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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Investigation Of Murine Spleen As A Niche For Hematopoiesis., Jonathan Tan, Helen O'Neill Sep 2015

Investigation Of Murine Spleen As A Niche For Hematopoiesis., Jonathan Tan, Helen O'Neill

Jonathan Tan

Background Spleen as a lymphoid tissue is specialized for monitoring blood and mounting immunity against blood-borne antigens. Antigen-presenting cells present in spleen commonly develop from bone marrow-derived precursors that enter blood circulation. However, a distinct splenic myeloid antigen-presenting cell subset described in this laboratory, namely “dendritic-like cells” (L-DC), has been hypothesized not to share a bone marrow origin. Methods In this study, the presence of endogenous hematopoietic progenitors in spleen was investigated by transplanting intact spleen into allotype-distinct recipients and monitoring development of progeny cells in grafted tissues. Results Successful engraftment of donor spleens was achieved for up to 4 …


Delineation Of Precursors In Murine Spleen That Develop In Contact With Splenic Endothelium To Give Novel Dendritic-Like Cells., Jonathan Tan, Pravin Periasamy, Helen O'Neill Sep 2015

Delineation Of Precursors In Murine Spleen That Develop In Contact With Splenic Endothelium To Give Novel Dendritic-Like Cells., Jonathan Tan, Pravin Periasamy, Helen O'Neill

Jonathan Tan

Hematopoietic cell lineages are best described in terms of distinct progenitors with limited differentiative capacity. To distinguish cell lineages, it is necessary to define progenitors and induce their differentiation in vitro. We previously reported in vitro development of immature dendritic-like cells (DCs) in long-term cultures (LTCs) of murine spleen, and in cocultures of spleen or bone marrow (BM) over splenic endothelial cell lines derived from LTCs. Cells produced are phenotypically distinct CD11b(hi)CD11c(lo)CD8(-)MHC-II(-) cells, tentatively named L-DCs. Here we delineate L-DC progenitors as different from known DC progenitors in BM and DC precursors in spleen. The progenitor is contained within the …


Haematopoietic Stem Cells In Spleen Have Distinct Differentiative Potential For Antigen Presenting Cells., Jonathan Tan, Helen O'Neill Sep 2015

Haematopoietic Stem Cells In Spleen Have Distinct Differentiative Potential For Antigen Presenting Cells., Jonathan Tan, Helen O'Neill

Jonathan Tan

Dendritic cells (DC) are known to develop from macrophage dendritic progenitors (MDP) in bone marrow (BM), which give rise to conventional (c)DC and monocytes, both dominant antigen presenting cell (APC) subsets in spleen. This laboratory has however defined a distinct dendritic-like cell subset in spleen (L-DC), which can also be derived in long-term cultures of spleen. In line with the restricted in vitro development of only L-DC in these stromal cultures, we questioned whether self-renewing HSC or progenitors exist in spleen with restricted differentiative capacity for only L-DC. Neonatal spleen and BM were compared for their ability to reconstitute mice …


Gene Signature Of Stromal Cells Which Support Dendritic Cell Development., Geneviève Despars, Pravin Periasamy, Jonathan Tan, Janice Abbey, Terence O'Neill, Helen O'Neill Sep 2015

Gene Signature Of Stromal Cells Which Support Dendritic Cell Development., Geneviève Despars, Pravin Periasamy, Jonathan Tan, Janice Abbey, Terence O'Neill, Helen O'Neill

Jonathan Tan

Spleen stromal cells are critical determinants of dendritic cell (DC) development in spleen. The spleen stromal line, namely STX3, supports DC differentiation in vitro from overlaid bone marrow cells while the lymph node stromal line, namely 2RL22, does not. Here we have characterised the hematopoietic support capacity of each stroma, and analyzed lineage origin of the stromal cell lines by gene profiling using microarrays. Stromal co-culture experiments were performed using bone marrow cells as a source of hematopoietic progenitors. A characteristic immature myeloid-like CD11c+CD11b+CD86+MHC-II−/loB220−CD8α− DC is produced after 14 days in STX3 cocultures, while 2RL22 cocultures produce only monocyte/macrophage-like cells. …


