Zoology Commons^™

Euscorpius Sicanus (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) From Tunisia: Dna Barcoding Confirms Ancient Disjunctions Across The Mediterranean Sea, Matthew R. Graham, Pavel Stoev, Nesrine Akkari, Gergin Blagoev, Victor Fet

Victor Fet

We used a DNA barcoding marker (mitochondrial cox1) to investigate the controversial natural occurrence of Euscorpius sicanus (C.L. Koch) in North Africa. We tested this hypothesis by comparing a sample collected from a mountain in Tunisia to disjunct populations in Sardinia, Malta, and Greece. Using these samples, and a few additional Euscorpius spp. from southern Europe as outgroups, we reconstructed the maternal phylogeny. We then used a molecular clock to place the phylogeny in a temporal context. The Tunisian sample grouped closest to a specimen from Sardinia, with both being more distantly related to E. sicanus from Malta, which is …

Squamatinia Algharbica Gen. N. Sp. N., A Remarkable New Coletiniinae Silverfish (Zygentoma: Nicoletiidae) From Caves In Southern Portugal, Ana Reboleira, Fernando Gonçalves, Pedro Oromí, Luís Mendes

Ana Sofia P.S. Reboleira

A new genus of Coletiniinae silverfish (Nicoletiidae) similar to Coletinia Wygodzinsky and Lepidospora Escherich is described to accommodate the new species Squamatinia algharbica gen. n. sp. n. Many individuals were collected over all seasons of the year in four caves of the Algarve karst massif in the south of Portugal. An identification key for the known genera of Coletiniinae is provided, as well as some biogeographical and ecological comments.

Potential Parthenogenesis In A Viperid Snake, Mark Jordan, Natasha Perrine

Mark A. Jordan

No abstract provided.

Population Genetics Of A Tolerant Fish In An Agriculturally Dominated Watershed, Mark Jordan, Deepal Patel, Matthew Richardville, Kathryn Sanders, Robert Gillespie

Mark A. Jordan

No abstract provided.

A New Eusuchian Crocodyliform With Novel Cranial Integument And Its Significance For The Origin And Evolution Of Crocodylia, Casey Holliday, Nicholas Gardner

Nicholas Gardner

Crocodyliforms were one of the most successful groups of Mesozoic tetrapods, radiating into terrestrial, semiaquatic and marine environments, while occupying numerous trophic niches, including carnivorous, insectivorous, herbivorous, and piscivorous species. Among these taxa were the enigmatic, poorly represented flat-headed crocodyliforms from the late Cretaceous of northern Africa. Here we report a new, giant crocodyliform from the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Kem Kem Formation of Morocco. Represented by a partial braincase, the taxon has an extremely long, flat skull with large jaw and craniocervical muscles. The skull roof is ridged and ornamented with a broad, rough boss surrounded by significant vascular …

Laboratory Studies In Animal Diversity, Lee Kats, Cleveland Hickman, Susan Keen

Lee Kats

Laboratory Studies in Animal Diversity offers students hands-on experience in learning about the diversity of life. It provides students the opportunity to become acquainted with the principal groups of animals and to recognize the unique anatomical features that characterize each group as well as the patterns that link animal groups to each other.

The Influence Of Historical Landscape Change On Genetic Variation And Population Structure Of A Terrestrial Salamander ( Plethodon Cinereus ), Mark Jordan, Douglas Morris, Scott Gibson

Mark A. Jordan

Forest loss and fragmentation is expected to shape the genetic structure of amphibian populations and reduce genetic variation. Another factor widely understood to have impacted these same parameters in North America is the range expansion that occurred following glacial retreat at the end of the Pleistocene. The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) has been subjected to both processes. In this context, we investigated the historical events that are likely to have shaped genetic variation in this species using a panel of six microsatellite markers screened on individuals sampled across ten localities in northeastern Indiana, USA. We found low genetic diversity …

Mexican Axolotls ( Ambystoma Mexicanum ) Appear To Be Resistant To Ambystoma Tigrinum Virus (Atv), Crystal Paulson, Robert Visalli, Mark Jordan

Mark A. Jordan

No abstract provided.

