Life Sciences Commons^™

Host-Microbe Interactions In Non-Native Estuarine Anemones: Biogeography And Temperature, Parker K. Lund

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Non-native species are increasing in prevalence around the world, resulting in negative economic and ecological impacts. However, the broad distributions of non-native species also offer a system for investigating the response of host-associated microbial communities to environmental factors across a range of ecological scales. At the broadest scale, I investigated the geography of microbial communities in the non-native estuarine anemone Diadumene lineata on the west coast of the United States of America. Across latitudes, microbial community composition was very similar and displayed a high percentage of Klebsiella spp. at all sites. However, the communities in California tended to exhibit higher …

Genetic Evaluation Of The Current Distribution And Possible Diffrentations Between Lasiurus Borealis And Lasiurus Frantzii In Southwestern North America, Zeinab M. Haidar

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Several recent accounts of overlap and historic misidentifications regarding two species of the genus Lasiurus, Western red bat (Lasiurus frantzii) and Eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), have cast doubt on our understanding of their distribution, assumed spatial allopatry, and interactions in the United States Southwest. With the use of morphometrics and genetic sequencing, utilizing tissue collected from specimens throughout California and adjoining states, we have reassessed the current distribution, best practices for field identification, and genetic differentiation between both species. Appropriate species classification by region was achieved utilizing mitochondrial DNA, targeting the cytochrome c oxidase …

Nestedness And Modularity Of Avian Metacommunities Across Gradients Of Chesapeake Bay Island Characteristics, Grant Walter Bowers

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Islands are not only great models for understanding the ways in which communities are linked by the dispersal of their members to form metacommunities, but are of particular interest to conservationists. One important aspect of metacommunity structure is the degree of nestedness—whether or not less speciose communities are perfect subsets of more speciose communities. Another important metric of metacommunity structure is modularity—the degree to which communities belong to modules composed of other communities that share the same species but have little species overlap with communities from different modules. Environmental gradients have received insufficient attention as predictors of metacommunity nestedness and …

Evolution Of Freshwater Fishes In The Northern Neotropics, Diego Elias

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The northern Neotropics (NN) represents one of the most geologically-complex regions on the planet, composed of island-like geological blocks that have undergone multiple episodes of isolation and connectivity at various geological times. The riverscapes of the NN harbor a unique assemblage of freshwater fishes. In contrast to the freshwaters systems of South America, which are dominated by ostariophysan lineages, the aquatic systems of the NN are dominated by lineages of two families: Cichlidae (cichlids) and Poeciliidae (livebearers). It has been suggested that the geologically complex nature of the region allowed ancestors of cichlids and livebearers to colonize and radiate within …

Shape Variation In Head Scales Of Species Of The Genus Ophiomorus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 In Iran, A Geometric Morphometrics Approach, Hossein Nabizadeh, Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani, Eskandar Rastegar Pouyani, Mehdi Rajabizadeh, Roman Nazarov, Omid Mozaffari

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Twelve species of the genus Ophiomorus DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1839 have been identified and introduced so far and seven species of this genus have been found in Iran which include four endemic species and three nonendemic species. Although geometric morphometry is a powerful tool to analyze morphological changes, the discovery and identification of these species have long relied on traditional morphometric analysis. In this study, geometric morphometric analyses were used to determine the geometric morphometrics of different species of the genus Ophiomorus in Iran. The Multi Focus technique was used to obtain the best image of the dorsal surface of …

First Description Of Deep Benthic Habitats And Communities Of Oceanic Islands And Seamounts Of The Nazca Desventuradas Marine Park, Chile, Jan M. Tapia-Guerra, Ariadna Mecho, Erin E. Easton, María De Los Ángeles Gallardo, Matthias Gorny, Javier Sellanes

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Seamounts and oceanic islands of the Chilean Exclusive Economic Zone at the intersection of the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridges lie within one of the least explored areas in the world. The sparse information available, mainly for seamounts outside Chilean jurisdiction and shallow-water fauna of the Desventuradas Islands, suggests that the area is a hotspot of endemism. This apparent uniqueness of the fauna motivated the creation of the large Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park (NDMP, ~ 300,000 km2) around the small islands San Felix and San Ambrosio in 2015. We report for the first time a detailed description of benthic microhabitats …