Splenic Stromal Niches Support Hematopoiesis Of Dendritic-Like Cells From Precursors In Bone Marrow And Spleen., Pravin Periasamy, Jonathan Tan, Kristin Griffiths, Helen O'Neill Sep 2015

Splenic Stromal Niches Support Hematopoiesis Of Dendritic-Like Cells From Precursors In Bone Marrow And Spleen., Pravin Periasamy, Jonathan Tan, Kristin Griffiths, Helen O'Neill

Jonathan Tan

Objective The aims of this study are to test the ability of stromal cells from murine spleen to support hematopoiesis, to define the tissue source of precursors that seed these hematopoietic niches, and to determine the type of cells produced. Materials and Methods Cloned isolates of murine spleen stroma have been developed that support hematopoiesis. Analysis has been investigated in terms of tissue source of progenitors. Type and number of cells produced were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results Hematopoietic precursors that seed cocultures exist in spleen and bone marrow (BM), but not thymus. Cell production is highest if overlay cells …


Hematopoiesis Of Immature Myeloid Dendritic Cells In Stroma-Dependent Spleen Long-Term Cultures Occurs Independently Of Nf-Kb/Relb Function, Jonathan Tan, Keping Ni, Fei Le, Helen O'Neill Sep 2015

Hematopoiesis Of Immature Myeloid Dendritic Cells In Stroma-Dependent Spleen Long-Term Cultures Occurs Independently Of Nf-Kb/Relb Function, Jonathan Tan, Keping Ni, Fei Le, Helen O'Neill

Jonathan Tan

Objective The nuclear factor-κB (NF-KB)/RelB transcription factor plays an essential role in development of some dendritic cell (DC) subsets in mice. In this laboratory, immature myeloid DC are produced in vitro in a stroma-dependent murine spleen long-term culture (LTC) system. In LTC, DC differentiate from hematopoietic progenitors maintained within the stromal cell matrix. Expression and function of RelB in development of LTC-DC has been investigated, with a view to assessing the relationship between DC produced in this system and other known subsets of DC. Materials and Methods RelB expression by LTC-DC was confirmed by detection of protein by Western blotting, …


Concise Review: Dendritic Cell Development In The Context Of The Spleen Microenvironment, Jonathan Tan, Helen O'Neill Sep 2015

Concise Review: Dendritic Cell Development In The Context Of The Spleen Microenvironment, Jonathan Tan, Helen O'Neill

Jonathan Tan

The dendritic cell (DC) population in spleen comprises a mixture of cells including endogenous DC progenitors, DC precursors migrating in from blood and bone marrow, and DC in different states of differentiation and activation. A role for different microenvironments in supporting the dynamic development of murine DC of different types or lineages is considered here. Recent evidence for production of DC dependent on splenic stromal cells is reviewed in the light of evidence that cell production is dependent on cells comprising an endothelial niche in spleen. The possibility that self-renewing progenitors in spleen give rise to DC with tolerogenic or …


Maturation Requirements For Dendritic Cells In T Cell Stimulation Leading To Tolerance Versus Immunity, Helen O'Neill, Jonathan Tan Sep 2015

Maturation Requirements For Dendritic Cells In T Cell Stimulation Leading To Tolerance Versus Immunity, Helen O'Neill, Jonathan Tan

Jonathan Tan

The model that dendritic cell (DC) "maturation" describes the change from an immature, antigen-capturing cell to a mature, antigen-presenting cell is well-established. Classification of DCs in terms of function has been problematic previously. It is therefore proposed that mature and not immature DCs are responsible for antigen presentation and stimulation of T cells. Furthermore, DC antigen presentation to T cells can have two outcomes: tolerance or immunity. The particular outcomes appear to be determined by the activation state of the mature DC. DCs can be activated by a range of environmental stimuli or "danger signals". Here, the hypothesis is advanced …


Tubulin Evolution In Insects: Gene Duplication And Subfunctionalization Provide Specialized Isoforms In A Functionally Constrained Gene Family, Mark G. Nielsen, Sudhindra R. Gadagkar, Lisa Gutzwiller Apr 2015

Tubulin Evolution In Insects: Gene Duplication And Subfunctionalization Provide Specialized Isoforms In A Functionally Constrained Gene Family, Mark G. Nielsen, Sudhindra R. Gadagkar, Lisa Gutzwiller

