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Time Lags Associated With Effects Of Oceanic Conditions On Seabird Breeding In The Salish Sea Region Of The Northern California Current System, Rashida S. Smith, Lynelle M. Weldon, James L. Hayward, Shandelle M. Henson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Parasitism Of Free-Ranging Neotropical Primates: Examining Parasite-Host And Parasite-Parasite Relationships, Gideon A. Erkenswick

Dissertations

Parasites are infectious agents that require resources from host organisms to complete all or part of their lifecycles. It is customary for wild animals to acquire and maintain multiple parasitic infections during their lifetime. The effects of parasites on hosts vary across demographic and environmental variables, and in relation to each other. Moreover, the propensity for a host animal to acquire an infection can be influenced by other host species in the area that are susceptible to the same parasites. This dissertation describes and explores the natural parasite assemblage of a free-ranging community of nonhuman primates in the Peruvian Amazon …

The Epistemic Status Of Moral Conceptual Truths, Kara D. Boschert

Theses

Evolutionary debunking arguments assume that morality could, conceptually speaking, be about anything. A response to this contention is that there are some moral conceptual truths which counter assertions that we could be in error about basic moral truths. According to proponents of moral conceptual truths, some things, by definition, cannot count as moral. Putative moral conceptual truths, such as “stealing is wrong,” are thought to enjoy a privileged epistemic status because anyone who denies them forfeits their ability to engage in competent moral reasoning. This paper explores whether moral conceptual truths can offer a satisfactory response to the debunkers’ premise …

Development Of Site Fidelity In The Nocturnal Amblypygid, Phrynus Marginemaculatus, Jacob M. Graving, Verner P. Bingman, Eileen Hebets, Daniel D. Wiegmann

Eileen Hebets Publications

Amblypygids are capable of navigation in the complex terrain of rainforests in near complete darkness. Path integration is unnecessary for successful homing, and the alternative mechanisms by which they navigate have yet to be elucidated. Here, our aims were to determine whether the amblypygid Phrynus marginemaculatus could be trained to reliably return to a target shelter in a laboratory arena—indicating goal recognition—and to document changes in behavior associated with the development of fidelity. We recorded nocturnal movements and space use by individuals over five nights in an arena in which subjects were provided with two shelters that differed in quality. …

Nutritional Plasticity In Gray Treefrogs: Interactions Between Competition And Predation Threat, Troy C. Neptune, Sarah S. Bouchard

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Anurans utilize digestive tradeoffs to best survive in their environment, often in response to competition and predation pressure. In some larval anurans, intraspecific competition induces longer guts, providing a digestive advantage under limiting resources. However, predation threat can induce deeper tails and associated shorter guts in larvae. The purpose of this study was to describe nutritionally plastic responses of larval eastern gray treefrogs, Hyla versicolor, reared with simultaneous environmental stressors: predation and competition. Specifically, we asked if larval guts lengthen to increase digestive efficiency or will tail morphology change to better evade predators? H. versicolor larvae were reared in …

Mating Patterns And Post-Mating Isolation In Three Cryptic Species Of The Engystomops Petersi Species Complex, Paula A. Trillo, Andrea E. Narvaez, Santiago R. Ron, Kim L. Hoke

Biology Faculty Publications

Determining the extent of reproductive isolation in cryptic species with dynamic geographic ranges can yield important insights into the processes that generate and maintain genetic divergence in the absence of severe geographic barriers. We studied mating patterns, propensity to hybridize in nature and subsequent fertilization rates, as well as survival and development of hybrid F₁ offspring for three nominal species of the Engystomops petersi species complex in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador. We found at least two species in four out of six locations sampled, and 14.3% of the wild pairs genotyped were mixed-species (heterospecific) crosses. We also found reduced …

Determination Of Metal Concentrations In Sediments Of Big Walnut Creek, Hayley Quinn, Joan M. Esson, Kierra M. Lathrop, Michael A. Hoggarth, Kevin Svitana, Nathan Hess

