Animal Sciences Commons^™

Menageries Multiple: An Introduction To Zoological Multiplicity In The Modern American Zoo, Emily D. Gratke

Scripps Senior Theses

American zoological parks have been sites of intense consumer and scholar interest since their origination in the 20th century. Today, zoos reside at a tenacious hub of ideologies, practices, and priorities contributed to by various stakeholder groups. I propose that the foundational cause of this tension is zoological multiplicity: the theory that through human practices and perceptions, animals can embody multiple identities. Via an exploration of zoological multiplicity in American zoos with specific focus on zoo management, zoogoer, and animal activist stakeholder groups, this project proposes the widespread acknowledgment and understanding of zoological multiplicity as a method to improve animal …

Addressing Antibiotic Resistance From Farm-Raised Fish Imported To The United States, Nicholas Ali

Bard Center for Environmental Policy

Misuse of medically important antibiotics in animal production threatens the effectiveness of drugs that are vital in combating disease and infections. Recently, the FDA implemented regulations to limit the use of and access to veterinary drugs. However, these regulations only affect domestic production operations. Because over 90% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported from countries with different regulatory standards and because the U.S. has an import inspection rate of less than 1%, antibiotic resistance stemming from imported aquaculture is still a risk that is not sufficiently accounted for. This research investigates how the U.S. has reacted to the …

Evaluating A New Shade For Feedlot Cattle Performance And Heat Stress, Morgan D. Hayes, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Roger A. Eigenberg, Larry A. Kuehn, R. Mark Thallman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Heat stress in cattle results in decreased feed intake, lower daily gain, and potentially death in susceptible animals under intense conditions. A study was carried out during the summer of 2013 at the USDA-ARS U.S. Meat Animal Research Center feedlot evaluating the impact of shade on environmental conditions and cattle performance. A novel two-tiered shade was used in half of the 14 pens, each holding 30 animals. The shades were designed to reduce solar heat load by 40% to 60% and to provide traveling shade across the pen, providing varied amounts of shade area as well as varied solar reduction …

Precision Dairy Farming Technology Solutions For Detecting Dairy Cow Disease To Improve Dairy Cow Well-Being, Amanda Stone

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Dairy cow health is multifactorial and complex. High producing dairy cows have been described as metabolic athletes, but metabolic and infectious diseases around calving affect many cows. These diseases have drastic negative effects on dairy cow well-being, milk production, and dairy farm economics. Early disease detection could potentially improve disease management, treatment, and future prevention techniques. The first objective of this research was to evaluate the use of activity, lying behavior, reticulorumen temperature, and rumination time determined by precision dairy farming technologies to detect transition cow diseases including hypocalcemia, ketosis, and metritis. The second objective was to evaluate the ability …

Influence Of Ergot Alkaloids On Rumen Motility: Time And Concentration Of Ergovaline + Ergovalinine Required To Impact Reticulorumen Motility, Kara Riccioni

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Fescue toxicosis is problematic for ruminant livestock, causing weight loss and low productivity when fed endophyte-infected forages. Complete underlying mechanisms of toxicosis are unknown therefore; the objective of the study was to determine if ruminally dosed ergot alkaloids impact rumen motility. Cannulated steers were pair-fed a forage diet and ruminally dosed with endophyte-free (E-) or endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue seed. An 8-h period of rumen motility collection began 4-h after feeding by monitoring pressure change via a wireless telemetry and transducer system. In experiment 1, steers were paired by weight and assigned to E- or E+ treatment. Overall, E+ steers …

Assessment Of Bovine Vascular Serotonin Receptor Populations And Transport Of Ergot Alkaloids In The Small Intestine, Miriam A. Snider

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Prior work using a contractility bioassay determined that the serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtype 5-HT_2A is present in bovine lateral saphenous veins and plays a role in ergot alkaloid-induced vascular contraction in steers grazing endophyte-infected (Epichloë coenophiala) tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum). A study was conducted to determine what 5-HT receptors are involved in vasoconstriction of bovine gut vasculature. The findings of this study indicate that 5-HT_2A is present and may play a role in ergot alkaloid induced vasoconstriction. A second study was conducted to determine if ergot alkaloids were transported in the small intestine. The …

