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Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (Npv) Motivates Wandering Behavior In The Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar, \Emph{Dione Vanillae}, Kayla Lizaola, Tiffany Bresnan, Arietta Fleming-Davies 2024 University of San Diego

Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (Npv) Motivates Wandering Behavior In The Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar, \Emph{Dione Vanillae}, Kayla Lizaola, Tiffany Bresnan, Arietta Fleming-Davies

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.


Observations Of Co-Nest Building And Spawning In Native And Non-Native Chub Species (Nocomis Spp.) In The Swannanoa River, North Carolina, Patrick Ciccotto 2024 Warren Wilson College

Observations Of Co-Nest Building And Spawning In Native And Non-Native Chub Species (Nocomis Spp.) In The Swannanoa River, North Carolina, Patrick Ciccotto

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Co-nest building and spawning among individuals of the native population of River Chub (Nocomis micropogon) and among those of an introduced population of Bluehead Chub (N. leptocephalus) observed in the Swannanoa River (French Broad River basin) during Spring 2024 represents the first time such behaviors have been documented between two species of Nocomis. Observations of these behaviors are described and discussed in the context of potential hybridization and the impact of introduced Bluehead Chubs in the French Broad River basin.


Psychological And Social Well-Being Of Bony Fishes In Zoos And Aquariums, Ronald G. Oldfield, Patrick Bonano 2024 Case Western Reserve University

Psychological And Social Well-Being Of Bony Fishes In Zoos And Aquariums, Ronald G. Oldfield, Patrick Bonano

Animal Sentience

Research on the behaviour of animals in zoos has been conducted for decades, and observations have provided information that has improved the psychological and social well-being of animals. However, research on fishes in zoos and aquariums seems to be lacking. Here, we assess the current state of research on fishes in zoos and aquariums by surveying the peer-reviewed literature. Our assessment differs from previous surveys in that we examine the taxonomic classes Chondrichthyes (sharks and rays) and Osteichthyes (bony fishes) separately. Our survey finds that bony fishes have been drastically underrepresented in zoo journals, more drastically than chondrichthyans, revealing an …


Effects Of Personality On Cache Pilferage And Activity Patterns In Maine's Forest-Dwelling Small Mammals, Brigit R. Humphreys 2024 University of Maine

Effects Of Personality On Cache Pilferage And Activity Patterns In Maine's Forest-Dwelling Small Mammals, Brigit R. Humphreys

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personality, or the tendency for individuals to behave consistently, has been observed throughout the animal kingdom and is known to have key ecological and evolutionary consequences. Because different personalities play distinct roles in a community, it is critical to understand which personalities are more likely to complete vital ecosystem functions, and how anthropogenic land-use change may influence personality compositions of a population. The purpose of my research is to contribute to filling these knowledge gaps, using forest-dwelling small mammals as a model system. Small mammals such as mice and voles play a fundamental role in the ecosystem service of seed …


The Correspondence Between Genotype At Bacterial And Viral-Facing Toll-Like Receptors And Preen Oil Chemical Composition In Song Sparrows, Justin To 2024 Western University

The Correspondence Between Genotype At Bacterial And Viral-Facing Toll-Like Receptors And Preen Oil Chemical Composition In Song Sparrows, Justin To

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mate choice can optimize immune genotypes of offspring and thus reinforce parasite-mediated selection on immune genes. Information about genotype at class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is conveyed through body odour, possibly mediated by symbiotic odour-producing bacteria. This can influence mate choice: many jawed vertebrates prefer mates dissimilar to themselves (‘compatible’) at MHC. However, whether odour conveys information about genotype at other immune loci remains unknown. I assessed whether preen oil chemical composition (a proxy for body odour in birds) varies with genotype at viral-facing (TLR3) and bacterial-facing (TLR4) Toll-like receptors in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). Pairwise distance …


Exploring The Potential Of The Insect Gut-Brain Axis To Modulate The Hygienic Behaviour Of Western Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera), Sophie M. Killam 2024 Western University

