1
Matieland 7602
South Africa

TEL: +27 21 808 3229
FAX: +27 21 808 2405
EMAIL: pardini@sun.ac.za