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Community Ecology And Phylogeography Of Bird Assemblages In Arid Zones Of Northern Venezuela: Implications For The Conservation Of Restricted-Range Birds, Adriana Rodriguez-Ferraro

Dissertations

Aridlands of northern Venezuela are important from an ornithological perspective because of the occurrence of habitat specialist birds that depend exclusively on desert scrubs and are endemic to this region. Currently, long-term survival of habitat specialists is threatened by ongoing changes in vegetation but the effects of such changes on bird assemblages are unknown. The goal of this study was to characterize bird assemblages found in six arid zones in northern Venezuela at both ecological and genetic levels, and to generate information relevant for conservation planning. The study involved assessments of patterns of avian species richness, abundance, community composition and …

Loading Mechanics In Femora Of Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma Tigrinum) And Tegu Lizards (Tupinambis Merianae): Implications For The Evolution Of Limb Bone Design, Kathryn Wright

All Theses

The limb bones of tetrapods exhibit a wide range of shapes and sizes. Because locomotion is one of the most frequent and demanding behaviors in which limbs are used, this diversity in limb structure and design is frequently attributed to variation in the mechanical loading patterns that bones experience during locomotion. Limb bones are usually able to withstand loads much higher than they would normally experience before they fail. This margin of protection is known as a 'safety factor.' High safety factors would provide limb bones substantial insurance against failure, but could also make limb bones more costly to grow, …

Spatial And Temporal Dynamics Of Lekking Behavior And Female Mate Choice In The Blue-Crowned Manakin (Lepidothrix Coronata, Aves: Pipridae), Renata Duraes Ribeiro

Dissertations

In lekking species, males aggregate at display grounds (?leks?) that females visit to copulate. Lekking systems are non-resource-based and males vary widely in reproductive output. This dissertation investigates how spatial and temporal factors influence lekking dynamics and female mate choice in the blue-crowned manakin Lepidothrix coronata. The first chapter deals with spatial dynamics of lekking behavior, and investigates whether leks are formed by the establishment of males on sites of high female density (?hotspot hypothesis?). Predictive maps of female spatial distribution were built based on field data and contrasted to the lek distribution. Leks were located in sites where males …

Grassland Birds In Natural And Cultivated Grasslands In The Northern Campos Of Uruguay: Diversity Patterns, Responses To Vegetation Structure, And Nest Survival, Adrian Bruno Azpiroz

Dissertations

Grassland bird populations are declining in many regions of the world as a consequence of habitat modification but research efforts have been concentrated in North America and Europe. In the Neotropics, however, many aspects of grassland bird ecology remain virtually unexplored. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of habitat modification on the distribution, abundance, and reproductive success of grassland birds in the Northern Campos of Uruguay. The study focused on birds that inhabit four grassland habitats which differed in terms of agricultural management in the Northern Campos of Uruguay. First, distance sampling was used to characterize …

Population Genetics Of Island Endemics: Neutral And Major Histocompatibility Loci, Jennifer Lynn Bollmer

Dissertations

Island archipelagoes are ideal for the study of microevolutionary forces due to their multiple, closely related but geographically disjunct populations. I used both neutral and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci to determine the population genetic structures of bird species endemic to the Galapagos Islands. MHC molecules recognize foreign pathogens in the body, and these loci are known for their high degree of genetic variability maintained by natural selection. Small island populations are predicted to have reduced genetic variability due to the effects of genetic drift; however, selection may be strong enough to prevent the loss of variability at MHC loci. …

Effect Of Rho Kinase Inhibition On Alpha-Actin Remodeling In The Contracting A7r5 Smooth Muscle Cell, Suzette Pike

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Suzette Pike on July 11, 2008,

Do Female Hyaenas Choose Mates Based On Tenure?, Heather E. Watts

Biology Faculty Works

In their investigation into whether female mate-choice drives male dispersal, Höner et al.argue that female spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) prefer mates whose tenure in the social group is less than the females’ age, to avoid paternal incest, and suggest that male dispersal reflects this preference. However, we are not persuaded that females choose mates on the basis of tenure because Höner et al. overlook the alternative hypothesis that dispersal status itself is important in female mate-choice, such that females prefer immigrants over natal males. Like mate-choice based on tenure, choice based on dispersal status reduces the risk of incest.

