Zoology Commons^™

Comparative Energetics Of Mammalian Thermoregulatory Physiology, Ana M. Breit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Endothermy allows species to decouple body temperature from environmental
temperatures but does not equate to endothermic species maintaining those constant temperatures. Instead, heterothermy fluctuating body temperatures, both in and outside of torpor is common and allows endotherms to expand the limits of thermoneutrality. Thermolability is likely to be more common in the tropics and subtropics, where species live within or above their thermoneutral zone. My dissertation research focused on the heterothermic-homeothermic continuum, specifically quantifying where on the continuum different species fall at certain times and why those species have evolved to be at those points. I quantified the thermal profile …

Optimizing Strategies To Hydraulically Plant Atlantic Salmon Eggs Based On Fry Dispersal Patterns, Ernest J. Atkinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon has suffered from habitat loss and exploitation over the last century. Hatchery supplementation has prevented the extirpation of the species, but stocking methods represent tradeoffs between survival, domestication, and logistics. Egg planting, the use of eyed embryos, maximizes natural rearing opportunities which can be important for adaptation. This method, however, is logistically demanding and requires significant labor over large spatial, but short temporal, scales dictated by the ontogeny of the fish. However, the survival and dispersal behavior of Atlantic Salmon fry immediately after emergence from eggs planted in artificial nests …

The Effects Of Rising Ambient Temperatures On Thermoregulation And Range Shifts Of Northern Flying Squirrels, Elise K. Gudde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change may potentially alter a species’ range distribution and thus the relationship between environmental temperatures and animal performance as a response to climate warming has become an important area of research. Two species of flying squirrel in North America, the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) and the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) have undergone northward range shifts, with climate warming being the suspected driver. Because they are nocturnal and tree nesting, flying squirrels may be particularly susceptible to warmer temperatures, as they will experience the highest daily ambient temperatures during their resting phase. I used G. sabrinus as a …

Forest Disturbance And Occupancy Patterns Of Carnivores: Results Of A Large-Scale Field Study In Maine, Usa, Bryn E. Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding trends in the abundance and distribution of carnivores is important at global, regional and local scales due to their ecological role, their aesthetic and economic value, and the numerous threats to their populations. Carnivores in Maine range from the American black bear (Ursus americanus), to numerous native mesocarnivore species, such as American marten (Martes americana), fisher (Pekania pennanti), coyote (Canis latrans), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), bobcat (Lynx rufus), Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and to two small weasel species (Mustela erminea and Neogale frenata). …

Environmental Impacts On The Reproduction Of Three Cold-Water Corals, With Implications For Their Vulnerability To Ocean Warming And Climate Change, Julia Johnstone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cold-water corals are important habitat builders in the deep ocean worldwide. Despite being known for centuries, recent technological advances and deep-sea exploration has revealed cold-water corals thriving at depths of up to 6000m. Similar to their warm-water relatives, cold-water corals are hotspots of diversity, with their structures creating habitat for thousands of associated species. Some cold-water corals create bioherms that stretch for tens of kilometers, while others come together to form vast undersea forests. These habitats are often home to commercially important fisheries species, and conservation efforts have recently begun to regulate fishing in cold-water coral ecosystems to protect them …

The Effect Of Bts Induced Inactivity On A Zebrafish Model Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Sean Driscoll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Duchenne’s Muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a congenital disease of the muscle characterized by muscle atrophy, weakness, and a lower quality of life. Often diagnosed in children, it affects about 1 in every 5,500-7,700 males. A patient diagnosed with DMD is often told to avoid physical activities outside the required amount needed to go on with their day in order to preserve the muscle fibers and integrity. Inactivity in a healthy person leads to decreased muscle mass and increased weakening of the muscle, so we questioned if the effects may be exacerbated in a person diagnosed with DMD having already weakened …

