Life Sciences Commons^™

Differential Expression Of Cyb5a In Chinese And European Pig Breeds Due To Genetic Variations In The Promoter Region..Pdf, Ying Bai, Jibin Zhang, Y Xue, Yl Peng, Gang Chen, Meiying Fang

Jibin Zhang

Embryogenesis And Tadpole Description Of Hyperolius Castaneus Ahl, 1931 And H. Jackie Dehling, 2012 (Anura, Hyperoliidae) From Montane Bog Pools

Edgar Lehr

Assessing The Use Of Non-Lethal Tail Clips For Measuring Stable Isotopes Of Plethodontid Salamanders, Joseph Milanovich, John Maerz

Joseph Milanovich

Stable isotopes are increasingly used in ecology to study the diets, trophic position, and migratory patterns of wildlife including herpetofauna. When using stable isotopes, it is important to consider which tissues can or should be sampled, and how selecting tissues may affect the inferences drawn from stable isotope data. Amphibians offer fewer tissues than other larger organisms that can be harvested in sufficient quantity without killing the animal; however, many salamanders have tails that readily autotomize and regenerate. We used three species of plethodontid salamander (Plethodon cinereus, P. metcalfi, and Desmognathus quadramaculatus) to determine whether distal tail tissue had carbon …

Lead-Phase And Red-Stripe Color Morphs Of Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon Cinereus) Differ In Hematological Stress Indices: A Consequence Of Differential Predation Pressure?, Andrew Davis, Joseph Milanovich

Joseph Milanovich

Throughout the animal kingdom there are species that have two or more phenotypic forms or ‘morphs’, and many of these are amphibians. In North America, the red-backed salamander Plethodon cinereus can have either a red dorsal stripe or no dorsal stripe (lead-phase form), and evidence to date indicates the lead-phase form incurs a greater number of attacks from predators. In a recent collection of 51 P. cinereus, blood smears of both color morphs (35 red-stripe, 16 lead-phase) were examined to obtain numbers of circulating leukocytes (via light microscopy), which can be used to indirectly estimate levels of stress hormones in …

Projected Loss Of A Salamander Diversity Hotspot As A Consequence Of Projected Global Climate Change, Joseph Milanovich, William Peterman, Nathan Nibbelink, John Maerz

Joseph Milanovich

Significant shifts in climate are considered a threat to plants and animals with significant physiological limitations and limited dispersal abilities. The southern Appalachian Mountains are a global hotspot for plethodontid salamander diversity. Plethodontids are lungless ectotherms, so their ecology is strongly governed by temperature and precipitation. Many plethodontid species in southern Appalachia exist in high elevation habitats that may be at or near their thermal maxima, and may also have limited dispersal abilities across warmer valley bottoms.

National Park Service Nonnative Plant Control In The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Jacob Halpin, Laurie Eberhardt, Laura Thompson

Laurie Eberhardt

Invasive plants have become a growing threat to plant diversity and hydrology in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Invasive plants compete with native plants for nutrients and sunlight, and certain invasive species have been known to completely take over certain areas of wetlands, nearly destroying entire ecosystems. The Dunes Lakeshore contains over 1,400 plants species and is one of the top ten most diverse national parks in the United States. The mission statement of the National Park Service is to “preserve for the educational, inspirational, and recreational use of the public certain portions of the Indiana Dunes.” In order …

Comparative Phyloclimatic Analysis And Evolution Of Ecological Niches In The Scimitar Babblers (Aves: Timaliidae: Pomatorhinus), Arpad Nyari, Sushma Reddy

Sushma Reddy

We present the first extensive and integrative analysis of niche evolution based on climatic variables and a dated molecular phylogeny of a heterogeneous avian group of Southeast Asian scimitar babblers of the genus Pomatorhinus. The four main clades of scimitar babblers have species that co-occur in similar areas across southern Asia but some have diverged at different timeframes, with the most recently evolved clade harboring the highest number of species. Ecological niche models and analysis of contributing variables within a phylogenetic framework indicate instances of convergent evolution of members of different clades onto similar ecological parameter space, as well …

But What Is It That You Actually Do? (What It's Really Like Working In The Lab), Michael Reagan

Michael S. Reagan

No abstract provided.

