Animal Sciences Commons^™

Puberty Classifications In Beef Heifers Are Moderately To Highly Heritable And Associated With Candidate Genes Related To Cyclicity And Timing Of Puberty, Melanie K. Hess, Anteneh Mersha, Sadie S. Ference, Sarah R. Nafziger, Jessica A. Keane, Anna M. Fuller, Scott G. Kurz, Courtney M. Sutton, Matthew L. Spangler, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Andrea S. Cupp

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Introduction: Pubertal attainment is critical to reproductive longevity in heifers. Previously, four heifer pubertal classifications were identified according to attainment of blood plasma progesterone concentrations > 1 ng/ml: 1) Early; 2) Typical; 3) Start-Stop; and 4) Non-Cycling. Early and Typical heifers initiated and maintained cyclicity, Start-Stop started and then stopped cyclicity and Non- Cycling never initiated cyclicity. Start-Stop heifers segregated into Start-Stop- Discontinuous (SSD) or Start-Stop-Start (SSS), with SSD having similar phenotypes to Non-Cycling and SSS to Typical heifers. We hypothesized that these pubertal classifications are heritable, and loci associated with pubertal classifications could be identified by genome wide association …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Scott L. Gardner, Sue Ann Gardner

Zea E-Books Collection

Note that this version of the textbook has been superceded by the one updated in 2026, available at the UNL Pressbooks site.

The hard copy version that is for sale at lulu.com is the old version.

"This is a textbook covering concepts in animal parasitology. It is meant to be used by students, teachers, professors, researchers, and members of the public who are interested in learning about animal parasite biology, systematics, taxonomy, zoogeography, and ecology. The primary intended audience is upper-level undergraduate or graduate university students who have knowledge of basic biology and, particularly, basic animal biology. (863 pages, …

Malnutrition Alters Protein Expression Of Kndy Neuropeptides In The Arcuate Nucleus Of Mature Ewes, Jennifer F. Thorson, Ligia D. Prezotto

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The neuropeptides kisspeptin, neurokinin B, and dynorphin A are imperative for the pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and luteinizing hormone to ultimately regulate reproductive cyclicity. A population of neurons co-expressing these neuropeptides, KNDy neurons, within the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC) are positioned to integrate energy status from afferent neuronal and glial cells. We hypothesized that KNDyexpressing neurons in the ARC of mature ewes are influenced by energy balance. To test this hypothesis, ovary-intact, mature ewes were fed to lose, maintain, or gain body weight and hypothalamic tissue harvested during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle. Fluorescent, multiplex …

Geographic Distribution: Smilisca Baudinii (Mexican Treefrog). Usa: Florida: Escambia Co., Louis A. Somma, Justin K. Anto, Jakira A. Davis

Papers in Herpetology

Geographic distribution note for Smilisca baudinii, the Mexican treefrog, from Escambia County, Florida, United States.

Nou Spring Field Days And Annual Meeting, 125th Anniversary Of The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Birding Bowl Kickoff Weekend, Lincoln, Mary 3–5, 2024, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The NOU Annual Meeting and Spring Field Days were held in Lincoln on May 3-5, 2024, with 80 in attendance. This year is the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, and this meeting also served as the kickoff of the Nebraska Birding Bowl.

Field trips were led by Olivia DaRugna, Thane Dinsdale, Joe Gubanyi, Thomas Labedz, Jason St. Sauver, T. J. Walker, and Michael Willison. Destinations included Wilderness Park, Bluestem Lake SRA, Killdeer WMA, Cottontail WMA, Pawnee Lake SRA, Branched Oak Lake, Butler County Prairie-Chicken lek, Marsh Wren Saline Wetland, Spring Creek Prairie, and Conestoga Lake …

The Nebraska Bird Review (June 2024) 92(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March–May 2024, by W. Ross Silcock

The Early Years of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union: People and Publications, by Daniel W. Leger

NOU Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting, 125th Anniversary of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Birding Bowl Kickoff Weekend, Lincoln, May 3–5, 2024, by Janis Paseka

Subscription and Organization Information

Spring Field Report, March–May 2024, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

A major concern this spring was the widely lamented shortfall in numbers of migrant warblers and the shortened duration of the migration, with most sightings relatively early. Numbers of migrant warblers east of the 100th meridian were investigated by Joel Jorgensen and Stephen Brenner and the scarcity was indeed found to be supported by eBird data; see the “News and Updates” section in Birds of Nebraska-Online (BONO). At Oliver Reservoir in the Panhandle, however, Steven Mlodinow found that migration was at least normal for a range of common migrants, with some migrants above the levels of the last four years. …

The Early Years Of The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union: People And Publications, Daniel W. Leger

Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska once boasted that it had the greatest avian biodiversity of any state. Today, such a claim seems preposterous, but when it was made, back in 1899, it was serious. The antecedents of that claim underlie the objective of this article, namely to describe the early history of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union (NOU), its founding members, and its publications, one of which, the Nebraska Bird Review, you are reading today.