Biogeography, Morphology, And Systematics Of The Mountain Cottontail, Sylvilagus Nuttallii (Bachman, 1837), Mammalia: Lagomorpha: Leporidae, Johnnie H. French

Dissertations and Theses

Widespread species often present taxonomic conundrums: are they truly a single panmictic species, or, is the widespread species in fact a polytypic species complex constituted by independently evolving, morphologically or otherwise cryptic species? One such broadly distributed taxon is Sylvilagus nuttallii, with distribution across the western United States, ranging from South Dakota to California, and from Canada to Arizona. The three subspecies constituting S. nuttallii are, however, geographically isolated and it has been hypothesized that they likely constitute independent, species level taxa. However, that study examined only two of the three holotypes, rather than broader geographic and non-geographic variation. …

The Neotropical Variegated Squirrel, Sciurus Variegatoides (Rodentia: Sciuridae) In Nicaragua, With The Description Of A New Subspecies, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert M. Timm

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The Neotropical variegated squirrel, Sciurus variegatoides, is represented in Nicaragua by five known subspecies—adolphei, belti, boothiae, dorsalis, and underwoodi. Analyses of morphometrics, color, and color patterns of 394 specimens from throughout the country and all available literature support the retention of these subspecies, but also reveal the presence of a sixth population of these squirrels, which is worthy of description and recognition as a new subspecies. This new subspecies is confined to Isla de Ometepe in Lago de Nicaragua. Variegated squirrels on Ometepe are on average the smallest variegated squirrels in the country …

Bats Of St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles, Gary G. Kwiecinski, Scott C. Pedersen, Hugh H. Genoways, Peter A. Larsen, Roxanne J. Larsen, Justin D. Hoffman, Fitzroy Springer, Carleton J. Phillips, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The chiropteran fauna of the island of Saint Vincent, represented by 12 species, is among the most complex in the Lesser Antilles, being represented by four families including Noctilionidae (1 species), Mormoopidae (1), Phyllostomidae (8), and Molossidae (2). This fauna includes four trophic guilds as represented by Noctilio leporinus (piscivore/insectivore); Glossophaga longirostris and Monophyllus plethodon (nectarivore/pollenivore); Artibeus lituratus, A. schwartzi, Brachyphylla cavernarum, Ardops nichollsi, and Sturnira paulsoni (frugivore); and Pteronotus fuscus, Micronycteris buriri, Molossus molossus, and Tadarida brasiliensis (insectivore). One species—Micronycteris buriri—and two subspecies—Sturnira paulsoni paulsoni and Ardops nichollsi vincentensis …

Geographical Variation In Morphometry, Craniometry, And Diet Of Amammalian Species (Stone Marten, Martes Foina) Using Data Mining, Malamati Papakosta, Kyriaki Kitikidou, Dimitrios Bakaloudis, Christos Vlachos, Evangelos Chatzinikos, Olga Alexandrou, Anastasios Sakoulis

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Ecologists use various data mining techniques to make predictions and estimations, to identify patterns in datasets and relationships between qualitative and quantitative variables, or to classify variables. The aim of this study was to investigate if the application of data mining could be used to study geographical variation in the morphometry, craniometry, and diet of a mammalian species (Martes foina), and to determine whether data mining can complement genetic analysis to recognize subspecies. Morphometric, craniometric, and dietary data were collected from three different geographical regions in Greece (mainland, Aegean islands, and the island of Crete), and data mining techniques were …

Rediscovery Of Eunapius Carteri (Bowerbank, 1863) In Western Europe, Rafael Carballeira

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The freshwater sponge collections of the National Museum of Natural History of Madrid were examined and the presence of Eunapius carteri (Bowerbank, 1863) in the Iberian Peninsula was rediscovered. An approach to its ecology is also presented. This species is not currently considered within the Iberian and Western European fauna. Therefore, its rediscovery changes the conception of this species' biogeographical distribution in Europe linked to its ecology.

