Life Sciences Commons^™

Physiological Adaptations Of Aquatic Turtles, Oscar Gloor

Honors Theses

Naturalists have long noted the remarkable ability of aquatic turtles to remain submerged for long periods of time. Only recently, though, has much serious attention been given to discovering the mechanisms which enable turtles to survive for so long in the relatively hypoxic aquatic environment.

Effect Of Salinity On Glycogen Content In The Brine Shrimp, Artemia Salinas, Of Great Salt Lake, Christon H. Merkley

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The brine shrimp, Artemia salinas, is one of the few organisms to be found in the hostile environment of the Great Salt Lake. Salt concentrations in the lake are found to exceed those in the oceans. In such an environment, the utilization of energy, even after it has been procured, presents a problem. The life inhabiting the lake has developed extraordinary adaptations to this and similar problems.

Electron micrographs produced by Dr. Nabil Youssef of Utah State University have revealed that unusual quantities of glycogen can be found in the muscle of brine shrimp taken from the Great Salt Lake. …

The Effect Of Altitude On Thyroid Function Of The Uinta Ground Squirrel (Citellus Armatus), Wendell Lee Wells

Theses and Dissertations

Thyroid uptake and distribution of 125I, concentrations of T4 and T3 in serum and thyroids and concentrations of TSH in serum and pituitaries were measured to determine thyroid function of Uinta Ground Squirrels (Citellus armatus) native to 5,400 and 9,000 feet elevations to evaluate alterations in the state of the thyroid due to increased altitude. Uptake of 125I was 60 percent lower by squirrels from 9,000 feet. Incorporation of 125I into T3 was greater at the higher elevation, but absolute thyroid T3 concentrations were similar at both elevations. No significant differences were found in serum T3 concentrations, but squirrels living …

Habitat Partitioning In A Community Of Passerine Birds, Robert C. Whitmore

Theses and Dissertations

Habitat partitioning was studied in a community of passerine birds in the Virgin River Valley of southwestern Utah. Ten habitat structure variables were measured for each of 24 species of passerine birds and several multivariate statistical techniques were used to determine the extent of habitat partitioning. Ordinations of species distributions along known environmental gradients were constructed using Principal Component Analysis and Stepwise Discriminant Analysis. Stepwise Discriminant Analysis was also used to determine which habitat variables were important in species separation. It was found that percent canopy cover was the most important variable. Two hundred seventy six pairs of species were …

Raptor Temperature Regulation And Energetics, James Arthur Mosher

Theses and Dissertations

A review of energetics studies of raptorial species introduces four separate studies of temperature regulation by raptors. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) nest site selection, as influenced by direction of exposure, is discussed. The data show strong directional preferences to the NNW by southern populations and SSE by northern populations. The tarsometatarsus is shown to have a thermoregulatory function in large falcons, and adaptations of this mechanism to varied habitats are examined. Color phase in Screech Owls (Otus asio) is shown to be related to metabolic differences that may explain the distributions of the color morphs. Development of thermoregulation in Flammulated …

The Reproductive Cycle Of Male Uinta Ground Squirrels And Its Relationship To Pineal N-Acetyltransferase And Monoamine Oxidase In The Testes, Hypothalamus And Pituitary, Robert Alexander Palmer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study was made of the reproductive cycle of male Uinta ground squirrels (Spermophilus armatus) during the activity seasons of 1973 and 1974 and during the aestivation/hibernation (A/H) period of 1973-1974. Physiological data collected were compared to changes in monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity of the testes, pituitary and hypothalamus and to pineal N-acetyltransferase activity.