Protecting Migration Corridors: Challenges And Optimism For Mongolian Saiga, Joel Berger, Julie K. Young, Kim Murray Berger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Microcosm Of The Biomedical Research Experience For Upper-Level Undergraduates, Daryl D. Hurd

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

The skill set required of biomedical researchers continues to grow and evolve as biology matures as a natural science. Science necessitates creative yet critical thinking, persuasive communication skills, purposeful use of time, and adeptness at the laboratory bench. Teaching these skills can be effectively accomplished in an inquiry-based, active-learning environment at a primarily undergraduate institution. Cell Biology Techniques, an upper-level cell biology laboratory course at St. John Fisher College, features two independent projects that take advantage of the biology of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a premier yet simple model organism. First, students perform a miniature epigenetic screen for novel phenotypes …

Species Limits And Phylogeography Of North American Cricket Frogs (Acris: Hylidae), Tony Gamble, Peter B. Berendzen, H. Bradley Shaffer, David E. Starkey, Andrew M. Simons

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Cricket frogs are widely distributed across the eastern United States and two species, the northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans) and the southern cricket frog (A. gryllus) are currently recognized. We generated a phylogenetic hypothesis for Acris using fragments of nuclear and mitochondrial genes in separate and combined phylogenetic analyses. We also used distance methods and fixation indices to evaluate species limits within the genus and the validity of currently recognized subspecies of A. crepitans. The distributions of existing A. crepitans subspecies, defined by morphology and call types, do not match the distributions of evolutionary lineages recovered using …

Out Of The Blue: A Novel, Trans‐Atlantic Clade Of Geckos (Gekkota, Squamata), Tony Gamble, Aaron M. Bauer, Eli Greenbaum, Todd R. Jackman

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Phylogenetic relationships among gekkotan lizards were estimated from five nuclear protein-coding genes in separate and combined analyses using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. All analyses recovered a monophyletic trans-Atlantic gecko clade (Phyllodactylidae) consisting of the genera Asaccus, Haemodracon, Homonota, Phyllodactylus, Phyllopezus, Ptyodactylus, Tarentola and Thecadactylus. No other phylogenetic or taxonomic hypotheses have proposed linking these genera, which have been consistently grouped with other taxa outside of the clade. In this paper, we determine the relationships of this new clade to other major gekkotan groups, evaluate previous phylogenetic hypotheses regarding constituent members of this novel clade, and critically …

Reproductive And Social Dynamics Of A Lek Breeding Bird, Thomas Brandt Ryder

Dissertations

Sociality and the unequal apportionment of reproductive success among social individuals is a common characteristic of many vertebrate taxa. To date, our understanding of what factors drive high variance in reproductive success (i.e., intra vs. inter-sexual selection) and which male attributes contribute to that variance, are still fragmentary for most species. Moreover, how social structure interacts with individual behavior and fitness remains understudied despite its potential importance to the evolution of cooperation. This dissertation research focused on understanding this complex synergistic interplay between social and reproductive dynamics in a lek-breeding bird, the wire-tailed manakin. The first chapter examines the complex …

The Effect Of Ginseng On Biofilm Formation By Wild Type And Mutant Strains Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Premi Shekar

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Premi Shekar on June 25, 2008.

A Reverse Transcriptase-Pcr Assay For Detecting Filarial Infective Larvae In Mosquitoes, Sandra J. Laney, Caitlin J. Buttaro, Sabato Visconti, Nils Pilotte, Reda M.R. Ramzy, Gary J. Weil, Steven A. Williams

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Existing molecular assays for filarial parasite DNA in mosquitoes cannot distinguish between infected mosquitoes that contain any stage of the parasite and infective mosquitoes that harbor third stage larvae (L3) capable of establishing new infections in humans. We now report development of a molecular L3-detection assay for Brugia malayi in vectors based on RT-PCR detection of an L3-activated gene transcript.

