Life Sciences Commons^™

Did God Create Viruses?, James Hayward

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 01: Introduction To Animal Parasitology, Scott L. Gardner, Daniel R. Brooks, Klaus Rohde

Concepts in Animal Parasitology Textbook

Chapter 1 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, an introduction to the topic, by Scott L. Gardner, Daniel R. Brooks, and Klaus Rohde. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap001

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 52: Oxyurida (Order): Pinworms, Haylee J. Weaver

Concepts in Animal Parasitology Textbook

Chapter 52 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology on pinworms, order Oxyurida, by Haylee J. Weaver. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap052

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Part 1: Introductory Concepts, Scott L. Gardner, Daniel R. Brooks, Klaus Rohde, Anindo Choudhury, Matthew G. Bolek, Kyle D. Gustafson, Gabriel J. Langford, Megan R. Wise De Valdez, Jenő Reiczigel, Marco Marozzi, Fábián Ibolya, Lajos Rózsa, A. Townsend Peterson

Concepts in Animal Parasitology Textbook

Part I: Introductory Concepts, chapters 1-8, pages 1-104, in Concepts in Animal Parasitology. 2024. Scott L. Gardner and Sue Ann Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States; part I doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap071

Introductory Concepts

Chapter 1: Introduction to Animal Parasitology by Scott L. Gardner, Daniel R. Brooks, and Klaus Rohde, pages 1-15

Chapter 2: Phylogenetic Systematics in Parasitology by Anindo Choudhury, pages 16-32

Chapter 3: Helminth Identification and Diagnostics: Basic Molecular Techniques by Anindo Choudhury and Scott L. Gardner, pages 33-38

Parasites in Relation to Other Organisms

Chapter 4: Hosts, Reservoirs, and Vectors by Matthew G. Bolek, Kyle D. Gustafson, …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 48: Introduction To Endoparasitic Nematodes (Phylum Nemata), Scott L. Gardner

Concepts in Animal Parasitology Textbook

Chapter 48 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, an introduction to endoparasitic nematodes (phylum Nemata) by Scott L. Gardner. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap048

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 10: Haemosporida (Order): The “Malaria Parasites”, Susan L. Perkins, Spencer C. Galen

Concepts in Animal Parasitology Textbook

Chapter 10 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology on the order Haemosporida, the “malaria parasites,” by Susan L. Perkins and Spencer C. Galen. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap010

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 62: Hirudinia (Class): Parasitic Leeches, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa, Sebastian Kvist

Concepts in Animal Parasitology Textbook

Chapter 62 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology on the parasitic leeches, class Hirudinia, by Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa and Sebastian Kvist. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap062

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Part 5: Ectoparasites, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Scott C. Cutmore, Thomas H. Cribb, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa, Sebastian Kvist, Marcela Lareschi, Lajos Rózsa, Haylee J. Weaver, Sue Ann Gardner, Darci Moraes Barros-Battesti, Valeria Castilho Onofrio, Filipe Dantas-Torres

Concepts in Animal Parasitology Textbook

Part V: Ectoparasites, chapters 60-67, pages 732-841, in Concepts in Animal Parasitology. 2024. Scott L. Gardner and Sue Ann Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States; part V doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap075

Platyhelminthes

Chapter 60: Monogenea (Class) by Griselda Pulido-Flores, pages 733-742

Chapter 61: Transversotremata (Suborder): Ectoparasitic Trematodes by Scott C. Cutmore and Thomas H. Cribb, pages 743-746

Hirudinia

Chapter 62: Hirudinia (Class): Parasitic Leeches by Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa and Sebastian Kvist, pages 747-755

Arthropoda

Chapter 63: Siphonaptera (Order): Fleas by Marcela Lareschi, pages 756-770

Chapter 64: Phthiraptera (Order): Lice by Lajos Rózsa and Haylee J. Weaver, pages 771-789

