Animal Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Audible Human Disturbance On Koala (Phascolarctos Cinereus) Behavior In Queensland, Australia And Implications For Management, Galina Eugenia Kinsella

Honors Theses and Capstones

As the growing human population continues to encroach on wildlife habitat, species are forced to adapt in order to survive. In addition to causing habitat loss, human presence can create more subtle disturbances, such as noise pollution, that disrupt wildlife behavior. Adapting to human presence is particularly difficult for species with specialized resource needs or low mobility. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), a national icon of Australia, meets both these criteria. Koalas were once abundant throughout Australia, but are now classified as “threatened.” Habitat loss is at least partly responsible for this decline, but anthropogenic noise may also be …

Benthic And Pelagic Pathways Of Methylmercury Bioaccumulation In Estuarine Food Webs Of The Northeast United States, Celia Y. Chen, Mark E. Borsuk, Deenie M. Bugge, Terill Hollweg

Dartmouth Scholarship

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a contaminant of global concern that bioaccumulates and bioamagnifies in marine food webs. Lower trophic level fauna are important conduits of MeHg from sediment and water to estuarine and coastal fish harvested for human consumption. However, the sources and pathways of MeHg to these coastal fisheries are poorly known particularly the potential for transfer of MeHg from the sediment to biotic compartments. Across a broad gradient of human land impacts, we analyzed MeHg concentrations in food webs at ten estuarine sites in the Northeast US (from the Hackensack Meadowlands, NJ to the Gulf of Maine). MeHg concentrations …

Pcb Effects On Development Of Behavior In Rats, Robert Witte

Honors Projects

Abstract

PCBs were originally used as industrial chemicals in many devices and applications, including electrical capacitors and transformers, lubricants, and sealants in buildings. PCBs have been investigated and their use has been slowly phased out starting in the U.S. in the 1970s. A worldwide ban was put on the use and manufacturing of PCB in 2001, however they remain in the food chain because of their lipophilic properties and their long half-life. Major sources of PCB include wild-life, fish, and other seafood. Individuals exposed to PCB during development can experience negative effects on neurobiological, cognitive, and behavior functioning in both …

Variations In Intra- And Interspecific Response To Mobbing Calls By The Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile Atricapillus), Katerina M. Faust

Honors Theses

Mobbing calls are produced by a variety of bird species in response to predator sightings. These mobbing calls often function in intraspecific recruitment, but have recently been shown to have an interspecific response component as well. The mobbing calls produced by the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) are distinct and encode information about the threat level of the predator. Conservation biologists often use playbacks of chickadee mobbing calls to detect species of birds and numbers of individuals in an area with higher accuracy than counts conducted without the use of playbacks. In this study, the factors that could potentially …

Effect Of Dietary Exposure To Ergot Alkaloids On Contractility Of Bovine Mesenteric Vasculature And Rumen Motility, Amanda M. Egert

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue grass has been associated with fescue toxicosis, a costly syndrome characterized by poor cattle performance and health resulting in significant production losses. The fungal endophyte produces ergot alkaloids, which help the grass thrive in poor conditions but are toxic to mammals. A number of symptoms of fescue toxicosis can be related to vasoconstriction of bovine core, peripheral, and foregut vasculature. The first part of this series of experiments demonstrated ergot alkaloids were also vasoactive in midgut vasculature, with the exception of lysergic acid. Additionally, prior dietary exposure to ergot alkaloids decreased the contractile response of mesenteric …

Interaction Of Isoflavones And Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Seed Extract On Vasoactivity Of Bovine Mesenteric Vasculature, Yang Jia

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Endophyte-infected tall fescue produces many ergot alkaloids, which have been shown to be vasoconstrictive in various vessel types of bovine. On the other hand, substantial evidence has been reported on the vasodilative effects of formononetin and biochanin A in different vessel types in humans and rats. So, a study was conducted using mesenteric vasculature collected from heifers shortly after slaughter. After 2-h incubation with formononetin (F), biochanin A (B), or an ergovaline-containing tall fescue seed extract (EXT) and their combinations, vessels were mounted in a multi-myograph to determine their ergotamine-induced contractility. Results indicated that F and B at 1 × …

Effect Of Direct-Fed Microbials And Monensin On In Vitro Rumen Fermentation, Sheryl Wingard

