Digital Commons Network^™

Demographic And Genetic Studies Of Seed Dispersal And Juvenile Survival In An Old-Growth Longleaf Pine Population., Susan Langevin Grace

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Many biotic and abiotic factors contribute to the formation of aggregations of seedlings and juveniles in populations of forest trees. The following studies investigate factors influencing the spatial structure of juveniles in an old-growth longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) population. In the first study, effects of adult tree density, pine needle litter and fire temperature were related to the demography of juveniles. A cohort of juveniles from a mast year in 1987 was followed over four years. Demographic components were determined both before and up to two years after fire. Juveniles were more dense, larger and had higher survival in …

Seasonal And Spatial Abundance And Size Distribution Of Fishes Associated With A Petroleum Platform In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico., David Robert Stanley

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the utility of dual-beam hydroacoustics in measuring abundance and target strength of fishes near a petroleum platform in the northern Gulf of Mexico. From September to November 1990 fish densities ranged from 0 to 1.88 fish/m$\sp3$ and varied with platform side, depth, time of day and month. Densities were highest adjacent to the platform and decreased significantly beyond 9 m. Approximately 2,400 to 8,300 fish were associated with the platform depending on month. Target strengths ranged from $-$56 to $-$24 dB and varied with side of the platform and month. Mean monthly …

The Production And Characterization Of Alginate Produced By Pseudomonas Syringae., Richard David Ashby

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Alginate has many industrial uses because of its unique colloidal behavior, and its ability to thicken, stabilize, emulsify, suspend, form films, and produce gels. Currently, all commercial alginate comes from brown algae, where it exists naturally as a structural material. Many different types of brown algae produce alginate but it can only be obtained in sufficient quantity and quality from a limited number of species. On the basis of location, at least half of the world's resources of this polymer are potentially at risk due either to political instability or industrial pollution. Bacteria provide a potentially unlimited alternate source for …

Sedimentation Processes In Selected Coastal Wetlands From The Gulf Of Mexico And Northern Europe., John Charles Callaway

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Sediment cores were collected from coastal wetlands from the Gulf coast of North America and northern Europe to study accretion rates and heavy metal accumulation. There was a significant decrease in vertical accretion rates from low to high marsh for Gulf coast samples. Contrary to previous results, these low tidal range sites did not have negative accretion balances. Northern European samples demonstrated the utility of Chernobyl $\sp{137}$Cs as a sediment marker. There were large differences in sediment characteristics and accretion rates between Polish and western European samples. Vertical accretion rates based on $\sp{210}$Pb were lower than $\sp{137}$Cs rates for most …

Immunological And Developmental Factors Affecting The Efficacy Of In Vitro Fertilization, Embryo Culture And Embryo Transfer In The Domestic Cat., William Frederick Swanson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Developmental and immunological factors affecting the efficacy of assisted reproduction for domestic and endangered nondomestic felid species were investigated. In the first study, domestic cats exhibited decreased (P $<$ 0.05) numbers of follicles and maturity of oocytes following repeated treatments, at short intervals (44-50 days), with a combination regimen of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Queens had elevated titers of eCG/hCG-binding immunoglobulins compared with male cats and naive queens, and these immunoglobulins attenuated eCG and hCG bioactivity in mouse ovarian stimulation assays. However, refractory queens appeared to cycle naturally and were responsive to an alternative exogenous gonadotropin, porcine follicle stimulating hormone (pFSH). In the second study, queens exhibited individual variability in immune responses to eCG and hCG, and this variability affected (P $$ 0.05) when longer intervals (130-135 days) were used between successive eCG/hCG treatments. In the third study, the effects of eCG and hCG on the suitability of the maternal environment were investigated. Following intramuscular injection, eCG had an elimination half-life of 24 to 48 hours and, 5 and 15 days after follicular aspiration, eCG/hCG-treated queens had formed multiple ancillary follicles and secondary corpora lutea (CL), respectively. Treatment with antisera against eCG/hCG slowed (P $$ 0.05) serum progesterone levels or decrease (P $>$ 0.05) the number of secondary ovarian structures. In the fourth study, developmental requirements of IVF-derived cat embryos were examined, with the emphasis on energy sources, media complexity and tissue co-culture and temporal variations in these factors. Embryos developed equally well (P $>$ 0.05) to morulae in simple media containing either glucose or glutamine, but blastocyst formation and embryo cell number were decreased (P $<$ 0.05) when glucose was present during the early culture period. Co-culture of embryos on oviductal cell monolayers decreased (P $<$ 0.05) fertilization and blastocyst formation. In the final study, a transcervical technique for embryo transfer was developed and used successfully to produce viable offspring in the domestic cat.