Chapter 65: Triatominae …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Part 4: Nemata, Nematomorpha, Acanthocephala, Pentastomida, Scott L. Gardner, María Del Rosario Robles, Rocío Callejón Fernández, John J. Janovy Jr., Steven A. Nadler, F. Agustín Jiménez-Ruiz, Haylee J. Weaver, Valentin Radev, Anindo Choudhury, Juliana Notarnicola, Matthew G. Bolek, Ben Hanelt, Scott Monks, Chris T. Mcallister

Concepts in Animal Parasitology Textbook

Part IV: Nemata, Nematomorpha, Acanthocephala, Pentastomida, chapters 48-59, pages 532-, in Concepts in Animal Parasitology. 2024. Scott L. Gardner and Sue Ann Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States; part IV doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap074

Nemata: Endoparasitic Nematodes

Chapter 48: Introduction to Endoparasitic Nematodes (Phylum Nemata) by Scott L. Gardner, pages 533-544

Chapter 49: Trichuroidea and Trichinelloidea (Superfamilies) by María del Rosario Robles and Rocío Callejón Fernández, pages 545-565

Chapter 50: Ascaridoidea (Superfamily): Large Intestinal Nematodes by Larry S. Roberts, John J. Janovy, Jr., Steven Nadler, and Scott L. Gardner, pages 566-581

Chapter 51: Heterakoidea (Superfamily): Cosmopolitan Gut-Dwelling Parasites of Tetrapods …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 02: Phylogenetic Systematics In Parasitology, Anindo Choudhury

Concepts in Animal Parasitology Textbook

Chapter 2 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology on phylogenetic systematics in parasitology by Anindo Choudhury. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap002

Alternatives To Antibiotics In Veterinary Medicine: Considerations For The Management Of Johne's Disease, Laura M. O'Connell, Aidan Coffey, Jim O'Mahony

Dept. of Biological Sciences Preprints

Antibiotic resistance has become a major health concern globally, with current predictions expecting deaths related to resistant infections to surpass those of cancer by 2050. Major efforts are being undertaken to develop derivative and novel alternatives to current antibiotic therapies in human medicine. What appears to be lacking however, are similar efforts into researching the application of those alternatives, such as (bacterio)phage therapy, in veterinary contexts. Agriculture is still undoubtedly the most prominent consumer of antibiotics, with up to 70 % of annual antibiotic usage attributed to this sector, despite policies to reduce their use in food animals. This not …

Bio 013: Writing In The Sciences - Human Origins, Esther Muehlbauer

Open Educational Resources

Bio. 013: Writing in the Sciences - Human Origins is an OER syllabus for a College Writing 2 course that develops student writing for different audiences, following the trajectory of how scientists work: Scientists Writing for themselves (a field journal); Scientists writing for other scientists (a review article); Scientists writing for society (an essay for Natural History Magazine).

Rapid Growth In Late Cretaceous Sea Turtles Reveals Life History Strategies Similar To Extant Leatherbacks, Laura E. Wilson

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Modern sea turtle long bone osteohistology has been surprisingly well-studied, as it is used to understand sea turtle growth and the timing of life history events, thus informing conservation decisions. Previous histologic studies reveal two distinct bone growth patterns in extant sea turtle taxa, with Dermochelys (leatherbacks) growing faster than the cheloniids (all other living sea turtles). Dermochelys also has a unique life history compared to other sea turtles (large size, elevated metabolism, broad biogeographic distribution, etc.) that is likely linked to bone growth strategies. Despite the abundance of data on modern sea turtle bone growth, extinct sea turtle osteohistology …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 23: The Jersey Devil, And Friends, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

For nearly three hundred years reports have surfaced of a purported cryptid form known as the ‘Jersey devil.’ In this work an interpretation of the goals of biogeography is given, and how this field can be related to such alleged phenomena, as well as to some of the ideas of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) that seem to find their origin in the writings of Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Promoting Validation And Cross-Phylogenetic Integration In Model Organism Research., Keith C Cheng, Rebecca D Burdine, Mary E Dickinson, Stephen C Ekker, Alex Y Lin, K C Kent Lloyd, Cathleen Lutz, Calum A Macrae, John H Morrison, David H O'Connor, John H Postlethwait, Crystal D Rogers, Susan Sanchez, Julie H Simpson, William S Talbot, Douglas C Wallace, Jill M Weimer, Hugo J Bellen

