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- Antioxidants (4)
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- Limulus Polyphemus (3)
- Migration (3)
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- Behavior (2)
- Dolphins (2)
- Fatty Acid Composition (2)
- Flight training (2)
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- Behavioral observation (1)
- Behavioral plasticity (1)
- Behavioral repertoire (1)
- Beluga (1)
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- Biochemistry; chemical biology; ecology; metabolic rate; metabolism; migratory birds; oxidative costs. (1)
- Biodiversity surveys (1)
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Articles 1 - 30 of 36
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Mitochondrial Metabolism In Blood More Reliably Predicts Whole-Animal Energy Needs Compared To Other Tissues, Stefania Casagrande, Maciej Dzialo, Lisa Trost, Kasja Malkoc, Edyta T. Sadowska, Michaela Hau, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Ulf Bauchinger
Mitochondrial Metabolism In Blood More Reliably Predicts Whole-Animal Energy Needs Compared To Other Tissues, Stefania Casagrande, Maciej Dzialo, Lisa Trost, Kasja Malkoc, Edyta T. Sadowska, Michaela Hau, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Ulf Bauchinger
Biology Faculty Publications
Understanding energy metabolism in free-ranging animals is crucial for ecological studies. In birds, red blood cells (RBCs) offer a minimally invasive method to estimate metabolic rate (MR). In this study with European starlings Sturnus vulgaris, we examined how RBC oxygen consumption relates to oxygen use in key tissues (brain, liver, heart, and pectoral muscle) and versus the whole-organism measured at basal levels. The pectoral muscle accounted for 34-42% of organismal MR, while the heart and liver, despite their high mass-specific metabolic rate, each contributed 2.5-3.0% to organismal MR. Despite its low contribution to organismal MR (0.03-0.04%), RBC MR best predicted …
How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Wales A. Carter, Clara Cooper-Mullin, Kristen J. Demoranville, Abigail E. Frawley, Barbara J. Pierce, Megan Skrip
How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Wales A. Carter, Clara Cooper-Mullin, Kristen J. Demoranville, Abigail E. Frawley, Barbara J. Pierce, Megan Skrip
Biology Faculty Publications
Animals dynamically adjust their physiology and behavior to survive in changing environments, and seasonal migration is one life stage that demonstrates these dynamic adjustments. As birds migrate between breeding and wintering areas, they incur physiological demands that challenge their antioxidant system. Migrating birds presumably respond to these oxidative challenges by up-regulating protective endogenous systems or accumulating dietary antioxidants at stopover sites, although our understanding of the pre-migration preparations and mid-migration responses of birds to such oxidative challenges is as yet incomplete. Here we review evidence from field and captive-bird studies that address the following questions: (1) Do migratory birds build …
Salad With Clams: Prey Choice Of An Intentionally Carnivorous Turtle, Kayleigh R. Erazmus, Luca Luiselli, Russell L. Burke
Salad With Clams: Prey Choice Of An Intentionally Carnivorous Turtle, Kayleigh R. Erazmus, Luca Luiselli, Russell L. Burke
Biology Faculty Publications
Prey choice is the non-random foraging and consumption of prey species by their predators, and is therefore the basis for studies of topics as diverse as quantifying food webs, predator–prey relationships, and optimal-foraging models. Malaclemys terrapin (Diamond-back Terrapin) is a diet generalist with a large geographic distribution: the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Texas. Individual terrapins have relatively small home ranges and feed primarily on local mollusc species. In feeding trials with 1 prey species and 2 prey species, wild-caught terrapins from New York readily consumed Mya arenaria (Soft-shelled Clam) and Geukensia demissa (Atlantic Ribbed Mussel), preferring …
Flight And Dietary Antioxidants Influence Antioxidant Expression And Activity In A Migratory Bird, Kristen J. Demoranville, Wales A. Carter, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Flight And Dietary Antioxidants Influence Antioxidant Expression And Activity In A Migratory Bird, Kristen J. Demoranville, Wales A. Carter, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Biology Faculty Publications