Epidemiology Of Strongylate Nematode And Coccidia (Eimeria) Infection In Sheep With Special Reference To Breed Resistance., Mahesan Bahirathan

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In the United States, the annual production losses in small ruminants due to internal parasites has been estimated at $45 million. In 1992, 1993 and 1994, breed specific responses to naturally acquired strongylate nematode and coccidia ({\it Eimeria\/}) infections were compared in three classes (suckling lambs, weaned lambs, and mature ewes) of pure-bred Suffolk and sheep native to Louisiana (Native) which were grazed together on infective pasture. Parasitological (fecal egg counts and nematode counts) and hematological (packed cell volumes, total immunoglobulin levels, total and class-specific anti-{\it Haemonchus contortus\/} antibody levels and eosinophil counts) data were collected. In suckling Native lambs, …

Effects Of Nandrolone Decanoate On Strength, Markers Of Bone Formation And Turnover In Obese Postmenopausal Women With Normal Bone Density., Ellen Rose Brooks

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Treatment with androgens and anabolic steroids in conditions of high bone turnover seen in osteoporotic postmenopausal females has resulted in bone density improvement. Research has demonstrated a link between muscle mass and bone due to the mechanical demands placed on bone by muscular contractile force associated with physical activity. This study examined whether treatment with a synthetic anabolic steroid, 30 mg. of nandrolone decanoate every two weeks, or placebo increased lean mass, cross-sectional area of thigh muscle and muscle torque production while preserving bone mineral density (BMD) in 18 dieting, sedentary, obese, postmenopausal females not on estrogen replacement therapy. Obesity …

The Mode Of Action Of Intersex In Terminal Sexual Differentiation In Drosophila., Robert Russel Risley

Student Work

The intersex gene (2-60.5) lies at the terminus of the regulatory pathway that determines sex-type in Drosophila. Its product functions with the female-specific product of doublesex, another gene in the self-determination regulatory pathway, to regulate female-specific differentiation. However, the mechanism of this regulation has not been clearly demonstrated. Using a temperature-sensitive allele at intersex to eliminate its function at time points both during development and in the adult stage, the mode by which intersex regulates female determination was addressed. When chromosomal females bearing a temperature-sensitive intersex allele are raised at a permissive temperature, they develop as phenotypic females. Animals raised …

Identification And Characterization Of Tdd-1 And Related Retrotransposons In Dictyostelium., Gail A. Henderson

Student Work

Previous studies in Dictyostelium discoideum on the transposable element Tdd-1, have identified two transcription units of opposite polarity. One is a major, developmentally regulated 4.5 kb transcript believed to encode proteins involved in the retrotransposition of this element, and the other, 1.4 kb in size, is a heat-shock inducible RNA. Based on the sequence of the 4.5 kb transcript and the encoded amino acid sequence, it has been proposed that Tdd-1 is a retrotransposon. This implies that the 4.5 kb mRNA is copied by reverse transcriptase, resulting in DNA copies that insert into new sites. The purpose of this study …

Hepatic Lipase Treatment Of Chylomicron Remnants Increases Exposure Of Apolipoprotein E, Dawn L. Brasaemle, Kathleen Cornely-Moss, André Bensadoun