Description Of The Larva And Female Genitalia Of Trechus Gamae With Data On Its Ecology, Ana Reboleira, Vicente Ortuño

Ana Sofia P.S. Reboleira

The third instar larva and the female genitalia of Trechus gamae Reboleira et Serrano (Coleoptera Carabidae Trechini) are described, illustrated and commented. Larvae and imagos were collected in deep parts of caves from Estremenho karstic massif in the centre Portugal. The work provides the first study on hypogean beetle larvae from Portugal, increasing the knowledge about hypogean microendemic species from the Lusitanic district of the Iberian Peninsula. The morphological diagnostic characters of the female genitalia corroborate the inclusion of T. gamae in the “T. fulvus-group”. Some new data on the ecology of this species are also given.

On The Iberian Endemic Subgenus Lathromene (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae): Description Of The First Hypogean Domene Fauvel, From Portugal, Ana Reboleira, Fernando Gonçalves, Pedro Oromí

Ana Sofia P.S. Reboleira

Domene (Lathromene) lusitanica n. sp. from Sicó karstic massif in Portugal is described and compared with other species of the subgenus, representing the first hypogean rove beetle from mainland Portugal. A comparison between Domene lusitanica n. sp. and the other species of the Iberian endemic subgenus Lathromene is made using diagnostic characters. An identification key for the males of Lathromene species is presented, and biogeographical and ecological comments are also included. The species of Domene known from the Iberian Peninsula are listed and their distributions are mapped.

110 Years Of Avipoxvirus In The Galapagos Islands, Robert Ricklefs

Robert Ricklefs

No abstract provided.

110 Years Of Avipoxvirus In The Galapagos Islands, Patricia G. Parker, Elizabeth L. Buckles, Heather L. Farrington, Kenneth Petren, Noah K. Whiteman, Robert E. Ricklefs, Jennifer L. Bollmer, Gustavo Jiménez-Uzcátegui

Patricia Parker

Acute Toxicity Of Mercury And Chromium To Clarias Batrachus (Linn), Azhaguraj Ramakrishnan

Azhaguraj Ramakrishnan

Pollution of the aquatic ecosystems by heavy metals is a worldwide problem. In the present study, Clarias batrachus was exposed to Mercury and Chromium for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of mercury to C. batrachus for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of exposure were 1.4 ppm, 1.2 ppm, 1.0 ppm and 0.8 ppm respectively. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of chromium to C. batrachus for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of exposure were 120 ppm, 115 ppm, 110 ppm and 102 ppm respectively. The acute toxicity levels were derived from LC50 concentrations …

Effects Of Dietary Supplementation Of The Acidifier Vitoxal-Mionix On Growth, Survival, Immune Response And Gut Microbiota Of The Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus Vannamei, Ahmed Mustafa, Davies Anuta, Alehandro Buentello, Susmita Patnaik, Addison Lawrence, Michaele Hume, Delbert Gatlin, Maurice Kemp

Ahmed Mustafa Dr.

No abstract provided.

The First Hypogean Dipluran From Portugal: Description Of A New Species Of The Genus Litocampa (Diplura: Campodeidae), Ana Reboleira, Alberto Sendra, Fernando Gonçalves, Pedro Oromí

Ana Sofia P.S. Reboleira

A new species of subterranean Campodeid Dipluran of the genus Litocampa mendesi n. sp. is described. Despite the presence of this genus in Spain, this is the first record in Portugal, and it is also the first Portuguese species of hypogean Diplura. The new species combines unique characters absent in the European and American species of the genus. Litocampa mendesi n. sp. was collected only in one part of a cave of the Jurassic karstic massif of Algarve, the southwesternmost part of the Iberian Peninsula. The morphological features of this species show some adaptations to hypogean life but not a …

A Hypogean New Species Of Trechus Clairville, 1806 (Coleoptera, Carabidae) From Portugal And Considerations About The T. Fulvus Species Group, Ana Reboleira, Vicente Ortuño, Fernando Gonçalves, Pedro Oromí

Ana Sofia P.S. Reboleira

A new hypogean ground beetle species, Trechus tatai n. sp. from the Montejunto karstic massif in Portugal is described. Morphological diagnostic characters of the imago are provided and the new species is included in the Trechus fulvus-group. Comments on the biogeography of hypogean carabid beetles in karstic areas of Portugal and an illustrated key to the males of the T. fulvus-group in the Iberian Peninsula are also included.

