Joel Ledford

Publications19
h-index11
Citations658
Highly Influential Citations34
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Spider phylogenomics: untangling the Spider Tree of Life
TLDR
Contrary to long held beliefs that the orb web is the crowning achievement of spider evolution, ancestral state reconstructions of web type support a phylogenetically ancient origin of the orbweb, and diversification analyses show that the mostly ground-dwelling, web-less RTA clade diversified faster than orb weavers.
The spider tree of life: phylogeny of Araneae based on target‐gene analyses from an extensive taxon sampling
We present a phylogenetic analysis of spiders using a dataset of 932 spider species, representing 115 families (only the family Synaphridae is unrepresented), 700 known genera, and additional…
Morbidity and Mortality of Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Mammals at a Major Exotic Companion Animal Wholesaler
TLDR
The authors formally investigated a major international wildlife wholesaler and subsequently confiscated more than 26,400 nonhuman animals of 171 species and types identified as grossly sick, injured, or dead, with the remaining in suspected suboptimal condition.
Genetic diversification without obvious genitalic morphological divergence in harvestmen (Opiliones, Laniatores, Sclerobunus robustus) from montane sky islands of western North America.
TLDR
The phylogeographic history and diversification of a montane forest inhabiting harvestmen, Sclerobunus robustus, is examined using a combination of genetic and morphological data, indicating that S. robustus has undergone some level of cryptic diversification.
Madagascar. Contributions to the study of the biodiversity of Madagascar. Number 1. A monograph of the migid trap door spiders of Madagascar and review of the world genera (Araneae, Mygalomorphae,…
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An extraordinary new family of spiders from caves in the Pacific Northwest (Araneae, Trogloraptoridae, new family)
TLDR
The oblique membranous division of the basal segment of the anterior lateral spinnerets of Trogloraptor suggests that this haplogyne family is the sister group of the other Dysderoidea (Dysderidae, Oonopidae, Orsolobidae and Segestriidae).
Sequence-capture phylogenomics of true spiders reveals convergent evolution of respiratory systems.
TLDR
A novel hypothesis is put forth that early-diverging web building spiders were faced with new energetic demands for spinning, which prompted the evolution of similar tracheal systems via convergence, and tests of predictions derived from this hypothesis are proposed.
A study of the subfamily Archoleptonetinae (Araneae, Leptonetidae) with a review of the morphology and relationships for the Leptonetidae
TLDR
The distribution of several features of the spinning organs, respiratory system, and genitalia suggests that the phylogenetic position of the Leptonetidae needs to be reevaluated, and makes their position within the Haplogynae uncertain.
Systematics, conservation and morphology of the spider genus Tayshaneta (Araneae, Leptonetidae) in Central Texas Caves
TLDR
Several species previously known as single cave endemics have wider ranges than expected, suggesting that some caves are not isolated habitats but instead form part of interconnected karst networks.
Systematics of the spider genus Neoleptoneta Brignoli, 1972 (Araneae:Leptonetidae) with a discussion of the morphology and relationships for the North American Leptonetidae
TLDR
Analysis of concatenated data and independent genes using Bayesian, maximum likelihood and parsimony methods failed to recover Neoleptoneta as monophyletic, but Ancestral state reconstruction is used to assess patterns of cave evolution and shows that most species are descended from troglophilic ancestors and thatTroglobites have evolved at least nine times independently within the North American Leptonetidae.
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