. . .

To say that many changes have occurred in ornithology and birding since the NOU started in 1899 would be a severe understatement. Most of these changes have …

Reassignment Of Some Caryospora Species (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) To Eumonospora (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) And A Summary, Donald W. Duszynski

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

This review was crafted to clear up some of the current confusion regarding the correct taxonomic placement of those apicomplexan coccidians that produce unique monosporocystic octosporozoic (1 sporocyst with 8 sporozoites) oocysts during the sexual phase of their life history in vertebrate hosts. Currently, such oocysts have been placed in 1 of 4 genera, Avispora, Caryospora, Karyospora, or Eumonospora, 2 of which are no longer accepted or useful (Avispora and Karyospora). My review suggests that to present (2023) there are 62 valid Caryospora and 26 valid Eumonospora species. Caryospora species are recorded from a bird …

Unraveling The Role Of Lipid Droplets And Perilipin 2 In Bovine Luteal Cells, Michele R. Plewes, Heather A. Talbott, Micah B. Schott, Jennifer R. Wood, Andrea S. Cupp, John S. Davis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Steroidogenic tissues contain cytosolic lipid droplets that are important for steroidogenesis. Perilipin 2 (PLIN2), a structural coat protein located on the surface of lipid droplets in mammalian cells, plays a crucial role in regulating lipid droplet formation and contributing to various cellular processes such as lipid storage and energy homeostasis. Herein, we examine the role that PLIN2 plays in regulating progesterone synthesis in the bovine corpus luteum. Utilizing gene array databases and Western blotting, we have delineated the expression pattern of PLIN2 throughout the follicular to luteal transition. Our findings reveal the presence of PLIN2 in both ovarian follicular and …

Design Of Small-Scale Milk Processing Facility, Luke Bond, Robert Stenzel, Ry Steffen, John Van Nieuwenhuyse, Rossana Villa-Rojas, Terry Howell Jr., Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Forrest Kievit

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Masters Project Reports

This project was intended to investigate the feasibility of a proposed modular dairy processing facility collocated with a small dairy on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Innovation Campus. Priority was placed upon cost savings for equipment to be used in processing. Process flow diagrams, floor plans, production schedules, risk assessments, and plans for wastewater treatment were all developed to address the needs of the plant should it be built. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to evaluate the timeline for breaking even financially, resulting in the potential for a payback period of 4.5 years. The 4.5-year payback period was based on …

Vibratory Noise Impacts The Sensory Ecology Of A Funnel-Weaving Spider, Brandi June Pessman

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Animals experience their world through diverse sensory systems, leveraging information from prey, predators, and potential mates to inform behavioral decisions. Environmental noise disrupts information via spectral or amplitude masking, degradation, or distortion, potentially leading to costly errors in responses. Critically, urbanization has accelerated the proliferation of novel noise sources, triggering significant shifts in communication, foraging, and predator-prey dynamics among urban wildlife. While vertebrate studies have illuminated urban animals’ flexibility to anthropogenic acoustic noise, a comprehensive understanding requires broader investigations across diverse animal taxa and sensory modalities. To address these gaps, my dissertation explored the impacts of anthropogenic substrate-borne (vibratory) noise …

Ecological Dynamics Of Cenozoic North American Mammals, Alexandria Brandis Shupinski

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Understanding how community structure is affected by various ecological, climatic, and environmental changes is a long-standing goal in ecology. However, disentangling human impacts from these other variables is difficult when using short modern timescales and anthropogenically altered communities. The fossil record provides a means to investigate community structure dynamics across critical intervals, excluding humans as a variable. Here, in three studies, I assess changes in North American mammal paleocommunity structure across the last 66 million years (Ma) at multiple temporal and spatial scales. In Chapter 1, I identify changes in mammal functional diversity (FD) locally and continentally, using three independent …