Laboratory Studies In Integrated Principles Of Zoology, Lee Kats, Cleveland Hickman, Susan Keen

Lee Kats

The 15th Edition of Laboratory Studies in Integrated Principles of Zoology uses a comprehensive, phylogenetic approach in emphasizing basic biological principles, animal form and function, and evolutionary concepts. This introductory lab manual is ideal for a one- or two-semester course. The new edition expertly combines up-to-date coverage with the clear writing style and dissection guides that have distinguished this manual from edition to edition.

Effect Of Feathers As Nest Insulation On Incubation Behavior And Reproductive Performance Of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta Bicolor), Michael Lombardo, Ruth Bosman, Christine Faro, Stephen Houtteman, Timothy Kluisza

Michael P Lombardo

Many species of birds line their nests with feathers, presumably because of the insulative qualities of feathers and because feathers may act as a barrier between nest parasites and nestlings. In 1993, we experimentally examined the role of feathers as nest insulation on the incubation behavior, nestling growth, and reproductive performance of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nesting in boxes in western Michigan. There were no significant differences between the incubation rhythms of females with experimental nests (i.e. no feathers) and females with control nests (i.e. with feathers). Nestlings that were reared in control nests had significantly longer right tarsi and …

Repeated Sampling Affects Tree Swallow Semen Characteristics, Michael Lombardo, M.L. Green, P.A. Thorpe, M.R. Czarnowski, H.W. Power

Michael P Lombardo

Male Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) face intense sperm competition because mated pairs copulate frequently, extra-pair copulations are common, and females store sperm. We examined the effects of repeated sampling on the characteristics of Tree Swallow semen by manually expressing semen from 15 males immediately after capture (T₀) and then hourly for 4 h (T₁-T₄). The semen characteristics of individual males varied in response to repeated sampling. The total number of sperm cells we obtained from each male over the 4-h sampling period varied from 10⁴-10⁷. Semen samples lacking …

Communities Of Cloacal Bacteria In Tree Swallow Families, Michael Lombardo, Patrick Thorpe, R. Cichewicz, M. Henshaw, C. Millard, C. Steen, T. Zeller

Michael P Lombardo

Our aim in this study was to survey the communities of bacteria found in the cloacae of adult and nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), determine if there were familial patterns of prevalence, and determine if there were relationships between bacteria loads and nestling size when 12 days old and fledging success.

Left-Sided Directional Bias Of Cloacal Contacts During House Sparrow Copulations, Karen Nyland, Michael Lombardo, Patrick Thorpe

Michael P Lombardo

Most female birds have only a left ovary and associated oviduct. The entry to the oviduct is on the left side of the urodeum of the cloaca. This arrangement may favor males that mount females from the left during copulation if it results in sperm being placed closer to the opening of the oviduct. Therefore, we predicted a left-sided directional bias of cloacal contacts during House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) copulations. Cloacal contacts from the left outnumbered those from the right 74 to 25 (3:1) during 25 bouts of copulation at 11 House Sparrow nests. While this pattern suggests that a …

Homosexual Copulations By Male Tree Swallows, Michael P. Lombardo, Ruth M. Bosman, Christine A. Faro, Stephen G. Houtteman, Timothy S. Kluisza

Michael P Lombardo

Homosexual courtship behavior in non-human animals is well known (Ford and Beach 1980) and occurs in a wide variety of taxa. However, homosexual copulations, especially between males, are less well known. In birds, males mounting other males have been observed in the colonially breeding Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) (Fujioka and Yamagishi 1981) and Common Murre (Uria aalge) (Birkhead et al. 1985, Hatchwell 1988). Neither Fujioka and Yamagishi (1981) nor Birkhead et al. (1985) and Hatchwell (1988) reported whether cloacal contact occurred during their observations of male-male mountings. Here we describe homosexual copulations by male Tree Swallows …

Individual, Temporal, And Seasonal Variation In Sperm Concentration In Tree Swallows, Michael Lombardo, Armetris Forman, Matthew Czarnowski, Patrick Thorpe

Michael P Lombardo

We determined sperm concentrations in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) by manually expressing semen samples from males during prelaying, egg-laying, incubation, and nestling periods. Sperm concentrations varied by orders of magnitude (0-109 sperm mL-1) among males. Sperm concentrations were highest during the incubation period and lowest during the prelaying period. None of the samples collected during the prelaying, egg-laying, and incubation periods were devoid of sperm. In contrast, 45% of samples collected during the nestling period lacked sperm. Sperm concentrations (1) did not vary over the course of the morning during prelaying, egg-laying, and incubation periods but significantly increased during the …

