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Antelope Mating Strategies Facilitate Invasion Of Grasslands By A Woody Weed, Shivani Jadeja, Soumya Prasad, Suhel Quader, Kavita Isvaran

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Intra and interspecific variation in frugivore behaviour can have important consequences for seed dispersal outcomes. However, most information comes from among-species comparisons, and within-species variation is relatively poorly understood. We examined how large intraspecific differences in the behaviour of a native disperser, blackbuck antelope Antilope cervicapra, influence dispersal of a woody invasive, Prosopis juliflora, in a grassland ecosystem. Blackbuck disperse P. juliflora seeds through their dung. In lekking blackbuck populations, males defend clustered or dispersed mating territories. Territorial male movement is restricted, and within their territories males defecate on dung-piles. In contrast, mixed-sex herds range over large areas …

Geographic Distribution: Anolis Sagrei (Brown Anole). Usa: Florida: Escambia Co., Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

Pensacola: Agriculture Interdiction Station 1-10, Station 19: 1-10 eastbound (30.54519°N, 87.35201°W, WGS84). November 15, 2012. Katrina Simmons and Randal St. Louis. Verified by Kenneth L. Krysko, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida (UF 169126). First county interdiction and westernmost vouchered specimen for the Florida Panhandle (Krysko et al. 2011. Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Florida. Final report, Project Agreement 080l3, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee. 524 pp.). Currently, Anolis sagrei is not known to be established in Escambia County, but is present in adjacent Santa Rosa County and at least 54 other Florida counties (Krysko …

Diversification Under Sexual Selection: The Relative Roles Of Mate Preference Strength And The Degree Of Divergence In Mate Preferences, Rafael L. Rodríguez, Janette W. Boughman, David A. Gray, Eileen A. Hebets, Gerlinde Höbel, Laurel B. Symes

Eileen Hebets Publications

The contribution of sexual selection to diversification remains poorly understood after decades of research. This may be in part because studies have focused predominantly on the strength of sexual selection, which offers an incomplete view of selection regimes. By contrast, students of natural selection focus on environmental differences that help compare selection regimes across populations. To ask how this disparity in focus may affect the conclusions of evolutionary research, we relate the amount of diversification in mating displays to quantitative descriptions of the strength and the amount of divergence in mate preferences across a diverse set of case studies of …

Seroprevalence Of Brucellosis In Livestock Within Three Endemic Regions Of The Country Of Georgia, Eliso Mamisashvili, Ian T. Kracalik, Tinatin Onashvili, Lela Kerdzevadze, Ketevan Goginashvili, Tamar Tigilauri, Marina Donduashvili, Marina Nikolaishvili, Irma Beradze, Marina Zakareishvili, Maka Kokhreidze, Makvala Gelashvili, Nino Vepkhvadze, S. Elizabeth Rácz, Philip H. Elzer, Mikeljon P. Nikolich, Jason K. Blackburn

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Brucellosis is the one of most common livestock zoonoses in Georgia, resulting in significant economic losses. Livestock were sampled in three regions of Georgia (Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti). Districts that historically reported high numbers of brucellosis related morbidity were selected for serological, bacteriological and molecular surveys. Surveying efforts yielded samples from 10,819 large and small ruminants. In total, 735 serological tests were positive on Rose Bengal and 33 bacterial isolates were recovered and identified as Brucella melitensis or Brucella abortus by microbiology and AMOS-PCR. A Bayesian framework was implemented to estimate the true prevalence of the disease given an imperfect …

On The Morphology And Taxonomy Of Griphobilharzia Amoena Platt And Blair, 1991 (Schistosomatoidea), A Dioecious Digenetic Trematode Parasite Of The Freshwater Crocodile, Crocodylus Johnstoni, In Australia [Critical Comment], Thomas R. Platt, Eric P. Hoberg, Leslie A. Chisholm

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Griphobilharzia amoena Platt and Blair, 1991 was originally described was originally described as a dioecious trematode, parasitic in the circulatory system of the Australian freshwater crocodile, Crocodylus johnstoni, with the female completely enclosed in a gynecophoric chamber of the male and the two worms orientated anti-parallel to each other. A recent publication questions the original description, arguing that G. amoena is monoecious and, as a consequence, the species was transferred to Vasotrema Stunkard, 1928 (Spirorchiidae) as Vasotrema amoena n. comb. We provide photomicrographic evidence that the original description of G. amoena is correct and that Griphobilharzia Platt and Blair, …