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

The freshwater mussel populations in the lower stretch of Big Walnut Creek in central Ohio have been found to vary along the run of the creek with the lowest population of mussels in the middle stretch. One possible cause for the decline is the presence of contaminants in the sediments of the creek. In this study, nine Sites along the creek were examined. At each Site, sediment samples from a pool region and two quadrants from where mussels were also studied (the area of interest) were collected, along with pseudo feces, which is the waste mussels produce as they filter …

Does High Relatedness Promote Cheater-Free Multicellularity In Synthetic Lifecycles?, R F. Inglis, E Ryu, O Asikhia, Joan E. Strassmann, David C. Queller

Biology Faculty Research

The evolution of multicellularity is one of the key transitions in evolution and requires extreme levels of cooperation between cells. However, even when cells are genetically identical, noncooperative cheating mutants can arise that cause a breakdown in cooperation. How then, do multicellular organisms maintain cooperation between cells? A number of mechanisms that increase relatedness amongst cooperative cells have been implicated in the maintenance of cooperative multicellularity including single-cell bottlenecks and kin recognition. In this study, we explore how relatively simple biological processes such as growth and dispersal can act to increase relatedness and promote multicellular cooperation. Using experimental populations of …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xi. Pandinurus Kmoniceki Sp. N. Somaliland., František Kovařík, Graeme Lowe, Tomáš Mazuch, Jana Plíškova, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Pandinurus kmoniceki sp. n. from Somaliland is described and fully complemented with color photos of live and preserved specimens, as well as its habitat. Hemispermatophore of P. kmoniceki sp. n. is illustrated and described. In addition to the analyses of external morphology and hemispermatophores, we also describe the karyotypes of P. kmoniceki sp. n. (2n=120).

A Simulation Of Anthropogenic Mammoth Extinction, Matthew Klapman

Undergraduate Honors Papers

There are multiple hypotheses as to why the Columbian Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) and other megafauna in North America went extinct relatively recently and relatively quickly. The most popular of which are disease, climate change, meteorite strikes, and over hunting by humans [2, 9]. There is evidence to show that a combination of factors contributed to the megafaunal extinction, but ”overkill” explores the idea that early humans migrated onto the continent and then hunted the mammoths and other megafauna to extinction. The overkill hypothesis was first proposed by anthropologist Paul Martin in 1973 [8]. Evidence from radiocarbon dating shows that the …

Trap-Neuter-Return Programs And The Importance Of Associated Public Awareness, Nicolette Sliwa

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The focus of this paper is to describe a typical Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program and highlight the major pros and cons surrounding this somewhat controversial method of managing the overwhelming free-roaming cat population. The effects of the species’ overabundance on the environment and human health are also discussed. Citing studies completed on TNR programs around the globe as well as mathematical models, the effectiveness of this method is compared to other, currently used alternatives. Finally, it has been suggested that the general awareness level a neighborhood possesses about the true goals of TNR programs has a potentially significant impact on the …

Body Shape Diversification Of Pecos Pupfish (Cyprinodon Pecosensis) On Varying Habitats As Evaluated By Geometric Morphometrics, Qianna Xu

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During the 19th and 20th centuries, alterations to the Pecos River in New Mexico and Texas, USA due to anthropogenic activities, including damning and river channelization, vast water extraction for irrigation, as well as pollution of associated habitats, have greatly impacted the fish fauna within the drainage. One of the endemic fish species, the Pecos pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis), might be the most affected. Historically abundant and widespread large populations have been disrupted and became a series of small isolated subpopulations that persist at a few highly fragmented habitats restricted to a small area in southern New Mexico. The connectivity among …

Monitoring Anuran Populations In Bosque Protector Candelaria: A Multi-Year Comparison Of Frog Populations In An Ecuadorian Cloud Forest, Mindee Goodrum