A New Species Of Boubou (Malaconotidae: Laniarius) From The Albertine Rift, Gary Voelker, Robert Outlaw, Sushma Reddy, Michael Tobler, John Bates, Shannon Hackett, Charles Kahindo, Ben Marks, Julian Kerbis Peterhans, Thomas Gnoske

Sushma Reddy

We describe Laniarius willardi, a new species of boubou shrike (Malaconotidae) from the Albertine Rift of Africa. The most conspicuous, distinguishing morphological feature of the species is a gray to blue-gray iris. This and external morphometric data indicate that L. willardi is diagnosable from other black or sooty boubous. Further, L. willardi is genetically diagnosable, and its closest relative is the Mountain Sooty Boubou (L. poensis camerunensis) from Cameroon. The Crimson-breasted Bush-shrike (L. atrococcineus) and the Lowland Sooty Boubou (L. leucorhynchus) are together the sister clade to L. willardi—L.p. camerunensis. Laniarius willardi and the geographically codistributed L. p. holomelas differ …

Unveiling The Impact Of Human Influence On Species Distributions In Vietnam: A Case Study Using Babblers (Aves: Timaliidae), Laurel Yohe, Johnathan Flanders, Hoang Minh Duc, Long Vu, Sushma Reddy

Sushma Reddy

As developing countries give priority to economic growth, the effects of development threaten natural habitats and species distributions. Over the course of two decades, Vietnam has rapidly developed, especially in the expansion of agricultural production. However, no study has quantitatively measured the effects of recent human impact on the effects of past species distributions in Vietnam. We use locality data collected from multiple natural history collections, including several in Vietnam, to infer past species distributions. We assess habitat availability of five common babbler species (Aves: Timaliidae) using distribution models with data prior to rapid development that followed political reform. Overlaying …

An Annotated Bibliography Of References To Historical Distributions Of Pronghorn In Southern And Baja California, David Brown, Jorge Cancino, Kevin Clark, Myrna Smith, Jim Yoakum

David C. Brown

Recent pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) translocations to southern California and the establishment of captive populations of endangered desert pronghorn have revived interest in the historical occurrence of pronghorn in the Californias. Adding to this interest is the recent widespread replacement of coastal sage scrub vegetation in southern California by annual grasslands more favorable to pronghorn. We have searched the scientific and popular literature, as well as museum collections, to locate pronghorn antelope occurrences from below San Francisco Bay southward through the Baja California peninsula. Our results show that pronghorn were widely distributed, and often abundant, on nearly all of the plains …

Invasion By Exotic Earthworms Alters Litter- And Soil-Dwelling Oribatid Mites, Jordan Burke, John Maerz, Joseph Milanovich, Melanie Fisk, Kamal Gandhi

Joseph Milanovich

Exotic earthworms are drivers of biotic communities in invaded North American forest stands. Here we used ecologically important oribatid mite (Arachnida: Acari) communities, as model organisms to study the responses of litter- and soil-dwelling microarthropod communities to exotic earthworm invasion in a northern temperate forest. Litter- and soil-dwelling mites were sampled in 2008–2009 from forest areas: (1) with no earthworms; (2) those with epigeic and endogeic species, including Lumbricus rubellus Hoffmeister; and (3) those with epigeic, endogeic, and anecic earthworms including L. terrestris L. Species richness and diversity of litter- and soil-dwelling (0–2 cm soil depth) oribatid mites was 1–2 …

Influence Of Catchment Land Cover On Stoichiometry And Stable Isotope Compositions Of Basal Resources And Macroinvertebrate Consumers In Headwater Streams, Joseph Milanovich, Adam Berland, Matthew Hopton

Joseph Milanovich

Anthropogenic land use affects aquatic landscapes. For example, landscape-level conversion to urban or agricultural land can heavily influence nutrient cycles in headwater streams via increased nutrient loading and altered hydrologic patterns. Recent studies in headwater streams have found that the stoichiometry and stable isotope compositions of basal resources and consumers can vary as a result of landscape-level change. To this end, we examined the stoichiometry and stable isotope compositions (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of headwater stream flora and fauna in 16 streams located within forested, agricultural, urban, and mixed (urban, forested, and agricultural) catchments. Our results suggest …

Macronuclear Genome Sequence Of The Ciliate Tetrahymena Thermophila, A Model Eukaryote, Jonathan Eisen, Robert Coyne, Martin Wu, Dongying Wu, Mathangi Thiagarajan, Jennifer Wortman, Jonathan Badger, Qinghu Ren, Paolo Amedeo, Kristie Jones, Luke Tallon, Arthur Delcher, Steven Salzberg, Joana Silva, Brian Haas, William Majoros, Maryam Farzad, Jane Carlton, Roger Smith, Jyoti Garg, Ronald Pearlman, Kathleen Karrer, Lei Sun, Gerard Manning, Nels Elde, Aaron Turkewitz, David Asai, David Wilkes, Yufeng Wang, Hong Cai, Kathleen Collins, B. Stewart, Suzanne Lee, Katarzyna Wilamowska, Zasha Weinberg, Walter Ruzzo, Dorota Wloga, Jacek Gaertig, Joseph Frankel, Che-Chia Tsao, Martin Gorovsky, Patrick Keeling, Ross Waller, Nicola Patron, J. Cherry, Nicholas Stover, Cynthia Krieger, Christina Del Toro, Hilary Ryder, Sondra Williamson, Rebecca Barbeau, Eileen Hamilton, Eduardo Orias

Jonathan A. Eisen Ph.D.