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The consequences of hepatic lipase treatment of chylomicron remnants were studied. Rats were fed corn oil to induce production and secretion of chylomicrons and were then injected with polyclonal antiserum raised against hepatic lipase to specifically and quantitatively inhibit hepatic lipase activity in vivo. A fraction enriched in chylomicron remnants was isolated from rat plasma by a brief centrifugation step that preferentially isolates triglyceride-rich apolipoprotein (apo) B-48-containing lipoproteins. The chylomicron remnants were then treated with hepatic lipase in vitro, or incubated under identical conditions in the absence of enzyme (control incubations). Hepatic lipase-treated and control chylomicron remnants were isolated by …

Bioremediation: A New Technology Using Inhabitants Of The Soil, Matthew Fields

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms to clean the environment contaminated with various pollutants such as chemical wastes and petroleum -based products. The microbes use the pollutants as their carbon source and by doing so the contaminants are broken down. This paper examined the numbers of indigenous microorganisms in soil contaminated with diesel fuel and oil. Contaminant-degrading microbes were isolated and enumerated using phenanthrene in mineral media. The breakdown of phenanthrene was used as an indicator for contaminant degradation. The effects of aeration and the addition of nutrients on bioremediation processes was also studied. Soil samples used in the performed …

Neurotransmitter Interactions In The Substantia Nigra And In The Neostriatum Following Nigral Grafts, Ivar Marcelo Mendez

Digitized Theses

Direct synaptic contact between substance P (SP)-immunoreactive terminals and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-positive neurons was more often observed in the substantia nigra pars lateralis (SNL) than in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR) and was rarely observed in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC). Substance P terminals also formed synapses with cell bodies and dendrites of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive, dopaminergic neurons in the SNC and SNR. Multiple SP terminals were often observed with symmetrical and, less frequently, asymmetrical synapses on individual TH-containing dendrites. Evidence of SP-containing terminals contacting both GABAergic and dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra suggests a direct …

Control Of Tonic Sympathetic Nerve Activity By The Brainstem In Rats, Kristen Hayes

Digitized Theses

Control of tonic firing of sympathetic nerves by the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and the pontine reticular formation (PRF) was investigated. Electrical activity of renal, splenic, mesenteric and preganglionic greater splanchnic nerves and T{dollar}\sb{lcub}13{rcub}{dollar} white rami was recorded in artificially respired, urethane-anaesthetized rats. Glycine (1.0M;180nl) was microinjected into the RVLM to inhibit neuronal discharge and effects on these nerves were compared. To study descending inhibitory influences on these nerves, effects of RVLM blockade were compared to effects of cervical spinal cord transection. RVLM blockade caused greater decreases in discharge of renal ({dollar}-44\ \pm\ 3\%{dollar}) than splenic ({dollar}-31\ \pm\ 2\%{dollar}) nerves, …

Cyclic Adenosine 3',5'-Monophosphate And Prostaglandin E(2) During Decidualization In The Rat, Gayle M. Yee

Digitized Theses

Prostaglandin E{dollar}\sb2{dollar} (PGE{dollar}\sb2{dollar}) is an important mediator of implantation and decidualization during pregnancy. However, its mechanism of action in the uterus is unclear. Endometrial alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity increases during decidualization in many species and provides a marker for assessment of cellular aspects of decidualization. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between PGE{dollar}\sb2{dollar} and cyclic adenosine 3{dollar}\sp\prime{dollar},5{dollar}\sp\prime{dollar}-monophosphate (cAMP) during decidualization in the rat. In ovariectomized rats treated with estrogen and progesterone to sensitize the uteri for decidualization, intrauterine infusion of indomethacin, an inhibitor of endogenous PG synthesis, inhibited the increase in endometrial ALP activity, which occurred …

Characterization Of Invariant Membrane Proteins Of Trypanosoma (Duttonella) Vivax, Barbara Anne Burleigh

Digitized Theses

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), raised against whole, fixed, uncoated, culture forms of Trypanosoma (Duttonella) vivax, were used to identify two invariant membrane proteins of this protozoan parasite. Since non-variant membrane proteins of the cell surface, flagellar pocket and endocytic pathway are potential targets for the control of trypanosomiasis of livestock by immunization, the identification and characterization of invariant membrane proteins is a necessary preliminary step.;A 65 kDA invariant membrane glycoprotein (gp65), identified using mAb 4E1, was the main focus of this study. Immunolocalization studies using the monoclonal antibody (mAb 4E1) for immunofluorescence staining and immunoelectron microscopy, demonstrated that the 65 kDa …