Dietary Change Among Canis Familiaris During The Late Ceramic Period On The Maine-Maritime Peninsula: A Case Study From The Holmes Point West Site (Me 62-8), Machias Bay, Maine, Abby E. Mann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Archaeological study of Indigenous pasts has been characterized by a focus on objects over people. This study attempts to humanize the past by illuminating human agency in the human-dog relationship through a case study of dog health and diet during the Late Ceramic period (ca. 950 – 450 BP) in the Maine-Maritime Peninsula region. To circumvent the cycle of western knowledge building and marginalization of Indigenous communities, past Wabanaki people and their relationships with dogs are positioned at the center of research questions presented here. Few studies in the Northeast have analyzed dog remains from the Ceramic period (ca. 3050 …

The Potential For Dickeya Dianthicola To Be Vectored By Two Common Insect Pests Of Potatoes, Jonas K. Insinga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dickeya dianthicola (Samson) causing blackleg and soft rot was first detected in potatoes grown in Maine in 2014. Previous work has suggested that insects, particularly aphids, may be able to vector bacteria in this genus between plants, but no conclusive work has been done to confirm this theory. In order to determine whether insect-mediated transmission is likely to occur in potato fields, two model potato pests common in Maine were used: the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decimlineata Say) and the green peach aphids (Myzus persicae Sulzer). Olfactometry and recruitment experiments evaluated if either insect discriminates between infected and …

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of Atlantic Cod Bycatch In The Maine Lobster Fishery And Its Impacts On Stock Assessment, Robert E. Boenish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of the most iconic fish species in the world, the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua, hereafter, cod) has been a mainstay in the North Atlantic for centuries. While many global fish stocks have received increased pressure with the advent of new, more efficient fishing technology in the mid-20^th century, exceptional pressure has been placed on this prized gadoid. Bycatch, or the unintended catch of organisms, is one of the biggest global fisheries issues. Directly resulting from the failed recovery of cod in the GoM, attention has been placed as to possible sources of unaccounted catch. Among the most …

Breeding Ecology And Habitat Use Of Unisexual Salamanders And Their Sperm-Hosts, Blue-Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Laterale), Kristine Hoffmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unsexual Salamanders within the Blue-Spotted Salamander Complex carry combinations of ambystomatid genomes (those of Blue-Spotted Salamanders, Ambystoma laterale, and Jefferson Salamanders, A. jeffersonianum in Maine). They are nearly all female, breed in wetlands, and use sperm of related species to reproduce. Little is known about their ecology to guide the conservation of this unique lineage. I examined breeding site occupancy, demographics, orientation, and terrestrial habitat selection of Unisexual Salamanders in comparison to Blue-Spotted Salamanders and other amphibians. I compared statistical tests of orientation to determine which was most appropriate for pitfall data.

Unisexual Salamander occupancy at breeding sites was positively …

The Biogeographic Origins And Trophic Ecology Of Maine’S Island Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon Cinereus), Nikko-Ideen Shaidani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Island populations of terrestrial species have an increased potential, compared to mainland populations, to adapt and diverge, as these populations often are isolated with respect to gene flow from other populations and may be subjected to novel pressures. Indeed, extended isolation of individuals can elicit dramatic changes within populations and is recognized as a common driver of speciation. It is for these reasons that island populations are often a priority for conservation. Plethodontid salamanders are among the most terrestrial of Maine’s amphibians and are not tolerant of prolonged exposure to seawater, and yet, they are found on a number of …

Measuring Fertilization In Populations Of Sea Scallop (Placopecten Magellanicus): Developing And Testing Methods In The Laboratory And Field, Skylar Bayer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most marine organisms are broadcast spawners, releasing their sperm and eggs into the water column. Methods of measuring in situ fertilization have proven successful with a few model species, which are reviewed in my introductory chapter. However, many commercially exploited species, such as the sea scallop Placopecten magellanicus, have been neglected. Sea scallop populations have greatly increased from fishing closures, but the mechanism behind this response is uncertain, particularly in regard to fertilization. In this dissertation I developed a methodology of measuring fertilization success and spawning events of P. magellanicus, tested it in laboratory and field settings, and …