Male Uinta ground squirrels began emerging from their burrows on April 12, 1973, and April 8, 1974, with average body weights of 302 g and 301 g, respectively. Body weight did not increase greatly during breeding, but rose rapidly to over a 500 g …

An Analysis Of Sound Communication In The Water Vole, Microtus Richardsoni (Rodentia: Microtinae), Dane R. Tang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adult members of the species Microtus richardsoni were used to study the importance of acoustic communication in these voles. Tests were run with single individuals and nonbreeding pairs of voles to obtain recordings and sonagraphs of sounds emitted during exploration of a new cage, agonistic encounters, encounters with a potential predator and in response to miscellaneous aversive stimuli. Of the four groups of tests conducted, sounds were used by M. richardsoni during the last three. The results of this study showed that the water vole emitted ten different call types or sounds. These sounds were separated by similarity into Group …

Relationships Between Teat Shape, Teat Erosion, California Mastitis Test, And Milk Production In A Large Dairy Herd, John Sephen Malan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Data were collected from a 1,000 cow commercial dairy unit during three different time periods to determine the interrelationships between teat shape, teat erosion, mastitis (as measured by the California Mastitis Test and somatic cell counts), and milk production.

Results showed no relationship between teat shape or teat end erosion and milk or fat production. The relationship between teat end erosion and mastitis appeared to be masked by the high level of teat erosion. There was an indication that cows with flat and cone shaped teat ends were prone to higher California Mastitis Test scores than cows with pointed, round, …

A Comparison Of Three Methods Used To Analyze Pronghorn Antelope Diets, Leonard J. Shandruk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An increasing interest in fecal analysis as a method of determining diets of herbivores prompted research to determine if this method could be used successfully to determine diets of pronghorn antelope found in Utah's cold desert rangelands. In addition to fecal analysis, quantitative estimates of pronghorn diets were derived from rumen analysis and feeding site observations. Rumen samples were analyzed by three different methods: (1) microscopic, (2) gravimetric, and (3) point frame. In addition to field experiments, samples from a feeding trial with a diet of known composition were used to determine whether or not differential digestion of plant epidermis …

Territory And Mating System In The Bobolink, Dolichonyx Oryzivorus, Arlo J. Raim

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Small Mammal Survey In Two Geographically Separated Aspen Areas, Apichart Thammaruxs

Theses and Dissertations

Small mammal surveys were conducted in two geographically separated aspen areas, in the Chicken Creek Watershed Management Unit, Utah, and Break Neck Flat, Wyoming. Four small mammal species, Peromyscus maniculatus, Clethrionomys gapperi, Zapus princeps and Eutamias minimus were caught most often in both areas of the aspen ecosystem. Peromyscus maniculatus was usually the most abundant animal trapped at all locations indicating the success of this species in aspen communities. The proportion of each species trapped, however, fluctuated, likely in accordance with responses to periodic biotic and abiotic factors. This data will serve as baseline information for the U.S. Forest Service …

A Comparative Study Of Some Population Characteristics Of Calyptraea Fastigiata Gould, Crepidula Lingulata Gould, And Crepidula Nummaria Gould (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia), Roger Harold Goodwill

Theses and Dissertations

A comparative study of the field populations of Crepidula lingulata, Crepidula nurnmaria, and Calyptraea fastigiata indicated all three preferred a rocky substrate but favored different size rocks. Their positions on the rocks varied but the greatest numbers were found attached to the undersides. Crepidula lingulata and C. nummaria preferred larger rocks and were found in intraspecific associations more often than C. fastigiata which preferred smaller rocks. These associations occurred with a 1:1 sex ratio; however, the overall population did not. Crepidula lingulata had a high female count and C. fastigiata a high male count. Males, of all three species, were …

Ecology Of The Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo Regalis) In Central Utah Population Dynamics And Nest Site Selection, Neil D. Woffinden

Theses and Dissertations

Research was conducted to determine the effect of prey numbers on the nesting success of the Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis). Conditions associated with nest site selection were also established. Frequent visits were made to active nests to determine clutch sizes, hatching dates and fledging success. Prey remains were collected from nests and analyzed. Kilometer square transects were made throughout the study area in 1974 to determine jackrabbit densities. A drastic decline in numbers of Ferruginous Hawks occurred. The number of young fledged also declined throughout the study while nestling mortality increased. Jackrabbit numbers were high in 1972 and then declined …

