Animal Sciences Commons^™

Tracking The Wa Sheep Flock, Kate Pritchett, Mandy Curnow

Animal production and livestock research reports

The Western Australian (WA) sheep industry experienced a year of uncertainty in 2018 due to the disruptions experienced in the live export trade and the reported poor lambing season. This paper discusses the possible effect of these factors on the size and composition of the WA flock in 2019.

Long-Billed Curlew Nest Site Selection And Success In The Intermountain West, Stephanie E. Coates, Benjamin W. Wright, Jay D. Carlisle

Intermountain Bird Observatory Publications and Presentations

Grassland birds have experienced steeper population declines between 1966 and 2015 than any other bird group on the North American continent, and migratory grassland birds may face threats in all stages of their annual cycle. The grassland‐associated long‐billed curlew (Numenius americanus) is experiencing population declines in regional and local portions of their North American breeding range. The nesting period is an important portion of the annual cycle when curlews may face demographic rate limitations from a suite of threats including predators and anthropogenic disturbance. We compared nest sites to random sites within breeding territories to examine nest site …

Impact Of Beta-Adrenergic Agonist Supplementation And Heat Stress On The Microbiome And Gastrointestinal Transcriptome Of Sheep, Erin Margaret Duffy

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

Improving animal growth and efficiency are critical points of research as the world’s population and demand for agriculture products increase. Therefore, adaptions or changes in the gut are of interest to maximize growth efficiency and wellbeing of livestock. The gastrointestinal tract of the rumen plays many critical roles with the assistance of the associated microbial community. One way to improve animal performance is supplementation of β-adrenergic agonists (β-AA) which are commonly fed to cattle during the last 20-40 days of the finishing period, improving muscle growth by decreasing adipose deposition and increasing muscle accretion. Two β-AA, Ractopamine HCl (β1-AA) and …

Postnatal Nutrient Repartitioning Due To Adaptive Developmental Programming, Robert J. Posont, Dustin T. Yates

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The consequences of prenatal stress on lifelong metabolic function and health was first proposed by David Barker and Nicholas Hales with the publication of their Thrifty Phenotype Hypothesis in the early 1990s.1,2 Subsequent studies in humans and animals have further demonstrated that stress-induced adaptive fetal programming leads to tissue-specific changes in metabolic function and growth capacity.3,4 Developmental adaptations to the intrauterine nutrient restriction that accompanies most maternofetal stressors target regulatory pathways for nutrient utilization in non-essential tissues such as skeletal muscle.4-6 This aids intrauterine survival by re-appropriating nutrients to support neural, cardiac, and endocrine tissue function but reduces metabolic efficiency …

Transmission Dynamics Of Toxoplasma Gondii In Arctic Foxes (Vulpes Lagopus): A Long-Term Mark-Recapture Serologic Study At Karrak Lake, Nunavut, Canada, Emilie Bouchard, Stacey A. Elmore, Ray T. Alisauskas, Gustaf Samelius, Alvin A. Gajadhar, Keaton Schmidt, Sasha Ross, Emily J. Jenkins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Transmission dynamics of Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite of importance for wildlife and human health, are enigmatic in the Arctic tundra, where free-ranging wild and domestic felid definitive hosts are absent and rarely observed, respectively. Through a multiyear mark-recapture study (2011– 17), serosurveillance was conducted to investigate transmission of T. gondii in Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in the Karrak Lake region, Nunavut, Canada. Sera from adult foxes and fox pups were tested for antibodies to T. gondii by using serologic methods, including the indirect fluorescent antibody test, direct agglutination test, and modified agglutination test. The overall seroprevalence was 39% in adults …

Not All Surveillance Data Are Created Equal—A Multi‐Method Dynamic Occupancy Approach To Determine Rabies Elimination From Wildlife, Amy J. Davis, Jordona D. Kirby, Richard B. Chipman, Kathleen M. Nelson, Tatiana Xifara, Colleen T. Webb, Ryan Wallace, Amy T. Gilbert, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. A necessary component of elimination programmes for wildlife disease is effective surveillance. The ability to distinguish between disease freedom and non‐detection can mean the difference between a successful elimination campaign and new epizootics. Understanding the contribution of different surveillance methods helps to optimize and better allocate effort and develop more effective surveillance programmes.