Exploring The Potential Of The Insect Gut-Brain Axis To Modulate The Hygienic Behaviour Of Western Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera), Sophie M. Killam

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, is vulnerable to disease, especially disease afflicting the brood. To counter this, bees exhibit hygienic behaviour: nurse bees detect olfactory cues indicative of disease and remove affected pupae. Selecting for this trait is challenging for beekeepers, who may instead resort to quick-fix antibiotics. In this thesis, I explore the potential of beneficial bacteria (“probiotics”) to promote hygienic behaviour. I fed bees two species of lactic acid-producing bacteria that may help synthesize olfactory-associated neurotransmitters, then tested for changes in hygiene and microbial diversity. I detected small increases in hygiene and small changes to microbiota …


The Effect Of Moon Phase On Predator And Prey Activity Levels On Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Jeff Schell, Charlotte Milling 2024 Eastern Washington University

The Effect Of Moon Phase On Predator And Prey Activity Levels On Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Jeff Schell, Charlotte Milling

2024 Symposium

Variation in nighttime illumination linked to moon phase has been demonstrated to affect the activity patterns of both prey and predator species. However, evidence of lunarphobia in ungulates is mixed. Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) in Spokane County spans 23,000 acres; features a diverse landscape of channeled scablands, wetlands, and Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa); and is situated within 20 km of the second largest city in Washington. Our objective was to assess the influence of nighttime illumination on activity levels of common mammals on TNWR by quantifying the relationship between moon phase and visitation rate at trail cameras …


Records Of The Red-Bellied Snake (Storeria Occipitomaculata) In Central And Northeastern Nebraska, Taylor Lowe, Sarah M. Bailey, Dan D. Fogell, Keith Geluso 2024 University of Nebraska at Kearney

Records Of The Red-Bellied Snake (Storeria Occipitomaculata) In Central And Northeastern Nebraska, Taylor Lowe, Sarah M. Bailey, Dan D. Fogell, Keith Geluso

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Red-bellied Snakes (Storeria occipitomaculata) are a distinctive, small species that live in moist woodlands throughout much of eastern North America. In the Great Plains, isolated populations exist in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska. In Nebraska, the only known extant population occurs in wooded riparian habitats along the Big Bend Reach of the Platte River in southcentral parts of the state. Herein, we report on new county records of Red-bellied Snakes in Nebraska, with two observations from Merrick County along the Platte River adjacent to known populations and two observations of a new population in the extreme northeastern part …


Microplastic Accumulation In The Marsh Periwinkle (Littoraria Irrorata), Sarah Keaton, Hannah Lukhard, Eli Windy, Manar Hasan 2024 DePaul University

Microplastic Accumulation In The Marsh Periwinkle (Littoraria Irrorata), Sarah Keaton, Hannah Lukhard, Eli Windy, Manar Hasan

DePaul Discoveries

Contamination of oceans by microplastics (mm) currently poses a major threat to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Recent attention towards this issue has raised questions about the extent to which microplastics have accumulated in the environment, and has led to an increase in studies on the effects of microplastics in various organisms. However, levels of contamination in protected natural areas are still largely unexplored, yet can offer an important empirical perspective on the issue. In addition, little is known about the potential effects of microplastics on behavior in the field. This research was conducted within the protected ACE Basin National …


Wildlife Conservation: The Importance Of Individual Personality Traits And Sentience, Karen A. Owens, Gosia Bryja, Marc Bekoff 2024 Miami University

Wildlife Conservation: The Importance Of Individual Personality Traits And Sentience, Karen A. Owens, Gosia Bryja, Marc Bekoff

Animal Sentience

Individual differences in personality types within the same species have been studied much less than differences between species and populations. Personality differences are related to risk-taking and exploration, which in turn correlate with individuals' daily responses, decisions, and fitness. Bold and shy personality types can have different advantages and disadvantages under different social or environmental pressures. Analyzing personality differences has helped clarify how elk habituate to a well-populated area and how management strategies can be adapted to them. For wolves newly repatriated to Colorado, individual personality factors are likely to prove important for adapting to their new homes as well …


