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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Measuring Science Teachers' Emotional Experiences With Evolution Using Real World Scenarios, William Lee Romine, Rutuja Mahajan, Amber Todd Dec 2021

Measuring Science Teachers' Emotional Experiences With Evolution Using Real World Scenarios, William Lee Romine, Rutuja Mahajan, Amber Todd

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Low acceptance of evolution remains an obstacle to quality biology instruction. We develop and utilize a novel assessment which measures emotional experience in light of real-world evolution education scenarios. We presented 296 science teachers 4 pro-evolution and 8 anti-evolution scenarios and asked them to rate their levels of joy, anger, sadness, fear, disgust, shame, and guilt elicited by that scenario on an ordinal 5-point scale. We used exploratory factor analysis to extract the most important dimensions in the teachers’ responses, Rasch analysis to explore the validity of the extracted subscales, and stepwise regression to find the most important factors driving …


An Investigation Into The Use Of An Herbal Labor Induction Tincture Containing Black Cohosh, Cramp Bark, Partridgeberry, And Motherwort On Contractile Responses Produced From Isolated Strips Of Mouse Uterine Tissues, Clayton Neuenschwander, Katrina Wu, Teresa F. Degolier Dec 2021

An Investigation Into The Use Of An Herbal Labor Induction Tincture Containing Black Cohosh, Cramp Bark, Partridgeberry, And Motherwort On Contractile Responses Produced From Isolated Strips Of Mouse Uterine Tissues, Clayton Neuenschwander, Katrina Wu, Teresa F. Degolier

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Alternative solutions in the form of herbal remedies meant to ease or expedite the process of labor have often been pursued and administered but have seldom been quantitatively tested for efficacy. Published research has shown some validation for some commonly used herbs such as blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), red raspberry (Rubus idaeus), castor bean (Ricinus communis) and evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) on isolated mouse uterine strips. Methods: This study tested an array of herbs used by midwives in a labor induction tincture, which included black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), cramp bark (Viburnum opulus), partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), and motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca). …


Overfishing Drives Over One-Third Of All Sharks And Rays Toward A Global Extinction Crisis, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Nathan Pacoureau, Cassandra L. Rigby, Riley A. Pollom, Rima W. Jabado, David A. Ebert, Brittany Finucci, Caroline M. Pollock, Jessica Cheok, Danielle H. Derrick, Katelyn B. Herman, C. Samantha Sherman, Wade J. Vanderwright, Julia M. Lawson, Rachel H.L. Walls, John K. Carlson, Patricia Charvet, Kinattumkara K. Bineesh, Daniel Fernando, Gina M. Ralph, Jay H. Matsushiba, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Sonja V. Fordham, Colin A. Simpfendorfer Nov 2021

Overfishing Drives Over One-Third Of All Sharks And Rays Toward A Global Extinction Crisis, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Nathan Pacoureau, Cassandra L. Rigby, Riley A. Pollom, Rima W. Jabado, David A. Ebert, Brittany Finucci, Caroline M. Pollock, Jessica Cheok, Danielle H. Derrick, Katelyn B. Herman, C. Samantha Sherman, Wade J. Vanderwright, Julia M. Lawson, Rachel H.L. Walls, John K. Carlson, Patricia Charvet, Kinattumkara K. Bineesh, Daniel Fernando, Gina M. Ralph, Jay H. Matsushiba, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Sonja V. Fordham, Colin A. Simpfendorfer

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The scale and drivers of marine biodiversity loss are being revealed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment process. We present the first global reassessment of 1,199 species in Class Chondrichthyes-sharks, rays, and chimeras. The first global assessment (in 2014) concluded that one-quarter (24%) of species were threatened. Now, 391 (32.6%) species are threatened with extinction. When this percentage of threat is applied to Data Deficient species, more than one-third (37.5%) of chondrichthyans are estimated to be threatened, with much of this change resulting from new information. Three species are Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct), representing …


Roles Matter: Graduate Student Perceptions Of Active Learning In The Stem Courses They Take And Those They Teach, Lorelei E. Patrick, Leigh Ann Howell, Everett William Wischusen Oct 2021

