Animal Sciences Commons^™

Age And Growth Of Blackfin Tuna (Thunnus Atlanticus) In The Gulf Of Mexico, Elsa M. Gutierrez

LSU Master's Theses

Tunas are highly migratory species that are ecologically and economically important components of oceanic ecosystems worldwide. Unfortunately, life history information for the smallest true tuna (genus: Thunnus), blackfin tuna Thunnus atlanticus, is scarce despite the fact that it is the most abundant tuna found throughout much of the western Atlantic. In this study an otolith-based aging approach was used to evaluate age and growth relationships, examine sexual dimorphism in growth, and derive mortality estimates for blackfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. Age and growth relationships were evaluated using two models commonly applied to age-at-length data for tunas: the …

Trout Responses To Stocking Rates And River Discharge Within A Southeastern U.S. Hydropeaking Tailwater, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Joseph Kaiser, Christy Graham, Steve Lochmann

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Freshwater fish populations often exist in systems characterized by novel ecological processes resulting from human alteration. Salmonid populations embedded within coldwater sections of warmwater rivers are spatially constrained by habitat availability. Tailwater fish contend with fluctuating river discharges and density-dependent processes associated with fish stocking and exploitation. Salmonid populations sustained through stocking versus natural reproduction may respond differently to changes in hydrologic patterns (e.g., hydropeaking) as well as declines in fish abundance. We assessed differences between stocked (Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss) and naturalized (Brown Trout Salmo trutta) trout populations in Greers Ferry tailwater, Arkansas, regarding (1) spatial and …

Impact Of Fluctuating Insect Availability Levels On Parental Care Behavior In Insectivorous Birds, Cole Bourque

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract Populations of aerially insectivorous birds are declining throughout North America. Urbanization may be indirectly contributing to this decline through its varying effects on populations of insects, an important food source in most insectivores' diet, especially those undergoing breeding efforts. How increasing urban sprawl and subsequent fluctuations in insect populations could impact various species at higher trophic levels is an important area of current study for future conservation endeavors. Certain habitats, with increased insect abundance, could facilitate higher provisioning rates and allow breeding parents to more effectively nourish their young. In addition, brooding and guarding behaviors in breeding birds may …

Can We Use Antipredator Behavior Theory To Predict Wildlife Responses To High-Speed Vehicles?, Ryan B. Lunn, Bradley Blackwell, Travis L. Devault, Esteban Fernández-Juricic

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animals seem to rely on antipredator behavior to avoid vehicle collisions. There is an extensive body of antipredator behavior theory that have been used to predict the distance/time animals should escape from predators. These models have also been used to guide empirical research on escape behavior from vehicles. However, little is known as to whether antipredator behavior models are appropriate to apply to an approaching high-speed vehicle scenario. We addressed this gap by (a) providing an overview of the main hypotheses and predictions of different antipredator behavior models via a literature review, (b) exploring whether these models can generate quantitative …

Suicide Risk And School Related Stressors In Veterinary Students, Deanna Arnold

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Compared to the general population of the United States, veterinarians are at an increasingly higher risk for suicide. This is commonly associated with stressful work environments, long work hours, poor work-life balance, client demands and complaints, and large amounts of euthanasia procedures. While many studies have been performed to confirm the above statements, few to no studies have been done on students currently enrolled in veterinary school to assess their mental health. This study will survey graduate school students in this field and will evaluate their mental health state and risk factors towards suicide. Through comparing the results of this …

Sex Ratios And The City: Is Parental Corticosterone A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Urbanization And Offspring Sex Allocation?, Denyelle Kilgour

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

The Trivers-Willard hypothesis states that mothers can adjust their offspring sex ratios according to their own condition and the environmental conditions they face during breeding. Past tests of this hypothesis in avian species have focused on how natural variation shapes sex allocation trade-offs. However, urbanization also influences individual condition and presents animals with novel challenges in optimizing their brood sex ratio. One likely mediator of the relationship between environmental conditions, parental condition, and sex ratios is corticosterone (CORT), the primary glucocorticoid in birds. However, no research has examined the links between urbanization, individual condition, CORT, and adaptive sex allocation within …

Potensi Hasil Dan Nutrisi Beberapa Genotipe Tanaman Sorgum Lokal Jawa Timur Sebagai Calon Tetua Persilangan, Maftuchah, Dian Puji Rahayu, Agus Zainudin, Sulistyawati, Hendry Sulistiyanto