Ecologically-relevant factors such as exercise and diet quality can directly influence how physiological systems work including those involved in maintaining oxidative balance; however, to our knowledge, no studies to date have focused on how such factors directly affect expression of key components of the endogenous antioxidant system (i.e., transcription factors, select antioxidant genes, and corresponding antioxidant enzymes) in several metabolically active tissues of a migratory songbird. We conducted a 3-factor experiment that tested the following hypotheses: (H1) Daily flying over several weeks increases the expression of transcription factors NRF2 and PPARs as well as endogenous antioxidant genes (i.e., CAT, SOD1, …
The Energy Savings-Oxidative Cost Trade-Off For Migratory Birds During Endurance Flight, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Barbara J. Pierce, Andrea Wittenzellner, Lillie A. Langlois, Sophia Engel, John R. Speakman, Olivia Fatica, Kristen J. Demoranville, Wolfgang Goymann, Lisa Trost, Amadeusz Bryla, Maciej Dzialo, Edyta T. Sadowska, Ulf Bauchinger
The Energy Savings-Oxidative Cost Trade-Off For Migratory Birds During Endurance Flight, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Barbara J. Pierce, Andrea Wittenzellner, Lillie A. Langlois, Sophia Engel, John R. Speakman, Olivia Fatica, Kristen J. Demoranville, Wolfgang Goymann, Lisa Trost, Amadeusz Bryla, Maciej Dzialo, Edyta T. Sadowska, Ulf Bauchinger
Biology Faculty Publications
Elite human and animal athletes must acquire the fuels necessary for extreme feats, but also contend with the oxidative damage associated with peak metabolic performance. Here, we show that a migratory bird with fuel stores composed of more omega-6 polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) expended 11% less energy during long-duration (6 hr) flights with no change in oxidative costs; however, this short-term energy savings came at the long-term cost of higher oxidative damage in the omega-6 PUFA-fed birds. Given that fatty acids are primary fuels, key signaling molecules, the building blocks of cell membranes, and that oxidative damage has long-term consequences for …
The Effects Of Dietary Linoleic Acid And Hydrophilic Antioxidants On Basal, Peak, And Sustained Metabolism In Flight‐Trained European Starlings, Wales A. Carter, Kristen J. Demoranville, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams
The Effects Of Dietary Linoleic Acid And Hydrophilic Antioxidants On Basal, Peak, And Sustained Metabolism In Flight‐Trained European Starlings, Wales A. Carter, Kristen J. Demoranville, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Biology Faculty Publications
Dietary micronutrients have the ability to strongly influence animal physiology and ecology. For songbirds, dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and antioxidants are hypothesized to be particularly important micronutrients because of their influence on an individual's capacity for aerobic metabolism and recovery from extended bouts of exercise. However, the influence of specific fatty acids and hydrophilic antioxidants on whole‐animal performance remains largely untested. We used diet manipulations to directly test the effects of dietary PUFA, specifically linoleic acid (18:2n6), and anthocyanins, a hydrophilic antioxidant, on basal metabolic rate (BMR), peak metabolic rate (PMR), and rates of fat catabolism, lean catabolism, and …
Dietary Antioxidants Attenuate The Endocrine Stress Response During Long-Duration Flight Of A Migratory Bird, Stefania Casagrande, Kristen J. Demoranville, Lisa Trost, Barbara J. Pierce, Amadeusz Bryła, Maciej Dzialo, Edyta T. Sadowska, Ulf Bauchinger, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Dietary Antioxidants Attenuate The Endocrine Stress Response During Long-Duration Flight Of A Migratory Bird, Stefania Casagrande, Kristen J. Demoranville, Lisa Trost, Barbara J. Pierce, Amadeusz Bryła, Maciej Dzialo, Edyta T. Sadowska, Ulf Bauchinger, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Biology Faculty Publications
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are metabolic hormones that promote catabolic processes, which release stored energy and support high metabolic demands such as during prolonged flights of migrating birds. Dietary antioxidants (e.g. anthocyanins) support metabolism by quenching excess reactive oxygen species produced during aerobic metabolism and also by activating specific metabolic pathways. For example, similar to GCs’ function, anthocyanins promote the release of stored energy, although the extent of complementarity between GCs and dietary antioxidants is not well known. If anthocyanins complement GCs functions, birds consuming anthocyanin-rich food can be expected to limit the secretion of GCs when coping with a metabolically challenging …
