Life Sciences Commons^™

Behavioral And Physiological Differences In Migratory Strategies Of A Long-Distance Migrant, The Blackpoll Warbler, And A Facultative Short-Distance Migrant, The Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Rebecca L. Holberton

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

The primary focus of these studies has been to investigate the functional role of corticosterone in the development of migratory condition (i.e. hyperphagia, lipogenesis, and migratory restlessness) and to investigate the underlying endocrine mechanisms of migratory condition in two species that differ dramatically in their strategies for reaching their wintering grounds. The main approach has been to measure and to manipulate the peripheral signal molecule, corticosterone, and look at the resulting patterns of feeding behavior, body mass and fat reserves, migratory activity, and metabolites of energy use (fat deposition and protein use). In the comparative component, the Blackpoll warbler (Dendroica …

Size Matters: A Test Of Boldness In Eight Populations Of The Poeciliid Brachyraphis Episcopi, Culum Brown, Victoria Braithwaite

Sentience Collection

Individual variation in behaviour within populations may be explained in part by demographics and long-term, stable individual psychological differences. We examined the relation between boldness (taken as the time to emerge from a shelter and explore a novel environment) and body size in eight populations of the poeciliid Brachyraphis episcopi originating from sites upstream and downstream of waterfalls in four rivers that run into the Panama Canal. The relation between body size and time to emerge from a shelter was positive, with larger fish taking longer to emerge. This relation differed between downstream and upstream sites, being significant in the …

Origin And Evolution Of Large Brains In Toothed Whales, Lori Marino, Daniel W. Mcshea, Mark D. Uhen

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

Toothed whales (order Cetacea: suborder Odontoceti) are highly encephalized, possessing brains that are significantly larger than expected for their body sizes. In particular, the odontocete superfamily Delphinoidea (dolphins, porpoises, belugas, and narwhals) comprises numerous species with encephalization levels second only to modern humans and greater than all other mammals. Odontocetes have also demonstrated behavioral faculties previously only ascribed to humans and, to some extent, other great apes. How did the large brains of odontocetes evolve? To begin to investigate this question, we quantified and averaged estimates of brain and body size for 36 fossil cetacean species using computed tomography and …

Phylogeography And Genetic Ancestry Of Tigers (Panthera Tigris), Shu-Jin Luo, Jae-Heup Kim, Warren E. Johnson, Joelle Van Der Walt, Janice S. Martenson, Naoya Yuhki, Dale Miquelle, Olga Uphyrkina, John M. Goodrich, Howard Quigley, R. Tilson, Gerald Brady, Paolo Martelli, Vellayan Subramaniam, Charles Mcdougal, Sun Hean, Shi-Qiang Huang, Wenshi Pan, Ullas K. Karanth, Melvin Sunquist, James L. D. Smith, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

Eight traditional subspecies of tiger (Panthera tigris), of which three recently became extinct, are commonly recognized on the basis of geographic isolation and morphological characteristics. To investigate the species' evolutionary history and to establish objective methods for subspecies recognition, voucher specimens of blood, skin, hair, and/or skin biopsies from 134 tigers with verified geographic origins or heritage across the whole distribution range were examined for three molecular markers: (1) 4.0 kb of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence; (2) allele variation in the nuclear major histocompatibility complex class II DRB gene; and (3) composite nuclear microsatellite genotypes based on 30 loci. Relatively …

Nou 2004 Fall Field Days

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Fall Field Days were held at the Nebraska National Forest at Halsey on September 24-26, 2004. Thirty-nine NOU members and friends were in attendance for a weekend of excellent weather and birding. Field trips, led by Dave Heidt, Robin Harding and Lanny Randolph, targeted the lakes in various counties to the north and west of Halsey, where a good variety of waterfowl was seen. Highlights included Trumpeter Swans, 11 species of ducks, White-faced Ibis in Grant Co., a Golden Eagle in Thomas Co., 16 species of shorebirds, 5 warbler species and 12 species of sparrows.

Addendum To Greater Snow Goose Article

Nebraska Bird Review

Addendum to Greater Snow Goose Article

In "The Greater Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens atlanticus) in Nebraska" by W. Ross Silcock, published in the Sept. 2004 issue of The Nebraska Bird Review, we failed to credit Randy Buettner of Grand Island, who made the original observation of the Greater Snow Goose and provided the specimen, which was obtained in Clay Co. and is shown in the photo, to William Lemburg.

