Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Olfactory Appendages In Chemically Meditated Orientation Of Blue Crabs, Troy Keller

Faculty Bibliography

Benthic crustaceans such as the blue crab Callinectes sapidus use various sensory appendages to navigate chemical plumes. We characterized the role of different sensory structures in blue crabs during olfactory search by deafferenting (i.e. removing or rendering inactive) particular sensor populations and by quantifying odor-plume structure and flow dynamics. Our results indicate that blue crabs use both cephalic and thoracic appendages for olfactory-mediated orientation. Cephalic chemosensor deafferentation decreased search success, reduced walking speed and increased the duration of stationary periods. All these deficiencies are manifestations of the inability of crabs to sustain upstream progress. Crabs subjected to deafferentation of thoracic …

A Watershed Analysis Of Threemile Pond: Implications For Water Quality And Land Use Management, Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College, Problems In Environmental Science Course (Biology 493), Colby College

Colby College Watershed Study: Threemile Pond (2003)

The 2003 Colby Environmental Assessment Team chose to study the Threemile Pond watershed. The Threemile Pond watershed is located in Vassalboro, China., Windsor, and Augusta, Maine. Threemile Pond is a popular site for recreation and is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. Like all other lakes in Maine, it is a young lake. However, intensive human activity in the watershed contributes a substantial amount of nutrients and the lake has algal blooms annually in the summer months. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of land use and development on the water quality of …

An Analysis Of Diversity In Freshwater Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) Of The Cuyahoga And Rocky River Watersheds (Ohio, Usa) Based On The 16s Rrna Gene, Robert A. Krebs, Roxana N. Vlasceanu, Michael J.S. Tevesz

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

The continued loss of freshwater unionid mussel species in the Great Lakes region, and particularly from Lake Erie, raises the question of how much phylogenetic and genetic variation remain in the watershed. The introduction of molecular markers into population biology offers one reproducible technique for assessing this variation. A fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of mitochondrial DNA has previously been used to infer phylogenetic relationships in the family Unionidae. Therefore, we reanalyzed these published molecular data with the addition of 12 species from the Cuyahoga and Rocky rivers in northeast Ohio. Both rivers drain to Lake Erie. The species …

Exposure Of Nervous System Cells To Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) Results In Significant Alterations In Levels Of Expression Of Neurotrophic Factors, Charles F. Ide, Jay C. Means, Trisha M. Basford, John Spitsbergen

Biological Sciences Faculty and Graduate Student Research

Toxic insult by PCBs results in learning and memory deficits in humans. Alterations in expression of neurotrophic factors and/or their receptors have been linked to changes in cognition. How PCBs affect cognition is not known. We propose that PCBs affect cognition by altering neurotrophic factor expression or effects. We exposed cultured C6 glial cells in medium containing PCB (Aroclor 1254 (10ppm)). Control cells were treated with DMSO or regular medium. Cells were incubated at 37o C for up to 72 hours. Medium samples were taken at 6hr, 24hr, 48hr, and 72hr intervals. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to determine …

New Illinois Butterfly Records For Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, And Edgar Counties, Paul Switzer, Jared A. Switzer, Isaac C. Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The butterfly (Lepidoptera) fauna of east-central Illinois is largely undocumented. We collected butterflies and examined specimens in the Insect Museum at Eastern Illinois University for unpublished records for five counties in east-central Illinois. Here we report 105 new butterfly county records: 17 for Clark County, 30 for Coles County, 28 for Cumberland County, 9 for Douglas County, and 21 for Edgar County. We also describe behavioral observations, in particular those behaviors related to reproduction, for some of the records. Of special note were two rare vagrants from Coles County found in the museum collection, the orange-barred sulphur (Phoebis philea) and …

Examination Of Estimated 24 Hour Period Of Dendritic Cell Maturation, Sarah Reeves