Characterizing Curiosity-Related Behavior In Bottlenose (Tursiops Truncatus) And Roughtoothed (Steno Bredanensis) Dolphins, Malin Lilley, Amber J. De Vere, Deirdre Yeater, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii
Characterizing Curiosity-Related Behavior In Bottlenose (Tursiops Truncatus) And Roughtoothed (Steno Bredanensis) Dolphins, Malin Lilley, Amber J. De Vere, Deirdre Yeater, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii
Psychology Faculty Publications
Dolphins are frequently described as curious animals; however, there have been few systematic investigations of how dolphins behave when they are curious and the extent to which individual differences in curiosity exist in dolphins. Previous research has described individual differences in dolphins’ frequency of interactions with environmental enrichment as well as quantifying curiosity-related traits of dolphins via personality assessments, though behavioral observation and trait rating components have not been part of the same study. The present study describes two different experiments designed to elicit curiosity in 15 bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and 6 rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis) dolphins. …
Developing A Catalog Of Socio-Sexual Behaviors Of Beluga Whales ( Delphinapterus Leucas ) In The Care Of Humans, Heather M. Hill, Sarah Dietrich, Deirdre Yeater, Mariyah Mckinnon, Malin Miller, Steve Aibel, Al Dove
Developing A Catalog Of Socio-Sexual Behaviors Of Beluga Whales ( Delphinapterus Leucas ) In The Care Of Humans, Heather M. Hill, Sarah Dietrich, Deirdre Yeater, Mariyah Mckinnon, Malin Miller, Steve Aibel, Al Dove
Psychology Faculty Publications
The repertoire of socio-sexual and sexual behaviors of cetaceans is relatively unknown. The purpose of the current study was to advance the existing knowledge of socio-sexual behavior of beluga whales through the development of a behavioral catalog that lists the full repertoire of sexual and socio-sexual behaviors. A behavioral catalog was developed initially from 800 hours of observations, collected across a 7-year period from 11 belugas ranging in age (birth to 30+ years), sex, and social groupings. Using this behavioral catalog, observations of eight additional belugas housed between two other facilities were coded for socio-sexual and sexual behaviors. Socio-sexual and …
Biology Department Receives $111,253 Award For Migratory Birds Project, Barbara J. Pierce
Biology Department Receives $111,253 Award For Migratory Birds Project, Barbara J. Pierce
Barbara J. Pierce
Barbara Pierce, associate professor of biology at Sacred Heart University, has received a grant award of $111,253 from the National Science Foundation in support of her research project on migratory birds. Her area of specialization is physiological ecology, and her research project is titled “Collaborative Proposal: Fat Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Exercising Migratory Birds.” The NSF grant extends through August 31, 2017.
The Fat Of The Matter: How Dietary Fatty Acids Can Affect Exercise Performance, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams
The Fat Of The Matter: How Dietary Fatty Acids Can Affect Exercise Performance, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Biology Faculty Publications
Fatty-acid composition of fat stores affects exercise performance in a variety of vertebrates although few such studies focus on flying vertebrates such as migratory birds, which are exceptional exercisers. We first discuss the natural variation in quality of fat available in natural foods eaten by migratory birds and their behavioral preferences for specific fatty acids in these foods. We then outline three proposed hypotheses for how dietary fatty acids can affect exercise performance, and some of the evidence to date that pertains to these hypotheses with special emphasis on the exercise performance of migratory birds. In theory, selectively feeding on …
Biology Department Newsletter, No. 3, Sacred Heart University
Biology Department Newsletter, No. 3, Sacred Heart University
Biology Newsletter
No abstract provided.
