Life Sciences Commons^™

Strong Inferences About Pain In Invertebrates Require Stronger Evidence, Edgar T. Walters

Animal Sentience

Evidence for sentience in animals distantly related to humans is often sought in observations of behavioral and neural responses to noxious stimuli that would be painful in humans. Most proposed criteria for painful sentience in “lower” animals such as decapod crustaceans have no necessary links to the affective (“suffering”) component of pain. The best evidence for painful affect in animals is learned aversion to stimuli associated with noxious experience, and conditioned preference for contexts associated with relief from aversive consequences of noxious experience, as expressed in voluntary behavior. Such evidence is currently lacking for any invertebrate except octopus.

A Literature Review On The Development Of Upper Limbs In Humans, Anh T. Phan

The Cardinal Edge

The development of tetrapod upper limbs shares an evolutionary origin and has been adapted and specialized for different functions for different species, such as flight in birds, swimming and balance in sea mammals, and coordination and grabbing objects in humans. The basis of tetrapod limb development has common developmental patterns, starting with the formation of the limb bud via Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling, where later developmental steps are modified for specialized functions. This review covers the basic developmental patterns of mammalian tetrapod development seen in humans, beginning with the formation of the limb bud, to the axis development of the …

Ecophysiological Responses Of Two Closely Related Epigean And Hypogean Niphargus Species To Hypoxia And Increased Temperature: Do They Differ?, Tatjana Simčič, Boris Sket

International Journal of Speleology

Ecological performance of animals depends on physiological and biochemical processes that are adjusted to the environment. The responses to hypoxia or anoxia have been frequently studied in subterranean aquatic organisms in order to find potential adaptations to restrict oxygen conditions occurring in the underground habitats. However, some previous studies have compared phylogenetic distant epigean and hypogean species or the epigean and hypogean populations of the same species due to little chance to compare closely related epigean and hypogean species. Therefore, in this study, we compared the effects of exposure to hypoxia, followed by reoxygenation, and increased temperature on oxygen consumption, …

Expression And Localization Of The 14-3-3 (Ywha) Protein Family Within Mammals, Neha Kumrah, Santanu De

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The 14-3-3 (YWHA) are a family of homologous, acidic, and highly conserved proteins expressed abundantly and ubiquitously in a wide array of organisms ranging from plants to animals, including humans, which regulate important cellular events. Within mammals, seven isoforms of 14-3-3 exist: β, γ, ε, ζ, η, τ, and σ (stratifin), each of which is encoded by a unique gene. Studies have shown similar expression patterns among mammalian species. The 14-3-3 proteins are commonly expressed and have proven to play critical roles in proper cellular localization, function, and homeostatic regulation. Numerous researchers have investigated the expression and localization patterns of …

Physiological Ecology Of Four Endemic Alabama Species And The Exotic Asiatic Weatherfish, Misgurnus Anguillicaudatus (Cantor, 1842), Lindsay M. White, Mark E. Meade, Benjamin A. Staton

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

The occurrence of Asiatic Weatherfish, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, in Alabama, a state known for its rich biodiversity, has generated concern among conservation managers. The current study used respirometry techniques to investigate the effects of increasing temperature on four native southeastern fishes (one cyprinid, two percids, and one elassomid) and the non-native M. anguillicaudatus. A minimum of five individuals of each species were used, and three experimental temperatures were chosen to represent spring and summer averages of northeast Alabama streams (15, 20, and 25°C). Overall, mean standard metabolic rates (SMRs) for M. anguillicaudatus were low (97.01, 127.75, and 158.50 mg …

Histology Of Rathke’S Glands In The Razor-Backed Musk Turtle, Sternotherus Carinatus (Chelonia: Kinosternidae), With Comments On Lamellar Bodies, S. E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

I examined the histology and ultrastructure of Rathke’s glands in two adult male razor-backed musk turtles (Sternotherus carinatus) collected in northeastern Arkansas. This species possesses two pairs of Rathke’s glands that are embedded beneath marginal bones and are named according to their anatomical location (i.e., axillary and inguinal). These integumentary glands are similar anatomically to one another. Each gland is comprised of a single, highly vascularized secretory lobule, which is surrounded by a thin tunic of asymmetrically arranged, striated muscle. Two types of large secretory vacuoles characterize most of the holocrine cells produced by a relatively thin secretory …

