Animal Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Structure And Population Dynamics Of The Silver Pheasant(Lophura Nycthemera) In Southern China, Chaoying Zhu, Wenjing Lu, Guanglong Sun, Jiang Chen, Zhen Zhang, Liangjie Yu, Peng Chen, Yuqing Han, Zhifeng Xu, Junpeng Bai, Dongqin Zhao, Luzhang Ruan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In southern China, the silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) is a widespread species due to complex topography and sufficient habitats and food resources. We investigated the microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA control region sequence of 115 individuals from 7 locations in China to study population dynamics of the silver pheasant during the Pleistocene. The neutrality test and mismatch distribution analyses showed that population expansion began in the interglacial period (76,053 years ago), and the latest common ancestor appeared approximately 970,300 years ago. Most populations exhibited a high level of genetic diversity as well as gene flow. Results of phylogenetic trees and network …

Taxonomic Investigation Of The Genus Ablepharus (Sauria; Scincidae) With Molecular Andmorphological Methods In Anatolian Populations, Emi̇n Bozkurt, Kurtuluş Olgun

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Ablepharus Lichtenstein, 1823, which includes ten species, is distributed in eastern Europe and Asia. Four species are recorded in Turkey: A. kitaibelii, A. chernovi, A. bivittatus, and A. budaki. After molecular and morphological studies in Anatolia, the phylogenetic relationship of the genus is still very complicated. Here, we investigate the taxonomic status of Ablepharus in Anatolia using morphological and molecular methods. The genetic structure of Ablepharus populations in Anatolia was analyzed using both the nuclear (CMOS) and mitochondrial (cyt b and COI) gene regions. The maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods were applied for phylogenetic tree reconstruction, together with calculation …

Length-Weight Relationships Of Invasive Mosquitofish(Gambusia Holbrooki Girard, 1859) In 23 River Basins Of Turkey, Irmak Kurtul, Hasan Musa Sari

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Gambusia holbrooki Girard, 1859 has established very strong populations in freshwater resources in Turkey after being introduced into Amik Lake (Hatay/Antakya) at the beginning of the 1920s. In this study, it was aimed to determine the female:male ratios and length-weight relationships of G. holbrooki populations in Turkey, which are considered as a threat, especially for endemic species. G. holbrooki specimen were sampled at total of 66 locations, including 39 lentic and 27 lotic locations, between 2016 and 2017. The female:male ratio was 1:0.39 for all of the investigated localities. Length-weight relationships were investigated at 44 sampling locations for the females …

Ua37/44 Faculty Personal Papers Gordon Wilson, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Personal papers of Gordon Wilson.

Size And Density Of Upside-Down Jellyfish, Cassiopea Sp., And Their Impact On Benthic Fluxes In A Caribbean Lagoon, Chester B. Zarnoch, Noshin Hossain, Erika Fusco, Mary Alldred, Timothy J. Hoellein, Sophia Perdikaris

School of Global Integrative Studies: Faculty Publications

Anthropogenic disturbances may be increasing jellyfish populations globally. Epibenthic jellyfish are ideal organisms for studying this phenomenon due to their sessile lifestyle, broad geographic distribution, and prevalence in near-shore coastal environments. There are few studies, however, that have documented epibenthic jellyfish abundance and measured their impact on ecological processes in tropical ecosystems. In this study, the density and size of the upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea spp.) were measured in Codrington Lagoon, Barbuda. A sediment core incubation study, with and without Cassiopea, also was performed to determine their impact on benthic oxygen and nutrient fluxes. Densities of Cassiopea were 24–168 …

The Impact Of Cow Size On Cow–Calf And Postweaning Progeny Performance In The Nebraska Sandhills, Rob L. Ziegler, Jacki A. Musgrave, Tanya L. Meyer, R. Funston, Elliott James Dennis, Kathy Hanford, J. C. Macdonald, Travis Mulliniks

