Animal Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Crassostrea Virginica Hemocytes In Shell Formation: Ex Vivo Mineral Deposition By Cultured Hemocytes, Emily A. Untener, Douglas C. Hansen, Karolyn Hansen

Biology Faculty Publications

Abstract of Technical Paper Presented at the 103rd Annual Meeting National Shellfisheries Association Baltimore, Maryland March 27–31, 2011

Rna Interference In Marine And Freshwater Sponges: Actin Knockdown In Tethya Wilhelma And Ephydatia Muelleri By Ingested Dsrna Expressing Bacteria, Ajna S. Rivera, April L. Hill, Et. Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: The marine sponge Tethya wilhelma and the freshwater sponge Ephydatia muelleri are emerging model organisms to study evolution, gene regulation, development, and physiology in non-bilaterian animal systems. Thus far, functional methods (i.e., loss or gain of function) for these organisms have not been available.

Results: We show that soaking developing freshwater sponges in double-stranded RNA and/or feeding marine and freshwater sponges bacteria expressing double-stranded RNA can lead to RNA interference and reduction of targeted transcript levels. These methods, first utilized in C. elegans, have been adapted for the development and feeding style of easily cultured marine and freshwater poriferans. …

Variation, Systematics, And Relationships Of The Leptodactylus BolivianusComplex (Amphibia: Anura: Leptodactylidae), W. R. Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

A cluster of morphologically similar frogs of the genus Leptodactylus having a pair of distinct dorsolateral folds on the dorsum and well-developed lateral fringes on the toes has never been systematically evaluated by examining materials from throughout its geographic range. The species involved are herein referred to as members of the Leptodactylus bolivianus complex. There have been three names proposed for members of this complex: Leptodactylus bolivianus Boulenger, 1898; Leptodactylus insularum Barbour, 1906; and Leptodactylus romani Melin, 1941. The collective range for the L. bolivianus complex is from Costa Rica southward through Panama, extending across northern South America (east of …

A Comparison Of Prairie Vole Audible And Ultrasonic Pup Calls And Attraction To Them By Adults Of Each Sex, Thomas A. Terleph

Biology Faculty Publications

Rodent pups of many species emit both ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and calls spanning into a lower frequency range, audible to humans (AUDs), yet there has been little systematic comparison of these different call types, or analyses of how they might differ in signal function. Here the spectral and temporal characteristics of USV and AUD pup calls are described for the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), a model used in studies of monogamous mating and biparental care, and a species with an unusually large functional and anatomical representation of auditory cortex. Findings provide a detailed description of each call type, …

Morphology And Microanatomy Of Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena Phocoena ) Dorsal Fin Tubercles, Carly C. Ginter, S. Anne Boettger, Frank E. Fish

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Short-Term Tag-Induced Mortality In Horseshoe Crabs Limulus Polyphemus, Jennifer Mattei, Mark Beekey, H. R. Potter, C. S. Bond, Alyssa Woronik, J. A. Roberts, K. A. Smith

Biology Faculty Publications

Horseshoe crabs Limulus Polyphemus range along the East Coast of the United States and over 150,000 of them have been marked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service disk tags. It has been assumed that the tags do not harm the animals and are similar to common epibionts often found on the shells of the horseshoe crabs. We investigated whether newlv tagged adult female horseshoe crabs would exhibit higher short-term mortality rates than untagged adult females. All crabs were collected from a beach in Connecticut and then were transported to a laboratory for the experiment. Tagging involved drilling a small hole …

Simulation Of Spatial Movement That Potentially Maximizes Assessment, Presence, And Defence In Territorial And Home-Ranging Animals, With Special Reference To Territorial Sex-Changing Fishes, Thomas R. Brown, Joshua Jowers, Marvin M.F. Lutnesky

Biology Faculty Publications

Question: Are there territory sizes, shapes, and movement rules that animals can use to maximize their presence for territorial and reproductive purposes? Features of the model: Individual-oriented simulation model of a focal male, a female (his mate), and six other males in adjacent territories. Simulation variables were territory size and aspect (length-to-width ratio), velocity, step size, and potential movement angle. Each simulation represented 10,000 s of real time, and simulations were repeated until convergence on maximum mean encounter rates (MER) of a focal male with the female and other males was reached. Ranges of variables: Simulations consisted of three velocities …