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Deciphering The Role Of Spl12 And Agl6 From A Genetic Module That Functions In Nodulation And Root Regeneration In Medicago Sativa., Vida Nasrollahi, Ze-Chun Yuan, Qing Shi Mimmie Lu, Tim Mcdowell, Susanne Kohalmi, Abdelali Hannoufa Dec 2022

Deciphering The Role Of Spl12 And Agl6 From A Genetic Module That Functions In Nodulation And Root Regeneration In Medicago Sativa., Vida Nasrollahi, Ze-Chun Yuan, Qing Shi Mimmie Lu, Tim Mcdowell, Susanne Kohalmi, Abdelali Hannoufa

Biology Publications

Our results show that SPL12 plays a crucial role in regulating nodule development in Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa), and that AGL6 is targeted and downregulated by SPL12. Root architecture in plants is critical because of its role in controlling nutrient cycling, water use efficiency and response to biotic and abiotic stress factors. The small RNA, microRNA156 (miR156), is highly conserved in plants, where it functions by silencing a group of SQUAMOSA-PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) transcription factors. We previously showed that transgenic Medicago sativa (alfalfa) plants overexpressing miR156 display increased nodulation, improved nitrogen fixation and enhanced root regenerative capacity during vegetative …


Long-Term Winter-Site Fidelity In Song Sparrows (Melospiza Melodia), Tosha R. Kelly, Keith A. Hobson, Garth @. Casbourn, Elizabeth A. Macdougall-Shackleton, Scott A. Macdougall-Shackleton Jun 2022

Long-Term Winter-Site Fidelity In Song Sparrows (Melospiza Melodia), Tosha R. Kelly, Keith A. Hobson, Garth @. Casbourn, Elizabeth A. Macdougall-Shackleton, Scott A. Macdougall-Shackleton

Biology Publications

In migratory animals, the degree to which individuals return to the same wintering sites across multiple years can affect fitness and population dynamics, and thus has important implications for conservation. Despite this, long-term evaluations of wintering-site fidelity are rare for migratory birds: many populations are intensively studied on their breeding grounds but tracking the migratory movements of small birds once they leave the breeding grounds is challenging. To evaluate patterns of overwintering location and fidelity, we collected winter-grown claw tissue from 301 Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia; 449 samples) captured in spring at their breeding grounds over six consecutive …


No Evidence That Songbirds Use Odour Cues To Avoid Malaria-Infected Conspecifics, Leanne A. Grieves, Elizabeth A. Macdougall-Shackleton Jun 2022

No Evidence That Songbirds Use Odour Cues To Avoid Malaria-Infected Conspecifics, Leanne A. Grieves, Elizabeth A. Macdougall-Shackleton

Biology Publications

Many animals have evolved mechanisms to detect and avoid parasitized conspecifics, primarily through odour cues, but whether birds are capable of odour-mediated parasite avoidance is unknown. Recently, we showed that exposing song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to avian malaria parasites (Plasmodium sp.) alters the chemical composition of their preen oil, which is the major source of body odour in birds. Here, we presented song sparrows with preen oil from uninfected (sham-inoculated) and malaria-infected conspecifics, predicting that birds would spend more time with odour cues from uninfected than infected birds. Birds without detectable malarial infections spent about 50% more …


Seasonal Migration Distance Varies With Natal Dispersal And Predicts Parasitic Infection In Song Sparrows, Tosha R. Kelly, Heather L. Macgillivray, Yanina Sarquis-Adamson, Matthew J. Watson, Keith A. Hobson, Elizabeth A. Macdougall-Shackleton May 2022

Seasonal Migration Distance Varies With Natal Dispersal And Predicts Parasitic Infection In Song Sparrows, Tosha R. Kelly, Heather L. Macgillivray, Yanina Sarquis-Adamson, Matthew J. Watson, Keith A. Hobson, Elizabeth A. Macdougall-Shackleton

Biology Publications

Seasonal migration and natal dispersal represent the major large-scale movements in the lives of animals. Individuals that are relatively prone to movement and exploration might thus be more likely to disperse and also to migrate farther. Such movement might be either negatively associated with parasitic infection (if infection prevents hosts from successful long-distance migration) or positively associated (e.g. if longer-distance migrants encounter more abundant or more diverse parasites). We examined whether natal dispersal tendency predicts seasonal migration distance in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) and whether migration distance predicts infection with bloodborne parasites upon arrival at the breeding grounds. …


Dr. Laurie L. Consaul Herbarium (Uwo), Lauren H. Rego Jan 2022

Dr. Laurie L. Consaul Herbarium (Uwo), Lauren H. Rego

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

Along with the provided databased species, students scanned 257 specimens within the physical herbarium at Wester.