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Articles 1 - 11 of 11
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Genetic Basis Of Hybrid Sterility Between Drosophila Pseudoobscura And D. Persimilis, Alannah J.P. Mattice
Genetic Basis Of Hybrid Sterility Between Drosophila Pseudoobscura And D. Persimilis, Alannah J.P. Mattice
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Speciation is the underlying process that leads to formation of new species, and therefore is the basis of biodiversity. Genes involved in each stage of speciation, such as those involved in interspecies sterility, remain elusive. Male hybrid sterility and postzygotic isolation between Drosophila pseudoobscura and D. persimilis was examined in this study through backcrossing of female hybrids into each parental line (introgression), selecting for a sterile sperm phenotype, needle-eye sperm. Sperm phenotypes did not separate through backcrossing; instead, males presented with multiple sperm phenotypes. A relationship between the phenotypes observed and the potential genes involved was examined through whole genome …
Characterizing The Diversity Of The Eukaryotic Microbiome In Marine Crustacean Zooplankton., Rose-Lynne Savage
Characterizing The Diversity Of The Eukaryotic Microbiome In Marine Crustacean Zooplankton., Rose-Lynne Savage
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Understanding zooplankton productivity is critical for modeling marine food web function, of which one poorly known factor is the influence of zooplankton symbionts. Zooplankton protist symbiont diversity is underestimated due to the limited surveys and techniques previously used. Using 18S V4 metabarcoding, I characterized the eukaryotic microbiomes associated with crustacean zooplankton from the northern Strait of Georgia, BC. Apostome ciliates were most abundant in all hosts except for cyclopoid copepods, which were dominated by Syndiniales. Most symbiont lineages were more abundant in one or two hosts, suggesting some degree of host preference. Microbiome data also provided information on diet, confirming …
Mathematical Modelling Of Prophage Dynamics, Tyler Pattenden
Mathematical Modelling Of Prophage Dynamics, Tyler Pattenden
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
We use mathematical models to study prophages, viral genetic sequences carried by bacterial genomes. In this work, we first examine the role that plasmid prophage play in the survival of de novo beneficial mutations for the associated temperate bacteriophage. Through the use of a life-history model, we determine that mutations first occurring in a plasmid prophage are far more likely to survive drift than those first occurring in a free phage. We then analyse the equilibria and stability of a system of ordinary differential equations that describe temperate phage-host dynamics. We elucidate conditions on dimensionless parameters to determine a parameter …
Spatial And Temporal Variation Of Nutrients In The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin: Implications For Primary Production In Stream Ecosystems, Nolan Pearce
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Growing human populations and associated land use activities has increased the amount of nutrients delivered to surface waters. Eutrophication from the over-enrichment of nitrogen and phosphorus has degraded ecosystem conditions in streams, lakes, and coastal areas worldwide. Thus, the management of anthropogenic nutrient loading is a global concern. This thesis employed a combination of field and experimental research to provide watershed managers with information on the spatial and temporal patterns in stream nutrient enrichment, and the associated ecological effects of anthropogenic nutrient loading in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin. Four studies were completed to address this research goal. First, I …
Amount And Sources Of Population Variability In The Metabolome Of A Crayfish Species, Cora Bilhorn
Amount And Sources Of Population Variability In The Metabolome Of A Crayfish Species, Cora Bilhorn
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
My study investigated the amount of variation associated with region and stream scales in the metabolomes of northern crayfish (Faxonius virilis), collected from seven streams distributed across three ecoregions in Western Canada. Additionally, my study measured metabolomes of crayfish from the same seven streams after experiencing a common laboratory environment to separate the effects of environmental and genetic variation. Region and stream scales were found to be poor predictors of metabolomic variation among crayfish sampled in the field but exhibited increased predictive ability among crayfish exposed to the common environment, indicating crayfish from separate populations responded differently to …
Contraction Analysis Of Functional Competitive Lotka-Volterra Systems: Understanding Competition Between Modified Bacteria And Plasmodium Within Mosquitoes., Nickolas Goncharenko
Contraction Analysis Of Functional Competitive Lotka-Volterra Systems: Understanding Competition Between Modified Bacteria And Plasmodium Within Mosquitoes., Nickolas Goncharenko
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
