Animal Sciences Commons^™

Xenopus Interferon Complex: Inscribing The Amphibiotic Adaption And Species-Specific Pathogenic Pressure In Vertebrate Evolution?, Yun Tian, Jordan Jennings, Yuanying Gong, Yongming Sang

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Several recent studies have revealed previously unknown complexity of the amphibian interferon (IFN) system. Being unique in vertebrate animals, amphibians not only conserve and multiply the fish-like intron-containing IFN genes, but also rapidly evolve amniote-like intronless IFN genes in each tested species. We postulate that the amphibian IFN system confers an essential model to study vertebrate immune evolution in molecular and functional diversity to cope with unprecedented pathophysiological requirement during terrestrial adaption. Studies so far have ascribed a potential role of these IFNs in immune regulation against intracellular pathogens, particularly viruses; however, many knowledge gaps remain elusive. Based on recent …

A Model For The Prediction Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Escherichia Coli Based On A Comparative Evaluation Of Fatty Acid Profiles, Randal S. Stahl, Bledar Bisha, Sebabrata Mahapatra, Jeffrey C. Chandler

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antimicrobial resistance is a threat to agricultural production and public health. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated predicting antimicrobial sensitive/resistant (S/R) phenotypes and host sources of Escherichia coli (n = 128) based on differential fatty acid abundance. Myristic (14:0), pentadecanoic acid (15:0), palmitic (16:0), elaidic (18:19) and steric acid (18:0) were significantly different (α = 0.05) using a two-way ANOVA for predicting nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, aztreonam, cefatoxime, and ceftazidime S/R phenotypes. Additionally, analyses of palmitoleic (16:1), palmitic acid (16:0), methyl palmitate (i-17:0), and cis-9,10-methyleneoctadecanoic acid (19:0Δ) showed these markers were significantly different (α = 0.05) between isolates obtained from cattle …

Assessing The Blood Meal Hosts Of Culex Quinquefasciatus And Aedes Taeniorhynchus In Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Samoa Asigau, Sawsan Salah, Patricia Parker

Biology Department Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Mangrove Cuckoo, Coccyzus Minor, Neurocranium, Lola R. Mildren, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Index To Volume 87

Nebraska Bird Review

14 pages: Akers, Danny 108 to Zeglen, Nancy 45

2019 Hitchcock Raptor Banding Project In Perspective, Jerry Toll

Nebraska Bird Review

Hitchcock Nature Center in Pottawattamie County, north of Crescent, Iowa, is home to the Hitchcock HawkWatch and Raptor Banding Project. The Nature Center is in the heart of the Loess Hills which, together with the flat expanse of the Missouri River Valley to the west, provides the perfect conditions for creating the updraft that aids migrating birds. The Hawkwatch began in 1992, and every fall from September through December, birds-of-prey enthusiasts gather on the 45-foot observation tower to watch and count thousands of eagles, hawks, and other raptors as they migrate south. Every year since 2007, Sandy Reinken and I …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 87 December 2019 Number 4

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August - November 2019, by W. Ross Silcock …118-138

2019 Hitchcock Raptor Banding Project in Perspective, by Jerry Toll …138-147

Imperial Fall Field Days, Sept 13-15, 2019 …148-152

Index to Volume 87 …153-166

Subscription and Organization Information …167

Imperial Fall Field Days, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2019 NOU Fall Field Days were held in Imperial, Chase County, on September 13 - 15, with 59 registered. Field trips were led by Mark Brogie, Bill Flack, and T. J. Walker to the Wauneta cemetery, Frenchman WMA, Hayes Center WMA, Enders Reservoir WMA and SRA, Champion Mill Lake, Swinging Bridge Arboretum, Church Grove Recreation Area, Rock Creek Lake SRA and Fish Hatchery, and Swanson Reservoir SRA and WMA. Among the highlights were Osprey, which were seen at several locations, Sabine’s Gull, Ferruginous Hawk, Burrowing Owl, Red-naped Sapsucker, Merlin, and Prairie Falcon. Anita Breckbill, Doctor of Musical Arts, head …

