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Influence Of Increasing Number Of Mating Partners On Mating Behaviour And Reproduction In Brandt’S Voles, Jianjun Zhang, Zhibin Zhang, Lixing Sun

Biology Faculty Scholarship

The influence of increasing number of mating partners on the copulatory behavior and reproduction in Brandt’s voles (Microtus brandti) was studied. Compared with the control group of 1 ♂ + 1 ♀, our results showed when increasing only female partners, the mating opportunity was increased in males while decreased in female in the treatment group of 1 ♂ + 2 ♀♀; the mating opportunity of male and female were both decreased significantly in the treatment group of 1 ♂ + 3 ♀♀. When increasing only male partners, male mating opportunity in treatment groups 2 ♂♂ + 1 ♀ …

The Edaphic Factor In The Origin Of Plant Species, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Although speciation has been a central focus in evolutionary biology for more than a century, there are very few case studies where we have a good understanding of the exact forces that may have acted in the diversification of a group of organisms. In order to examine such forces, botanists have often focused on closely related plants that are found under contrasting soil conditions. The study of such edaphically differentiated plants has provided valuable insight to the role of natural selection in evolution. This paper discusses several key studies that have appeared in the literature in the last half century …

Comparative Population Dynamics Of Freshwater Dinoflagellates Of The Genera Peridinium And Peridiniopsis, Andy Canion

Honors Theses

Freshwater dinoflagellates, like their marine relatives, have the potential to reach large population sizes known as blooms. Though they are not toxic like some marine forms, freshwater blooms may have a large impact in their respective ecosystem. This study investigated the temporal and spatial changes in population density of four Peridinium species (P. deflandrei, P. volzii, P. wisconsinense, and P. limbatum) and one Peridiniopsis species (Peridiniopsis polonicium) in Boondoggle Lake, a shallow lake (4.5 m) in northern Mississippi (Lafayette Co.). On each sampling date, measurements of the abiotic environment were made, including dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and turbidity. Also, water …

Shallow-Water Coral Reefs In Transition: Examples From Belize And The Bahamas, H. Allen Curran, Paulette M. Peckol, Benjamin J. Greenstein, Shannon Ristau, Susan Deyoung

Geosciences: Faculty Publications

Reprinted from: Ronald D. Lewis and Bruce C. Panuska (eds.) Proceedings of the 11th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and Other Carbonate Regions: San Salvador, Gerace Research Center

Size And Temperature In The Evolution Of Fish Life Histories, Eric Charnov, James Gillooly

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Body size and temperature are the two most important variables affecting nearly all biological rates and times, especially individual growth or production rates. By favoring an optimal maturation age and reproductive allocation, natural selection links individual growth to the mortality schedule. A recent model for evolution of life histories for species with indeterminate growth, which includes most fish, successfully predicts the numeric values of two key dimensionless numbers and the allometry of the average reproductive allocation versus maturation size across species. Here we use this new model to predict the relationships of age-at-maturity, adult mortality and reproductive effort to environmental …

The Optimal Balance Between Growth Rate And Survival In Mammals, Eric Charnov

Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Evolutionary theory for life-history allometry in mammals is extended to include a trade-off between body-size growth rate and adult lifespan.

Full-Length Mitochondrial Genome Sequence Of Biomphalaria Glabrata, Coen Adema

Biomphalaria Genome Initiative

No abstract provided.