Mark G. Nielsen

Background: The completion of 19 insect genome sequencing projects spanning six insect orders provides the opportunity to investigate the evolution of important gene families, here tubulins. Tubulins are a family of eukaryotic structural genes that form microtubules, fundamental components of the cytoskeleton that mediate cell division, shape, motility, and intracellular trafficking. Previous in vivo studies in Drosophila find a stringent relationship between tubulin structure and function; small, biochemically similar changes in the major alpha 1 or testis-specific beta 2 tubulin protein render each unable to generate a motile spermtail axoneme. This has evolutionary implications, not a single non-synonymous substitution is …


The Larvae Of Eurycea Junaluska (Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae), With Comments On Distribution, Travis Ryan Feb 2015

The Larvae Of Eurycea Junaluska (Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae), With Comments On Distribution, Travis Ryan

Travis J. Ryan

Travis J. Ryan's shorter contribution to Copeia 1997.


The Global Decline Of Reptiles, Deja’ Vu Amphibians, J. Whitfield Gibbons, David E. Scott, Travis J. Ryan, Kurt A. Buhlmann, Tracey D. Tiuberville, Brian S. Metts, Judith L. Greene, Tony Mills, Yale Leiden, Sean Poppy, Christopher T. Winne Feb 2015

The Global Decline Of Reptiles, Deja’ Vu Amphibians, J. Whitfield Gibbons, David E. Scott, Travis J. Ryan, Kurt A. Buhlmann, Tracey D. Tiuberville, Brian S. Metts, Judith L. Greene, Tony Mills, Yale Leiden, Sean Poppy, Christopher T. Winne

Travis J. Ryan

Reptile species are declining on a global scale. Six significant threats to reptile populations are habitat loss and degradation, introduced invasive species, environmental pollution, disease, unsustainable use, and global climate change.


Ultrastructure Of The Reproductive System Of The Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix Pygaea): Part Ii. Annual Oviducal Cycle, David Sever, Travis Ryan, Deborah Patton, Shannon Swafford Feb 2015

Ultrastructure Of The Reproductive System Of The Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix Pygaea): Part Ii. Annual Oviducal Cycle, David Sever, Travis Ryan, Deborah Patton, Shannon Swafford

Travis J. Ryan

This article is the first ultrastructural study on the annual oviducal cycle in a snake. The ultrastructure of the oviduct was studied in 21 females of the viviparous natricine snake Seminatrix pygaea. Specimens were collected and sacrificed in March, May, June, July, and October from one locale in South Carolina during 1998–1999. The sample included individuals: 1) in an inactive reproductive condition, 2) mated but prior to ovulation, and 3) from early and late periods of gravidity. The oviduct possesses four distinct regions from cranial to caudal: the anterior infundibulum, the posterior infundibulum containing sperm storage tubules (SSTs), the uterus, …


Does Sex Influence Post-Reproductive Metamorphosis In Ambystoma Talpoideum?, Travis Ryan, Gabrielle Swenson Feb 2015

Does Sex Influence Post-Reproductive Metamorphosis In Ambystoma Talpoideum?, Travis Ryan, Gabrielle Swenson

Travis J. Ryan

Shorter communication in the Journal of Herpetology v. 35.


Growth And The Expression Of Alternative Life Cycles In The Salamander Ambystoma Talpoideum (Caudata: Ambystomatidae), Travis Ryan, Raymond Semlitsch Feb 2015

Growth And The Expression Of Alternative Life Cycles In The Salamander Ambystoma Talpoideum (Caudata: Ambystomatidae), Travis Ryan, Raymond Semlitsch

Travis J. Ryan

Complex life cycles (CLCs) contain larval and adult phases that are morphologically and ecologically distinct. Simple life cycles (SLCs) have evolved from CLCs repeatedly in a wide variety of lineages but the processes that may underlie the transition have rarely been identified or investigated experimentally. We examined the influence of larval growth rate on the facultative expression of alternative life cycles (metamorphosis or maturation as gill-bearing adults [= paedomorphosis]) in the salamander Ambystoma talpoideum. We manipulated growth rates by altering the amount of food individuals received throughout larval development. The expression of alternative life cycles in A. talpoideum is influenced …


Evaporative Water Loss In Two Natricine Snakes, Nerodia Fasciata And Seminatrix Pygaea, Christopher Winne, Travis Ryan, Yale Leiden, Michael Dorcas Feb 2015

Evaporative Water Loss In Two Natricine Snakes, Nerodia Fasciata And Seminatrix Pygaea, Christopher Winne, Travis Ryan, Yale Leiden, Michael Dorcas

Travis J. Ryan

Shorter communication in Journal of Herpetology v. 35.