Ventilatory Response To Carbon Dioxide Stimuli In Aged Humans, Marc Jean Poulin

Digitized Theses

This thesis examined age-related changes in the ventilatory response to exercise and in the ventilatory response to inhaled carbon dioxide (CO{dollar}\sb2{dollar}) at rest. Specifically, the purposes were to: (1) examine the ventilatory response to CO{dollar}\sb2{dollar} production (VCO{dollar}\sb2{dollar}) during graded exercise below the ventilation threshold (T{dollar}\sb{lcub}\rm \.VE{rcub}{dollar}) in men and women aged 55 to 86 yrs, (2) determine the ventilatory response to CO{dollar}\sb2{dollar} at rest and evaluate the CO{dollar}\sb2{dollar} sensitivity of the central and peripheral chemoreceptors in young (YS, n = 7, 28.3 yrs) and old (OS, n = 11, 76.1 yrs) humans, and (3) determine the temporal parameters of the …

Host And Viral Determinants Influencing The Pathogenesis Of Coronavirus-Induced Neurological Disease In Rodents, John M. Pasick

Digitized Theses

Host and viral determinants influencing the outcome of coronavirus JHM infections of the CNS of rodents were investigated using intact animals and primary neural cell cultures. Two problems pertinent to the process of pathogenesis were addressed. The first was concerned with elucidating host factors responsible for controlling the age dependent nature for induction of the demyelinating form of disease in suckling rats. In the second, the basis of the relative resistance exhibited by inbred SJL/J mice to JHMV was examined in relation to both host and viral determinants.;Using primary, dissociated neural cultures from perinatal rats, several interesting aspects of host …

Regulation Of Choline Acetyltransferase In Rat Hippocampal Synaptosomes, Bonnie Marie Schmidt

Digitized Theses

Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT; EC 2.3.1.6) catalyses the biosynthesis of acetylcholine (ACh) from choline and acetylCoenzyme A in cholinergic neurons. Within nerve terminals, this enzyme exists in both cytosolic and membrane-bound forms, although the role of the latter fraction is not clear. ChAT is clearly subject to long-term regulation (over periods of hours to days), likely through alterations in protein synthesis, however very little is known about short-term regulation (seconds to minutes). Therefore, the goals of this study were to determine the mechanisms of short-term regulation of ChAT activity and to elucidate the physiological role of membrane-bound ChAT in ACh biosynthesis.;Using …

Age-Related Changes In The Numbers And Physiological Properties Of Human Motor Units, Timothy John Doherty

Digitized Theses

Age-related changes in the numbers and physiological properties of human motor units (MUs) were examined in four studies.;In the first study, spike-triggered averaging was used to estimate the numbers of MUs in the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles. The maximum isometric twitch contraction (MTC) and maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of the elbow flexors were also measured. In older subjects, the estimated numbers of MUs were significantly reduced (47%) whereas, average surface-detected motor unit action potential (S-MUAP) sizes were significantly larger (23%). Significant but less marked age-associated reductions were found for the MTC (33%) and MVC (33%).;In the second study Multiple …

Seed Dormancy In Red Rice (Oryza Sativa): Changes In Embryo Ph And Metabolism During The Dormancy-Breaking Process., Steven Footitt

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Hydrated, dehulled, dormant seeds of red rice (Oryza sativa L.) were exposed to chemical treatments (nitrite, propionic acid, methyl propionate, propionaldehyde, and n-propanol) that saturate the dormancy-breaking response. Dormancy-breaking chemicals were (a) metabolized (n-propanol and propionate) by embryos in dormant seeds to weak acids; (b) decreased embryo pH; and (c) increased embryo (Fru 2,6-P$\sb2$) prior to dormancy-breaking. Embryo acidification, but not increased embryo (Fru 2,6-P$\sb2$), was associated with the chemical contact interval required for the onset of dormancy-breaking. During chemical contact, embryo (Fru 2,6-P$\sb2$) increased independent of dormancy-breaking and was inversely correlated with the elapsed time to 30% germination. On …