Faculty Research 2022

Model organism (MO) research provides a basic understanding of biology and disease due to the evolutionary conservation of the molecular and cellular language of life. MOs have been used to identify and understand the function of orthologous genes, proteins, cells and tissues involved in biological processes, to develop and evaluate techniques and methods, and to perform whole-organism-based chemical screens to test drug efficacy and toxicity. However, a growing richness of datasets and the rising power of computation raise an important question: How do we maximize the value of MOs? In-depth discussions in over 50 virtual presentations organized by the National …

Epigenetic Influences Of Mobile Genetic Elements On Ciliate Genome Architecture And Evolution, Caitlin M. Timmons, Shahed U.A. Shazib, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are transient genetic material that can move either within a single organism's genome or between individuals or species. While historically considered “junk” DNA (i.e., deleterious or at best neutral), more recent studies reveal the potential adaptive advantages MGEs provide in lineages across the tree of life. Ciliates, a group of single-celled microbial eukaryotes characterized by nuclear dimorphism, exemplify how epigenetic influences from MGEs shape genome architecture and patterns of molecular evolution. Ciliate nuclear dimorphism may have evolved as a response to transposon invasion and ciliates have since co-opted transposons to carry out programmed DNA deletion. Another …

A Tale Of Two Genomes: The Complex Interplay Between The Mitochondrial And The Nuclear Genomes, Abhilesh S. Dhawanjewar

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mitochondria, the product of an ancient endosymbiotic event are pivotal to eukaryotic cells by synthesizing the majority of the cell’s ATP output. However, modern- day mitochondria are completely dependent on more than one thousand nuclear-encoded products for their function and the maintenance of their genomes. The fundamentally different ways in which the mitochondrial (mtDNA) and the nuclear (nucDNA) genomes are replicated and inherited lead to captivating coevolutionary dynamics between them. The aims of this dissertation are to investigate the coevolutionary dynamics between the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes at three distinct biological scales. At the organismal level, we use a Drosophila …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 21: Wallace & The Doorway To The Universe, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

An important yet largely unrecognized theme in the thought of Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) was his insistence that all dependably-reported phenomena, even those of aberrant nature, were worthy of a respectful kind of attention: that is, a kind which did not automatically banish difficult subjects to the realm of myth or superstition. In this work, Wallace’s philosophy in this direction is documented, and linked to the world of post-Age-of-Enlightenment revisionism.

White Lies Matter: The Evolution, Persistence, And Impact Of Scientific Racism, Kim Keay

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

A dissection of the origins, history, persistence, and impacts of various threads of scientific racism. This paper traces scientific racism from its roots in evolutionary biology through Social Darwinism and eugenics. By exploring the historical connection between scientific racism and white supremacy, this research aims to reveal some of the ways in which contemporary science, racism, and society at large have been shaped by the past. Tracing these threads will follow scientific racism from its origins to the beginnings of Social Darwinism and eugenics, through American cultivation of eugenics and its connections to Nazi Germany, to ongoing eugenicist policies and …

Stepping-Stones And Mediators Of Pandemic Expansion: A Context For Humans As Ecological Super-Spreaders, Eric P. Hoberg, Walter A. Boeger, Daniel R. Brooks, Valeria Trivellone, Salvatore J. Agosta

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Humans represent ecological super-spreaders in the dissemination and introduction of pathogens. These processes, consistent with the dynamics of the Stockholm paradigm, are exemplified in the origin and globalized distributions of SARS-CoV-2 since initial recognition in central Asia during 2019 and 2020. SARS-like viruses are not widespread in mammals but appear widespread in chiropterans. Bats are isolated ecologically from most other assemblages of mammals in terrestrial systems. Humans may be the stepping-stone hosts for broad global dissemination and wider infection (given the opportunity) among diverse assemblages of mammals in which host and viral capacity are compatible. Human globalization mediated insertion in …