Understanding The Impact Of Commercial Harvest On White Suckers (Catostomus Commersonii) In Maine, Megan A. Begley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The State of Maine issues an unlimited number of commercial permits for the harvest of White Suckers Catostomus commersonii in Maine’s inland waters. The fishery provides a necessary source of fresh lobster Homarus americanus bait to coastal communities at a time when other bait sources are scarce. The impacts of the increasing number of permits and subsequent numbers of fishermen on the white sucker population is unknown. The Maine Department on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) has closed a number of waters due to concerns that overfishing and incidental catch of other fish species may occur.

In Chapter 1, we …

Behavioral Ecology Of Landbird Migrants In A Complex And Changing Flyway System: The Gulf Of Maine, Adrienne J. Leppold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In and around the Gulf of Maine, over 300 species of birds have been documented during migration, and tens of millions of songbirds may pass through the region on a single autumn night. Shorelines are widely documented as major migration corridors. There is ample evidence that coastal areas concentrate migrants and many species make overwater movements to and from breeding and wintering grounds. Data collected from radar, banding, and ceilometry studies in the northeast have provided us with evidence that birds migrate along the coast and make overwater movements across the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy during both …

Sources Of Ecologically Important Trait Variation In Mosquitofish (Gambusia Affinis And Gambusia Holbrooki), Heather Ann Arnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of contemporary evolution and eco-evolutionary dynamics is classically defined in terms of genetic evolution, but the actual suite of processes driving contemporary trait change is likely much more complex than often credited. This dissertation considers additional mechanisms of trait change that might be important to an emerging model system for study of contemporary evolution and eco-evolutionary dynamics. Specifically, the research focuses on phenotypically plastic and demographic trait variation in Eastern and Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis and G. holbrooki) facing the major ecological gradient of predation risk. Plasticity experiments employed a common-garden rearing design to manipulate fish …

Effects Of Melatonin On Heartbeat And Possible Identification Of A Melatonin Receptor In Drosophila Melanogaster, Tricia L. Vankirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 of this manuscript is a literature review that serves as an introduction to the entire dissertation. Chapter 2 examines the effects of the melatonin injection on heart rate and rhythmicity in Drosophila melanogaster Canton-S (wild-type) pupae and pupae bearing a variety of heart mutations. Chapter 3 investigates further the possible mechanisms of melatonin’s ability to increase heart rhythmicity without significantly affecting heart rate. A melatonin antagonist, luzindole; a high-affinity melatonin agonist, 2-iodomelatonin and RNAi techniques are used to identify a possible melatonin receptor in Drosophila melanogaster.

An appendix contains a previously published manuscript detailing experiments performed at the …

Land Use Planning And Vernal Pool Conservation In A Southern Maine Town, Robert Carlton Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I investigate the impacts of both growth management regulations and vernal pool protection regulations on landscape permeability for wood frogs (Rana sylvatica), a vernal pool-obligate species. Motivated by new legislation in Maine (USA) to protect vernal pools and the species that depend on them, I combined a spatially-explicit economic model of the conversion of undeveloped parcels to residential use with a landscape permeability model for wood frogs. I estimated the economic model using a Bayesian Gibbs Sampler to account for spatial error dependence and used the results to predict future landscape patterns in a focal town, Falmouth, …

Physical And Behavioral Development Of Nursing Harbor Seal (Phoca Vitulina) Pups In Maine, John P. Skinner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Compared to other phocids seals, the maternal investment strategy of the small bodied female harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) is complex. Females are unable to fast for the entire duration of pup rearing and are therefore reliant on resources in the vicinity of the pupping aggregation to continue provisioning their pup by mid-lactation. At the same time, harbor seal pups are highly active during lactation which increases energetic costs to the female but also offers an opportunity for females to influence the behavioral development of her pup. To understand how females maximize their pup's survival it is important to …