Microbial Colonization Of The Cloacae Of Nestling Tree Swallows, Tamara Mills, Michael Lombardo, Patrick Thorpe

Michael P Lombardo

Microbes have the potential to be important selective forces in many aspects of avian biology. Microbes can affect fitness as a result of either their pathogenic or beneficial effects on host health. Little is known about the chronology of microbial colonization of nestlings or the effects of microbes on fledgling condition. We set out to (1) characterize the time course of microbial colonization of the cloacae of nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), (2) examine the relationship between cloacal microbes and fledgling condition, and (3) determine if nest mates had similar assemblages of cloacal microbes. We repeatedly measured nestlings and sampled …

Within-Pair Copulations: Are Female Tree Swallows Feathering Their Own Nests?, Michael Lombardo

Michael P Lombardo

A variety of hypotheses has been proposed to explain why socially monogamous birds copulate repeatedly with their mates when only a single copulation is necessary to fertilize an entire clutch (Birkhead and Møller 1992, Petrie 1992, Hunter et al. 1993). Petrie (1992) hypothesized that a female should copulate frequently with her mate so as to reduce her mate’s involvement in extrapair copulations. By reducing her mate’s involvement in extrapair copulations, a female may: (1) avoid the transmission of parasites and sexually transmitted diseases (Hamilton 1990); (2) may avoid sperm depletion by her mate; and (3) may monopolize her mate’s paternal …

On The Evolution Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases In Birds, Michael Lombardo

Michael P Lombardo

"The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com".

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in animals are caused by pathogens that are transmitted during copulation. Birds have played an important role in the development of STD-centered theories of mating behavior. However, it is not known whether STDs exist in wild bird populations. While the avian cloaca with its dual functions of gamete transfer and excretion seemingly predisposes birds for the evolution of STDs, the life history patterns of most birds (i.e., seasonal breeders with relatively brief annual periods of sexual activity) suggest otherwise. The importance of STDs as selective forces that shape host …

Left-Sided Directional Bias Of Cloacal Contacts During Tree Swallow Copulations, Aaron Petersen, Michael Lombardo, Harry Power

Michael P Lombardo

Most female birds have only a left ovary and associated oviduct with entry to the oviduct on the left side of the urodeum of the cloaca. We hypothesized that male cloacal contacts during copulation would occur from the left side of females because this would put sperm closer to the entrance of the oviduct. We observed that cloacal contacts from the left outnumbered those from the right by a margin of 3:1 during tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, copulations at nestboxes in western Michigan in 1999. The directional bias of cloacal contacts may have an adaptive function.

The Beneficial Sexually Transmitted Microbe Hypothesis Of Avian Copulation, Michael Lombardo, Patrick Thorpe, Harry Power

Michael P Lombardo

Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain why female birds either copulate repeatedly with a single mate or copulate with multiple partners even though only a single copulation may be sufficient to fertilize an entire clutch. We hypothesize that females may directly benefit from high frequencies of copulation and multiple copulation partners if they receive a cloacal inoculation of beneficial sexually transmitted microbes (STMs) that can either protect them against future encounters with pathogens and/or serve as therapy against present infections. Experiments in domestic animal production, wildlife rehabilitation, and clinical medicine indicate that inoculations of beneficial microbes derived from the …

Description Of The Third Instar Larva Of A Hypogean Ground Beetle, Trechus Alicantinus (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae), Vicente Ortuño, Ana Reboleira

Ana Sofia P.S. Reboleira

Description and illustrations are provided for the third instar larva of Trechus alicantinus Español, 1971 obtained from a laboratory breeding. This paper aims to contribute to increase the general knowledge about microendemic hypogean species of the east of the Iberian Peninsula. Besides, it expands the existing knowledge about the preimaginal stages of the genus Trechus and the whole tribe Trechini (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Larvae can give additional information about the life style of the species. Larvae can also express, even more than the imagos, some apomorphic characters, traditionally considered a result of adaptation to the hypogean habitat, such as the regression …

Sexual Size Dimorphism (Ssd) Is The Most Consistent Explanation For The Body Size Spectrum Of Confuciusornis Sanctus, Winfried S. Peters, Dieter Stefan Peters

Winfried S. Peters