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Morphogenesis And Growth Driven By Selection Of Dynamical Properties, Yuri Cantor

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Organisms are understood to be complex adaptive systems that evolved to thrive in hostile environments. Though widely studied, the phenomena of organism development and growth, and their relationship to organism dynamics is not well understood. Indeed, the large number of components, their interconnectivity, and complex system interactions all obscure our ability to see, describe, and understand the functioning of biological organisms.

Here we take a synthetic and computational approach to the problem, abstracting the organism as a cellular automaton. Such systems are discrete digital models of real-world environments, making them more accessible and easier to study then their physical world …

Ecologies Of Embodied Minds Embedded: Radical Romantic Perspectives On Architectures Of Technology, Sharmaine Browne

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores Romantic responses to the role of architectural technologies in the development of material being, consciousness, and culture by applying a critical approach in which I combine radical embodied cognitive theory, ecocritical perspectives, and a phenomenological lens to select Romantic texts written from 1789 to 1884 in response to industrial modernity. While scholarship has thoroughly explored technology as a cultural force which inevitably shapes consciousness, I propose that a slight shift of emphasis from technology’s external influence to the material internalization of its influence allows for new perspectives—particularly in light of recent proposals in cognitive philosophy which assert …

Identity Behind Glass: The Second Gore Place Greenhouse, Sean P. Romo

Graduate Masters Theses

This thesis examines the second greenhouse at Gore Place, a historic country estate in Waltham, Massachusetts. Gore Place was owned by and named for Christopher and Rebecca Gore, members of the 18th- and 19th-century political and economic elite in New England. The greenhouse was constructed in 1806, and excavation at the site took place in 2004, 2008, and 2012. The latter two projects were data recovery excavations, which exposed portions of the greenhouse’s foundations and interior, as well as several features in the yard surrounding the building. Historic greenhouses were prestigious structures, financially accessible only to institutions, governments, and the …

Challenges And Considerations Related To Studying Dementia In Blacks/African Americans, Eseosa T. Ighodaro, Peter T. Nelson, Walter A. Kukull, Frederick A. Schmitt, Erin L. Abner, Allison M. Caban-Holt, Shoshana H. Bardach, Derrick C. Hord, Crystal M. Glover, Gregory A. Jicha, Linda J. Van Eldik, Alexander X. Byrd, Anita Fernander

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Blacks/African Americans have been reported to be ~2–4 times more likely to develop clinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) compared to Whites. Unfortunately, study design challenges (e.g., recruitment bias), racism, mistrust of healthcare providers and biomedical researchers, confounders related to socioeconomic status, and other sources of bias are often ignored when interpreting differences in human subjects categorized by race. Failure to account for these factors can lead to misinterpretation of results, reification of race as biology, discrimination, and missed or delayed diagnoses. Here we provide a selected historical background, discuss challenges, present opportunities, and suggest considerations for studying health outcomes among racial/ethnic …

Chronic Plasmodium Brasilianum Infections In Wild Peruvian Tamarins, Gideon A. Erkenswick, Mrinalini Watsa, M. Andreína Pacheco, Ananias A. Escalante, Patricia G. Parker

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

There is an increased interest in potential zoonotic malarias. To date, Plasmodium malariae that infects humans remains indistinguishable from P. brasilianum, which is widespread among New World primates. Distributed throughout tropical Central and South America, the Callitrichidae are small arboreal primates in which detection of natural Plasmodium infection has been extremely rare. Most prior screening efforts have been limited to small samples, the use of low-probability detection methods, or both. Rarely have screening efforts implemented a longitudinal sampling design. Through an annual mark-recapture program of two sympatric callitrichids, the emperor (Saguinus imperator) and saddleback (S …

The Influence Of Phylogeny And Niche Differentiation On The Diets Of Malagasy Primates, Rebekka S. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have shown that haplorhine diet is affected by phylogeny; however, until now studies in Malagasy strepsirrhines were lacking. The evolution of differences in Malagasy primates’ diets appears to differ from the pattern shown in haplorhines. My results indicate that niche differentiation may be a stronger predictor of diet.

The Interommatidial Bristle Variability Of Diptera, Kimberly Palmer

Honors College Theses

Insects of the order Diptera are a popular biological model for understanding morphological trait evolution. One area of particular interest is the development of the compound eyes. While the development of ommatidia and photoreceptors has been thoroughly studied in this case, little attention has been paid to the interommatidial bristles (IOBs) present on the eyes of some dipteran families. A preliminary survey suggested that these bristles exhibit high variability among IOB families on multiple taxonomic levels and are not uniformly present or absent in any suborder of the Diptera. To confirm this observation, I conducted a literature search to …

Ecological Niche Modeling Of The Genus Papio, Amanda J. Fuchs

Theses and Dissertations

Ecological niche modeling investigates how climatic variables have influenced taxonomic diversity in Papio. Models performed well suggesting climatic variables influence the distribution of baboon species. Niche overlap among all possible pairs of taxa determined that species exhibited significantly different niches. The results of these models support a parapatric speciation scenario.

