Animal Sciences Commons^™

Genomic Perspectives On Amphibian Evolution Across Multiple Phylogenetic Scales, Paul Michael Hime

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Genomes provide windows into the evolutionary histories of species. The recent accessibility of genome-scale data in non-model organisms and the proliferation of powerful statistical models are now providing unprecedented opportunities to uncover evolutionary relationships and to test hypotheses about the processes that generate and maintain biodiversity. This dissertation work reveals shallow-scale species boundaries and population genetic structure in two imperiled groups of salamanders and demonstrates that the number and information content of genomic regions used in species delimitation exert strong effects on the resulting inferences. Genome scans are employed to test hypotheses about the mechanisms of genetic sex determination in …

Spatially Biased Dispersal Of Acorns By A Scatter-Hoarding Corvid May Accelerate Passive Restoration Of Oak Habitat On California’S Largest Island, Mario B. Pesendorfer, T. Scott Sillett, Scott A. Morrison

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Scatter hoarding by corvids (crows, jays, magpies, and nutcrackers) provides seed dispersal for many large-seeded plants, including oaks and pines. When hoarding seeds, corvids often choose nonrandom locations throughout the landscape, resulting in differential survival of seeds. In the context of habitat restoration, such disproportional storing of seeds in areas suitable for germination and establishment can accelerate expansion and recovery of large-seeded tree populations and their associated ecosystems. Here, we investigate the spatial preferences of island scrub jays Aphelocoma insularis during scatter hoarding of acorns (Quercus spp.) on Santa Cruz Island. We use a large behavioral data set on …

Rewiring Metabolism Under Oxygen Deprivation: Naked Mole-Rats Evolved A Means To Cope With Anoxia, Jay F. Storz, Grant B. Mcclelland

Jay F. Storz Publications

When faced with a reduced availability of oxygen in the environment (hypoxia), vertebrates can make a variety of respiratory, cardiovascular, and hematological adjustments to ensure an uninterrupted supply of oxygen to the cells of metabolizing tissues (1, 2). These are adaptive solutions for “aerobic organisms in an aerobic world” (3). Coping with the complete absence of oxygen (anoxia) requires more fundamental alterations of cellular metabolism that are typically nothing more than emergency stopgap measures to buy time until the oxygen supply is (hopefully) reestablished (4). On page 307 of this issue [Science 356 (6335)], Park et al. (5) identify a …

Biotic Interchange Has Structured Western Hemisphere Mammal Communities, Danielle Fraser, S. Kathleen Lyons

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Aim.— Many hypotheses posit that species-rich tropical communities are dominated by speciesspecies interactions, apparent as competitive exclusion or character displacement, whereas species-poor temperate communities are dominated by species-environment interactions. Recent studies demonstrate a strong influence of macroevolutionary and biogeographic factors. We simultaneously test for the effects of species interactions, climate, and biotic interchange on Western Hemisphere mammal communities using a phylogenetic and functional diversity approach.

Location.— Western Hemisphere.

Time period.— Modern

Major taxa studied.— Mammalia

Methods.— Using Western Hemisphere mammal distributional and body mass data, we calculate body mass dispersion, phylogenetic diversity (Net Relatedness Index), and assemblage-averaged rates of co-occurrence …

Tick Haller's Organ, A New Paradigm For Arthropod Olfaction: How Ticks Differ From Insects, Ann L. Carr, Robert D. Michell Iii, Anirudh Dhammi, Brooke W. Bissinger, Daniel E. Sonenshine, R. Michael Roe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ticks are the vector of many human and animal diseases; and host detection is critical to this process. Ticks have a unique sensory structure located exclusively on the 1st pairs of legs; the fore-tarsal Haller's organ, not found in any other animals, presumed to function like the insect antennae in chemosensation but morphologically very different. The mechanism of tick chemoreception is unknown. Utilizing next-generation sequencing and comparative transcriptomics between the 1st and 4th legs (the latter without the Haller's organ), we characterized 1st leg specific and putative Haller's organ specific transcripts from adult American dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis. The …

Impact Of Disease On The Survival Of Three Commercially Fished Species, John M. Hoenig, Maya L. Groner, Matthew W. Smith, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, David M. Taylor, Donald F. Landers Jr., John T. Swenarton, David T. Gauthier

