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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
P-04 Cavan Burren 2015 Project, Rhonda Root, Robin Johnson, Ariel Solis, Abelardo Rivas
P-04 Cavan Burren 2015 Project, Rhonda Root, Robin Johnson, Ariel Solis, Abelardo Rivas
Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship
The Cavan Burren is a plantation forest within the Marble Arch Caves UNESCO Global Geopark overlay along the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland border. The exposure of Cavan Burren’s "relict landscape" resulted from a 2012 partial clear fell. Our multidisciplinary team of researchers in architecture, technology, ecology, fine arts, and archaeology investigated domestic architecture reflected in three stone configurations: circular/semicircular sites, rectangular sites, and tomb structures. We also investigated human action on pedestal boulders (PBs), which had been modified by sculpting, splitting, and cutting away. Our first goal was to show human action on structures by using three-dimensional (3D) …
P-29 Diversity And Species Turnover Of Late Cenozoic Ground Squirrels In The Meade Basin, Ks, H. Thomas Goodwin
P-29 Diversity And Species Turnover Of Late Cenozoic Ground Squirrels In The Meade Basin, Ks, H. Thomas Goodwin
Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship
The Meade Basin of southwestern Kansas preserves one of the richest fossil sequences from the late Cenozoic of North America. An ongoing study has documented a rich record of fossils, especially rodents; established episodes of especially rapid species turnover (when species appear or disappear from the local record); and has attempted to relate these processes to environmental change inferred from stable isotope and other proxies for ancient climate. Here, I report on fossil squirrels from the record. At least 7 genera and 13 species are present in the composite record. Species turnover occurs throughout the record, but an especially high …
P-10 The Relationship Between Equine Temperament And Behavior As Affected Over Time By The Skill Level Of The Riders, Taylor Huffman
P-10 The Relationship Between Equine Temperament And Behavior As Affected Over Time By The Skill Level Of The Riders, Taylor Huffman
Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium Programs
The goal in this study is to observe the incidence of undesirable behaviors by horses at summer camp and determine if it could possibly be explained by the stress of being ridden by riders with varying ability during the course of a camp season. It is hypothesized that incidence and severity of undesirable behavior will be related to the temperament of the horse. Each horse was evaluated for temperament at the beginning of the summer camp season, every rider received an evaluation for riding skill level, and all incidents and lengths of trail were recorded. Results analysis is in progress.
P-13 The Effect Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids On Concentration Of Myo-Inositol, Patrick D. Knighton Jr.
P-13 The Effect Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids On Concentration Of Myo-Inositol, Patrick D. Knighton Jr.
Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium Programs
Bipolar affective disorder is a mental illness that affects 1-2% of the population. One hypothesis for the effectiveness of current treatments of bipolar disorder is the reduction of cellular myo-inositol. Lithium and valproate are known to reduce cellular inositol levels, however these treatments often have notable side effects. Currently, there is a need to find a treatment for bipolar disorder that reduces the adverse side effects of these drugs. Previous studies, have found success in using omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of bipolar affective disorder. The long-term purpose of this study is to determine what effect omega-3 fatty acids …
P-19 The Behavior Of Glaucous-Winged Gull Egg Cannibals, Ashley A. Reichert
P-19 The Behavior Of Glaucous-Winged Gull Egg Cannibals, Ashley A. Reichert
Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium Programs
Cannibalism leads to a variety of behavioral and demographic consequences among numerous taxa. Although multiple studies have linked cannibalism to egg and chick failure in gull populations, few characterizations of gull cannibal behavior exist. During the 2014 breeding season, we observed territories of 16 Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) egg cannibal specialists on Protection Island, Washington, USA. We also monitored cannibal foraging behavior, reproductive success, and colony-wide egg loss. Cannibals employed a variety of foraging behaviors and exhibited significantly lower reproductive success than non-cannibals. Future study of the Protection Island gull colony will monitor trends in cannibalism relative to environmental change.
P-29 Ovulation Synchrony As An Adaptive Response To Egg Cannibalism In A Seabird Colony, Sumiko Weir
P-29 Ovulation Synchrony As An Adaptive Response To Egg Cannibalism In A Seabird Colony, Sumiko Weir
Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium Programs
Every-other-day egg-laying synchrony has been demonstrated in the Glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) colony at Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge ,where cannibalism is the predominant cause of egg loss. Here we show that (1) eggs are most likely to be cannibalized within the first 24 hours after they are laid, and (2) the odds that an egg is cannibalized within the first 24 hours decreases with an increase in the number of eggs laid on that day. This suggests that egg-laying synchrony functions as an adaptive response to cannibalism by maximizing an egg’s chance of survival during its most …
P-26 Taphanomic Degradation Of Chicken Feathers By Bacteria And Fungus In Varying Sediments, Douglas Van Putten
P-26 Taphanomic Degradation Of Chicken Feathers By Bacteria And Fungus In Varying Sediments, Douglas Van Putten
Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium Programs
The purpose of this study is to identify the relationships between the early taphanomic degradation of chicken feathers and the environmental/biological variables that affect the feather’s physical characteristics. The variables tested include sediment type, length of burial, bacteria, and fungi and their interaction on Rooster Chinchilla Rounds from the bird species Gallus gallus. The results of this analysis can be used to determine what variables correlate with specific feather properties such as barb count, color and size. The anticipated outcome of this lab is the identification of which environmental/biological variables cause the most degradation. The findings may be useful …
P-11 Determining Social Preference Of Holstein Cows Based On Stall Selection, Yoona Kang
P-11 Determining Social Preference Of Holstein Cows Based On Stall Selection, Yoona Kang
Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium Programs
Cows, like other animals, have dominance hierarchies but there is anecdotal evidence that cows also have preferred herd mates with whom they spend more time. This research project sought to gain more detail about cow social groups at the Andrews University Dairy by determining the relative social ranking of cows within two different lots and the social groupings within each lot. The dominance ranking was inferred by observing which cows occupy the more desirable stalls. The social groupings were then determined by which cows lie near each other more often over the course of the observations.