Evidence Of Climatic Influence On Subsistence Strategies At Sage Hen Springs, Nevada, Andrew Rogers 2024 University of Denver

Evidence Of Climatic Influence On Subsistence Strategies At Sage Hen Springs, Nevada, Andrew Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Models of settlement patterns in the northwest Great Basin describe a decrease in residential mobility, intensified use of upland spring ecozones, and an increase in diet breadth during the Middle and Late Archaic. Here, I present data collected from the Sage Hen Springs site in northwestern Nevada during a Phase II testing project conducted by the BLM and an analysis of these data focusing on patterns of subsistence and mobility strategies throughout the Archaic. Results of this analysis support existing models of lifeways in the northwest Great Basin at the small scale and point to climatic factors as influences on …


Designing Sustainable Systems Using Nature’S Toolbox, Matthew J. Hasenjager 2024 University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Designing Sustainable Systems Using Nature’S Toolbox, Matthew J. Hasenjager

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Supporting the Earth’s human population without destabilizing planetary processes is the central challenge of sustainability science. Key to achieving this goal is designing systems that are robust and resilient to dynamic and unpredictable conditions. Bioinspiration leverages naturally evolved solutions to address such challenges, yet a solution derived from one-to-one correspondence between a natural and artificial challenge can be limited in its broader application. Here we advocate for an approach to nature-inspired design that forgoes mimicking specific solutions in favor of identifying general design features that enable natural systems to function. These features are not specific to any naturally evolved solution …


Agroecology And Soil Stewardship: Values And Techniques Of Smallholder Farmers In Bernalillo County, Stephanie Olivas 2024 University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Agroecology And Soil Stewardship: Values And Techniques Of Smallholder Farmers In Bernalillo County, Stephanie Olivas

Geography ETDs

Agrarian movements around the world use agroecology to build sovereignty and steward dynamic ecosystems. Research has shown that agroecological farmers steward more resilient crops, more resilient soil biomes, and greater biodiversity than conventional agriculture. GIS and remote sensing offer many tools to detect the impacts of these farmers on the environment, but it is less clear how such technologies fit into agroecological goals. This study asks: what values, experiences and knowledge do smallholder producers in Bernalillo County embody in their soil stewardship practices? Also, what experience or knowledge do smallholder producers in Bernalillo County have about remote sensing, and would …


Bilateral Asymmetry In The First Metacarpal: The Influence Of Handedness In Humans And Non-Human Primates, Lucyna A. Bowland 2024 University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Bilateral Asymmetry In The First Metacarpal: The Influence Of Handedness In Humans And Non-Human Primates, Lucyna A. Bowland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Muscle attachment sites (entheses) are often used to infer soft tissue anatomy and reconstruct behaviors within skeletal populations, but there remains a significant debate about whether and to what degree muscle use is accurately reflected in bony morphology. One of the most difficult problems in establishing the relationship between variation in muscle use and entheseal development is the inability to exclude a variety of external factors thought to influence enthesis development, including age, sex, body mass, and activity patterns. One way around this is to take advantage of the fact that humans are handed (preferentially using one hand over another, …


Effects Of Ecologically Relevant Concentrations Of Nitrate On Behavior In Betta Splendens, Sarah Janson 2024 University of Maine - Main

Effects Of Ecologically Relevant Concentrations Of Nitrate On Behavior In Betta Splendens, Sarah Janson

Honors College

Nitrate is a ubiquitous pollutant that is becoming more prevalent in both fresh and saltwater environments. Short term effects are often studied, but an organism’s response to stress can change due to whatever the stressor is. In order to research this, a study was run using environmentally relevant nitrate treatments (0 mg/L, 10 mg/L NO3-N, and 100 mg/L NO3-N) to see the effect of nitrate on scototaxis behaviors, a measure of anxiety. This study used Betta splendens because they are easy to rear and have very well documented behaviors. In addition to the scototaxis, the effect of temperature on mortality …


