Life Sciences Commons^™

Potential Loss Of Pheromone Receptors In The Red Milkweed Beetle, Tetraopes Tetrophthalmus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Mathew A. Price

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

The family of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are characterized by their elongate antennae, which are well adapted for detecting volatile compounds. This makes them an ideal family to study odorant receptor genes (ORs), which are the rapidly evolving family of proteins that are used by insects to detect odors at the molecular level. Here, we present data on 48 ORs we have sequenced and annotated from an antennal transcriptome of a male red milkweed beetle, Tetraopes tetrophthalmus. In contrast to most cerambycids, T. tetrophthalmus is not known to produce long-range sex pheromones to attract or select mates; correspondingly, …

Comparing Pah Concentrations In Clean And Contaminated Surface Sediments, Naomi Darsha Fernandes

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are pollutants produced by combustion. They are organic compounds with conjugated aromatic rings. The EPA has defined 16 PAHs as priority pollutants of concern based on their wildlife and human harm. Due to their high molecular weight compared to water and low water solubility, they accumulate in surface sediments of water sources and harm bottom feeding wildlife such as Ameiurus nebulosus (brown bullhead fish). These harms include carcinogenicity, tumorigenesis, and altered p53 tumor suppressor and CYP1A liver enzyme gene expression. The goal of this project was to compare the levels of fifteen of these PAHs between …

The Influence Of Cover Crops On Plant-Soil Microbe Interactions Of Native Prairie Forbs, Josh C. Poland

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Tallgrass prairies are abundant and rich habitats where soil microbial communities frequently interact with native grass and forb species. Cover crops increase available soil nutrients and promote healthy soil microbial communities in agriculture, and therefore may provide similar benefits to restoration. A prairie restoration in Madison Co, IL was initiated in autumn 2021 using areas with two different cover crop types, NLS Soil Health Mix and Winter Oat, as well as areas with no cover crops. A greenhouse project exposed five native forb species (Monarda fistulosa, Rudbeckia hirta, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Desmodium canadensis (legume), and Asclepias incarnata …

Polyploidy’S Impact On Plant-Herbivore Dynamics: Evidence From Experiments With Water-Lily Aphids And Greater Duckweed, Hannah R. Assour

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Polyploidy, or whole-genome duplication, is a widespread mutational process in plants with a myriad of phenotypic and genotypic consequences. In addition to consequences incurred by the plant, polyploidy can potentially cascade to alter species interactions. Yet, knowledge of whether ploidy-induced variation has effects on plant-herbivore dynamics is scarce. Here, we test whether aphid herbivores exhibit preference for a diploid or polyploid host cytotype and whether ploidy impacts plant resistance and tolerance to aphids, measured as aphid and plant performance respectively. To answer these questions, we evaluated aphid choice and compared the effects of the water-lily aphid (Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae) …

Identifying Olfactory Receptors In The Pole Borer, Neandra Brunnea (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Kayla M. Hefner

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

The behavior of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is strongly shaped by volatile compounds, which can dictate the selection of hosts and mates, segregate heterospecifics, and initiate oviposition. These compounds are primarily detected at the molecular level by the protein family of odorant receptors (ORs), which rapidly evolve in response to evolutionary changes such as diet or sociality. Thus, the OR gene family could provide great insight into the ecology and evolution of animals, especially when their chemical ecology is otherwise poorly understood. We are examining the ORs of the pole borer Neandra brunnea (Cerambycidae: Parandrinae), for which the specific role …

Historical Climate-Influenced Shifts In Flower Shape And Production Of A Common Annual Plant, Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens Capensis), Amber M. Stanley

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Climate change is a major human-mediated stressor that has been altering temperature patterns across the globe since the Industrial Revolution. In the Eastern United States, it has been projected that the average annual temperature will increase by 3-5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Such environmental changes have the potential to disrupt key interactions between species. For example, the vast majority (ca. 90%) of flowering plants rely on animal pollinators to transfer pollen between individuals to reproduce. Higher temperatures cause many plant species to flower up to 3-4 weeks earlier in the year, but pollinator activity has not shifted with …