People -- Marine Mammal Interactions, Andrew Butterworth, Mark P. Simmonds

Our relationships with marine mammals are complex. We have used them as resources, and in some places this remains the case; viewed them as competitors and culled them (again ongoing in some localities); been so captivated and intrigued by them that we have taken them into captivity for our entertainment; and developed a lucrative eco-tourism activity focused on them in many nations. When we first envisaged this special topic, we had two overarching aims:

Firstly, we hoped to generate critical evaluation of some of our relationships with these animals.

Secondly, we hoped to attract knowledgeable commentators and experts who might …

The Prospect Of Rising In Rank Is Key To Long-Term Stability In Tibetan Macaque Society, Lixing Sun, Dong-Po Xia, Shine Sun, Lori K. Sheeran, Jin-Hua Li

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

One of the most fundamental questions in behavioural biology is why societies can persist for a long period of time. While researchers in animal behaviour have been hindered by a lack of an aggregate measure (such as social mobility) to quantify the dynamics of animal societies, researchers in social sciences have been challenged by the complexity and diversity of human societies. As a result, direct empirical evidence is still lacking for the hypothesized causal relationship between social mobility and social stability. Here we attempt to fill the void by examining a much simpler society in the Tibetan macaque (Macaca …

Assessing The Sustainability Of Waiwai Subsistence Hunting In Guyana With Implications For Co-Management In Amazonian Indigenous Reserves, Christopher Shaffer, Charakura Yukuma, Elisha Marawanaru, Phillip Suse

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

While bushmeat hunting is critical to the livelihoods of millions of people throughout the tropical world, it is also a major threat to wildlife conservation. Assessing the sustainability of hunting has been a major goal in conservation biology but developing methods that accurately predict patterns of prey depletion has proven notoriously problematic. In this study, we sought to assess the sustainability of the hunting of indigenous Waiwai in Guyana by comparing results from the most commonly used static sustainability index, the production model, with results from spatially explicit biodemographic models for three indicator species; tapirs Tapirus terrestris, spider monkeys …

The Adaptive Value Of Complex Socio-Communicative Behavior, Sara A. Skiba

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Human spoken language represents the most elaborate communication system, however the selection pressures leading to its emergence are still uncertain. Unlike humans, bonobos and chimpanzees do not have language. However, bonobos may have been subjected to similar selection pressures as early hominins, subsequent to their phylogenetic split from chimpanzees roughly 1.5 million years ago. The current study investigated the similarities and differences in sociality and communicative production between bonobos and chimpanzees in captive settings, using 9, 10-minute focal follows for each individual. Analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between social proximity score and total communicative signals produced, as well as …

The European Politics Of Animal Experimentation: From Victorian Britain To ‘Stop Vivisection’, Pierre-Luc Germain, Luca Chiapperino, Giuseppe Testa

Attitudes Toward Animal Research Collection

This paper identifies a common political struggle behind debates on the validity and permissibility of animal experimentation, through an analysis of two recent European case studies: the Italian implementation of the European Directive 2010/63/EC regulating the use of animals in science, and the recent European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) 'Stop Vivisection'. Drawing from a historical parallel with Victorian antivivisectionism, we highlight important threads in our case studies that mark the often neglected specificities of debates on animal experimentation. From the representation of the sadistic scientist in the XIX century, to his/her claimed capture by vested interests and evasion of public …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 58 Number 2, Summer 2017, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

18 - LISTENING IS HER SUPERPOWER The groundbreaking stage work of Anna Deavere Smith. By Jesse Hamlin.

22 - CASTS A SHADOW Travel bans: Four international graduate students respond. By Matt Morgan.

24 - A BIGGER STAGE Priest, social worker, CEO, and teller of stories: Jim Purcell on what drew him to Santa Clara—and what Jesuit education can be. By Steven Boyd Saum.

28 - THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE KID Ron Hansen M.A. ’95 talks truth and fiction and Billy the Kid—and when you can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys.

38 - DISCOVER. INNOVATE. A …

Telling Fire’S Story Through Narrative And Art, Stephen W. Barrett

Joint Fire Science Program Digests

Modern works by highly skilled narrative authors and artists have become increasingly useful for telling the story of wildland fire in the United States. Using unconventional means—and with partial funding by the Joint Fire Science Program—creative individuals have spawned some colorful and heartfelt messages that convey insightful information about wildland fire, climate, and other elements of nature to an increasingly receptive public. Recent narrative works by well-known authors, such as Stephen J. Pyne, and creative art pieces by well-established and emerging artists have helped depict fire in a new light to audiences that scientists may rarely reach. This issue of …

American Society Of Parasitologists Newsletter, Volume 39, Number 1, Summer 2017, Scott Lyell Gardner

American Society of Parasitologists: Newsletter

Summer 2017 issue of the ASP newsletter.

