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Investigating Drivers Of Genetic Structure In Plants: Global, Regional And Local Scales, Diana Gamba-Moreno

Dissertations

Genetic structure within and among plant populations is a critical component of plant biodiversity, informing local adaptation, conservation, and incipient speciation. However, its drivers remain poorly understood, especially across different spatial scales. In my dissertation I examined factors that affect plant population genetic structure at global, regional, and local scales. At the global scale, I performed a literature review of population genetic differentiation (F_ST) in seed plants based on a 337-species dataset with data on F_ST and species traits. Using phylogenetic multiple regressions, I found that F_ST is higher for tropical, mixed-mating, non-woody species pollinated by …

Termitodiellus Mindanaoensis, A New Species Of Rhyparini Schmidt, 1910 (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) From The Philippines, Łukasz Minkina, Showtaro Kakizoe

Insecta Mundi

A new species of the genus Termitodiellus Nakane, 1961—T. mindanaoensis Minkina and Kakizoe, new species from Mindanao Island in the Philippines is described and illustrated. Photographs of the epipharynx of Termitodiellus species are provided for the first time. A short discussion of the phylogeny of Rhyparini Schmidt, 1910 is presented.

Impacts Of Invasive Rats And Tourism On A Threatened Island Bird: The Palau Micronesian Scrubfowl, Paul M. Radley, Robert A. Davis, Tim S. Doherty

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Invasive predators have decimated island biodiversity worldwide. Rats (Rattus spp.) are perhaps the greatest conservation threat to island fauna. The ground nesting Palau Micronesian Scrubfowl Megapodius laperouse senex (Megapodiidae) inhabits many of the islands of Palau's Rock Island Southern Lagoon Conservation Area (RISL) in the western Pacific. These islands are also heavily visited by tourists and support populations of introduced rats, both of which may act as added stressors for the scrubfowl. Using passive chew-tag and call playback surveys on five tourist-visited and five tourist-free islands, we investigated if rats and tourists negatively affect scrubfowl, and if higher rat activity …

Genotyping-By-Sequencing And Ecological Niche Modeling Illuminate Phylogeography, Admixture, And Pleistocene Range Dynamics In Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides), Justin C. Bagley, Neander M. Heming, Eliécer E. Gutiérrez, Upendra K. Devisetty, Karen E. Mock, Andrew J. Eckert, Steven H. Strauss

Ecology Center Publications

Populus tremuloides is the widest‐ranging tree species in North America and an ecologically important component of mesic forest ecosystems displaced by the Pleistocene glaciations. Using phylogeographic analyses of genome‐wide SNPs (34,796 SNPs, 183 individuals) and ecological niche modeling, we inferred population structure, ploidy levels, admixture, and Pleistocene range dynamics of P. tremuloides, and tested several historical biogeographical hypotheses. We found three genetic lineages located mainly in coastal–Cascades (cluster 1), east‐slope Cascades–Sierra Nevadas–Northern Rockies (cluster 2), and U.S. Rocky Mountains through southern Canadian (cluster 3) regions of the P. tremuloides range, with tree graph relationships of the form ((cluster 1, …

Analyzing The Flight Patterns And Behavior Of Dragonflies Engaged In Aerial Territory Battles, Brandon Hastings, Brandon Jackson

Virtual 2020 Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

It has previously been determined that male dragonflies occupying the most suitable territory within a habitat have a higher flight-muscle ratio (FMR) than those occupying poor territories, but it is unknown how this increased FMR relates to their flight patterns. This study examined the flight patterns of dragonflies engaged in aerial territory battles to investigate differences in maneuverability between winners and losers. 3D video data of dragonflies interacting in a natural habitat was analyzed for territorial flights. Winners showed a lower maximum angular velocity compared to losers.

