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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Effects Of Locomotor Posture On Kinematics, Performance And Behavior During Obstacle Negotiation In Lizards, Jessica Self
The Effects Of Locomotor Posture On Kinematics, Performance And Behavior During Obstacle Negotiation In Lizards, Jessica Self
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The ability to efficiently move over uneven terrain is critical for most terrestrial animals. Bipedal running is common in lizard species, however the biological advantage of a bipedal running posture remains uncertain. I examined the hypothesis that a bipedal posture is advantageous when crossing obstacles. Particularly, I determined whether kinematic adjustments differ among four focal species with contrasting body forms and ecology. I also examined how sprint speed changed when crossing obstacles with a quadrupedal versus a bipedal posture. I quantified kinematics from high-speed video (300 frames/second) of lizards running down a 3m runway both with and without the presence …
Patterns Of Chemosensory Behavior In A Closed Population Of Wild African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Russell W. Blogg
Patterns Of Chemosensory Behavior In A Closed Population Of Wild African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Russell W. Blogg
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Chemosensory behaviors are used by many mammalian species to assess chemical signals in the environment. These chemical signals may contain important information about reproductive state, identity, status, or location of conspecifics. Elephants are a long-lived species and males reproduce at a much later age than females, which provides a protracted developmental period for males. This study examined chemosensory behaviors in a population of African elephants living in Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa and demonstrated that patterns emerge as elephants develop and approach sexual maturity. Older pubescent males (15-19 year olds) performed more chemosensory behaviors than younger pubescent males (10-14 …
Role Of Provisions And Season On Foraging And Female Dominance Behavior In Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur Catta) On St. Catherine's Island, Timothy Moore
Role Of Provisions And Season On Foraging And Female Dominance Behavior In Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur Catta) On St. Catherine's Island, Timothy Moore
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Madagascar is undergoing habitat destruction and degradation that is threatening its unique species, including ring-tailed lemurs. Ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) live in matriarchal groups composed of a dominant female, adult males, subadult males and females, and young. Due to their dominance, it has been suggested that female ringtailed lemurs have access to the highest quality resources and can monopolize food patches. Lemurs on St. Catherine's are free ranging and have unlimited access to natural food sources, but they are also provisioned with supplementary food to ensure a balanced diet. My study aimed to determine the impact of provisions on female …
Bird Use Of Cumberland Island's Freshwater Wetlands, Lisa Dlugolecki
Bird Use Of Cumberland Island's Freshwater Wetlands, Lisa Dlugolecki
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Cumberland Island is the southernmost barrier island off the coast of Georgia. Its freshwater wetlands are an important, rare habitat to have on a barrier island surrounded by saltmarsh and ocean. Many species of birds require freshwater wetlands as feeding, roosting and nesting grounds. However, the freshwater wetlands on Cumberland Island have been impacted by humans for centuries causing birds to abandon their historic nesting ground. Known land use histories of Cumberland Island's freshwater wetlands were gathered to try and determine how the wetlands changed over time Wetlands were analyzed for presence of wetland-dependent birds and recorded. Thirty-six species of …
Spatial And Temporal Immune Response In House Flies In Response To Ingestion Of Bacillus Cereus And Eschericha Coli 0157-H7, Adam Fleming
Spatial And Temporal Immune Response In House Flies In Response To Ingestion Of Bacillus Cereus And Eschericha Coli 0157-H7, Adam Fleming
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
House flies (Musca domestica L.) feed and breed on septic substrates, putting them in direct contact with a multitude of disease causing agents and can act as a bridge for those agents to humans. The house fly has previously been shown to carry many different species of bacteria that are pathogenic. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a pathogenic enterohemorrhagic serotype of E. coli that can be vectored by the house fly. Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen that has also been isolated from the house fly in previous studies. To examine vector potential for these pathogens, house flies were fed green …
Predation Risk And Colony Structure In The Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon Pisum, Carl Nicolas Keiser
Predation Risk And Colony Structure In The Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon Pisum, Carl Nicolas Keiser
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Many organisms live in transient or permanent aggregations to reduce individual predation risk. Hamilton's "Selfish Herd" theory states that an individual should assume a central position within a group to decrease individual predation risk relative to that of its neighbors (i.e., individuals should be selfish). This theory, however, cannot predict the spatial distribution of individuals within clonal aggregations, that is, when individuals are genetically identical (the "evolutionary self"). As aphids (small, herbivorous insects) are parthenogenetic, emit alarm signals, and have high levels of phenotypic plasticity to cope with environmental stressors like predation risk, they are a model organism for investigating …
Frankenfoods: Are We Bioengineering Our Children And What Can Curriculum Do?, Patra Rickman
Frankenfoods: Are We Bioengineering Our Children And What Can Curriculum Do?, Patra Rickman
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In this dissertation I explore the effect of biotechnology and food production on children’s physical and mental health. What we eat affects our well-being and unknowingly, we have little control of what exactly we are consuming. Children have even less control and feel the effects of additives and chemicals more than adults. Many of the effects of bioengineered foods are unknown at this time. My dissertation will be a theoretical exploration of biotechnology in food using a bioethical critical perspective. I use my personal experience and research to examine the effects of processed and genetically engineered foods on people, especially …
Evaluating Relationships Between Mercury Concentrations In Air And In Spanish Moss (Tillandsia Usneoides L.), Kathryn T. Sutton
Evaluating Relationships Between Mercury Concentrations In Air And In Spanish Moss (Tillandsia Usneoides L.), Kathryn T. Sutton
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that is transported globally in vapor form. A major source of mercury contamination to soil, water, and biota is atmospheric deposition. Therefore, comprehensive monitoring of atmospheric concentrations is important. Limitations of conventional atmospheric measurement techniques include high cost and lack of temporal or spatial integration. Bioindicators, however, may serve as an integrative tool to add to conventional mercury measurement techniques. Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides L.) is a potential bioindicator of atmospheric mercury concentration in the southeastern United States because it is an abundant epiphyte that absorbs and accumulates atmospheric pollutants. A study was conducted in …
Comparative Analysis Of Microsatellite And Mitochondrial Genetic Variation In Ixodes Scapularis, Cynthia Tak Wan Chan
Comparative Analysis Of Microsatellite And Mitochondrial Genetic Variation In Ixodes Scapularis, Cynthia Tak Wan Chan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Ixodes scapularis, the black legged tick, is a species endemic to North America with a range including most of the eastern-half of the United States and portions of Canada and Mexico. The tick is an important vector of diseases transmitted to humans and animals. Since its first description in 1821, the taxonomy of the species has been controversial. Biological differences have been identified in the northern and southern populations, yet no consensus exists on population structure and the causes of this disparity. Earlier molecular studies utilizing nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers have revealed the occurrence of two distinct lineages: …