Roles Matter: Graduate Student Perceptions Of Active Learning In The Stem Courses They Take And Those They Teach, Lorelei E. Patrick, Leigh Ann Howell, Everett William Wischusen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite many calls to reform undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to incorporate active learning into classes, there has been little attention paid to graduate level classrooms or courses taught by graduate students. Here, we set out to understand if and how STEM graduate students’ perceptions of active learning change in the classes they take versus those they teach. We found that graduate students had taken relatively few graduate level classes using active learning and they felt that more time should be devoted to active learning in the courses they were taking. Teaching assistants felt that they were …


Using A Self-Determination Theory Approach To Understand Student Perceptions Of Inquiry-Based Learning, Fangfang Zhao, Gillian Roehrig, Lorelei E. Patrick, Chantal Levesque-Bristol, Sehoya Cotner Sep 2021

Using A Self-Determination Theory Approach To Understand Student Perceptions Of Inquiry-Based Learning, Fangfang Zhao, Gillian Roehrig, Lorelei E. Patrick, Chantal Levesque-Bristol, Sehoya Cotner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Inquiry-based laboratory activities, as a part of science curricula, have been advocated to increase students’ learning outcomes and improve students’ learning experiences, but students sometimes struggle with open-inquiry activities. This study aims to investigate students’ perceptions of inquiry-based learning in a set of laboratory activities, specifically from a psychological (i.e., Self-Determination Theory) perspective. Students’ ratings of the level of inquiry in these activities indicate that students’ perceptions of inquiry align with the instructor-intended amount of inquiry in each exercise. Students’ written responses, explaining their ratings, indicate that students’ perceptions of the amount of inquiry in a given lab exercise relate …


Graduate- And Undergraduate-Student Perceptions Of And Preferences For Teaching Practices In Stem Classrooms, Ngawang Gonsar, Lorelei E. Patrick, Sehoya Cotner Jul 2021

Graduate- And Undergraduate-Student Perceptions Of And Preferences For Teaching Practices In Stem Classrooms, Ngawang Gonsar, Lorelei E. Patrick, Sehoya Cotner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite positive evidence for active learning (AL), lecturing dominates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education. Though instructors acknowledge AL to be valuable, many resist implementing AL techniques, citing an array of barriers including a perceived lack of student buy-in. However, few studies have explored student perceptions of specific AL teaching practices, particularly the perceptions of graduate students. We explored student-reported instructional strategies and student perceptions of and preferences for a variety of teaching practices in graduate and undergraduate classrooms across three STEM colleges at a large, public, research university. We found that both graduate and undergraduate students desired …


Public Discussion Of Anthrax On Twitter: Using Machine Learning To Identify Relevant Topics And Events, Michele Miller, William Lee Romine, Terry L. Oroszi Jun 2021

Public Discussion Of Anthrax On Twitter: Using Machine Learning To Identify Relevant Topics And Events, Michele Miller, William Lee Romine, Terry L. Oroszi

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Social media allows researchers to study opinions and reactions to events in real time. One area needing more study is anthrax-related events. A computational framework that utilizes machine learning techniques was created to collect tweets discussing anthrax, further categorize them as relevant by the month of data collection, and detect discussions on anthrax-related events. Objective: The objective of this study was to detect discussions on anthrax-related events and to determine the relevance of thetweets and topics of discussion over 12 months of data collection. Methods: This is an infoveillance study, using tweets in English containing the keyword “Anthrax” and …


Long-Read Assembly Of A Great Dane Genome Highlights The Contribution Of Gc-Rich Sequence And Mobile Elements To Canine Genomes, Julia V. Halo, Amanda L. Pendleton, Feichen Shen, Aurélien J. Doucet, Thomas Derrien, Christophe Hitte, Laura E. Kirby, Bridget Myers, Elzbieta Sliwerska, Sarah Emery, John V. Moran, Adam R. Boyko, Jeffrey M. Kidd Mar 2021

Long-Read Assembly Of A Great Dane Genome Highlights The Contribution Of Gc-Rich Sequence And Mobile Elements To Canine Genomes, Julia V. Halo, Amanda L. Pendleton, Feichen Shen, Aurélien J. Doucet, Thomas Derrien, Christophe Hitte, Laura E. Kirby, Bridget Myers, Elzbieta Sliwerska, Sarah Emery, John V. Moran, Adam R. Boyko, Jeffrey M. Kidd

