Animal Sciences Commons^™

Mesopredator Frugivory Has No Effect On Seed Viability And Emergence Under Experimental Conditions, John P. Draper, Trisha B. Atwood, Noelle G. Beckman, Karin M. Kettenring, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Members of the order Carnivora are a unique and important seed disperser who consume and deposit undamaged seeds while providing regular long-distance seed dispersal opportunities. Some members of Carnivora, such as coyotes (Canis latrans), are undergoing range expansions which may help the plant species they consume colonize new locations or replace dispersal services provided by recently extirpated species. In this study, we evaluated aspects of the seed dispersal effectiveness of coyotes and gut passage time to determine the potential dispersal distances for three commonly consumed and commonly occurring plant species (Amelanchier alnifolia, Celtis ehrenbergiana, and Juniperus osteosperma). We also investigated …

Nicarbazin As An Oral Contraceptive In Eared Doves, Lourdes Olivera, Silvia Pereyra, Georgget Banchero, Guillermo Tellechea, Jorge Sawchik, Michael L. Avery, Ethel Rodríguez

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Eared doves (Zenaida auriculata) are responsible for substantial losses in cereal and oil crops as well as in dairy and feedlot production in the southern cone of South America. Various strategies have been shown to be effective in reducing damage at the farm scale, but in some scenarios, it is necessary to also incorporate population control methods due to excessive bird population size. An alternative approach to reduce pest bird populations is the use of contraceptive methods, minimizing the impact on the environment and non-target populations. Nicarbazin is registered in the United States as a contraceptive for Branta …

Effects Of Early Corticosterone Treatment On Vocal Babbling In Wild Green-Rumped Parrotlets (Forpus Passerinus), Celia Rose Mclean

Theses and Dissertations

The stress axis of the endocrine system allows for animals to respond to environmental stressors in contextually appropriate ways. Elevated levels of the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) in male songbirds can result in compromised song learning ability. Parrots form a sister group to songbirds, but it is unknown whether CORT affects vocal development in parrots. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of CORT supplements in green-rumped parrotlets (Forpus passerinus), a free-ranging parrot species in Venezuela. Bouts of vocal babbling were extracted from nest box videos and analyzed. CORT supplementation resulted in differences in babbling …

Ecological Correlates Of Alligator Snapping Turtle Bite Performance, Ashley Herrin Gagnon

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is one of many turtle species facing conservation challenges. Nearly extirpated in the 1980s, it is currently the subject of a head-start initiative, of which, any lasting behavioral or physiological effects were—until now—unknown! To evaluate the ability of captive-reared individuals to excel in natural habitats, and to foresee any future research or conservation challenges regarding this animal, I explored a suite of variables that influence bite performance and behaviors including captive or free-ranging status, and environmental conditions including body temperature and season. My results indicated that free-ranging M. temminckii outperform those residing …

Generation Of Sheep Models Of Cystic Fibrosis By Gene Editing And Cloning, Iuri Viótti Périssé

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that affects over 80,000 people worldwide and is caused by mutations that disrupt the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene. This gene encodes a channel protein that regulates ion transport in cells. The most common mutation in the human CFTR gene is F508del, which is characterized by the deletion of a phenylalanine amino acid in the CFTR protein. The second most common mutation is G542X, a protein synthesis “stop” mutation that prevents the production of the CFTR channel protein. An impediment that prevents the further understanding CF is the limited …

Pilot Testing A Survey Instrument To Evaluate Eaat Professionals' Views On The Effects Of Equine-Assisted Activities And Therapies On Hope And Depression In Court-Involved Youth, Emily Stewart

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Equine Assisted Activity and Therapy (EAAT) programs have proven beneficial for individuals with mental, physical and psychological ailments. Only in the last few years have court systems begun to utilize the complex nature of the human-horse relationship to benefit the lives of court-involved youth. Despite its novelty, the few existing studies in this field yield positive results (Frederick et al., 2015). To address the need for further research in this area, a pilot study was conducted. An exploratory survey was given to EAAT professionals to determine their views on the effects of EAAT programs on hope and depression in court-involved …

The Role Of Fatty Acids In Ruminant Diets And Novel Feed Ingredients High In Omega-3 Fatty Acids Fed In Feedlot Diets, Mitchell M. Norman

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

A finishing study evaluated the performance, carcass characteristics and fatty acid profiles of steers fed four inclusions of a novel feedstuff Green Grass. Green Grass is a product comprised of sesame meal, giant kelp, cassava, and sorghum containing high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids. No differences were observed in initial BW, final BW, BW gain, HCW, LM area, 12^th rib fat depth, calculated YG, or liver abscess %. Dry matter intake linearly increased as Green Grass inclusion increased in the diet. Steers fed Green Grass had lower G:F than control cattle, and steers fed 30% Green Grass had a …