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Recent increases in emergent infectious diseases have raised concerns about the sustainability of some marine species. The complexity and expense of studying diseases in marine systems often dictate that conservation and management decisions are made without quantitative data on population-level impacts of disease. Mark-recapture is a powerful, underutilized, tool for calculating impacts of disease on population size and structure, even in the absence of etiological information. We applied logistic regression models to mark-recapture data to obtain estimates of disease-associated mortality rates in three commercially important marine species: snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in Newfoundland, Canada, that experience sporadic epizootics …

The Conservation Status Of Marine Bony Shorefishes Of The Greater Caribbean, Kent E. Carptenter, Christi Linardich, Gina Ralph, N. Cox, D. R. Robertson, H. Harwell, A. Acero P., W. Anderson Jr., F. Barthelat, J. -L. Bouchereau, J. J. Brown, J. Buchanan, D. Buddo, B. Collette, M. Comeros-Raynal, M. Craig, M. Curtis, T. Defex, J. Dooley, W. Driggers Iii, C. Elfes Livsey, T. Fraser, R. Gilmore Jr., L. Grijalba Bendeck, A. Hines, R. Kishore, K. Lindeman, J. -P. Maréchal, J. Mceachran, R. Mcmanus, J. Moore, T. Munroe, H. Oxenford, F. Pezold, F. Pina Amargós, A. Polanco Fernandez, B. Polidoro, C. Pollock, R. Robins, B. Russell, C. Sayer, S. Williams

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The greater Caribbean biogeographic region covered in this report (representing 38 countries and territories) encompasses an outstanding marine bony shorefish richness of approximately 1,360 species, with many (53%) being endemic. This report provides an overview of the conservation status of greater Caribbean shorefishes, with detailed information available through the IUCN Red List, and gives recommendations.

Reproductive Competency And Mitochondrial Variation In Aged Syrian Hamster Oocytes, Fang Li, Frank J. Castora, Wentia Ford, Khalid Alarid, Howard W. Jones Jr., R. James Swanson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The hamster is a useful model of human reproductive biology because its oocytes are similar to those in humans in terms of size and structural stability. In the present study we evaluated fecundity rate, ovarian follicular numbers, ova production, mitochondrial number, structure and function, and cytoplasmic lamellae (CL) in young (2–4 months) and old (12–18 months) Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Young hamsters had higher fertilisation rates and larger litters than old hamsters (100 vs 50% and 9.3 +/- 0.6 vs 5.5 +/- 0.6, respectively). Ovarian tissue from superovulated animals showed a 46% decrease in preantral follicles in old …

Acanthurus Albimento, A New Species Of Surgeonfish (Acanthuriformes: Acanthuridae) From Northeastern Luzon, Philippines, With Comments On Zoogeography, Kent E. Carpenter, Jeffrey T. Williams, Mudjekeewis D. Santos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Acanthurus albimento is described as a new surgeonfish from northeastern Luzon from six specimens collected during extensive fish-market surveys in the Philippines. The new species is characterized by a distinctive white band below the lower jaw; many irregular, wavy, thin, blue lines on the head; a brown-orange pectoral fin with a bluish tinge on the outer membrane of the rays and a dark band on the posterior margin; a narrow rust-orange stripe along the base of the dorsal fin; and a large blackish caudal spine and sheath with the socket broadly edged in black. An analysis using the mitochondrial cytochrome …

A Comparative Analysis Of Geometric Morphometrics Across Two Pseudemys Turtle Species In East Central Virginia, Kristin C. Dillard

Theses and Dissertations

The phylogeny of the turtle genus Pseudemys is poorly understood. In Virginia, many turtles have been found with indicator traits of both eastern river cooters (Pseudemys concinna concinna) and northern red bellied cooters (Pseudemys rubriventris). This study explores morphological evidence for hybridization between the two species across three riverine sites in east central Virginia.

Museum voucher groups for each species were analyzed for relative shell height and plastron length. The shape of the plastral scutes and upper jaw were analyzed using landmark-based morphometric software. These metrics were compared with measurements taken from 188 field-caught Pseudemys specimens. …

Survey Gear Comparisons And Shark Nursery Habitat Use In Southeast Georgia Estuaries, Jeffrey Cohen Carpenter

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gill nets and longlines were compared as shark nursery sampling methodologies in inshore waters of Georgia to (1) assess differences in gear selectivity, bias, and stress of capture and (2) determine potential relationships between habitat features and shark distribution and abundance. Gear selectivity varied between gears as a function of both species and life stage resulting in significantly different estimates of species and life stage compositions. Juvenile bonnetheads (Sphyrna tiburo) and young of the year blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) experienced significantly higher stress from gill net capture than longline. Major sources of bias are thought to …