Biodiversity, Biogeography, And Conservation Of Bats In The Lesser Antilles, Scott C. Pedersen, Hugh H. Genoways, Gary G. Kwiecinski, Peter A. Larsen, Roxanne J. Larsen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The chiropteran fauna of the Lesser Antilles consists of 27 species. The diversity of this fauna is low when compared with Neotropical faunas of large continental islands or at sites on the adjacent mainland, however, the Lesser Antillean fauna contains 11 species endemic to these islands making it worthy of large-scale conservation efforts. At the southern end of the Lesser Antilles, the biological limit of the Lesser Antillean bat fauna is marked by Koopman’s Line. To the south of this line, the bat faunas of the Grenadines and Grenada are composed of South American and widespread species of bats. The …

Mutation From Arginine To Lysine At The Position 189 Of Hemagglutinin Contributes To The Antigenic Drift In H3n2 Swine Influenza Viruses, Jianqiang Ye, Yifei Xu, Jillian Harris, Hailiang Sun, Andrew S. Bowman, Fred L. Cunningham, Carol Cardona, Kyoungjin J. Yoon, Richard D. Slemons, Xiu-Feng Wan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Two distinct antigenic clusters were previously identified among the H3N2 swine influenza A viruses (IAVs) and were designated H3N2SIV-alpha and H3N2SIV-beta (Feng et al., 2013. Journal of Virology 87(13), 7655–7667). A consistent mutation was observed at the position 189 of hemagglutinin (R189K) between H3N2SIV-alpha and H3N2SIV-beta fair isolates. To evaluate the contribution of R189K mutation to the antigenic drift from H3N2SIV-alpha to H3N2SIV-beta, four reassortant viruses with189R or189K were generated. The antigenic cartography demonstrated that the R189K mutation in the hemagglutinin of H3N2IAV contributed to the antigenicdrift, separating these viruses into H3N2SIV-alpha to H3N2SIV- beta. This R189K mutation was also …

Heritable Melanism And Parasitic Infection Both Result In Black-Spotted Mosquitofish, Lisa Horth, David Gauthier, Wolfgang Vogelbein

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Male Gamhusia holhrooki (Eastern Mosquitofish) express a heritable pigmentation polymorphism approximate to 99% of males are silver, and only approximate to 1% have a melanic, black-spotted pattern. Sex-linkage, an autosomal modifier, and temperature control the expression of this heritable melanism. In many teleosts, melanin also accumulates around the site of parasitic invasion. We have identified black-spot disease in wild mosquitofish from their native habitat. Here, we demonstrate convergence upon the black-pigmented phenotype through two means: 1) heritable melanism, and 2) melanic spotting on the silver genotype that results from infection with immature encysted trematodes. Females are silver and express greater …

Chemical Defense Of An Asian Snake Reflects Local Availability Of Toxic Prey And Hatchling Diet, D. A. Hutchinson, A. H. Savitzky, G. M. Burghardt, C. Nguyen, J. Meinwald, F. C. Schroeder, A. Mori

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Species that sequester toxins from prey for their own defense against predators may exhibit population-level variation in their chemical arsenal that reflects the availability of chemically defended prey in their habitat. Rhabdophis tigrinus is an Asian snake that possesses defensive glands in the skin of its neck (nuchal glands'), which typically contain toxic bufadienolide steroids that the snakes sequester from consumed toads. In this study, we compared the chemistry of the nuchal gland fluid of R.tigrinus from toad-rich and toad-free islands in Japan and determined the effect of diet on the nuchal gland constituents. Our findings demonstrate that captive-hatched juveniles …

Cooperative Breeding And Long-Distance Dispersal: A Test Using Vagrant Records, Caroline L. Rusk, Eric L. Walters, Walter D. Koenig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cooperative breeding is generally associated with increased philopatry and sedentariness, presumably because short-distance dispersal facilitates the maintenance of kin groups. There are, however, few data on long-distance dispersal in cooperative breeders-the variable likely to be important for genetic diversification and speciation. We tested the hypothesis that cooperative breeders are less likely to engage in long-distance dispersal events by comparing records of vagrants outside their normal geographic range for matched pairs (cooperatively vs. non-cooperatively breeding) of North American species of birds. Results failed to support the hypothesis of reduced long-distance dispersal among cooperative breeders. Thus, our results counter the conclusion that …