Capstone Research Projects

Dendritic cells (DCs) are responsible for antigen uptake, presentation, and stimulation of T cells responsible for recognizing these antigens. During the immature stage DCs endocytose fluids and particles from the surrounding interstitial environment, such as the skin, deeper organs, and mucous membranes. Maturity is reached after antigen uptake stimulates the loading of foreign peptides on their major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) molecules, which then are expressed on the cell surface. DCs cease antigen uptake and presentation at some point after the uptake of a maturation stimulus (antigen); at this point the DC is fully mature. It has been …

Size Doesn't Matter: Microbial Selection Experiments Address Ecological Phenomena, Michael Feldgarden, Daniel M. Stoebel, Dustin Brisson, Daniel E. Dykhuizen

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Experimental evolution is relevant to ecology because it can connect physiology, and in particular metabolism, to questions in ecology. The investigation of the linkage between the environment and the evolution of metabolism is tractable because these experiments manipulate a very simple environment to produce predictable evolutionary outcomes. In doing so, microbial selection experiments can examine the causal elements of natural selection: how specific traits in varying environments will yield different fitnesses. Here, we review the methodology of microbial evolution experiments and address three issues that are relevant to ecologists: genotype-by-environment interactions, ecological diversification due to specialization, and negative frequency-dependent selection. …

A Revision Of The Silkmoth Genus Samia, Richard Peigler, Stefan Naumann

Faculty Books

"The authors have collaborated to produce this taxonomic revision and compilation on the splendid moths and caterpillars of the genus Samia, of which 19 species are now known to science. All species are shown in full color. For centuries, colorful and traditional textiles have been woven from their silk on handlooms in India, Bhutan, and China, but with improved technology and globalization, this form of wild silk increasingly attains a higher rank in the world market....

New Illinois Butterfly Records For Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, And Edgar Counties, Paul Switzer, Jared Switzer, Isaac Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The butterfly (Lepidoptera) fauna of east-central Illinois is largely undocumented. We collected butterflies and examined specimens in the Insect Museum at Eastern Illinois University for unpublished records for five counties in east-central Illinois. Here we report 105 new butterfly county records: 17 for Clark County, 30 for Coles County, 28 for Cumberland County, 9 for Douglas County, and 21 for Edgar County. We also describe behavioral observations, in particular those behaviors related to reproduction, for some of the records. Of special note were two rare vagrants from Coles County found in the museum collection, the orange-barred sulphur (Phoebis philea) and …

Nest Characteristics Of The Clapper Rail In Coastal Georgia, Karen F. Gaines, James C. Cumbee Jr., Warren L. Stephens Jr.

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The nesting habitat of the Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris) is not well studied in the southeastern United States. We documented Clapper Rail nest characteristics and surrounding habitats near Brunswick on the Georgia coast. Of 159 nests found, only 29 were active. Although some nests may have been abandoned or never used, many could have been depredated. Nests were constructed farther away from tidal influences than in those populations studied in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Clapper Rails also tended to nest near tidal pools as frequently as tidal creeks, contrasting with other Atlantic coast studies. The greater tidal …

The Comparative Energetics And Growth Strategies Of Sympatric Antarctic And Sub Antarctic Fur Seal Pups, At Iles Crozet, J Py Arnould, S P. Luque, C Guinet, D P. Costa, J Kingston, Scott A. Shaffer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

The period of maternal dependence is a time during which mammalian infants must optimise both their growth and the development of behavioural skills in order to successfully meet the demands of independent living. The rate and duration of maternal provisioning, post-weaning food availability and climatic conditions are all factors likely to influence the growth strategies of infants. While numerous studies have documented differences in growth strategies at high taxonomic levels, few have investigated those of closely related species inhabiting similar environments. The present study examined the body composition, metabolism and indices of physiological development in pups of Antarctic fur seals …

Evolution And Plasticity Of Photosynthetic Thermal Tolerance, Specific Leaf Area And Leaf Size: Congeneric Species From Desert And Coastal Environments, Charles A. Knight, David D. Ackerly

Biological Sciences

• We examined whether increased high temperature photosynthetic thermal tolerance (PT), reduced specific leaf area (SLA) and reduced leaf size represent correlated and convergent adaptations for recently diverged Encelia, Salvia, Atriplex and Eriogonumcongeneric species pairs from contrasting thermal and water environments (the Mojave Desert and coastal California). We also studied whether variation in PT is associated with inducible small heat shock protein expression (sHsp).