Marine Tardigrades From South Carolina, Usa, Paul J. Bartels, Lilvia J. Bradbury, Diane R. Nelson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Until now, there have been only three studies of marine tardigrades from South Carolina, USA. The Fall 2015 invertebrate zoology class from Warren Wilson College collected four sediment samples from Huntington Beach State Park: shallow beach sand, deep beach sand, shallow salt marsh sediment, and deep salt marsh sediment. No tardigrades were found in the salt marsh, but two species were found in the beach samples. Batillipes pennaki Marcus, 1946 was found in shallow and deep beach sand, and three specimens of a potentially new species of Stygarctus Schulz, 1951 were found in the deep beach sand at groundwater level. …

Description Of Mesocriconema Ericaceum N. Sp. (Nematoda: Criconematidae) And Notes On Other Nematode Species Discovered In An Ericaceous Heath Bald Community In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Usa, Thomas O. Powers, Peter Mullin, Rebecca Higgins, Timothy Harris, Kirsten S. Powers

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

A new species of Mesocriconema and a unique assemblage of plant-parasitic nematodes was discovered in a heath bald atop Brushy Mountain in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mesocriconema ericaceum n. sp., a species with males, superficially resembles M. xenoplax. DNA barcoding with the mitochondrial COI gene provided evidence of the new species as a distinct lineage. SEM revealed significant variability in arrangement of labial submedian lobes, plates, and anterior and posterior annuli. Three other nematodes in the family Criconematidae were characterized from the heath bald. Ogma seymouri, when analyzed by statistical parsimony, established connections with isolates from north-eastern Atlantic …

New Records Of Merriam’S Shrew (Sorex Merriami) From Western North Dakota, Michael J. Shaughnessy Jr., Neal Woodman

Neal Woodman

Despite having a broad geographic distribution, Merriam’s Shrew (Sorex merriami Dobson 1890) is known from a relatively few, widely-scattered localities. In North Dakota, the species was known from only a single poorly-preserved specimen collected in 1913 near Medora. We recently collected two new specimens of Merriam’s Shrew from Billings and McKenzie counties in the western quarter of the state. These specimens confirm the presence of S. merriami in North Dakota and better define the northeastern edge of the species’ distribution.

Determinants Of Termite Species Taxonomic, Phylogenetic, And Functional Diversity In The Amazonian Forest, Cristian De Sales Dambros

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The distribution of species in space is determined by the species dispersal capacity, adaptation to environmental conditions, and response to predators and competitors. To determine the importance of dispersal limitation, environmental filtering, and species interactions on the distribution of species in the Brazilian Amazonian forest, I sampled termites in a large area of Brazil. I investigated patterns in species occurrence that could indicate competition and predation structuring termite communities, and analyzed the association of termite abundance and species richness with the density of ant predators. The spatial distribution of termites, and their association with climatic and edaphic conditions were also …

Integrating, Developing, And Testing Methods To Generate More Cohesive Approaches To Biogeographic Inference, Mallory Elizabeth Eckstut

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As a fundamental component of the developing discipline of conservation biogeography, broadscale analyses of biotic assembly and disassembly across multiple temporal and spatial scales provide an enhanced understanding of how geologic transformations and climate oscillations have shaped extant patterns of biodiversity. As with any scientific field, there are limitations in the case of biogeographic historical reconstructions. Historical reconstructions are only as robust as the theoretical underpinnings of the methods of reconstruction (including data collection, quality, analysis, and interpretation). Nevertheless, historical reconstructions of species distributions can help inform our understanding of how species respond to environmental change.