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For many years, amphibian populations around the world have been declining due to climate change, habitat loss or change, and diseases such as Ranavirus or the Chytrid fungus. However, there is still a great lack of information regarding the diversity of frogs, especially in the cloud forests of Ecuador where this study was conducted. This study was conducted in April and May of 2017 in the Ecominga Reserve of Cerro Candelaria in El Placer, Ecuador. The objective was to conduct visual-encounter surveys of several sites in the reserve and compare the results to studies that have been conducted in the …

Abiotic Conditions Of Rare Pitcher's Thistle Attract Selection By An Invasive Weevil, Monica Paniagua Montoya

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Plant associations occur when host selection of a focal plant is reduced or increased by the presence of another plant species. Larinus planus is an invasive weevil whose larvae feed in the flower heads of native and federally threatened Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri). Studies have linked the presence of neighboring plants to increased host selection of Pitcher’s thistle by the weevil, but the factors contributing to host selection remain unknown. In our study, we determined if there were differences among abiotic factors, host selection and weevil behavior at Pitcher’s thistles surrounded by beach grass, sand and at high …

Population Dynamics Of The Cotton Rat In Southeastern Virginia, Robert K. Rose, Heather Green Salamone

Virginia Journal of Science

We used monthly live trapping for 2.5 years to evaluate the life-history features of the most common small mammal, Sigmodon hispidus (hispid cotton rat), in an old field at its northern limit of distribution on the Atlantic Coast. Peak densities, achieved in late autumn or early winter, were among the highest recorded for the species and were more typical of geographically marginal populations rather than of central ones. Unlike some other marginal populations, hispid cotton rats in southeastern Virginia did not lose significant body mass over the winter (when few juveniles were present) and survival in winter was not significantly …

Climate Change, Managed Relocation, And The Risk Of Intra-Continental Plant Invasions: A Theoretical And Empirical Exploration Relative To The Flora Of New England, Jesse Bellemare, Bryan Connolly, Dov F. Sax

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The high rate of anthropogenic climate change projected for coming decades and evidence of low migration ability for many species have led researchers to warn of a looming extinction crisis. This threat is expected to be most acute for small-ranged endemic species, which could see novel climatic conditions develop rapidly across the entirety of their limited geographic ranges. To avoid extinctions, some conservationists have proposed that climateimperiled species might be candidates for "assisted colonization" or "managed relocation" to new regions, outside their historical ranges. One major concern related to managed relocation is the possibility that some relocated species could later …

Strawberries (Frag X Anan) Are Bigger When Native Mason Bees (Osmia Lignaria) Are Experimentally Added To Small Farms, Laura A. Campbell

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Agriculture is the cornerstone of our economy, and pollination plays a vital role in nearly all non-wind pollinated crops. Declining honey bee populations have caused a more diligent investigation into using solitary bees for crop pollination. The native, solitary Orchard Mason Bee has shown to successfully pollinate almonds and apples, but there has been little work conducted on their effectiveness as a low fruit crop pollinator. This study assesses their effectiveness as a small strawberry farm pollinator, and preferences for nesting materials. Mason bee cocoons and nest homes made with different materials (bamboo, Phragmites, or wood) were supplemented on …

Social Buffering In A Eusocial Invertebrate: Termite Soldiers Reduce The Lethal Impact Of Competitor Cues On Workers, Li Tian, Evan L. Preisser, Kenneth F. Haynes, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

While the impact of predator‐induced stress on prey has received considerable attention, there has been far less research into the effect of competitors. Cues from aggressive competitors should be particularly likely to evoke behavioral and/or physiological responses, since they may be indicative of both direct (interference) and indirect (exploitative) threats. The danger posed by such competitors, and the “fear” they evoke, should be reduced at lower competitor densities and by the presence of individual conspecifics specialized for defense. We assessed how Reticulitermes flavipes termite workers and soldiers were affected by cues from conspecific nestmates, conspecific non‐nestmates, and the heterospecific competitor …

