Life Sciences Commons^™

Non-Standard Sources In A Standardized World: Responsible Practice And Ethics Of Acquiring Turtle Specimens For Scientific Use, Edgar Lehr, Russell Burke, Linda Ford, Steve Mockford, Peter Pritchard, Jose Rosado, Darrell Senneke, Bryan Stuart

Edgar Lehr

No abstract provided.

Producer-Scrounger Roles And Joining Based On Dominance In A Free-Living Group Of Mexican Jays (Aphelocoma Ultramarina), John Mccormack, Piotr Jablonski, Jerram Brown

John E. McCormack

While foraging, animals often exploit group members to obtain food. One way to describe this behaviour is with the producer-scrounger (PS) model, where scroungers use social interaction to obtain food discovered by producers. Mexican jays (Aphelocoma ultramarina) are a groupforaging species with a linear dominance hierarchy. We studied interactions in a free-living foraging group to determine (1) if foraging interactions can be explained with the PS model, (2) if these roles are consistent and (3) if dominance or relatedness affects joining frequency. We recorded board-flipping, eating, and joining events during sets of feeding trials. We show that Mexican jays use …

Recent Postglacial Range Expansion Drives The Rapid Diversification Of A Songbird Lineage In The Genus Junco, Borja Milá, John Mccormack, Gabriela Castañeda, Robert Wayne, Thomas Smith

John E. McCormack

Pleistocene glacial cycles are thought to have played a major role in the diversification of temperate and boreal species of North American birds. Given that coalescence times between sister taxa typically range from 0.1 to 2.0 Myr, it has been assumed that diversification occurred as populations were isolated in refugia over long periods of time, probably spanning one to several full glacial cycles. In contrast, the rapid postglacial range expansions and recolonization of northern latitudes following glacial maxima have received less attention as potential promoters of speciation. Here we report a case of extremely rapid diversification in the songbird genus …

Biogeographical Distribution And Natural Groupings Among Five Sympatric Wild Cats In Tropical South Asia, Mohammed Ashraf

Mohammed Ashraf

Life History And Courtship Behavior Of Black Perch, Embiotoca Jacksoni (Teleostomi: Embiotocidae), From Southern California, Bridgette Froeschke, Larry Allen, Daniel Pondella

Daniel Pondella

The black perch, Embiotoca jacksoni Agassiz, 1853, is a common reef fish associated with nearshore marine habitats of California, with the majority of the population occurring within the Southern California Bight. Black perch were collected throughout southern California from Santa Barbara to Carlsbad, including Santa Catalina Island, to determine their physical characteristics, growth, sex ratio, periodicity of reproduction, and length of gestation. Courtship observations were conducted using scuba along the King Harbor Breakwater in Redondo Beach, California, from January 2004 to December 2005 to verify periodicity of courting and associated reproductive behaviors. Specimens captured ranged from 75 to 220 mm …

Sierra Santa Rosa: An Oasis Of Bird Diversity In Arid Northern Mexico, John Mccormack, Gabriela Castañeda, Greg Levandoski

John E. McCormack

No abstract provided.

Frogs Of The Genus Eleutherodactylus (Leptodactyl Idae) In The Cordillera Occidental In Peru With Descriptions Of Three New Species, Edgar Lehr, William E. Duellman

Edgar Lehr

Three new species of Eleutherodactylus are described from the Rio Zana Valley in the Pacific versant of the Cordillera Occidental in the Departamento de Cajamarca, Peru. One of the species is a member of the Eleutherodactylus conspicillatus Group, and two are members of the Eleutherodactylus unstrigatus Group.We recognize 15 species of Eleutherodactylus in the Cordillera Occidental; 10 of these species are reported for the first time from the Cordillera Occidental. Four of these species are shared with the Cordillera Occidental in Ecuador, and five are shared with the Cordillera de Huancabamba in northern Peru.

Land Cover Classification And Economic Assessment Of Citrus Groves Using Remote Sensing, Jennifer Gebelein

Jennifer Gebelein

The citrus industry has the second largest impact on Florida's economy, following tourism. Estimation of citrus area coverage and annual forecasts of Florida's citrus production are currently dependent on labor-intensive interpretation of aerial photographs. Remotely sensed data from satellites has been widely applied in agricultural yield estimation and cropland management. Satellite data can potentially be obtained throughout the year, making it especially suitable for the detection of land cover change in agriculture and ...