Behavioral Gait Change Characterization And Detection Using Precision Dairy Monitoring Technologies, Barbara Wadsworth Jones

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Lameness is a painful disorder that decreases performance and is highly recognized as one of the most important health and welfare concerns for dairy cattle. Visual gait scoring is the most common way to detect gait change in dairy cattle. However, this is not only subjective, but is also time consuming and costly. A need to remove the subjective assessment of human observation exists. Therefore, automatic gait change detection for continuous monitoring by precision dairy monitoring technologies may be beneficial. The first objective of this research was to characterize behavior and production variables as cow gait changed to evaluate potential …

Planaria: An Animal Model That Integrates Development, Regeneration And Pharmacology, Oné R. Pagán

Biology Faculty Publications

Although planarians are established model organisms in developmental biology and regeneration studies, in the last forty years or so, they have caught the attention of pharmacologists, especially to study the pharmacology of drugs of abuse. This review covers the following topics: some fundamentals of the history of animal models and planarians in biomedical research; an abbreviated story of systematic pharmacology research using planarians as a model organism; an example of how planarians are contributing to the search for compounds against acute cocaine toxicity; an analysis of the number of papers on planarians and pharmacological topics from 1900- 2016; some perspectives …

Go With The Flow: Patterns Of Connectivity In Low Dispersal Coral Reef Gobies (Coryphopterus Spp.) Throughout The Western Atlantic, Daniel Volk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gene flow is an integral biological process that can mediate speciation. While many consider the ocean to be an open environment, there are many barriers that limit gene flow, particularly in the western Atlantic. I analyzed data from two widespread, coral reef fishes, the bridled goby (Coryphopterus glaucofraenum) and sand-canyon goby (C. venezuelae), throughout their range in the western Atlantic. Using two genetic datasets, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and genomic SNPs, I investigated the evolutionary history of these species and inferred the location and strength of putative barriers. My results suggest that several unique lineages have genetically diverged from one another …

The Paths Less Traveled: Movement Of Gopher Tortoises Along Roads And Railways, Rhett Rautsaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urbanization and an expanding human population have led to a large degree of habitat destruction and fragmentation. These, in turn, reduce biodiversity and wildlife population sizes on a global scale. Transportation infrastructure, such as roads and railways, are some of the largest contributors to habitat fragmentation. Roads are well-established to negatively impact wildlife, but some studies suggest a potential use in habitat connectivity by functioning as wildlife corridors to connect distant populations. Railways are similarly known to impact wildlife by increasing mortality rates as well as provide unique risks such as electrocution and entrapment when compared to roads. However, the …

Histopathological Analysis Of Lung Tissue Features In Rodents Exposed In Areas With Naturally Occurring Asbestos, Camille Catelo, Sean Neiswenter

AANAPISI Poster Presentations

In this work, we explore the histopathological analysis of lung tissue from rodents collected around Boulder City where actinolite was found. Actinolite is an amphibole asbestos that can cause asbestosrelated diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation when it is inhaled1. Our goal is to determine if exposure to actinolite has been sufficient enough to cause disease in mammals. The presence of relatively high levels of actinolite collected around Boulder City suggests that people living in the same area could be experiencing ongoing exposure to asbestos fibers and negative health effects2. Studies of the effects of environmental hazards on wild …

Biology And Detection Of Pregnanes During Late Gestation In The Mare, Michelle Arelia Ann Wynn

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Progesterone in the mare declines to almost undetectable concentrations in late gestation. It’s metabolized into several pregnanes, some circulating at very high concentrations. Although the function of many pregnanes remains unclear, 5α-dihydroprogesterone and allopregnanolone are bioactive. Measurements of pregnanes in late gestation are typically by immunoassay, although results are confounded by cross-reactivity with related pregnanes. Conversely, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) allows differentiation of individual pregnanes. The purposes of these studies were: 1) to evaluate the ability of a 5α-reductase inhibitor, dutasteride, to alter pregnane metabolism and pregnancy outcome, 2) to evaluate changes in target pregnanes in late gestation …