Development Of A Wild Infant Woolly Monkey Social Interactions, Time Allocation And Behavior Of A Wild Lagothrix Lagotricha Poeppigii Infant And Her Mother, Saba Zewdie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The lowland woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii), like all species of woolly monkey, is extremely threatened due to anthropologic activities such as deforestation, petroleum drilling and commercial hunting across their habitat. Due to their low reproductive rate and low reproductive success in captivity, the captive population is decreasing every year as habitat loss increases. In late February of 2017 an infant female was born on the island of Sumak Allpa, a monkey rehabilitation organization and reserve in the western Ecuadorian Amazon. The woolly monkeys are completely independent on the reserve; and as such her birth marks the first …

What, Where, Why: A Survey Of Felidae Populations At Enashiva Nature Refuge, Tanzania, Lucrecia Aguilar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As felid populations worldwide continue to deteriorate due to human activities, understanding how felid species utilize various landscapes, along with what factors affect such use or disuse, becomes essential to the preservation of these species. While previous research has examined felid populations around the world, many species and locations remain understudied. This study surveyed felid species at Enashiva Nature Refuge (ENR) in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem to determine (1) what felid species are present at ENR, (2) where these species generally occur, and (3) why felids reside at ENR in low or high numbers. Through the use of opportunistic camera trapping, …

Avian Species And Family Composition Along Elevational And Disturbance Gradients In Santa Fe National Park, Veraguas Province, Panamá, Benjamin Shipley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Elevational gradients are some of the most well-known and researched biological trends. However, how species diversity varies with elevation differs by taxa and location. One hypothesis suggests that bird diversity decreases with increasing elevation in the tropics. In addition, bird diversity may decrease along the forest edge and in areas of increasing disturbance. Therefore, in this study I surveyed avian diversity along an elevational gradient in Santa Fe National Park, Veraguas, Panamá using point-count observations. Thirty-six point-count locations in 3 elevation zones were surveyed between 19 Apr and 29 Apr 2017. Shannon diversity, richness, and evenness were calculated for both …

Fish Community Assessment Of The Bonyic And Teribe Rivers Within The Naso-Teribe Territory Bocas Del Toro, Panama: Possible Implications Of Bonyic Dam., Shaylyn Austin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the Changuinola/Teribe watershed of Bocas Del Toro, Panama, changes to the fluvial system due to the recently constructed Bonyic Dam have implications connected to the biodiversity of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the livelihoods of thousands of people of the Naso-Teribe indigenous group. This study investigated the composition of fish communities in 6 study sites in 3 different areas in relation to the Bonyic Dam. A total of 318 individual fish were captured, representing 5 families and 10 species, using the cast net sampling method. The biodiversity was analyzed using Simpson’s Diversity Index, Evenness Index, species richness, and species …

Phylogenetic Studies Of The Madagascan Freshwater Crabs (Potamoidea, Potamonautidae, Deckeniinae), Rainee Stevens

All NMU Master's Theses

Relationships within the Madagascan freshwater crab fauna were examined based on unstudied specimens from all parts of Madagascar. This study allowed the examination of the validity of existing genera and species, and identified potential new taxa. The new specimens provided phylogenetic and evolutionary data, as well as new insights into the distribution patterns of the Malagasy freshwater crab fauna. In addition, the large number of new localities from previously unsurveyed areas of Madagascar allowed the construction of updated distribution maps.

The present analysis included 62 unidentified specimens plus 13 identified species of Malagasy freshwater crab taxa that had already been …

Changes In The Breeding Range Of The Broad-Winged Hawk (Buteo Platypterus) Due To Habitat Fragmentation In The Northern Appalachian Region, Rachael M. Pruitt

Student Publications

The Broad-winged Hawk (BWHA), Buteo platypterus, a small, secretive hawk with distinguishing broad black tail bands, breeds in northeastern North America. The hawks nest in deciduous or mixed forest, often near water, and close to clearings or forest edges. Land conversion and fragmentation alters the landscape and reduces the area of contiguous forest used by BWHA. This study seeks to determine the habitat metrics that may be influencing the apparent breeding range declines of the BWHA at the landscape scale. Landscape characteristics and BWHA presence data from 18,684 Breeding Bird Atlas blocks (each about 25km2) from Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, …