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Technological advances have allowed improvements in genome reference sequence assemblies. Here, we combined long- and short-read sequence resources to assemble the genome of a female Great Dane dog. This assembly has improved continuity compared to the existing Boxer-derived (CanFam3.1) reference genome. Annotation of the Great Dane assembly identified 22,182 protein-coding gene models and 7,049 long noncoding RNAs, including 49 protein-coding genes not present in the CanFam3.1 reference. The Great Dane assembly spans the majority of sequence gaps in the CanFam3.1 reference and illustrates that 2,151 gaps overlap the transcription start site of a predicted protein-coding gene. Moreover, a subset of …


Evolutionary Dynamics And Structural Consequences Of De Novo Beneficial Mutations And Mutant Lineages Arising In A Constant Environment, Margie Kinnersley, Katja Schwartz, Dong Dong Yang, Gavin Sherlock, Frank Rosenzweig Feb 2021

Evolutionary Dynamics And Structural Consequences Of De Novo Beneficial Mutations And Mutant Lineages Arising In A Constant Environment, Margie Kinnersley, Katja Schwartz, Dong Dong Yang, Gavin Sherlock, Frank Rosenzweig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Microbial evolution experiments can be used to study the tempo and dynamics of evolutionary change in asexual populations, founded from single clones and growing into large populations with multiple clonal lineages. High-throughput sequencing can be used to catalog de novo mutations as potential targets of selection, determine in which lineages they arise, and track the fates of those lineages. Here, we describe a long-term experimental evolution study to identify targets of selection and to determine when, where, and how often those targets are hit. Results: We experimentally evolved replicate Escherichia coli populations that originated from a mutator/nonsense suppressor ancestor …


Building Excellence In Scientific Teaching: How Important Is The Evidence For Evidence-Based Teaching When Training Stem Tas?, Lorelei E. Patrick, Hillary A. Barron, Julie C. Brown, Sehoya Cotner Jan 2021

Building Excellence In Scientific Teaching: How Important Is The Evidence For Evidence-Based Teaching When Training Stem Tas?, Lorelei E. Patrick, Hillary A. Barron, Julie C. Brown, Sehoya Cotner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Evidence-based teaching practices (EBTP)—like inquiry-based learning, inclusive teaching, and active learning (AL)—have been shown to benefit all students, especially women, first-generation, and traditionally minoritized students in science fields. However, little research has focused on how best to train teaching assistants (TAs) to use EBTP or on which components of professional development are most important. We designed and experimentally manipulated a series of presemester workshops on AL, dividing subjects into two groups. The Activity group worked in teams to learn an AL technique with a workshop facilitator. These teams then modeled the activity, with their peers acting as students. In the …


Diet Of Long-Eared Owl And Common Kestrel In An Urban Landscape (Ukraine), Ivan Zahorodnyi, Oleksii Dubovyk, Ivan Komarnytskyi, Ihor Dykyy Jan 2021

Diet Of Long-Eared Owl And Common Kestrel In An Urban Landscape (Ukraine), Ivan Zahorodnyi, Oleksii Dubovyk, Ivan Komarnytskyi, Ihor Dykyy

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In the present study we performed a comparative dietary analysis of two predatory birds, the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) and the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in the district of Lviv city. We found that the Long-eared Owl and the Common Kestrel are typical small mammal specialists within the urban ecosystem. Considering the abundance and biomass of prey, small mammals comprise 98.4% of the Long-eared Owl’s diet. The species composition of mammals coincides almost 50% in the food intake comparison of the two birds. It has been established that the main prey of both species is the …


Improved De Novo Alignment Of A Girardia Dorotocephala Ma-C2 (2n = 24) Transcriptome, Labib Rouhana, J F. Ryan, Eugene M. P. Almazan Jan 2021

Improved De Novo Alignment Of A Girardia Dorotocephala Ma-C2 (2n = 24) Transcriptome, Labib Rouhana, J F. Ryan, Eugene M. P. Almazan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Improved De novo alignment of a Girardia dorotocephala MA-C2 (2n = 24) transcriptome.