Low-Oxygen Dry Aging Of Beef, Joseph A. Sonderman

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

The objective of this research project was to determine the effects of removing oxygen from the beef dry aging process. Boneless upper 2/3 Choice beef strip loins (n = 18) were randomly assigned to three aging treatments: wet aging, traditional (aerobic) dry aging, and low-oxygen dry aging. All treatments were aged for 41 days at 2 ± 1°C. The dry-aged treatments were held at 50% relative humidity (RH) with a fan speed of 2,200 revolutions per minute (RPM). Low-oxygen dry-aged samples were aged in chambers housed within an oxygen impermeable film bubble. After aging, yield was determined for the …

Estimation Of Breed Effects And Genetic Parameters For Age At Slaughter And Days To Finish In A Multibreed Beef Cattle Population, Lindsay Rae Upperman

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

Cattle efficiency during the finishing phase is a crucial factor in determining profit in the beef cattle industry. Economically relevant traits associated with efficient production include age at slaughter (AAS) and days to finish (DtF). Selection to reduce the number of days an animal takes to reach a finish endpoint would ultimately reduce production costs, increase net profits, and result in a more sustainable production system. However, most harvested animals are from commercial herds, necessitating the use of indicator traits from seedstock animals for selection. Potential indicator traits include ultrasound measurements that could be genetically correlated to DtF traits. The …

Parasite Infections In Poultry Environments (Case Report On Gallus Domesticus Endoparasite), Phebe Amadea Tanuwijaya, David Febraldo

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Infection of nematode and cestode worms in chickens can cause decreased egg production, weight loss, growth problems, weakness. The objective of this case study is to look at how an epidemiological approach, clinical symptoms, anatomical pathology investigation, and laboratory testing might help with disease diagnosis. The chicken was found from Banjar Tanggahan Tengah, Bangli, Bali with the type of native chicken (Gallus domesticus), at least 3 months old with the protocol number 369 / N / 20. Samples taken were brain, trachea, lungs, liver, heart, spleen, kidneys, proventriculus, intestines, and feces. Laboratory examinations carried out include histopathology, microbiology, …

Neurotranscriptomic Changes Associated With Chick-Directed Parental Care In Adult Non-Reproductive Japanese Quail, Patricia C. Lopes, Robert De Brujin

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

For many species, parental care critically affects offspring survival. But what drives animals to display parental behaviours towards young? In mammals, pregnancy-induced physiological transformations seem key in preparing the neural circuits that lead towards attraction (and reduced-aggression) to young. Beyond mammalian maternal behaviour, knowledge of the neural mechanisms that underlie young-directed parental care is severely lacking. We took advantage of a domesticated bird species, the Japanese quail, for which parental behaviour towards chicks can be induced in virgin non-reproductive adults through a sensitization procedure, a process that is not effective in all animals. We used the variation in parental responses …

A Narrative Review On The Unexplored Potential Of Colostrum As A Preventative Treatment And Therapy For Diarrhea In Neonatal Dairy Calves, Havelah S. M. Carter, David L. Renaud, Michael A. Steele, Amanda J. Fischer-Tlustos, Joao H. C. Costa

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Diarrhea is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pre-weaned dairy calves and, as such, represents a significant animal health and welfare concern. Furthermore, digestive disease early in life is associated with several long-term consequences such as reduced growth rate and decreased milk yield during the first lactation, thus generating severe economic losses. The majority of diarrheic cases in young calves are treated with antimicrobials; however, it is necessary to develop alternative treatments, as excessive antimicrobial usage can lead to antimicrobial resistance and can negatively impact the gut microflora of a calf. Bovine colostrum is abundant in immune and …

Effects Of Human Footprint And Biophysical Factors On The Body-Size Structure Of Fished Marine Species, Nestor E. Bosch, Jacquomo Monk, Jordan Goetze, Shaun K. Wilson, Russell C. Babcock, Neville Barrett, Jock Clough, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, David Fairclough, Rebecca Fisher, Brooke A. Gibbons, David Harasti, Euan S. Harvey, Michelle R. Heupel, Jamie Hicks, Thomas H. Holmes, Charlie Huveneers, Daniel Ierodiaconou, Alan Jordan, Nathan A. Knott, Hamish A. Malcolm, Dianne L. Mclean, Mark G. Meekan, Stephen J. Newman, Ben Radford, Matthew J. Rees, Benjamin J. Saunders, Conrad W. Speed, Michael J. Travers, Corey Wakefield, Thomas Wernberg, Tim Langlois