Data Loggers In Artificial Eggs Reveal That Egg-Turning Behavior Varies On Multiple Ecological Scales In Seabirds, Corey Clatterbuck, Lindsay Young, Eric Vanderwerf, Alexander Naiman, Geoff Bower, Scott A. Shaffer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

In most avian species, egg-turning behavior during incubation is vital for proper embryonic development and hatching success. However, changes in turning behaviors are rarely studied across different temporal scales (e.g., day–night or across incubation phases), though the timing of incubation behaviors affects reproductive success. We used data loggers encapsulated in artificial eggs to measure turning rates and angle changes of eggs in Western Gull Larus occidentalis and Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis nests. We examined diurnal and daily cycles in egg-turning behaviors across early, middle, and late incubation phases. Our results indicate that (1) egg-turning behaviors remain similar throughout incubation, resulting …

A Reexamination The Freshwater Mussels (Family Unionidae) In Lower Big Walnut Creek, Kierra M. Lathrop

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Freshwater mussels (family Unionidae) have become increasingly rare as the threats to water quality, habitat quality, and other aquatic animals, which the mussels depend on, have increased. The absence of mussels can provide evidence that one of these factors is insufficient. Lower Big Walnut Creek (BWC) is known to support a diverse community of mussels but they are unevenly distributed throughout the creek with abundance, density, and richness being high in the upper section, very low in the midsection, and intermediate in the lower section. It has been suggested water quality nor symbiotic fish host communities are responsible for this …

The Phenology Of Sand Crabs, Lepidopa Benedicti (Decapoda: Albuneidae), Zen Faulkes

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

Albuneid sand crabs are widespread on sandy beaches around the world, but because they conceal themselves by digging in sand and are often found at low densities, little is known about their basic biology. Lepidopa species were collected from the beaches of South Padre Island, Texas, on the western coast of Gulf of Mexico, a location that had previously been suggested to act as a population sink. The site contained Lepidopa benedicti and L. websteri, although the latter was extremely rare (collected three times in 5 years). There was significant variation in abundance across the year, with higher densities …

The North American Whistling-Ducks, Pochards, And Stifftails, Paul A. Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

Although the 12 species representing three waterfowl tribes described in this volume are not closely related, they fortuitously provide an instructive example of adaptive evolutionary radiation within the much larger waterfowl lineage (the family Anatidae), especially as to their divergent morphologies, life histories, and social behaviors.

The whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna), with three known North American species, are notable for their permanent pair-bonds, extended biparental family care, and strong social cohesion. In contrast, males of the five typical pochards of North American diving ducks (Aythya) establish monogamous pair-bonds that are maintained only long enough to assure that the female’s eggs are fertilized. …

Abundance And Habitat Preferences Of Introduced Muscovy Ducks (Cairina Moschata), Jacqueline Marie Perry Cahanin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Muscovy ducks are native only to Central and South America, Mexico, and parts of southern Texas and are considered invasive in some areas outside of their native range. Although they have been introduced worldwide, they remain largely unstudied. The primary focus of this study was to relate Muscovy duck abundance to habitat characteristics of wetlands in Tampa, Florida. Muscovy abundance was measured using point count methods at 21 wetland sites that occur within an eight km radius of the University of South Florida’s main campus. Habitat features at these sites were assessed using field methods and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) …

Playing-With The World: Toy Story's Aesthetics And Metaphysics Of Play, Jonathan Hendricks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pixar’s Toy Story (John Lassiter, 1995) is not just a story about toys and the children that play with them, but a demonstration of how we interact with the world. This thesis looks at the way in which both main children, Andy and Sid, interact with their toys and how this interaction is one that is structured by way of what Martin Heidegger calls “Enframing.” In this modality of playing, toys and other things and entities in the world, and the world itself, appear to the children as on-hand resources for use at any time and can be molded, as …