The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila is a model organism for molecular and cellular biology. Like other ciliates, this species has separate germline and soma functions that are embodied by distinct nuclei within a single cell. The germline-like micronucleus (MIC) has its genome held in reserve for sexual reproduction. The soma-like macronucleus (MAC), which possesses a genome processed from that of the MIC, is the center of gene expression and does not directly contribute DNA to sexual progeny. We report here the shotgun sequencing, assembly, and analysis of the MAC genome of T. thermophila, which is approximately 104 Mb in length and …

Do Species Distribution Models Predict Species Richness In Urban And Natural Green Space? A Case Study Using Amphibians, Joseph Milanovich, William Peterman, Kyle Barrett, Matthew Hopton

Joseph Milanovich

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Sugars On Artemisinin Production In Artemisia Annua L.: Transcription And Metabolite Measurements, Patrick Arsenault, Daniel Vail, Kristin Wobbe, Pamela Weathers

Kristin K. Wobbe

The biosynthesis of the valuable sesquiterpene anti-malarial, artemisinin, is known to respond to exogenous sugar concentrations. Here young Artemisia annua L. seedlings (strain YU) were used to measure the transcripts of six key genes in artemisinin biosynthesis in response to growth on sucrose, glucose, or fructose. The measured genes are: from the cytosolic arm of terpene biosynthesis, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR), farnesyl disphosphate (FPS); from the plastid arm of terpene biosynthesis, 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS), 1-deoxyxylulouse 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR); from the dedicated artemisinin pathway amorpha-4,11-diene synthase (ADS), and the P450, CYP71AV1 (CYP). Changes in intracellular concentrations of artemisinin (AN) and its precursors, …

Diet Of Western Slimy Salamander, Plethodon Albagula (Caudata: Plethodontidae), From Two Mountain Ranges In Arkansas, Joseph Milanovich, Stanley Trauth, Tanja Mckay

Joseph Milanovich

We identified stomach contents of 80 Plethodon albagula (Western Slimy Salamander) from two mountain ranges in Arkansas (Ozark and Ouachita) to examine if regional differences in diet occur. Museum specimens from 1985 to 2005 were used from locations throughout each mountain range. Although a wide variety of prey were found in stomachs, Hymenoptera: Formicidae and Coleoptera: Carabidae were found to be the most important food items in the diet of P. albagula. Ants and beetles constituted 85% abundance of their total diet (79.6% Ozark and 90.1% Ouachita) and 52.2% of their total biomass (42.6% Ozark and 64.1% Ouachita). Seventy-eight and …

Urspelerpes Brucei, Carlos Campbell, Trip Lamb, Joseph Milanovich

Joseph Milanovich

No abstract provided.

Distribution And Ecotypic Variation Of The Invasive Annual Barb Goatgrass (Aegiolops Triuncialis) On Serpentine Soil, Kelly G. Lyons, A M. Shapiro, Mark W. Schwartz

Kelly G Lyons

Successful colonization of newly introduced species is driven by a multitude of factors and is highly dependent on the species. It has long been hypothesized that preadaptation and postestablishment natural selection of introduced species can facilitate their invasion; however, to date, limited research has been dedicated to these theories. In addition, although the correlation between establishment of invasive species and disturbance has been noted and widely studied, the susceptibility of undisturbed habitats to invasion remains unclear. In California, serpentine habitats are severe edaphic environments that have been relatively free of anthropogenic disturbance and nonindigenous species invasions. In this study, we …

Distribution And Ecotypic Variation Of The Invasive Annual Barb Goatgrass (Aegiolops Triuncialis) On Serpentine Soil, Kelly G. Lyons, A M. Shapiro, M. W. Schwartz