• Traits were measured in a common environment (CE) and in the field to partition effects of phenotypic plasticity and genetic divergence.

• We found little evidence for convergent adaptation of PT (CE measurements). Field …

When Does A Reproducing Female Viper (Vipera Aspis) ‘Decide’ On Her Litter Size?, Olivier Lourdais, Xavier Bonnet, Richard Shine, Emily N. Taylor

Biological Sciences

Some organisms rely on stored energy to fuel reproductive expenditure (capital breeders) whereas others use energy gained during the reproductive bout itself (income breeders). Most species occupy intermediate positions on this continuum, but few experimental data are available on the timescale over which food intake can affect fecundity. Mark–recapture studies of free-ranging female aspic vipers Vipera aspis have suggested that reproductive output relies not only on the energy in fat bodies accumulated in previous years, but also on food intake immediately before ovulation. A simple experiment was conducted to test this hypothesis, maintaining female snakes in captivity throughout the vitellogenic …

Spatio-Temporal Patterns Of Campylobacter Contamination In Freshwaters: Results From The Taieri And Motueka Catchments, Rebekah Eyles, George L. Benwell, Dev Niyogi, Colin Townsend, Phil Weinstein

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

New Zealand has a history of rapid ecosystem change since the arrival of humans, resulting in a predominantly agricultural landscape. Non-point source pollution from pastoral land use causes microbial contamination of freshwaters and compromises their suitability for contact recreation. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of campylobacteriosis in the developed world (334 cases per 100, 000 people), yet only a few surveys for Campylobacter in freshwaters have been carried out. This study investigates the influence of land use and other environmental variables on spatio-temporal variation in Campylobacter concentrations in two distinct river catchments (the Taieri and Motueka) of …

Extreme Water Velocities: Topographical Amplification Of Wave-Induced Flow In The Surf Zone Of Rocky Shores, Mark Denny, Luke Miller, M. Stokes, L. J. H. Hunt, B. S. T. Helmuth

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Water velocities as high as 25 m s-1 have been recorded in the surf zone of wave-swept rocky shores-velocities more than twice the phase speed of the breaking waves with which they are associated. How can water travel twice as fast as the waveform that initially induces its velocity? We explore the possibility that the interaction of a wave with the local topography of the shore can greatly amplify the water velocities imposed on intertidal plants and animals. Experiments in a laboratory wave tank show that interactions between bores refracted by a prowlike beach can produce jets in which the …

Biodiversity And Biogeography Of The Islands Of The Kuril Archipelago [Abstract], Theodore W. Pietsch, Victor V. Bogatov, Kunio Amaoka, Yuri N. Zhuravlev, Vyacheslav Y. Barkalov, Sarah Gage, Hideki Takahashi, Arkady S. Lelej, Sergey Y. Storozhenko, Noboru Minakawa, Daniel J. Bennett, Trevor R. Anderson, Masahiro Ôhara, Larisa A. Prozorova, Yasuhiro Kuwahara, Sergey K. Kholin, Mamoru Yabe, Duane E. Stevenson, Erin L. Macdonald

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

To The Knowledge Of Trigonalyid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Trigonalyidae) Of Sakhalin, Daniel J. Bennett, Arkady S. Lelej

Faculty Publications

The northern border for the distribution of the Trigonalyidae on Sakhalin is moved northwards to 49° N. The genus Orthogonalys Schulz, 1905 and O. elongata (Teranishi, 1929) are new for Sakhalin fauna.