2. We evaluated the probability of rabies virus elimination (disease freedom) in an enzootic area with active management using dynamic occupancy modelling of 10 years of raccoon rabies virus (RABV) surveillance data (2006–2015) collected from three states in the eastern United States. We estimated detection probability …

Animal Science Department News, Department Of Animal Science

Animal Science Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Shellfish Production In Virginia: Private Leasing Grounds, Nathan Burchard

Virginia Coastal Policy Center

During its 2019 session, the Virginia General Assembly passed numerous pieces of legislation related to the private leasing grounds program. In addition to increasing lease application and transfer fees and requiring that VMRC establish a fee structure for lease renewals, the new legislation also expanded the factors for VMRC to consider when approving, renewing, or transferring a lease. In spring 2019, VMRC formed the Aquaculture Management Advisory Committee (AMAC), which will provide ongoing management advisory assistance to VMRC staff and continue to address shellfish management issues addressed by the SNR Work Group. AMAC is comprised of industry, nonprofit, and academic …

Shellfish Production In Virginia: Public Grounds, Geoffrey Grau

Virginia Coastal Policy Center

One potential impediment to the continued growth of the aquaculture industry in Virginia is the current management framework associated with the use of the public Baylor Grounds. Virginia’s constitution provides, in part, that the “natural oyster beds, rocks, and shoals in the waters of the Commonwealth shall not be leased, rented, or sold but shall be held in trust for the benefit of the people of the Commonwealth.” Originally, oyster beds in the Chesapeake Bay (the “Bay”) were so plentiful that “oyster reefs rose so high that they grazed the bottoms of boats sailing the Bay.” By the late 19th …

Rare, Threatened And Endangered Species Of Oregon (2019), Jimmy Kagan, Sue Vrilakas, Eleanor P. Gaines, Lindsey K. Wise, Michael Russell, Cayla Sigrah

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (ORBIC) is part of the Institute for Natural Resources (INR) located at Portland State University (PSU). ORBIC maintains extensive databases of Oregon biodiversity, concentrating on rare and endangered plants, animals and ecosystems. Since its creation in 1979 as the Oregon Natural Heritage Program, ORBIC has been part of the Natural Heritage network. ORBIC is a constituent member of NatureServe, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide the scientific basis for effective conservation action. NatureServe and Oregon manage data using standards and protocols used across the U.S., Canada, and much of Latin America.

ORBIC has …

Undergraduate Success In Animal Science Courses Based On Demographics, Motivation, And Online Courses, Haylee Anne Lavoie

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

A deeper understanding of student demographics, motivation, and outlook of online vs. face to face courses in Animal Science is needed to allow educators to facilitate greater student success. The purpose of this study was to investigate student factors which effected their final grades. The following courses were surveyed at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln Animal Science Department: Animal Products (ASCI 210), Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals (ASCI 240), Introduction to Companion Animals (ASCI 251), Companion Animal Behavior (ASCI 271), Companion Animal Nutrition (ASCI 321), Equine. Nutrition (ASCI 322), Equine Reproduction (ASCI 342), Animal Welfare (ASCI 370), Processed Meats …

General Zoology Laboratory Manual, Kimberly Subacz, Jason Christian

Biological Sciences Open Textbooks

This lab manual for General Zoology was created under a Round Twelve ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. The manual contains six individual labs to be completed within a laboratory, along with a collection project to be completed outdoors with an instructor.

Topics include:

• Classification and Evolution
• The Planaria Project
• Introduction to Invertebrates
• Introduction to Chordates
• Vertebrates Continued
• Mammalogy

Sustainability Assessment Of U.S. Beef Processing And Its Antimicrobial Systems, Shaobin Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With the increasing meat demand and awareness of sustainability, concerns have been raised regarding the sustainability of beef production and processing. However, scarce data and inadequate sustainability assessment frameworks for the U.S. beef processing industry limit the ability to develop new technologies and policies comprehensively without shifting sustainability burdens. To fill those gaps, various assessments of the U.S. beef processing industry were conducted from multiple perspectives regarding the environmental, economic, microbial effectiveness of its antimicrobial systems, and human health impacts from foodborne illness, occupational hazards, and environmental pollution.

