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Daily Distance Moved And Home Range Analysis Of Female Cheetahs On Namibia's Commercial Farmland, Elisabeth Nicole Wise

Honors Theses and Capstones

Fewer then 10,000 cheetahs remain in Sub-Saharan Africa. Namibia has the largest population, estimated to be 4,000. Habitat fragmentation and prey depletion from human expansion for agriculture has pushed 90% of cheetahs to reside on commercial farmland where there is an absence of larger predators. Radio telemetry was used to investigate the seasonal variation in home range size among nine female cheetahs on commercial farmlands on or near the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Otjiwarongo, Namibia. ArcGIS 10.3 and Geospatial Modeling Environment were used to calculate the overall and core home range size. This was estimated for the overall, annual, monthly, …

Genetic Polymorphisms Of The Glucocorticoid Receptor And Interleulin-8 Receptor Genes And Their Relationship To Production Traits And Hair Coat Scores In Crossbred Cattle, Avery B. Deaton, Laura Meyer, Jeremy Powell, Charles F. Rosenkrans Jr.

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Little is understood about how the diversity of genes, specifically the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and interleukin-8 receptor (CXCR2), are related to reproductive health and how this affects physical traits in cattle. Glucocorticoid receptors have been positively associated with higher milk yields, lactose content, feed intake, and feed conversion rates. Interleukin-8 genes are part of the innate immune response and help with many aspects of female reproductive health, such as protecting the embryo from the maternal immune system during pregnancy. The objective of this research was to identify polymorphisms in the GR and CXCR2 genes and to associate genotypes between the …

Planaria: An Animal Model That Integrates Development, Regeneration And Pharmacology, Oné R. Pagán

Biology Faculty Publications

Although planarians are established model organisms in developmental biology and regeneration studies, in the last forty years or so, they have caught the attention of pharmacologists, especially to study the pharmacology of drugs of abuse. This review covers the following topics: some fundamentals of the history of animal models and planarians in biomedical research; an abbreviated story of systematic pharmacology research using planarians as a model organism; an example of how planarians are contributing to the search for compounds against acute cocaine toxicity; an analysis of the number of papers on planarians and pharmacological topics from 1900- 2016; some perspectives …

The Bovine Rumen Microbiome Revealed By Different Fractions Of Rumen Contents, Ashlee Breakstone, Jiangchao Zhao

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The bovine rumen microbiota is very important in terms of animal functionality and digestion. The fermentative capability of the rumen provides means for the digestion of complex plant material that is indigestible by humans. The rumen microbiota is made up of billions of microorganisms, primarily bacteria, that digest and ferment feed into volatile fatty acids and bacterial protein for the animal’s energy and protein needs, respectively. Changes to the rumen microbiota can have a direct measure on animal growth, health, and performance. The possibility of productivity boosts in the cattle industry make the rumen microbiome a hot topic in the …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of A Genetic Marker On Cow-Calf Operations Differentiated By Pasture And Breed, Josh C. Crystal, Michael P. Popp, Nathan P. Kemper, Charles F. Rosenkrans Jr.

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Genetic sequencing in beef cattle (Bos taurus L.) is expected to aid producers with selecting breeding stock. Using data from experimental trials conducted with Angus, Brahman, and their reciprocal cross, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) P450 C994G marker expression was investigated for use in selecting genetics suited to grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. L.) compared to bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) pasture. The study is unique in the sense that actual cow-calf breeding failure rates (open cows were not culled) were tracked from 1991 to 1997 on herds that were bred to calf in spring and were either exposed …

Marketing Tips For Small-Scale, Local Honey Bee Keepers In Northwest Arkansas, Samuel L. Goll, Michael P. Popp, Jennie S. Popp, Donald C. Steinkraus