333— Effectiveness Of Batesian Mimicry In The Ant Mimicking Spider Myrmarachne Formicaria, Alanna Richman, Bea Dipzinski

GREAT Day Posters

Myrmarachne formicaria is a non-native ant-mimicking spider that was first recorded in New York in 2006. Little is known about its natural history in its native range in Europe and Asia or in its newly colonized range in North America. Some spider species are Batesian mimics that resemble ants in order to avoid being eaten, since many potential predators will not prey on ants. To assess the effectiveness of Batesian mimicry in this species, we staged encounters with a larger salticid spider species that could be a potential predator of M. formicaria. In total, 12 predator spiders were observed …

170— A Comparison Of Native And Invasive Plant Species Microhabitats In Western Ny, Emelyn Bell

GREAT Day Posters

Previous research concluded that the extended leaf phenology of invasive plant species Lonicera maackii (Amur Honeysuckle) reduced seed predation, possibly due to less favorable microclimates for invertebrate seed predators. In the fall of 2019, we conducted a field experiment to observe the microhabitat preferences of snails. In our study, we selected six pairs of invasive L. maackii and native Cornus racemosa (Gray Dogwood) throughout the Roemer Arboretum. Twice weekly, we recorded temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, light, soil pH, and soil moisture along with the number and size of snails found on the plant and within 0.3m of its surrounding …

Evolutionary Bioethics Advanced By Ernest Everett Just: Implications For Biology, Ethics, And Theology, Theodore Walker

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

Ernest Everett Just (1883-1941) is an acknowledged “pioneer” in biology, being honored with a Black Heritage postage stamp in 1996. Here we discover that Just also made pioneering contributions to general evolutionary bioethics (distinct from special medical bioethics) by advancing a cell-biology-rooted theory of the origin and continuing evolution of ethical behavior influenced by the “law of environmental dependence.”

See especially “The Origin of Man’s Ethical Behavior (1941, unpublished book manuscript) by Ernest Everett Just and Hedwig Schnetzler Just, discovered in 2018 among the collected papers of E.E. Just at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University.

Accordingly, evolution is …

Hers And His: Silk Glands Used In Egg Sac Construction By Female Spiders Potentially Repurposed By A 'Modern' Male Spider, Mark A. Townley, Danilo Harms

Biological Sciences

Cylindrical silk gland (CY) spigots distinguish a large clade of modern spiders, the CY spigot clade, which includes all entelegyne spiders and their closest relatives. Following a widespread paradigm, CYs and their spigots are only known to occur in female spiders and they produce silk used in the construction of egg sacs. Here we report the occurrence of a CY spigot or CY nubbin on each posterior median spinneret (PMS) in males (5th stadium and later) of the spider Australomimetus maculosus. Late juvenile males had a CY spigot on each PMS, whereas adult males either had a CY spigot or, …

A Deeper Meaning For Shallow-Level Phylogenomic Studies: Nested Anchored Hybrid Enrichment Offers Great Promise For Resolving The Tiger Moth Tree Of Life (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Nicolas J. Dowdy, Shannon Keating, Alan R. Lemmon, Emily M. Lemmon, William E. Conner, Clare H. Scott Chialvo, Susan Weller, Rebecca B. Simmons, Melissa S. Sisson, Jennifer M. Zaspel

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) has emerged as a powerful tool for uncovering the evolutionary relationships within many taxonomic groups. AHE probe sets have been developed for a variety of insect groups, though none have yet been shown to be capable of simultaneously resolving deep and very shallow (e.g., intraspecific) divergences. In this study, we present NOC1, a new AHE probe set (730 loci) for Lepidoptera specialized for tiger moths and assess its ability to deliver phylogenetic utility at all taxonomic levels. We test the NOC1 probe set with 142 individuals from 116 species sampled from all the major lineages of …

Checklist Of The Freshwater Sponges (Porifera: Spongillida) Of Tennessee, John E. Copeland

Cumberland Mountain Naturalist

Of the ~8,500 sponge species that are known to exist, approximately 3% inhabit freshwater. Taxonomically, freshwater sponges are divided into 6 families with less than 250 identified species. Of these, 33 species of freshwater sponge can be found in the Nearctic Biogeographical realm with 13 species documented in Tennessee waters. Species of three families, Metanidae, Potamolepidae, and Spongillidae, are known to occur in the United States but only members of Potamolepidae and Spongillidae have been collected from Tennessee waters. This article presents a species checklist with currently known distribution information.

Microrna Profiling In The Weddell Seal Suggests Novel Regulatory Mechanisms Contributing To Diving Adaptation, Luca Penso-Dolfin, Wilfried Haerty, Allyson Hindle, Federica Di Palma

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Background:The Weddell Seal (Leptonychotes weddelli) represents a remarkable example of adaptation to diving among marine mammals. This species is capable of diving... (See full abstract in article).