The Effects Of Serotonin On The Courtship Behavior Of Drosophilia Melanogaster, Nicholas James Brandmeir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Drosophila, the male courtship ritual is stereotyped and under the control of several genes including fruitless. In previous studies, it has been show that various fruitless alleles cause phenotypic abnormalities in the D. melanogaster courtship ritual. It is also known that there is a high level of co-expression of both the fruitless gene product and serotonin in specific neurons of the Drosophila CNS. This study examines the role of serotonin in the Drosophila male courtship ritual by using a mutant strain, Ddc^ts1,in which the production of serotonin is blocked above 30°C. In this study an increase in temperature caused …

Phenotypic Divergence Of Indigenous And Translocated Arctic Charr (Salvelinus Alpinus) Populations In Maine, Wendy K. Michaud

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Selection on traits related to trophic ecology is recognized as an important contributing factor in adaptive divergence and speciation. For several freshwater fish species, including Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), such selection is commonly reflected in relationships between diet, habitat use and phenotypic divergence. Trophic specializations that emerge have been extensively studied among sympatric forms, but much less is known of the extent of this type of divergence in allopatry. Trait differences among these forms are also thought to reflect thousands of years of evolution, making it difficult to examine root causes of such divergence in natural populations. Here, I address …

Endocrine Disruption In Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) Exposed To Pesticides, Benjamin W. Spaulding

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 19801s, the numbers of adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) returning to Maine's rivers have been in a general decline. In addition, estimates of parr, freshwater smolt and emigrating smolt populations indicate low overwinter survival rates. Overall, these low numbers, along with several other factors, resulted in the Atlantic salmon in eight rivers in Maine being classified as a distinct population segment under the Endangered Species Act. Because many of the listed rivers are found near lowbush blueberry barrens, I investigated the endocrine disrupting potential and effects of selected blueberry pesticides on Atlantic salmon. An E-SCREEN assay was …

Wetland And Nest Scale Habitat Use By The Four-Toed Salamander (Hemidactylium Scutatum) In Maine, And A Comparison Of Survey Methods, Rebecca J. Chalmers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conserving amphibian populations requires knowledge of a species and its habitat relationships. The four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) is listed as Special Concern in Maine and 11 additional states and provinces, Threatened in Illinois, and Endangered in Indiana (Appendix A). Little is known of H. scutatum ecology despite the species' extensive range. Infrequent sightings of H. scutatum throughout its range may indicate either low numbers or that the species' behavior make detection difficult. Records for H. scutatum in Maine existed from only 32 sites before my study, and the total number of occurrences of this species in Maine is …

Effect On Heartbeat Of Drosophila Melanogaster Of Mutations In The Calcium Channel Encoding Cacophony Gene And Its Interaction With The Rna Helicase Mutant Maleless^Napts, Vanessa Mcgowan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of information concerning the genetics of heart disease, especially of those due to aberrant pacemaker activity. Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal candidate for research in this area because of its suitability to genetic manipulation and its accessible genetic database. What is most compelling, however, is that the genesis of heartbeat is Drosophila is strikingly similar to that in many other organisms, including mammals. The myogenic heart of DrosophiIa melanogaster is stimulated to contract by a caudal pacemaker, which is regulated by ion channel interactions. A voltage-gated calcium channel of PIQ- or N-type is implicated in the …

Systematics Of The Cumacea (Crustacea), Pilar A. Haye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cumaceans are small benthic crustaceans. They have a marine cosmopolitan distribution with diversity increasing with depth. There are approximately 1,400 described species of cumaceans. Despite the fact that they offer a good model for the study of morphological evolution and biogeography, the studies on the Order Cumacea are almost restricted to work at the alpha taxonomy level. This thesis contributes to the systematics of Cumacea. The phylogenetic relationships within the Cumacea were studied using newly obtained partial amino acid sequences from the mitochondria1 gene Cytochrome Oxidase I. Among other findings, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the families Bodotriidae, Leuconidae, and Nannastacidae, …