Aspects Of Sex-Specific Differences In The Expression Of An Alternative Life Cycle In The Salamander Ambystoma Talpoideum, Christopher Winne, Travis Ryan Feb 2015

Aspects Of Sex-Specific Differences In The Expression Of An Alternative Life Cycle In The Salamander Ambystoma Talpoideum, Christopher Winne, Travis Ryan

Travis J. Ryan

A recent evolutionary ecological model of facultative paedomorphosis predicts that body size of mature individuals should be larger than immatures of the same cohort. We investigated sex-specific differences in body size and maturation within a single cohort of branchiate (= larval and paedomorphic) mole salamanders, Ambystoma talpoideum. In addition, we also sampled the population after the breeding season, as some individuals began to undergo metamorphosis and leave the pond. The branchiate population was female-biased (62.7%), and mature (paedomorphic) females were significantly smaller than paedomorphic males or immature (larval) females. The majority of male branchiates were mature (86.6%), whereas significantly fewer …


Effects Of Hydroperiod On Metamorphosis In Rana Sphenocephala, Travis J. Ryan, Christopher T. Winne Feb 2015

Effects Of Hydroperiod On Metamorphosis In Rana Sphenocephala, Travis J. Ryan, Christopher T. Winne

Travis J. Ryan

Hydroperiod, the time a temporary pond holds water, is an important factor influencing recruitment in amphibian populations and structuring amphibian communities. We conducted an experiment to test the effect of hydroperiod on metamorphic traits of the southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala), a common amphibian in the southeastern United States. We reared larval R. sphenocephala in artificial ponds at a density of 32 larvae per tank (initial volume = approximately 650 liter). We dried the tanks according to natural patterns, using three different hydroperiods (60, 75 and 90 d). Experimental hydroperiods had a significant effect on the number of metamorphs and …


Geographic Distribution. Farancia Abacura., Kate Ingram, Travis Perry, Travis Ryan Feb 2015

Geographic Distribution. Farancia Abacura., Kate Ingram, Travis Perry, Travis Ryan

Travis J. Ryan

Geographic distribution of the mud snake.


Life History Evolution And Adaptive Radiation Of Hemidactyliine Salamanders, Travis Ryan, R. Bruce Feb 2015

Life History Evolution And Adaptive Radiation Of Hemidactyliine Salamanders, Travis Ryan, R. Bruce

Travis J. Ryan

T.J. Ryan and R.C. Bruce's contribution to: The Biology of Plethodontid Salamanders, R. C. Bruce, R. G. Jaeger, and L. D. Houck, eds. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York.


Ultrastructure Of The Reproductive System Of The Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix Pygaea). I. Evidence For Oviducal Sperm Storage, David Sever, Travis Ryan Feb 2015

Ultrastructure Of The Reproductive System Of The Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix Pygaea). I. Evidence For Oviducal Sperm Storage, David Sever, Travis Ryan

Travis J. Ryan

Oviducal sperm storage in the viviparous (lecithotrophic) colubrid snake Seminatrix pygaea was studied by light and electron microscopy. Out of 17 adult snakes examined from May–October, sperm were found in the oviducts of only two specimens. In a preovulatory female sacrificed 14 May, sperm were found in the oviducal lumen and sperm storage tubules (SSTs) of the posterior infundibulum. In a nonvitellogenic female sacrificed 9 June, sperm were found in the lumen and glands of the posterior uterus and anterior vagina, indicating a recent mating. The glands in the posterior infundibulum and vagina were simple or compound tubular, whereas glands …


Hatching Asynchrony, Survival, And The Fitness Of Alternative Adult Morphs In Ambystoma Talpoideum, Travis J. Ryan Feb 2015

Hatching Asynchrony, Survival, And The Fitness Of Alternative Adult Morphs In Ambystoma Talpoideum, Travis J. Ryan