Project Limulus: Understanding And Conserving A Critical Natural Resource, Jennifer H. Mattei
Project Limulus: Understanding And Conserving A Critical Natural Resource, Jennifer H. Mattei
Jennifer Mattei
Mattei, fellow SHU associate professor of Biology, Dr. Mark Beekey, and many other devoted biologists and conservationists are deeply committed to studying and preserving Limulus polyphemus – the American horseshoe crab. A concerted effort is now under way to locate, count and tag horseshoe crabs – whose numbers have declined since the early 1990s. The crabs are considered to be both a dominant and a “keystone” species of the intertidal zone. Their greatest value to humankind is that the blood of Limulus has an amazing property: It contains unique blood cells (amebocytes) that are used to test human vaccines for …
Biology Department Newsletter, No.2, Sacred Heart University
Biology Department Newsletter, No.2, Sacred Heart University
Biology Newsletter
No abstract provided.
Animal Cognition, The Importance Of Touch, And The Cit, Deirdre Yeater
Animal Cognition, The Importance Of Touch, And The Cit, Deirdre Yeater
Presidential Seminar on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition
A presentation of Professor Yeater's incorporation in her class PSCC103 of 5 in- class discussions comparing human and non-human species, particularly dolphins, with an emphasis on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and the importance of touch. PSCC-103, The Human Community: The Individual and Society, is a 3 credit course which engages students in a study of the relationship between psychology – the science of human behavior and mental processes, and the Catholic intellectual tradition – which is characterized by rigorous intellectual inquiry and an openness to scientific ideas. This course aims to help us understand ourselves as human persons, as well …
Biology Department Newsletter, No.1, Sacred Heart University
Biology Department Newsletter, No.1, Sacred Heart University
Biology Newsletter
No abstract provided.
A Comparison Of Prairie Vole Audible And Ultrasonic Pup Calls And Attraction To Them By Adults Of Each Sex, Thomas A. Terleph
A Comparison Of Prairie Vole Audible And Ultrasonic Pup Calls And Attraction To Them By Adults Of Each Sex, Thomas A. Terleph
Biology Faculty Publications
Rodent pups of many species emit both ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and calls spanning into a lower frequency range, audible to humans (AUDs), yet there has been little systematic comparison of these different call types, or analyses of how they might differ in signal function. Here the spectral and temporal characteristics of USV and AUD pup calls are described for the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), a model used in studies of monogamous mating and biparental care, and a species with an unusually large functional and anatomical representation of auditory cortex. Findings provide a detailed description of each call type, …
Estimation Of Short-Term Tag-Induced Mortality In Horseshoe Crabs Limulus Polyphemus, Jennifer Mattei, Mark Beekey, H. R. Potter, C. S. Bond, Alyssa Woronik, J. A. Roberts, K. A. Smith
Estimation Of Short-Term Tag-Induced Mortality In Horseshoe Crabs Limulus Polyphemus, Jennifer Mattei, Mark Beekey, H. R. Potter, C. S. Bond, Alyssa Woronik, J. A. Roberts, K. A. Smith
Biology Faculty Publications
Horseshoe crabs Limulus Polyphemus range along the East Coast of the United States and over 150,000 of them have been marked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service disk tags. It has been assumed that the tags do not harm the animals and are similar to common epibionts often found on the shells of the horseshoe crabs. We investigated whether newlv tagged adult female horseshoe crabs would exhibit higher short-term mortality rates than untagged adult females. All crabs were collected from a beach in Connecticut and then were transported to a laboratory for the experiment. Tagging involved drilling a small hole …
Bilateral Multi-Electrode Neurophysiological Recordings Coupled To Local Pharmacology In Awake Songbirds, Liisa A. Tremere, Thomas A. Terleph, Jin Kwon Jeong, Raphael Pinaud
Bilateral Multi-Electrode Neurophysiological Recordings Coupled To Local Pharmacology In Awake Songbirds, Liisa A. Tremere, Thomas A. Terleph, Jin Kwon Jeong, Raphael Pinaud
Biology Faculty Publications
Here we describe a protocol for bilateral multielectrode neurophysiological recordings during intracerebral pharmacological manipulations in awake songbirds. This protocol encompasses fitting adult animals with head-posts and recording chambers, and acclimating them to periods of restraint. The adaptation period is followed by bilateral penetrations of multiple electrodes to obtain acute, sensory-driven neurophysiological responses before versus during the application of pharmacological agents of interest. These local manipulations are achieved by simultaneous and restricted drug infusions carried out independently for each hemisphere. We have used this protocol to elucidate how neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine systems shape the auditory and perceptual processing of natural, learned …
Observational Learning In Wild And Captive Dolphins, Deirdre Yeater, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii
Observational Learning In Wild And Captive Dolphins, Deirdre Yeater, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii
Psychology Faculty Publications
Many non-human species imitate the behavior of others, and dolphins seem particularly adept at this form of observational learning. Evidence for observational learning in wild dolphins is rare, given the difficulty of observing individual wild animals in sufficient detail to eliminate other possible explanations of purported imitation. Consequently, much of the evidence supporting observational learning in dolphins has involved animals in captive settings. This research suggests that dolphins have an affinity for mimicry, and that they are more successful at observational learning if they choose to imitate another rather than being asked to do so. These results, combined with those …
Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey Protocol, Jennifer Mattei
Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey Protocol, Jennifer Mattei
Biology Faculty Publications
The protocol lists supplies and clothing needed for the survey, as well as which data is to be collected and when and how it should be entered for the census of horseshoe crabs on the Recapture Data Sheet for 2009. Adopted from Cape Cod and Delaware Bay survey protocols.