Vertebrate Subfossil Localities In Taylorsville Metropark, Montgomery County, Ohio, Usa, Ryan Shell, Kristin Zimmerman, David Peterman, Charles Ciampaglio, Lauren Fuelling, Stephen J. Jacquemin Jan 2021

Vertebrate Subfossil Localities In Taylorsville Metropark, Montgomery County, Ohio, Usa, Ryan Shell, Kristin Zimmerman, David Peterman, Charles Ciampaglio, Lauren Fuelling, Stephen J. Jacquemin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Karst features in the Silurian dolomites of Taylorsville MetroPark (Dayton Metropolitan Area, Ohio, United States) were explored from 2017 to 2018 to identify sites of paleontological interest. Initial landscape surveys recovered 124 skeletal elements (from 12 sites) that were attributed to 17 vertebrate species--including evidence of such extirpated animals as bobcats (Lynx rufus) and rattlesnakes (Crotalus sp.). Of the 12 sites, 9 sites contained remains from the historical era and 3 sites contained much older remains (n = 17) that were radiocarbon dated to approximately 1,400 years before present (YBP). Human remains at one site, butchered bones at another, and …


Evaluating Winter Malting Barley Grain Yield With Fractional Green Canopy Cover, Gregory J. Mcglinch, Stephen J. Jacquemin, Laura E. Lindsey Jan 2021

Evaluating Winter Malting Barley Grain Yield With Fractional Green Canopy Cover, Gregory J. Mcglinch, Stephen J. Jacquemin, Laura E. Lindsey

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Because of growth in the craft brewing industry, farmers in the eastern United States are planting winter malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to meet demands for locally sourced grain. However, given that barley is a relatively new crop in this region, basic agronomic information relating to stand assessment is needed. This is particularly relevant in this region, as climatic variability from extreme temperature fluctuations during the winter and spring can reduce a barley stand, creating the need for farmers to estimate grain yield potential. The objective of the research was to evaluate the relationship between spring stem counts, fractional …


Incorporation Of Feeding Functional Group Information Informs Explanatory Patterns Of Long-Term Population Changes In Fish Assemblages, Jason C. Doll, Stephen J. Jacquemin Jan 2021

Incorporation Of Feeding Functional Group Information Informs Explanatory Patterns Of Long-Term Population Changes In Fish Assemblages, Jason C. Doll, Stephen J. Jacquemin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to evaluate long term trends of fish taxa in southern Lake Michigan while incorporating their functional roles to improve our understanding of ecosystem level changes that have occurred in the system over time. The approach used here highlighted the ease of incorporating ecological mechanisms into population models so researchers can take full advantage of available long-term ecosystem information. Long term studies of fish assemblages can be used to inform changes in community structure resulting from perturbations to aquatic systems and understanding these changes in fish assemblages can be better contextualized by grouping species according …


Importance Of Fossil And Archaeological Occurrence Data For Understanding The Evolution And Distribution Of The Freshwater Drum (A. Grunniens)., Stephen J. Jacquemin, Lauren J. Fuelling, G. Stringer, A. Smith, Charles N. Ciampaglio Jan 2021

Importance Of Fossil And Archaeological Occurrence Data For Understanding The Evolution And Distribution Of The Freshwater Drum (A. Grunniens)., Stephen J. Jacquemin, Lauren J. Fuelling, G. Stringer, A. Smith, Charles N. Ciampaglio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Antibodies Against Egf-Like Domains In Ixodes Scapularis Bm86 Orthologs Impact Tick Feeding And Survival Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Juraj Koči, Sandhya Bista, Payal Chirania, Xiuli Yang, Chrysoula Kitsou, Vipin Singh Rana, Ozlem Buyuktanir Yas, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Utpal Pal Jan 2021

Antibodies Against Egf-Like Domains In Ixodes Scapularis Bm86 Orthologs Impact Tick Feeding And Survival Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Juraj Koči, Sandhya Bista, Payal Chirania, Xiuli Yang, Chrysoula Kitsou, Vipin Singh Rana, Ozlem Buyuktanir Yas, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Utpal Pal