Diversity Among New World Microhylid Frogs (Anura: Microhvlidae): Morphological And Osteological Comparisons Between Nelsonophryne (Gunther 1901) And A New Genus From Peru, Edgar Lehr, Linda Trueb

Edgar Lehr

A new genus and species of microhylid frogs are described from localities at elevations of 2500-2960 m on the eastern slopes of the Andes in central Peru. These are the first microhylids recorded from the Peruvian Andes and they differ from all other neotropical microhylids by their lack of a tympanum, tympanic annulus and stapes. Phrynopus carpish is removed from Leptodactylidae and placed in Microhylidae. Several novel morphological characters for microhylids are described, among them dermal body spines, expanded nuptial pads in males and heterotopic cartilages. Osteological descriptions and comparison of the new genus with Nelsonophryne revealed a number of …

Environmental Studies: Interdisciplinary Research On Maine Lakes, Philip Nyhus, F. Cole, David Firmage, Dan Tierney, Susan Cole, Raymond Phillips, Edward Yeterian

Susan Westerberg Cole

No abstract provided.

Evolution, Jonathan Eisen

Jonathan A. Eisen Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

Hydroperiod And Metamorphosis In The Small-Mouthed Salamander

Travis J. Ryan

A New Species Of The Pristimantis Orestes Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae) From The Cordillera Occidental In Northern Peru, Edgar Lehr, Gunther Kohler

Edgar Lehr

We describe a new species of the Pristimantis orestes Group from cloud forest at 1700- 1800 m in the Cordillera Occidental in northern Peru (Departamento de Cajamarca). The type series comprises one adult female and three males. The new species has a maximum snout vent-length of29.4 mm, a long snout, dentigerous processes ofvorners present, di scs on outer fingers broadly expanded, males that have vocal slits prescnt and nuptial pads absent, and a distinct color pattern consisting of ran blotches and spots on a brown venter, anterior and posterior surfaces afthe thighs, concealed surfaces of the shanks, and axilla and …

New Eleutherodactyline Frogs (Leptodacetylidae: Pristimantis, Phrynopus) From Peru, Edgar Lehr

Edgar Lehr

Four new species of Pristimantis and three new species of Phrynopus are described from Peru. Two of the new species of Pristimantis are assigned to the orestes species Group, one to the conspicillatus Group, and one to the unistrigatus Group. Three of the new species of Pristimantis were obtained from the Cordillera de Vilcabamba in southern Peru, which is known for high biological diversity and endemism. One of the new species from the Vilcabamba region belongs to the orestes species Group and is separated by approximately 600 km (straightline) from proximate known species of the group (Pristimantis cordovae) in northern …

Descriptions Of The Tadpoles Of Two Neotropical Microhylid Frogs, Melanophryne Carpish And Nelsonophryne Aequatorialis (Anura: Microhylidae), Edgar Lehr, Linda Trueb, Pablo Venegas, Ernesto Arbelaez

Edgar Lehr

The tadpole of Melanophryne carpish is described based on two specimens found in an arboreal, water-filled bromeliad in humid montane forest at 2,870 m in the eastern Andes of northern Peru (Departamento de San Martı´n). It differs from all known New World microhylid tadpoles in having unpigmented, keratinized, jaw sheaths. The lower labium is expanded and platelike. The body is depressed with eyes located dorsally, and the spiracle is ventral. The presence of jaw sheaths suggests that the larvae might feed while undergoing development in aerial plants. The tadpole of Nelsonophryne aequatorialis is described based on a series of 17 …

Runx2 Is Essential For Larval Hyobranchial Cartilage Formation In Xenopus Laevis, Ryan Kerney, Joshua Gross, James Hanken

Ryan Kerney

The vertebrate transcription factor protein Runx2 is regarded as a “master regulator” of bone formation due to the dramatic loss of the osseous skeleton in the mouse homozygous knockout. However, Runx2 mRNA also is expressed in the pre-hypertrophic cartilaginous skeleton of the mouse and chicken, where its developmental function is largely unknown. Several tiers of Runx2 regulation exist in the mouse, any of which may account for its seeming biological inactivity during early stages of skeletogenesis. Unlike mouse and chicken, zebrafish require Runx2 function in early cartilage differentiation. The present study reveals that the earlier functional role of Runx2 in …

Two New Species Of Eleutherodactylus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) From The Cordillera Occidental In Peru, Edgar Lehr, William Duellman

Edgar Lehr

Two new species of Eleutherodactylus are described from the Cordillera Occidental in northern Peruvian departments of Ancash and La Libertad. The new species from La Libertad is assigned to the Eleutherodactylus orestes Group and inhabits puna at elevations of 3400–4010 m. The Eleutherodactylus orestes Group is redefined. The second new species is assigned to the Eleutherodactylus conspicillatus Group; it represents the southernmost species of Eleutherodactylus in the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes.