Response Properties Of The Auditory Telencephalon In Songbirds Change With Recent Experience And Season, Thomas A. Terleph, Kai Lu, David S. Vicario
Response Properties Of The Auditory Telencephalon In Songbirds Change With Recent Experience And Season, Thomas A. Terleph, Kai Lu, David S. Vicario
Biology Faculty Publications
The caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) is a telencephalic auditory area that is selectively activated by conspecific vocalizations in zebra finches and canaries. We recently demonstrated that temporal and spectral dynamics of auditory tuning in NCM differ between these species [1]. In order to determine whether these differences reflect recent experience, we exposed separate groups of each species and sex to different housing conditions. Adult birds were housed either in an aviary with conspecifics (NORM), with heterospecifics (canary subjects in a zebra finch aviary, and vice versa: (CROSS)), or in isolation (ISO) for 9 days prior to testing. We then recorded extracellular …
Professor Awarded Nsf Grant For Songbird Research, Barbara J. Pierce
Professor Awarded Nsf Grant For Songbird Research, Barbara J. Pierce
Barbara J. Pierce
Dr. Barbara Pierce of the Biology Department at Sacred Heart University, in collaboration with Dr. Scott McWilliams of the Department of Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island (URI), has been awarded a $420,000 grant from the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems of the National Science Foundation (NSF).Dr. Pierce’s portion of the grant is a $110,000 sub-award to conduct research examining the interactive effects of dietary fatty acids and antioxidants on diet choices, metabolism, and exercise performance of migratory songbirds.
A Songbird Forebrain Area Potentially Involved In Auditory Discrimination And Memory Formation, Raphael Pinaud, Thomas A. Terleph
A Songbird Forebrain Area Potentially Involved In Auditory Discrimination And Memory Formation, Raphael Pinaud, Thomas A. Terleph
Biology Faculty Publications
Songbirds rely on auditory processing of natural communication signals for a number of social behaviors, including mate selection, individual recognition and the rare behavior of vocal learning - the ability to learn vocalizations through imitation of an adult model, rather than by instinct. Like mammals, songbirds possess a set of interconnected ascending and descending auditory brain pathways that process acoustic information and that are presumably involved in the perceptual processing of vocal communication signals. Most auditory areas studied to date are located in the caudomedial forebrain of the songbird and include the thalamo-recipient field L (subfields L1, L2 and L3), …
Neural Correlates Of Auditory Processing, Learning And Memory Formation In Songbirds, Raphael Pinaud, Thomas A. Terleph, Ryan D. Wynne, Liisa A. Tremere
Neural Correlates Of Auditory Processing, Learning And Memory Formation In Songbirds, Raphael Pinaud, Thomas A. Terleph, Ryan D. Wynne, Liisa A. Tremere
Biology Faculty Publications
Songbirds have emerged as powerful experimental models for the study of auditory processing of complex natural communication signals. Intact hearing is necessary for several behaviors in developing and adult animals including vocal learning, territorial defense, mate selection and individual recognition. These behaviors are thought to require the processing, discrimination and memorization of songs. Although much is known about the brain circuits that participate in sensorimotor (auditory-vocal) integration, especially the “songcontrol” system, less is known about the anatomical and functional organization of central auditory pathways. Here we discuss findings associated with a telencephalic auditory area known as the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM). …
Fruit Quality And Consumption By Songbirds During Autumn Migration, Susan B. Smith, Kathleen H. Mcpherson, Jeffrey M. Backer, Barbara J. Pierce, David W. Podlesak, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Fruit Quality And Consumption By Songbirds During Autumn Migration, Susan B. Smith, Kathleen H. Mcpherson, Jeffrey M. Backer, Barbara J. Pierce, David W. Podlesak, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Biology Faculty Publications