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The objective of this thesis was to gain market information for beekeepers regarding different honey bee products and to provide information about economic feasibility when produced on a small, local scale. Since cost-of-production information about operating an apiary is widely available, the focus of this work was on gaining marketing knowledge. One of the objectives of the surveys was to develop a better sense of what potential resellers of honey bee products considered locally produced. Another objective was to determine preferences for honey bee product packaging as well as bee pollination services. Using that feedback, a marketing plan for different …

Iron Metabolism Genes In Browsing And Grazing Rhinoceroses: Implications For Iron Overload Disorder, Lorien Salyer

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Iron overload disorder is a serious condition that affects many animals of conservation interest, including rhinoceroses. Iron overload disorder is only found in browsing rhinos (African black, Diceros bicornis, and Sumatran, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) but not in grazing species (African white, Ceratotherium simum, and greater one-horned, Rhinoceros unicornis). Iron overload is connected with many of the other health issues seen in captive browsing rhinoceroses, so it is vitally important that the iron metabolism process is studied to improve the existing husbandry procedures of these critically endangered animals. The objective of this study was to characterize genes related to …

The Effects Of Hibernation On The Time Of Coagulation Of The American Bullfrog, Rana Catesbeiana, Joshua Samec

Honors Program Theses

Cold conditions during winter months greatly reduce heart rate in ectothermic animals, such as bullfrogs, resulting in slow, intermittent blood flow. Slow or intermittent flow of blood often results in coagulation, yet the blood of these ectotherms fails to coagulate. In this study, the effects of the stages of hibernation from the onset of temperature decline, through the duration of constant low temperature exposure, was studied by observing the time of blood coagulation of American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) using activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). It was found that the time of coagulation increased incrementally along with the decreasing …

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Aquatic Insects In The Dicle (Tigris) River Basin, Turkey, With New Records, Fatma Çeti̇nkaya, Aysel Bekleyen

Turkish Journal of Zoology

We investigated insects of the Dicle (Tigris) River Basin in terms of their composition and spatiotemporal distribution. Larvae, pupae, pupal exuviae, and nymphs of insects were obtained from samples collected by a plankton net monthly during a 1-year period in 2008 and 2009 at seven different sites of the Dicle (Tigris) River Basin. A total of 35 taxa from the orders Trichoptera (1 taxon), Ephemeroptera (3 taxa), and Diptera (31 taxa) were identified. Chironomidae (Diptera) was the most diverse group and was represented by three major subfamilies, namely Tanypodinae (2 taxa), Orthocladiinae (19 taxa), and Chironominae (7 taxa). Among these …

Sexual Dimorphism In Two Catfish Species, Mystus Pelusius (Solander, 1794) And Glyptothorax Silviae Coad, 1981 (Teleostei: Siluriformes), Hamid Reza Esmaeili, Golnaz Sayyadzadeh, Mohammad Amini Chermahini

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Sexual dimorphism of two catfish, Mystus pelusius (Solander, 1794) and Glyptothorax silviae Coad, 1981, is presented based on the examination of external morphology of the fish and morphology of the gonads. We observed sexual dimorphism for M. pelusius in the shape and position of the genital papilla. In the male, the genital papilla was a small, fleshy, pointed and broad-based structure. The pelvic fin was short and did not reach back to the genital papilla. In females of M. pelusius the opening of the genital structure was without any protrusion or with a very small, dot-like structure in a few …

Habitat Use And Activity Of European Glass Lizard, Pseudopus Apodus (Pallas, 1775),In Southeastern Bulgaria, Ivan Telenchev, Daniela Nikolova, Rossen Tzonev

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The way in which animals use the physical and biological resources in habitats is an important aspect of their behavioral ecology. Here, we studied the activity and habitat use of the European glass lizard in two habitats in southeastern Bulgaria during the spring and summer of 2015. We registered behaviors such as basking and movement, and we recorded hiding locations. We also attempted to capture the individual mark of every observed individual, to determine its sex, age, and body temperature, immediately at capture. In parallel, essential environmental parameters were identified: temperature of the air near the lizard, substrate temperature, dominant …