The Impact Of A Pgym Variant On Myophosphorylase Deficiency In Red Angus Composite Cattle And Changes In The Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome Due To The Intramuscular Administration Of Lidocaine In Wether Lambs, Mackenzie Christin Batt

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Project 1 focused on eight calves in a Nebraska herd (composite Simmental, Red Angus, Gelbvieh) that displayed exercise intolerance during forced activity. Available sire pedigrees contained a paternal ancestor within 2-4 generations in all affected calves. Pedigrees of the calves’ dams were unavailable, however, the cows were ranch-raised and retained from prior breeding seasons, where bulls used for breeding occasionally had a common ancestor. Therefore, it was hypothesized that a de novo autosomal recessive variant was causative of exercise intolerance in these calves. A genome-wide association analysis followed by whole-genome sequencing led to the identification of a variant in the …

Impact Of Strategic Postweaning Supplementation On March- And May-Born Yearling Range Heifer And Calf Growth And Performance In The Nebraska Sandhills, Josie Nicole Crouch

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Three experiments were conducted at the Gudmundsen Sandhills laboratory near Whitman, Nebraska. Experiment 1, a retrospective regression analysis, evaluated the impact of heifer percentage of mature body weight (BW) at breeding on heifer performance, subsequent pregnancy rates, and calf production. Overall pregnancy rates were greater (P < 0.01) for heifers at 60 to 70% of mature BW than 50 to 55%, with no differences in pregnancy rates (P ≥ 0.15) after 2-years of age. Heifers at 50 to 60% of mature BW had a greater (P = 0.05) proportion give birth in the first 21-d. A higher percentage of mature BW at breeding resulted in greater (P < 0.01) BW at birth and weaning for offspring.

Experiments 2 and 3 were 3-year studies that evaluated the impact …

Artificial Insemination And Fetal Programming In Beef Production Systems, Dempster M. Christenson

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Pregnancy to artificial insemination and late gestation fetal programming of the next calf crop are central to genetic development, reproductive longevity, calf crop productivity, and efficiency of cow/calf ranching. The purposes of this research are to find methods to improve pregnancy rate to artificial insemination, the growth and reproductive health of pregnant heifers, and the productivity of their offspring. In the first of four studies we found that extending the period of progesterone administration in an estrus synchronization protocol did not significantly hasten estrus response or increase pregnancy rate to artificial insemination, but timing of estrus within the melengestrol acetate …

Adding Parasite Resistance To A Hair Sheep Breeding Objective, Robert M. Forbes

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The United States Hair Sheep Index was designed to increase total weight of lamb weaned per ewe lambing (TW) using estimated breeding values (EBV) for direct (DWWT) and maternal (MWWT) weaning weight, and number of lambs born (NLB) and weaned (NLW), as selection criteria. Producers are interested in adding post-weaning fecal egg count EBV (PFEC), an indicator of parasite resistance, to the index to achieve genetic change in both TW and PFEC.

First, the effects of adding PFEC alongside TW to the breeding objective of indexes that used either phenotypes or EBV as selection criteria were studied. Since MWWT …

Feeding Dried Distillers' Grains With Solubles To Lactating Dairy Cattle: Whole Animal Energy Utilization And Manure Biogas Production, Grant Michael Fincham

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

When DDGS are fed to lactating dairy cattle, the observed response in energy supply, milk production, and methane production varies among studies. One potential reason for these observed discrepancies is the nature of the diet formulation itself. Furthermore, little research has been conducted to examine how dietary changes can affect dairy cattle manure composition and methane production in an anaerobic manure digester. In order to gain a better understanding of these topics, we conducted two experiments. The first experiment was conducted to test how the manipulation of lactating dairy cattle diets affects energy utilization, milk production, methane production, and manure …

Utilization Of The NuTrack System To Objectively Evaluate Changes In Active And Passive Behaviors Of Group-Housed Nursery Pigs Exposed To An Endotoxin Challenge, Aaron Holliday

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study aimed to evaluate the changes in activity of group-housed, newly weaned pigs challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). At weaning, pigs (n = 192, 5.73 ± 1.8 kg) were stratified by sex, litter, and body weight (BW) and randomly assigned to one of three treatments (16 pigs/pen, 4 pens/treatment): 1) Saline-injected (SAL), 2) 50% challenged [50%-LPS) – only half of the pigs in a pen (8 pigs) were challenged with LPS and 3) 100% challenged (100%-LPS) – all pigs in a pen were challenged with LPS. Pigs in the SAL and 32 in the 50%-LPS treatment received a 3.0 …