Lymphocyte-Mediated Inflamm-Aging In The Horse, Melissa Hope Siard

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Senior horses (≥20 years) exhibit inflamm-aging, or chronic, low-grade inflammation that occurs systemically with aging, similarly to humans. Inflamm-aging has previously been characterized in the horse in circulation as well as specifically being mediated by lymphocytes and monocytes. In humans, inflamm-aging has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, in the horse, relatively little about inflamm-aging is known regarding clinical effects or factors influencing severity. The contribution of lymphocytes to inflamm-aging of senior horses was examined, specifically through determining the relationships of inflamm-aging with various other health parameters, effects of seasonality, and the extent to which inflamm-aging can be …

Physiological Changes Associated With Pregnant Or Nonpregnant Mares Grazing Pastures Of Orchardgrass-Bluegrass, Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue Infected With Epichloë Coenophiala, Or Kyfa9821 Tall Fescue Infected With The Novel Endophyte Ar584, Victoria A. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Kentucky 31 tall fescue (KY31) infected with the common toxic endophyte strains of Epichloё coenophiala produces toxic alkaloids that improve plant vigor, but cause numerous adverse effects in grazing animals. Researchers developed a variety of KY31 containing an alternative strain of E. coenophiala, termed novel endophyte (NE). Adverse health effects in mares have not been evaluated.

Experiments in this thesis tested the hypothesis that the NE pasture does not cause adverse effects typically associated with KY31. Specific aims were to: 1) compare forage ergovaline concentrations between KY31 vs NE pastures; 2) evaluate palmar artery diameters in mares grazing KY31, …

Iron Metabolism Genes In Browsing And Grazing Rhinoceroses: Implications For Iron Overload Disorder, Lorien Salyer

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Iron overload disorder is a serious condition that affects many animals of conservation interest, including rhinoceroses. Iron overload disorder is only found in browsing rhinos (African black, Diceros bicornis, and Sumatran, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) but not in grazing species (African white, Ceratotherium simum, and greater one-horned, Rhinoceros unicornis). Iron overload is connected with many of the other health issues seen in captive browsing rhinoceroses, so it is vitally important that the iron metabolism process is studied to improve the existing husbandry procedures of these critically endangered animals. The objective of this study was to characterize genes related to …

The Effects Of Hibernation On The Time Of Coagulation Of The American Bullfrog, Rana Catesbeiana, Joshua Samec

Honors Program Theses

Cold conditions during winter months greatly reduce heart rate in ectothermic animals, such as bullfrogs, resulting in slow, intermittent blood flow. Slow or intermittent flow of blood often results in coagulation, yet the blood of these ectotherms fails to coagulate. In this study, the effects of the stages of hibernation from the onset of temperature decline, through the duration of constant low temperature exposure, was studied by observing the time of blood coagulation of American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) using activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). It was found that the time of coagulation increased incrementally along with the decreasing …

Temporal Changes In The Larval Placopecten Magellanicus Population In A Small-Scale Fishery Closure Area In Coastal Maine, Usa, Jessica P. Batchelder

Honors Theses

The Midcoast Maine Collaborative Scallop Project was established in 2013 by fishers, scientists, and policy makers to determine if a small-scale closure area could restore the local Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) population to an area in coastal Maine that previously supported high scallop densities. These stakeholders established a three by one mile closure area in the Lower Muscle Ridge Channel to assess the response of the adult and larval scallop populations. Understanding the larval dynamics in a closure area is key to evaluating the recovery potential of the population and for future population stock levels. This study …

Frontiers In Otolith Chemistry: Insights, Advances And Applications, B. D. Walther, K. E. Limburg, C. M. Jones, J. J. Schaffler

OES Faculty Publications

The rapid proliferation of publications employing chemical assays of fish hard parts, and otoliths in particular, has led to many novel insights into the migration patterns, life history strategies and mixed stock dynamics of fishes across the globe (Campana et al., 2000; Elsdon et al., 2008; Walther & Limburg, 2012). These insights include uncovering diverse migratory strategies within species and populations (Kerr et al., 2009; Hogan et al., 2014; Schoen et al., 2016), quantifying rates of mixing among stocks across management boundaries (Rooker et al., 2008; Walther & Thorrold, 2010) and estimating the relative …