Effects Of Hematopoietic Neoplasia On Physiological Processes In The Soft-Shell Clam, Mya Arenaria (Linne), Mary-Susan Potts

Doctoral Dissertations

Mya arenaria (L.) is susceptible to the disease, hematopoietic neoplasia (Hn), in which atypical cells invade the blood and connective tissue of the clam's organs. In this study impacts of Hn on the reproductive and excretory systems were examined in clams collected from New Bedford Harbor and Little Buttermilk Bay, Buzzards Bay, MA.

The relationships between Hn seasonality and reproduction were evaluated from fresh blood samples and histological analysis of gonads. Both clam populations had biannual reproductive cycles with spawnings in the spring and fall. Hn prevalence exhibited some seasonality with maxima in the fall and late winter-early spring. Reproductive …

Characterization And Inheritance Of The Fused Vein Trait In Squash (Cucurbita Pepo L), Robert Bruce Carle

Doctoral Dissertations

This investigation characterized and determined the inheritance of the fused vein trait in Cucurbita pepo L. with the purpose of evaluating its use as a rouging marker for hull-less seeded cultivars.

The trait is characterized by the partial fusion of the primary leaf veins. There is a reduction in the intraveinal leaf blade and the dorsal leaf surface appears wrinkled. Depending on genetic background, fusion begins with the fourth to tenth leaf stage and continues throughout vegetative growth. The extent of fusion also varies from slight (1-5 cm) to pronounced (15-20 cm). Anatomically, fusion results from an interruption of vein …

Genetic And Molecular Analyses Of Host Symbiotic Genes And An In Vitro Regeneration System For Cicer Arietinum L, Vijayashri Ganapathy Paruvangada

Doctoral Dissertations

Ineffectively nodulating plant mutants PM405B, PM638A, and PM796B were used in molecular/genetic analyses of root nodule formation in chickpea. To establish the mode of inheritance of the mutant nodule phenotype in chickpea mutant PM638A, reciprocal crosses were made between PM638A and wild-type ICC640. The F$\sb2$ segregation data fit a 3 mutants: 1 wild-type monohybrid phenotypic ratio, indicating that ineffective nodulation is due to a monogenic dominant, nuclear mutation, tentatively designated as "Rn$\sb7$". Segregation analysis of F$\sb3$ progeny confirmed this model.

Early (ENod2) and late (Lb) nodulin cDNAs were used as heterologous probes to identify and study the expression of corresponding …

Immunologic And Pathologic Responses Of Macaca Mulatta Experimentally Infected With Simian Immunodeficiency Virus And Campylobacter Jejuni., Robert Wayne Kornegay

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Five Macaca mulatta were infected with SIV/DELTA$\sb{\rm B670}.$ Approximately 70 days later, this group (SIV) and five age, sex, weight matched not SIV-infected (NEG) M. mulatta were inoculated orally with approximately $3\times10\sp{10}$ Campylobacter jejuni. Small and large bowel mucosal biopsies, bowel contents, sera, blood, and rectal swabs were collected before and after C. jejuni inoculation. Biopsy cryosections were stained with histologic stains and immunocytochemically for lymphocyte subsets, plasmacytes, macrophages, and B-cells. Coded stained sections were examined semiquantitatively or quantitatively using computerized image analysis. Circulating lymphocyte subsets were determined using FACS analysis. Campylobacter jejuni was recultured from 4/5 SIV and 4/5 …

Structural Analysis And Methionine Ehancement Of The Bean Seed Storage Protein Phaseolin., John M. Dyer

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Common beans are widely utilized as a food source, yet are limited as a complete source of protein due to low levels of methionine, an essential amino acid for humans. A protein engineering strategy was developed to increase the methionine content of phaseolin, the primary seed storage protein in common beans. The engineering strategy consists of three major parts. In the first part, a set of biophysical probes was developed to characterize the stability of wild-type and modified phaseolin proteins. I used absorbance, fluorescence emission, circular dichroism, and fluorescence polarization anisotropy to monitor phaseolin denaturation induced by urea, guanidinium chloride, …

