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Mate Recognition In Genetically Distinct Populations Of The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus), Courtney Thomas
Mate Recognition In Genetically Distinct Populations Of The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus), Courtney Thomas
Masters Theses
Lineages that have undergone genetic divergence and subsequently experience secondary contact present fascinating situations related to the potential for reproductive isolation. Within species hybrid zones provide unique opportunities to test the strength of reproductive barriers through behavioral experiments when genetic relatedness between groups is established. Among the complex interactions that operate to maintain species boundaries, mate recognition and mate choice are two behaviors that serve to promote evolutionary independence across diverse taxonomic lineages. I explored mate recognition in genetically distinct populations of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, a small, abundant, terrestrial salamander with a widespread distribution throughout northeastern United …
Geographic Range Size As A Predictor Of Dispersal-Dependent Behavioral Traits In Two Clades Of A Terrestrial Salamander, Teah Evers
Masters Theses
Animal movement has the potential to affect diverse processes within ecology and evolution including range expansion, gene flow, adaptation, and speciation. Two aspects of animal personality that are germane to dispersal are exploratory and aggressive behavior. These behavioral categories may represent a trade-off such that energy invested in territorial defense leaves little energy for movement and dispersal. The Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is a wide ranging, dispersal limited, terrestrial salamander with well documented phylogeographic divisions. I examined dispersal-relevant behavioral traits within two clades of P. cinereus with disparate geographic ranges. The Northern Clade (NC) has a range extending from …
Assessment Of Repeatability And Behavioral Syndromes In Genetically Distinct Clades Of Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon Cinereus), Kelsey Garner
Masters Theses
Animal personality implies limited behavioral plasticity and behavioral traits which are correlated across contexts. Correlated behaviors, sometimes referred to as behavioral syndromes, have the potential to inhibit behavioral traits from evolving independently. Limits on behavioral variation can influence a population’s ability to invade new geographic areas and exploit new niches. One way to explore such variation is to examine behavioral syndromes in genetically distinct populations of wide-ranging species that exhibit different dispersal pathways and distances. The personality-dependent dispersal syndrome suggests that certain traits, such as exploratory and risk-taking behavior, are correlated with dispersal success. The Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon …
Geographic Variation In Agonistic And Territorial Behavior By Genetically Distinct Groups Of The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus), Jessica Ryan
Masters Theses
Geographic variation in agonistic and territorial behavior is largely unknown in terrestrial plethodontid salamanders, even though territoriality is widespread throughout this group. Using the color polymorphic Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus), I compared the aggressive and submissive behaviors of two genetically distinct groups in northern Ohio using male and female salamanders from six populations. As in other populations of P. cinereus studied, I expected to find agonistic and territorial behavior present in the populations in this study. Additionally, I predicted that the genetic group that is monomorphic for the striped morph would exhibit a higher degree of agonistic and territorial …
Variation In Cranial Morphology Of Polymorphic Populations Of The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander, Plethodon Cinereus, Marissa Ganzfried
Variation In Cranial Morphology Of Polymorphic Populations Of The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander, Plethodon Cinereus, Marissa Ganzfried
Masters Theses
Differences in cranial morphology among species of plethodontid salamanders have been linked to variations in diet and behavior. Individuals that consume smaller prey have larger jaw to posterior-cranium ratios. Elongation and expansion of the jaw, coupled with expansion of the posterior of the cranium (defined as robustness) are positively associated with individuals that exhibit increased levels of aggression. The bulk of previous research has focused on the effects of interspecific competition on cranial morphology; however, polymorphic populations of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, represent a unique opportunity to examine the role of cranial morphology in ecological divergence among individuals …
Invasive Asian Earthworms Negatively Impact Woodland Salamanders: Competitive Exclusion, Foraging Interference, And Habitat Degradation Reduce Salamander Density, Julie L. Ziemba
Masters Theses
Asian earthworms (Amynthas spp.) are invading North American forests and consuming the vital detrital layer that forest floor biota (including the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus) rely on for protection, food, and habitat. Salamander population decline has been associated with European earthworm-mediated leaf litter loss, but there have been few studies on the interactions between Amynthas spp. and P. cinereus. Since the large, active Amynthas spp. earthworms spatially overlap with salamanders beneath natural cover objects and in detritus, they may compound the negative consequences of resource degradation by physically disturbing important salamander activities (foraging, mating, and egg brooding). I predicted …