A New Species Of Metathelazia (Nematoda: Pneumospiruridae) From The Lungs Of A Nine-Banded Armadillo In Central Mexico = Especie Nueva De Metathelazia (Nematoda: Pneumospiruridae) De Los Pulmones De Un Armadillo Del Centro De México, F. Agustín Jiménez-Ruiz, Rogelio Rosas-Valdez, Scott Lyell Gardner

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Twenty-four worms were collected from the bronchioles in both lungs of a male nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758 captured in Teacalco, Morelos, Mexico. The worms, herein named Metathelazia mexicana n. sp., show a constriction in the esophagus at the level of the nerve ring; males of the species have 7 pairs of papillae, fewer than the other species in the genus. Metathelazia capsulata is the most similar species to Metathelazia mexicana; however, the latter has much shorter spicules. This is the fourth species in the genus known to occur in the New World.

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Carcass Feeding For Captive Vultures: Testing Assumptions About Zoos And Effects On Birds And Visitors, Hannah Gaengler

Dissertations and Theses

Carcass feeding is a potentially controversial feeding method for zoo animals. The common assumption is that many North American zoos refrain from feeding large carcasses to their carnivorous animals because zoo visitors might not approve of this feeding method. However, since there are several species of carnivores in zoos that feed from large carcasses in nature, this food type also has the potential to be beneficial to their welfare. In intelligent and usually inquisitive scavengers like vultures, a lack of activity and behavioral opportunities could be a welfare problem in captivity; providing them with a more complex food item might …

Commentary Managing Risk From Bears And Other Potentially Lethal Wildlife: Predictability, Accountability, And Liability, Stephen Stringham

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Commentary Rethinking Airport Land-Cover Paradigms: Agriculture, Grass, And Wildlife Hazards, Travis L. Devault, Michael J. Begier, Jerrold L. Belant, Bradley F. Blackwell, Richard A. Dolbeer, James A. Martin, Thomas W. Seamans, Brian E. Washburn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Beware The Boojum: Caveats And Strengths Of Avian Radar, Robert C. Beason, Tim J. Nohara, Peter Weber

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Radar provides a useful and powerful tool to wildlife biologists and ornithologists. However, radar also has the potential for errors on a scale not previously possible. In this paper, we focus on the strengths and limitations of avian surveillance radars that use marine radar front-ends integrated with digital radar processors to provide 360° of coverage. Modern digital radar processors automatically extract target information, including such various target attributes as location, speed, heading, intensity, and radar cross-section (size) as functions of time. Such data can be stored indefinitely, providing a rich resource for ornithologists and wildlife managers. Interpreting these attributes in …

Generational Habituation And Current Bald Eagle Populations, Jeremy E. Guinn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) populations have expanded, even as increasing human presence and activity near nesting sites has increased. The generational habituation hypothesis may explain current bald eagle behaviors associated with human presence. Generational habituation begins when a juvenile imprints on a nest area near human activity, then selects a similar nest site when it is reproductively mature. Successive generations also may imprint on nest sites near human activity, expanding the population into areas that once were considered suboptimal nesting habitat. Generational habituation has implications in several areas important to basic and applied ecology in a wide range …

Influence Of Removal Sampling Of Small Mammals On Abundance And Diversity Attributes: Scientific Implications, Thomas P. Sullivan, Druscilla S. Sullivan

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Terrestrial small mammals occupy a variety of temperate and boreal forests in North America and Eurasia and contribute to biodiversity within these ecosystems. Researchers commonly use a variation of removal trapping to sample small-mammal populations and communities in these systems. However, it is not known if recurrent removal sampling might bias abundance estimates or alter the very populations under study. We addressed 2 questions: (1) are estimates of population size and species richness and diversity gained from removal trapping different from those based on live-trapping? and (2) what residual impact does removal trapping have on small-mammal populations and communities, as …

Consumption Of Whole Cottonseed By White-Tailed Deer And Nontarget Species, Benjamin D. Taylor, Eddie Lyons, Dale Rollins, Cody B. Scott, James E. Huston, Charles A. Taylor

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Supplementing diets of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with pelleted rations is an increasingly common practice aimed at increasing deer antler size on rangelands in Texas. Feed loss to consumption by various nontarget species (e.g., raccoons [Procyon lotor] and feral pigs [Sus scrofa]) raises both ecological and economic concerns. Whole cottonseed is a feedstuff that may afford a more targeted supplemental feeding effort. Accordingly, we determined: (1) consumption rates of whole cottonseed by feral pigs and raccoons in captivity; and (2) species visitation at feed sites and preference for whole cottonseed relative to whole corn …