Role Of Giant Transposons (Starships) In Facilitating Fungal Genome Evolution, Savanna A. Ruebsam, Ciara Pike

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

The hetereothallic ascomycete Magnaporthe contains strains capable of infecting > 50 grass species. Despite the predominance of an asexual lifestyle the genomes of ten examined strains exhibit high levels of chromosomal structural diversity. Starships, a novel class of DNA transposons, have been identified in Magnaporthe and are likely involved in fungal genome evolution. Starships capture and relocate fungal genes throughout their host genomes and could function as recombinogenic substrates. These mobile genetic elements are inserted within the fungal chromosomal 5SrRNA genes resulting in gene disruption into two fragments, from positions 1-69 and 56-116. The software programs blastn, FACET, the Integrated …

Influence Of Seed Mixes On Pollinator Communities Within An Electric Right-Of-Way, Kylee Nissen

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Pollinator communities are amongst species facing dramatic population declines due to anthropogenic changes. These declines are driven by land use changes with agricultural expansion and urbanization. Utility lands must be managed in ways that prevent tall vegetation from encroaching, making them an ideal place to recreate native grasslands. This research aims to assess how different seed mixes used by utility companies impact pollinator community composition. The study site is a 15-acre electric ROW located outside of St. Louis IL. The site was prepared in 2021 and incorporates a randomized mix of turfgrass-seeded plots, native seeded plots, and unseeded plots acting …

Uncovering Natural Variation In The Mechanisms Of A Polyphenism, Stephen Dreyer

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Polyphenism, the ability of an organism to produce discrete alternative phenotypes in response to environmental conditions, exemplifies the non-linear relationship among genes, the traits they influence, and the environment. While several genes that regulate polyphenism have been identified in some systems, such as the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, which exhibits a resource polyphenism in the development of alternative mouth morphologies, it is generally unknown which loci harbor intraspecific variation for polyphenism. Quantitative traits, consisting of many genes and their interactions with the environment, are expected to harbor variation, even among individuals with the same ultimate phenotype. As a first approach …

Evidence For Starship Transposons As Facilitators Of Fungal Genome Evolution, Morgan Morrow, Toni Blake Park

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Cereal grains (e.g. rice, wheat) comprise up to 50% of worldwide daily caloric intake. One fungal disease affecting these crops that exhibits high pathogenicity and virulence is blast disease. The pathogen is Pyricularia oryzae, a primarily asexual ascomycete fungus. Despite being primarily asexual P. oryzae has a wide host range and been documented to have high phenotypic and pathogenic variability, contradicting Muller’s rachet. It is postulated that other genetic mechanisms are being utilized to generate genome instability and, thus, genetic diversity, such as transposons. Recent findings suggest that a novel class of massive transposons (10kb - >300Kb), termed Starships, inserted …

An Assessment Of Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Structure And Function Within The Mill Creek Watershed; Cincinnati, Ohio, Erin Linko

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

The Mill Creek Watershed is an urbanized network of streams that drains through the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. This watershed has had a long history of habitat destruction and pollution due to a variety of anthropogenic factors, namely Cincinnati’s combined sewage overflow (CSO) sanitation system. Through an ongoing biomonitoring project at Xavier University, nine sites along the mainstem Mill Creek and three of its tributaries have been studied since 2014. Through habitat assessments, fecal coliform testing, and aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling, the ecological health of this watershed can be tracked over time. The main objective of this research project was to …

Microbe-Mediated Drought Responses In Plant Communties, Caleb Callahan, Jordan Ziss

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Microbial communities from drought environments have been observed to protect plants undergoing drought stress. A majority of studies have focused on single species; however, effects at a community level have yet to be thoroughly investigated. We asked how plant communities facing drought stress will differ in productivity when inoculated with microbe communities that have evolved under drought compared to well-watered conditions, as well as how biomass and trait responses vary across plant species. To investigate this, we used microbial communities from the rainfall manipulation LTER at Kellogg Biological Station to inoculate mesocosms simulating early successional grassland communities under drought or …