Kelly G Lyons

Successful colonization of newly introduced species is driven by a multitude of factors and is highly dependent on the species. It has long been hypothesized that preadaptation and postestablishment natural selection of introduced species can facilitate their invasion; however, to date, limited research has been dedicated to these theories. In addition, although the correlation between establishment of invasive species and disturbance has been noted and widely studied, the susceptibility of undisturbed habitats to invasion remains unclear. In California, serpentine habitats are severe edaphic environments that have been relatively free of anthropogenic disturbance and nonindigenous species invasions. In this study, we …

Forecasting Climate Change Impacts On The Distribution Of Wetland Habitat In The Midwestern United States, Heath Garris, Randall Mitchell, Lauchlan Fraser, Linda Barrett

Randall J. Mitchell

Shifting precipitation patterns brought on by climate change threaten to alter the future distribution of wetlands. We developed a set of models to understand the role climate plays in determining wetland formation on a landscape scale and to forecast changes in wetland distribution for the Midwestern United States. These models combined 35 climate variables with 21 geographic and anthropogenic factors thought to encapsulate other major drivers of wetland distribution for the Midwest. All models successfully recreated a majority of the variation in current wetland area within the Midwest, and showed that wetland area was significantly associated with climate, even when …

The Receptor For Activated C Kinase In Plant Signaling: Tale Of A Promiscuous Little Molecule, Tania Islas-Flores, Ahasanur Rahman, Hemayet Ullah, Marco A. Villanueva

Hemayet Ullah

Reef Fish Assemblages And Fisheries In Parque Nacional Del Este, Dominican Republic, Emily Schmitt Lavin, Mark Chiappone, Kathleen Sullivan-Sealey, F. Geraldes, E. Pugibet, Robert Sluka, R. Torres, M. Vega, Y. Rodriguez, J. Alarcon, Y. Lictensztain, G. Bustamante

Emily F Schmitt Lavin

Parque National del Este is the second largest protected area in the Dominican Republic, comprising 110 km2 of terrestrial habitats located in the southeastern Dominican Republic. Established in 1975, the park delineation did not include the adjacent marine area, despite its long history of commercial fisheries. Since 1994, several U.S. and Dominican partner organizations have conducted scientific investigations of the marine resources of the area. This paper provides data on the status of snapper and groupers reef assemblages and finfish fisheriescollected during 1995 1997. Methods used in the study included: 1) visual transects (20 m x 5 m) of predatory …

Lighting The Bulb: Sharing Your Profession And Passion With The Community, Emily Schmitt Lavin

Emily F Schmitt Lavin

No abstract provided.

Investigating Subspecies Identity For Sasha, A Panther Living At San Martin Zoological Gardens In Baños, Ecuador, Emily Schmitt Lavin

Emily F Schmitt Lavin

No abstract provided.

Service Learning In Science Education: A Valuable And Useful Endeavor For Biology Majors, Emily Schmitt Lavin, Kaitlin Donovan

Emily F Schmitt Lavin

All college students can benefit from becoming more engaged in their local community. This is especially true for biology majors who can play an active role in enhancing science education opportunities for students in the local K-12 school system. One such service-learning (SL) opportunity is presented where Nova Southeastern University college students work together with local schools by engaging young students in the excitement of hands-on science learning. This type of SL activity is beneficial to all those involved. College students gain valuable public speaking experience while learning how to explain potentially complex scientific concepts in a fun and engaging …

A Comparison Of Video Versus Visual Sampling Techniques To Assess The Abundance Of Snapper (Family: Lutjanidae) And Grouper (Family: Serranidae) On Shallow Water Reefs, Emily Schmitt Lavin, J. Leslie

Emily F Schmitt Lavin

No abstract provided.

Herbivorous Fishes In The Florida Keys: A Study Among Reef Community Types And Seasons, Emily Schmitt Lavin

Emily F Schmitt Lavin

No abstract provided.

The Roving Diver Technique - Reef Survey Method, Emily Schmitt Lavin

Emily F Schmitt Lavin

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Use Of Roving Diver And Transect Surveys To Assess The Coral Reef Fish Assemblage Off Southeastern Hispaniola, Emily Schmitt Lavin, Robert Sluka, Kathleen Sullivan-Sealey

Emily F Schmitt Lavin

The relatively little-studied fish fauna off southeastern Hispaniola was rapidly assessed using a combination of visual survey techniques including transects and roving diver surveys. It was found that when combined, both methods provided a more complete overall species assessment than either method was able to provide in isolation. Being able to conduct rapid species assessments is becoming increasingly more important as a conservation tool. Data on species composition, sighting frequency, and abundance of all fishes were collected using both methods. Abundance was recorded in four logarithmic-based categories (roving diver method) while the number of fishes were counted within 40-m2 transects …