Land Use Effects On Lake Water Quality In Central Florida, Jonathan Seiler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Land use affects the water quality of lakes. Different land use types yield different effects due to varying amounts and constituents of runoff. In this study, the effects of surrounding land use on the water quality of 50 lakes in Seminole County, Florida was assessed. Using GIS, I placed buffers of 100 and 500 m around each lake. The percentages of land use type were calculated within these buffers for 1990 and 1995. An ordination of lakes was done using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) to determine if the surrounding land use patterns were adequate to describe the trophic status of …

Evaluation Of Artificial Lighting Sources For The Acquisition Of Color Infrared Imagery Under Glasshouse Conditions, Kenneth R. Summy, Christopher R. Little, Ruben A. Mazariegos, Diana Lee Hinojosa-Kettelkamp, Jeri Carter, Shireen Yousef, Robert Valdez

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

English: Research was conducted to evaluate the spectral properties, illumination intensities and lighting patterns of four basic categories of bulbs and lamps which could conceivably serve as sole lighting sources for the acquisition of color infrared (CIR) imagery under glasshouse conditions. Bulbs and lamps in two major categories (fluorescent tubes and sodium- and mercury-vapor glasshouse lamps) were deemed unsuitable for this purpose either because they emitted little or no nearinfrared (NIR) radiation or because they imparted an overall bluish cast that seriously degraded the quality of CIR imagery. All of the incandescent and quartz halogen lamps evaluated in these studies …

Regional Ecological Resource Assessment Of The Rio Grande Riparian Corridor: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Understanding Anthropogenic Effects On Riparian Communities In Semi-Arid Environments, Jay Raney, Amy Neuenschwander, Frank W. Judd, Gene Paull, Melba Crawford, Robert I. Lonard, Tatiana Encheva, Thomas Tremblay, William White

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

Riparian ecosystems of the Southwestern United States are among the most productive ecosystems of North America. The rapid decline of these ecosystems throughout the United States, including the Lower Rio Grande Valley, has made riparian conservation a focal issue. This was a multidisciplinary study of riparian communities along the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Mexico. The objectives of this research project were to: (1) acquire and analyze high-resolution, remotely sensed data from multiple sensors; (2) integrate existing and new field data and remotely sensed data into a geographic information system (GIS); (3) ascertain whether the native vegetation communities …

Hooded Oriole Nest Failure Associated With A Novel Nest Site, Kevin Ellison, Timothy Brush

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

Ecological traps occur where species are attracted to use a resource that exposes them to greater than normal risk of mortality or reproductive failure. We observed complete failure of Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus) nests in streetlights in a south Texas suburb where use of such nest sites was relatively common. This is of concern as streetlights functioned essentially as traps: orioles built their nests within them but all these nests failed, evidently because the eggs were exposed to lethal temperatures. Moreover, Hooded Oriole nesting success on all other substrates in this area was low (31%, n -- 69). Therefore, sufficient …

Expression Of Mslec1 Transgenes In Alfalfa Plants Causes Symbiotic Abnormalities, Nancy Fujishige

Biology Faculty Works

Legume lectins have been proposed to have important symbiotic roles during Rhizobium-legume symbioses. To test this hypothesis, the symbiotic responses of transgenic alfalfa plants that express a portion of the putative alfalfa lectin gene MsLEC1 or MsLEC2 in either the antisense or sense orientation were analyzed following inoculation with wild-type Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021. MsLEC1-antisense (LEC1AS) plants were stunted, exhibited hypernodulation, and developed not only abnormally large nodules but also numerous small nodules, both of which senesced prematurely. MsLEC2-antisense plants were intermediate in growth and nodule number compared with LEC1AS and vector control plants. The symbiotic abnormalities of MsLEC1-sense transgene plants …

The Effects Of Lawn Management On Soil Microarthropods, Loren B. Byrne, Mary Anne Bruns

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Scale Model Of A Soil Aggregate And Associated Organisms: A Teaching Tool For Soil Ecology, Mary Anne Bruns, Loren B. Byrne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Soil is a complex habitat for diverse biota. A significant challenge in teaching soil ecology is our inability to observe organisms as they live and interact in the soil. The objective of this article is to describe an interactive class project to help students visualize the sizes of different groups of soil organisms and to relate these to soil structural components. This project was carried out by students in an upper-level undergraduate soil ecology class. It involved the design and construction of a 4000× scale model of a soil aggregate and its associated organisms. The body of the model was …