We propose and analyze an extension to the classic Competitive Lotka-Volterra (CLV) model. The goal is to model competition between species, with a response from the environment. This response is a function of the population of all species and can represent numerous physical phenomena including resource limitation and immune response of a host due to infection. We name this new system a Functional Competitive Lotka-Volterra (FCLV) model. We mainly use the construction of contraction metrics, to determine global properties of the model. We use this result to analyze the competition between Plasmodium sp. and genetically engineered bacteria within the midgut …
Chemical Communication In Songbirds, Leanne A. Grieves
Chemical Communication In Songbirds, Leanne A. Grieves
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Avian chemical communication has been understudied due to the misconception that olfaction is unimportant or even lacking in birds. Early work focused on the olfactory foraging capabilities of seabirds because of their ecology (open ocean foraging) and large olfactory bulbs. In contrast, olfaction in passerine birds, comprising over half of all extant avian taxa, was long overlooked due to their relatively small olfactory bulbs. It is now well established that passerines can smell, and their olfactory acuity is comparable to that of macrosmatic mammals such as rats. Much of our theory on communication and mate choice has involved studying visual …
Differential Effects Of Freezing On The Drought Tolerance Of Herbaceous Plants At The Species, Community And Ecosystem Scales, Ricky S. Kong
Differential Effects Of Freezing On The Drought Tolerance Of Herbaceous Plants At The Species, Community And Ecosystem Scales, Ricky S. Kong
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Both freezing and drought cause cellular dehydration and elicit similar physiological responses in plants, where similar protective compounds are upregulated, including soluble sugars and proteins that help reduce cellular damage. Drought-freeze cross acclimation occurs when drought exposure enhances the freezing tolerance of plants. However, few studies had investigated the reciprocal effects of freezing on drought tolerance, and it was unknown if these interactions could impact plant productivity. Therefore, I examined the effects of freezing on the drought tolerance of individual species and assessed the implications of freeze-drought interactions in an old field community. Poa pratensis was exposed to fall or …
Phage-Bacteria Interaction And Prophage Sequences In Bacterial Genomes, Amjad Khan
Phage-Bacteria Interaction And Prophage Sequences In Bacterial Genomes, Amjad Khan
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
In this investigation, we examined the interaction of phages and bacteria in bacterial biofilm colonies, the evolution of prophages (viral genetic material inserted into the bacterial genome) and their genetic repertoire. To study the synergistic effects of lytic phages and antibiotics on bacterial biofilm colonies, we have developed a mathematical model of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). We have also presented a mathematical model consisting of a partial differential equation (PDEs), to study evolutionary forces acting on prophages. We fitted the PDE model to three publicly available databases and were able to show that induction is the prominent fate of intact …
Niche Segregation Among Three Sympatric Species Of Swallows In Southern Ontario, Kaelyn H. Bumelis
Niche Segregation Among Three Sympatric Species Of Swallows In Southern Ontario, Kaelyn H. Bumelis
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breed sympatrically in southern Ontario but it is unclear how these species differ ecologically, and their coexistence implies niche segregation. I investigated potential interspecific differences in nestling diet and post-fledging movements. Using DNA barcoding of nestling feces and stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N, δ2H) of nestling feathers, I found evidence of differences in dietary sources of provisioned young. Barn Swallows showed evidence of provisioning more terrestrial-based prey, Cliff Swallows provisioned an intermediate diet, and Tree …
Effects Of Dietary Thiaminase On Reproductive Traits In Three Populations Of Atlantic Salmon Targeted For Reintroduction Into Lake Ontario, Kimberly T. Mitchell
Effects Of Dietary Thiaminase On Reproductive Traits In Three Populations Of Atlantic Salmon Targeted For Reintroduction Into Lake Ontario, Kimberly T. Mitchell
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The fitness of reintroduced salmonids in Lake Ontario can be reduced by high levels of thiaminase in exotic prey consumed at the adult stage. If sensitivity to dietary thiaminase differs among the three Atlantic salmon populations targeted for reintroduction into Lake Ontario, this could significantly influence their performance. I quantified the effects of experimental diets that contained high or low (control) levels of thiaminase on thiamine concentrations, survival, growth rate, and reproductive traits (sperm and egg quality) in Atlantic salmon from the three candidate source populations. Fish that consumed the high-thiaminase diet had comparable growth rates, but lower survival and …