Insights Into The Feeding Behaviors And Biomechanics Of Varroa Destructor Mites On Honey Bee Pupae Using Electropenetrography And Histology, Andrew Y. Li, Steven C. Cook, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Francisco Pasada-Florez, Noble I.I. Noble, Joseph Mowery, Conner J. Gulbronson, Gary R. Bauchan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Feeding behaviors and biomechanics of female Varroa destructor mites are revealed from AC-DC electropenetrography (EPG) recordings of mites feeding from Apis mellifera honey bee pupae and histology of mite internal ingestion apparatus. EPG signals characteristic of arthropod suction feeding (ingestion) were identified for mites that fed on pupae during overnight recordings. Ingestion by these mites was confirmed afterwards by observing internally fluorescent microbeads previously injected into their hosts. Micrographs of internal ingestion apparatus illustrate the connection between a gnathosomal tube and a pharyngeal lumen, which is surrounded by alternating dilator and constrictor muscles. Inspection of EPG signals showed the muscularized …

Male Burmese Pythons Follow Female Scent Trails And Show Sex-Specific Behaviors, Shannon A. Richard, Eric A. Tillman, John S. Humphrey, Michael L. Avery, M. Rockwell Parker

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animals communicate with potential mates using species-specific signals, and pheromones are powerful sexual signals that modify conspecific behavior to facilitate mate location. Among the vertebrates, snakes are especially adept in mate searching via chemical trailing, which is particularly relevant given that many snake species are invasive outside their native ranges. Chemical signals used in mate choice are, thus, potentially valuable tools for management of invasive snake species. The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is an invasive snake in the Florida Everglades where it is negatively impacting native fauna. In this study, we sought to: (i) determine if males can follow conspecific …

Variation In Host Home Range Size Decreases Rabies Vaccination Effectiveness By Increasing The Spatial Spread Of Rabies Virus, Katherine M. Mcclure, Amy T. Gilbert, Richard B. Chipman, Erin E. Rees, Kim M. Pepin

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Animal movement influences the spatial spread of directly transmitted wildlife disease through host-host contact structure. Wildlife disease hosts vary in home range- associated foraging and social behaviours, which may increase the spread and intensity of disease outbreaks. The consequences of variation in host home range movement and space use on wildlife disease dynamics are poorly understood, but could help to predict disease spread and determine more effective disease management strategies.
2. We developed a spatially explicit individual-based model to examine the effect of spatiotemporal variation in host home range size on the spatial spread rate, persistence and incidence of rabies virus …

Red Grouper Skull, Jessica Urban, Miranda Brohman, Zachery Young

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Sea Robin, Prionotus Carolinus , Neurocranium, Alexandra L. Jackson, Mia I. Andahazy, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Sea Robin (Prionotus Carolinus) Neurocranium, Brittany A. Malin, Mykenzee L. Munaco, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 7.7cm total length (TL) Sea Robin (Prionotus carolinus), collected from a preserved mixed-fishes set from Carolina Biological Supply Company

Sea Robin (Triglidae) Neurocranium, David W. Kerstetter, Sarah Kennedy, Kathryn Kuruoglu

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Burrowing Owl (Athene Cunicularia) Cranium, Dennis A. Mandi, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Food Habits Of Coyotes (Canis Latrans) In The Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico, Suzanne J. Gifford, Eric M. Gese, Robert R. Parmenter

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife managers needed to understand coyote (Canis latrans) ecology in order to develop management plans on the nascent Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico. Managers concerned about low elk (Cervus elaphus) recruitment had observed an increase in sightings of coyotes and observations of coyote predation on elk calves. Our objective was to identify and quantify coyote diet, and assess the temporal variation in coyote diet on the Valles Caldera National Preserve, particularly as related to elk calf consumption. We examined coyote food habits using 1,385 scats analyzed monthly from May 2005 to November 2008. The most frequent taxa …

Impact Of The Human Footprint On Anthropogenic Mortality Of North American Reptiles, Jacob E. Hill, Travis L. Devault, Jerrold L. Belant