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ixodes scapularis ticks transmit multiple pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, and encode many proteins harboring epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains. We show that I. scapularis produces multiple orthologs for Bm86, a widely studied tick gut protein considered as a target of an anti-tick vaccine, herein termed as Is86. We show that Is86 antigens feature at least three identifiable regions harboring EGF-like domains (termed as EGF-1, EGF-2, and EGF-3) and are differentially upregulated during B. burgdorferi infection. Although the RNA interference-mediated knockdown of Is86 genes did not show any influences on tick engorgement or B. burgdorferi sensu stricto persistence, the …


Importance And Challenges Of Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms In Grand Lake St Marys, Stephen J. Jacquemin, M. Morden, C. Ewing, J. C. Doll Jan 2021

Importance And Challenges Of Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms In Grand Lake St Marys, Stephen J. Jacquemin, M. Morden, C. Ewing, J. C. Doll

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Spatio-Temporal Modelling Of Tick Life-Stage Count Data With Spatially Varying Coefficients, Thabo Lephoto, Henry Mwambi, Oliver Bodhlyera, Holly Gaff Jan 2021

Spatio-Temporal Modelling Of Tick Life-Stage Count Data With Spatially Varying Coefficients, Thabo Lephoto, Henry Mwambi, Oliver Bodhlyera, Holly Gaff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

There is a vast amount of geo-referenced data in many fields of study including ecological studies. Geo-referencing is usually by point referencing; that is, latitudes and longitudes or by areal referencing, which includes districts, counties, states, provinces and other administrative units. The availability of large geo-referenced datasets for modelling has necessitated the development and application of spatial statistical methods. However, spatial varying coefficients models exploring the abundance of tick counts remain limited. In this study we used data that was collected and prepared by researchers in the Department of Biological Sciences from the Old Dominion University, Virginia, USA. We modelled …


Focus Stacking Images Of Morphological Character States For Differentiating The Adults Of Ixodes Affinis And Ixodes Scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) In Areas Of Sympatry, Robyn M. Nadolny, Marcée Toliver, Holly D. Gaff, John G. Snodgrass, Richard G. Robbins Jan 2021

Focus Stacking Images Of Morphological Character States For Differentiating The Adults Of Ixodes Affinis And Ixodes Scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) In Areas Of Sympatry, Robyn M. Nadolny, Marcée Toliver, Holly D. Gaff, John G. Snodgrass, Richard G. Robbins

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Adult females and males of Ixodes affinis and Ixodes scapularis are illustrated by focus stacking image photography, and morphological character states are described that reliably differentiate the two species. In conjunction with other environmental cues, such as the questing phenology of adults, these characteristics will enable the rapid identification of adults of either sex along the southern Coastal Plain of the United States, where these species are sympatric.


Polar Bear Behavior: Morphologic And Physiologic Adaptations, John P. Whiteman Jan 2021

Polar Bear Behavior: Morphologic And Physiologic Adaptations, John P. Whiteman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Polar bears possess morphologic and physiologic characteristics that reflect their terrestrial lineage as members of the bear family (Ursidae) as well as adaptations to the Arctic marine environment. Among marine mammals, they are the least adapted for aquatic life. They exhibit substantial seasonality in body mass, body condition, and many physiological functions, reflecting the annual cycle of both their Arctic sea ice habitat and the availability of their main prey, ringed seals. This hypercarnivorous diet has likely influenced the polar bear’s craniodental morphology and nutritional physiology. Similar to other marine mammal predators, polar bears exhibit a relatively high resting metabolic …


Remarkably High And Consistent Tolerance Of A Red Sea Coral To Acute And Chronic Thermal Stress Exposures, Nicolas R. Evensen, Maoz Fine, Gabriela Perna, Christian R. Voolstra, Daniel J. Barshis Jan 2021

Remarkably High And Consistent Tolerance Of A Red Sea Coral To Acute And Chronic Thermal Stress Exposures, Nicolas R. Evensen, Maoz Fine, Gabriela Perna, Christian R. Voolstra, Daniel J. Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Global warming is resulting in unprecedented levels of coral mortality due to mass bleaching events and, more recently, marine heatwaves, where rapid increases in seawater temperature cause mortality within days. Here, we compare the response of a ubiquitous scleractinian coral, Stylophora pistillata, from the northern Red Sea to acute (7 h) and chronic (7-11 d) thermal stress events that include temperature treatments of 27 degrees C (i.e., the local maximum monthly mean), 29.5 degrees C, 32 degrees C, and 34.5 degrees C, and assess recovery of the corals following exposure. Overall, S. pistillata exhibited remarkably similar responses to acute …