The Yield Gap: Closing The Gap By Widening The Approach, Katherine A. Snyder, Sriyanie Miththapala, Rolf Sommer, Juliet Braslow

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The yield gap has arisen again as a focus for agricultural research to ensure food security and economic growth for farmers around the world. To examine this renewed interest, we carried out a review of key literature in the field of yield gap analysis to identify important gaps in research and analysis. In so doing, both the complexities in yield gap studies emerged along with some significant omissions. Much of the literature and research on the yield gap has been framed by larger concerns and initiatives to raise agricultural productivity. This focus has led to an emphasis on technical solutions …

Sexual Dimorphism Within Canine Dimensions Of Didelphis Virginiana, David Patterson, Alfred J. Mead

Georgia Journal of Science

Sexual dimorphism in canine size was analyzed from a sample of the Baldwin County, Georgia population of Didelphis virginiana (Virginia opossum). Where possible 6 measurements were obtained from 59 (47 males, 12 females) individuals collected as roadkill. Although range overlap exists for all measurements, males were found to be significantly larger for upper and lower canine length, width and height. The observed sexual dimorphism agrees with previously published analyses of cranial and post-cranial sexual dimorphism in this species and is likely related to intrasexual aggression between males during mating season.

The Origins Of Morality, Paulina Sanchez

Dialogue & Nexus

In modern society, there exists a standard for moral conduct that seems to reign universal over many societies of people. Pinpointing the origins of morality, however, can become problematic because of how one approaches what morality is and what its purpose is in society. Psychologists may point out the social constructs and norms that allow for morality to unfold. Evolutionary biologists may give evidence of human-related species that have developed similar behavioral standards. A Christian theologian may look to scripture in explaining a Creator who ordained that all abide by the standards of conduct most pleasing to this deity. Which …

The Altruistic Self, Nathan Dougherty

Dialogue & Nexus

Altruism as a purely naturalistic phenomenon self-defeats the term altogether; however, theology also makes unsubstantiated claims that some behaviors are purely selfless. I will first define various conceptual forms of altruism and then offer explanations of the term from neurological, evolutionary and psychological investigations. Despite the position that altruism can be reduced to a fantastical impossibility bearing neither the arms of science nor theology, it is also a fallacy to separate it from a religiously derived supernatural altruism that carries no implications for the realm of morality.

A New Taxonomy Of Altruism In Terms Of Prosocial Behaviors, Kristin Kaiser

Dialogue & Nexus

The definition of altruism has been studied, explained, and even confused by many scholars in various fields. The term itself has been inappropriately used to describe prosocial behaviors that do not fall within the definition of altruism. An evaluation of Grant Ramsey’s taxonomy of altruism, which includes biological altruism, psychological altruism, and helping altruism, proves that it is not adequate in categorizing organism’s behaviors. A new taxonomy, with the branches of kin selection, reciprocity, and aesthetic altruism, is presented and explained to clarify the definition of altruism and alleviate confusion about how to describe prosocial behaviors. Both naming systems are …

Enamel Hypoplasia As An Indicator Of Nutritional Stress In Juvenile White-Tailed Deer, Haley Davis, Alfred J. Mead

Georgia Journal of Science

Cheek teeth of 343 white-tailed deer mandibles collected from the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, central Georgia, were examined for the presence of enamel hypoplasia, a permanent enamel defect associated with episodes of severe physiological stress. Hypoplastic defects were observed in 27% of the individuals, with no significant difference between females (26%) and males (27%). Pit hypoplasia occurred most frequently, with most defects located on the hypoconid of the first lower molar. In white-tailed deer, the first lower molars form as fawns transition into functional ruminants and are weaned at the approximate age of 10 weeks. The presence of enamel hypoplasia …

Evolution Of Mammalian Migrations For Refuge, Breeding, And Food, Gitanjali E. Gnanadesikan, William D. Pearse, Allison K. Shaw

Biology Faculty Publications

Many organisms migrate between distinct habitats, exploiting variable resources while profoundly affecting ecosystem services, disease spread, and human welfare. However, the very characteristics that make migration captivating and significant also make it difficult to study, and we lack a comprehensive understanding of which species migrate and why. Here we show that, among mammals, migration is concentrated within Cetacea and Artiodactyla but also diffusely spread throughout the class (found in 12 of 27 orders). We synthesize the many ecological drivers of round-trip migration into three types of movement—between breeding and foraging sites, between breeding and refuge sites, and continuous tracking of …

