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Newly Revealed Diversity Of Green Microalgae From Wilderness Areas Of Joshua Tree National Park (Jtnp), Valerie R. Flechtner, Nicole Pietrasiak, Louise A. Lewis

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

Documentation of the biodiversity of eukaryotic algae from desert systems is sparse. Our objective was to characterize microalgae from soil samples collected throughout Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA. Morphological, life-cycle, and DNA sequence data were collected for 100 microalgal isolates distributed over 18 sites in Joshua Tree National Park. Phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rDNA data separated the green algae into 15 major clades—10 in the class Chlorophyceae and 5 in the class Trebouxiophyceae—containing 2 or more lineages plus 9 lineages represented by a single isolate. Five isolates belonging to the class Xanthophyceae and 2 isolates belonging to Eustigmatophyceae …

17 Miracles, Directed By T. C. Christensen, Allan Davis

BYU Studies Quarterly

The film 17 Miracles is a recent cinematic depiction of the faith and trials of the Martin and Willie handcart companies. Mormon culture's hallowed treatment of the trek has appeared in oral histories, pageant depictions, and trek reenactments, and writer and director T. C. Christensen's treatment of the subject material is an excellent addition to a robust tradition that remembers a significant moment in our cultural past. That said, the film is not without its flaws. Though the film evidences superb storytelling and adept skill in the narrative language of film, it sometimes meanders away from its own strengths in …

Probing The High Prevalence Of Polygyny In St. George, 1861–1880: An Introduction, Davis Bitton, Lowell C. Bennion, Kathryn M. Daynes, Val Lambson

BYU Studies Quarterly

This is the introduction to a trilogy of articles that interpret and map the unusually high incidence of polygamy (or polygyny, the proper term) that characterized St. George, Utah, from its founding in 1861 through the federal census of 1880. Polygamy was practiced by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the 1840s to 1890.

The first, and most theoretical, of the three papers, by Bitton and Lambson, recognizes for the first time in Mormon studies the limits that demography imposed upon the number of Latter-day Saints who could have practiced plural marriage during the pioneer …

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Mapping The Extent Of Plural Marriage In St. George, 1861–1880, Lowell C. Bennion

BYU Studies Quarterly

This article is one of a set on the practice of polygamy in St. George, Utah, from 1861 to 1880. It asks why polygamy rates in that Mormon settlement exceed the demographic limits produced by Bitton and Lambson in their article "Demographic Limits of Nineteenth-Century Mormon Polygyny." Bitton and Lambson suggest that "those willing to accept an assignment to settle in St. George were very committed Mormons, and those who remained in St. George after having observed conditions firsthand were more committed still. Very committed Mormons were much more likely to practice polygamy than were others."

Using case studies of …

Plural Marriage In St. George: A Summary And An Invitation, Kathryn M. Daynes, Lowel C. Bennion, Davis Bitton, Val Lambson

BYU Studies Quarterly

This is a short summary of three papers in this issue of BYU Studies Quarterly offering new insights into the importance of polygyny, or polygamy, in nineteenth-century Mormondom. The Bitton-Lambson article derives theoretical limits on the sustainability of polygyny, suggesting that, given the parameters observed in nineteenth-century Utah, a prevalence exceeding 15 to 20 percent of males and 25 to 30 percent of females is implausible. Bennion's paper provides detailed information on how prevalent polygyny was in St. George and in its wide hinterland. It also includes a number of personal stories to shed light on who the settlers were, …

This Beginning Of Miracles, Marilyn N. Nielson

BYU Studies Quarterly

No abstract provided.

When Pages Collide: Dissecting The Words Of Mormon, Jack M. Lyon, Kent R. Minson

BYU Studies Quarterly

Careful readers of the Book of Mormon have probably found verses 12-18 of the Words of Mormon to be a bit of a puzzle. For stylistic and other reasons, they do not really fit with verses 1-11, so commentators have tried to explain their presence as a sort of "bridge" or "transition" that Mormon wrote to connect the record of the small plates with his abridgment from the large plates. This paper proposes a different explanation: Rather than being a bridge into the book of Mosiah, these verses were originally part of the book of Mosiah and should be included …

Trailing Clouds Of Zombies, Eric D'Evegnee

BYU Studies Quarterly

This personal essay draws parallels between zombie apocalypse movies and parenting. The author's deliberate decision to have a large family reminds him of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, in which the terror comes from the characters' deliberate decisions about how to survive the sheer number of pervasive and persistent undead. His children are equally "pervasive and persistent, and they outnumber me significantly." But he finds a "zombie epiphany" in realizing that his panic over the challenges of raising children is calmed by the joy of special moments in which his children teach him to see beauty and joy.