Tarsonemid Mites (Acari, Heterostigmatina) Found In Association With Bark Beetles(Insecta, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) In Iran, Wojciech Magowski, Ali Ahadiyat, Hadi Ostovan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The authors report on the presence of species of the family Tarsonemidae in association with three bark beetle species (Orthotomicus erosus (Wollaston, 1857), Scolytus scolytus (Fabricius, 1775), and S. multistriatus (Marsham, 1802)) in two provinces in Central and Northern Iran. The following mite species are new for the fauna of Iran: Heterotarsonemus hajekae Smiley and Moser, 1985, H. magowskii Khaustov, 2001, and Tarsonemus crassus (Schaarschmidt, 1959). The genus Heterotarsonemus is newly recorded in Asia. The new record of H. hajekae is the second ever known in the world and H. magowskii is now established as new phoront of the bark …

Occurrence Of Atlantic Tarpon, Megalops Atlanticus, Leptocephali In The Mississippi Sound Estuary, Patrick M. Graham, James S. Franks, Jason D. Tilley, Dyan P. Gibson, Evan J. Anderson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

New Records Of Parasites (Apicomplexa, Nematoda, Acari, Anoplura) From Rodents In Arkansas, M. B. Connior, L. A. Durden, Chris T. Mcallister, R. S. Seville, C. R. Bursey, Henry W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Distribution Of The Eastern Spotted Skunk, Spilogale Putorius, In The Early Twentieth Century, D. Blake Sasse

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Rodents Within Arkansas Game And Fish Commission Wildlife Management Areas, M. B. Connior, C. Renn Tumlison, D. P. Holland, J. L. Hunt, L. A. Durden, D. Blake Sasse

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

A First Look At The Microbial Community Of Rabidosa Rabida, A Wolf Spider In Searcy, Arkansas, Patricia Rivera, Ryan Stork, Amber Hug

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Many diverse animal models have been used to explore the interactions between host organisms and their microbiota. Increased understanding of microbe-host interactions could lead to improved healthcare and drug development. Spiders have venom, digestive fluid, and body fluid components that have been suggested to possess antimicrobial properties that could lead to new and interesting host-microbe interactions. While studies have been published on interactions between bacteria affecting the immune function and behavior of spiders, the spider microbiome has not been established to date. Excreta and body swabs were collected from Rabidosa rabida, a wolf spider typically found on tall grass …

Bat Occupancy Estimates And Species Richness At Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, Samuel Schratz, Virginie Rolland, Jason Phillips, Richard Crossett, David Richardson, Thomas S. Risch

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Six bat species of special concern, threatened or endangered, may occur in one of Arkansas’ largest bottomland hardwood forests, the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR). However, inventory of bat species throughout the refuge has been lacking and management plans may not be adequate in promoting bat conservation. The objectives of this study were to inventory bat species in the CRNWR, and determine bat-habitat associations via occupancy estimates. From May–August 2014 and 2015, we mist-netted from sunset for 5 hours. We also deployed bioacoustic devices throughout 5 habitat types (cypress-tupelo [dominantly Taxodium distichum and Nyssa aquatica], emergent wetland, mature …

Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes) Space Use In A Sanctuary Setting, Holly Soubiea

All Master's Theses

Studies of chimpanzee space use can provide information about chimpanzees’ preferences and welfare. This study examined the space use of 12 chimpanzees at Fauna Foundation, a chimpanzee sanctuary located in Carignan, Québec, Canada. Observers recorded the chimpanzees’ location, elevation, perimeter, and substrate using a scan sampling procedure. In total, there were 93 hours of data and 3,190 scans. The author used Geographical Information System (GIS) to plot the chimpanzees’ location for each scan. The chimpanzees used the largest rooms most often, were inside 61% (n = 1,942) of the time, an arm’s reach away from the perimeter 90% (n = …