Testing For Resistance Of Pelagic Marine Copepods To A Toxic Dinoflagellate, Sean Colin, Hans G. Dam

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

With few exceptions, the evolutionary consequences of harmful algae to grazers in aquatic systems remain unexplored. To examine both the ecological and evolutionary consequences of harmful algae on marine zooplankton, we used a two-fold approach. In the first approach, we examined the life history responses of two geographically separate Acartia hudsonica (Copepoda Calanoida) populations reared on diets containing the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense . One copepod population was from a region, Casco Bay, Maine, USA, that has experienced recurrent blooms of highly toxic Alexandrium spp. for decades; whereas the other population from Great Bay, New Jersey, USA, has never been …

Occurrence And Characterization Of Mercury Resistance In The Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus Solfataricus By Use Of Gene Disruption, James Schelert, Vidula Dixit, Viet Hoang, Jessica Simbahan, Melissa Drozda, Paul H. Blum

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mercury resistance mediated by mercuric reductase (MerA) is widespread among bacteria and operates under the control of MerR. MerR represents a unique class of transcription factors that exert both positive and negative regulation on gene expression. Archaea and bacteria are prokaryotes, yet little is known about the biological role of mercury in archaea or whether a resistance mechanism occurs in these organisms. The archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus was sensitive to mercuric chloride, and low-level adaptive resistance could be induced by metal preconditioning. Protein phylogenetic analysis of open reading frames SSO2689 and SSO2688 clarified their identity as orthologs of MerA and MerR. …

Culture-Independent Analysis Of Fecal Enterobacteria In Environmental Samples By Single-Cell Mrna Profiling, Han Chen, Gomathinayagam Ponniah, Nancy Salonen, Paul H. Blum

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

A culture-independent method called mRNA profiling has been developed for the analysis of fecal enterobacteria and their physiological status in environmental samples. This taxon-specific approach determines the single-cell content of selected gene transcripts whose abundance is either directly or inversely proportional to growth state. Fluorescence in situ hybridization using fluorochrome-labeled oligonucleotide probes was used to measure the cellular concentration of fis and dps mRNA. Relative levels of these transcripts provided a measure of cell growth state and the ability to enumerate fecal enterobacterial cell number. Orthologs were cloned by inverse PCR from several major enterobacterial genera, and probes specific for …

Mercury Inactivates Transcription And The Generalized Transcription Factor Tfb In The Archaeon Sulfolobus Solfataricus, Vidula Dixit, Elisabetta Bini, Melissa Drozda, Paul H. Blum

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mercury has a long history as an antimicrobial agent effective against eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.

Despite its prolonged use, the basis for mercury toxicity in prokaryotes is not well understood. Archaea, like

bacteria, are prokaryotes but they use a simplified version of the eukaryotic transcription apparatus. This

study examined the mechanism of mercury toxicity to the archaeal prokaryote Sulfolobus solfataricus. In vivo

challenge with mercuric chloride instantaneously blocked cell division, eliciting a cytostatic response at

submicromolar concentrations and a cytocidal response at micromolar concentrations. The cytostatic response

was accompanied by a 70% reduction in bulk RNA synthesis and elevated …

Ecological Effects Of Transgenic Crops And The Escape Of Transgenes Into Wild Populations, Diana Pilson, Holly R. Prendeville

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Ecological risks associated with the release of transgenic crops include nontarget effects of the crop and the escape of transgenes into wild populations. Nontarget effects can be of two sorts: (a) unintended negative effects on species that do not reduce yield and (b) greater persistence of the crop in feral populations. Conventional agricultural methods, such as herbicide and pesticide application, have large and well- documented nontarget effects. To the extent that transgenes have more specific target effects, transgenic crops may have fewer nontarget effects. The escape of transgenes into wild populations, via hybridization and introgression, could …

Landscape Vs. Local Habitat Scale Influences To Insect Communities From Tallgrass Prairie Remnants, Kristal J.L. Stoner, Anthony Joern