Orfanid: A Web-Based Search Engine For The Discovery And Identification Of Orphan And Taxonomically Restricted Genes, Richard S. Gunasekera, Komal K.B. Raja, Suresh Hewapathirana, Thushara Galbadage, Emanuel Tundrea, Vinodh Gunasekera, Paul A. Nelson

Faculty Articles & Research

With the multiplicity of genomes sequenced today, it has been shown that significant percentages of genes in any given taxon do not possess orthologous sequences in other taxa. These sequences are typically designated as orphans/ORFans when found as singletons in one species only or taxonomically restricted genes (TRGs) when found at higher taxonomic ranks. Quantitative and collective studies of these genes are necessary for understanding their biological origins. Currently, orphan gene identifying software is limited, and those previously available are either not functional, are limited in their database search range, or are very complex algorithmically. Thus, an interested researcher studying …

Sex-Specific Aging In Animals: Perspective And Future Directions, Anne M. Bronikowski, Richard P. Meisel, Peggy R. Biga, James R. Walters, Judith E. Mank, Erica Larschan, Gerald S. Wilkinson, Nicole Valenzuela, Ashley Mae Conard, João Pedro De Magalhães, Jingyue (Ellie) Duan, Amy E. Elias, Tony Gamble, Rita M. Graze, Kristin E. Gribble, Jill A. Kreiling, Nicole C. Riddle

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Sex differences in aging occur in many animal species, and they include sex differences in lifespan, in the onset and progression of age-associated decline, and in physiological and molecular markers of aging. Sex differences in aging vary greatly across the animal kingdom. For example, there are species with longer-lived females, species where males live longer, and species lacking sex differences in lifespan. The underlying causes of sex differences in aging remain mostly unknown. Currently, we do not understand the molecular drivers of sex differences in aging, or whether they are related to the accepted hallmarks or pillars of aging or …

Frugivory And Seed Dispersal By Carnivorans, John P. Draper, Julie K. Young, Eugene W. Schupp, Noelle G. Beckman, Trisha B. Atwood

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Seed dispersal is critical to the ecological performance of sexually reproducing plant species and the communities that they form. The Mammalian order Carnivora provide valuable and effective seed dispersal services but tend to be overlooked in much of the seed dispersal literature. Here we review the literature on the role of Carnivorans in seed dispersal, with a literature search in the Scopus reference database. Overall, we found that Carnivorans are prolific seed dispersers. Carnivorans’ diverse and plastic diets allow them to consume large volumes of over a hundred families of fruit and disperse large quantities of seeds across landscapes. Gut …

The Naming Of Homo Bodoensis By Roksandic And Colleagues Does Not Resolve Issues Surrounding Middle Pleistocene Human Evolution, Eric Delson, Chris Stringer

Publications and Research

Roksandic et al. (2022) proposed the new species name Homo bodoensis as a replacement name for Homo rhodesiensis Woodward, 1921, because they felt it was poorly and variably defined and was linked to sociopolitical baggage. However, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature includes regulations on how and when such name changes are allowed, and Roksandic et al.'s arguments meet none of these requirements. It is not permitted to change a name solely because of variable (or erroneous) later use once it has been originally defined correctly, nor can a name be modified because it is offensive to one or more …

Genomic Approaches To Uncovering The Coevolutionary History Of Parasitic Lice [Review], Kevin P. Johnson

Harold W. Manter Laboratory: Library Materials

Next-generation sequencing technologies are revolutionizing the fields of genomics, phylogenetics, and population genetics. These new genomic approaches have been extensively applied to a major group of parasites, the lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) of birds and mammals. Two louse genomes have been assembled and annotated to date, and these have opened up new resources for the study of louse biology. Whole genome sequencing has been used to assemble large phylogenomic datasets for lice, incorporating sequences of thousands of genes. These datasets have provided highly supported trees at all taxonomic levels, ranging from relationships among the major groups of lice to those among …

Late Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction Leads To Missing Pieces Of Ecological Space In A North American Mammal Community, Felisa A. Smith, Emma A. Elliott Smith, Amelia Villaseñor, Catalina P. Tomé, S. Kathleen Lyons, Seth D. Newsome