The Social Behavior Of Rehabilitated Spider Monkeys (Ateles Geoffroyi), Anthony Denice

All Master's Theses

The welfare of captive primates in laboratories, sanctuaries, and zoos is affected by various aspects of their environments. Although space restrictions increase aggression and stress-related behaviors in most captive animals, primates show diverse mechanisms for displacing stress and mitigating conflict. Many primates, including wild spider monkeys (genus Ateles), use these mechanisms flexibly to cope with social and environmental stressors. I investigated whether or not captive black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) use behavioral strategies to cope with potential stressors in captivity. In particular, I tested whether an affiliative or avoidant strategy was used in response to changes in …

Collective Decision Making In Tibetan Macaques: How Followers Affect The Rules And Efficiency Of Group Movement, Amanda Rowe

All Master's Theses

Primate societies must undergo successful collective decision making during group movement to stay cohesive and provide the ecological and evolutionary benefits of sociality. This study investigates how a fan structure facilitates successful group movement in the YA1 group of Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Mt. Huangshan National Reserve in Anhui, China. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine the relative influences of sex, age, maternal kinship, dominance, and social network centrality on the number of fans (consistent followers) an individual had, and the number of group members an individual was a fan of (fandom). SEM revealed that …

Captive Chimpanzees' (Pan Troglodytes) Night-Time Enrichment Selection And Use, Katherine M. Mcdonald

All Master's Theses

Captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) engage with enrichment objects extensively during the daytime, yet relatively little is known regarding their use of available enrichment at night. This study examined night-time enrichment use in three adult chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute. Every evening, the chimpanzees received a variety of enrichment objects. The objects belonged to one of nine categories. Night-vision video cameras recorded the chimpanzees’ night-time behaviors every Monday through Thursday from July 9 to August 9, 2012 (Carner et al., 2013). The present study used a focal animal, instantaneous sampling method (Martin & Bateson, 2007) to …

Enrichment Use & Social Interactions In A Mixed-Species Enclosure Of Sumatran (Pongo Abelij) & Bornean Orangutans (P. Pygmaeus) & Northern White-Cheeked Gibbons (Nomascus Leucogenys), Emily Veitia

All Master's Theses

Enrichment is an aspect of captive husbandry that has been shown to positively impact animals’ well-being and can be designed to encourage species-typical behaviors, such as foraging and arboreality. Enrichment can include housing together multiple compatible species. Orangutans are sympatric with siamangs and agile and Bornean gibbons, so several zoos house these four Asian ape species in the same enclosure, in part, as social enrichment. In my study, I observed enrichment use and social interactions in a mixed-species enclosure at the Oregon Zoo, which housed two Sumatran (Pongo abelii) and two Bornean (P. pygmaeus) orangutans with …

สัณฐานวิทยาและโครงสร้างรังของแมงมุมฝาปิดโบราณสกุล Liphistius Schiödte, 1849 ในอุทยานแห่งชาติแม่วงก์, วรัตถ์ ศิวายพราหมณ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