Fisheries Research Articles

Marine fisheries in coastal ecosystems in many areas of the world have historically removed large-bodied individuals, potentially impairing ecosystem functioning and the long-term sustainability of fish populations. Reporting on size-based indicators that link to food-web structure can contribute to ecosystem-based management, but the application of these indicators over large (cross-ecosystem) geographical scales has been limited to either fisheries-dependent catch data or diver-based methods restricted to shallow waters (<20 m) that can misrepresent the abundance of large-bodied fished species. We obtained data on the body-size structure of 82 recreationally or commercially targeted marine demersal teleosts from 2904 deployments of baited remote underwater stereo-video (stereo-BRUV). Sampling was at up to 50 m depth and covered approximately 10,000 km of the continental shelf of Australia. Seascape relief, water depth, and human gravity (i.e., a proxy of human impacts) were the strongest predictors of the probability of occurrence of large fishes and the abundance of fishes above the minimum legal size of capture. No-take marine reserves had a positive effect on the abundance of fishes above legal size, although the effect varied across species groups. In contrast, sublegal fishes were best predicted by gradients in sea surface temperature (mean and variance). In areas of low human impact, large fishes were about three times more likely to be encountered and fishes of legal size were approximately five times more abundant. For conspicuous species groups with contrasting habitat, environmental, and biogeographic affinities, abundance of legal-size fishes typically declined as human impact increased. Our large-scale quantitative analyses highlight the combined importance of seascape complexity, regions with low human footprint, and no-take marine reserves in protecting large-bodied fishes across a broad range of species and ecosystem configurations.

Genetic Parameter Estimates For Bull Prolificacy And Its Relationship With Scrotal Circumference In A Commercial Beef Cattle Population, Chad A. Russell, E John Pollak, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The commercial beef cattle industry relies heavily on the use of natural service sires. When artificial insemination is deemed difficult to implement, multisire breeding pastures are used to increase reproductive rates in large breeding herds or to safe-guard against bull injury during the breeding season. Although each bull might be given an equal opportunity to produce offspring, evidence suggest that there is substantial variation in the number of calves sired by each bull in a breeding pasture. With the use of DNA-based paternity testing, correctly assigning calves to their respective sires in multisire pastures is possible and presents an opportunity …

Бадхызские Архивы. Том 1, Р. И. Горелова, В. Фет

Books Published by MU Libraries in MDS

Gorelova, RI, Fet V, editors. The Badkhyz Archives, Vol. 1. Huntington, WV: Marshall University Libraries; 2021. 444 p.

This volume compiles memoirs and research information about the unique Badkhyz Natural Reserve, now in Turkmenistan, formerly at the southernmost point of the USSR. Established in 1941, the Reserve—nicknamed a Serengeti of Central Asia— housed many unique and endangered species, with an iconic wild ass, or kulan, preserved only there. The book is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Reserve and the 90th birthday of Yuri Gorelov (1931—2018), an extraordinary naturalist who worked in Badkhyz in 1956—1978. His own documentary stories, …

Intensive Hunting Pressure Changes Local Distribution Of Wild Boar, Jakub Drimaj, Jiří Kamler, Radim Plhal, Přemysl Janata, Zdeněk Adamec, Miloslav Homolka

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is now an important species of wild ungulates in Central Europe. Next to conflicts of wild boar with agriculture, the main threat of wild boar presence lies in the expansion of African swine fever across Europe. The regulation of the wild boar population is complicated by the high reproduction rate and intelligent behavior of the species, which limits hunting effectiveness. We analyzed the spatial behavior of wild boar in an environment with a lack of natural food resources. The study area consisted of a forest complex (1,283 ha) with 2 areas. In the “risk” …

Cranial Cruciate Ligament Desmotomies In Sheep Resulting In Peroneus Tertius Injury, Peter J. Welsh, Crystal G. Collier, Holly M. Clement, Michael N. Vakula, Jeffrey B. Mason

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Student Research

Surgical destabilization of the stifle joint via cranial cruciate ligament desmotomy (CCLD) is a routine procedure for the study of osteoarthritis (OA). Traditionally performed in rats, rabbits, cats, and dogs, CCLD in sheep provides an opportunity to study the pathology and treatment of joint instability in a species whose stifle better represents the equivalent human femorotibial joint. The surgical approaches for CCLD in sheep are variable and can result in inconsistent outcomes. Eight sheep underwent CCLD for use in a gene therapy study. We report this case in which six of the eight sheep were clinically diagnosed by pathognomonic signs …