Blackspot Disease Of Roses [Abstract], Robert J. Wiggers, Josephine Taylor, J. A. Margoitta, S. G. Pandalai

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Accelerated Hatching Of Southern Leopard Frog (Rana Sphenocephala) Eggs In Response To The Presence Of A Crayfish (Procambarus Nigrocinctus) Predator, Daniel Saenz, James B. Johnson, Cory K. Adams, Gage H. Dayton

Faculty Publications

Phenotypic plasticity, such as morphological and behavioral changes in response to predators, is common in larval anurans. Less is known about inducible defenses in the embryonic stages of development. We investigated the predation risk imposed by crayfish (Procambarus nigrocinctus) on southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala) eggs aud whether crayfish presence induces a change in the timing of hatching of R. sphenocephala eggs. We found that crayfish significantly reduce the hatching success of R. sphenocephala eggs by eating them and that eggs hatch significantly faster in the presence of crayfish than when crayfish are not present. We …

The Influence Of Predator Threat On The Timing Of A Life-History Switch Point: Predator-Induced Hatching In The Southern Leopard Frog (Rana Sphenocephala), James B. Johnson, Daniel Saenz, Cory K. Adams, Richard N. Conner

Faculty Publications

We tested the hypotheses that potential egg predators, crayfish Procambarus nigrocinctus and dytiscid Cybister sp. larvae, would accelerate the timing of hatching and that a larval predator, dragonfly naiad Anax junius, would delay hatching in the southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala). We also tested the hypothesis that differences in response would be proportional to predator lethality. Our results indicate that our hypotheses were partially supported. The presence of an efficient egg predator (crayfish) induces hatching faster than a less efficient predator (dytiscid larvae). However, the presence of a larval predator (naiads) did not delay hatching. Eggs that …

Site‐Selective In Vivo Targeting Of Cytosine‐5 Dna Methylation By Zinc‐Finger Proteins, Christopher D. Carvin, Rebecca D. Parr, Michael P. Kladde

Faculty Publications

Cytosine‐5 DNA methylation is a critical signal defining heritable epigenetic states of transcription. As aberrant methylation patterns often accompany disease states, the ability to target cytosine methylation to preselected regions could prove valuable in re‐establishing proper gene regulation. We employ the strategy of targeted gene methylation in yeast, which has a naturally unmethylated genome, selectively directing de novo DNA methylation via the fusion of C5 DNA methyltransferases to heterologous DNA‐binding proteins. The zinc‐finger proteins Zif268 and Zip53 can target DNA methylation by M.CviPI or M.SssI 5–52 nt from single zinc‐factor binding sites. Modification at specific GC (M.CviPI) or CG (M.SssI) …

Acoustic Communication In Two Freshwater Gobies: Ambient Noise And Short-Range Propagation In Shallow Streams, Marco Lugli, Michael L. Fine

Biology Publications

Noise is an important theoretical constraint on the evolution of signal form and sensory performance. In order to determine environmental constraints on the communication of two freshwater gobies Padogobius martensii and Gobius nigricans, numerous noise spectra weremeasured from quiet areas and ones adjacent to waterfalls and rapids in two shallow stony streams. Propagation of goby sounds and waterfall noise was also measured. A quiet window around 100 Hz is present in many noise spectra from noisy locations. The window lies between two noise sources, a low-frequency one attributed to turbulence, and a high-frequency one (200–500 Hz) attributed to bubble …

Bioavailability Of Uranium And Nickel To Vegetation In A Contaminated Riparian Ecosystem, Tracy Punshon, Karen F. Gaines, Paul M. Bertsch, Joanna Burger

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The lower portion of Tims Branch (TB), a second-order stream system on the Savannah River site (SC, USA), receives influx of mixed waste-contaminated sediments from Steed Pond, a former settling basin for target processing wastes for over three decades. The magnitude and distribution of U, Ni, and other metals and the potential for trophic movement were studied to facilitate risk assessment and determine potential remedial action. Total and sequential extraction of TB soils demonstrated contaminant heterogeneity both spatially and between operationally defined fractions. Metal concentrations were elevated within riparian zone soils in contrast to stream sediments, suggesting off-site transport. Leaf …