แมงมุมฝาปิดโบราณในสกุล Liphistius (Liphistiidae, Mesothelae) เป็นหนึ่งในสกุลของแมงมุมโบราณที่ยังคงมีชีวิตอยู่ในปัจจุบัน โดยยังมีแผ่นปิดท้องด้านบนที่แบ่งเป็นปล้องและมีอวัยวะสร้างใยอยู่บริเวณส่วนกลางของ abdomen การศึกษาเกี่ยวกับแมงมุมในสกุล Liphistius ในอดีตส่วนใหญ่ยังจำกัดอยู่เฉพาะในด้านอนุกรมวิธานเท่านั้น ในการศึกษานี้ได้ให้ความสนใจในการศึกษาลักษณะสัณฐานวิทยาและโครงสร้างรังของแมงมุมฝาปิดโบราณแม่วงก์ Liphistius maewongensis Sivayyapram et al., 2017 ซึ่งถือเป็นแมงมุมฝาปิดโบราณชนิดใหม่ของโลก โดยผู้ศึกษาได้ทำการเก็บตัวอย่างแมงมุมและข้อมูลทางกายภาพที่เกี่ยวข้องจากอุทยานแห่งชาติแม่วงก์ อำเภอคลองลาน จังหวัดกำแพงเพชร ที่ระดับความสูง 1,000–1,300 เมตรเหนือระดับน้ำทะเล ผลการศึกษาลักษณะสัณฐานวิทยาของตัวอย่างแมงมุมจำนวน 46 ตัวอย่าง (♀ = 24, ♂ = 22) พบว่าแมงมุมที่พบภายในอุทยานแห่งชาติแม่วงก์มีลักษณะโครงสร้างอวัยวะสืบพันธุ์ทั้งในเพศผู้และเพศเมียแตกต่างจากแมงมุมในสกุล Liphistius ที่เคยมีการค้นพบมาก่อน จากการศึกษาโครงสร้างรังของแมงมุมจำนวน 359 รัง พบว่าแมงมุมชนิดนี้มีการสร้างรังอยู่ 2 รูปแบบ ได้แก่ โครงสร้างรังแบบทั่วไปและโครงสร้างรังแบบตัว T โดยโครงสร้างรังแบบทั่วไปมีลักษณะเป็นท่อตรงมีทางเข้าออกทางเดียว ในขณะที่โครงสร้างรังแบบตัว T มีทางเข้าออก 2 ทาง จากการวิเคราะห์ทางสถิติพบว่าขนาดทางสัณฐานวิทยาของแมงมุมและรูปแบบโครงสร้างของรังมีความสัมพันธ์กัน โดยความยาวและความกว้างของฝาปิดทางเข้ารังและความลึกของรังมีความสัมพันธ์กับความยาวลำตัวของแมงมุม (Pearson’s correlation r = 0.80, 0.73, 0.51 ตามลำดับ n = 46, p < 0.01) แสดงให้เห็นว่าขนาดและความลึกของรังมีการเพิ่มขึ้นเมื่อแมงมุมมีการเจริญเติบโตและขยายขนาดลำตัว นอกจากนี้ chi-square test ยังแสดงให้เห็นถึงความสัมพันธ์ของขนาดลำตัวแมงมุมที่มีต่อรูปแบบการสร้างรัง (X2= 92.23, 2; p < 0.01) จากรังแบบตรงกลายเป็นรังรูปตัว T เมื่อแมงมุมมีอายุมากขึ้น จากผลการศึกษารูปแบบการกระจายของประชากรพบว่าแมงมุมฝาปิดโบราณแม่วงก์มีการกระจายตัวแบบกลุ่ม (Morisita’s index, Iδ = 2.76) ซึ่งสอดคล้องกับความสามารถในการกระจายพันธุ์ที่จำกัดของแมงมุมในกลุ่มนี้ และอาจบ่งชี้ให้เห็นถึงผลของ dilution effect หรือ selfish herd effect ที่อาจเกิดขึ้นในกลุ่มประชากรเพื่อตอบสนองต่อผู้ล่า การระวังภัยที่เพิ่มขึ้น และโอกาสประสบความสำเร็จในการสืบพันธุ์ อย่างไรก็ตามในการศึกษ

An Integrative Description Of Mesobiotus Ethiopicus Sp. Nov. (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Parachela: Macrobiotidae: Harmsworthi Group) From The Northern Afrotropic Region, Daniel Stec, Reinhardt Møbjerg Kristensen