Effect Of Biochanin A On The Rumen Microbial Community Of Holstein Steers Consuming A High Fiber Diet And Subjected To A Subacute Acidosis Challenge, Brittany E. Harlow, Michael D. Flythe, James L. Klotz, David L. Harmon, Glen E. Aiken

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) occurs when highly fermentable carbohydrates are introduced into the diet, decreasing pH and disturbing the microbial ecology of the rumen. Rumen amylolytic bacteria rapidly catabolize starch, fermentation acids accumulate in the rumen and reduce environmental pH. Historically, antibiotics (e.g., monensin, MON) have been used in the prevention and treatment of SARA. Biochanin A (BCA), an isoflavone produced by red clover (Trifolium pratense), mitigates changes associated with starch fermentation ex vivo. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of BCA on amylolytic bacteria and rumen pH during …

Testing A Global Standard For Quantifying Species Recovery And Assessing Conservation Impact, Molly K. Grace, H Resit Akcakaya, Elizabeth L. Bennett, Thomas M. Brooks, Anna Heath, Simon Hedges, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Michael Hoffmann, Axel Hochkirch, Richard Jenkins, David A. Keith, Barney Long, David P. Mallon, Erik Meijaard, E J. Milner-Gulland, Jon Paul Rodriguez, P J. Stephenson, Simon N. Stuart, Richard P. Young, David Fairclough

Fisheries Research Articles

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a “Green List of Species” (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species’ progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 separate but interlinked components: a standardized method (i.e., measurement against benchmarks of species’ viability, functionality, and preimpact distribution) to determine current species recovery status (herein species recovery score) and application of that method to estimate past and potential future impacts of conservation based on 4 metrics ( …

Ikkuma: An Artistic Vr Storytelling Experience, Yangli Liu

Frameless

Ikkuma is an interactive storytelling experience utilizing Tilt Brush and Unity. It is about a land being swallowed by the sea, where conflict cracks ice and fire tears families apart. Ikkuma is the Inuvialuit word for fire, a central element to the work. The fundamental theme of Ikkuma is global warming and its impact on the Arctic ecosystem. The players must learn to tame the fire in their hearts and the Inuit traditional knowledge if they hope to survive the harsh yet fragile Arctic tundra.

A Large-Scale Experiment Finds No Evidence That A Seismic Survey Impacts A Demersal Fish Fauna, Mark G. Meekan, Conrad W. Speed, Robert D. Mccauley, Rebecca Fisher, Matthew J. Birt, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Jayson M. Semmens, Stephen J. Newman, Katherine Cure, Marcus Stowar, Brigit Vaughan, Miles J G Parsons

Fisheries Research Articles

Seismic surveys are used to locate oil and gas reserves below the seabed and can be a major source of noise in marine environments. Their effects on commercial fisheries are a subject of debate, with experimental studies often producing results that are difficult to interpret. We overcame these issues in a large-scale experiment that quantified the impacts of exposure to a commercial seismic source on an assemblage of tropical demersal fishes targeted by commercial fisheries on the North West Shelf of Western Australia. We show that there were no short-term (days) or long-term (months) effects of exposure on the composition, …

Alteration Of The Canine Metabolome After A 3-Week Supplementation Of Cannabidiol (Cbd) Containing Treats: An Exploratory Study Of Healthy Animals, Elizabeth M. Morris, Susanna E. Kitts-Morgan, Dawn M. Spangler, Ibukun M. Ogunade, Kyle R. Mcleod, David L. Harmon

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite the increased interest and widespread use of cannabidiol (CBD) in humans and companion animals, much remains to be learned about its effects on health and physiology. Metabolomics is a useful tool to evaluate changes in the health status of animals and to analyze metabolic alterations caused by diet, disease, or other factors. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of CBD supplementation on the canine plasma metabolome. Sixteen dogs (18.2 ± 3.4 kg BW) were utilized in a completely randomized design with treatments consisting of control and 4.5 mg CBD/kg BW/d. After 21 d of …

Self-Injurious Behavior In A Captive, Malimprinted Coragyps Atratus, Brittany Swartout

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Lurch is a Coragyps atratus who was raised in captivity and imprinted on humans. He was an education animal at the Silver Springs Zoo until its closure. Lurch was moved to the Central Florida Zoo and has been feather picking and self-mutilating since then. Self-injury is not well documented in raptors and few treatments have been explored. It is often caused by stress of some sort and is not seen in the wild. These observations were conducted in order to observe the environmental factors that influenced these behaviors in Lurch. In an attempt to curb his feather picking, Lurch was …