Seasonal fruits are an important food resource for small songbirds during autumn migration in southern New England. Therefore, conservation and management of important stopover sites used by migrating birds requires knowledge about nutritional requirements of songbirds and nutritional composition of commonly consumed fruits. We measured nutrient composition and energy density of nine common fruits on Block Island, Rhode Island, and conducted a field experiment to estimate consumption rates of three of these fruits by birds during autumn migration. Most common fruits on Block Island contained primarily carbohydrates (41.3–91.2% dry weight), and little protein (2.6–8.6%) and fat (0.9–3.7%), although three contained …
Eleutherodactylus Ridens (Pygmy Rainfrog) Predation, Tobias Eisenberg, Twan Leenders
Eleutherodactylus Ridens (Pygmy Rainfrog) Predation, Tobias Eisenberg, Twan Leenders
Biology Faculty Publications
Workers of the large ponerine ant Paraponera clavata typically forage on small to medium-sized arthropods or collect pieces of plants or nectar but have been suspected of predating small vertebrates.
New Distribution Records For Amphibians And Reptiles In Connecticut, With Notes On The Status Of An Introduced Species, Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell, Twan Leenders, Brian T. Roach, Daniel J. Drew, Gregg Dancho, Jeanne Yuckienuz
New Distribution Records For Amphibians And Reptiles In Connecticut, With Notes On The Status Of An Introduced Species, Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell, Twan Leenders, Brian T. Roach, Daniel J. Drew, Gregg Dancho, Jeanne Yuckienuz
Biology Faculty Publications
Recent field work and a review of catalogued specimens in the herpetology collections at the Yale Peabody has yielded 170 new town records for amphibians and reptiles in Connecticut. These are reported here, along with observations on the status of the red-ear slider (Trachemys scripta) in Connecticut.
A Switch From Polyandry To Serial Monogamy: Results From A Three Year Tagging Study Of Horseshoe Crabs In Long Island Sound, Jennifer Mattei Ph.D., Paul Goodell, Christine Depierro, Meghann Burke
A Switch From Polyandry To Serial Monogamy: Results From A Three Year Tagging Study Of Horseshoe Crabs In Long Island Sound, Jennifer Mattei Ph.D., Paul Goodell, Christine Depierro, Meghann Burke
Biology Faculty Publications
Part of an ongoing population study of the North American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus, in Long Island Sound was completed during the 2003 – 2005 spawning seasons at Milford Point, in Milford, CT. Horseshoe crabs range more widely throughout Long Island Sound than expected and exhibit weak site fidelity. Animals originally tagged in Milford were found as far west as Stamford and as far east as Clinton, CT. during the 3 year study. Out of 522 female horseshoe crabs tagged in 2004 only 4 came back to spawn again at Milford Pt. in 2005. The sex ratios of tagged and …
Seasonal Changes In Composition Of Lipid Stores In Migratory Birds: Causes And Consequences, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Seasonal Changes In Composition Of Lipid Stores In Migratory Birds: Causes And Consequences, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams
Biology Faculty Publications
It is well established that birds use fat stores to primarily fuel migration; however, few studies have focused on the causes and consequences of observed seasonal changes in fatty acid composition of fat stores in birds. We propose and test two hypotheses that address the causes of these seasonal changes in composition of fat stores: (1) diet composition determines fatty acid composition of fat stores, and (2) birds selectively metabolize and store certain fatty acids during migration in lieu of changing their diet. When we offered Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceous) choices between diets that differed only in fatty acid composition, …