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Habitat loss and fragmentation currently threaten ecosystems worldwide, yet remain difficult to quantify because within-fragment habitat and landscape-scale influences often interact in unique ways. Although individual species respond to fragmentation differently, large-scale conservation planning must unavoidably target multiple species. Although information on a population’s response to fragmentation is critical, and measurements of species richness provide useful insights, exclusive reliance on these responses may mask important information about the taxonomic composition of assemblages in response to fragmentation. The North American tallgrass prairie ecosystem is one of the most threatened and fragmented ecosystems in the world, and insects are significant contributors to …

Mark–Recapture And Behavioral Ecology: A Case Study Of Cliff Swallows, C. R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Mark–recapture and behavioral ecology: a case study of Cliff Swallows.— Mark–recapture and the statistical analysis methods associated with it offer great potential for investigating fitness components associated with particular behavioral traits. However, few behavioral ecologists have used these techniques. We illustrate the insights that have come from a long–term mark–recapture study of social behavior in Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota). The number of transient swallows passing through a colony per hour increased with colony size and was responsible in part for increased rates of ectoparasite introduction from outside the group into the larger colonies. Annual survival probabilities of …

Juvenile And Adult Survival In The Sociable Weaver (Philetairus Socius), A Southern-Temperate Colonial Cooperative Breeder In Africa, Rita Covas, Charles R. Brown, Mark D. Anderson, Mary Bomberger Brown

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We used capture–recapture analyses to describe juvenile and adult survival from 1993 to 2001 in a population of Sociable Weavers (Philetairus socius), a colonial, cooperatively breeding passerine of southern Africa. We examined temporal variation in survival and the role that the breeding season’s length and environmental factors play in determining survival patterns in the population. Annual survival probability (mean ± SE) was 0.66 ± 0.02. In contrast to most passerines, juveniles and adults had similar survival probabilities; survival rates did not vary significantly between years. We found no relationship among temperature, rainfall, and survival. Relatively high survival rates …

Group Size And Ectoparasitism Affect Daily Survival Probability In A Colonial Bird, Charles R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Little is known in general about how group size or ectoparasitism affect survival in colonial animals. We estimated daily within-season survival probabilities for nesting adult and recently fledged juvenile cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) at 239 colonies from 1983 to 2003 in southwestern Nebraska, USA. Some colonies had been fumigated to remove ectoparasites. We conducted mark-recapture at each colony site to estimate daily survival. There were no systematic differences between males and females in daily survival. Adults and juveniles occupying parasite-free colonies had, on average, 4.4% and 62.2% greater daily survival, respectively, than their counterparts in naturally infested colonies. …

Liana Diversity, Abundance, And Mortality In A Tropical Wet Forest In Costa Rica, Joseph Mascaro, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Walter P. Carson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Lianas can have a large impact on the diversity, structure, and dynamics of tropical forests, yet they remain essentially unknown even in some of the most intensely studied tropical forests, such as La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. We quantified the diversity, abundance, and mortality of lianas in primary and selectively logged forest at La Selva for over 3 years, from January 1999 until July 2002. We measured, identified, permanently marked, and mapped all lianas ≥1.3 m in length and 2 mm in diameter, whether climbing or free-standing, in nine, m (864 m²) plots. There were no …

Evolutionary Divergence In Developmental Strategies And Neuromodulatory Control Systems Of Two Amphibian Locomotor Networks, Simon D. Merrywest, David L. Mclean, James T. Buchanan, Keith T. Sillar

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Attempts to understand the neural mechanisms which produce behaviour must consider both prevailing sensory cues and the central cellular and synaptic changes they direct. At each level, neuromodulation can additionally shape the final output. We have investigated neuromodulation in the developing spinal motor networks in hatchling tadpoles of two closely related amphibians, Xenopus laevis and Rana temporaria to examine the subtle differences in their behaviours that could be attributed to their evolutionary divergence.