Description Of A Pathologic White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Mandible From Central Georgia, Patrick M. Powers, Alfred J. Mead

Georgia Journal of Science

A pathologic mandible was observed in a male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested in central Georgia during the 2015 fall hunting season. The deer was approximately four and a half years of age and displayed no outward indication of injury or evidence of irregular tooth attrition at the time of death. Upon soft tissue removal, the mandible displayed signs of premortem trauma. The pathology was consistent with secondary bone deposition associated with bone breakage. The nature of the fracture suggests that it may have been caused by antler impact during male-to-male sparring. A physical examination of 621 white-tailed …

Costs Of Group Locomotion: How Infant-Carrying And Group Members Mediate Walking Speed Decisions In North American And East African Populations, Leah M. Bouterse

Honors Projects

A major portion of humans’ activity-based energy expenditure is taken up by locomotion, particularly walking. Humans can offset the energetic expenditure of walking in numerous ways, both evolutionary (such as changes in body shape) and culturally. Behaviorally, people can choose to walk in a variety of ways, including alone or with a group, carrying loads, and walking quickly or more slowly. All of these behaviors have energetic outcomes and as such can be important windows into how populations and groups adjust to different constraints. While sex differences in speed of paired walkers have been established by others, the dynamics of …

Memory For Stimulus Sequences: A Divide Between Humans And Other Animals?, Ghirlanda Stefano, Johan Lind, Magnus Enquist

Publications and Research

Humans stand out among animals for their unique capacities in domains such as language, culture and imitation, yet it has been difficult to identify cognitive elements that are specifically human. Most research has focused on how information is processed after it is acquired, e.g. in problem solving or ‘insight’ tasks, but we may also look for species differences in the initial acquisition and coding of information. Here, we show that non-human species have only a limited capacity to discriminate ordered sequences of stimuli. Collating data from 108 experiments on stimulus sequence discrimination (1540 data points from 14 bird and mammal …

Skeptics And “The White Stuff” : Promotion Of Cows’ Milk And Other Nonhuman Animal Products In The Skeptic Community As Normative Whiteness, Corey Lee Wrenn

Dietary Choice and Foods of Animal Origin Collection

This article discusses a dairy advertising campaign featuring skeptic Derren Brown. I explore the various health claims made in the ads as well as a report Brown featured on his website that claimed consumption of cow’s milk is linked to longevity. I discuss how dairy consumption is largely linked to race and ethnicity. It is a practice enjoyed primarily by European whites as most nonwhites are lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance is a normal biological process associated with weaning, but it is medicalized and made deviant because it is not part of the white experience. I also mention comments made by …

Fishing As Therapy: Impacts On Job Satisfaction And Implications For Fishery Management, Tarsila Seara, Richard Pollnac, John J. Poggie, Carlos Garcia-Quejano, Iris Monnereau, Victor Ruiz

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

"This study presents unique comparisons, across space and time, regarding aspects of fishers’ perception of their job satisfaction and well-being between two geographic areas where fishing constitutes integral part of the local economy and culture: the Northeast Region US and the Caribbean. Examining differences in aspects of job satisfaction and well-being in such highly different environments (both human and natural) will provide information for developing models to understand how different stressors (e.g. changes in the natural, socio-cultural, economic and managerial environments) affect those whose livelihoods depend directly on fishery resources. Models elucidating relationships between environmental and anthropogenic changes and the …

Climate Change, One Health And Mercury, L. K. Duffy, T. Vertigan, B. Dainowski, K. Dunlap, Amy Hirons

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Climate change is occurring on both regional and global scales. The use and global distribution of toxic metals is increasing and affecting environmental, animal and human health as a result of air, water and food contamination. Mercury (Hg) in major forms Hg°, Hg²⁺ and methyl mercury (CH₃Hg⁺) are increasingly available around the globe. Both metal and organic contaminants are impacting the health of all species on the planet. Mercury is an example of a metal that can cause or aggravate a disease state, for example, diabetes. Habitat stewardship is needed to maintain a healthy system, …

Behavioral Responses Of Pacific Lamprey To Alarm Cues, Laurie L. Porter, Michael C. Hayes, Aaron D. Jackson, Brian J. Burke, Mary L. Moser, R. Steven Wagner

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus), an anadromous ectoparasite, faces several challenges during adult migration to spawning grounds. Developingmethods to address these challenges is critical to the success of ongoing conservation efforts. The challenges are diverse, and include anthropogenic alterations to the ecosystem resulting in loss of habitat, impassable barriers such as dams, climate change impacts, and altered predator fields. We conducted a behavioral study to understand how adult migrating Pacific lamprey respond to potential alarm cues: White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), human saliva, decayed Pacific lamprey, and river otter (Lontra canadensis). Research has shown that some species of lamprey can be guided …