Lehi's Dream And Nephi's Vision: Apocalyptic Revelations In Narrative Context, Matthew S. Stenson

BYU Studies Quarterly

In Lehi's Dream and Nephi's Vision: Apocalyptic Revelation in Narrative Context, Matthew Scott Stenson explores the qualities of apocalyptic literature found in the first two books of Nephi. Stenson shows how new insights can be gained by reading Nephi's record from the perspective of this ancient literary genre.

Isaiah 49:23–26 expresses the following dramatic prophecy portraying the Lord as a divine warrior:

And thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even …

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Hell On The Range: A Story Of Honor, Conscience, And The American West, Daniel J. Herman, Taunalyn F. Rutherford

BYU Studies Quarterly

In the introduction to Hell on the Range, Daniel Justin Herman informs readers that his account of Arizona's Rim Country War of the 1880s is more than revisionist critique; it is self-critique. Herman, an associate professor of history at Central Washington University, is an Arizonan who, like many growing up in the western United States, was "raised on its romance," and in his youth he viewed "Arizonans--especially cowboys--[as] made of sterner, stronger stuff than people who grew up elsewhere" (xxii). His view of Mormons and Mormonism--an important undercurrent animating much of this book--was informed by his experiences as a non-Mormon …

Tony, Elizabeth Thayer

BYU Studies Quarterly

In 2012, artist Elizabeth Thayer entered her painting Tony in the BP Portrait Award contest. The Portrait Award is in its thirty-third year at the National Portrait Gallery in London. In 2012, there were 2,187 entries from artists in 74 different countries. This painting was one of 55 paintings chosen to be exhibited this year. Thayer first learned about the competition when she moved to England in 2010 and was thrilled to be part of the show in 2012.

"…After our fourth child was born in 2010, Tony told us that our son was the first baby he had ever …

Demographic Limits Of Nineteenth-Century Mormon Polygyny, Val Lambson, Davis Bitton

BYU Studies Quarterly

What percentage of nineteenth-century Mormons practiced polygyny? Estimates of the answer have evolved as have the methods of posing the question. The authors use a simple demographic model to derive mathematical limits on polygyny prevalence. These limits provide benchmarks from which to assess whether polygyny prevalence in a given context is high or low compared to what is sustainable. If prevalence is high, the model may suggest where to look for reasons. Furthermore, where data are of low quality, the benchmarks provide a check on the reliability of the reported prevalence.

Many factors—such as differences in marriageable age, mortality, population …

Striving To Live The Principle In Utah's First Temple City: A Snapshot Of Polygamy In St. George, Utah, In June 1880, Kathryn M. Daynes

BYU Studies Quarterly

This article is one of a set on the practice of polygamy in the Mormon settlement of St. George, Utah, from 1861 to 1880. For years researchers have known that St. George had an unusually high percentage of its population living in polygamous households and have been grappling with the reason why and what those high percentages tell us about the practice of plural marriage in Utah generally.

The demographic work to understand the lives of those families in plural marriage is labor intensive, and this article provides only a snapshot of it in June 1880, when Daniel Handley McAllister …

Teinoscope, Marilyn N. Nielson

BYU Studies Quarterly

No abstract provided.

On Mormon Laughter, Shawn R. Tucker

BYU Studies Quarterly

Shawn Tucker, an associate professor of fine arts, offers an interpretation on the scriptural injunctions against excessive and loud laughter found in Latter-day Saint scripture. Having grown up in a home with lots of joyous, good-natured laughter, the author recalls his confusion at such commands. His research explores the teachings of leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sociologists, and great thinkers such as C. S. Lewis.

The article shows that laughter that is cold, cynical, and belittling is a perversion of a God-given faculty that should delightfully lift and edify. A good sense of humor can …

Some Textual Changes For A Scholarly Study Of The Book Of Mormon, Royal Skousen

BYU Studies Quarterly

Royal Skousen has been working on the critical text project of the Book of Mormon since 1988. He has concluded that there are three important findings resulting from the critical text project of the Book of Mormon. The first is that Joseph Smith received an English-language text word for word, which he read off to his scribe. The second is that the original English-language text itself was very precisely constructed; where textual error has occurred in its transmission, the earliest reading is usually the superior reading. The third is the identification of 256 changes in the text that make a …

The Persistence Of Polygamy, Scattering Of The Saints, And Modern Polygamy In The United States, Lara Burton, John C. Hamer, Cardell K. Jacobson, Craig L. Foster, Eric A. Eliason, Newell G. Bringhurst

BYU Studies Quarterly

NEWELL G. BRINGHURST, CRAIG L. FOSTER, editors. The Persistence of Polygamy: Joseph Smith and the Origins of Mormon Polygamy. Independence, Missouri: John Whitmer Books, 2010.

