Digital Commons Network^™

Body Mass Of Late Quaternary Mammals (Data Set), Felisa A. Smith, S. Kathleen Lyons, S.K. Morgan Ernest, Kate E. Jones, Kansas State University, Tamar Dayan, Pablo A. Marquet, James H. Brown, John P. Haskell

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this data set was to compile body mass information for all mammals on Earth so that we could investigate the patterns of body mass seen across geographic and taxonomic space and evolutionary time. We were interested in the heritability of body size across taxonomic groups (How conserved is body mass within a genus, family, and order?), in the overall pattern of body mass across continents (Do the moments and other descriptive statistics remain the same across geographic space?), and over evolutionary time (How quickly did body mass patterns iterate on the patterns seen today? Were the Pleistocene …

Chemistry Of Cirsium And Carduus: A Role In Ecological Risk Assessment For Biological Control Of Weeds?, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden, Svata M. Louda

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Prediction of host plant range and ecological impact of exotic phytophagous insects, such as insects for classical biological control of weeds, represents a major challenge. Recently, the flowerhead weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus Fröl.), introduced from Europe into North America to control exotic thistles (Carduus spp.), has become invasive. It feeds heavily on some, but not all species of native North American thistles (Cirsium spp.). We hypothesized that such non-target use among native plants could be better predicted by knowledge of characteristic chemical profiles of secondary compounds to supplement the results of host specificity testing. To evaluate this hypothesis, …

Spatial Heterogeneity, Not Visitation Bias, Dominates Variation In Herbivory, Kate L. Bradley, Ellen I. Damschen, Lauren M. Young, Daniel Kuefler, Sarah Went, Galen Wray, Nick M. Haddad, Johannes M. H. Knops, Svata M. Louda

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Experiments in ecology can have unintended side effects. Recently, it has been suggested that the act of visiting a plant, inherent to studying herbivory, may alter plant performance and interactions. To evaluate the generality of this inference, we examined plant performance and herbivory on 14 plant species in three geographic regions. Visitation did not significantly affect any of the variables that we measured, including leaf damage, height, biomass, or survivorship, for any species. However, rates of herbivory varied significantly among sites and regions. Thus, our data do not support the generality of visitation impacting estimates of herbivory. We propose that …

Host Range Extension For Chlorochlamys Chloroleucaria (Geometrinae, Geometridae) To Include Eriogonum Alatum (Polygonaceae), Kathleen H. Keeler, George J. Balogh

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

In 2001 and 2002 we collected specimens of Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria from Eriogonum alatum Torr., winged false buckwheat. Eriogonum alatum occurs at elevations of 5000-10,000 feet on both sides of the Rocky Mountains, from Utah (Welsh et al. 1987) to western Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming (Dorn 1977) to western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle to Arizona (Great Plains Flora Association 1986).

The Proliferation Gene Expression Signature Is A Quantitative Integrator Of Oncogenic Events That Predicts Survival In Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Andreas Rosenwald, George Wright, Adrian Wiestner, Wing Chan, Joseph Connors, Elias Campo, Randy Gascoyne, Thomas Grogan, Konrad Muller-Hermelink, Erlend B. Smeland, Michael Chiorazzi, Jena M. Giltnane, Elaine M. Hurt, Hong Zhao, Lauren Averett, Sarah Henrickson, Liming Yang, John Powell, Wyndham H. Wilson, Elaine S. Jaffe, Richard Simon, Richard D. Klausner, Emilio Montserrat, Francesc Bosch, Timothy Greiner, Dennis D. Weisenburger, Warren G. Sanger, Bhavana J. Dave, James C. Lynch, Julie Vose, James O. Armitage, Richard I. Fisher, Thomas P. Miller, Michael Leblanc, German Ott, Stein Kvaloy, Harald Holte, Jan Delabie, Louis M. Staudt

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We used gene expression profiling to establish a molecular diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), to elucidate its pathogenesis, and to predict the length of survival of these patients. An MCL gene expression signature defined a large subset of MCLs that expressed cyclin D1 and a novel subset that lacked cyclin D1 expression. A precise measurement of tumor cell proliferation, provided by the expression of proliferation signature genes, identified patient subsets that differed by more than 5 years in median survival. Differences in cyclin D1 mRNA abundance synergized with INK4a/ARF locus deletions to dictate tumor proliferation rate and survival. We …