Dietary Protein Content And Digestibility Influences Discrimination Of Amino Acid Nitrogen Isotope Values In A Terrestrial Omnivorous Mammal, John P. Whiteman, Mauriel Rodriguez Curras, Kelli L. Feeser, Seth D. Newsome Jan 2021

Dietary Protein Content And Digestibility Influences Discrimination Of Amino Acid Nitrogen Isotope Values In A Terrestrial Omnivorous Mammal, John P. Whiteman, Mauriel Rodriguez Curras, Kelli L. Feeser, Seth D. Newsome

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

RATIONALE: Ecologists increasingly determine the δ15N values of amino acids (AA) in animal tissue; "source" AA typically exhibit minor variation between diet and consumer, while "trophic" AA have increased δ15N values in consumers. Thus, trophic-source δ15N offsets (i.e., Δ15NT-S) reflect trophic position in a food web. However, even minor variation in δ15Nsource AA values may influence the magnitude of offset that represents a trophic step, known as the trophic discrimination factor (i.e., TDFT-S). Diet digestibility and protein content can influence the δ15N values …


Trends And Opportunities In Tick-Borne Disease Geography, Catherine A. Lippi, Sadie J. Ryan, Alexis L. White, Holly D. Gaff, Colin J. Carlson Jan 2021

Trends And Opportunities In Tick-Borne Disease Geography, Catherine A. Lippi, Sadie J. Ryan, Alexis L. White, Holly D. Gaff, Colin J. Carlson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Tick-borne diseases are a growing problem in many parts of the world, and their surveillance and control touch on challenging issues in medical entomology, agricultural health, veterinary medicine, and biosecurity. Spatial approaches can be used to synthesize the data generated by integrative One Health surveillance systems, and help stakeholders, managers, and medical geographers understand the current and future distribution of risk. Here, we performed a systematic review of over 8,000 studies and identified a total of 303 scientific publications that map tick-borne diseases using data on vectors, pathogens, and hosts (including wildlife, livestock, and human cases). We find that the …


Response Of Fish And Invertebrate Larvae To Backreef Sounds At Varying Distances: Implications For Habitat Restoration, Emily R. Anderson, Jack Butler, Mark J. Butler Jan 2021

Response Of Fish And Invertebrate Larvae To Backreef Sounds At Varying Distances: Implications For Habitat Restoration, Emily R. Anderson, Jack Butler, Mark J. Butler

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Underwater sound is used by many marine larvae to orient to coastal habitats including backreef, sponge-dominated hardbottom habitat in the Florida Keys (FL, United States)—a particularly “noisy” coastal habitat. However, the distance over which acoustic cues are attractive to settlement-stage larvae is generally unknown. We examined this phenomenon in a region of the Florida Keys where mass sponge die-offs have diminished both underwater soundscapes and larval settlement. The absence of pronounced hardbottom-associated sound over such a large area allowed us to experimentally test in situ the response of fish and invertebrate larvae to broadcasted sounds at different distances from their …


Global Extinction Risk For Seahorses, Pipefishes And Their Near Relatives (Syngnathiformes), Riley A. Pollom, Gina M. Ralph, Caroline M. Pollock, Amanda C.J. Vincent Jan 2021

Global Extinction Risk For Seahorses, Pipefishes And Their Near Relatives (Syngnathiformes), Riley A. Pollom, Gina M. Ralph, Caroline M. Pollock, Amanda C.J. Vincent

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Few marine taxa have been comprehensively assessed for their conservation status, despite heavy pressures from fishing, habitat degradation and climate change. Here we report on the first global assessment of extinction risk for 300 species of syngnathiform fishes known as of 2017, using the IUCN Red List criteria. This order of bony teleosts is dominated by seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons (family Syngnathidae). It also includes trumpetfishes (Aulostomidae), shrimpfishes (Centriscidae), cornetfishes (Fistulariidae) and ghost pipefishes (Solenostomidae). At least 6% are threatened, but data suggest a mid-point estimate of 7.9% and an upper bound of 38%. Most of the threatened species are …