Do Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus Carolinensis) Use Human-Provided Cues To Increase Foraging Success In Urban Landscapes?, Aditya A. Mehta, Jeeva H. Rathnaweera

Undergraduate Arts and Research Showcase

The coexistence of humans with other animals in urban and suburban areas has given rise to a spectrum of agonistic and beneficial interactions. Animals thriving in urban settings are known to exhibit superior foraging and food extraction abilities compared to their wild conspecifics. This has raised the question regarding if non-human animals can form and maintain a similar “theory of mind” to humans based on the actions they observe in their environments (Schloegl et al., 2007). For this experiment, human-made click and gaze cues were used while placing food for eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) located on the …

Investigation Of An Elevational Gradient Reveals Strong Differences Between Bacterial And Eukaryotic Communities Coinhabiting Nepenthes Phytotelmata, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Leonora S. Bittleston, Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Anthony E. Kiszewski, Perry Archival C. Buenavente, David J. Lohman, Naomi E. Pierce

Publications and Research

Elevation is an important determinant of ecological community composition. It integrates several abiotic features and leads to strong, repeatable patterns of community structure, including changes in the abundance and richness of numerous taxa. However, the influence of elevational gradients on microbes is understudied relative to plants and animals. To compare the influence of elevation on multiple taxa simultaneously, we sampled phytotelm communities within a tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes mindanaoensis) along a gradient from 400 to 1200 m a.s.l. We use a combination of metabarcoding and physical counts to assess diversity and richness of bacteria, micro-eukaryotes, and arthropods, and compare the …

Unexpected Predicted Length Variation For The Coding Sequence Of The Sleep Related Gene, Bhlhe41 In Gorilla Amidst Strong Purifying Selection Across Mammals, Krishna Unadkat, Justen B. Whittall

Biology

There is a molecular basis for many sleep patterns and disorders involving circadian clock genes. In humans, “short-sleeper” behavior has been linked to specific amino acid substitutions in BHLHE41 (DEC2), yet little is known about variation at these sites and across this gene in mammals. We compare BHLHE41 coding sequences for 27 mammals. Approximately half of the coding sequence was invariable at the nucleotide level and close to three-quarters of the amino acid alignment was identical. No other mammals had the same “short-sleeper” amino acid substitutions previously described from humans. Phylogenetic analyses based on the nucleotides of the coding sequence …

The Effects Of Gall Formation Due To Gall-Inducing Insects On Solidago Altissima’S Stem Height, Sarah Mummel

2020 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity

Gall-inducing insects are an old evolutionary member of our world, but little is known about their impact on goldenrod, Solidago altissima’s growth and development. We tested the relationship between gall diameter and stem height and the effects of gall presence on stem height. We sampled 20 random 1m² plots along a 30 meter long transect in a goldenrod field to find rosette and ball galls growing upon goldenrod. This transect was one of five other parallel transects, totaling approximately 150 m² of land. We measured heights of galled plants, heights of healthy nearby plants, and the diameter …

Evolutionary Ecology Of Host-Parasite Relationships: Role Of Host Ecology, Phylogeny, And Demographics In Shaping Parasite Evolution, Erika Taylor Gendron

Biology ETDs

Host-parasite systems exist across complex and ecologically heterogeneous landscapes, and may occur across taxonomically and ecologically disparate host species. Under these conditions, mechanisms underlying microevolutionary processes (i.e. gene flow, genetic drift) are not always clear, and may be mediated by numerous co-occurring factors specific to individual hosts. Host traits such as host immunology, demographics, phylogeny and ecology may act in concert to shape host-parasite relationships, and ultimately evolutionary processes. The research described herein used phylogeographic, phylogenomic, and population genetic methods to further understanding of how host traits impact the evolutionary ecology of trematode systems, using avian schistosomes (Digenea: Schistosomatidae) as …

What Smells? Developing In-Field Methods To Characterize The Chemical Composition Of Wild Mammalian Scent Cues, Cynthia Thompson, Kimberly N. Bottenberg, Andrew W. Lantz, Maria A B De Oliveira, Leonardo C O Melo, Christopher J. Vinyard

Peer Reviewed Articles

Olfactory cues play an important role in mammalian biology, but have been challenging to assess in the field. Current methods pose problematic issues with sample storage and transportation, limiting our ability to connect chemical variation in scents with relevant ecological and behavioral contexts. Real-time, in-field analysis via portable gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has the potential to overcome these issues, but with trade-offs of reduced sensitivity and compound mass range. We field-tested the ability of portable GC-MS to support two representative applications of chemical ecology research with a wild arboreal primate, common marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus). We developed methods …