Jurnal Kultivasi

Tanaman sorgum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) merupakan tanaman sumber pangan, pakan ternak, dan bahan baku industri yang memiliki potensi untuk dikembangkan di Indonesia. Permasalahan utama dalam komoditas ini adalah masih terbatasnya varietas lokal yang sesuai dengan lingkungan di Indonesia sehingga perlu diupayakan pencarian genotipe lokal sorgum sebagai calon tetua persilangan. Tujuan kegiatan ini adalah untuk mendapatkan informasi potensi daya hasil dan kualitas produk berbagai genotipe sorgum lokal Jawa Timur sebagai calon tetua persilangan untuk menghasilkan varietas unggul. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di lahan percobaan Desa Purutrejo, Kecamatan Purworejo, Kota Pasuruan-Jawa Timur. Bahan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu 9 genotipe tanaman …

Importance Of A Dietary Cation-Anion Difference In Peripartum Dairy Cows, Laura A. Motsinger, Jacob Hadfield

All Current Publications

At calving, nutrient requirements of dairy cows increase to support milk synthesis. Energy and protein requirements are increased at the initiation of lactation (Moore et al., 2000). Additionally, calcium requirements increase tremendously to meet the demands of lactation (Moore et al., 2000). Calving and subsequent milk synthesis can cause calcium concentrations in the blood to drop. When the demand for calcium exceeds the cow’s ability to mobilize calcium, hypocalcemia (low blood calcium) occurs, which can negatively impact production. This fact sheet reviews hypocalcemia in dairy cows and how to implement hypocalcemia prevention strategies.

Early Pleistocene Large Mammals From Maka’Amitalu, Hadar, Lower Awash Valley, Ethiopia, John Rowan, Ignacio A. Lazagabaster, Christopher J. Campisano, Faysal Bibi, René Bobe, Jean-Renaud Boisserie, Stephen R. Frost, Tomas Getachew, Christopher C. Gilbert, Margaret E. Lewis, Sahleselasie Melaku, Eric Scott, Antoine Souron, Lars Werdelin, William H. Kimbel, Kaye E. Reed

Publications and Research

The Early Pleistocene was a critical time period in the evolution of eastern African mammal faunas, but fossil assemblages sampling this interval are poorly known from Ethiopia ’ s Afar Depression. Field work by the Hadar Research Project in the Busidima Formation exposures (~2.7 – 0.8 Ma) of Hadar in the lower Awash Valley, resulted in the recovery of an early Homo maxilla (A.L. 666-1) with associated stone tools and fauna from the Maka ’ amitalu basin in the 1990s. These assemblages are dated to ~2.35 Ma by the Bouroukie Tuff 3 (BKT-3). Continued work by the Hadar Research Project …

Fishing Without A Scale, Kaleb Miller, Luke Lemaitre

Student Scholarship - College of Business

Our study looks at different species of fish and uses their cross-length and volume to find correlations in weight among the different fish. The different type of fish that we compare include perch, pike, parkki, whitefish, bream, roach, and smelt. The dependent variable that we are using is weight. Once we predict the weight of the individual fish, we will also compare that weight to other fish species. The result of the data are that there is linearity, where the adjusted R squared is between 0.94 and 0.97, depending on our model. Therefore, 94 to 97 percent of the variability …

South-West Estuarine And Nearshore Finfish Resource Part 1: Sea Mullet And Yellowfin Whiting, Rodney Duffy Dr., David Harris, Emily Fisher, Kim Smith, Danielle Johnston, Ainslie Denham, Alex Hesp, Blaine Hodgson, Amber Quinn, Marcus Newman

Fisheries Research Reports

This report focuses on one of the primary target species for which biomass-based stock assessments are periodically undertaken - sea mullet (Mugil cephalus). The report also includes a recent stock assessment for yellowfin whiting (Sillago schomburgkii) due to concerns regarding substantial increases in catch relative to historic levels.

Status of stock(s)

Sea mullet

The current stock level is considered to be acceptable, and the current level of fishing mortality is unlikely to deplete the stock to a level at which recruitment could be impaired. On the basis of the evidence provided, the sea mullet stock in …

Alleviating Human-Elephant Conflict Through Deterrent Fences And Environmental Monitoring In Southern Kenya, Sophia Carmen Corde

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Human-wildlife conflict is present across the world. In areas where human settlements overlap with elephant habitats, human-elephant conflict can result from crop raiding events, compromising farmers’ food and economic security, and putting humans and elephants in danger through farmer retaliation. Elephants raid crops primarily at night, when detection by humans is lowest, and during the dry season, as crops are developing towards harvest and natural forage quality drops. People living in these areas facing HEC have developed mitigation strategies to lessen the impacts and move towards coexistence. As a team member on the Elephants and Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya project, …