Temporal Trends And Drivers Of Mountain Lion Depredation In California, Usa, Justin A. Dellinger, Daniel K. Macon, Jaime L. Rudd, Deana L. Clifford, Steven G. Torres

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Increasing human populations and expanding development across the globe necessitate continual progress in understanding and mitigating human–wildlife conflict. California, USA has the largest human population and at least half of the state is suitable mountain lion (Puma concolor) habitat. The juxtaposition of high human abundance within and adjacent to mountain lion habitat make California relevant for understanding human–large carnivore conflict. We compiled 7,719 confirmed incidents of mountain lions depredating domestic animals over a 48-year period (1972–2019) to examine temporal trends in mountain lion depredations as well as factors influencing annual depredation rates at the county level. Linear regressions …

The Effects Of Climate And Demographic History In Shaping Genomic Variation Across Populations Of The Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma Platyrhinos), Keaka Farleigh, Sarah A. Vladimirova, Christopher Blair, Jason T. Bracken, Nazila Koochekian, Drew R. Schield, Daren C. Card, Nicholas Finger, Jonathan Henault, Adam D. Leaché, Todd A. Castoe, Tereza Jezkova

Publications and Research

Species often experience spatial environmental heterogeneity across their range, and populations may exhibit signatures of adaptation to local environmental characteristics. Other population genetic processes, such as migration and genetic drift, can impede the effects of local adaptation. Genetic drift in particular can have a pronounced effect on population genetic structure during large-scale geographic expansions, where a series of founder effects leads to decreases in genetic variation in the direction of the expansion. Here, we explore the genetic diversity of a desert lizard that occupies a wide range of environmental conditions and that has experienced post-glacial expansion northwards along two colonization …

Fisheries Food Webs: Quantifying Habitat-Use, Trophic Structure, And Energetic Pathways In Coastal Tanzania, Mario Fernando Hernandez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Commercial and recreational fisheries are a valuable resource to millions of people around the world. Developing countries are particularly dependent on the revenue provided by locally harvested fish with total exports from these nations valued at $80 billion USD. For Tanzania, fisheries provide not only a source of revenue but an important source of protein with an estimated 25 to 30kg of fish consumed per person every year. There is no doubt that high fisheries production is critical to the well-being of millions of livelihoods along the Tanzanian coast. An important but poorly understood driver of fisheries production is the …

Distilling Professional Opinion To Gauge Vulnerability Of Guam Avifauna To Brown Treesnake Predation, Robert M. Mcelderry, Eben H. Paxton, Andre V. Nguyen, Shane R. Siers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The avifauna of Guam was devastated by the introduction of the Brown Treesnake, and the restoration of native birds would need to address the problem with eradication or suppression of BTS. With eradication of the snake unlikely in the near term, and suppression capabilities limited to specific finite areas, key information for reintroductions is how low BTS abundance will likely need to be for each bird species to be re-established based on their vulnerability to BTS predation. Here, we estimate vulnerability, which can no longer be measured directly, so biologists who are familiar with one or more of seven Guam …

Effects Of Salinity On Eastern Oysters: Locating Lower-Salinity Tolerant Populations And Defining Resource Zones Suitable To Restoration, Fisheries, And Aquaculture., Lauren Swam

LSU Master's Theses

Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) provide valuable ecosystem services and support a productive commercial industry in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Declining abundance from water quality changes and other factors drives development of management and restoration strategies focused on a comprehensive, metapopulation approach. Identifying oyster resource zones based on water quality combined with selective breeding of oysters adapted to specific conditions provides strategies to support aquaculture development and ensure resilient oyster populations and high production. Using 2015-2019 satellite-derived continuous salinity and temperature data for coastal Louisiana, this work created maps defining oyster resource zones supportive of (1) broodstock sanctuary …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

A Behavioral Study Of Chacoan Peccaries (Catagonis Wagneri) In A Zoo Environment, Desdemona Kurowski

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Found in the highly specialized area of the Gran Chaco, the Chacoan peccary (Catagonis wagneri) is an endangered animal threatened by industrial agriculture. In an attempt to save this species, three C. wagneri were brought to Central Florida Zoo where their health is monitored with great care in an attempt to possibly breed them in the future. While taking care of the other hooved animals, zookeepers are not able to give the peccaries their uninterrupted attention and have turned to help from the University of Central Florida to closely track if their behavior is indicative of a healthy, properly enriched …