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review December 2004 Volume 72 Number 4

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Mary Lou Pritchard, NOU Librarian, c/o University of Nebraska State Museum, W- 436 Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588- 0514.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year …

The 2002 Nebraska Nest Report, Wayne Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

In contrast to last year, with "the winter that wouldn't end," this breeding season began with a "spring that wouldn't begin." The winter was mild and uneventful, but although the spring was neither cold nor stormy, the usual warm-up did not come, and when the weather finally warmed in May, it brought no moisture. The resulting drought was worst in the west and southwest, areas that had already been abnormally dry for several years. In mid-June in the southern Panhandle, many ranchers were still feeding hay to the cattle because the grass simply did not grow. The dry conditions surely …

Lake Mcconaughy And Nebraska Piping Plover Recovery Goals, Mark M. Peyton

Nebraska Bird Review

Since 1992 the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (Central) has protected and monitored nesting Piping Plovers along the shore of Lake McConaughy (Keith County, Nebraska). Over those 13 seasons, Central monitored 849 Piping Plover nests and documented the successful fledging (successful fledging is defined as a chick at least 24 days old, or one observed flying) of 1,237 Piping Plover chicks (Table 1), making Lake McConaughy one of the most productive nesting areas for Piping Plovers in Nebraska. The following is a documentation of the contributions of Lake McConaughy to the recovery goals for Piping Plovers in Nebraska. …

Fall Field Report, August-November 2004, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

The fall season is a mix of summer, fall migration, and winter. Thus there are breeding records of interest, such as Mississippi Kites nesting at Red Cloud, only the 2nd known location in Nebraska, and only the 3rd documented breeding record for Northern Parula, despite its common summer residency. Fall migration generates early arrival dates, high counts, and late departure dates, the last seemingly more numerous as our average temperatures increase. Included in the late departure category were several late shorebirds, Great Egret and White-faced Ibis, and even the latest ever Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Counts of interest were 3000 Double-crested …

The Nebraska Bird Review Whole Issue December 2004 Volume 72 Number 4

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

Addendum to "The Greater Snow Goose in Nebraska" ........... 130

Fall Field Report, August - November 2004
by W. Ross Silcock ................................................... 130

Lake McConaughy and Nebraska Piping Plover Recovery Goals
by Mark M. Peyton .................................................. 148

2002 Nebraska Nest Report by Wayne Mollhoff ...................... 153

Does Birding Have a Future? by Rick Wright ........................ 159

In Memory of Dr. Roger Sharpe ............................................ 164

NOU Fall Field Days 2004 Halsey ........................................... 165

Index to Volume 72 .............................................................. 169

Subscription and Organization Information ............................ 179

Does Birding Have A Future?, Rick Wright

Nebraska Bird Review

Does birding have a future?

Now this might seem an odd question, even an absurd question, to pose to an audience like this, and the answer might seem obvious. How could birding not have a future when we, all of us, are birders who bird, and when survey after recent survey assures us that our numbers are growing, our diversity increasing, and our economic and ethical contributions to American society ever more conspicuous. Does birding have a future? The simple answer is yes.

That's the simple answer. The more interesting answer is yes-yes, but. Yes, birding has a future, but …

In Memory Of Dr. Roger Sharpe

Nebraska Bird Review

In Memory of Dr. Roger Sharpe

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union member, author and educator Roger Sharpe passed away on June 27, 2003. He is survived by his wife Beverly, three daughters and one son.

Dr. Sharpe was born on March 31, 1941. His Ph.D. was in Vertebrate Zoology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He was an instructor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 1968 until his retirement in 2000. He was a professor of ornithology, environmental biology and conservation biology, and he began and continued to coordinate the Environmental Studies Program there.

Dr. Sharpe also originated an …

Index To Volume 72

Nebraska Bird Review

Index to Volume 72 (10 Pages)

Adams, Betty 27

Aechmophorus sp. 154

Alexander,
George 27
Irene 27

Allen, Jerry 79

American Ornithologists' Union 108, 125

Amiotte, Sue 79

Andes-Georges, Linda 40

Anhinga 67, 114

Ani, Groove-billed 67, 118

Aransas N.W.R. 45

Archilochus sp. 62

Arizona 138

Armknecht, Henry 5,27,40

Armstrong, Mark 27,40,79

Avocet American 45, 70, 83, 116, 137, 153, 166

...