Gsl Researcher (Spring 2022)

GSL Researcher

GSL Researcher (Spring 2022)

Greetings

People

Range and pasture update

Ranch update

Technical notes

Highlighted research

Nebraska ranch practicum

Recent publications

Wpa News 117 (2022), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Spring 2022), number 117

Published by the World Pheasant Association

2022 Little International Agricultural Exposition Catalog, Little International Agricultural Exposition ,South Dakota State University

Little International "Little I" Agricultural Exposition Catalogs

This is the catalog for the 99th SDSU Little International 'Little I' Agricultural Exposition held on April 1&2, 2022.

From River To Ridge: The Influence Of Elevation And Habitat On Herpetofauna Species Abundance And Diversity In The Llanganates-Sangay Ecological Corridor, Ecuador, Elle Hankin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ecuador is one of the most reptile-diverse countries and is home to the highest abundance of amphibians per unit area, with new species being discovered frequently. The Río Pastaza basin is located to the east of the Andes and is characterized by a steep elevational gradient, converging tropical forest types, and high levels of biodiversity and endemicity. Visual surveying was conducted at night for a total of 48 hours in four different study sites to investigate the influence of elevation and habitat on herpetofauna diversity and abundance. Two comparisons were drawn between the four study sites, grouping SKIS and Waska …

The Relationship Between Substrate Composition, Community Structure And Feeding Preferences Of Parrot Fishes (Scaridae) In Anmardub, Guna Yala Coastal Reefs, Caitlin Amman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs are important marine ecosystems, as they support biodiversity and generate buffer zones, yet their abundance is incredibly limited globally. One of the main threats that coral reefs face is excessive macroalgal coverage, which limits sunlight from reaching corals, and thus, limits the energy that can reach them. Parrot fish (Scaridae) are keystone herbivores, as they consume macroalgae growing on corals, which aids in reef survivability. While there is previous research on the abundances, sizes, and feeding habits of Scaridae species in the Caribbean, there is no published research on how community structure and feeding preferences of parrot fishes …

Los Impactos Del Cambio Climático En Las Comunidades Aymaras En Putre, El Valle De Azapa Y Arica, Lindsey Kaufman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: How is climate change affecting Aymara communities in Putre, the valley of Azapa, and Putre?

Objectives: To understand the effects of climate on communities by 1) describing which environmental problems exist and their impact on agriculture and ranching, 2) understanding the patterns of migration away from the ancestral land, 3) exploring the connections to the social determinants of health that exist with these change, and 4) analyzing the significance of these changes in the agriculture for the communities’ traditions and connection to the land.

Background: Aymara communities have historically inhabited agricultural and ranching lands in …

Nectar Source Preferences Of The Hummingbird: A Field Study From South Texas, Jasmine Benavidez

Honors Theses

With the rise of urbanization, comes a rise in urban-like activities—most notable is birdfeeding. Given the increasing popularity of bird-feeding, especially in hummingbird feeding, concern for implications, if any, has mounted. There is reason to believe that artificial feeders can impact the surrounding environment; that is, it is possible that feeders could attract pollinators away from flowering plants, which, in turn, could bring repercussions for pollination and all associated with it. However, literature, on the matter, is rather limited. To add to this, past studies provide two opposing arguments. This study aims to explore the nectar source preferences of hummingbirds …

The Effects Of Dietary Interventions On Adverse Outcomes In Obese, Preeclamptic-Like Bph/5 Female Mice, Morgan Alston

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Pine Straw As A Dietary Supplement For Internal Parasite Control In Pasture Raised Meat Goats, Landry M. Higgins

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Effect Of Acepromazine On Insulin Tolerance Tests (Itt) In Dairy Heifers, Mya Catherine Orantes

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Donor Age And Body Weight Determine The Effects Of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation On Growth Performance, And Fecal Microbiota Development In Recipient Pigs, Xiaofan Wang, Tsungcheng Tsai, Xiaoyuan Wei, Feilong Deng, Ying Li, Charles V. Maxwell, Hua Yang, Yingping Xiao, Jiangchao Zhao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

The application of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to improve swine growth performance has been sporadically studied. Most of these studies used a single microbiota source and thus the effect of donor characteristics on recipient pigs’ fecal microbiota development and growth performance is largely unknown.