Fighting Forms Of Expression, Paul J.B. Hart

Animal Sentience

Even though Key (2016) has done a very thorough job of assembling evidence showing that fish are unlikely to have the neurological capacity to be conscious and feel pain, there will still be a significant number of behavioural biologists who want to continue maintaining that fish do have consciousness and suffer from pain. In this commentary the reasons for people resisting the conclusions of the evidence are discussed. The reasons revolve around three aspects of the debate: the overblown respect humans have for the powers of consciousness in our day-to-day behaviour, the often used assumption that the possession of complex …

Anthropomorphic Denial Of Fish Pain, Lynne U. Sneddon, Matthew C. Leach

Animal Sentience

Key (2016) affirms that we do not know how the fish brain processes pain but denies — because fish lack a human-like cortex — that fish can feel pain. He affirms that birds, like fish, have a singly-laminated cortex and that the structure of the bird brain is quite different from that of the human brain, yet he does not deny that birds can feel pain. In this commentary we describe how Key cites studies that substantiate mammalian pain but discounts the same kind of data as evidence of fish pain. We suggest that Key's interpretations are illogical, do not …

Reproductive Wastage In Sheep In Non-Clover Areas, C. H. Trotman

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A Research Round-up report in the June, 1972, issue of the Journal of Agriculture discussed the reproductive performance of sheep in Western Australia and indicated that more than 20 per cent, of mated ewes fail to lamb.

The report presented the first year's results from sheep grazing clover areas.

This report presents results from the nonclover sections of the investigations

Sturt Pea Hosts Collar Rot Fungus, M D. Marcley

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Evidence that Western Australia's Sturt Pea can be attacked by collar rot fungus suggests a reason for the occurrence of collar rot in places where the fungus should not survive.

At Carnarvon for instance, in spite of the hot, dry conditions, the collar rot fungus has been found on eggplants and Tuart trees.

Maintaining Ewe Bodyweight For A Late Mating, T Marshall

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE experiments have indicated that the bodyweight of ewes at mating can have a large bearing on lambing performance.

It appears that for every 10 lb. increase in pre-mating bodyweight, an increase of some 3 to 6 per cent, lambs born could be expected, depending on the lambing time.

Mating Weaners Does Not Affect Future Ewe Performance, R J. Suiter, K. P. Croker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Maiden ewes in Western Australia are usually mated in their second year because of supposed ill-effects of earlier mating on the ewe's future production. Mating at a younger age however, providing there was no reduction in future performance, would provide for an extra lamb drop and thus increase the lifetime output of ewes.

Information from various sources indicated that weaners could be successfully mated providing their bodyweights were satisfactory. This trial was carried out to test the results of mating weaners under Western Australian conditions.

Broiler Research. 1. Meat Strains For Broiler Production, P Smetana

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A broiler trial to compare the performances of three special meat strains and a group of first cross cockerels was conducted at the Poultry Research Station, Wembley, in 1962.

Although there was little difference in profit there are several factors in favour of the special meat strain birds for broiler production.

The Use Of Different Embryos In Studying The Development Of Man, John C. Bartone

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

The early development of man (embryology) is generally taught with the use of embryos of different animals. Human embryos are seldom used. This is true in the medical, graduate and undergraduate curricula. The primary reason for this utilitarian approach is simply because human embryos are generally not obtainable in numbers sufficient for the wide distribution necessary for all colleges and universities. Another reason is that fairly good substitutes are available to exhibit the early embryological stages of development of man. Some of these substitutes are embryos of the chick, frog and pig.

Famous Sheep Breeds. 2. The Corriedale, J A. Mallett

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE Corriedale sheep is a breed which has achieved widespread popularity throughout the world as a dual-purpose animal.

It was evolved by New Zealand breeders who—not fully satisfied with the performance of either the Merino or the British longwool sheep under their conditions—sought an animal which would combine the superlative wool-producing properties, and outstanding foraging ability of the Merino with the better meat production and better mothering qualities of the British sheep.