Ethanol: A Better Preservation Technique For Daphnia, A. Ross Black, Stanley I. Dodson

Biology Faculty Publications

A 4% formalin-40% sucrose solution has been used by limnologists for three decades as the preferred freshwater zooplankton preservative because it kills and fixes cladocera (Branchiopoda) with relatively little distortion. Because of the increasing evidence of health hazards related to formalin, we sought an alternative, safer preservative that satisfies the need for low distortion. Our results suggest the ethanol preservative methods (70% and 95% treatments) are as good or better as using 4% sugar formalin to fix and store samples. Our results indicate the best method is to fix samples in 95% EtOH followed by storage in 70% EtOH. This …

Small Heat Shock Protein Responses Of A Closely Related Pair Of Desert And Coastal Encelia, Charles A. Knight, David D. Ackerly

Biological Sciences

Evolutionary variation for accumulation of small heat shock protein (sHsp) may contribute to thermal niche differentiation between species. Here we examine temperature and time-course-dependent variation for sHsp accumulation in a recently diverged pair of Encelia raised in a common environment: Encelia farinosa, common in the Mojave desert, and Encelia californica, which is found along the cool coastal bluffs of southern North America. Both species exhibit peak sHsp accumulation at 42^oC. Encelia californica accumulated greater levels of sHsp at temperatures below 42^oC, while E. farinosa had greater levels above 42^oC. Encelia farinosa accumulates …

Gyra Mutations In Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Bartonella Bacilliformis Strains Obtained In Vitro, Michael F. Minnick, Zachary R. Wilson, Laura S. Smitherman, D. Scott Samuels

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We isolated and characterized mutants of Bartonella bacilliformis that are resistant to the fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin, which targets the A subunit of DNA gyrase. Mutants had single point mutations in the gyrA gene that changed either Asp-90 to Gly or Asp-95 to Asn and had 3- or 16-fold higher resistance, respectively, to ciprofloxacin than did wild-type B. bacilliformis. Asp-95 is homologous to Asp-87 of Escherichia coli GyrA and is a common residue mutated in fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of other bacteria. This is the first report of a mutation at an Asp-90 homologue, which corresponds to Asp-82 in E. coli GyrA.

Determination Of The Efficacy Of The Antigen Extraction Technique In The Pathfinder-Eia Chlamydia Detection System, George Ndeta, Broderick Eribo, James Gregory

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

There is need for a fast and reliable method to detect Chlamydia trachomatis. With new technology, a technologist can be processing newly arrived swab samples at the same time that an old batch is being assayed. A technologist should be familiar with the bright apple-green fluorescence of the Chlamydia organism in the MicroTrack technique.

Review Of "Embryos In Wax: Models From The Ziegler Studio" By N. Hopwood, Scott F. Gilbert, J. Bard

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Educating For Social Responsibility: Changing The Syllabus Of Developmental Biology, Scott F. Gilbert, A. Fausto-Sterling

Biology Faculty Works

Developmental biology is deeply embedded in the social issues of our times. Such topics as cloning, stems cells, reproductive technologies, sex selection, environmental hormone mimics and gene therapy all converge on developmental biology. It is therefore critical that developmental biologists learn about the possible social consequences of their work and of the possible molding of their discipline by social forces. We present two models for integrating social issues into the developmental biology curriculum. One model seeks to place discussions of social issues into the laboratory portion of the curriculum; the other model seeks to restructure the course, such that developmental …

The Morphogenesis Of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

The early studies of evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) come from several sources. Tributaries flowing into Evo-Devo came from such disciplines as embryology, developmental genetics, evolutionary biology, ecology, paleontology, systematics, medical embryology and mathematical modeling. This essay will trace one of the major pathways, that from evolutionary embryology to Evo-Devo and it will show the interactions of this pathway with two other sources of Evo-Devo: ecological developmental biology and medical developmental biology. Together, these three fields are forming a more inclusive evolutionary developmental biology that is revitalizing and providing answers to old and important questions involving the formation of biodiversity on …