Using Annual Forages To Replace Declining Cool-Season Grass Pasture Availability, Jonathon Matthew Jenkins

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As land area in grain crop production increases in the US Midwest, perennial pasture availability decreases but the demand increases. Matching the seasonal growth patterns of C₃ and C₄ plant species to grow forages that are complementary allows producers to fill production gaps in otherwise monoculture systems and possibly increase overall productivity. One way to fill the forage production gap of C₃ grass dominated pastures is by producing a warm-season, annual forage in a separate field. However, with continual reductions in land availability, this may not be an option. Using two studies, our objectives were to improve …

An Examination Of The Eastern Nebraska And Western Iowa Flash Flood Event Of 6-7 August 1999, Catherine M. Zapotocny

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Technical Reports and Related Materials

Flash flooding occurs each summer in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. While 10-inch rains are extraordinary, it is not uncommon to have at least one excessive rain event during the annual convective season. A significant flash flood occurred in east central Nebraska and western Iowa the night of August 6, 1999 into the morning of August 7, 1999. Antecedent hydrologic conditions limited the loss of life, however considerable property damage resulted as the heavy rain fell over the urbanized areas in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

Several flash flood ingredients came together over the area. These meteorological factors are typical …

An Autosomal Recessive Variant In Pygm Causes Myophosphorylase Deficiency In Red Angus Composite Cattle, Mackenzie Batt, Leila G. Venzor, Keri Gardner, Rachel R. Reith, Kelsey A. Roberts, Nicolas J. Herrera, Anna M. Fuller, Gary Sullivan, J. Travis Mulliniks, Matthew L. Spangler, Stephanie J. Valberg, David J. Steffen, Jessica Lynn Petersen

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background Between 2020 and 2022, eight calves in a Nebraska herd (composite Simmental, Red Angus, Gelbvieh) displayed exercise intolerance during forced activity. In some cases, the calves collapsed and did not recover. Available sire pedigrees contained a paternal ancestor within 2–4 generations in all affected calves. Pedigrees of the calves’ dams were unavailable, however, the cows were ranch-raised and retained from prior breeding seasons, where bulls used for breeding occasionally had a common ancestor. Therefore, it was hypothesized that a de novo autosomal recessive variant was causative of exercise intolerance in these calves.

Results A genome-wide association analysis utilizing SNP …

Genetic Diversity Of United States Rambouillet, Katahdin And Dorper Sheep, Gabrielle M. Becker, Jacob W. Thorne, Joan M. Burke, Ronald M. Lewis, David R. Notter, James L. M. Morgan, Christopher S. Schauer, Whit C. Stewart, R. R. Redden, Brenda M. Murdoch

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Background Managing genetic diversity is critically important for maintaining species fitness. Excessive homozygosity caused by the loss of genetic diversity can have detrimental effects on the reproduction and production performance of a breed. Analysis of genetic diversity can facilitate the identification of signatures of selection which may contribute to the specific characteristics regarding the health, production and physical appearance of a breed or population. In this study, breeds with well-characterized traits such as fine wool production (Rambouillet, N = 745), parasite resistance (Katahdin, N = 581) and environmental hardiness (Dorper, N = 265) were evaluated for inbreeding, effective population size …

Gsl Researcher (Spring 2024)

GSL Researcher

GSL Researcher (Spring 2024)

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Range and forage update

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Publications and news

Hilling As A Management Tactic And Tool For Understanding Soybean Gall Midge (Resseliella Maxima Gagné), Pragya Gupta

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Soybean gall midge (Resseliella maxima Gagné, SGM) emerged as a new species in the United States Midwest in 2019, causing injury to soybean (Glycine max L.) Infestation of R. maxima starts with females laying eggs in the fissures or cracks that develop at the base of soybean during the V2-V3 growth stage. The emerged larvae feed on the stem internally, leading to wilting and death of the plants. With knowledge gaps in biology and behavior, management strategies for this pest are challenging. Hilling is a cultural practice causing soil to cover the base of stems and is …

Demographic Consequences Of Off-River Nesting For Piping Plover (Charadrius Melodus) And Interior Least Tern (Sternula Antillarum Athalassos) In The Lower Platte River System, Nebraska, Elsa M. Forsberg