First, process-level water and energy usage at a typical large-size beef processing …

Inbreeding Alters Context‐Dependent Reproductive Effort And Immunity In Male Crickets, Kristin R. Duffield, Kylie J. Hampton, Thomas M. Houslay, John Hunt, Ben Sadd, Scott K. Sakaluk

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Infection can cause hosts to drastically alter their investment in key life‐history traits of reproduction and defence. Infected individuals are expected to increase investment in defence (e.g., by increasing immune function) and, due to trade‐offs, investment in other traits (e.g., current reproduction) should decrease. However, the terminal investment hypothesis postulates that decreased lifespan due to infection and the associated reduction in the expectation for future offspring will favour increased investment towards current reproduction. Variation in intrinsic condition will likely influence shifts in reproductive investment post‐infection, but this is often not considered in such assessments. For example, the extent of inbreeding …

Survival, Fidelity, And Dispersal Of Double-Crested Cormorants On Two Lake Michigan Islands, Christopher R. Ayers, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, Ken Stromborg, Todd W. Arnold, Jacob S. Ivan, Brian S. Dorr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Colony fidelity and dispersal can have important consequences on the population dynamics of colonial-nesting birds. We studied survival and inter-colony movements of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus; cormorants) nesting at Spider and Pilot islands, located 9 km apart in western Lake Michigan, during 2008–2014. We used live resighting and dead recovery data from both colonies, plus dead recoveries from throughout North America, in a multistate live and dead encounter model to estimate annual survival, inter-colony movements, plus temporary and permanent emigration to unmonitored sites. Annual survival averaged 0.37 (annual process variation, ˆ = 0.07) for hatch-year, 0.78 (ˆ= 0.08) for secondyear, …

Use Of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uas) And Multispectral Imagery For Quantifying Agricultural Areas Damaged By Wild Pigs, Justin W. Fischer, Kelsey Greiner, Mark W. Lutman, Bryson L. Webber, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) cause extensive damage to agricultural crops, resulting in lost production and income. A major challenge associated with assessing damage to crops is locating and quantifying damaged areas within agricultural fields. We evaluated a novel method using multispectral high-resolution aerial imagery, collected from sensors mounted on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and feature extraction techniques to detect and map areas of corn fields damaged by wild pigs in southern Missouri, USA. Damaged areas were extracted from orthomosaics using visible and near-infrared band combinations, an object-based classification approach, and hierarchical learning cycles. To validate estimates we also collected ground …

Sex-Specific Personalities In The Purple Marsh Crab, Jillian Sterman, Jessica Barton, Panagiota Delmedico, Samantha Sweeney

DePaul Discoveries

Animals are considered to possess personalities when individuals differ in behavior, and these differences are consistent between situations. Several studies have identified personalities in diverse groups but less is known about personality variation between the sexes. In this study, we examined variation in two key personality traits (boldness, activity) in female and male purple marsh crabs (Sesarma reticulatum) using a semi-field approach. Specifically, we measured boldness and activity on two consecutive days using the same behavioral assays during each time point. Consistency (personality) was determined using Kendall’s coefficient of concordance based on Spearman correlation coefficients for each behavior. …

Confronting Models With Data: The Challenges Of Estimating Disease Spillover, Paul C. Cross, Diann J. Prosser, Andrew M. Ramey, Ephraim M. Hanks, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

For pathogens known to transmit across host species, strategic investment in disease control requires knowledge about where and when spillover transmission is likely. One approach to estimating spillover is to directly correlate observed spillover events with covariates. An alternative is to mechanistically combine information on host density, distribution and pathogen prevalence to predict where and when spillover events are expected to occur. We use several case studies at the wildlife–livestock disease interface to highlight the challenges, and potential solutions, to estimating spatiotemporal variation in spillover risk. Datasets on multiple host species often do not align in space, time or resolution, …

Landscape Edges Shape Dispersal And Population Structure Of A Migratory Fish, Mark A. Kaemingk, S. E. Swearer, S. J. Bury, J. S. Shima

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Many freshwater organisms have a life-history stage that can disperse through seawater. This has obvious benefits for colonization and connectivity of fragmented sub-populations, but requires a physiologically challenging migration across a salinity boundary. We consider the role of landscape boundaries between freshwater and seawater habitats, and evaluate their potential effects on traits and developmental histories of larvae and juveniles (i.e., dispersing life-history stages) of an amphidromous fish, Galaxias maculatus. We sampled juvenile fish on their return to 20 rivers in New Zealand: 10 rivers had abrupt transitions to the sea (i.e., emptying to an open coastline); these were paired …