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

The impact of supplying a mixed culture of lactate producing bacteria on in-vitro rumen fermentation of forage- (Experiment 1) and concentrate- (Experiment 2) based diets in the presence and absence of monensin was explored. In experiment 1, interactions between DFM and MON were absent (P>0.10) for gas production and fermentative end products. Gas production and fermentative end products were unaffected by DFM alone (P>0.10). Monensin decreased (P<0.001) CH₄ and NH₃ production, rate and total gas production, as well as total VFA concentration and molar proportions of acetate and butyrate. However, MON increased (P<0.001) proportions of propionate, valerate, isobutyrate and isovalerate. Independently, DFM and MON increased (P<0.001) end point pH. In experiment 2, DFM x MON interactions or tendencies (P=0.07, P<0.01, P<0.01) were present, DFM effects were abated by MON, for rate, total gas production and total VFA concentrations. Acetate:propionate ratio was decreased (P<0.01) with MON and was unaffected by DFM. Ammonia-N concentration was increased (P<0.01) by DFM and unaffected (P=0.75) by MON. Both DFM and MON treatment increased (P<0.01) ruminal pH levels. These studies suggest the effects of DFM and MON of in-vitro fermentation are …

Evaluating Dietary Amino Acid Adequacy In Horses Using Isotopic Techniques, Sara L. Tanner

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Little is known about amino acid (AA) requirements in horses despite muscle mass accretion being of importance to an athletic species. Isotope methods for determining AA requirements and whole-body protein synthesis (WBPS) had not been previously used in growing horses. The first study herein was the first to apply isotope methods to determine WBPS in growing horses. In the study, weanling colts received two different levels of crude protein. Whole-body protein kinetics indicated that WBPS was greater when the weanlings were fed the diet with a greater crude protein content (P<0.05). The second study sought to determine a lysine requirement for yearling horses using the indicator AA oxidation (IAAO) method. Despite using six dietary levels of lysine; three above and three below the current recommendation, no breakpoint could be determined. Phenylalanine kinetics were not affected by lysine level (P>0.05), but plasma lysine increased linearly with lysine intake …

A Review And Redescription Of The Cosmopolitan Pseudoscorpion Chelifer Cancroides (Pseudoscorpiones: Cheliferidae), Mark S. Harvey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The taxonomy of the cheliferid pseudoscorpion genus Chelifer Geoffroy 1762 is reviewed with a single cosmopolitan species, Chelifer cancroides (Linnaeus 1758), with the subspecies C. cancroides orientalis Morikawa 1954 from Japan newly synonymised with C. cancroides. Adults and the final two nymphal stages (tritonymph and deutonymph) are redescribed based on numerous specimens from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia. The large size variation evident in the samples is documented. The latero-ventral process of the tarsal claws characteristically found in adults (except leg I of the male) is lacking in nymphs, a pattern that is also confirmed in the genera Lissochelifer …

A Critical Review Of Habitat Use By Feral Cats And Key Directions For Future Research And Management, Tim S. Doherty, Andrew J. Bengsen, Robert A. Davis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Feral cats (Felis catus) have a wide global distribution and cause significant damage to native fauna. Reducing their impacts requires an understanding of how they use habitat and which parts of the landscape should be the focus of management. We reviewed 27 experimental and observational studies conducted around the world over the last 35 years that aimed to examine habitat use by feral and unowned cats. Our aims were to: (1) summarise the current body of literature on habitat use by feral and unowned cats in the context of applicable ecological theory (i.e. habitat selection, foraging theory); (2) develop testable …

Nesting Ecology Of White-Throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia Albicollis) : The Effects Of Variation In Clutch-Initiation Date And The Application Of Prescribed Fire On Nesting Success, Melissa Olmstead

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The study of nesting success is one of the most widely-used methods for examining the factors governing recruitment in birds. Many ecological influences act together to increase or decrease nesting success, and knowledge of these mechanisms is crucial for determining the habitat or conservation requirements of a given species. One ecological influence is the timing of breeding, which in many species is related to a decline in nest success later in the breeding season. Much of the research on this subject has focused on cavity-nesting species, and the hypothesis that this seasonal decline is caused by a mismatch between clutch-initiation …

[Review Of The Book Rare Birds Of North America, By N.G. Howell, Ian Lewington & Will Russell], Natasha D.G. Hagemeyer, Eric L. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Thermal Ecology Of Urosaurus Ornatus (Ornate Tree Lizard), In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert On Indio Mountains Research Station, Texas, Julia Sandoval Alva

