Life Sciences Commons^™

Materials And Methods Developed For The Recording And Analysis Of Behavior In The Common Marmoset (Callithrix Jacchus)., Christian Wintle

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Materials and methods developed for the recording and analysis of behavior in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

Christian J. Wintle^a, Jordan B. Hernandez^a,b,c, Dobromir Dotov^d, and Jonathan B. Clayton^a,b,e,f,g

^aDepartment of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^bNebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

^cDepartment of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE, USA

^dDepartment of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^eDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, …

Every Little Thing, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Every LIttle Thing (2024), directed by Sally Aitken.

Genetic Variation Of Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis Septentrionalis) Populations In Nebraska, Michael Palandri, Jeremy White

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The objective of this experiment was to determine genetic variation between Nebraska populations of Northern Long-eared Bats (Myotis septentrionalis) and to relate this variation to White-Nose Syndrome resistance. We hypothesized that these populations would show variation due to spatial separation and a lack of intermittent hibernacula. Wing tissue samples were collected from different areas in Nebraska including Ponca State Park, Fontenelle Forest, Elm Creek, and Larrabee Creek. A total of 31 specimens were caught between these locations. Mitochondrial DNA was extracted, amplified, and run on a gel using 6 samples from Ponca State Park. The gel from the …

Investigating The Genetic Structure Of Northern Long-Eared Bats In Nebraska, Jonathan Korbitz

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Abstract:

The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is one of many species of hibernating bats in North America affected by a recently discovered fungal disease called white-nose syndrome (WNS). Northern long-eared bats seem to be extremely susceptible to the disease with mass fatalities occurring among populations in eastern North America. Researchers in the eastern distribution of this species have performed mtDNA analysis to identify the population structure of the species; however, genetic analysis has yet to be done in western parts of its distribution. The goal of this study is to create a better understanding of the genetic …

A Spatial Sirs Boolean Network Model For The Spread Of H5n1 Avian Influenza Virus Among Poultry Farms, Alexander Kasyanov, Leona Kirkland, Mihaela Teodora Matache

Mathematics Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

To predict the spread of Avian Influenza we propose a synchronous Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Susceptible (SIRS) Boolean network of poultry farms, using probabilistic Boolean rules. Gravity models from transportation theory are used for the probability of infection of a node in one time step, taking into account farm sizes, distances be- tween farms, and mean distance travelled by birds. Basic reproduction numbers are computed analytically and numerically. The dynamics of the network are analyzed and various statistics considered such as number of infected nodes or time until eradication of the epidemic. We conclude that mostly when large farms (eventually) become infected the epidemic …

Optimal Data Partitioning And A Test Case For Ray-Finned Fishes (Actinopterygii) Based On Ten Nuclear Loci, Chenhong Li, Guoqing Lu, Guillermo Orti

Biology Faculty Publications

Data partitioning, the combined phylogenetic analysis of homogeneous blocks of data, is a common strategy used to accommodate heterogeneities in complex multilocus data sets. Variation in evolutionary rates and substitution patterns among sites are typically addressed by partitioning data by gene, codon position, or both. Excessive partitioning of the data, however, could lead to overparameterization; therefore, it seems critical to define the minimum numbers of partitions necessary to improve the overall fit of the model. We propose a new method, based on cluster analysis, to find an optimal partitioning strategy for multilocus protein-coding data sets. A heuristic exploration of alternative …

A Practical Approach To Phylogenomics: The Phylogeny Of Ray-Finned Fish (Actinopterygii) As A Case Study, Chenhong Li, Guillermo Orti, Gong Zhang, Guoqing Lu

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Molecular systematics occupies one of the central stages in biology in the genomic era, ushered in by unprecedented progress in DNA technology. The inference of organismal phylogeny is now based on many independent genetic loci, a widely accepted approach to assemble the tree of life. Surprisingly, this approach is hindered by lack of appropriate nuclear gene markers for many taxonomic groups especially at high taxonomic level, partially due to the lack of tools for efficiently developing new phylogenetic makers. We report here a genome-comparison strategy to identifying nuclear gene markers for phylogenetic inference and apply it to the …

Least Shrew (Cryptotis Parva ) In Extreme West-Central Nebraska, Keith Geluso, Jeremy A. White, Michael A. Bogen

Biology Faculty Publications

During the past 35 years, the least shrew (Cryptotis parva) has expanded its distribution along riverine and other mesic corridors in western parts of its distribution, although some recently discovered populations in the West might represent relicts of a previous Pleistocene distribution. In Nebraska, the least shrew originally was known only from eastern and central parts of the state, but recent records are now available from extreme west-central Nebraska and the northwestern corner of the state. Our record from west-central Nebraska probably represents recent westward expansion of C. parua along the North Platte River. This capture in Scotts …