Genome-Wide Changes In Genetic Diversity In A Population Of Myotis Lucifugus Affected By White-Nose Syndrome, Thomas M. Lilley, Ian W. Wilson, Kenneth A. Field, Deeann Reeder, Megan E. Vodzak, Gregory G. Turner, Allen Kurta, Anna S. Blomberg, Samantha Hoff, Carl J. Herzog, Brent J. Sewall, Steve Paterson

Faculty Journal Articles

Novel pathogens can cause massive declines in populations, and even extirpation of hosts. But disease can also act as a selective pressure on survivors, driving the evolution of resistance or tolerance. Bat white-nose syndrome (WNS) is a rapidly spreading wildlife disease in North America. The fungus causing the disease invades skin tissues of hibernating bats, resulting in disruption of hibernation behavior, premature energy depletion, and subsequent death. We used whole-genome sequencing to investigate changes in allele frequencies within a population of Myotis lucifugus in eastern North America to search for genetic resistance to WNS. Our results show low FST values …

Developing Tadpoles Exhibit Metabolic And Organ Size Plasticity In Competitive Rearing Environments, Emma Kimberly

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Abstract

Plasticity is the ability of an organism to respond to environmental variation by expressing different phenotypes. In Red-eyed treefrog tadpoles, Agalychnis callidryas, competitive environments induce long guts and short tails. Despite having a larger gut, tadpoles reared with competition do not increase intake when food becomes available. Pilot data suggest that this is because they have lower metabolic rates. The ability to maintain a larger gut with a depressed metabolic rate is confusing because guts are energetically expensive, and suggests that another energetic trade-off is taking place. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of …

Combined Opportunistic And Equilibrium Life-History Traits Facilitate Successful Invasions Of The Shimofuri Goby (Tridentiger Bifasciatus), Jiao Qin, Miao Xiang, Meixiang Jia, Fei Cheng, Bjorn V. Schmidt, Jian Liu, Songguang Xie

Faculty Publications

The life-history traits of a non-native population of Shimofuri goby (Tridentiger bifasciatus) were investigated in Nansi Lake, which is a storage lake on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, China. The results were analyzed in combination with data from other non-native populations of this species to reveal the life-history traits that caused its successful invasions. Mature gonads in April and May suggest that the species spawns in this period, and cohort tracking and age analysis revealed that individuals had a one-year lifespan. The relative fecundity was 2,825 ± 614 eggs/g. A short lifespan and high fecundity are …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxiii. Buthus (Buthidae), With Description Of Two New Species, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský, Hassan S. A. Elmi

Euscorpius

New data are presented on the distribution of the genus Buthus Leach, 1815 in the Horn of Africa, mainly in Somaliland, acquired during expeditions in 2011–2019. Buthus berberensis Pocock, 1900, for which the exact locality was not known, was collected again. B. zeylensis Pocock, 1900 is restored from synonymy and elevated to species rank, based on a study of 75 recently collected specimens. Two new species, B. pococki sp. n. and B. somalilandus sp. n., are described, fully complemented with color photographs of live and preserved specimens, as well as their habitats. In addition to the analyses of external …

Scorpion Predation In Cuba: New Cases And A Review, Tomás M. Rodríguez-Cabrera,, Rolando Teruel, Ernesto Morell Savall

Euscorpius

The ecology of Cuban scorpions is very insufficiently studied and the scarce existing information on their natural enemies is dispersed in the literature. However, scorpions in general are well known to play an important role both as predators and prey in natural ecosystems. Herein we present new instances of predation on different species of scorpions in Cuba, and a review on the topic

Variation In The Microbiota Associated With Daphnia Magna Across Genotypes, Populations, And Temperature, Jonas Frankel-Bricker, Michael J. Song, Maia J. Benner, Sarah Schaack

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2020

Studies of how the microbiome varies among individuals, populations, and abiotic conditions are critical for understanding this key component of an organism’s biology and ecology. In the case of Daphnia, aquatic microcrustaceans widely used in population/community ecology and environmental science studies, understanding factors that influence microbiome shifts among individuals is useful for both basic and applied research contexts. In this study, we assess differences in the microbiome among genotypes of D. magna collected from three regions along a large latitudinal gradient (Finland, Germany, and Israel). After being reared in the lab for many years, we sought to characterize any …