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The main goal of this study was to determine the thermal ecology of the small tree lizard Urosaurus ornatus in a Chihuahuan Desert landscape. The study site was located at Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS), Hudspeth County, Texas. We obtained body temperature (Tb) data on 385 lizards collected from April 2007 to June 2014 during the active period using a cloacal thermometer. Additionally, we recorded air temperature (Ta) and substrate temperature (Ts) of lizard microhabitats at the time of capture, and the operative temperature of lizard models left in the sun and shade from May to September 2014. My results …

Time-Activity Budgets Of Wintering Ferruginous Duck, Aythya Nyroca, At Gajoldoba Wetland, Jalpaiguri, India, Tanmay Datta

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Results indicate resting as the main diurnal activity of Aythya nyroca, whereas feeding dominated during the night. Other than resting (56.3%), feeding (16.8%) and swimming (15.2%) were major activities of the diurnal time-activity budget, whereas preening (9.4%) and flying (2.3%) were less frequent and occupied a secondary rank. Feeding and swimming were prevalent during the morning and afternoon hours. During midday, most of the ducks indulged in resting. The small amount of time spent on diurnal feeding was compensated by voracious nocturnal feeding (64.6%), which peaked in the middle of the night. Human interference plays an important role in shaping …

Development Of Empirical Standard Weight Equation For Pursak Chub Squalius Pursakensis, An Endemic Cyprinid Species Of Northwest Anatolia, Şule Sülün, Sercan Başkurt, Özgür Emi̇roğlu, Daniela Giannetto, Ali̇ Serhan Tarkan, Sevan Ağdamar, Özcan Gaygusuz, Zeynep Dorak, Hamdi̇ Aydin, Arzu Çi̇çek

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Indices of condition enable the evaluation of the well-being of fish, with the assumption that heavier fish of a given length are in a better condition. Relative weight (W_{r}) is one of these indices; it is calculated by comparing the actual weight of a specimen with the ideal weight of a specimen in good physiological condition of the same length from the same species, i.e. standard weight (W_{s}). In this research, length and weight data over the distribution range for Pursak chub Squalius pursakensis, an endemic species distributed in the Sakarya and Porsuk drainages in Northwest Anatolia (Turkey), were used …

Contribution To The Knowledge Of The Scutelleridae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) Fauna Of Turkey, Erol Yildirim, Gülten Yazici, Ni̇hal Karakurt

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study is based on material of the family Scutelleridae collected from different localities in Turkey between 1969 and 2013. In this study, 13 species of 7 genera belonging to 4 subfamilies (Eurygasterinae, Elvisurinae, Odontoscelinae, Odontotarsinae) from the family Scutelleridae were recorded from Turkey. Among them, Eurygaster integriceps Puton, 1881; Eurygaster maura (Linnaeus, 1758); and Odontotarsus purpureolineatus (Rossi, 1790) have been found to be the most abundant and widespread species. Phimodera flori Fieber, 1863 is a new record for the Turkish fauna. In addition, new localities were found for some species that have already been reported in Turkey.

A Comparison Of The Structure Of 2 Waterbird Assemblages During Postbreeding Movements In The Arid Zone Of Uzbekistan, Zbigniew Kasprzykowski, Artur Golawski, Cezary Mitrus, Tomasz Stanski

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Natural riverbeds in arid regions of Central Asia play an important role in waterbird migration. However, agricultural irrigation in the Aral Sea basin, in combination with climate change, is leading to wetland habitat loss. In this study, we consider the importance of the 2 largest river systems in this region during postbreeding movements and compare waterbird assemblages in relation to habitat parameters between the Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya rivers. In the second half of August 2011, we counted waterbirds along 125 and 106 km of the Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya rivers, respectively. Both rivers showed a high similarity of richness indices. Analysis …

Molecular Systematics Of The Genus Pseudocerastes (Ophidia: Viperidae) Based On The Mitochondrial Cytochrome \Beta Gene, Behzad Fathinia, Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani, Eskandar Rastegar Pouyani, Fatemeh Toodeh-Dehghan, Mehdi Rajabizadeh