Initial Steps In Testing The Stress Gradient Hypothesis For Selenium Exposure In Soil Bacteria, Kristian J. Harris

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

The Stress Gradient Hypothesis (SGH) states that interspecific interactions should shift from competitive to facilitative interactions as environmental stress increases. Selenium (Se) is a naturally occurring metalloid that acts as an environmental pollutant and as an essential micronutrient. Due to its metallic properties, Se acts as an oxidative stress and can be toxic to plants and animals. Given this, Se in soil systems acts as an abiotic stress that influences species composition and species interactions. Within soils, bacteria and fungi have evolved to tolerate Se via detoxification and Se processing for respiration and studies show that metal detoxification traits like …

Bryophytes At Cave Entrances Across A Range Of Anthropogenic Disturbance, Morghan Mccool

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Cave entrances are critical ecosystems in their role as ecotones between the interior cave environment and the surrounding external environment. Bryophytes serve as ecosystem engineers of cave entrance microhabitats. This study piloted a method to quantify anthropogenic disturbance unique to cave entrances and characterize the bryophyte assemblages at caves in urban and other natural areas. Bryophytes and environmental variables were sampled from cave entrances; bryophytes were identified, alpha and beta diversity values were computed. So far, 144 species of bryophytes, 36 of which were state records, have been identified across 6 sites. By improving knowledge of bryophyte communities, park managers …

A Phylogenetic Evaluation Of Proposed Segregates Of A. Canadense, Brett Lambert

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Brett Lambert- 1^st Year Master’s Student at The Ohio State University

Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology (Freudenstein Lab)

Title: A phylogenetic evaluation of proposed segregates of Asarum canadense

Abstract: The wild gingers (Asarum: Aristolochiaceae) are rhizomatous forbs native to Europe, Asia, and North America. A member of subgenus Asarum (A. canadense) is currently circumscribed as containing two varieties, A. canadense var. reflexum and A. canadense var. acuminatum. These varieties have previously been recognized as distinct species based on morphological variation. This project will evaluate variation across A. canadense using molecular (maximum likelihood and …

Assessing The Performance Of Dna Extraction Kits And Loci For Dna Metabarcoding Diet Analysis Of Pastured Chickens, Kantima Thongjued

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Diet analysis is a valuable tool to understand animal feeding behavior. However, validation of workflows for DNA-based diet analysis often lack experimental evaluation with positive controls. To establish a methodology for diet analysis in organic, pasture-raised chickens (as part of ongoing research), we conducted a feeding trial experiment with a mock diet community to determine the efficacy of commonly used DNA extraction kits and primer sets. Six backyard hens were hand fed 22 known food items including insects and plants and monitored for their defecation for eight hours. We evaluated the efficacy of three DNA extraction kits, three primer sets …

Examining The Reproductive Ecology Of Terrapene Ornata In Western Nebraska, Katie Brighton, Keetan Munsell

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Understanding the reproductive ecology of any species is vital for determining intraspecific variation in individual fitness, modeling population growth or persistence potential, and developing effective conservation strategies. The reproductive ecology of many species has been extensively studied (particularly in mammals); however, other taxonomic groups including many ectotherms has not been well documented. One such ectotherm is the ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata), which, to our knowledge, has never had its reproductive ecology extensively examined, especially in the field. In this study, we examined the reproductive ecology of ornate box turtles over a six-week period in a mixed shortgrass prairie in …

Spatial Variation In Flowering Age In Cirsium Pitcheri: Does This Imperiled Dune Thistle Hedge Its Bets?, Lucas A. Priemer

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

For perennial plants, the optimal timing of flowering is a tradeoff between survivorship and fecundity, a classic example of bet-hedging. For many monocarpic perennials, there is an advantage in delaying flowering until the plant reaches a larger size and is thus capable of a higher fecundity. However, in delaying flowering, there is a risk that the plant will die before reproducing at all. Here, we investigate this fitness trade-off in the imperiled dune thistle, Cirsium pitcheri. Using a long-term, spatially-explicit demographic data set with yearly censuses, we found that C. pitcheri individuals on the foredune flowered at a younger …