The Status Of Snapping Turtles (Chelydra Serpentina) In Virginia: Population Viability, Demography, Regulatory Analysis, And Conservation, Benjamin C. Colteaux

Theses and Dissertations

Snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) are being harvested in unprecedented numbers in the United States (US) to meet the needs of international markets. Over three million live snapping turtles from farm and wild caught stock were exported from the US to Asia in 2012-14 alone. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, records indicate that 29,860 snapping turtles were commercially harvested between 2000 and 2015. Size limits are often used to regulate harvest pressure in snapping turtles and other game species. I analyzed the historic harvest of eleven US states to test the efficacy of minimum-size limit regulations at reducing commercial …

Pelagic Fish Diversity And Density On And Off Restored Oyster Reef Habitat, Danielle Mcculloch

Theses and Dissertations

The heterogeneity provided by structured habitats is important in supporting diverse and dense fish communities. The biogenic reefs created by the native Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, were once the dominant structural habitat in Chesapeake Bay, and have since declined to less than 1% of historic estimates. Conflicting results on the effects of oyster reef restoration on pelagic fish assemblages make further investigation necessary. Incorporating multiple sampling strategies may help elucidate oyster reef habitat influence on fish assemblages. This study used multi-panel gillnets, hydroacoustic technology, and day-night sampling to describe pelagic fish assemblages on and off oyster reef habitat in the …

Online Dictionary Of Invertebrate Zoology: Complete Work, Mary Ann Basinger Maggenti, Armand R. Maggenti, Scott L. Gardner (Editor)

Armand R. Maggenti Online Dictionary of Invertebrate Zoology

An exhaustive dictionary of over 13,000 terms relating to invertebrate zoology, including etymologies, word derivations and taxonomic classification. Entries cover parasitology, nematology, marine invertebrates, insects, anatomy, biology, and reproductive processes for the following phyla: Acanthocephala, Annelida, Arthropoda, Brachiopoda, Bryozoa, Chaetognatha, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Echinodermata, Echiura, Entoprocta, Gastrotricha, Gnathostomulida, Kinorhyncha, Loricifera, Mesozoa, Mollusca, Nematoda, Nematomorpha, Nemertea, Onychophora, Pentastoma, Phoronida, Placozoa, Platyhelminthes, Pogonophora, Porifera, Priapula, Rotifera, Sipuncula, and Tardigrada.

Comparative Water Quality And Channel Catfish Production In Earthen Ponds And A Biofloc Technology Production System, Bartholomew W. Green, Matthew E. Mcentire

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

This 210-day study compared variation in water quality and fish growth for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus; 47 g/fish) stocked in earthen ponds (1.5 fish/m², 14,820/ha) and in a biofloc technology (BFT) production system with high-density polyethylene-lined rectangular tanks (12.6 fish/m², 126,000/ha). Feed input and culture environment affected water-quality dynamics. In ponds, phytoplankton uptake predominated and little nitrification occurred, whereas in the BFT system phytoplankton uptake and nitrification maintained low ammonia-nitrogen concentrations. Size classes of fish were skewed toward the larger market sizes in ponds and toward smaller market sizes in the BFT system. Mean …

Effects And Mechanisms Of Porcine Reproductive And Respiratory Syndrome Virus (Prrsv) Type 1 And Type 2 On The Permeability And Viability Of Porcine Endometrial Epithelial Cells, Dran Rukarcheep

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Both PRRSV types 1 and 2 revealed the sign of reproductive disorders associated with a lesion at implantation sites. Impairment of maternal glandular endometrium cell integrity and function by PRRSV infection may impact a proper nourishing fetus. This research was aimed to examine the effects of PRRSV type 1 and type 2 directly on the viability and barrier function of the endometrium using porcine glandular endometrial epithelial cell culture (PEG). The comparison of the route and the strain of PRRSV infection coinciding with their virulent in reproductive epithelia were considered. PEG cells isolated from the 4-6 months old PRRSV-free-herd gilts …

Effects Of Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells On Concanavalin-A Induced Hepatitis In Mouse, Warakorn Srisantisuk

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory disease of liver that the pathogenic mechanisms of AIH have not yet been clarified. All patients with AIH lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Presently the best feasible medicines of AIH need aid immunosuppressive medications and liver transplantation which have many side effects, high cost and sustained remission. Thus, immunotherapy is an alternative therapy in which cellular material is injected into a patient. Many previous studies showed cytokine induced killer (CIK) cells, T lymphocytes that have a phenotype of NK cells, have a potential to against several diseases associated with liver. The current …