Induction Of Parturition In The Ovine, Ernest L. Harman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The effects of flumethasone and prostaglandin F₂ (PGF) on the time of parturition were studied in the ewe. Pregnant ewes with known conception dates were allotted into a 3 x 3 x 2 factorial designed experiment (1973 study) and into a completely random designed experiment (1974 study). In the 1973 study treatments consisted of three hormones (flumethasone, PGF and saline control), three levels (low, .5 mg flumethasone, 5 mg PGF, 1 cc saline; medium, 1.0 mg flumethasone, 10 mg PGF, 2 cc saline; high, 1.5 mg flumethasone, 15 mg PGF, 3 cc saline) and two routes of administration (IM …

Factors Affecting The Development Of Lipase Flavor In Butter, Lawrence I. Bell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current trends in the dairy industry have resulted in an increase in the incidence of lipase flavored butter. Raw cream, fresh and aged 24 h, was divided into 3 fractions and heat treated at temperatures of 72 C, 85 C, and 93 C. Each fraction of cream was churned into butter, with the butter divided and stored at -28. 9 C and 4.4 C. Lipase flavor development was measured organoleptically, by acid degree value (ADV), and free fatty acids (FFA) using a colorimetric procedure. Age of the cream had a significant effect (P< .01) on FFA and. ADV .levels, whereas heat treatment .of the cream had a significant effect (P< .01) on flavor only. Storage time had a significant effect (P< .01) on FFA, ADV, and flavor and the temperature of storage had a significant effect (P< .01) on FFA ·and flavor. Correlation between FFA and ADV was 0.86. There was no correlation between flavor and either JTFA or ADV

The Status Of Beaver In East Central Illinois, Kenneth Edward Snearley

Masters Theses

Parts of three major streams in east central Illinois: the Embarrass, the Kaskaskia and Okaw Rivers were cruised during the fall of 1973 and the summer and fall of 1974. Beaver (Castor canadensis) sign were located and recorded. A qualitative analysis of the woody vegetation on the Kaskaskia and Okaw Rivers was undertaken.

Two activity sites were located on the Embarrass. Three fresh and three old cutting sites were located on the Kaskaskia in 1973; in 1974, five fresh sites were found. The Okaw had six fresh and six old cutting sites in 1973, but in 1974, only …

Parasites Of Channel Catfish In Illinois Hatcheries, Charles Dale Meryman

Masters Theses

Ninety channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were trapped during September 1973 through April 1974 at three hatcheries located at Worden, Centralia, and Kinmundy, Illinois. All were examined for parasites and 87 were parasitized. The trematodes Azygia angusticauda and Neascus sp. were found in the gastrointestinal system and Cleidodiscus floridanus and Dactylogyrus sp. were attached to the gills. Five cestode genera, including Bothriocephalus sp., Corallobothrium giganteum, Eubothrium sp., Haplobothrium sp., and Proteocephalus ambloplitis were present. Rhabdochona sp. was the only nematode found. Protozoans; Costia sp., Myxobolus sp., Scyphidia macropodia and Trichodina discoidea and one kind of glochidium were observed. …

Food Selectivity, Feeding Chronology, And Energy Transformations Of Juvenile Alewife (Alosa Pseudoharengus) In The James River Near Hopewell, Virginia, James Edwin Weaver

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This dissertation is from the Joint Program Degree from the College of William & Mary and University of Virginia and awarded by the University of Virginia.