Methodology/Principal Findings: Candidate genes identified by bioinformatics analysis of EST datasets across the B. malayilife cycle were initially screened by PCR using cDNA libraries as templates. Stage-specificity was confirmed using RNA isolated from infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were collected daily …

Plumage Ornamentation As An Indicator Of Female Age And An Influence In Male Mate Choice In Protonotaria Citrea, The Prothonotary Warbler In Virginia., Terry Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Flamboyant plumage and ornamentation is common and well-known in male birds; it serves as a sexual display to attract potential mates. While flamboyant plumage is less common and usually more subtle in female birds, it does occur in some species such as Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) and Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea). Prothonotary Warblers display relatively subtle sexual dimorphism. This study examines variations in tail spot patterns in Prothonotary Warblers and relates those variations to age in females. Females with fewer than six spots tend to be two years old or younger; females with six spots or more tend to be …

Zoonotic Disease Emergence : A Study Of Host-Pathogen-Ecosystem Dynamics, Laurie Jeanne Dizney

Dissertations and Theses

A growing body of work demonstrates that loss of biodiversity negatively impacts ecosystem functions. One function, or service, that biodiverse ecosystems provide is suppression of zoonotic diseases, which are defined as diseases carried by wildlife hosts that can spill over into human populations. Ebola, SARS, West Nile virus, Hantavirus, Avian Influenza and Lyme disease are just a few of the recently emerging zoonotic diseases. Disease suppression has been shown for Lyme disease by the dilution effect, whereby increasing species diversity decreases disease prevalence in the host populations. But does a dilution effect apply to other disease systems? To test this …

Effects Of Mek5/Erk5 Association On Small Ubiquitin-Related Modification Of Erk5implications For Diabetic Ventricular Dysfunction After Myocardial Infarction, Tetsuro Shishido, Chang Hoon Woo, Bo Ding, Carolyn Mcclain, Carlos Molina, Chen Yan, Jay Yang, Jun Ichi Abe

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Diabetes mellitus (DM) contributes to the exacerbation of left ventricle (LV) dysfunction after myocardial infarction (MI). Activation of ERK5, an atypical mitogen activated protein kinase with transcriptional activity, inhibits apoptosis and LV dysfunction after doxorubicin treatment. SUMOylation has been proposed as a negative regulator of various transcription factors. In the current study, we investigated the role of ERK5-SUMOylation in ERK5 transcriptional activity as well as on DM-mediated exacerbation of LV dysfunction and apoptosis after MI. ERK5 wild-type transcriptional activity was inhibited by Ubc9 (SUMO E2 conjugase) or PIAS1 (E3 ligase), but not in the ERK5-SUMOylation-site defective mutant (K6R/K22R). H2O2 and …

Separating Developmental And Environmental Effects On Fluctuating Asymmetry In Lythrum Salicaria And Penthorum Sedoides, Jennifer R. Milligan, Robert A. Krebs, Tarun K. Mal

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Environmental stress can disrupt developmental processes on biological, physiological, and chemical levels and thereby affect the symmetry of a trait. For this reason, fluctuating asymmetry is often proposed as a measure of stress encountered by an individual. One problem is that asymmetry may have multiple causes, including developmental noise and genetic background, and genetic differences may interact with any physiological stress imposed by the environment. The main objective of this research was to determine whether developmental noise and genetic stress can be separated from environmental effects on leaf asymmetry. The experiments were conducted on two wetland plants, Lythrum salicaria (purple …

Differential Exposure, Duration, And Sensitivity Of Unionoidean Bivalve Life Stages To Environmental Contaminants, W. Gregory Cope, Robert B. Bringolf, David B. Buchwalter, Teresa J. Newton, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Ning Wang, Tom Augspurger, F. James Dwyer, M. Christopher Barnhart, For Complete List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website., Edward Hammer

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

Freshwater mussels (superfamily Unionoidea) are in serious global decline and in urgent need of protection and conservation. The declines have been attributed to a wide array of human activities resulting in pollution and water-quality degradation, and habitat destruction and alteration. Linkages among poor water quality, pollutant sources, and mussel decline in rivers and streams have been associated with results of laboratory-based tests of specific pollutants. However, uncertainties remain about the relationship of laboratory data to actual contaminant exposure routes for various mussel species, life stages, and in the habitats occupied during these exposures. We evaluated the pathways of exposure to …