Beyond Zar: The Use And Abuse Of Classification Statistics For Otolith Chemistry, C. M. Jones, M. Palmers, J. J. Schaffler

OES Faculty Publications

Classification method performance was evaluated using otolith chemistry of juvenile Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus when assumptions of data normality were met and were violated. Four methods were tested [linear discriminant function analysis (LDFA), quadratic discriminant function analysis (QDFA), random forest (RF) and artificial neural networks (ANN)] using computer simulation to determine their performance when variable-group means ranged from small to large and their performance under conditions of typical skewness to double the amount of skewness typically observed. Using the kappa index, the parametric methods performed best after applying appropriate data transformation, gaining 2% better performance with LDFA performing slightly better …

Using Pentosidine And Hydroxyproline To Predict Age And Sex In An Avian Species, Brian S. Dorr, Randal S. Stahl, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, Carol A. Furcolow

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

All living organisms are subject to senescence accompanied by progressive and irreversible physiological changes. The error damage and cross-linking theories suggest that cells and tissues are damaged by an accumulation of cross-linked proteins, slowing down bodily processes and resulting in aging. A major category of these cross-linked proteins are compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). We investigated the relationship between accumulation of the AGE, pentosidine (Ps), and hydroxyproline (HYP) a post-translationally modified amino acid, with age, sex, and breeding status (breeder/ nonbreeder) from skin samples of known age (i.e., banded as fledglings), free-ranging Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus, …

The Future Of Blackbird Management Research, Page E. Klug

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Human society values birds for their intrinsic and aesthetic value as well as the ecosystem services they provide as pollinators, consumers of pests, and distributors of nutrients and seeds (Wenny et al. 2011). At the same time, conflict between birds and humans is an age-old phenomenon that has persisted as society has transformed and the scale of agriculture has expanded (Conover 2002). Managing conflict between birds and agriculture is challenging for many reasons. Foremost, the need to consider both human welfare and conservation of protected bird species is paramount, with nonlethal management methods preferred to lethal measures from societal, economical, …

Strategies For Evading Blackbird Damage, George M. Linz, Page E. Klug

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Foraging blackbird flocks have great mobility as they search for food that is plentiful, is easily accessed, and has a high nutritional value. Ripening corn, rice, and sunflower fit those criteria, as does seeded rice. The birds will move from field to field to find the ideal combination of energy spent to discover food versus the energy value of the food (Pyke et al. 1977). An extraordinary effort is often needed to actively move the birds from a foraging location with a high positive value (e.g., close to roost and early ripening sunflower) versus a location with a I~w value …

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Aquatic Insects In The Dicle (Tigris) River Basin, Turkey, With New Records, Fatma Çeti̇nkaya, Aysel Bekleyen

Turkish Journal of Zoology

We investigated insects of the Dicle (Tigris) River Basin in terms of their composition and spatiotemporal distribution. Larvae, pupae, pupal exuviae, and nymphs of insects were obtained from samples collected by a plankton net monthly during a 1-year period in 2008 and 2009 at seven different sites of the Dicle (Tigris) River Basin. A total of 35 taxa from the orders Trichoptera (1 taxon), Ephemeroptera (3 taxa), and Diptera (31 taxa) were identified. Chironomidae (Diptera) was the most diverse group and was represented by three major subfamilies, namely Tanypodinae (2 taxa), Orthocladiinae (19 taxa), and Chironominae (7 taxa). Among these …

Sexual Dimorphism In Two Catfish Species, Mystus Pelusius (Solander, 1794) And Glyptothorax Silviae Coad, 1981 (Teleostei: Siluriformes), Hamid Reza Esmaeili, Golnaz Sayyadzadeh, Mohammad Amini Chermahini