At the point of hatching, both species can swim in response to a mechanosensory stimulus, however Rana embryos often display a more forceful, non-locomotory coiling behaviour. Whilst …

Plasma Levels Of Vitamins A And E In Marine Turtles (Chelonia Mydas And Caretta Caretta), Karen Patricia Frutchey

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Insight into blood values for free-ranging populations of chelonians is very incomplete. A better understanding of marine turtle ecological physiology is necessary for population health assessments and conservation management plans. Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble compounds required by vertebrates. Vitamin A is required for growth, differentiation and integrity of epithelial tissue, bone remodeling, reproduction and vision. Vitamin E is a constituent of cell membranes where it is an antioxidant and free radical scavenger. Both nutrients are required for reproduction and immune system function. I determined concentrations of vitamins A and E in plasma of blood samples from Caretta caretta …

Nuclear Surveillance And Degradation Of Hypomodified Initiator TrnaMet In S. Cerevisiae, Sujatha Kadaba, Anna Krueger, Tamyra Trice, Annette M. Krecic, Alan G. Hinnebusch, James T. Anderson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The tRNA m¹A58 methyltransferase is composed of two subunits encoded by the essential genes TRM6 and TRM61 (formerly GCD10 and GCD14). The trm6-504 mutation results in a defective m¹A methyltransferase (Mtase) and a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype that is attributable to the absence of m¹A58 and consequential tRNA_i^Met instability. We used a genetic approach to identify the genes responsible for tRNA_i^Met degradation in trm6 cells. Three recessive extragenic mutations that suppress trm6-504 mutant phenotypes and restore hypomodified tRNA_i^Met to near normal levels were identified. The wild-type allele of …

Distribución Geográfica De La Fauna De Anfibios Del Uruguay, Diego Nuñez, Raúl Maneyro, José A. Langone, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Datos precises sobre la distribución geográfica de los organismos de una región son necesarios y prerrequisito para entender las interrelaciones ecológicas entre las comunidades biológicas. Esta información también contribuye a entender el componente histórico de la región posibilitando la determinación de centros de origen y el establecimiento de patrones de diversidad (Ron, 2000), así mismo posibilita realizar inferencias acerca de los mecanismos de especiación en los diferentes grupos zoológicos (Bridarolli & Di Tada, 1994).

La distribución geográfica de los anfibios en Uruguay ha sido parcialmente reportada (Achaval & Olmos, 1997; Langone, 1995; Maneyro et al, 1995; Maneyro & Langone, 2001). …

A Survey Of Antibiotic Resistance Among Coliform Bacteria Isolated From The Missouri River, Sara E. Mcdonnell, Amy M. Treonis

Biology Faculty Publications

The prevalence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms in the environment is not well known but could represent a challenge to maintaining public health in the future. Fecal waste from livestock facilities, where antibiotics are routinely used, is recognized as a significant source of pollution to surface waters in the United States. We collected water from the Missouri River across a winter to spring seasonal change in order to survey the density of coliform bacteria. We tested bacterial isolates for resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, ampicillin, erythromycin, and ciprofloxacin. Coliform density in Missouri River water generally was high throughout the study (0-405 cfu …

Características Histológicas De La Tumefacción Frontal De Melanophryniscus (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae), Daniel E. Naya, José A. Langone, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Se analizó la histología tegumentaria de la región cefálica en seis especies del género Melanophryniscus, pertenecientes a los grupos stelzneri (4) y tumifrons (2), con el objetivo de esclarecer la estructura de la tumefacción frontal y su posible función. Las características generales de la histología del grupo stelzneri, coincidieron con las descripciones tegumentarias existentes para el género. Sin embargo, la región cefálica frontal en las dos especies del grupo tumifrons muestran cambios histológicos correlacionados a la tumefacción frontal. Esta estructura presenta una organización similar a otras macroglándulas presentes en la dermis de anuros (e.g., parotoides, paracnémicas), y por tanto se …