Size-Abundance Relationships In An Amazonian Bird Community: Implications For The Energetic Equivalence Rule, Sabrina E. Russo, Scott K. Robinson, John Terborgh

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We studied size-abundance relationships in a species-rich Amazonian bird community and found that the slope of the logarithmic relationship between population density and body mass (b= −0.22) is significantly shallower than expected under Damuth’s energetic equivalence rule (EER), which states that population energy use (PEU) is independent of species body mass. We used estimates of avian field metabolic rates to examine the logarithmic relationship between PEU and body mass and its variation among ecological guilds. The relationship for all species had a significantly positive slope (b = 0.46), indicating that PEU of larger species was greater than …

Improving Precision And Reducing Bias In Biological Surveys: Estimating False-Negative Error Rates, Andrew J. Tyre, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Scott A. Field, Darren Niejalke, Kirsten Parris, Hugh P. Possingham

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The use of presence/absence data in wildlife management and biological surveys is widespread. There is a growing interest in quantifying the sources of error associated with these data. We show that false-negative errors (failure to record a species when in fact it is present) can have a significant impact on statistical estimation of habitat models using simulated data. Then we introduce an extension of logistic modeling, the zero-inflated binomial (ZIB) model that permits the estimation of the rate of false-negative errors and the correction of estimates of the probability of occurrence for false-negative errors by using repeated visits to the …

Cytotypes Of Andropogon Gerardii Vitman (Poaceae): Fertility And Reproduction Of Aneuploids, Guillermo A. Norrmann, Kathleen H. Keeler

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

In many North American prairies, populations of Andropogon gerardii Vitman (Poaceae) are composed of hexaploid and enneaploid cytotypes (2n = 60, 90), with intermediates occurring occasionally. Under controlled pollination, the two common cytotypes can be crossed, producing progeny with a range of chromosome numbers. In an investigation of fertility and compatibilities of intermediate cytotypes, individuals with chromosome numbers between 60 and 90 were crossed with each other, with the 2n = 60 and 90 cytotypes, and with South American Andropogon species having 60 chromosomes. Regardless of cytotype, all A. gerardii plants had some fertility and virtually all crosses …

The Turn Of The Sword: Length Increases Male Swimming Costs In Swordtails, Alexandra Basolo, Giollermina Alcaraz

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Sexual selection via female mate choice can result in the evolution of elaborate male traits that incur substantial costs for males. Despite increased interest in how female mating preferences contribute to the evolution of male traits, few studies have directly quantified the locomotor costs of such traits. A sexually selected trait that could affect movement costs is the sword exhibited by male swordtail fishes: while longer swords may increase male mating success, they could negatively affect the hydrodynamic aspects of swimming activities. Here, we examine the energetic costs of the sword in Xiphophorus montezumae by experimentally manipulating sword length and …

Native Thistles: Expendable Or Integral To Ecosystem Resistance To Invasion?, Svata M. Louda, Tatyana A. Rand

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

One way of addressing the question of whether some species are expendable is to ask what role, if any, a minor species, even one that seems obnoxious, plays in the functioning of its community. Thistles (Cirsium spp.) are prickly plants native to North America that are numerically minor and are often considered unattractive or undesirable. So, thistles might be considered expendable. Yet, can we assume that such minor, seemingly undesirable species can be elirninated without disrupting important interdependencies or losing key ecological services? Our long-term studies of thistle-insect interactions are beginning to provide evidence that even such species may …

Invasiveness Of Some Biological Control Insects And Adequacy Of Their Ecological Risk Assessment And Regulation, Svata M. Louda, Amy E. Arnett, Tatyana A. Rand, F. L. Russell

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The problem of invasive species has reignited interest in biological control as a management tool. Classical biological control involves deliberate release of exotic natural enemies into new environments in an attempt to limit the density of an invasive species. Persistent, sustained limitation of invasive species by coevolved natural enemies is a seductive concept. Evidence now suggests, however, that biological control through the release of natural enemies can carry unanticipated ecological risks. There have been ecological side effects of distributing a deliberately introduced weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus) and an adventitious weevil (Larinus planus) for the biological control of …

An Analysis Of The Secondary Structure Of The Mitochondrial Large Subunit Rrna Gene (16s) In Spiders And Its Implications For Phylogenetic Reconstruction, Stacey Dewitt Smith, Jason E. Bond