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A new species of the Mesobiotus harmsworthi group is described from Ethiopia. An integrative taxonomy approach was applied by combining morphological and morphometric analyses-imaging under phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy with molecular analysis (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and COI markers)-to cross-verify the status of the population as a new species. The specimens of Mesobiotus ethiopicus sp. nov. are most similar to two taxa of the harmsworthi complex: M. harmsworthi obscurus (Dastych, 1985) and M. peterseni (Maucci, 1991). Nevertheless, the new species can be easily distinguished from the first of these taxa by the absence of additional teeth in the …

Skeletal Stiffening In An Amphibious Fish Out Of Water Is A Response To Increased Body Weight, Andy J. Turko, Dietmar KüLtz, Douglas S. Fudge, Roger P. Croll, Frank M. Smith, Matthew R. Stoyek, Patricia A. Wright

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Terrestrial animals must support their bodies against gravity, while aquatic animals are effectively weightless because of buoyant support from water. Given this evolutionary history of minimal gravitational loading of fishes in water, it has been hypothesized that weight-responsive musculoskeletal systems evolved during the tetrapod invasion of land and are thus absent in fishes. Amphibious fishes, however, experience increased effective weight when out of water – are these fishes responsive to gravitational loading? Contrary to the tetrapod-origin hypothesis, we found that terrestrial acclimation reversibly increased gill arch stiffness (∼60% increase) in the amphibious fish Kryptolebias marmoratus when loaded normally by gravity, …

Fear And Loathing On The Landscape: What Can Foraging Theory Tell Us About Vigilance And Fear?, Burt P. Kotler, Joel S. Brown

Animal Sentience

We discuss fear and vigilance from the perspective of foraging theory. Rather than focusing on proximate indicators of fear, we suggest that fear is an adaptation for assigning a cost to activities that incur a risk of injury or death. We use theory to provide definitions for fear and vigilance and then use that theory to compare them. We agree that there are limits to the reliability of vigilance as an indicator of fear, but we arrive at this conclusion differently.

Factors Influencing Wood Turtle (Glyptemys Insculpta) Home Range Size In Iowa: A Comparison Between Suburban And Rural Populations, Joshua Gregory Otten

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Home range size, movement patterns, and site fidelity of wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) were compared between a suburban population in Black Hawk County (BH) and a rural population in Butler County (BC), Iowa. Approximately 89% of individuals captured for studies conducted in Iowa during 2014 and 2015 were >14 years old. 45 individuals (22 females, 18 males, and 5 juveniles) were used for radio telemetry surveys in 2014–2015, 24 of which were located in BC, and 21 at BH.

Home range size of male and female wood turtles was significantly different at the 100% Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP), …

Genomic Perspectives On Amphibian Evolution Across Multiple Phylogenetic Scales, Paul Michael Hime

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Genomes provide windows into the evolutionary histories of species. The recent accessibility of genome-scale data in non-model organisms and the proliferation of powerful statistical models are now providing unprecedented opportunities to uncover evolutionary relationships and to test hypotheses about the processes that generate and maintain biodiversity. This dissertation work reveals shallow-scale species boundaries and population genetic structure in two imperiled groups of salamanders and demonstrates that the number and information content of genomic regions used in species delimitation exert strong effects on the resulting inferences. Genome scans are employed to test hypotheses about the mechanisms of genetic sex determination in …

Rewiring Metabolism Under Oxygen Deprivation: Naked Mole-Rats Evolved A Means To Cope With Anoxia, Jay F. Storz, Grant B. Mcclelland

Jay F. Storz Publications

When faced with a reduced availability of oxygen in the environment (hypoxia), vertebrates can make a variety of respiratory, cardiovascular, and hematological adjustments to ensure an uninterrupted supply of oxygen to the cells of metabolizing tissues (1, 2). These are adaptive solutions for “aerobic organisms in an aerobic world” (3). Coping with the complete absence of oxygen (anoxia) requires more fundamental alterations of cellular metabolism that are typically nothing more than emergency stopgap measures to buy time until the oxygen supply is (hopefully) reestablished (4). On page 307 of this issue [Science 356 (6335)], Park et al. (5) identify a …