Nine-Mile Prairie Environs: Master Plan, April 2020, Center For Grassland Studies

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

A red and white checkered water tower stands atop the hills on Lincoln’s northwest fringe. The tower sustains water pressure and is a waypoint finder for air traffic approaching the Lincoln airfield. In addition to these services, the tower’s checker pattern can symbolize the surrounding patchwork of native unplowed tallgrass prairie that comprises the Nine-Mile Prairie (NMP) Environs. At the core is NMP, a 230-acre public property full of tallgrass prairie biodiversity and Nebraska history. An area surrounding NMP, referred to as the “Environs” in the context of this strategic planning document, is almost entirely grassland or agricultural cropland. The …

Artificial Perches As A Technique For Enhancing Tropical Forest Restoration: A Case Study From The Dominican Republic, Spencer Schubert, Ally S. Lahey, Ashley R. Weisman, Eric L. Walters

College of Sciences Posters

Recovering secondary forests on degraded agricultural lands represents a promising opportunity to offset global carbon emissions as well as increasing local biodiversity and ecosystem services. In the insular tropical forests of the Caribbean, frugivorous birds are the primary seed dispersers for most native woody plants and have a large influence on regeneration dynamics during forest succession. In 2017, we initiated an experimental forest restoration program incorporating artificial perches on private farms within the Rio Yaque del Norte watershed in La Vega province, Dominican Republic. Five restoration plots (0.15–0.25 ha) were constructed in pastures near deforested streams. In each plot, 6-12 …

Substrate-Borne Vibrational Communication In Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo Calyptratus) During Courtship, Breeding, And Territoriality, Lauren Kappel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Substrate-borne vibrations, or biotremors, are utilized by vertebrates found in unique environments because biotremors are an effective way to transmit signals through dense media. Previous studies have shown that veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) are able to produce biotremors via specialized neck muscles. I hypothesized that during courtship and/or breeding, the veiled chameleon, a tree-dwelling species, would communicate with biotremors through branches. Additionally, I hypothesized that female call characteristics would differ between reproductive condition (i.e., receptive and non-receptive), while male call characteristics would differ between behavioral contexts (i.e., territorial vs. courtship). Chameleons were paired (one male, one female) and placed on …

Potential Of Pasture Grasses To Reduce Soil Runoff In Simulated Spring Seeding Applications, Aubrey Jaqueth, Stephen J. Jacquemin

Lake Campus Research Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Declines in surface water quality has emerged as one of the foremost environmental, social, and political issues in the Midwestern United States over the past several decades. One of the leading causes of water quality issues in this region has been linked to non-point source surface runoff of soil, nutrients, and chemicals from primarily agricultural landscapes. Surface runoff negatively affects water by facilitating eutrophic conditions and additionally, negatively impacts landscapes by reducing the organic and top soil layers leading to production declines. Thus, best management practices that focus on reducing runoff rates in agricultural acreage are a high priority. The …

Can Protozoa Prove The Beginning Of The World?, Karina L. Burton

Classical Conversations

Protozoa are magnificent creatures. They exhibit all of the functions intrinsic to living organisms: irritability, metabolism, growth and reproduction. Within these functions, there are numerous examples of mutations that occur in order for organisms to adapt to their given environments. Irritability is demonstrated in protozoa by their use of pseudopodia, flagella, or cilia for motility; it has been shown that such locomotors exhibit diversity while maintaining similar protein and chemical structures that appear to be a result of evolutionary processes. Metabolism in protozoa is similar to that of larger animals, but their diet is unique. They primarily feast upon bacteria, …

Diversity Of The Major Histocompatibility Complex In African Penguins (Spheniscus Demersus) In Situ, Athena Schalk

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is responsible for the immune response in all jawed vertebrates and protects individuals against a variety of pathogens and diseases. Maintaining genetic diversity within the MHC exons is critical to protecting endangered species. African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) are in danger of losing their MHC diversity in isolated populations due to reductions in population size associated with environmental changes and human activity. This study analyzes the diversity within the exons in the DNA encoding the MHC by amplifying the exons through polymerase chain reaction and identifying alleles through denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Wild populations of …