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We investigated the pattern of molecular variation with respect to secondary structure in the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and its phylogenetic implications for arachnids with a focus on spiders. Based on a model by Gutell et al. (1996), secondary structures were proposed for the 3' half of 16S in the mygalomorph spider Aptostichus atomarius. Models were also constructed for a hypervariable length of the 16S in three other arachnids, which revealed a trend of stem and loop reduction in more advanced arachnids. Using a simple statistical approach to compare functional regions, we found that internal and external loops are …

Hyperthermophilic Alpha-Glucosidase Gene And Its Use, Paul Blum

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Recombinant, thermostable alpha-glucosidases from archaeal micro-organisms and isolated DNA encoding for such alpha-glucosidases are provided. The isolated DNA is obtained by use of DNA or antibody probes prepared from the DNA encoding S. sulfataricus alpha-glucosidase. Also provided are methods for producing recombinant archaeal thermostable alpha-glucosidase and transformants incorporating thermostable alpha-glucosidase. Autoprocessing of plant tissue through the use of transgenic thermostable glycosyl hydrolases is described.

The Role Of Visual Landmarks In The Avian Familiar Area Map, Richard A. Holland

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The question of whether homing pigeons use visual landmarks for orientation from distant, familiar sites is an unresolved issue in the field of avian navigation. Where evidence has been found, the question still remains as to whether the landmarks are used independent of the map and compass mechanism for orientation that is so important to birds. Recent research has challenged the extent to which experiments that do not directly manipulate the visual sense can be used as evidence for compass-independent orientation. However, it is proposed that extending a new technique for research on vision in homing to include manipulation of …

Targeted Disruption Of The Α-Amylase Gene In The Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus Solfataricus, Penny Worthington, Viet Hoang, Francisco Perez-Pomares, Paul H. Blum

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Sulfolobus solfataricus secretes an acid-resistant _-amylase (amyA) during growth on starch as the sole

carbon and energy source. Synthesis of this activity is subject to catabolite repression. To better understand

_-amylase function and regulation, the structural gene was identified and disrupted and the resulting mutant

was characterized. Internal _-amylase peptide sequences obtained by tandem mass spectroscopy were used to

identify the amyA coding sequence. Anti-_-amylase antibodies raised against the purified protein immunoprecipitated

secreted _-amylase activity and verified the enzymatic identity of the sequenced protein. A new

gene replacement method was used to disrupt the amyA coding sequence by …

Testis Size Increases With Colony Size In Cliff Swallows, Charles R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

By using a sample of more than 800 male cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) that died during a rare climatic event in our Nebraska study area in 1996, we investigated how testis size was related to body size, age, parasite load, a bird’s past colony-size history, and spleen size. Testis volume in-creased with body size. After correcting for body size, testis volume was lowest for birds age 1 and 2 years but did not vary with age for males 3 years old or more. Birds occupying parasite-free (fumigated) colonies had significantly larger testes than did birds at non-fumigated sites. …

Single-Cell Protein Profiling Of Wastewater Enterobacterial Communities Predicts Disinfection Efficiency, Gomathinayagam Ponniah, Han Chen, Ronda Michielutti, Nancy Salonen, Paul H. Blum

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The efficiency of enterobacterial disinfection is dependent largely on enterobacterial community physiology. However, the relationship between enterobacterial community physiology and wastewater processing is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate this relationship. The influence of wastewater treatment processes on enterobacterial community physiology was examined at the single-cell level by using cultureindependent methods. Intracellular concentrations of two conserved proteins, the growth-related protein Fis and the stationary-phase protein Dps, were analyzed by epifluoresence microscopy of uncultivated cells by using enterobacterial group-specific polyclonal fluorochrome-coupled antibodies. Enterobacterial single-cell community protein profiles were distinct for different types of biological treatment. The differences were …

Large-Scale Cultivation Of Acidophilic Hyperthermophiles For Recovery Of Secreted Proteins, Penny Worthington, Paul H. Blum, Francisco Perez-Pomares, Tom Elthon

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

An electric water heater was modified for large-scale cultivation of aerobic acidophilic hyperthermophiles to enable recovery of secreted proteins. Critical changes included thermostat replacement, redesign of the temperature control circuit, and removal of the cathodic anticorrosion system. These alterations provided accurate temperature and pH control. The bioreactor was used to cultivate selected strains of the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus and other species within this genus. Reformulation of a basal salts medium facilitated preparation of large culture volumes and eliminated sterilization-induced precipitation of medium components. Substrate induction of synthesis of the S. solfataricus-secreted alpha-amylase during growth in a defined medium …

Putative Subunits Of The Maize Origin Of Replication Recognition Complex Zmorc1±Zmorc5, Xiaohong Witmer, Raul Alvarez-Venegas, Phillip San-Miguel, Olga Danilevskaya, Zoya Avramova

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The finding in animal species of complexes homologous

to the products of six Saccharomyces cerevisiae

genes, origin of replication recognition

complex (ORC), has suggested that ORC-related

mechanisms have been conserved in all eukaryotes.