Stereotypic Pacing In Two Imprinted Florida Black Bears (Ursus Americanus Floridanus), Crystal Gagne

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Stereotypic pacing is a common occurrence in captive carnivorans. Although stereotypic pacing is typically associated with poor welfare, the cause of pacing is not fully understood. In this study, two captive Florida black bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) were observed twice a week for ten weeks, along with zookeeper presence as well as the location and number of guests. Zookeeper presence was associated with a decrease in time spent pacing (P < 0.05). The male bear in the study spent a larger percent of time pacing in front of guests (average: 43.2% ± 1.0% SD) compared to the female (average: 6.2% ± 1.4% SD), P < 0.05). Male dominance is the most likely explanation for the variance seen in pacing in front of guests. Observing how guests and zookeepers impact stereotypic pacing can help provide an understanding of the cause of stereotypic pacing and improve the welfare of captive animals.

A Look Into The Activity Budgets Of Captive Cotton-Top Tamarins (S. Oedipus), Jessica Phagan

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) are a species of New World Monkey that are small in size. They live in groups that typically contain family members, including a breeding pair and their offspring. Seven related individuals were observed for this study, which was designed to ensure and evaluate the activity budgets of each tamarin. The aim of the study was to determine whether the older tamarins possessed different activity levels than the younger offspring. Each cotton-top tamarin was observed for an hour per week over a ten-week period. Each activity— playing with other tamarins, active in general, eating, grooming or being …

Typha (Cattail) Invasion In North American Wetlands: Biology, Regional Problems, Impacts, Ecosystem Services, And Management, Sheel Bansal, Shane C. Lishawa, Sue Newman, Brian A. Tangen, Douglas Wilcox, Dennis Albert, Michael J. Anteau, Michael J. Chimney, Ryann L. Cressey, Edward Dekeyser, Kenneth J. Elgersma, Sarah A. Finkelstein, Joanna Freeland, Richard Grosshans, Page E. Klug, Daniel J. Larkin, Beth A. Lawrence, George Linz, Joy Marburger, Gregory Noe, Clint Otto, Nicholas Reo, Jennifer Richards, Curtis Richardson, Leroy Rodgers, Amy J. Schrank, Dan Svedarsky, Steven Travis, Nancy Tuchman, Lisamarie Windham-Myers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Typha is an iconic wetland plant found worldwide. Hybridization and anthropogenic disturbances have resulted in large increases in Typha abundance in wetland ecosystems throughout North America at a cost to native floral and faunal biodiversity. As demonstrated by three regional case studies, Typha is capable of rapidly colonizing habitats and forming monodominant vegetation stands due to traits such as robust size, rapid growth rate, and rhizomatic expansion. Increased nutrient inputs into wetlands and altered hydrologic regimes are among the principal anthropogenic drivers of Typha invasion. Typha is associated with a wide range of negative ecological impacts to wetland and agricultural …

A Crash In The Night, Mary Ann Steiner, Sam Taylor, Judy Diamond

Zea E-Books Collection

The illustrations in this book describe a wildlife encounter. Wild animals, like people, have challenges in life. They are adaptable and inventive, and they find new ways of solving problems to help them survive. As you turn the pages, describe what you see. How would you solve this wildlife challenge?

Mary Ann Steiner: Working on this story was exciting to me because I believe at any age, we can notice what is happening around us and make decisions to protect and enjoy nature! In this story, the kids see an exciting new character in the community. Once they figure out …

Selected Quality Attributes Of Frozen Farmed Giant Grouper (Epinephelus Lanceolatus) As A Function Of Storage Temperature, Wen-Chieh Sung, Jing-Rong Lin, Tze-Kuei Chiou, Yu-Wei Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The effects of storage temperature (-20°C, -30°C and -55°C) on selected quality-related characteristics of vacuum packed frozen giant grouper fillets (Epinephelus lanceolatus) stored for 6 months were evaluated. The following quality attributes were measured: proximate composition, pH, thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, total volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), ATP related compounds, K value, microbiological analysis, color, texture and sensory evaluation. Formation of TBA was low in the giant grouper fillet, with a value of less than 3.91 mg malondialdehyde (MDA) kg-1, after 6 months storage at -30 and -55°C. No significant differences were found in pH, total plate count (TPC), white index …