Toward An Understanding Of Beaver Management As Human And Beaver Densities Increase, William F. Siemer, Sandra A. Jonker, Daniel J. Decker, John F. Organ

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Estimates of beaver (Castor canadensis) density play an important role in wildlife managers’ decisions about beaver population management, because managers anticipate higher incidence of problem complaints when a beaver population increases. To manage the impacts of beavers in an urbanizing landscape, managers need better information on changes in stakeholder beliefs and attitudes as beaver and human densities reach high levels. We conducted additional analysis of data collected in 2002 through mail surveys of residents in New York and Massachusetts to test hypothesized relationships between beaver density and damage experience, attitudes toward beavers, and norms about beaver management actions. …

Keys To Managing A Successful Archery Deer Hunt In An Urban Community: A Case Study, Chad M. Stewart, Bruce Keller, Chad R. Williamson

Human–Wildlife Interactions

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations can expand greatly in suburban areas where hunting is limited or prohibited. Incorporating a hunting program for management purposes is often unfeasible due to property parcelization and varying opinions on deer management within each community. We present the case of Hidden Valley Lake, Indiana (707 ha), whose deer population was effectively reduced by archery hunting within a dense human population. Prior to implementing a managed archery program, deer density estimates exceeded 60 deer/km². After the first year of the managed archery hunt, where 230 deer (~36 deer/km²) were removed, …

Potential Role Of Wildlife In Pathogenic Contamination Of Fresh Produce, Jeff A. Langholz, Michele T. Jay-Russell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The safety of fresh produce is an important concern in the United States, especially in the wake of recent national foodborne illness outbreaks. The agricultural industry has implemented steps to enhance food safety along the entire farm-to-fork supply chain. This includes on-farm measures to exclude wildlife and to remove its habitat in and around fields. Farmers and others from across the United States have expressed concern about the ecological consequences and uncertain food safety benefits of such practices. This article reviews the scientific rationale behind management of wildlife and its habitat as part of good agriculture practices for enhancing food …

Avian Diets In A Saline Ecosystem: Great Salt Lake, Utah, Usa, Anthony J. Roberts

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Saline lakes provide a prey-rich, predator-free environment for birds to utilize during migration and stopover periods. The Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah is the largest salt lake in North America and is utilized by millions of migratory birds. It also is host to multiple commercial endeavors. Proposed expansion of commercial use of the GSL would result in increased impounded area and water extraction for mineral production, which may increase the GSL’s salinity and negatively impact invertebrate abundance. I review previous literature and synthesize diets of avian species utilizing the GSL to determine the importance of each invertebrate species, including brine …

Demographics Of A Commercially Exploited Population Of Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis Olivaris) In The Wabash River, Cassi Jo Moody-Carpenter

Masters Theses

Flathead catfish, Pylodictis olivaris, are a popular game and commercial fish in the Midwestern United States. In the lower 322 km of the Wabash River, flathead catfish are commercially and recreationally harvested by Illinois and Indiana fishers. Current management regulations are different between the two states; Illinois and Indiana have minimum length limits of 381 and 254 mm, respectively. Indiana has proposed changing their minimum length limit to 381 mm and allowing only one fish> 889 mm to be harvested per day. My study examined the current status of flathead catfish in the Wabash River to determine a standardized …

Histopathological Observations In Neogobius Bathybius (Actinopterygii: Gobiidae) Infected By Dichelyne Minutus (Nematoda: Cucullanidae) In The Caspian Sea, Iran, Samaneh Rezaei, Jamileh Pazooki, Issa Sharifpour, Mahmood Masoumian

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Dichelyne minutus (Rudolphi, 1819) is a typical and widespread parasite of Gobiidae. In this research, histopathological changes in the intestinal wall of Neogobius bathybius (Kessler) (Actinopterygii: Gobiidae) due to infection caused by D. minutus were studied. The most heavily parasitized regions were excised for microscopic studies. Cross sections revealed different aspects of tissue defensive reactions due to the free movement of nematodes among the gut contents. Mucosal erosion, increased number of goblet cells, hyperplastic changes in the epithelial cells, and remarkable hyperplasia that formed nodule-like structures with hyperemia were observed in the submucosa. Focal necrosis and a thickened muscle layer …