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Optimizing beef production system efficiency requires an understanding of genetic potential suitable for a given production environment. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective analysis was to determine the influence of cow body weight (BW) adjusted to a common body condition score (BCS) of 5 at weaning-influenced cow-calf performance and postweaning steer and heifer progeny performance. Data were collected at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, Whitman, NE, on crossbred, mature cows (n = 1,607) from 2005 to 2017. Cow BCS at calving, prebreeding, and weaning were positively associated (P < 0.01) with greater cow BW. Increasing cow BW was positively associated (P < 0.01) with the percentage of cows that conceived during a 45-d breeding season. For every additional 100-kg increase in cow BW, calf BW increased (P < 0.01) at birth by 2.70 kg and adjusted 205-d weaning BW by 14.76 kg. Calf preweaning average daily gain (ADG) increased (P < 0.01) 0.06 kg/d for every additional 100-kg increase in cow BW. Heifer progeny BW increased (P < 0.01) postweaning with every additional 100-kg increase in dam BW. Dam BW did not influence (P ≥ 0.11) heifer puberty status prior to breeding, overall pregnancy rates, or the percentage of heifers calving in the first 21 d of the calving season. Steer initial feedlot BW increased by 7.20 kg, reimplant BW increased by 10.47 kg, and final BW increased by 10.29 kg (P ≤ 0.01) for every additional 100-kg increase in dam BW. However, steer feedlot ADG was not influenced (P > 0.67) by dam BW. Hot carcass weights of steers were increased (P = …

The Pocatello Supply Depot: A History And Update, Patrick A. Darrow

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

Since the Pocatello Supply Depot (PSD) was created in 1936, the PSD has gone through many transformation and organizational changes. The most recent of these changes occurred in 2014, when the PSD transitioned from a cooperative service agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce, to a fully federal facility within USDA. Despite the many organizational changes, the purpose of the PSD has remained the same. The PSD manufactures and provides specialized wildlife damage management materials and services that are not readily available from commercial sources, for use by USDA Wildlife Services (WS), …

Assessing Beaver Occupancy And Dam Building Potential: A Case Study In The Umpqua Watershed Of Southwestern Oregon, Vanessa M. Petro, John Stevenson, Jimmy Taylor

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

Interest in beaver-related restoration is growing in the western U.S. but understanding the basic ecology of American beaver and their population dynamics is often overlooked when integrating beaver into stream restoration goals. Our study investigated the spatial-temporal distribution of beaver colonies and their damming activities to better inform stream restoration projects in the West Fork Cow Creek Basin of the Umpqua Watershed in southwestern Oregon. During fall 2017, we conducted beaver activity surveys at 144 randomly selected reaches predicted to be either suitable or unsuitable for damming, but suitable for beaver occupation. We categorized beaver use at each reach using …

Automated Aerial Baiting For Invasive Brown Treesnake Control: System Overview And Program Status, Shane R. Siers, John D. Eisemann, William C. Pitt, Larry Clark, Scott M. Goetz, Robert J. Gosnell, Aaron F. Collins, Eric T. Hileman, Melia G. Nafus, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Michael C. Messaros, William G.N. Coon

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

The economically and ecologically catastrophic introduction of invasive brown treesnakes to the Pacific Island of Guam has long served as a cautionary tale about the dangers of invasive species and the seeming impossibility of their management on a landscape scale. USDA Wildlife Services and federal and private partners have engineered a system for the automated manufacture and aerial delivery of toxic baits for landscape-scale suppression of brown treesnakes in large and remote forest plots. The helicopter-borne dispensing module can launch four bait cartridges per second, and a single payload of 3,600 cartridges can treat 30 ha of forest at 120 …

A Preliminary Field Evaluation Of Candidate Repellents To Reduce Black Bear Damage To Western Larch Trees, G. W. Witmer, Michael Pipas

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

Bear damage to western larch trees on intensively managed public and private forest lands of the Intermountain West continues to be a problem for forest managers. Bark stripping and subsequent cambium feeding by bears commences upon den emergence in the spring, when foraging options are most restrictive. Various damage reduction methods are often controversial (snaring, hunting, supplemental feeding), or do not always adequately resolve the problem (silvicultural strategies); hence, a need exists for the development of alternative nonlethal techniques to reduce damage. We tested the efficacy of three candidate repellents (Hot Sauce®, Tree Guard™, and grizzly bear feces) to reduce …

Understanding And Preventing Bird Damage On Dairies, Amber Adams-Progar, Karen Steensma, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Julie L. Elser, Susan Kerr, Tyler P. Caskin

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

Wild birds cause significant damage to dairy farms through the consumption and spoilage of cattle feed. A survey of Washington State dairy farmers revealed approximately $14 million in bird damage losses for the Washington State dairy industry, annually. Furthermore, farms that reported the presence of more than 10,000 birds per day were more likely to report the presence of Salmonella spp. or Johne’s disease (caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis). Over the course of three years, we assessed the impact of bird populations on the presence of bacteria in bird feces and the nutritional composition of cattle feed. Five dairies …

Island Rodent Eradications: Little Things Make Big Things Happen, Araceli Samaniego-Herrera, Peter J. Kappes, Shane R. Siers