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The conservation status of large-bodied mammals is dire. Their decline has serious consequences because they have unique ecological roles not replicated by smaller-bodied animals. Here, we use the fossil record of the megafauna extinction at the terminal Pleistocene to explore the consequences of past biodiversity loss. We characterize the isotopic and body-size niche of a mammal community in Texas before and after the event to assess the influence on the ecology and ecological interactions of surviving species (>1 kg). Preextinction, a variety of C₄ grazers, C₃ browsers, and mixed feeders existed, similar to modern African savannas, with …

Ancient Dna Of The Pygmy Marmoset Type Specimen Cebuella Pygmaea (Spix, 1823) Resolves A Taxonomic Conundrum, J. P. Boubli, M. C. Janiak, L. M. Porter, Stella De La Torre, L. Cortés-Ortiz, M. N. F. Da Silva, A. B. Rylands, Stephen Nash, F. Bertuol, H. Byrne, F. E. Silva, F. Rohe, D. De Vries, R. M. D. Beck, I. Ruiz-Gartzia, L. F. K. Kuderna, T. Marques-Bonet, Tomas Hrbek, I. P. Farias, A. H. Van Heteren, C. Roos

Biology Faculty Research

The pygmy marmoset, the smallest of the anthropoid primates, has a broad distribution in Western Amazonia. Recent studies using molecular and morphological data have identified two distinct species separated by the Napo and Solimões-Amazonas rivers. However, reconciling this new biological evidence with current taxonomy, i.e., two subspecies, Cebuella pygmaea pygmaea (Spix, 1823) and Cebuella pygmaea niveiventris (Lönnberg, 1940), was problematic given the uncertainty as to whether Spix’s pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea pygmaea) was collected north or south of the Napo and Solimões-Amazonas rivers, making it unclear to which of the two newly revealed species the name pygmaea would …

An Assessment Of The Traditional Botanical Usage Of The Indigeneous People Of The Bugungu Sub-Region Of Western Uganda, Elena Kilber

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The questions that this study aimed to answer were: how are indigenous plants used for medicine, and spiritual practices by the indigenous Bagungu communities? What effect has colonization and globalization had on the knowledge of plants held by indigenous Bagungu communities? And how is the knowledge the Bagungu people hold of traditional plant use preserved through the generations? The methods used to answer these questions were key informant interviews with five herbalists and seven clan custodians from the Bagungu community, and questionnaires administered to 31 Bagungu community members between the ages of 27 and 83. Data were analyzed using qualitative …

The Ghost Of Hosts Past: Impacts Of Host Extinction On Parasite Specificity, Maxwell J. Farrell, Andrew W. Park, Clayton E. Cressler, Tad Dallas, Shan Huang, Nicole Mideo, Ignacio Morales-Castilla, T. Jonathan Davies, Patrick Stephens

Faculty Publications

A growing body of research is focused on the extinction of parasite species in response to host endangerment and declines. Beyond the loss of parasite species richness, host extinction can impact apparent parasite host specificity, as measured by host richness or the phylogenetic distances among hosts. Such impacts on the distribution of parasites across the host phylogeny can have knock-on effects that may reshape the adaptation of both hosts and parasites, ultimately shifting the evolutionary landscape underlying the potential for emergence and the evolution of virulence across hosts. Here, we examine how the reshaping of host phylogenies through extinction may …

The Ghost Of Hosts Past: Impacts Of Host Extinction On Parasite Specificity, Maxwell J. Farrell, Andrew W. Park, Clayton E. Cressler, Tad Dallas, Shan Huang, Nicole Mideo, Ignacio Morales-Castilla, T. Jonathan Davies, Patrick Stephens

Faculty Publications

A growing body of research is focused on the extinction of parasite species in response to host endangerment and declines. Beyond the loss of parasite species richness, host extinction can impact apparent parasite host specificity, as measured by host richness or the phylogenetic distances among hosts. Such impacts on the distribution of parasites across the host phylogeny can have knock-on effects that may reshape the adaptation of both hosts and parasites, ultimately shifting the evolutionary landscape underlying the potential for emergence and the evolution of virulence across hosts. Here, we examine how the reshaping of host phylogenies through extinction may …