Life Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Diversity Of Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys Kempii) Sea Turtles On South Padre Island, Texas, Hilary R. Frandsen

Theses and Dissertations

In 2010, researchers observed an abrupt decline in nesting numbers of the Kemp’s ridley following 35 years of positive growth. In wake of this halt, and subsequent lowered nesting averages, evaluation of the genetic diversity of remaining individuals is relevant to investigate the plausibility of a genetic bottleneck, and determine the reproductive stability of the Kemp’s ridley.

Here, I evaluate the genetic diversity within a sampling of the Kemp’s ridleys on South Padre Island using two methods: targeting the mitochondrial control region and targeting the complete mitochondrial genome. Opportunistic samples were donated from juvenile ridleys on the East coast, and …

Genetic Polymorphisms Of The Glucocorticoid Receptor And Interleukin-8 Receptor Genes Are Related To Production Traits And Hair Coat Score In Crossbred Cattle, Avery Deaton

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this thesis was to identify polymorphisms in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and interleukin-8 receptor (CXCR2) genes and to associate genotypes between the above mentioned polymorphisms and production traits in crossbred cattle. The hypothesis was that polymorphisms will exist for GR and CXCR2 genes and will be linked to production traits. 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 reproduction health, such as protecting the embryo from the maternal immune system during …

Identifying Genome Associations With Unique Mastitis Phenotypes In Response To Intramammary Streptococcus Uberis Challenge, Lydia Jean Siebert

Doctoral Dissertations

Mastitis, the inflammation of the mammary gland, dramatically decreases dairy industry revenues and milk quality, making improved control and prevention methods a goal of the industry. Prior research has observed variation in response to experimental challenge with regards to inflammation indicators, S. uberis concentrations, and the need for antibiotics. To determine possible causes of the observed variation following experimental S. uberis intramammary challenge, we performed genome association analyses (N = 34 – 36 Holstein dairy cows), a linkage analysis, and S. uberis milk inoculation (N = 21 Holstein dairy cows) trials. Association analyses were done using Illumina’s BovineSNP50 BeadChip and …