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

Island rodent eradication is often a prerequisite for ecological restoration. These operations have been scaling up in size and complexity, and typically revolve around the thorough distribution of rodenticides in bait stations, by hand broadcast, by helicopter-borne spreading buckets, or by combinations of these methods. Many of the requirements of an eradication can be met by simply purchasing the right materials and following published best practices. However, intangible factors such as training and mindset of personnel are equally critical, and less commonly understood. We briefly review these factors and highlight issues such as the limited pool of experienced eradication practitioners, …

If At First You Don’T Eradicate: Remediating Rat Eradication Failure On Wake Atoll, Peter J. Kappes, Shane R. Siers, Kristen Rex, Chad Hanson

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

Island rodent eradication operations have been remarkably successful at eliminating damages caused by these harmful vertebrate pests. As efforts increase in scale and complexity, so does risk of eradication failure. In this paper we present the example of a partially successful rodent eradication project to highlight how best practices and lessons learned are being integrated to reduce risk of failure during a second attempt. In 2012 the U.S. Air Force (USAF) commissioned an attempted eradication of two rat species from Wake Atoll in the Western Pacific. Asian house rats were successfully eradicated, but it was soon confirmed that some Polynesian …

Laboratory Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Fertility Control Bait Contrapest® On Wild-Captured Black Rats (Rattus Rattus), Shane Siers, Robert T. Sugihara, Israel Leinbach, Brandy R. Pyzyna, Gary Witmer

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

A non-toxic liquid fertility control bait for rats has recently become commercially available (ContraPest® from SenesTech, Inc.). This product contains two chemicals, both of which impair spermatogenesis in male and reduce ovulations in female rats. We tested the efficacy of this bait in wild-caught adult black rats from the island of Hawai’i in a short-term laboratory trial. A control group (n = 25) was offered placebo bait and the treatment group (n = 25) was offered fertility control bait, both ad libitum, during a 15-day introduction period and during the first of four breeding rounds, for a total of 58 …

Development And Testing Of A Matrix For Mongoose Toxic Bait: Nontoxic Bait Acceptance Cage Trials, Shane Siers, Robert T. Sugihara, Israel Leinbach, Daniel Sedgwick, Chris N. Niebuhr, Emily W. Ruell

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

The only pesticide currently registered for mongoose control is a product developed for rats that consists of a hard-cereal bait block. Although the active ingredient (diphacinone) is known to be highly effective for mongoose, previous studies indicate that carnivorous and omnivorous mongooses do not readily consume the hard bait matrix designed for gnawing rodents. A palatable bait matrix with a consistency more appropriate to mongoose dentition and feeding behavior will be required to develop a more effective mongoose pesticide. We evaluated the acceptance and consumption of nontoxic versions of four candidate bait matrices: FOXECUTE® and FOXSHIELD® (Animal Control Technologies, Australia; …

Feasibility Of A Successful Rat Eradication On Wake Atoll Following Initial Partial Failure: Potential Causes, Remedial Actions, And Remaining Knowledge Gaps, Chad Hanson, Kristen Rex, Peter J. Kappes, Shane R. Siers

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

A 2012 attempt to remove two rat species (Rattus tanezumi and R. exulans) from Wake Atoll was partially successful. R. tanezumi was eradicated from all three islands (Wake, Wilkes, and Peale), and R. exulans was eradicated from Peale. However, R. exulans remained on Wake and Wilkes and have since recovered to very high densities. In 2013, a panel of experts reviewed the eradication operation and offered a list of possible causes of the partial failure. Since that time, further research has been conducted to address several of the issues identified in the review. In this paper, we conduct a current …

Placebo Bait Uptake Trial To Test Feasibility Of Polynesian Rat (Rattus Exulans) Eradication On Wake Atoll, Chris N. Niebuhr, Israel Leinbach, Thomas W. Mcauliffe, Dean K. Foster, Shane R. Siers

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 29th (2020)

Rodent eradications have contributed to the recovery of many threatened species, but challenges often exist for campaigns that occur on tropical islands when compared to more temperate regions. A post-operational review of a rat eradication operation on Wake Atoll indicated that certain areas, such as those with high alternative food abundance, may have contributed to the failure to remove all Polynesian rats. We conducted a nontoxic bait uptake trial to evaluate whether the maximum prescribed bait application rate for Brodifacoum-25W rodenticide pellets was sufficient to expose all rats to a lethal dose at three sites on Wake Atoll, including around …