Results

In this study, we collected feces from six donors with heavy (H) or light (L) body weight and different ages (d 42, nursery; d 96, growing; and d 170, finisher) to evaluate their effects on the growth performance and fecal microbiota development of recipient pigs. Generally, recipients that received two doses of FMT from …

An Assessment Of Burbot Life History In Minnesota With A Focus On Movement Dynamics And Spawning Vulnerability, Tyler Robinson

Biology Graduate Theses

Burbot have a circumpolar range spanning from rivers of Alaska to lentic systems in Minnesota. Although Burbot population dynamics have been studied, their movement dynamics have been rarely investigated. Our objectives were to assess seasonal home range changes of Burbot in a closed-lentic system and quantify the scale of spawning aggregations. Sixty-six Burbot were implanted with acoustic transmitters in Bad Medicine Lake, Minnesota, with 32 surviving the length of the study period between 10 April 2019 to 11 June 2020. The peak spawning date for Burbot in Bad Medicine Lake was estimated to be mid-March, when home range estimates were …

Fisheries Science Update - Temperate Shark Fisheries - April 2022, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Two fisheries make up Western Australia’s Temperate Shark Fisheries: the West Coast Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fishery; and the Southern Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fishery. They are some of the longest standing sustainable target shark fisheries in Australia.

These fisheries contribute to the WA economy by supplying sustainable locally sourced seafood; employing up to 150 people per year; and have an estimated overall annual market value up to $20 million.

774 tonnes of sharks were landed in 2019-20, which is approximately 2.27 million meals. The majority of which goes straight to the WA community, and is commonly found …

Fisheries Science Update - Shark Depredation - April 2022, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Recreational, charter and commercial fishers in Western Australia (WA) are reporting significant increases in shark depredation (bite-offs), particularly in the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions.

Shark depredation is an issue across Northern Australia, with similar reports in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Managing shark depredation is complex, and WA is leading the country in research to better inform our management decisions.

Recent research by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) has found that:

• a range of shark species are responsible for bite-offs, including blacktip, dusky, milk, pigeye, sandbar and tiger sharks;
• the probability of sharks taking fish is …

Larval Fish Abundance In The Benthic And Surface Drift Of The Missouri River, Ryan L. Ruskamp

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Knowledge of the larval fish community of the Missouri River is one of the biggest gaps in fisheries research. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has sampled the drift of the Missouri River for many years (1983-2015), but these data have not been compiled into a unified assessment. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: 1) quantify temporal and spatial aspects of larval fish community composition (richness) and structure (abundance) of the surface drift, 2) quantify associations of larval fish communities of the drift to different discharges of the Missouri River, 3) quantify the larval benthic drift community, and …

Life Line Spring 2022, Otterbein Biology And Earth Science Department

Life Line - The Biology Department Newsletter

In this Issue:

A CURE for the Typical STEM Classroom; Attracting Cardinals; Svitana Provides Training to IHS; The Cardinal Science Scholar Program; Mornings with Manatees; Viewing the Department from a New Perspective; Science Lecture Series Features Dr. Tyrone Hayes; Internship with Beinhower Brothers Drilling Company; New Student Chapter: The Botanical Society of America; STEM Art Show 2021; Got Bones?; The Robert and Ann Harting Endowed Award; Grossology Returns; Class Flocks to National Aviary

The Rise Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, Their Effects, And How We Can Stop Their Growth, Andrea Prisco

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Dramatic changes in the agricultural industry over the last century have led to the rise of concentrated animal feeding operations– industrial facilities that raise a large number of animals in confined spaces. Animals raised in these facilities suffer from poor quality of life and abuse. For humans, these facilities have had adverse effects on the environment and public health, but they are also associated with high productivity and low food costs. This Comment analyzes the effects of concentrated animal feeding operations on animal well-being, the environment, and public health. This Comment also analyzes current federal legislation that helps combat the …

Evaluation Of Protective Efficacy Of Viral Vector Based Swine Influenza Vaccine And A Method For B Cell Culture For Monoclonal Antibody Generation, Sushmita Kumari

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Influenza A virus of the swine (IAV-S) is an economically important swine pathogen that has the potential to spread to humans, thus posing an ongoing public health concern due to its zoonotic potential. Hemagglutinin (HA), the most abundant viral envelope protein, is known to be the key protective antigen. Anti-HA antibodies alone, have been shown to prevent IAV infection. In this study we evaluated the feasibility of a recombinant tri segmented Pichinde virus (PICV) as a viral vector to deliver IAV-S hemagglutinin antigen in pigs. Four groups of weaned pigs (T01-04) were immunized twice with PBS, rPICV-GFP as a vector …