Sulfadimethoxine Analysis In Channel Catfish: A Model Drug Residue Monitoring Program For Aquaculture., Calvin Charles Walker

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Analytical methods for extraction, detection, and quantitation of sulfadimethoxine (SDM) residues in channel catfish muscle and plasma were developed for a tiered residue monitoring program. The plasma and muscle concentrations of SDM and its primary metabolite in channel catfish, 4-N-acetylsulfadimethoxine (N-acetyl SDM), were determined in SDM medicated fish. Drug extraction methods using matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD), drug screening methods using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), and drug residue quantitation methods using high pressure liquid chromatography (LC) are presented. All methods were developed for the simultaneous extraction and analysis of the parent compound and metabolite. MSPD extracts of muscle or plasma were …

Studies On Hepatitis A Virus: I. Expression Of Viral Capsid Peptides In Escherichia Coli And Their Application For An Immunoassay. Ii. Development Of An Assay For Viral Detection By Anti-Hav Antibodies., Luis Antonio Baez

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A panel of eleven monoclonal antibodies of the IgG and IgM class were developed against the HM 175 strain of the Hepatitis A virus. Immunoglobulin specificity for the Hepatitis A virus was determined and the antibodies were applied toward the development of an antigen capture assay linked to a nucleic acid amplification step (RT-PCR), for detection of the Hepatitis A virus. The neutralizing mouse monoclonal antibody and a rabbit polyvalent serum were assessed as capture antibodies for the immunoaffinity stage of the assay. Fifty microliter microfuge tubes were coated with the capture antibody. Formalin inactivated HAV was diluted to concentrations …

Comparisons Of Spontaneous Mutation Rates And Estimates Of Numbers Of Cell Divisions In The Germlines Of Three Metazoans., Joni Boncille Drost

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Germline mutation rates measured per generation per locus in three species of Metazoa are used to address questions of the constancy of mutation rates per generation, per year and per germcell division. Null mutation rates per generation are: 3.6 $\times$ 10$\sp{-6}$ for human X-linked disease, 8.9 $\times$ 10$\sp{-6}$ for Specific Locus Test (SLT) in male mice, 3.2 $\times$ 10$\sp{-6}$ for SLT in female mice, 8.0 $\times$ 10$\sp{-6}$ for SLT in male Drosophila melanogaster (D.m.), 1.6 $\times$ 10$\sp{-6}$ for SLRL test in male D.m. and 2.0 $\times$ 10$\sp{-6}$ for SLRL test in female D.m. They were found to be very similar …

Circadian Neuroendocrine Regulation Of Scale Allograft Reactions In Gulf Killifish, Fundulus Grandis., Nicholas John Nevid

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Reactions against scale allografts in gulf killifish were studied to examine circadian variation and neuroendocrine regulation of immune function. Although melanophores in autografts remain viable indefinitely, melanophores in scale allografts were broken down predominantly at night (12-h scotophases) regardless of the time of transplantation. Daily treatment with hormones or antagonists of neuroendocrine receptors altered the rhythm of melanophore breakdown when administered at light onset or light offset. Daily rhythms of immune activity may be a direct reflection of growth hormone levels and are entrained by exogenous cortisol treatment. Daily nonphotoperiodic environmental stimuli overrode photoperiodic entrainment of immune activity. Peak melanophore …

Genetic Population Structure Of A Species Complex Of Blue Mussels (Mytilus Spp.)., Shane Kevin Sarver

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Mussels representing two species (Mytilus trossulus and M. galloprovincialis) were collected from 28 littoral locations on the Pacific coast of the USA, and examined for genetic variation at 15 allozyme loci. Eleven samples from a region of suspected hybridization between the two species were also analyzed for variation in seven shell characters. Analysis of allozyme data by principal components analysis revealed three groups based on first principal component scores, and were identified as M. trossulus, M. galloprovincialis and hybrids. Canonical discriminate analysis of seven shell characters was less successful in separating mussels based on morphological criteria alone. To explore the …