Use Of Otolith Chemistry To Assess Recruitment And Habitat Use Of A White Bass Fishery In A Nebraska Reservoir, Matthew A. Perrion, Mark A. Kaemingk, Keith D. Koupal, Casey W. Schoenebeck, Nate A. Bickford

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Managing fisheries that exhibit variable annual recruitment is challenging, and maintenance stockings are often prescribed to minimize interannual population variation. Maintenance stockings are costly and may not be necessary if sufficient natural recruitment is occurring. Therefore, developing tools and techniques that can collectively assess hatching origin and subsequent habitat use of individuals would be valuable. Herein, we aimed to assess the efficacy of otolith chemistry techniques to (1) determine whether there was evidence of natural recruitment within an annually stocked white bass population and (2) examine the potential to describe spatial reservoir use of these age-0 fish. A sample of …

Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

I investigated interactions between ectoparasites (ticks) and their host, the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata). Alligator lizards are capable of complement-mediated killing of the Lyme disease spirochete carried by ticks and may potentially reduce Lyme disease prevalence by cleansing pathogenic organisms from ticks. Despite this, little is known about host-parasite dynamics in alligator lizards. My goals were to 1) assess patterns of tick presence (i.e. parasite load) on alligator lizards and 2) investigate potential negative effects of ticks on alligator lizards. I sampled lizards during the summer of 2019 near Catherine Creek, along the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington. …

Investigating The Avian Species Composition, Diversity, And Abundance Of Engelhorn Pond, Kiana Rose

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Central Washington University’s Engelhorn Pond contains important habitats for many organisms, particularly migratory birds, and is a valuable resource for students. However, little information is available about the wildlife inhabiting the pond. The pond’s discrete location means that many people are unaware of its existence. In addition, the pond is threatened by a number of anthropogenic sources, including chemical runoff, garbage, and feral cats. By using point counts, a common ornithological survey technique, I recorded the bird species present at the pond during all seasons of the year. I collected data using point counts during 13 visits from June of …

Ticks On Lizards: Parasite-Host Interactions Of The Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria Multicarinata) In Washington State, Emma Houghton

All Undergraduate Projects

I investigated interactions between ectoparasites (ticks) and their host, the southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata). Alligator lizards are capable of complement-mediated killing of the Lyme disease spirochete carried by ticks and may potentially reduce Lyme disease prevalence by cleansing pathogenic organisms from ticks. Despite this, little is known about host-parasite dynamics in alligator lizards. My goals were to 1) assess patterns of tick presence (i.e. parasite load) on alligator lizards and 2) investigate potential negative effects of ticks on alligator lizards. I sampled lizards during the summer of 2019 near Catherine Creek, along the Columbia River Gorge in southern Washington. …

Technology And Responsibility: A Discussion Of Underexamined Risks And Concerns In Precision Livestock Farming, Ian Werkheiser

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Implications

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) promises to replicate at scale, the care usually provided by farmers who know their animals.

This suite of current and developing technologies has the potential to address many problems facing modern farms.

Many underexamined concerns still exist around PLF, some of which are common to many new technologies, and others of which are more specific to these technologies being implemented on farms with humans and nonhuman animals.

Though these concerns are not a sufficient reason to abandon PLF, they ought to be considered more carefully by everyone working on developing, implementing, or legislating these technologies.

Genome-Wide Association Study To Identify Genetic Loci Associated With Gastrointestinal Nematode Resistance In Katahdin Sheep, G. M. Becker, K. M. Davenport, Joan M. Burke, Ronald M. Lewis, J. E. Miller, J. L.M. Morgan, D. R. Notter, B. M. Murdoch

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes has previously been shown to be a moderately heritable trait in some breeds of sheep, but the mechanisms of resistance are not well understood. Selection for resistance currently relies upon faecal egg counts (FEC), blood packed cell volumes and FAMACHA visual indicator scores of anaemia. Identifying genomic markers associated with disease resistance would potentially improve the selection process and provide a more reliable means of classifying and understanding the biology behind resistant and susceptible sheep. A GWAS was conducted to identify possible genetic loci associated with resistance to Haemonchus contortus in Katahdin sheep. Forty animals were …

Genetic Structure And Admixture In Sheep From Terminal Breeds In The United States, Kimberly M. Davenport, C. Heimke, S. D. Mc Kay, J. W. Thorne, Ronald M. Lewis, Todd Taylor, B. M. Murdoch