Endocrine-Disrupting Effects Of Cattle Feedlot Effluent On An Aquatic Sentinel Species, The Fathead Minnow, Edward Orlando, Alan Kolok, Gerry Binzcick, Jennifer Gates, Megan Horton, Christy Lambright, L. Earl Gray Jr., Ana M. Soto, Louis J. Guilette

Biology Faculty Publications

Over the last decade, research has examined the endocrine-disrupting action of various environmental pollutants, including hormones, pharmaceuticals, and surfactants, in sewage treatment plant effluent. Responding to the growth of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and the pollutants present in their wastewater (e.g., nutrients, pharmaceuticals, and hormones), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed a new rule that tightens the regulation of CAFOs. In this study, we collected wild fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to feedlot effluent (FLE) and observed significant alterations in their reproductive biology. Male fish were demasculinized (having lower testicular testosterone synthesis, altered head morphometrics, and smaller …

Reproduction And Seasonal Activity Of Silver-Haired Bats In Western Nebraska, Keith Geluso, Jeffrey J. Huebschman, Jeremy A. White, Michael A. Bogen

Biology Faculty Publications

Silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) were thought only to migrate through Nebraska; however, recent surveys in eastern Nebraska report summer records of females and their young. Our study in western Nebraska also shows that silver-haired bats are summer residents. We discovered the 1st reproductively active L. noctivagans in this part of the state. We caught lactating females and volant young in riparian forests along the North Platte River and in forested areas of the Pine Ridge. Previously, adult males were not known from Nebraska in summer, and only 4 records of L. noctivagans were known from western Nebraska during …

Seasonal Activity And Reproduction In Bats Of East-Central Nebraska, Kenneth N. Geluso, Russell A. Benedict, Francis L. Kock

Biology Faculty Publications

Information on seasonal activity and reproduction is presented for seven species of bats inhabiting east-central Nebraska (Eptesicus fuscus, Myotis septentrionalis, Nycticeius humeralis, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Lasiurus borealis, L. cinereus, and Pipistrellus subflavus). Early and late dates of capture show five species active in the state for longer periods than previously reported. During some years, E. fuscus and M. septentrionalis emerge from winter torpor in March and feed on insects. Some E. fuscus inhabiting a floodplain forest in summer use houses in nearby towns as hibernacula, and year-round use of buildings by E. fuscus is substantial compared to other species of bats. …

A Summer Survey Of The Birds At Two Eastern Nebraska Wetlands, Kristine T. Phipps

Biology Faculty Publications

This study compares the avian species diversity at two eastern Nebraska wetlands that differ in their relative isolation from an urban environment. Birds were surveyed by the point Count method twice weekly at each site during June of 1998. Diversity was measured using species richness and species evenness. The percentage of bird species observed that depend on wetlands for breeding was also compared. Results suggest that both species richness and evenness, as determined by the Shannon-Wiener index, were higher at the wetland located in a network of other marsh areas and agricultural land than at the suburban wetland. Immigration of …

Nebraska's Flying Mammals, Patricia W. Freeman, Kenneth N. Geluso, J. Scott Altenbach

Biology Faculty Publications

They flit around at dusk in crazy patterns. They fly around street lights and dive at rocks thrown in the air. They have high-pitched squeaks and turn up in unexpected places. They have strange, little faces and bizarre ears. They have soft fur and a thin rubbery membrane across their long fingers. They are bats, Nebraska's only flying mammals.

Bats are mysterious. Is it because they come out at night and we come out in the daytime? Maybe it is because we associate flying with birds, not mammals. Bats are dark and foreboding, not brightly colored. At first, these mysterious …

The Origins Of Spring Migratory Staging By Sandhill Cranes And White-Fronted Geese, Roger S. Sharpe

Biology Faculty Publications

A most unusual avian migratory event takes place each .,pring in the Platte River basin of Nebraska between 98 and 102 degrees longitude (Fig. 1). In suitable habitats throughout this area large concentrations of Sandhill Cranes, Crus canadensis, and White-fronted Geese, Anser albifrons, develop and achieve peak populations in mid to late March. This phenomenon is traditional to the migratory habits of specific populations and occurs during the spring movement from wintering grounds in Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico to breeding grounds far to the north in Canada and Alaska. In both species groups of individuals drift in from wintering …