Cranial Ontogeny In Philautus Silus (Anura: Ranidae: Rhacophorinae) Reveals Few Similarities With Other Direct-Developing Anurans, Ryan Kerney, Madhava Meegaskumbura, Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi, James Hanken

Ryan Kerney

Direct development has evolved in rhaco- phorine frogs independently from other anuran lineages, thereby offering an opportunity to assess features associ- ated with this derived life history. Using a developmen- tal series of the direct-developing Philautus silus (Ranidae: Rhacophorinae) from Sri Lanka, we examine features of cranial morphology that are part of a suite of adaptations that facilitate feeding in free-living tadpoles, but have been changed or lost in other direct-developing lineages. Larval-specific upper jaw cartilages, which are absent from many non-rhacophorine direct-developing species (such as Eleutherodactylus coqui), develop in embryos of P. silus. Similarly, lower jaw cartilages ini- tially …

A New Species Of Arboreal Eleutherodactylus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) From The Amazonian Lowlands Of Central Peru, Edgar Lehr, Claudia Torres, Juana Suarez

Edgar Lehr

A new species of arboreal Eleutherodactylus is described and assigned to the Eleutherodactylus unistrigatus Group from the Amazonian lowlands of northern Departamento de Cusco, Peru. The new species was found on vegetation 150–800 cm above ground, has a SVL up to 21.9 mm, and is distinguished from other species of the genus by having a green dorsum with white spots; a pointed, brown snout; and by lacking a tympanic membrane and annulus. Males lack vocal slits and nuptial pads; females are unknown.

Three New Species Of Pris Timan Tis (Anura: Leptodactylidae) From The Cordillera De Huancabamba In Northern Peru, Edgar Lehr, Cesar Aguilar, Karen Sie-Ting, Juan Jordan

Edgar Lehr

Three new species of Pristimantis are described from montane forests and pa´ramos at elevations of 1900–3200 m in the Cordillera de Huancabamba in the northern Peruvian departamentos de Cajamarca and Piura. The new species are assigned to the Pristimantis unistrigatus Group and are compared with species from southern Ecuador and northern Peru. One of the new species has a black W-shaped occipital fold, and the groin, anterior and posterior surfaces of the thigh, the concealed surface of tarsus, and axilla are blackish brown with yellowish-orange or reddish-orange flecks. The second species has an olive green dorsum with black and brown …

Behavioral Avoidance Of Ultraviolet-B Radiation By Two Species Of Neotropical Poison-Dart Frogs, Barbara Han, Lee Kats, Rachel Pommerening, Ryan Ferrer, Marcia Murry-Ewers, Andrew Blaustein

Lee Kats

Many animals, plants, and microorganisms are harmed by ultraviolet-B radiation. In particular, several members of class amphibia are negatively affected by exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation. Exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation can cause death or various types of sublethal damage in amphibians. One mechanism to lessen the effect of harmful ultraviolet-B radiation is to limit exposure to sunlight behaviorally. Few studies have examined the behavioral sensitivity of adult amphibians to ultraviolet-B radiation. Using both field experiments and field observations, we found that two species of diurnal poison-dart frogs in Costa Rica (Dendrobates pumilio, D. auratus) consistently preferred areas in the field and …

A New Species Of Arboreal Rhinella (Anura: Bufonidae) From Yanachaga-Chemillen National Park In Central Peru, Edgar Lehr, Jennifer Pramuk, S. Hedges, Jesus Cordova

