Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Structure And Evolution Of Lizard Immunity Genes, Trent Santonastaso
Structure And Evolution Of Lizard Immunity Genes, Trent Santonastaso
University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
One of the most important gene families to play a role in adaptive immunity is the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). MHC class II loci are considered to be the most variable loci in the vertebrate genome, and studies have shown that this variability can be maintained through complex co-evolutionary dynamics between host and parasite. Despite the rich body of research into the MHC, there is comparatively little understanding of its genomic architecture in reptiles. Similarly, loci associated with innate immunity have received little attention in reptiles compared to other vertebrates. In the first chapter, we investigated the structure and organization …
Novel Method To Determine Paleodiet Of Extinct Equid Merychippus Sp. Using Dental Calculus, Ranjit Z. S. Virk
Novel Method To Determine Paleodiet Of Extinct Equid Merychippus Sp. Using Dental Calculus, Ranjit Z. S. Virk
Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current
Within the Miocene Epoch, the emergence of grasslands within North America coincided with the incidence of higher-crowned teeth (hypsodonty) within the proto-horse Merychippus that allowed for the inclusion of these expanding grasslands as a food source. As herbivorous paleofauna consume plant matter, microscopic remains become incorporated within dental calculus and, due to their diagnostic morphology, can be used to identify dietary components. In Merychippus, the recovery of plant microfossils holds the potential to provide greater clarity on the paleodiet of these equids. In the present study, the purpose was to quantify and compare Merychippus paleodiet constituents among sample groups. …
Gut Microbiota Composition Is Correlated To Host Hummingbird Protein Requirements, Ryan C. Stanton , '20
Gut Microbiota Composition Is Correlated To Host Hummingbird Protein Requirements, Ryan C. Stanton , '20
Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards
The gut microbiome shapes and is shaped by a host animal’s physiology. Avian taxa hold physiological characteristics unique from mammals and might inform novel pressures experienced by microbial communities. Further, the symbionts’ relative abundance and their abilities to adapt to available resources are of critical importance to a holobiont’s fitness in rapidly changing climates. Therefore, wild populations of hummingbirds Selasphorus rufus and Calypte anna were studied. The two systems differ in S. rufus’s annual migrations from wintering grounds to their breeding grounds in the Pacific Northwest, whereas C. anna are resident in the latter region. Previous findings have indicated …