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human activities frequently result in reptile mortality, but how direct anthropogenic mortality compares to natural morality has not been thoroughly investigated. There has also been a limited examination of how anthropogenic reptile mortality changes as a function of the human footprint. We conducted a synthesis of causespecific North American reptile mortality studies based on telemetry, documenting 550 mortalities of known cause among 2461 monitored individuals in 57 studies. Overall 78% of mortality was the result of direct natural causes, whereas 22% was directly caused by humans. The single largest source of mortality was predation, accounting for 62% of mortality overall. …

Rabies Surveillance Identifies Potential Risk Corridors And Enables Management Evaluation, Amy J. Davis, Kathleen M. Nelson, Jordana D. Kirby, Ryan M. Wallace, Xiaoyue Ma, Kim M. Pepin, Richard B. Chipman, Amy Gilbert

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Intensive efforts are being made to eliminate the raccoon variant of rabies virus (RABV) from the eastern United States and Canada. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services National Rabies Management Program has implemented enhanced rabies surveillance (ERS) to improve case detection across the extent of the raccoon oral rabies vaccination (ORV) management area. We evaluated ERS and public health surveillance data from 2006 to 2017 in three northeastern USA states using a dynamic occupancy modeling approach. Our objectives were to examine potential risk corridors for RABV incursion from the U.S. into Canada, evaluate the effectiveness of ORV …

Data Of Soil, Vegetation And Bird Species Found On Double-Crested Cormorant Colonies In The Southeastern United States, Leah Moran Veum, Brian S. Dorr, Katie Hanson-Dorr, R. J. Moore, Scott A. Rush

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This data article provides the methods and procedures followed to collect and analyse soil, vegetation and bird data on three different treatment islands in Guntersville Reservoir, Alabama. Samples were collected from randomly selected plot points from islands that were placed into three different treatment types: Colony (currently occupied by Double-crested Cormorants) (Phalacrocorax auritus; n 1⁄4 5), Historic (historically occupied by cormorants and currently abandoned; n 1⁄4 3) and Reference (never occupied by cormorants; n 1⁄4 4). We compared vegetation and tree metrics such as structure and diversity, as well as soil chemistry and bird diversity and communities among islands within …

Archaeological Analysis In The Information Age: Guidelines For Maximizing The Reach, Comprehensiveness, And Longevity Of Data, Sarah W. Kansa, Levent Atici, Eric C. Kansa, Richard H. Meadow

Anthropology Faculty Research

With the advent of the Web, increased emphasis on “research data management,” and innovations in reproducible research practices, scholars have more incentives and opportunities to document and disseminate their primary data. This article seeks to guide archaeologists in data sharing by highlighting recurring challenges in reusing archived data gleaned from observations on workflows and reanalysis efforts involving datasets published over the past 15 years by Open Context. Based on our findings, we propose specific guidelines to improve data management, documentation, and publishing practices so that primary data can be more efficiently discovered, understood, aggregated, and synthesized by wider research communities.

Hogfish Neurocranium, Christopher Z. Lucero, Michael A. Terlizzi, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Bat Species Richness Within The Islands Of The Caribbean Basin, Justin D. Hoffman, Gabrielle Kadlubar, Scott C. Pedersen, Roxanne J. Larsen, Peter A. Larsen, Carleton J. Phillips, Gary G. Kwiecinski, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Several mechanisms have been shown to influence species richness among island ecosystems, yet most studies limit their focus to a few predictor variables. The objective of this study is to investigate variation in Chiropteran richness across islands in the Caribbean Basin with an extensive set of predictor variables. Using recent faunal surveys, the most contemporary list of bat species per island was complied. Data were collected on 17 predictor variables, which summarized five general island characteristics including island area, isolation, habitat diversity, human impact, and climate. An information-theoretic approach was used by fitting alternative candidate models to determine which variable(s) …

A Scientometric Appreciation Of Robert J. Baker's Contributions To Science And Mammalogy, David J. Schmidly, Robert D. Bradley, Emma K. Roberts, Lisa C. Bradley, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