Are Weevils Picky Eaters? Community Structure And Host Specificity Of Neotropical Saproxylic Beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Jhunior A. Morillo

Dissertations and Theses

Abstract Primary saproxylic beetles play a major role in forest nutrient cycling and making deadwood accessible to other decomposers. Understanding beetle host preferences and patterns of community assembly is critical for their conservation, and for predicting which species might become invasive. This project aims to investigate the ecological and host specificity, as well as the community composition of curculionids in a mosaic of old-growth (OG) and secondary forest on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. The subfamily Scolytinae was expected to be the most species-rich and abundant. Ambrosia beetles were expected to have more generalist species than other curculionids. Old growth …

Managing Sociality Of A Captive Female Bornean Orangutan From Breeding To Post-Partum At The Smithsonian's National Zoo, Marie Vergamini

Theses and Dissertations

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Orangutan Species Survival Plan® aims to maintain 100 Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) in captivity. Because investment in breeding these lineages is high, properly managing sociality of potential mothers is essential. This study assessed how behaviors of a captive breeding female at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo changed from pre-gestation through the offspring’s sixth month of age to improve breeding recommendations.

The infant Bornean orangutan was born September 2016. Results indicate that during breeding, the mother socialized most with two adult females. During pregnancy, the pregnant female socialized in less energy-consuming ways, i.e. grooming. …

Effects Of 17Β Estradiol In The Metabolism And Morphology Of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus), Neeta Parajulee Karki

Masters Theses

Fish natural habitats are increasingly contaminated with various estrogenic compounds, including 17β estradiol (E2). This compound causes adverse effects on the reproductive system of male fish; however, the effects of E2 on other aspects of fish metabolism, morphology and histopathological changes in internal organs are not well known. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of E2 exposure on the basal and stressed metabolic rate, morphological changes in body shapes, and histological changes in the liver tissues of sunfish species. Fish were held individually in ten gallon tanks under two treatments of 40 and 80 ng/L and …

The North American River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) On The Department Of Energy's Savannah River Site, Emily B. Mccallen

Masters Theses

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) faces a legacy of radionuclide and metal contamination from industrial processes that occurred within the site. The risks posed to ecosystems on the site from contaminants are quantified using the ecological risk assessment process, which often uses the health of a particular species as an ecological endpoint. Northern river otters (Lontra canadensis) are appropriate receptors for studying the effects of long-term, low-level contamination because they are long-lived, higher trophic level organisms likely to accumulate high levels of pollutants. However, little information about river otters on the SRS is known; …

Ontogenetic Changes In Nucleic Acid, Protein Contents, And Growthof Larval And Juvenile Japanese Flounder, Xue Hong Tong, Chengman Bao, Xinhui Tang, Xiaolan Yang, Huanli Wang

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In order to estimate relationships among growth potential and biochemical indicators of Japanese flounder, RNA and DNA as well as protein indices were measured from 5 days after hatching (DAH) to 45 DAH. Results showed that the RNA/DNA ratio and protein/DNA ratio had obvious relations with instantaneous growth rate (GM) and length-based instantaneous growth rate (GL) during the premetamorphic period. Significant negative correlations among protein/DNA ratio and GM and GL were then observed during metamorphosis. During the postmetamorphic phase, the RNA/DNA ratio was positively correlated with GM and GL. Data indicated that body growth of Japanese flounder is mostly hyperplastic …

New Records Of Springtail Fauna (Hexapoda: Collembola: Entomobryomorpha)From Ordu Province In Turkey, Muhammet Ali̇ Özata, Hasan Sevgi̇li̇, Igor J. Kaprus

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study aims to elucidate the Collembola fauna of the province of Ordu, which is situated between the Middle and Eastern Black Sea regions of Turkey. Although a large number of Collembolan specimens had been collected, only Entomobryomorpha species were given emphasis. From 44 different sampled localities of the province of Ordu, we recorded 6 families, 14 genera, and 28 species. Six of these species were previously recorded and 20 of them are new records for Turkey. The results were not surprising, considering that the sampled region had not been studied previously, quite like many habitats in Turkey. With our …

Anatrachyntis Badia (Hodges, 1962) (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae): The First Report From Turkey And A Case Of Importation To Poland, Lukasz Dawidowicz, Robert Rozwa?Ka