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The false horned vipers of the genus Pseudocerastes consist of 3 species; all have been recorded in Iran. These include Pseudocerastes persicus, P. fieldi, and P. urarachnoides. Morphologically, the taxonomic border between P. fieldi and P. persicus is not as clear as that between P. urarachnoides and P. persicus or P. fieldi. Regarding the weak diagnostic characters differentiating P. fieldi from P. persicus and very robust characters separating P. urarachnoides from both, there may arise some uncertainty in the exact taxonomic status of P. urarachnoides and whether it should remain at the current specific level or be elevated to a …

Phoretic Mites In Uni- And Bivoltine Populations Of Ips Typographus: A 1-Year Case Study, Martin Cejka, Jaroslav Holusa

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Members of the order Mesostigmata frequently use other animals to colonize suitable habitats, and thus their phoretic exploitation of bark beetles is not exceptional. We compared the abundance and species spectrum of phoretic mites in univoltine and bivoltine populations of the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus. Two localities with high population densities of Ips typographus in the eastern part of the Czech Republic (400 and 1100 m a.s.l.) were studied. Beetles were sampled with pheromone traps baited with IT Ecolure (5 per locality). In total, 1268 I. typographus individuals were captured, from which 1662 mite individuals were collected and …

The Jumping Plant-Lice (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) Of Turkey: A Checklist And New Records, Jowita Drohojowska, Daniel Burckhardt

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A checklist is provided for the Turkish Psylloidea comprising 99 species, of which 1 is doubtful (Livia crefeldensis) and 6 are recorded for the first time from Turkey (Rhodochlanis bicolor, Euphyllura pakistanica, Camarotoscena lauta, Syntomoza unicolor, Baeopelma colorata, and Spanioneura persica). A key is provided for the 3 Spanioneura species associated with Prunus dulcis. Spanioneura pechai (Klimaszewski and Lodos) stat. rev. is removed from synonymy with S. turkiana.

A New Species Of The Genus Dinotrema Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Alysiinae) From Turkey, Maximilian Fischer, Gregory Thomas Sullivan, İsmai̇l Karaca, Sebahat Sullivan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A new species of the genus Dinotrema Foerster is reported from the Samsun region on the central Black Sea coast of Turkey. The genus generally parasitizes flies and ranks among the most species-rich taxa of the Braconidae. Morphological details of the new species Dinotrema samsunense Fischer & Sullivan are described, figured, and compared taxonomically with the most closely related species.

Embryonic Development Of The Olive Fruit Fly, Bactrocera Oleae Rossi (Diptera: Tephritidae), In Vivo, Hani̇fe Genç

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a pest that infests olive fruits. The female oviposits in large green olives and larvae hatch inside the fruit, where they feed upon the fruit tissues. Larval development is completed inside the fruit. These flies cause great damage to olive production worldwide. Traditionally, insecticides have been directed against the adult stage, but the results are not efficient. This present work is a study of embryogenesis in the olive fruit fly. The external morphology of the Bactrocera oleae Rossi (Diptera: Tephritidae) egg is described from light microscopy without dechorionation. The observations …

New Record Of A Genus And Species Of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) From Iran, Zainab Alssadat Bayegan, Hossein Lotfalizadeh, Mohammad Reza Zargaran, Rana Pooraiiouby

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Mymar taprobanicum (Ward) (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Mymaridae) is reported for the first time from Iran. Four female specimens were collected in a Malaise trap set up in a rice field in Guilan Province during the summer of 2012.

The Northernmost European Record Of Parasetodes Respersellus (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) From The Courish Spit (Russia) With Notes On Its Distribution And Imaginal Morphology, Edyta Buczynska, Anatoly P. Shapoval, Pawel Buczynski

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Parasetodes respersellus (Rambur, 1842) is the only representative of its genus in Europe. So far, it has been reported in 6 countries (24 sites), and 3 of the reports come from the 1960s and from earlier historical references. Between 24 and 28 August 2011 a male and a female of this species were attracted to a light trap in the Courish Spit (Russia). The paper presents the following topics concerning this species: the distribution area and the status of existing records in particular countries, considerations about the potential breeding site of the collected specimens, remarks on the origins of a …

Marine Molluscs Of The Turkish Coasts: An Updated Checklist, Bi̇lal Öztürk, Alper Doğan, Banu Bi̇tli̇s Bakir, Alp Salman