Zonotrichia leucophrys,
eucophrys 56
oriantha 56

Evaluating And Enhancing The Success Of Oyster Reef Restoration: The Effects Of Habitat Complexity On Oyster Survival, Mark W. Luckenbach, Paige G. Ross

Reports

We evaluated the progress of several oyster restoration efforts of varying ages in three tidal tributaries of Chesapeake Bay, the Rappahannock, the Piankatank and Great Wicomoco rivers. In 2003 and 2004, we determined the density, biomass and size frequency distribution of oyster populations on the reefs during spring, summer and fall. Recruitment of oysters to the reefs was quantified using standardized substrates deployed and retrieved from the reef surfaces on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule from May through November. The prevalence and intensity of the oyster pathogens Perkinsus marinus and Haplosporidium nelsoni in oysters on the reefs was determined from …

Marine Baitfish Culture, Michael J. Oesterling, Charles M. Adams, Andy M. Lazur

Reports

No abstract provided.

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2004, Zelpha B. Johnson, D. Wayne Kellogg

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Follicular Development And Maturation In Gilts Selected For An Index Of High Ovulation Rate And High Prenatal Survival, H.-W. Yen, J. J. Ford, D. R. Zimmerman, R. K. Johnson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Seventy-one 10th-generation gilts from White Line-1 (WL-1 = randomly selected control line) and White Line-2 (WL-2 = selected for an index of ovulation rate and prenatal survival rate) were used to compare the pattern of follicular development and atresia during the follicular phase of the estrous cycle. Gilts were treated with PGF_2α on d 13 of the estrous cycle (d 0 of induced follicular development) to induce luteolysis and assigned randomly within line and sire for ovary recovery on d 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, and the day after estrus. Ovaries were evaluated for numbers of corpora albicantia and …

Evaluation Of Striped Bass Stocks In Virginia : Monitoring And Tagging Studies, 2004-2008 Annual Report 1 September 2003 - 31 August 2004, Philip W. Sadler, John M. Hoenig, Robert E. Harris, Bonnie G. Holliman

Reports

This report presents the results of striped bass (Marone saxatilis) tagging and monitoring activities in Virginia during the period 1 August 2003 through 31 August 2004. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2004 spring spawning run, estimates of annual survival based on annual spring tagging, and the results of the fall 2003 directed mortality study that is a collaborative effort with the Maryland Department ofNatural Resources. The information contained in this report is required by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and is used to implement a coordinated management plan for striped …

Microarray Profiling For Differential Gene Expression In Ovaries And Ovarian, A. R. Caetano, R. K. Johnson, J. J. Ford, Daniel Pomp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A unique index line of pigs created by long-term selection ovulates on average 6.7 more ova than its randomly selected control line. Expression profiling experiments were conducted to identify differentially expressed genes in ovarian tissues of the index and control lines during days 2–6 of the follicular phase of the estrous cycle. Fluorescently labeled cDNAs derived from ovary and follicle RNA were cohybridized on microarray slides (n = 90) containing 4608 follicle-derived probes printed in duplicate. Statistical analysis of the resulting ~1.6 million data points with a mixed-model approach identified 88 and 74 unique probes, representing 71 and 59 …

A Large-Sample Qtl Study In Mice: Iii. Reproduction, Joao L. Rocha, Eugene J. Eisen, Frank Siewerdt, L. Dale Van Vleck, Daniel Pomp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Using lines of mice having undergone long-term selection for high and low growth, a large-sample (n ≈ 1000 F₂) experiment was conducted to gain further understanding of the genetic architecture of complex polygenic traits. Composite interval mapping on data from 10-week-old F2 females (n = 439) detected 15 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on 5 chromosomes that influence reproduction traits characterized at day 16 of gestation. These QTL are broadly categorized into two groups: those where effects on the number of live fetuses (LF) were accompanied by parallel effects on the number of dead fetuses (DF), and those free …

National Pork Producers Council Maternal Line Genetic Evaluation: A Comparison Of Growth And Carcass Traits In Terminal Progeny, J. P. Cassidy, O. W. Robison, R. K. Johnson, J. W. Mabry, L. L. Christian, M. D. Tokach, R. K. Miller, R. N. Goodwin

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to compare growth and carcass traits of 1,252 progeny of six commercially available dam lines included in the National Pork Producers Council Maternal Line Evaluation Project. Lines compared included one maternal line supplied by each of American Diamond Swine Genetics (ADSG), Danbred NA (DB), two lines supplied by Monsanto Choice Genetics (DK and GPK347), Newsham Hybrids (NH), and Landrace × Large White females supplied by the National Swine Registry (NSR). All females were mated to DB, Duroc-Hampshire terminal sires. Traits analyzed were ADG from 56 to 115 kg live weight, days to 115 kg, …