NEWELL G. BRINGHURST, JOHN C. HAMER. Scattering of the Saints: Schism within Mormonism. Independence, Missouri: John Whitmer Books, 2007.

CARDELL K. JACOBSON, LARA BURTON. Modern Polygamy in the United States: Historical, Cultural, and Legal Issues.New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.

Each of these three anthologies collects a variety of scholarly articles on the interrelated topics of Mormon schismatic groups, contemporary polygamy, and the history of plural marriage. Each book is geared not only to …

Preliminary Checklist Of Lichens Reported From Wyoming, Dorothy E. Tuthill

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

Although lichens are a common feature in Wyoming, there has been no attempt to compile a statewide list of species since 1900. A number of surveys have been conducted in the state, especially in Yellowstone National Park and other federally managed parks and forests, though little attention has been given to lower-elevation regions of the state. The literature search conducted for this project yielded nearly 800 species names, which number was reduced to 608 currently accepted taxa. Collection locations and references are provided for each taxon, as are global ranks (conservation status, from NatureServe.org), and a brief discussion of some …

Hispid Pocket Mice In Tallgrass Prairie: Abundance, Seasonal Activity, Habitat Association, And Individual Attributes, Glennis A. Kaufman, Dawn M. Kaufman, Donald W. Kaufman

Western North American Naturalist

Hispid pocket mice (Chaetodipus hispidus) are found from the grasslands of the Great Plains to the deserts of the southwestern United States, but the natural history and ecology of this species have not been described in native tallgrass prairie at the eastern edge of its range. We initiated an ongoing long-term study of small mammals on Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas (a Long-Term Ecological Research [LTER] site), in autumn 1981. Our sampling scheme for 14 LTER sites was a 20-station trapline; small mammals were sampled in autumn and spring for 30 years and in summer for a shorter …

Marginal Record Of The Southern Grasshopper Mouse Onychomys Torridus In Baja California, México, Aldo A. Guevara-Carrizales, Jonathan Escobar-Flores, Roberto Martínez-Gallardo

Western North American Naturalist

A specimen of an adult male of the southern grasshopper mouse Onychomys torriduswas collected in Punta Choros, 25 km SE of Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California, México. This record extends the species’ distribution 330 km SE of the prior southernmost locality on the peninsula.


Se colectó un espécimen de un macho adulto del ratón chapulinero Onychomys torridusen Punta Choros a 25 km al SE de Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California, México. Este registro extiende la distribución de esta especie 330 km al SE de la localidad mas sureña de la península.

Malformed Frogs: The Collapse Of Aquatic Ecosystems By Michael Lannoo, Rosemary A. Burk

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Ecology And Population Dynamics Of Sclerocactus Mesae-Verdae (Boissev. & C. Davidson) L.D. Benson, Janet J. Coles, Karin L. Decker, Tamara S. Naumann

Western North American Naturalist

The population dynamics of Sclerocactus mesae-verdae were documented annually in 3 plots over 20 years in southwestern Colorado. Demographic studies of this duration are rare but they are necessary to gain a more accurate estimate of population trends in long-lived desert species. Sclerocactus mesae-verdae was federally listed as threatened in 1979; this study was initiated in 1986 with the objective of determining whether Colorado populations were growing, declining, or stable. Data collected yearly around 1 May included diameter, vigor, and flower/fruit counts for 1629 stems belonging to 659 plants. We used regression analysis to estimate the mean, variance, and average …

Survival Of Translocated Greater Sage-Grouse Hens In Northeastern California, Chad B. Bell, T. Luke George

Western North American Naturalist

Translocation success of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is generally measured by documenting whether translocated individuals survive and reproduce at the release site. However, demographic parameters, such as annual survival of translocated individuals, provide a more accurate measure of translocation success. We translocated 60 female sage-grouse from Oregon and Nevada to Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, during 2005–2010 to augment a small population of resident grouse. We radio-marked each translocated female and a sample of resident female sage-grouse, recorded their locations, and monitored their survival at monthly intervals over the study period. We observed most (55/60) translocated birds …