My dissertation takes a …

New Records Of Rotifers From Iran With Biogeographic Considerations, Masoud Hakimzadeh Khoei, Murat Kaya, Ahmet Altindağ

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The rotifer fauna of Iran is poorly known. This comprehensive study presents the results of an investigation of rotifers sampled in 51 freshwater sites of Tehran and neighboring provinces of Iran, from May 2006 to May 2007. Of the 115 species identified, 72 from 19 genera and 5 families are new for the fauna of Iran. Including the present records, the number of known Iranian rotifers has now reached 143. So far, the species found in Iran are overwhelmingly Palearctic. The present study is a first step towards more similar studies to update the existing species list of rotifers from …

Phylogeography Of Northern Populations Of The Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus Molossus Baird And Girard, 1853) With The Revalidation Of C. Ornatus Hallowell, 1854, Christopher Anderson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The black-tailed rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus Baird and Girard, 1853) is a wide-ranging species complex with representatives from the southwestern United States through the highlands of central and southern Mexico. The systematics of this group has received little attention and in the past six decades only two taxonomic revisions have been proposed (the transfer of C. basiliscus oaxacus to C. molossus and the elevation of C. m. estebanensis to full species). However, a recent revision of the Neotropical rattlesnakes (C. durissus and C. simus) recovered a polyphyletic C. molossus. Sequenced data were obtained from three mitochondrial genes …

Orthoptera And Mantodea Fauna Of Kazdağı (Ida) National Park With Data On The Calling Songs Of Some Bush-Crickets, Hasan Sevgi̇li̇, Ali̇ İsmet Demi̇rsoy, Yusuf Durmuş

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The Orthoptera and Mantodea fauna of Kazdağı National Park (Balıkesir) were investigated. Field studies were conducted between 2004 and 2005. During this study, 34 species of Orthoptera (16 Tettigoniidae, 1 Oecanthidae, 2 Pamphagidae, 1 Tetrigidae, and 14 Acrididae) and 3 species of Mantodea were investigated. Isophya cania, Poecilimon luschani egrigozi, Anadolua schwarzi, Rhacocleis acutangula (Tettigoniidae), Paranocaracris rubripes burri (Pamphagidae), and one recently described species, Chorthippus (Glyptobothrus) kazdaghensis (Acrididae), are endemic taxa. Metrioptera (Broughtonia) arnoldi,, known from the Balkan fauna until now, is a new record for Turkish fauna. The calling songs of Metrioptera arnoldi, Rhacocleis acutangula, Anadolua schwarzi, Isophya cania, …

From The Valleys To The Mountains: The Biographic History Of Antelope Squirrels, Bats, And Chipmunks In Western North America, Stacy James Mantooth

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Genetic differentiation within and between species often coincides with significant geological or climatic changes that have shaped the sizes and locations of their geographic ranges and altered the connectivity between populations over time. Across western North America, many endemic taxa experienced high levels of initial divergence associated with geological transformations of the Neogene, with subsequent diversification and geographic structuring of populations associated with climatic changes during the Quaternary. As such, we can use a combination of molecular markers and genetic analyses to effectively examine the evolutionary and biogeographic histories of populations, species, and regional biotas whose signatures of differentiation are …

New Records And A Checklist Of Cephidae (Hymenoptera:Insecta) Of Turkey With A Short Biogeographical Consideration, E. Mahi̇r Korkmaz, Mahi̇r Budak, Sevda Hastaoğlu Örgen, Efkan Bağda, Lütfi̇ye Gençer, Selma Ülgentürk, Hasan Hüseyi̇n Başibüyük

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Twenty-five species of Cephidae are reported from Turkey based on literature records and specimens collected mainly from Central Anatolia. Of these Cephus fumipennis Eversmann, C. nigrinus Thomson, C. pulcher Tischbein, C. rjabovi Dovnar-Zapolskij, C. sareptanus Dovnar-Zapolskij, C. spinipes (Panzer), Calameuta (Calameuta) filiformis (Eversmann), C. (Calameuta) punctata (Klug), Hartigia linearis (Schrank), and H. xanthostoma (Eversmann) are recorded for the first time both in Central Anatolia and Turkey. A checklist of the family, including new records, is provided. Distribution patterns of the species in relation to the last glacial age are discussed.

On The Zoological Geography Of The Malay Archipelago (1859), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.

Revision Of The Ant Genus Procryptocerus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Cephalotini), Francisco Serna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Ants of the genus Procryptocerus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are characterized by the protrusion of the clypeus forming a broad nasus and antennal scrobes over the eyes. The toruli are located directly posterior to the flanks of the nasus opposite to each other. The vertex is deflexed in most species. I present an in-group comparison of the external morphology focusing on the workers. I also present a general morphology for gynes and males. I analize previously mentioned characters as well as new ones, and clarify their character states in different species. For the metasoma I propose a new system of ant metasomal …

On The Law Which Has Regulated The Introduction Of New Species (1855), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.