Travis J. Ryan

The mole salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum, exhibits both aquatic (gilled) and terrestrial (metamorphosed) adult morphologies. Previous studies have shown the existence of body-size advantages associated with the terrestrial morph in A. talpoideum and other polymorphic salamanders (e.g., A. tigrinum). However, aquatic adult A. talpoideum mature at a younger age and often breed earlier than terrestrial adults. We tested the hypothesis that early maturation and reproduction in aquatic adults increase fitness (irrespective of body size). We reared larval A. talpoideum in mesocosms and varied the timing of hatching, with early-hatching larvae representing the offspring from early-breeding aquatic adults, and late-hatching larvae representing …


Monitoring Herpetofauna In A Managed Forest Landscape: Effects Of Habitat Types And Census Techniques, Travis J. Ryan, Thomas Philippi, Yale A. Leiden, Michael E. Dorcas, T. Bently Wigley, J. Whitfield Gibbons Feb 2015

Monitoring Herpetofauna In A Managed Forest Landscape: Effects Of Habitat Types And Census Techniques, Travis J. Ryan, Thomas Philippi, Yale A. Leiden, Michael E. Dorcas, T. Bently Wigley, J. Whitfield Gibbons

Travis J. Ryan

We surveyed the herpetofaunal (amphibian and reptile) communities inhabiting five types of habitat on a managed landscape. We conducted monthly surveys during 1997 in four replicate plots of each habitat type using several different methods of collection. Communities of the two wetland habitats (bottomland wetlands and isolated upland wetlands) were clearly dissimilar from the three terrestrial communities (recent clearcut, pine plantation, and mixed pine–hardwood forest). Among the three terrestrial habitats, the total herpetofaunal communities were dissimilar (P<0.10), although neither faunal constituent group alone (amphibians and squamate reptiles) varied significantly with regard to habitat. Three survey techniques used in the …


Seminatrix Pygaea. Diet., Mark Mills, Travis Ryan, Sean Poppy, Anthony Mills, Michael Dorcas Feb 2015

Seminatrix Pygaea. Diet., Mark Mills, Travis Ryan, Sean Poppy, Anthony Mills, Michael Dorcas

Travis J. Ryan

Diet of black swamp snake.


Sub-Lethal Effects Of 2,4-D Exposure On Golf Course Amphibians, Travis J. Ryan, Catherine M. Scott, Brooke A. Douthitt Feb 2015

Sub-Lethal Effects Of 2,4-D Exposure On Golf Course Amphibians, Travis J. Ryan, Catherine M. Scott, Brooke A. Douthitt

Travis J. Ryan

Amphibians are among the most common vertebrates inhabiting golf courses. They are frequent inhabitants of golf course wetlands, where they are likely to be episodically exposed to small quantities of herbicides in proper golf course maintenance. The goal of this study was to investigate whether amphibian larvae subjected to sublethal concentrations of a common herbicide used in golf course maintenance would likely result in significant life history, locomotor, or behavioral effects (e.g., changes in growth, swimming speed, or feeding ability). For these experiments we selected as models tadpoles of the southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala) and the herbicide 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic …


Sex And Size Interaction And Standard Metabolic Rate Of Paedomorphic Ambystoma Talpoideum: Size Does Matter, Travis Ryan, William Hopkins Feb 2015

Sex And Size Interaction And Standard Metabolic Rate Of Paedomorphic Ambystoma Talpoideum: Size Does Matter, Travis Ryan, William Hopkins

Travis J. Ryan

We measured the standard metabolic rate of paedomorphic Mole Salamanders (Ambystoma talpoideum) from South Carolina. Despite an absence of body size differences between females and males, analysis of covariance demonstrated metabolic rates (mL O2/h) were significantly influenced by an interaction between sex and body size. The interaction appeared as a result of changes in the size-metabolism relationship in males (a steeper slope in the size-metabolism regression in small males as compared to large males), whereas the relationship remained constant in females, regardless of size. We hypothesize that the observed differences are attributable to differences in reproductive physiology between the sexes. …


Intraspecific Heterochrony And Life History Evolution: Decoupling Somatic And Sexual Development In A Facultatively Paedomorphic Salamander, Travis J. Ryan, Raymond D. Semlitsch Feb 2015