Edgar Lehr

A new arboreal species of Rhinella tentatively assigned to the veraguensis Group is described from the National Park Yanachaga Chemillen at 2600 m elevation in central Peru (Departamento de Pasco).The new species is characterized by a maximum snout-vent length of 45.7 mm, a moderate body with relatively long and slim extremities, a dorsum with small tubercles and enlarged tubercles on legs, a distinct tympanum, distinct vertical keel on snout, weak orbitotympanic and postorbital crests, weakly defined row of dorsolateral tubercles, and males with vocal slits, nuptial pads, hypertrophied arms, and a protuberant, ventrally oriented cloaca. The new species is compared …

Legacy Of Land Use In Southern Appalachian Forests: Effects On Terrestrial Salamander Abundance Along Edges And Within Abandoned Logging Roads, R. Semlitsch,, Travis Ryan, M. Chatfield, B. Drehman, K. Hamed, N. Pekarek, M. Spath

Travis J. Ryan

Tackling Biocomplexity With Meta-Models For Species Risk Assessment, Philip J. Nyhus, Robert C. Lacy, Francis R. Westley, Philip S. Miller, Harrie Harrie Vredenburg, Paul C. Paquet, John Pollak

Philip J. Nyhus

We describe results of a multi-year effort to strengthen consideration of the human dimension into endangered species risk assessments and to strengthen research capacity to understand biodiversity risk assessment in the context of coupled human-natural systems. A core group of social and biological scientists have worked with a network of more than 50 individuals from four countries to develop a conceptual framework illustrating how human-mediated processes influence biological systems and to develop tools to gather, translate, and incorporate these data into existing simulation models. A central theme of our research focused on (1) the difficulties often encountered in identifying and …

Ecosystem Services And The Public Trust Doctrine: Working Change From Within, J.B. Ruhl

J.B. Ruhl

What to do with the public trust doctrine? Environmental law scholars have been asking that question for going on 40 years, ever since Professor Joseph Sax surmised in his famous law journal article on the topic that of all the concepts known to American law, only the public trust doctrine seems to have the breadth and substantive content which might make it useful as a tool of general application for citizens seeking to develop a comprehensive legal approach to resource management problems. In this Article we briefly survey reasons why his vision has yet to be fulfilled, and we propose …

Working At The Interface Of Phylogenetics And Population Genetics: A Biogeographical Analysis Of Triaenops Spp. (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae, Amy L. Russell, J. Ranivo, E. P. Palkovacs, S. M. Goodman, A. D. Yoder

Amy L. Russell

In The Heat Of The Law, It's Not Just Steam: Geothermal Resources And The Impact On Thermophile Biodiversity, Donald J. Kochan, Tiffany Grant

Donald J. Kochan

Significant research has been conducted into the utilization of geothermal resources as a ‘green’ energy source. However, minimal research has been conducted into geothermal resource utilization and depletion impacts on thermophile biodiversity. Thermophiles are organisms which have adapted over millions of year to extreme temperature and chemical compositions and exist in hot springs and other geothermal resources. Their ability to withstand high temperatures makes them invaluable to scientific and medical research. Current federal and California case law classify geothermal resources as a mineral, not a water resource. Acquisition of rights to develop a geothermal resource owned or reserved by the …

Diatom Biodiversity And Distribution On Wetwalls In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Rex L. Lowe, Paula Furey, Jennifer A. Ress, Jeffrey R. Johansen

Paula Furey

No abstract provided.

New Algal Species Records For The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S.A., With An Annotated Checklist Of All Reported Algal Species For The Park, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Rex L. Lowe, Susan Carty, Karolina Fucikova, Catherine E. Olsen, Margaret H. Fitzpatrick, Jennifer A. Ress, Paula Furey

Paula Furey

No abstract provided.

Fisheries Independent Assessment Of A Returning Fishery: Abundance Of Juvenile White Seabass (Atractoscion Nobilis) In The Shallow Nearshore Waters Of The Southern California Bight, 1995–2005, Larry G. Allen, Daniel J. Pondella Ii, Michael A. Shane

Daniel Pondella

Nearshore, coastal and embayment areas off southern California were sampled to determine the spatial and temporal patterns abundance and size distributions of young white seabass in the shallow (5–14 m) waters from Santa Barbara south to Imperial Beach off San Diego. A total of 19 stations, 13 in nearshore coastal waters and 6 in embayments, dispersed along the Southern California Bight were surveyed in each sampling month using 45.7 m variable mesh, monofilament gill nets. In the 11-year period of sampling (April 1995–June 2005), a total of 8075 juvenile white seabass was captured in 42 sampling months. The mean catch-per-unit-effort …