New Records And Distributional Data On Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) From Turkey, Gamze Pekbey, Rüstem Hayat

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Sixteen species belonging to subgenus Heteronychia Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889 of Sarcophaga Meigen, 1826 were recorded from the Bayburt, Erzincan, and Erzurum provinces of Turkey during 2008-2010. Five of these species, Sarcophaga (Heteronychia) armeniaca (Rohdendorf, 1937), S. (H.) bulgarica (Enderlein, 1936), S. (H.) clarahenae (Lehrer, 1999), S. (H.) monspellensia Böttcher, 1913, and S. (H.) recta (Rohdendorf, 1937) represent new records for the Turkish fauna. With these new records, the number of species belonging to subgenus Heteronychia known from Turkey has been increased from 19 to 24.

Cytotypes Of Nannospalax Xanthodon (Satunin, 1898) (Rodentia: Spalacidae) From Western Anatolia, Mustafa Sözen, Faruk Çolak, Murat Sevi̇ndi̇k, Ferhat Matur

Turkish Journal of Zoology

We performed this study on the subterranean mole rat Nannospalax xanthodon (Nehring, 1898) in western Turkey and we analyzed karyotypes of 121 specimens from 54 localities. We determined that N. xanthodon has 2n = 36, NF = 70; 2n = 38, NF = 74; 2n = 40, NF = 72; 2n = 50, NF = 70; 2n = 50, NF = 74; 2n = 52, NF = 70; 2n = 56, NF = 72; and 6 different cytotypes of 2n = 60, NF = 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84 in the specimens analyzed from western Turkey. We filled most …

Chromosomal Evolution Of The Genus Nannospalax (Palmer 1903) (Rodentia, Muridae) From Western Turkey, Ferhat Matur, Faruk Çolak, Tuğçe Ceylan, Murat Sevi̇ndi̇k, Mustafa Sözen

Turkish Journal of Zoology

We used 33 blind mole rats belonging to 10 different chromosomal races from 10 localities in western Turkey. We applied G- and C-banding techniques to compare chromosomal races as well as clarifying relationships between them. We discussed cytogenetic similarities and differences between chromosomal races. We concluded that 2n = 60C is the ancestor of the other chromosomal races. However, as a result of ongoing evolution processes 2n = 38 and 2n = 60K have become ancestors to chromosomal races on their peripherals. We discovered which rearrangements contribute to the evolution of such a complex chromosomal race system in a genus. …

Additional Contributions To The Opiinae Fauna Of Turkey (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Maximilian Fischer, Ahmet Beyarslan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study was carried out in order to determine species of the subfamily Opiinae in Turkey. The collected materials from new localities were identified, and faunistic records of 63 species belonging to 3 genera of Opiinae were given. Ten of these species are reported as new to Turkey. The presented article covers synonyms, zoogeographical region'(s), hosts, host plants of host species, and parasitoid data for the species.

Different Modes Of Evolution In Males And Females Generate Dichromatism In Fairy-Wrens (Maluridae), Allison E. Johnson, J. Jordan Price, Stephen Pruett-Jones

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Sexual dichromatism in birds is often attributed to selection for elaboration in males. However, evolutionary changes in either sex can result in plumage differences between them, and such changes can result in either gains or losses of dimorphism. We reconstructed the evolution of plumage colors in both males and females of species in Maluridae, a family comprising the fairy-wrens (Malurus, Clytomias, Sipodotus), emu-wrens (Stipiturus), and grasswrens (Amytornis). Our results show that, across species, males and females differ in their patterns of color evolution. Male plumage has diverged at relatively steady rates, whereas …

Historical Catch Trends And Efficacy Of Video Surveillance Monitoring Of Catch Per Unit Effort At Recreational Fishing Piers In South Carolina, Charles Christian Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, recreational anglers claim declining catch rates in the shore-based pier fishery in South Carolina. The study seeks to evaluate whether catch data supports angler testimony in this region, to examine the relationship of landings at piers in context of the regional level, and to test a method which would enhance the ability of managers to monitor landings of this under-studied fishery. Novel, non-standardized catch series extending back to 1973 were acquired from fishing piers and examined in an attempt to produce significant trends in measures of catch. King mackerel catch (Scomberomorus cavalla) was tested for correlation to …