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Selection for performance in diverse production settings has resulted in variation across sheep breeds worldwide. Although sheep are an important species to the United States, the current genetic relationship among many terminal sire breeds is not well characterized. Suffolk, Hampshire, Shropshire and Oxford (terminal) and Rambouillet (dual purpose) sheep (n = 248) sampled from different flocks were genotyped using the Applied Biosystems Axiom Ovine Genotyping Array (50K), and additional Shropshire sheep (n = 26) using the Illumina Ovine SNP50 BeadChip. Relationships were investigated by calculating observed heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficients, eigenvalues, pairwise Wright’s FST estimates and an identity by state matrix. …

Using Northern Pike And Yellow Perch To Attempt A Trophic Cascade, Bryan Sea

Journal of Earth and Life Science

In the midwestern USA, water clarity has decreased in shallow lakes as a result of large populations of Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas and agriculture that impact the life that depend on shallow habitats, such as waterfowl, fish, and aquatic plants. Northern Pike Esox lucius and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens were stocked in a few lakes in attempt to create a tropic cascade and reduce populations of nuisance Fathead Minnows. Northern Pike were stocked as fry and Yellow Perch were stocked as adults either pre-spawn or post-spawn. Lake managers hypothesized adult Yellow Perch would spawn and the age-0 Perch would feed …

Myoglobin Post-Translational Modifications And Fresh Beef Color Stability, Yifei Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Surface color of fresh beef is the major trait influencing consumers’ purchase decisions. Fresh beef color is determined by the myoglobin (Mb) redox stability. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play a critical role in regulating Mb structure and functionality. This thesis focuses on the PTMs in Mb and their impact on fresh beef color stability.

In the first experiment, Mb PTMs in beef longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle during postmortem aging and their influence on fresh beef color stability were examined. Beef LL muscle from nine (n = 9) beef carcasses (24 h postmortem) were subjected to wet-aging for 0, 7, 14 …

Effect Of Conventional Or High Protein Dry Distillers Grains Plus Solubles In Either Dry- Rolled Or Steam- Flaked Corn Based Diets On Finishing Performance Of Steers, Lauren A. Ovinge, L.J. Mcphilips, B.M. Boyd, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A 2 × 3 factorial finishing study evaluated feeding 0 or 30% high protein distillers grains or conventionally produced distillers in either steam- flaked or dry- rolled corn based diets. Feeding conventional distillers grains in dry rolled corn based diets resulted in improved feed conversion, with no difference between high protein distillers grains as compared to conventional DDGS when included in dryrolled corn diets. In steam flaked corn- based diets, feeding high protein distillers and conventional distillers tended to increase feed conversion. Feeding conventional distillers or high protein distillers grains resulted in greater DMI and ADG as compared to diets …

Genetic Analysis Of The Endangered Gray Bat Species (Myotis Grisescens), Emma Fitzgerald

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

This study attempts to analyze the genetics using specific haplotype sequences of the endangered gray bat to determine genetic events that have happened in the past as well as determining how the species population has changed over time. We were able to conduct a Tajima’s D test to investigate whether a potential bottleneck has occurred. A linear regression of the genetic vs. geographical distance was produced to investigate the patterns of haplotype distribution. The species past distribution was compared to the current distribution using known collected specimens. A map of future predictions was constructed using present and future climate layers …

Evaluating Syngenta Enogen Feed Corn Silage Or Grain On Growing Beef Cattle Performance, Mckenna M. Brinton, Bradley M. Boyd, F. Henry Hilscher, Levi J. Mcphillips, J. C. Macdonald, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A growing trial was conducted to evaluate Syngenta Enogen Feed Corn containing an alpha amylase enzyme trait compared with commercially available corn without the amylase enzyme trait on growing cattle performance characteristics. Corn was harvested as either corn silage or dry corn, and corn silage was further harvested with kernel processing or not. Th e treatment design was a 2×2+2 factorial with 2 hybrids of silage, kernel processed or not, and then a 40% dryrolled corn and hay growing diet as Syngenta Enogen Feed Corn or control corn. No interactions were observed between silage hybrids and kernel processing. Cattle fed …

Comparing March And May Calving Systems In The Nebraska Sandhills, Mckay R. Erickson, Devin L. Broadhead, J. A. Musgrave, Rick N. Funston

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Three production years for March and May calving, Red Angus- based cows and their off spring from the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL), Whitman, NE, were evaluated. Steer progeny were evaluated through harvest and carcass data collected. Calf birth body weight (BW) and breeding BW were greater for May calves vs. March; however, adjusted weaning BW was greater for March calves. Pregnancy rates, weaning rates, calving interval, calving difficulty, and calf vigor were similar between calving systems. Udder score was greater for March cows. Compared with March calf- fed steers, May calf- fed steers had greater hot carcass weight (HCW), longissimus …