Tick Ecdysteroid Hormone, Global Microbiota/Rickettsia Signaling In The Ovary Versus Carcass During Vitellogenesis In Part-Fed (Virgin) American Dog Ticks, Dermacentor Variabilis, Loganathan Ponnusamy, Haley Sutton, Robert D. Mitchell Iii, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Charles S. Apperson, Richard Michael Roe Jan 2021

Tick Ecdysteroid Hormone, Global Microbiota/Rickettsia Signaling In The Ovary Versus Carcass During Vitellogenesis In Part-Fed (Virgin) American Dog Ticks, Dermacentor Variabilis, Loganathan Ponnusamy, Haley Sutton, Robert D. Mitchell Iii, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Charles S. Apperson, Richard Michael Roe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The transovarial transmission of tick-borne bacterial pathogens is an important mechanism for their maintenance in natural populations and transmission, causing disease in humans and animals. The mechanism for this transmission and the possible role of tick hormones facilitating this process have never been studied. Injections of physiological levels of the tick hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), into part-fed (virgin) adult females of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, attached to the host caused a reduction in density of Rickettsia montanensis in the carcass and an increase in the ovaries compared to buffer-injected controls. This injection initiates yolk protein synthesis and uptake …


Complete Genome Sequence Of Rickettsia Parkeri Strain Black Gap, Sandor E. Karpathy, Christopher D. Paddock, Stephanie L. Grizzard, Dhwani Batra, Lori A. Rowe, David T. Gauthier Jan 2021

Complete Genome Sequence Of Rickettsia Parkeri Strain Black Gap, Sandor E. Karpathy, Christopher D. Paddock, Stephanie L. Grizzard, Dhwani Batra, Lori A. Rowe, David T. Gauthier

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A unique genotype of Rickettsia parkeri, designated R. parkeri strain Black Gap, has thus far been associated exclusively with the North American tick, Dermacentor parumapertus. The compete genome consists of a single circular chromosome with 1,329,522 bp and a G+C content of 32.5%.


Effects Of Weather On Foraging Success And Hunting Frequency In Winter-Irruptive Snowy Owls (Bubo Scandiacus) In Upstate New York, Russell E. Winter, William M. Shields Jan 2021

Effects Of Weather On Foraging Success And Hunting Frequency In Winter-Irruptive Snowy Owls (Bubo Scandiacus) In Upstate New York, Russell E. Winter, William M. Shields

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The effects of weather on an individual can often alter the population dynamics of a species. Knowledge of how weather influences individual behavior is therefore essential in understanding its full impact in the context of population ecology. Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) exhibit expensive long-distance migrations in winters following population irruptions. During irruptive movements, many owls migrate past the southernmost extent of their traditional wintering grounds, the mechanism for which is still debated. We propose and test the “milder climate” hypothesis; Snowy Owls wintering in lower latitudes are better able to meet their metabolic demands due to higher temperatures …


Variation In Coral Thermotolerance Across A Pollution Gradient Erodes As Coral Symbionts Shift To More Heat-Tolerant Genera, Melissa S. Naugle, Thomas A. Oliver, Daniel J. Barshis, Ruth D. Gates, Cheryl A. Logan Jan 2021

Variation In Coral Thermotolerance Across A Pollution Gradient Erodes As Coral Symbionts Shift To More Heat-Tolerant Genera, Melissa S. Naugle, Thomas A. Oliver, Daniel J. Barshis, Ruth D. Gates, Cheryl A. Logan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phenotypic plasticity is one mechanism whereby species may cope with stressful environmental changes associated with climate change. Reef building corals present a good model for studying phenotypic plasticity because they have experienced rapid climate-driven declines in recent decades (within a single generation of many corals), often with differential survival among individuals during heat stress. Underlying differences in thermotolerance may be driven by differences in baseline levels of environmental stress, including pollution stress. To examine this possibility, acute heat stress experiments were conducted on Acropora hyacinthus from 10 sites around Tutuila, American Samoa with differing nutrient pollution impact. A threshold-based heat …