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study presents the molluscan species diversity along the Turkish coasts. The compilation of the available references revealed a total of 1065 species belonging to 7 classes (Caudofoveata, Solenogastres, Polyplacophora, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Scaphopoda, and Cephalopoda). Most of the reported species belong to the class Gastropoda (706 species), followed by Bivalvia (279 species), Cephalopoda (50 species), Polyplacophora (17 species), Scaphopoda (10 species), Caudofoveata (2 species), and Solenogastres (1 species). Among the coasts of Turkey, the highest number of molluscan species was recorded from the Aegean Sea (825 species), followed by the Levantine Sea (807 species), Sea of Marmara (537 species), and …

Checklist Of Echinodermata From The Coasts Of Turkey, Başak Öztoprak, Alper Doğan, Ertan Dağli

Turkish Journal of Zoology

According to the benthic studies on echinoderms inhabiting the coasts of Turkey, a total of 91 echinoderm species belonging to 5 classes have been reported. The Aegean Sea coast is represented by the highest number of species (76 species), followed by the Sea of Marmara (64 species), the Levantine Sea (51 species), and the Black Sea (17 species). Sixty-six echinoderm species were found on soft substrata, while 8 species were reported on hard substrata and 17 species on both soft and hard substrata. The majority of the echinoderm species (83 species) were found at depths ranging from 11 to 50 …

An Updated Checklist Of The Marine Fishes Of Turkey, Murat Bi̇lecenoğlu, Murat Kaya, Bülent Ci̇hangi̇r, Erdoğan Çi̇çek

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The current status of marine fishes distributed along the Turkish coasts is reviewed and an updated checklist including 512 species is presented. In this study, 5 species are recorded for the first time from Turkey (Lepidion lepidion (Risso, 1810); Bathophilus nigerrimus Giglioli, 1882; Gonostoma denudatum Rafinesque, 1810; Solea aegyptiaca Chabanaud, 1927; and Gobius roulei de Buen, 1928), while 7 species are new to the Turkish Aegean Sea coast (Notacanthus bonaparte Risso, 1840; Nettastoma melanurum Rafinesque, 1810; Apletodon dentatus (Facciolà, 1887); Apletodon incognitus Hofrichter & Patzner, 1997; Callionymus filamentosus Valenciennes, 1837; Cynoglossus sinusarabici (Chabanaud, 1931); Torquigener flavimaculosus Hardy & Randall, 1983) …

Environmental Variables Measured At Multiple Spatial Scales Exert Uneven Influence On Fish Assemblages Of Floodplain Lakes, Daniel J. Dembkowski, L.E. Miranda

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

We examined the interaction between environmental variables measured at three different scales (i.e., landscape, lake, and in-lake) and fish assemblage descriptors across a range of over 50 floodplain lakes in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Mississippi and Arkansas. Our goal was to identify important local- and landscape-level determinants of fish assemblage structure. Relationships between fish assemblage structure and variables measured at broader scales (i.e., landscape-level and lake-level) were hypothesized to be stronger than relationships with variables measured at finer scales (i.e., in-lake variables). Results suggest that fish assemblage structure in floodplain lakes was influenced by variables operating on three different …

Gape:Body Size Relationship For Smallmouth Bass, Craig L. Schake, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Melissa R. Wuellner

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The types and sizes of prey fishes consumed by predatory fish often are limited by gape dimensions of the predator (Slaughter and Jacobson 2008). In general, the size of prey consumed is positively related to predator size when prey are available across a wide range of sizes (Werner and Hall 1974). Opportunistic predators with large gape dimensions, such as smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), may consume a wide range of prey types and sizes, thereby exerting top-down influences on prey population dynamics and potentially restructuring aquatic communities (e.g., Werner and Hall 1974, Jackson 2002). Although feeding ecology of smallmouth bass varies …

Phenology Of Annulus Formation In Walleye And Smallmouth Bass Otoliths, Brianna J. Graff, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Melissa R. Wuellner

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Walleye Sander vitreus and smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu were sampled monthly (May-October) from Lake Sharpe, South Dakota during 2006 and 2007 to estimate the timing of otolith annulus formation and to evaluate the influence of fish age, sex, and sample location (walleye only) on the timing and detection of annulus formation. Timing of annulus formation was evaluated using marginal increment analysis. Walleye samples were stratified by age, sex, and sample location (i.e., upper and lower Lake Sharpe) and smallmouth bass samples were stratified by age and sex. Monthly mean marginal increment measurements for both species generally increased from May to …