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Sexual dimorphism of two catfish, Mystus pelusius (Solander, 1794) and Glyptothorax silviae Coad, 1981, is presented based on the examination of external morphology of the fish and morphology of the gonads. We observed sexual dimorphism for M. pelusius in the shape and position of the genital papilla. In the male, the genital papilla was a small, fleshy, pointed and broad-based structure. The pelvic fin was short and did not reach back to the genital papilla. In females of M. pelusius the opening of the genital structure was without any protrusion or with a very small, dot-like structure in a few …

Habitat Use And Activity Of European Glass Lizard, Pseudopus Apodus (Pallas, 1775),In Southeastern Bulgaria, Ivan Telenchev, Daniela Nikolova, Rossen Tzonev

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The way in which animals use the physical and biological resources in habitats is an important aspect of their behavioral ecology. Here, we studied the activity and habitat use of the European glass lizard in two habitats in southeastern Bulgaria during the spring and summer of 2015. We registered behaviors such as basking and movement, and we recorded hiding locations. We also attempted to capture the individual mark of every observed individual, to determine its sex, age, and body temperature, immediately at capture. In parallel, essential environmental parameters were identified: temperature of the air near the lizard, substrate temperature, dominant …

Tarsonemid Mites (Acari, Heterostigmatina) Found In Association With Bark Beetles(Insecta, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) In Iran, Wojciech Magowski, Ali Ahadiyat, Hadi Ostovan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The authors report on the presence of species of the family Tarsonemidae in association with three bark beetle species (Orthotomicus erosus (Wollaston, 1857), Scolytus scolytus (Fabricius, 1775), and S. multistriatus (Marsham, 1802)) in two provinces in Central and Northern Iran. The following mite species are new for the fauna of Iran: Heterotarsonemus hajekae Smiley and Moser, 1985, H. magowskii Khaustov, 2001, and Tarsonemus crassus (Schaarschmidt, 1959). The genus Heterotarsonemus is newly recorded in Asia. The new record of H. hajekae is the second ever known in the world and H. magowskii is now established as new phoront of the bark …

Evaluation Of A Bioprocessed Soybean Meal On Nursery Pig Immune Status And Disease Resistance, Jacob R. Koepke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weaning is a stressful time in a piglet’s life that can have negative impacts on performance and health if not managed properly. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of a bioprocessed SBM alone or in combination with spray-dried plasma (SDP) or fishmeal (FM) on immune response at weaning with no imminent disease threat and during a porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) challenge. In the first trial, 239 pigs (initial BW 6.56 ± 0.87 kg, 21 d of age) were used in a 35-d study and allotted to one of 4 dietary treatments (10 pens/trt) according …

Growth Potential And Genetic Diversity Of Yellow Perch In South Dakota, Alex J. Rosburg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Yellow Perch Perca flavescens represent a valued sport fish throughout their range and are an important prey species for piscivorous fishes. In South Dakota, two distinct population types of Yellow Perch have been characterized that differ in growth, survival, and recruitment patterns. Fast growth populations exhibit high growth rates, high mortality, low population density, and inconsistent recruitment. In contrast, slow growth populations are characterized by reduced growth rates, low mortality, high population density, and relatively consistent recruitment. The role of genetics in contributing to these population characteristics is currently unknown. To address these questions, I used high-throughput restriction-site associated DNA …

Effects Of Maternal Plane Of Nutrition On Early Embryo Development And Offspring Performance, Erin E. Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nutritional changes immediately after insemination can result in increased embryonic mortality, but the mechanisms that cause this increased mortality and the impact on the embryos that survive are not known. Therefore, two experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of a nutritional change immediately following AI on calf performance, global DNA methylation, estrus expression and interval to estrus in heifers, peripheral metabolites, uterine luminal fluid metabolites, and day 6 embryo quality. In the first study (chapter 2) Angus-cross heifers (n = 142) were allotted into two developmental treatments: drylot or range. All heifers were fixed-time inseminated to a single sire …

Occurrence Of Atlantic Tarpon, Megalops Atlanticus, Leptocephali In The Mississippi Sound Estuary, Patrick M. Graham, James S. Franks, Jason D. Tilley, Dyan P. Gibson, Evan J. Anderson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.