This article describes Robert James Baker’s academic pedigree and genealogy, his scientific productivity (number of publications), his citations, his students, his contributions to his university and scientific societies, his personality in relation to his scientific achievements, his legacy, and a personal note of appreciation by individuals who worked with him and knew him well. His accomplishments are compared with other dominant personalities in the field of mammalogy, both historical and contemporary. The paper builds on the 2018 obituary authored by Hugh Genoways and others that was published in the Journal of Mammalogy, but includes a much more quantitative and …

The Neotropical Variegated Squirrel, Sciurus Variegatoides (Rodentia: Sciuridae) In Nicaragua, With The Description Of A New Subspecies, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert M. Timm

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The Neotropical variegated squirrel, Sciurus variegatoides, is represented in Nicaragua by five known subspecies—adolphei, belti, boothiae, dorsalis, and underwoodi. Analyses of morphometrics, color, and color patterns of 394 specimens from throughout the country and all available literature support the retention of these subspecies, but also reveal the presence of a sixth population of these squirrels, which is worthy of description and recognition as a new subspecies. This new subspecies is confined to Isla de Ometepe in Lago de Nicaragua. Variegated squirrels on Ometepe are on average the smallest variegated squirrels in the country …

Overture [From Field To Laboratory: A Memorial Volume In Honor Of Robert J. Baker], Robert D. Bradley, David J. Schmidly, Hugh H. Genoways, Lisa C. Bradley

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Introduction to the memorial volume of Special Publications / Museum of Texas Tech University in honor of Robert J. Baker.

First paragraph:

Herein, we use the word “Overture” not in its first meaning, but rather in its second—“An introduction to something more substantial” ([Def. 2], Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press 2018). In our current case, this is the overture to a memorial volume in honor of our friend and colleague Robert J. Baker. Here, his former students and colleagues have taken time and effort to write 43 essays and scientific articles and 54 personal encomia in demonstration of their …

Robert J. Baker Encomium: Hugh H. Genoways, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Dear Robert:

This is the letter that I always intended to write, but never found the right time to do it, so now seems as good a time as any. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your kindness to me and my family over the years. I arrived in Lubbock in early September in 1971 with a newly minted Ph.D. and no idea of how to survive in a fairly hostile academic environment. You took me under your wing and guided me through five interesting years. I know that there was no reason that …

The Tail Wagging The Dog: Positive Attitude Towards Livestock Guarding Dogs Do Not Mitigate Pastoralists’ Opinions Of Wolves Or Grizzly Bears, Daniel Kinka, Julie K. Young

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

While the re-establishment of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and wolves (Canis lupus) in the American West marks a success for conservation, it has been contentious among pastoralists. Coincidentally, livestock guarding dogs (LGDs; Canis familiaris) have been widely adopted by producers of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) in the United States to mitigate livestock depredation by wild carnivores. We surveyed pastoralists to measure how experience with and attitudes towards LGDs related to attitudes towards livestock predators, and found positive responses regarding LGDs and negative responses regarding wolves and grizzly bears. The more respondents agreed that LGDs reduce the need for lethal management …

Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus), Alois Romanowski, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) collected as-is on the beach of Anclote Key, Florida in 1999.

Estimating Waterbird Abundance On Catfish Aquaculture Ponds Using An Unmanned Aerial System, Paul C. Burr, Sathishkumar Samiappan, Lee A. Hathcock, Robert J. Moorhead, Brian S. Dorr

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In this study, we examined the use of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) to monitor fish-eating birds on catfish (Ictalurus spp.) aquaculture facilities in Mississippi, USA. We tested 2 automated computer algorithms to identify bird species using mosaicked imagery taken from a UAS platform. One algorithm identified birds based on color alone (color segmentation), and the other algorithm used shape recognition (template matching), and the results of each algorithm were compared directly to manual counts of the same imagery. We captured digital imagery of great egrets (Ardea alba), great blue herons (A. herodias), and doublecrested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) on aquaculture …