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Anatrachyntis badia (Hodges, 1962) (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae) is an opportunistic species native to the southern part of North America. This species was given from several dozens of plants therein from many cultivable plants, such as limes, grapefruits, bananas, peaches, cabbage, blossoms of coconut, Cycas spp., and even pine cones. Thus, it was accidentally introduced to many other countries with appropriate climate with some plants. It can be considered as a plant pest in some cases (e.g., sorghum). The species quite often occurs conjointly with other pest insects, such as mealybug or honeydew moth Cryptoblabes gnidiella (Milliere, 1867) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). This paper …

Dna Sequencing Of Digenea Nuclear Lsrdna Of The Whiskered Brown Bat,Myotis Aurescens (Vespertilionidae: Chiroptera), From Turkey, Nurhan Sümer, Hi̇kmet Sami̇ Yildirimhan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Six species of Trematoda (Prosthodendrium ascidia, Prosthodendrium longiforme, Lecithodendrium linstowi, Plagiorchis muelleri, Plagiorchis vespertilionis, and Plagiorchis koreanus) of Myotis aurescens from Bursa Province, Turkey, were examined for DNA sequencing of the 28S ribosomal gene region. A partial sequence of the 28S ribosomal gene from digenean species was studied using BLAST and found to be a useful region for helminth species diagnosis.

A Taxonomic Study On The Families Lecanidae And Lepadellidae (Rotifera: Monogononta) Of Turkey And Three New Records For Turkish Inland Waters, Ahmet Bozkurt

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, 39 rotifer species from the families Lecanidae and Lepadellidae were identified after examination of samples collected from 47 different localities in Turkey. Lecane acanthinula, L. thalera, and L. unguitata are new records for the Turkish rotifer fauna.

Two New Records For Turkish Geometridae (Lepidoptera) Fauna From Ordu Province, Mustafa Özdemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, a group of specimens from the family Geometridae preserved in the Nazife Tuatay Plant Protection Museum is examined. The specimens were originally collected from Ordu, Turkey. As a result of this work, two new records for the Geometridae fauna of Turkey, namely Asthena anseraria (Herrich-Schaffer, [1855]) and Eupithecia selinata Herrich-Schaeffer, 1861 are given. Adult and genitalia figures of the species are presented.

Morphological And Molecular Characterization And Phylogenetic Position Of A Newrecord, Tylenchorhynchus Zeae, And Some Known Species Of Telotylenchidae Siddiqi,1960 And Merliniidae Siddiqi, 1971 From Iran, Somaye Alvani, Esmat Mahdikhani Moghaddam, Hamid Rouhani, Abbas Mohammadi

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In order to identify the plant-parasitic nematodes associated with Berberis vulgaris, Crocus sativus, and Ziziphus zizyphus, 360 soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere of these plants in the South Khorasan Province of Iran during 2012-2014. Among the identified species, Tylenchorhynchus zeae Sethi and Swarup, 1968 of Telotylenchidae Siddiqi, 1960 is a new record from Iran and the isolate is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric, and molecular characteristics. The phylogenetic tree inferred from partial sequences of the 28S rRNA (D2D3 segments) grouped the Iranian isolate with other T. zeae sequences, forming a strongly supported clade (Bayesian posterior probability: …

Comparison Of Trophic Structure Of The Benthic Macroinvertebratesin Three Bulgarian Riverine Water Bodies, Maria Kerakova, Yordan Uzunov, Emilia Varadinova

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The trophic structure of benthic macroinvertebrates in three different types of running water bodies subjected to varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure was analyzed. A seasonal survey was conducted at three Bulgarian rivers in 2011. An adapted version of the multihabitat sampling method was applied along with measuring physical and chemical variables. The ecological status was defined by means of biotic and trophic indexes. Distribution of the functional feeding groups shows that the most sensitive groups, shredders and scrapers, dominate the trophic structure of the mountain river types. In contrast, groups of deposit feeders and filterers prevail at the foothill and …

Current Status Of Coral Reefs In Tioman Island, Peninsular Malaysia, Saad Shahbudin, Khodzori Fikri Akmal, Salleh Faris, Mohammad-Noor Normawaty, Yukinori Mukai

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The present study aimed to determine the current status of corals using the coral video transect (CVT) method in the east coast, west coast, and isolated areas of Tioman Island, Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 65 genera from 21 families of corals were identified, from which the scleractinian corals of Acropora, Montipora, and Porites were dominant in the coral assemblages. Nine reef sites were categorised as having 'good' (51.4%-60.3%) coral condition and four reef sites as having 'fair' (37.6%-49.2%) coral condition. This study concluded that the reefs around Tioman Island were in 'good' average coral condition and have high generic …