A Genome Scan For Quantitative Trait Loci And Imprinted Regions Affecting Reproduction In Pigs, J. W. Holl, J. P. Cassady, D. Pomp, R. K. Johnson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Quantitative trait loci for reproductive traits in a three-generation resource population of a cross between low-indexing pigs from a control line and high-indexing pigs from a line selected 10 generations for increased index of ovulation rate and embryonic survival are reported. Phenotypic data were collected in F2 females for birth weight (BWT, n = 428), weaning weight (WWT, n = 405), age at puberty (AP, n = 295), ovulation rate (OR, n = 423), number of fully formed pigs (FF, n = 370), number of pigs born alive (NBA, n = 370), number of mummified pigs (MUM, n = 370), …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 80, No. 4), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Fish & Wildlife News: Fall 2004

Fish and Wildlife News

Contents:

2004 Federal Duck Stamp Contest: And the Winner Is...
Ducks Unlimited Signs on to License Duck Stamp
United States Reauthorizes North American Waterfowl Management Plan
Fish Passage Program Booms
Prescribed Fire Cuts Insurance Premiums
A Raven’s Story Echoes in Cyberspace
Reining In the “Horsemen”
Hurricanes Slash the Southeast
Congress to Help Cover Storm Damage
Partnerships x 7: Federal Land Management Agency Head Roundtable
Piper Honored At Bozeman Fish Technology Center Dedication
First Habitat Conservation Plan Gets Checkup
Refuge Hunting and Fishing Poised For Increase
Keeping Historic Waterways Invasive-Free
Partner’s Ranch Becomes Torstenson Family Wildlife Center
Environmental Justice for All …

Apparent Sibling Rivalry In The Freshwater Clam Sphaerium Striatinum, Mark Beekey, Ronald H. Karlson

Biology Faculty Publications

In Sphaerium striatinum, a freshwater brooding bivalve, up to 97.5% of offspring that adults initially produce fail to reach independence. Marsupial sacs, specialized extensions of gill filaments that act as nurseries, initially contain multiple offspring in various sizes and stages of development. However, by the time offspring reach later stages of development, marsupial sacs typically contain only one offspring. Brood mortality is hypothesized to be the result of competition among embryos for nutrients and/or space. Sphaeriid eggs do not contain enough yolk for offspring to complete development. Adults supply additional nutrients required to reach independence. Brood capacity is limited by …

Eradicating Footrot From Western Australia - A Farmer's Guide, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Agriculture reports

Virulent footrot can occur on any farm in the medium to high rainfall zone. Persons who regularly buy and sell sheep take a greater risk, but even properties with a closed breeding flock are at risk from stray sheep. People often associate footrot with properties managed by inefficient farmers. This is a false belief. Many good farmers have found the disease in their sheep, including high profile studs. Footrot can strike anywhere and often without warning. It is important to remember that once it is found; getting to know and understand the disease will help you to beat it. A …

Parasitism In Species Of Bathymodiolus (Bivalvia : Mytilidae) Mussels From Deep-Sea Seep And Hydrothermal Vents, Me Ward, Jeffrey D. Shields, Cl Van Dover

VIMS Articles

Bivalve species, especially mussels, are biomass dominants in many deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. As in shallow-water environments, parasites are likely to be important factors in the population dynamics of bivalve communities in chemosynthetic ecosystems, but there has been little study of parasitism in deep-sea seep or vent molluscs. In this study, Parasite types, diversity, prevalence, infection density and non-infectious indicators of stress or disease as related to host age, reproductive condition, and endosymbiont density were assessed in mussels (Bathmodiolus heckerae) from 2 seep sites and mussels (B. puteoserpentis) from 2 vent sites. We identified 10 microbial or parasitic agents in histological …

Final Report Industry Trials Of A Modified Sea Scallop Dredge To Minimize The Catch Of Sea Turtles, William D. Dupaul, David Rudders, Ronald J. Smolowitz

Reports

No abstract provided.

Heterosis For Grain Yield And Other Agronomic Traits In Foxtail Millet, M. M. Siles, William K. Russell, Lenis Alton Nelson, David D. Baltensperger, Blaine Johnson, L. Dale Van Vleck, Stanley G. Jensen, Gary L. Hein

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.] is a largely self-pollinating species that is used as a warm-season annual in the USA. Nearly all cultivars of this species grown in the USA are selections from land races. This research was undertaken to determine whether sufficient high-parent heterosis is expressed in foxtail millet for grain yield and other key traits to justify the development and use of varietal crosses. Seven diverse parents and 21 F₂s and 21 F₃s produced from biparental crosses were evaluated in five environments in 1996. Genotype x environment interaction was highly significant …