Botany At Eastern Illinois University, Marissa C. Jernegan, Nancy Coutant, Janice M. Coons

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Eastern Illinois University was established in 1899, and from its beginning recognized the importance of the botanical sciences. Two terms of botany were required for the four year program. Otis W. Caldwell, a botanist, was one of the original faculty members. He taught all of the biology courses and initiated the acquisition of a greenhouse. Caldwell was the first of a series of talented and dedicated botany professors including Edgar N. Transeau, Ernest L. Stover, Hiram F. Thut and John E. Ebinger. These and many other professors incorporated a field component into almost all classes. This dedication to the study …

Climate Change And The Future Of California's Endemic Flora, Scott R. Loarie, Benjamin E. Carter, Katherine Hayhoe, Sean Mcmahon, Richard Moe, Charles A. Knight, David D. Ackerly

Biological Sciences

The flora of California, a global biodiversity hotspot, includes 2387 endemic plant taxa. With anticipated climate change, we project that up to 66% will experience >80% reductions in range size within a century. These results are comparable with other studies of fewer species or just samples of a region’s endemics. Projected reductions depend on the magnitude of future emissions and on the ability of species to disperse from their current locations. California’s varied terrain could cause species to move in very different directions, breaking up present-day floras. However, our projections also identify regions where species undergoing severe range reductions may …

A Strategy For Managing The Recreational Catch Of Demersal Scalefish In The West Coast Bioregion. Decisions By The Minister For Fisheries, Jon Ford (Minister For Fisheries; The Kimberley, Pilbara And Gascoyne)

Fisheries Management Papers

The following recreational fisheries management package is a result of an extensive public consultation process. The package has been carefully developed to deliver the required reduction in catches. It is important to understand that each management measure contributes to the reduction in catches necessary to give these stocks a chance to rebuild and that no measure on its own will deliver the required reduction in catch.

To ensure the ongoing recovery of stocks, an adaptive approach to management has been adopted. This approach will involve an ongoing review of the effectiveness of these management arrangements, and take into account the …

Movement And Habitat Use Of Two Aquatic Turtles (Graptemys Geographic And Trachemys Scripta) In An Urban Landscape, Travis J. Ryan, C A. Conner, B A. Douthitt, S C. Sterrett, Carmen M. Salsbury

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Our study focuses on the spatial ecology and seasonal habitat use of two aquatic turtles in order to understand the manner in which upland habitat use by humans shapes the aquatic activity, movement, and habitat selection of these species in an urban setting. We used radiotelemetry to follow 15 female Graptemys geographica (common map turtle) and each of ten male and female Trachemys scripta (red-eared slider) living in a man-made canal within a highly urbanized region of Indianapolis, IN, USA. During the active season (between May and September) of 2002, we located 33 of the 35 individuals a total of …

Undetected Species Losses, Food Webs, And Ecological Baselines: A Cautionary Tale From The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Usa, Joel Berger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Large protected areas are often considered natural yet outside pressures may compromise ecological integrity. This paper points to a problem in assessing ecological baselines: what if species' extirpations go undetected? I present a data set spanning 130 years that demonstrates the loss of white-tailed jack rabbits Lepus townsendii from two National Parks in the well studied 60,000 km(2) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA. While these extirpations have been unnoticed until now, an ecological consequence may be elevated predation on juvenile ungulates. A critical challenge we face is how to apply better the concept of shifting baselines to the restoration of functional …

Reproductive Effort In Squirrels: Ecological, Phylogenetic, Allometric, And Latitudinal Patterns, Virginia Hayssen

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The distinctive features of reproduction in squirrels are the lack of allometric influences on the duration of reproductive investment; the strong allometric influences on offspring mass; and a trade-off between number and size of young, suggesting an important developmental component to reproduction. Lengths of gestation and lactation do not vary with body size but neonatal and weaning mass do. Apparently, the major constraint on reproduction in squirrels is not resources per se (food, calories, minerals, or water) but rather the length of time such resources are available. Squirrels adjust growth rate to fit the timing of resource abundance. Within the …