Molecular Systematics And Phylogeography Of The Genus Richardsonius, Derek Dee Houston

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The complex geological and climatic events that significantly altered the landscape throughout the Cenozoic Era impacted the diversification of many North American taxa, including freshwater fishes. Here, I employ an array of phylogenetic analyses using a multiple gene tree approach to address several questions regarding the phylogenetic relationships of the North American cyprinid genus Richardsonius and two other closely related genera, Clinostomus and Iotichthys. I also use divergence time estimates generated using fossil calibrations to qualitatively assess the phylogeographic implications of evolution within and among these three genera. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences show a sister relationship between Iotichthys and …

The Role Of Natural And Sexual Selection In The Origin And Maintenance Of Divergence Within And Between The Mexican Sailfin Mollies, Poecilia Velifera And P. Petenensis, Shala Hankison

All Dissertations

Understanding speciation remains a holy grail of evolutionary biology. One useful approach is studying the evolutionary mechanisms important in population divergence to infer the mechanisms important in speciation. This method is especially useful when closely related species can be compared to determine whether intraspecific differences parallel interspecific differences. I studied population divergence in two species of Mexican sailfin mollies, Poecilia velifera and P. petenensis. These closely related species are particularly useful for this type of study, as they live in habitats that may differ in the importance of natural selection. In addition, these species may differ in the importance …

A Multidimensional Approach For Detecting Species Patterns In Malagasy Vertebrates, Anne D. Yoder, Link E. Olson, Carol Hanley, Kellie L. Heckman, Rodin Rasoloarison, Amy L. Russell, Julie Ranivo, Voahangy Soarimalala, K. Praveen Karanth, Achille P. Raselimanana, Steven M. Goodman

Amy L. Russell

Mammals Of The Cosigüina Peninsula Of Nicaragua, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert M. Timm

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Nicaragua’s Cosigüina Peninsula, located at the northwestern tip of the country, is one of the most poorly studied biotic regions in Central America. The peninsula has been occupied for millennia because the climate of the region supported human habitation and because of its strategic position along the rich Pacific coast. The combination of long-term occupancy by humans and the cataclysmic eruptions of Volcán Cosigüina have produced a heavily impacted landscape. During the 1960s, the University of Kansas conducted multiyear field surveys of the terrestrial mammals on the peninsula and the adjacent mainland to quantify species diversity, relationships, abundances, habitat use, …

Bats Of Nevis, Northern Lesser Antilles, Scott C. Pedersen, Hugh H. Genoways, Matthew N. Morton, James W. Johnson, Siân E. Courts

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Only one species of bat, Molossus molossus, previously has been documented as occurring on the northern Lesser Antillean island of Nevis. Field research and reviews of existing museum collections have provided documentation based on voucher specimens for an additional seven species occurring on the island — Noctilio leporinus, Brachyphylla cavernarum, Monophyllus plethodon, Ardops nichollsi, Artibeus jamaicensis, Natalus stramineus, and Tadarida brasiliensis. The biological diversity of the chiropteran fauna on Nevis is similar to that found on other islands in the northern Lesser Antilles. Ecologically, this is a simple chiropteran fauna, including one …

The Effect Of Geographical Isolation On The Spaciation And Distribution Of Spalax Species And Subspecies In Turkey, M. Doğan Gülkaç, Eşref Yüksel

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Changes in the earth in million of years brought about changes on living organism. As a result, the fauna and flora of an area had been subject to changes in geographic and climatic conditions in that particular area. Thus the flora and fauna of Anatolia had been changed parallel to the changes in the topography and climate. In this sudy, geographic evolution of Anatolian Peninsula has been investigated and starting from this point of wiev the distribution and the speciation of Spalax species and subspecies connected with geographic isolation in the Anatolian Peninsula is discussed. At present seven subspecies belonging …