Evolution Of Lake Malawi Cichlid Fishes (Perciformes: Teleostei), Peter F. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The cichlid fish species flocks of East Africa provide a compelling model system in which to study the process of speciation. In Lake Malawi, greater than 1000 species of cichlids have emerged since the filling of the lake basin about 1 million years ago. Over 99% of the Lake Malawi haplochromine cichlids are endemic, suggesting that most of this diversification has taken place within the temporal and spatial boundaries set by the Lake's shores. Moreover, many of these species are endemic to small areas within the lake, indicating that speciation has occurred very recently or perhaps is in progress in …

The Value Of Rockweed (Ascophylum Nodosum) As Habitat For Tidepool Fishes, Amy Marie Gullo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tidepool fishes are an interesting and commercially valuable guild of fishes that reside in tidepools at low tide. Tidepool fishes of the North Atlantic Coast reside in tidepools only during the late spring to Ml months, and are typically juveniles of subtidal adult species. Tidepool fishes on the Pacific Coast of North America have been studied extensively, but species of the North Atlantic Coast have rarely been studied. An important area of study is the use of different tidepool microhabitats by fishes, specifically the use of rockweed (AscophyZZum nodosum) fringe, which is present in many tidepools. Rockweed is an algal …

The Relationship Between Green Sea Urchin Spawning, Spring Phytoplankton Blooms, And The Winter-Spring Hydrography At Selected Sites In Maine, Lindsay C. N. Seward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between green sea urchin spawning, spring phytoplankton blooms, and hydrography were examined at multiple spatial scales during the winter-spring of 2000 at selected sites along the coast of Maine. To determine factors contributing to the variation observed in the timing of green sea urchin spawning, sea urchins, phytoplankton, and oceanographic variables were sampled biweekly at four sites in central Maine and three sites in eastern Maine. Water column properties and phytoplankton was intensively examined at sites in central Maine, while sites in eastern Maine were less well characterized. Analysis of gonad indices showed that spawning was protracted in …

The Embryonic World Of Wood Frogs, Rana Sylvatica: Natal Pond Learning And Anti-Predator Behaviors., Pamela J. Bryer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Even while in ovo many amphibians can react to the world around them, as dissolved molecules are able to pass through their protective jelly matrix and interact with developing sensory systems. Although there are many potential signals dissolved in the water, two, natal-pond recognition cues and predator recognition signals (or kairomones), have been previously shown to be relevant to several species of developing anurans. My study used natural odorants in a test of natal pond learning, and in testing both short- and long-term effects of predator chemical cues on the development and behavior of wood frog, Rana sylvatica, embryos. In …

Ultrastructure Of 'Turbellaria' (Platyhelminthes), Regina Pfistermuller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The systematics of turbellarian platyhelminths (also known as free-living flatworms) has proven difficult since few taxonomically useful characters can be discerned in them. Generally, features of the reproductive tract, observed through conventional light microscopy, provide key taxonomic characters. Through the newer techniques of electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, new characters are emerging that provide better clues to the phylogenetic relationships of these animals. We have applied both of these microscopies to representatives of two groups of turbellarians whose phylogenetic positions are uncertain and controversial, the Acoela and the Genostomatidae. Because fluorescence microscopy of phalloidin-labeled acoel turbellarians has provided new taxonomically …

Beaver Recolonization In South-Central Maine, Laurence Lisle Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following a long absence due to over-trapping, beaver (Castor canadensis) recolonized most of their continental range during the middle of the 20th century. The spread of beaver across the landscape was revealed by the emergence of beaver-created wetlands, or flowages. Based on the appearance of flowages on aerial photographs from 1939, 1957, 1974, and 1991, I documented the return of beaver to a 105 km^ watershed in south-central Maine. I sought to determine if certain wetland characteristics—area, perimeter to dam length (p/d) ratio, and watershed size—influenced the order in which sites were occupied by beaver. Also, to gauge the effect …