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Articles 1 - 8 of 8
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Quantifying The Effects Of Early Competition On Niche Specialization: A Natural Experiment In A Restored System, Christy Nicole Wails
Quantifying The Effects Of Early Competition On Niche Specialization: A Natural Experiment In A Restored System, Christy Nicole Wails
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Islands support the greatest numbers of endemic species but are highly vulnerable to human activities. In particular, the introduction of invasive, predatory mammals (e.g., rodents) has resulted in sharp declines of island fauna due to a lack of evolved behavioral capacities to avoid depredation. Because of this, invasive species are considered to be one of the most detrimental impacts to biodiversity. To combat this biodiversity loss, the eradication of invasive mammals is now a primary conservation tool, with > 700 attempts globally. However, mammal eradications are predicated on the assumption that islands will naturally return to their pre-invaded condition. Yet many …
Fly On The Wall: Comparing Arthropod Communities Between Islands With And Without House Mice (Mus Musculus), Wieteke A. Holthuijzen
Fly On The Wall: Comparing Arthropod Communities Between Islands With And Without House Mice (Mus Musculus), Wieteke A. Holthuijzen
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Invertebrates are key to island ecosystems but impacts from invasive mammalian predators are not well documented or understood. Given this knowledge gap, we studied terrestrial arthropod communities in the presence of a common invasive rodent (house mice, Mus musculus) on a subtropical atoll—Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (MANWR). Here, invasive mice recently began to attack and depredate nesting seabirds, prompting a mouse eradication. Although eradication planning efforts are underway, uncertainty remains regarding the ecosystem’s response to mouse removal. As part of a pre-eradication investigation, we conducted a baseline survey of MANWR’s arthropod community structure and diversity, comparing islands with and …
Diversity And Taxonomy Of Malagasy Pygmy Hippopotamuses, Allison Shackelton
Diversity And Taxonomy Of Malagasy Pygmy Hippopotamuses, Allison Shackelton
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Madagascar has many species of extinct megafauna, including up to three species of extinct hippopotamus. Subfossil hippo specimens have been found at sites across Madagascar, yet the number of species and taxonomic relationships of the extinct Malagasy pygmy hippopotamus are poorly understood. This thesis will analyze cranial and postcranial bones to improve our understanding of the diversity and taxonomy of Malagasy subfossil hippos, focusing on adults from Ampasambazimba and Tsaramody and juveniles from Ampasambazimba and Anjohibe. Measurements of the tibia and femur of adult specimens, which are used as diagnostic features in other studies, may not be accurate diagnostic features, …
The Characterization Of The Function(S) Of Crag In Basement Membrane Polarity, Hemin Pankajkumar Shah
The Characterization Of The Function(S) Of Crag In Basement Membrane Polarity, Hemin Pankajkumar Shah
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
The abundant epithelial cells play various roles in the development and maintenance of an organism, and their apical-basolateral polarity is a unique characteristic that is imperative to their function and integrity. This polarity is maintained via various environmental cues and tightly regulated intracellular trafficking, where the presence of the basement membrane (BM) provides a basal cue. The BM is a specialized extracellular matrix (ECM) secreted by the epithelial cells, which accumulates on the basal side and serves as their mechanical anchorage. Although the BM is of paramount importance in the apical-basolateral polarity and the loss of BM’s integrity is a …
Ngs Rna-Seq Reveals Bromovirus Encapsidate Native And Recombinant Viral Rnas, As Well As Cellular Rnas From The Host, Nipin Shrestha
Ngs Rna-Seq Reveals Bromovirus Encapsidate Native And Recombinant Viral Rnas, As Well As Cellular Rnas From The Host, Nipin Shrestha
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Brome mosaic virus (BMV), Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV), and Broad bean mottle virus (BBMV), the members of the genus Bromovirus, are the experimental model viruses in this dissertation research. Packaging of the RNA genome by the viruses is known to be highly selective and specific for the viral RNA but, not 100% accurate. There is evidence that the viruses specifically or accidentally encapsidate viral RNA variants and host (cellular) RNAs. The scope of this dissertation is to identify different types of RNAs that can be packaged by viruses along with the viral RNAs of parental origin.BMV, CCMV, and BBMV …
Cultivating A Stem Investigation: Reading And Task Expectations For Introductory Biology Courses, Tina M. Ballard
Cultivating A Stem Investigation: Reading And Task Expectations For Introductory Biology Courses, Tina M. Ballard
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
College completion is an important discussion in today’s world with only about 30% of community college students completing their degrees within three years of starting their programs. Especially in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, students are changing their majors or not completing their degrees for a variety of reasons. Previous research has established that there are high attrition and failure rates for introductory biology courses which may be causing some students to change their majors or not complete their degrees. This multicase study investigated the reading and task demands for introductory biology courses designed for STEM majors …
Chemical Niche Divergence In Sympatric Lemurs: Understanding Species' Food Selection, Chloe Nicole Marie Gherardi
Chemical Niche Divergence In Sympatric Lemurs: Understanding Species' Food Selection, Chloe Nicole Marie Gherardi
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
The integration of nutritional ecology into primatology has provided considerable insight into the feeding strategies of primates, and the ecological factors limiting populations - critical knowledge in a world of rapidly changing habitats. The eastern rainforest of Madagascar is home to one of the world’s most diverse primate communities, often hosting over 12 sympatric lemur species; however, the ecological mechanisms by which these species are able to coexist are not well understood. Two species within this community that have been especially understudied are the nocturnal and folivorous Avahi laniger and Lepilemur mustelinus. My research team observed and collected feeding data …
Phylogeography, Diversification, And Historical Demography Of The White-Toothed Rats (Berylmys) In Indochina, Kristy Lee Tuttle
Phylogeography, Diversification, And Historical Demography Of The White-Toothed Rats (Berylmys) In Indochina, Kristy Lee Tuttle
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Berylmys, the White-toothed rats, and other members of the Rattus sl (Rattus, Maxomys, Leopoldamys, Niviventer, Bandicota, and Sundamys) evolved from 3-5 million years ago during a period of dynamic landscape change in Indochinese south Asia wherein climatically stable, warm forests of Miocene and Pliocene Indochina transitioned to a modern landscape regime. From the late Pliocene through the terminal Pleistocene, climate changes, ecological shifts, rising and falling sea levels, and tectonic uplift drove adaptive radiation within Rattus sl, in complex interactions that are still not completely understood. The goal of this study is to understand species relationships and population structure in …