Intraspecific Heterochrony And Life History Evolution: Decoupling Somatic And Sexual Development In A Facultatively Paedomorphic Salamander, Travis J. Ryan, Raymond D. Semlitsch

Travis J. Ryan

Morphological features such as size and shape are the most common focus in studies of heterochronic change. Frequently, these easily observed and measured features are treated as a major target of selection, potentially ignoring traits more closely related to fitness. We question the primacy of morphological data in studies of heterochrony, and instead suggest that principal sources of fitness, such as life history characteristics, are not only the chief targets of selection, but changes in them may necessitate changes in other (subordinate) elements of the organism. We use an experimental approach to investigate the timing of metamorphosis and maturation in …


Larval Life History And Abundance Of A Rare Salamander, Eurycea Junaluska (Plethodontidae), Travis Ryan Feb 2015

Larval Life History And Abundance Of A Rare Salamander, Eurycea Junaluska (Plethodontidae), Travis Ryan

Travis J. Ryan

The larval life history of Eurycea junaluska was studied in three southwestern North Carolina populations. Populations were sampled quarterly over a 13 mo period and size-class analyses were used to evaluate the pattern of larval growth and metamorphosis. Young of the year appeared in the late spring and experienced rapid growth through the first summer. Growth slowed in the second year and metamorphosis usually occured in the summer at about 25.5 mo post-hatching, although some data suggest that either 1yr or 3yr larval periods may be possible. The overall larval growth rate of E. junaluska is estimated at 1.27 mm/mo, …


Trials Of The Urban Ecologist, Rebecca W. Dolan, Tim Carter, Travis J. Ryan, Carmen M. Salsbury, Thomas E. Dolan, Marjorie Hennessy Feb 2015

Trials Of The Urban Ecologist, Rebecca W. Dolan, Tim Carter, Travis J. Ryan, Carmen M. Salsbury, Thomas E. Dolan, Marjorie Hennessy

Travis J. Ryan

A group of scientists describe some of the obstacles encountered and insights gained while carrying out ecological research in and around the city of Indianapolis.


The Molecular Dimension Of Microbial Species: 1. Ecological Distinctions Among, And Homogeneity Within, Putative Ecotypes Of Synechococcus Inhabiting The Cyanobacterial Mat Of Mushroomspring,Yellowstone National Park, Eric D. Becraft, Jason M. Wood, Douglas B. Rusch, Michael Kuhl, Sheila Jensen, Donald A. Bryant, David W. Roberts, Frederick M. Cohan, David M. Ward Dec 2014

The Molecular Dimension Of Microbial Species: 1. Ecological Distinctions Among, And Homogeneity Within, Putative Ecotypes Of Synechococcus Inhabiting The Cyanobacterial Mat Of Mushroomspring,Yellowstone National Park, Eric D. Becraft, Jason M. Wood, Douglas B. Rusch, Michael Kuhl, Sheila Jensen, Donald A. Bryant, David W. Roberts, Frederick M. Cohan, David M. Ward

Frederick M. Cohan

Based on the Stable Ecotype Model, evolution leads to the divergence of ecologically distinct populations (e.g., with different niches and/or behaviors) of ecologically interchangeable membership. In this study, pyrosequencing was used to provide deep sequence coverage of Synechococcus psaA genes (encoding a photosystem I reaction center protein subunit) and transcripts over a large number of habitat types in the Mushroom Spring microbial mat. Putative ecological species (putative ecotypes), which were predicted by an evolutionary simulation based on the Stable Ecotype Model (Ecotype Simulation), exhibited distinct distributions relative to temperature-defined positions in the effluent channel and vertical position in the upper …


Calf Development: Most Births At Night, Robert H.I. Dale Jun 2014

Calf Development: Most Births At Night, Robert H.I. Dale

Robert H. I. Dale

For many years, field researchers studying both African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximas) elephants have indicated that they have observed relatively few births in situ, suggesting that most elephant dams give birth at night. For example, according to Cynthia Moss, "Possibly the majority of births occur at night and perhaps those that do take place in the daytime happen in secluded places" (1988, p. 151). Others, for example, Clive Spinage, have referred to "the old beliefs that the cows retreated to 'calving grounds' or that birth took place at night." (Spinage, 1994, p. 90). Although observers in several areas …