Analyzing Phototaxis And Related Visual Behaviors Among Diverse Species Of Drosophila, Madeline M. Hill 2024 University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Analyzing Phototaxis And Related Visual Behaviors Among Diverse Species Of Drosophila, Madeline M. Hill

Honors Theses

Phototaxis and related visual behaviors can vary between species, and thus members of the genus Drosophila make an excellent study system to examine the evolution of vision. While some existing research points to these phototactic behaviors arising due to mating requirements or due to their species-specific ecology or environmental factors, there exists a lack of understanding as to why striking behavioral differences can exist between closely related species, or between members belonging to the same genus. The present research seeks to uncover the specifics regarding these discrepancies in visual evolution and aims to provide a foundation of knowledge about visual …


The Effects Of Length And Increasing Nitrate Concentrations On Behavior Of Betta Splendens, Tess Hureau 2024 University of Maine - Main

The Effects Of Length And Increasing Nitrate Concentrations On Behavior Of Betta Splendens, Tess Hureau

Honors College

Nitrates are an important compound in nature. However, through a number of human activities, nitrate concentrations have exponentially increased in nature. Most of the anthropogenic nitrates come from fertilizers, sewage water, and other wastewater. These nitrates contaminate the water which can get into lakes, rivers, ponds, and other natural bodies of water. Betta splendens are a well studied species in the animal behavior community. They have defined and quantifiable displays and characteristics during aggressive and mating ritual behavior. Betta splendens live in freshwater habitats that have most likely come in contact with the increased levels of nitrates. This study observed …


Does Urbanization Surrounding Stopping Sites Affect Migratory Behavior In American Woodcock (Scolopax Minor)?, Zoe Pavlik 2024 University of Maine - Main

Does Urbanization Surrounding Stopping Sites Affect Migratory Behavior In American Woodcock (Scolopax Minor)?, Zoe Pavlik

Honors College

Urban landscapes may influence bird species in complex ways, with some species exploiting urban environments, others adapting to them, and others avoiding them. Migratory birds encounter urbanization not just during breeding and overwintering, but also at stopping sites during migration. Migration routes of American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), a bird species experiencing long term population declines, follow the east coast of the United States, including the major urbanized areas of the eastern seaboard. I explored the effects of urbanization around stopping sites on Woodcock migratory behavior using the percentage of impervious surfaces within a buffer surrounding the site as a measure …


Behavioral Effects Of Nitrate On Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens): Female Mate Preference And Anxiety, Courtney Stow 2024 University of Maine - Main

Behavioral Effects Of Nitrate On Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens): Female Mate Preference And Anxiety, Courtney Stow

Honors College

In aquatic ecosystems, nitrate pollution due to anthropogenic activities has led to an increase in nitrate in water runoff and water resources. Nitrate is an essential component in the environment, especially for plant nutrients, but excess amounts can create water quality problems which can lead to serious consequences in humans and aquatic organisms. The effect of nitrate on organismal behavior is not well studied. The objective of this study was to examine how 96-h exposure to nitrate treatments (0, 10, 100ppm) modified female Betta splendens behavior, particularly mate preference for male color (e.g., red vs. blue males) and anxiety-like behavior. …


Do American Bison Practice Democracy? Group Consensus Decision Making Drives Bison Herd Movements And Cohesion., Matthew Sapien 2024 University of Louisville

Do American Bison Practice Democracy? Group Consensus Decision Making Drives Bison Herd Movements And Cohesion., Matthew Sapien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American bison is an iconic mammal that lives in large social herds and is considered a threatened species. Little is known about how bison make decisions as a group, whether through despotic individuals or group consensus. In this dissertation, I researched the mechanisms bison use to make herd movement decisions in 3 herds in the United States. In chapter one I examined the number of bison that participated in voting events for herd movement decisions and whether the final movement decision matched the direction with the most votes. Bison herd movements did match the direction with the most adult …


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