Effects Of Dietary Mortierella Alpine Meal Levels On Growth, Body Fatty Acid Composition And Arachidonic Acid Retention For Orange-Spotted Grouper, Epinephelus Coioides, Yu-Hung Lin, Man-Ting Chiu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study investigated the effect of using Mortierella alpina meal (MAM) as a dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) source on the growth, whole-body fatty acid composition, and ARA retention of the orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides). Four diets supplemented with 0% (control), 1%, 2%, and 5% MAM actually contained 0.93%, 1.14%, 1.34%, and 1.93% ARA. Four experimental diets were fed to triplicate groups of fish (initial weight: 7.21 ± 0.21 g) in a recirculating system for 8 weeks. The final body weight, weight gain percentage, specific growth rate, daily feed intake, feed efficiency, and survival of fish did not significantly differ (p …

The Roles Of Cyp19ala And Dmrt1 During Gonadal Sex Differentiation And Sex Change In Orange-Spotted Grouper, Epinephelus Coioides, Chia-Yung Chen, Ya-Ju Tsai, Ching-Fong Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Sex steroids play a crucial role in gonadal sex differentiation in many nonmammalian vertebrates, including hermaphroditic teleosts. The current study investigates the mRNA expression levels of gonadal cyp19a1a, dmrt1, sf-1, dax-1 and 11β-hsd in the protogynous orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides, at certain stages during sex differentiation and sex change. Among the genes whose mRNA levels were determined through quantitative RT-PCR analysis, cyp19a1a was predominantly expressed in the ovary, and its expression was much lower in the testis. The level of cyp19a1a expressed at 150 dah was significantly high enough to trigger the pre-gyno female development of protogynous (subadult) orange-spotted grouper. …

Wyoming Wildlife: A Natural History, Paul Johnsgard, Thomas D. Mangelsen

Zea E-Books Collection

This book surveys Wyoming’s mammal, bird, reptile, and amphibian faunas. In addition to introducing the state’s geography, geology, climate, and major ecosystems, it provides 65 biological profiles of 72 mammal species, 195 profiles of 196 birds, 9 profiles of 12 reptiles, and 6 profiles of 9 amphibians. There are also species lists of Wyoming’s 117 mammals, 445 birds, 22 reptiles, and 12 amphibians. Also included are descriptions of nearly 50 national and state properties, including parks, forests, preserves, and other public-access natural areas in Wyoming. The book includes a text of more than 150,000 words, nearly 700 references, a glossary …

Fish Performance, Nutrient Digestibilities, And Hepatic And Intestinal Morphologies In Grouper Epinephelus Fuscoguttatus Fed Fermented Copra Meal, Roger Edward P. Mamauag, Janice A. Ragaza, Trisha J. Nacionales

Biology Faculty Publications

Protein enhanced copra meal (PECM®) is an alternative, cheap, and sustainable source of plant protein for the aquafeed industry, albeit its use on carnivorous fish species has been very limited. A 70-day feeding trial using grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus (initial mean body weight of 1.86 ± 0.19 g) tested fermented copra meal as feed ingredient. Six isonitrogenous (crude protein of 45%) and iso-lipidic (crude fat of 11%) diets consisted of PECM®: a control diet at 0% soybean meal replacement (C); four diets replacing soybean meal at 25% (FC25), 50% (FC50), 75% (FC75), 100% (FC100) – all with methionine and lysine supplementation; …

Young Dairymen, Mammoth Cave Chapter (Mss 662), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scans of scrapbooks (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Collection 662. Scrapbooks (scanned copies only) and newsletters for the Young Dairymen, Mammoth Cave Chapter which was located in south central Kentucky and organized byH. Bland Dorris, Jr. The scrapbooks chiefly contain photographs of the group’s activities. Also included are the Chapter’s newsletters, 1982-1986.

Becoming The Good Shepherds, Eze Paez

Animal Sentience

It is very important that we clarify what we owe to nonhuman animals. To that end, we need a better understanding of animal cognition and emotion. Marino & Merskin’s target article is a welcome contribution to this project. Sheep, like most other animals, are sentient beings with interests of their own. It is wrong to discriminate against them based on species-membership or cognitive sophistication. We are morally required not to harm them, and to help them have the best possible lives, just as we would be in the case of human beings with similar interests. We must become the good …