The Growth Of The Red-Ear Turtle Pseudemys Scripta Elegans In A Thermal Lake In Southwestern Illinois, Diana Avalos

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Treflan And The Oxygen Consumption Of Green Sunfish (Lepomis Cyanellus), Barbara Jo Warner

Masters Theses

Oxygen consumption rates of 51 green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus, Rafinesque) were monitored over five hours exposure to Treflan E.C. concentrations of 0, 0.32, 0.56, 1.0, and 2.0 ppm. There was a great variation in the responses of the fish at each concentration; and Student's t-tests revealed no significant differences. However, graphs of the mean hourly oxygen consumption rates showed certain trends. During the fifth hour of exposure, there appears to be an acclimation to the Treflan at concentrations of 0.32 and 0.56 ppm; but no such acclimation at the higher concentrations of 1.0 and 2.0 ppm. Hourly oxygen …

Homing Studies Of Bank Swallows In Eastern Illinois, Jennifer Eileen Hagerstrom

Masters Theses

A series of homing experiments using 39 color-marked Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) were carried out in eastern Illinois during the summer of 1975. The swallow colony was located four km east-northeast of Charleston, Illinois at the Charleston Stone Quarry. Eight release sites were located in the four compass directions from the home colony at distances of 14.4 to 32.3 km away.

The colony was approached before dawn and swallows were captured using tube traps. Birds were color-marked, banded, and taken in individual bags to the release site by automobile. Cloud cover, wind velocity, wind direction, and orientation behavior …

Pesticide Residues In The Illinois Wild Turkey, John M. Bridges

Masters Theses

Adipose tissue from 55 turkeys, killed during the 1974 hunting season in southern Illinois, was grouped by age and location of the birds, and the pesticide concentrations in them were determined by gas/liquid chromatography. Twelve different pesticides were identified in the samples with only four, total DDT, heptachlor epoxide, toxaphene, and linuron, being present in all samples. Concentrations ranged from 0.02 ppm to 0.88 ppm.

Solubilization Of Acetylcholinestrerae From Subcellular Components Of Mammalian Brain Tissue, John E. Taylor

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Since all chemical and electrical input into the cell / occurs via its plasma membrane, many pharmacological agents and hormones initiate their effects by interacting with receptor sites on the plasma membrane or by passing through the cell membrane and interacting with other membranes within the cell. Generally, the precise mechanisms by which these events occur remain relatively unclear. It was thought for many years that the cell membrane was a relatively static structure which allowed molecules to enter the cell at a rate dependent upon their degree of lipid solubility. However, more recently an increasing body of evidence suggests …

Food Habits Of Some Demersal Fishes Of The Continental Slope And Rise, George R. Sedberry

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Osteology Of Trypauchenichthys Sumatrensis Hardenburg, Christine Parrish Baer

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The osteology of a Malaysian goby was examined in detail and compared to other gobioids. Results indicated that Trypauaheniahthys sumatrensis is a specialized, but definite member of the Gobioidei. Some osteological characteristics of a related fish, Trypauchen vagina, were also discussed.

Breeding Bird Study On The Douglas-Hart Nature Preserve, An East-Central Illinois Modified Oldfield, Charles F. Zimmer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Least Tern In Virginia: Breeding Biology And Population Distribution, John William Akers

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Amino Acid Additions To A Low Protein Corn-Soy Diet For Egg Production, Ali Baghaye Kashani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study was conducted to determine if the protein level of layer diets could be lowered from the: commonly used 16 percent to 12 percent by supplementation of some of the essential amino acids without reducing the performance of hens. The amino acids used were methionine, lysine, tryptophan and isoleucine. Egg production, egg shell thickness, interior egg quality, body weight, feed efficiency and free amino acid content of the albumen of eggs produced were criteria used to measure the (--) to treatment.

The Histology Of The Pineal Gland In Odocoileus Virginianus, Terry Michael De Villiers

Masters Theses

A total of 26 pineal glands from the white-tailed deer were histologically examined. Five different stains were utilized to determine various cell types present in pineal tissue. Connective tissue septa divide the pineal gland into incompletely separated lobules which are supplied by a very extensive vascular system. The pinealocyte is the most numerous cell in the gland and is most easily recognized by a prominent nucleus approximately 6-8 microns in diameter. The pinealocyte cytoplasm contains many minute granules. A distinct difference was noted in the histology of the oldest age deer pineal (age 7 years) when globular granules were observed …