End Matter, Vol. 72 No. 3

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Biodiversity, Water Chemistry, Physical Characteristics, And Anthropogenic Disturbance Gradients Of Sandstone Springs On The Colorado Plateau, Rebecca H. Weissinger, Dustin W. Perkins, Eric C. Dinger

Western North American Naturalist

Springs located on the Colorado Plateau are highly threatened and represent a small percentage of the landscape; yet they are disproportionately important to diverse native flora and fauna. The relationships between anthropogenic disturbance, aquatic macroinvertebrate species composition, and environmental variables at these springs have received little study. We selectively visited 40 sandstone springs in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado to span a range of impacts. We classified the springs into impact categories based on a spring impact score, and we measured biodiversity (aquatic macroinvertebrates), water chemistry (nutrients, dissolved O₂, pH, specific conductivity, temperature, turbidity, coliform bacteria [Escherichia …

Spatial And Temporal Variation Of Dissolved Oxygen And Ecosystem Energetics In Devils Hole, Nevada, Melody J. Bernot, Kevin P. Wilson

Western North American Naturalist

Devils Hole, a unique ecosystem in the Mojave Desert, is home to a few dominant species of algae and invertebrates as well as the endangered Devils Hole pupfish,Cyprinodon diabolis. With consistently high water temperature (33.5 °C/93 °F) and low dissolved oxygen (O₂) concentration (about 2.5 mg O₂ ⋅ L^–1), organisms are at the extremes of their physiological limits, and production of O₂ by microbial biofilms is essential to ecosystem stability. Water column O₂ concentrations were measured from July 2008 to March 2010 in the deep pool and shallow shelf habitats of Devils …

The Nest Predator Assemblage For Songbirds In Mono Lake Basin Riparian Habitats, Quresh S. Latif, Sacha K. Heath, Grant Ballard

Western North American Naturalist

Because nest predation strongly limits avian fitness, ornithologists identify nest predators to inform ecological research and conservation. During 2002–2008, we used both video-monitoring of natural nests and direct observations of predation to identify nest predators of open-cup nesting riparian songbirds along tributaries of Mono Lake, California. Video cameras at 50 nests of 3 songbird species and direct observations of additional nests confirmed 10 distinct nest-predator species and suggested one additional species. Video-monitored nests experienced reduced predation rates, and video observations mainly captured nestling predation, even though predation rates were higher for nonvideo-monitored nests during the egg period. These findings suggest …

Cui-Ui Reproductive Success From Potential Egg Deposition To Larval Emigration, G. Gary Scoppettone, Peter H. Rissler

Western North American Naturalist

From 1985 to 2006, we tracked cui-ui, Chasmistes cujus, survival from potential egg deposition of migrating spawners to emigrating larvae. Tahoe sucker larvae emigrated to Pyramid Lake the same time as cui-ui larvae, but cui-ui was the predominant catostomid larvae we captured. Survival of cui-ui larvae ranged from 0.46% to 21.17%, declining significantly with decreased flow and increased number of spawners (P < 0.01). Mean total length of emigrating larvae ranged from 11.5 to 12.6 mm and may have been affected by stream flow. Removal of impediments to upstream migrating cui-ui spawners, along with sufficient stream flows, may enhance early life-stage survival.


Desde 1985 hasta 2006, rastreamos la supervivencia de peces cui-ui, Chasmistes cujus,de una posible deposición de huevos de hembras migratorias a larvas emigrantes. Las larvas del pez Tahoe sucker emigraron al Lago Pirámide al mismo tiempo que …

Influence Of Relictual Species On The Morphology Of A Hybridizing Oak Complex: An Analysis Of The Quercus X Undulata Complex In The Four Corners Region, Ross A. Mccauley, Brenna J. Christie, Erik L. Ireland, Rae A. Landers, Haley R. Nichols, Matthew T. Schendel

Western North American Naturalist

The genus Quercus represents an important component of the scrublands and low forests of the Four Corners area of northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah, southwestern Colorado, and northwestern New Mexico. The area is dominated by the widespread Quercus gambelii, although relictual and marginal populations of Q. turbinella and Q. havardii are also present. Hybridization among these 3 species is common, leading to much variability in phenotypic traits, and this hybridization forms part of the widespread complex of hybrid oaks recognized as Q. x undulata.Multivariate analysis of leaf morphology was performed in 9 populations, representing the various taxa and levels of …