How Do Vernal Pond Temperature Fluctuations Impact Fitness Through Development?, Shayna Rosenbloom, Alycia Lackey

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Anthropogenic climate change is driving shifts in natural temperature regimes. In addition to global warming, temperatures are becoming increasingly variable. Many organisms rely on seasonal temperatures across life stages as they grow and reproduce, among other critical aspects of their lives. A lot of work has been done on how increases in mean temperature might impact organisms, but there is a gap in our understanding on the impacts of increases in variation. Amphibians are especially susceptible to environmental change, particularly in earlier life stages. Increases in temperature have been shown to cause shifts in their phenology, decreases in body size, …

Patterns Of Neural Investment In Sensory Modalities Of Tropical Canopy And Understory-Dwelling Ants (Pseudomyrmex), Daniella Prince

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

The neuroanatomy of insects reflects functional roles and cognitive capabilities. The high energetic cost of the development and maintenance of neural tissue constrains investment in brain compartments that receive and process sensory input. Thus, differential investment in sensory compartments should parallel selective pressures, including significant habitat parameters. We tested the hypothesis that ants occupying different vertical rainforest strata exhibit differential investment in visual and olfactory brain regions. We used confocal microscopy to examine immunostained brains of species with distinct nesting and foraging preferences: Pseudomyrmex boopis (understory; U), P. gracilis (understory and canopy; UC), and P. oculatus (canopy; C). We created …

Efficacy Of Biocontrol Against Chrysomelid Pests In Lab Vs Field Studies: Potential Biases Of Setting And Phylogenetic Subgroups, Blake Hudson

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

The beetle family Chrysomelidae is a speciose group of voracious herbivores with a wide number of ecological implications. While some Chrysomelid species have been introduced or augmented as biological control agents of invasive plants, many other species have found success as economically important pests of field crops and stored grains, leading to severe yield losses in cucurbits, legumes, and other systems. Controlling such pests, especially in the field, is particularly difficult due to the timing of their complex life cycles, the fossorial nature of many species’ larvae, and ability to produce multiple generations in a single growing season. This study …

Environmental Factors Shaping A Sawfly-Associated Community Of Parasitoids, Carson Kephart, Robin K. Bagely

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

A major goal of evolutionary biology is to understand the mechanisms that shape biodiversity, especially amongst highly speciose lineages such as parasitic wasps. However, most of these lineages are poorly described, with very little available natural history information. This lack of information limits our ability to uncover the environmental factors that contribute to their patterns of divergence, distribution, and abundance. To that end, here we take advantage of a community of hymenopteran parasites that has an unusually large amount of available information since they attack an economically important pine sawfly species, Neodiprion lecontei. We build upon a set of …

Evolution Of A Genus Of Gall Wasp Kleptoparasites, Guerin E. Brown

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Kleptoparasites do not directly parasitize their hosts but instead steal food and resources, reducing host fitness. Like direct parasites, kleptoparasites can be highly dependent on their hosts such that their evolutionary histories may be linked. Here, we study the evolution of a kleptoparasitic wasp genus, Synergus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), in relation to their hosts, oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini). Ovipositing oak gall wasps induce the formation of galls on oaks (Fagaceae) that provide food and shelter to one or more developing gall wasps. Galls induced by different gall wasp species are diverse in size, shape, color, and location …

Diversification And Convergence Following The Transition From Saltwater To Freshwater In Stingrays, Autumn D Magnuson

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

One of the most fundamental questions in biology is why some groups of organisms are more diverse than others. Classic hypotheses for explaining differences in diversity consider distinctions in time, place, resources, and competitors as the staging grounds for differential diversification. Freshwater and saltwater environments have similar levels of diversity despite significant differences in size, so studying transitions between the two systems can provide insights into evolutionary processes. Despite the challenges associated with this transition, stingrays have invaded freshwater habitats multiple times across different continents, making them useful for better understanding these systems. In this study, we evaluated the frequency …

The Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Ant Community Composition In A Temperate Deciduous Forest, Emma Jones

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Prescribed fire is a tool commonly used in land management to decrease wildfire frequency and promote plant diversity. However, the effects of prescribed fire on invertebrate communities, especially those within temperate deciduous forest, are poorly understood. We measured the response of epigeic ant communities in mixed mesophytic forest in Berea, Kentucky following prescribed burning. We used pitfall traps to repeatedly sample epigeic ants in replicate burned and unburned plots for up to 21 months postburn following two separate (2021 and 2022) prescribed fires. Ant species richness was similar between treatments (burn vs. control) and by burn year. Ant community composition …

Where The Wild Mushrooms Are: Species And Secondary Metabolite Diversity In Fungal Species On The Saint Mary’S College Campus, Lex K. Gilman

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Secondary metabolites in fungi have three main ecological functions: protection against predation, communication with other mushrooms, and assistance in pathogenic interactions. These compounds have also led to the common use of mushrooms as food and in traditional Chinese or other medicinal applications. However, there are currently few good resources for identifying mushroom species in North-Central Indiana. In addition, limited research exists on secondary metabolites in mushrooms. The objective of this research was to create a preliminary database of mushroom species at Saint Mary’s College and conduct preliminary research on the secondary metabolites of these local species. Fungal specimens were identified …

Dairy Bioactives And Functional Ingredients With Skin Health Benefits, Aleksandra Augustyniak, Davide Gottardi, Barbara Giordani, James Gaffey, Helena Mcmahon

Publications

The potential of whey from Italian cheese productions to support skin health and anti-ageing mechanism was studied. The effect of whey on dermal and epidermal cells was evaluated. Whey inhibited the activity of elastase and tyrosinase enzymes by 60% and 32%, respectively. Whey cytotoxicity against tested skin cell lines, human fibroblasts (HDFa) and keratinocytes (HaCaT) was not observed. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of the samples was noted, after treatment with whey intracellular ROS level was decreased by 87% in comparison with the hydrogen peroxide-treated cells. Fibroblasts produced a significant amount of extracellular matrix molecules, collagen I, elastin and glycosaminoglycans as …

Examination Of Explicit And Implicit Emotions And Relationship With The Intention To Support Breastfeeding In Public: A Descriptive Study, Kaitlin Overgaard, Lauren M. Dinour, Adrian Kerrihard, Yeon K. Bai

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Objectives

Current social norms in the United States do not favor breastfeeding in public. This study examined associations between college students’ explicit and implicit emotions of breastfeeding in public and their intention to support public breastfeeding.

Methods

Twenty-two student participants viewed images of a breastfeeding woman with a fully-covered, fully-exposed, or partially-exposed breast in a public setting. After viewing each image, participants’ explicit emotions (self-reported) of the image were measured using a questionnaire and their implicit emotions (facial expression) were measured using FaceReader technology. We examined if a relationship exists between both emotions [toward images] and intention to support breastfeeding …

Colorimetric Redox Reactions To Determine Base Composition In Unknown Monomeric Dna Samples, James T. Dials, Mara J. Stout, Elizabeth M. Thomas

2023 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) codes for proteins using a unique order of four major nitrogenous bases adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. In several biological applications, such as the determination of DNA stability, production of biologic based drugs, and even taxonomic reorganization of species, it becomes necessary to understand the relative amounts of each nucleotide in a DNA sample, regardless of their sequence. However, most assays used to determine base composition use expensive equipment, harsh chemicals, and advanced computer software. In addition, the determination of base composition is an important educational tool in undergraduate laboratories, but these limitations are infeasible for many …

2022-2023 Program And Abstracts: Celebration Of Student Scholarship, Morehead State University. Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program.

2023 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The 2022-2023 Program and Abstracts for the Celebration of Student Scholarship at Morehead State University held on April 19, 2023. A Showcase of Student Research, Scholarship, Creative Work, and Performance Arts.