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus; hereafter, plovers) and interior least terns (Sternula antillarum athalassos; hereafter, terns) are two avian species that nest along the Lower Platte River system (LPRS) in Nebraska. In the LPRS, river sandbars provide natural nesting habitat, but off-river sites provide substantial nesting habitat especially when sandbar habitat is scarce. Although presumed to be important for the persistence of plovers and terns, off-river habitat is not self-sustaining and predicted to decline. Understanding the vital rates of plovers and terns in the LPRS will inform the role of off- river sites in the future conservation …

Genetic Impact Of External Targhee Sires At The U.S. Sheep Experiment Station: A Case Study Of Introgression, Carrie S. Wilson, J. Bret Taylor, Ronald M. Lewis, David R. Notter

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Sheep breeders requested that the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station (USSES) to participate in national genetic evaluation through the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP). The reasons included the need for (1) a comparison of the productivity of industry and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) lines, (2) transparency of USDA flocks, (3) genetic ties for NSIP by sampling of industry flocks, and (4) development of premium genetic lines for public release. In response, USSES began to incorporate external sires from NSIP participating flocks into the USSES Targhee flock. Our objective, based on a pedigree analysis, was to test if introgression of …

Recent Progress On Gene-Deleted Liveattenuated African Swine Fever Virus Vaccines, Hiep L.X. Vu, David Scott Mcvey

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly lethal viral disease in swine, with mortality rates approaching 100%. The disease has spread to many swine-producing countries, leading to significant economic losses and adversely impacting global food security. Extensive efforts have been directed toward developing effective ASF vaccines. Among the vaccinology approaches tested to date, liveattenuated virus (LAV) vaccines produced by rational deleting virulence genes from virulent African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) strains have demonstrated promising safety and efficacy in experimental and field conditions. Many gene-deleted LAV vaccine candidates have been generated in recent years. The virulence genes targeted for deletion from …

Recent Progress On Gene-Deleted Liveattenuated African Swine Fever Virus Vaccines, Hiep Vu, David Scott Mcvey

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly lethal viral disease in swine, with mortality rates approaching 100%. The disease has spread to many swine-producing countries, leading to significant economic losses and adversely impacting global food security. Extensive efforts have been directed toward developing effective ASF vaccines. Among the vaccinology approaches tested to date, liveattenuated virus (LAV) vaccines produced by rational deleting virulence genes from virulent African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) strains have demonstrated promising safety and efficacy in experimental and field conditions. Many gene-deleted LAV vaccine candidates have been generated in recent years. The virulence genes targeted for deletion from …

Daily Injection Of The Β2 Adrenergic Agonist Clenbuterol Improved Muscle Glucose Metabolism, Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion, And Hyperlipidemia In Juvenile Lambs Following Heat-Stress-Induced Intrauterine Growth Restriction, Rachel L. Gibbs, James Wilson, Rebecca M. Swanson, Joslyn K. Beard, Zena M. Hicks, Haley Beer, Eileen Marks-Nelson, Ty B. Schmidt, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Stress-induced fetal programming diminishes β2 adrenergic tone, which coincides with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and lifelong metabolic dysfunction. We determined if stimulating β2 adrenergic activity in IUGR-born lambs would improve metabolic outcomes. IUGR lambs that received daily injections of saline or the β2 agonist clenbuterol from birth to 60 days were compared with controls from pair-fed thermoneutral pregnancies. As juveniles, IUGR lambs exhibited systemic inflammation and robust metabolic dysfunction, including greater (p < 0.05) circulating TNF, IL-6, and non-esterified fatty acids, increased (p < 0.05) intramuscular glycogen, reduced (p < 0.05) circulating IGF-1, hindlimb blood flow, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, and muscle glucose oxidation. Daily clenbuterol fully recovered (p < 0.05) circulating TNF, IL-6, and nonesterified fatty acids, hindlimb blood flow, muscle glucose oxidation, and intramuscular glycogen. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was partially recovered (p < 0.05) in clenbuterol-treated IUGR lambs, but circulating IGF-1 was not improved. Circulating triglycerides and HDL cholesterol were elevated (p < 0.05) in clenbuterol-treated IUGR lambs, despite being normal in untreated IUGR lambs. We conclude that deficient β2 adrenergic regulation is a primary mechanism for several components of metabolic dysfunction in IUGR-born offspring and thus represents a potential therapeutic target for improving metabolic outcomes. Moreover, benefits from the β2 agonist were likely complemented by its suppression of IUGR-associated inflammation.