In plants, however, the only cloned putative homologs

of ORC subunits are the Arabidopsis ORC2 and

the rice ORC1. Homologs of other subunits of plant

origin have not been cloned and characterized. A

striking observation was the absence from the

Arabidopsis genome of an obvious candidate genehomolog

of ORC4. This fact raised compelling

questions of whether plants, in general, and

Arabidopsis, in particular, may have lost the …

Ontogenetic Shift In Buoyancy And Habitat In The Antarctic Toothfish, Dissostichus Mawsoni (Perciformes: Nototheniidae), Thomas J. Near, Sabrina E. Russo, Christopher D. Jones, Arthur L. Devries

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Buoyancy measurements and depth of capture were taken on 70 individuals of Dissostichus mawsoni collected from the Southern Scotia Arc and McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, to examine the effect of age on buoyancy and habitat use. Standard lengths (SL) ranged from 10.4 to 138.0 cm. Juveniles were not buoyant (heavy in water), whereas adults were neutrally buoyant. The slope of the relationship between buoyancy and SL was significantly negative for juveniles (individuals less than 81 cm SL), but there was no significant relationship for adults (individuals greater than 81 cm SL). These results demonstrate an ontogenetic shift in buoyancy. For juveniles, …

Multistate Estimates Of Survival And Movement In Relation To Colony Size In The Sociable Weaver, Charles R. Brown, Rita Covas, Mark D. Anderson, Mary Bomberger Brown

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We estimated survival and movement probabilities in relation to breeding-colony size in the sociable weaver (Philetairus socius) by using multistate statistical methods, in which survival and movement to time t + 1 is conditional on an individual’s colony size at time t. The sociable weaver is a colonial, cooperatively breeding species that builds a massive communal nest, with colony size ranging from fewer than 20 to more than 500 individuals in some areas. We conducted an 8-year capture/mark/re-capture study of sociable weavers near Kimberley, South Africa. By comparing the fit of different multistate models to our data, we found evidence …

Impact Of Fire Management On The Ecology Of Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus Collaris) Populations Living On The Ozark Plateau, Jennifer A. Brisson, Jared L. Strasburg, Alan R. Templeton

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Eastern collared lizards (Crotaphytus collaris collaris) on the Ozark Plateau of southern Missouri are restricted to islands of rocky glade habitat located throughout the oak–hickory forests of the region. Human mediated suppression of fire negatively impacts collared lizard populations by permitting the overgrowth and consequent disappearance of this glade habitat and also leads to a dense forest understorey that impedes movement of lizards between glades. We present data examining the effects of a fire management regime on collared lizard populations we monitored via mark/recapture from 1998 to 2001. We demonstrate increased glade-to-glade dispersal, colonization of previously unoccupied glades, …

Food Supplements Modulate Changes In Leucocyte Numbers In Breeding Male Ground Squirrels, Gwendolyn C. Bachman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Immunosuppression may be an important cost of reproduction in breeding males. It can result from elevated levels of testosterone or stress hormones and may serve to lower the energetic cost of maintaining immune function at a time of high demand. This suggests that greater access to energy resources could reduce immunosuppression as a cost of reproduction, minimizing the trade-off between energetic investment in current reproductive effort and survival. I examined the impact of food availability on immune function by provisioning male Belding’s ground squirrels in the field from the time they emerged from hibernation to the start of breeding. Temporal …

Dynamic Versus Instantaneous Models Of Diet Choice, Brian O. Ma, Peter A. Abrams, Chad Brassil

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We investigate the dynamics of a series of two-prey-one predator models in which the predator exhibits adaptive diet choice based on the different energy contents and/or handling times of the two prey species. The predator is efficient at exploiting its prey and has a saturating functional response; these two features combine to produce sustained population cycles over a wide range of parameter values. Two types of models of behavioral change are compared. In one class of models (“instantaneous choice”), the probability of acceptance of the poorer prey by the predator instantaneously approximates the optimal choice, given current prey densities. In …