Behavioral And Physiological Ecology Of Scorpion Venom Expenditure: Stinging, Spraying, And Venom Regeneration, Zia Nisani

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In this dissertation, I reviewed the functional aspects of venom from a behavioral perspective to develop a comprehensive understanding of the behavioral ecology of venom. To explore the behavioral and physiological ecology of venom expenditure by scorpions, I conducted four studies of the medically significant Buthid scorpion Parabuthus transvaalicus. The first two experiments revealed that scorpions regulate their venom expenditure during defensive stinging and squirting in the most complex manner yet described for any venomous organism. When stinging, these scorpions can choose between delivering a dry or wet sting. Should they deliver a wet sting, they meter the volume …

Contribution Of Cystine-Glutamate Antiporters To The Psychotomimetic Effects Of Phencyclidine, David A. Baker, Aric Madayag, Lars V. Kristiansen, James H. Meador-Woodruff, Vahram Haroutunian, Ilangovan Raju

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Altered glutamate signaling contributes to a myriad of neural disorders, including schizophrenia. While synaptic levels are intensely studied, nonvesicular release mechanisms, including cystine–glutamate exchange, maintain high steady-state glutamate levels in the extrasynaptic space. The existence of extrasynaptic receptors, including metabotropic group II glutamate receptors (mGluR), pose nonvesicular release mechanisms as unrecognized targets capable of contributing to pathological glutamate signaling. We tested the hypothesis that activation of cystine–glutamate antiporters using the cysteine prodrug N-acetylcysteine would blunt psychotomimetic effects in the rodent phencyclidine (PCP) model of schizophrenia. First, we demonstrate that PCP elevates extracellular glutamate in the prefrontal cortex, an effect …

Complementary Dna Sequencing And Identification Of Mrnas From Venomous Gland Of Agkistrodon Piscivorus Leucostoma, Ying Jia, Bruno A. Cantu, Elda E. Sánchez, John C. Pérez

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

To advance our knowledge on the snake venom composition and transcripts expressed in venom gland at the molecular level, we constructed a cDNA library from venom gland of Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma for the generation of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) database. From the randomly sequenced 2,112 independent clones, we have obtained ESTs for 1,309 (62%) cDNAs which showed significant deduced amino acid sequence similarity (scores > 80) to previously characterized proteins in NCBI database. Ribosomal proteins make up 47 clones (2%) and the remaining 756 (36%) cDNAs represent either unknown identity or show BLASTX sequence identity scores of < 80 with known GenBank accessions. The most highly expressed gene encoding phospholipase A2 (PLA2) accounting for 35% of A. p. leucostoma venom …

The Cul7 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Targets Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 For Ubiquitin-Dependent Degradation, Pascal J. Lafontant

Biology Faculty publications

Recent genetic studies have documented a pivotal growth regulatory role played by the Cullin 7 (CUL7) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex containing the Fbw8-substrate-targeting subunit, Skp1, and the ROC1 RING finger protein. In this report, we identified insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), a critical mediator of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling, as a proteolytic target of the CUL7 E3 ligase in a manner that depends on mammalian target of rapamycin and the p70 S6 kinase activities. Interestingly, while embryonic fibroblasts of Cul7-/- mice were found to accumulate IRS-1 and exhibit increased activation of IRS-1’s downstream Akt and MEK/ERK pathways, these …

The Parallel Worm Tracker: A Platform For Measuring Average Speed And Drug-Induced Paralysis In Nematodes, Daniel Ramot, Brandon E. Johnson, Tommie L. Berry Jr., Lucinda Carnell, Miriam B. Goodman

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Background

Caenorhabditis elegans locomotion is a simple behavior that has been widely used to dissect genetic components of behavior, synaptic transmission, and muscle function. Many of the paradigms that have been created to study C. elegans locomotion rely on qualitative experimenter observation. Here we report the implementation of an automated tracking system developed to quantify the locomotion of multiple individual worms in parallel.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Our tracking system generates a consistent measurement of locomotion that allows direct comparison of results across experiments and experimenters and provides a standard method to share data between laboratories. The tracker utilizes a video camera …