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Geoff Hill

@geoffhill.bsky.social

42 followers 7 following 11 posts

Professor at Auburn University studying animal coloration, sexual selection, and speciation.

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

After decades of creeping along, carotenoid honest signaling research is moving at warp speed.CYP2J19 & BDH1L localize to ER (not mito) and House Finches do not use CYP2J19. New paper lead by R. Koch, M. Toomey, and Y Zhang. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Multiple Pathways to Red Carotenoid Coloration: House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) Do Not Use CYP2J19 to Produce Red Plumage

The carotenoid-based colours of birds are a celebrated example of biological diversity and an important system for the study of evolution. Recently, a two-step mechanism, with the enzymes cytochrome ...

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Auburn U cancelled classes tomorrow because the low is forecast to be 13F and we might get a dusting of snow. I love living in the south where we don't put up with cold. War Eagle

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Fun night out with Hill/Hood labbers present and past. #SICB2025

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

2 dept of biology tables at SICB — both from Alabama. Feels good to be the epicenter of SICB science. War Eagle. #sicb2025

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Mito morphology plays a role in the physiological changes that enable long-distance migration. Privileged to play a small role in research led by grads Paula Mesquita & Emma Rhodes. doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

doi.org

Mitochondrial remodelling supports migration in white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

The migratory movements undertaken by birds are among the most energetically demanding behaviours observed in nature. Mitochondria are the source of aerobic energy production on which migration depend...

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Reposted by Geoff Hill

Dan Baldassarre @evornithology.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Yeah this could be a game-changer for specimen-based color research. Ben Hogan and Cassie Stoddard present a pipeline combining whole-specimen image analysis with reflectance spectrophotometry. The only catch? The setup costs about $55k... 💰 doi.org/10.1371/jour...

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

And we need to find the House Finch ketolase. (6/6)

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Key follow-up studies are needed to understand differences/similarities between the house finch metabolic pathway and the CYP2J19/BDH1L pathway. (5/6)

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Both CYP2J19 and BDH1L localize to the Endoplasmic Reticulum NOT the mitochondrion. (4/6)

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Extrapolating from House Finches to birds that use the CYP2J19/BDH1L pathway may prove to be misleading. (3/6)

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

A large proportion of basic understanding of sexual signaling via carotenoid pigments is based on studies of House Finches. The focus on carotenoids and mitochondrial function arose from observations of House Finches. (2/6)

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Geoff Hill @geoffhill.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

A new paper with big news in the world of red carotenoid ornamentation: House Finches do not utilize CYP2J19/BDH1L to produce red feather pigments. Why is this big new?... doi: doi.org/10.1101/2024...

doi.org

Multiple pathways to red carotenoid coloration: House finches(Haemorhous mexicanus) do not use CYP2J19 to produce red plumage

The carotenoid-based colors of birds are a celebrated example of biological diversity and an important system for the study of evolution. Recently, a two-step mechanism, with the enzymes cytochrome P4...

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