Zoology Commons^™

Metazoan Endoparasites Of The Gray Fox, Urocyon Cinereoargenteus From New Mexico, John E. Ubelaker, Bretton S. Griffin, Genevieve M. Konicke, Nora Abdullah, Aya Mouhaffel, Donald W. Duszynski, Robert L. Harrison

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Metazoan gastrointestinal endoparasites were recovered from 10 of 14 (71.4%) gray foxes [Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Schreber, 1775)] collected in New Mexico from 1996 -1998. They include a pentastome Porocephalus sp., (n=1, 7.1%), a trematode: Fasciola hepatica Linnaeus, 1758 (n=1, 7.1%), the nematodes: Physaloptera rara Hall and Wigdor, 1918 (n=3, 14.3%), Physaloptera praeputialis Linstow, 1899 (n=2, 14.3%), an unidentified female Physaloptera sp. (n=1, 7.1%), Toxocara mystax (Zeder, 1800) (n=2, 14.3%), Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782) (n=1, 7.1%), Spirocerca lupi (Rudolphi, 1809) (n=6, 42.9%), and cestodes: Taenia pisiformis (Bloch, 1780) n=3, n=3, (21.4%), Taenia serialis (Gervais, 1847) (n=3, 21.4%), and Mesocestoides …

Subscription And Organization Information [September 2015]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $25 in the United States and $35 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $7 each, postpaid, in the United States and $9 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active Household (one or more people) $25; Sustaining …

In Memory Of Roland E. Barth, Neal Ratzlaff

Nebraska Bird Review

On September 21, 2015, the NOU and the conservation community lost a good friend with the passing of Roland Barth. Barth served 30 years as a meteorologist in the US Air Force, achieving the rank of Colonel. Retirement allowed Roland to pursue his interest in nature and use his considerable leadership and organizational skills for the benefit of a number of conservation groups. He was a member of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union for over 20 years and served a term as Director from 2008 to 2011.

Nebraska Bird Review (September 2015) 83(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report, June–July 2015 ... 102

2014 (26th) Report of the NOU Records Committee ... 125

First Nesting Record and Status Review of the Glossy Ibis in Nebraska … 139

In Memory of Roland E. Barth … 149

Subscription and Organization Information ... 151

First Nesting Record And Status Review Of The Glossy Ibis In Nebraska, Joel G. Jorgensen, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is believed to be a recent colonist from the Old World whose numbers have increased and range has expanded in North America over the past two centuries (Patten and Lasley 2000). Glossy Ibis range expansion has been described as involving periods of relative stability followed by periods of rapid increase (Patten and Lasley 2000). Prior to the 1980s, Glossy Ibis were primarily found in the southeastern United States and along the Atlantic Coast (Patten and Lasley 2000). In the mid to late 1980s, Glossy Ibis began to rapidly increase and expand into Texas. By …

2014 (26th) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The "Official List of the Birds of Nebraska" was first published in 1988 (NOU 1988) and has been updated three times (NOURC 1997, 2004, 2009). The "Official List" has been appended twenty-four times: (Mollhoff 1989; Grenon 1990, 1991; Gubanyi 1996a, 1996b, 1996c; Brogie 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009a, 2009b; 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014; Jorgensen 2001, 2002, 2003).

The American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds, Seventh Edition (1998) and its following supplements: (AOU: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), contain many taxonomic changes affecting North American …

Summer Field Report, June–July 2015, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This summer was very wet over most of the state. Breeding Bird Survey operators noted impassible roads, especially in the western Sandhills. The benefits to water birds in the Rainwater Basin were obvious, however, with notable breeding records for Ruddy Duck and White-faced Ibis, as well as the first documented breeding in the state of Glossy Ibis, and the first Rainwater Basin breeding for Double-crested Cormorant and third for Eared Grebe.

Additional notable breeding records were led by Osprey; after 7 years of trying at various locations, success came with a bang, as at least 3 nests successfully fledged young, …

Spreading Holiday Spirit And Northwestern Salamanders, Ambystoma Gracile (Baird 1859) (Caudata: Ambystomatidae), Across The Usa, Michael R. Rochford, Jeffrey M. Lemm, Kenneth Krysko, Louis A. Somma, Robert W. Hansen, Frank J. Mazzotti

Papers in Herpetology

Introduced species of amphibians and reptiles are of growing conservation concern (Bury and Luckenbach 1976; Krysko et al. 2011; Meshaka 2011). Unintentional introductions result largely from individuals escaping from enclosures or hitch-hiking in cargo or on vehicles, whereas intentional introductions occur primarily because a species is perceived to be of value to humans or from deliberately releasing sick or unwanted animals, including pets (Kraus 2009; Krysko et al. 2011). In Florida, most known introductions are directly related to the pet trade, but about 12% are related to the cargo pathway (Krysko et al. 2011). In this paper, we report the …

Taxonomy Of The Bitentaculate Cirratulidae (Polychaeta), Stacy A. Tewari

Graduate Masters Theses

The bitentaculate cirratulid polychaetes are an important faunal element of both near shore and deep-sea benthic faunal communities. The true diversity of the family is currently unknown due to a large number of undescribed species and erroneously applied “cospmopolitan” names being applied to local species. Cirratulids have been misidentified even in the local waters near the University of Massachusetts Boston. The current study presents six new species from North America. Caulleriella venefica, Chaetozone anasimus, Chaetozone diodonta, and Chaetozone hystricosus are described from Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay where only two species had previously been reported. Aphelochaeta bullata …

Responses Of Primate Frontal Cortex Neurons During Natural Vocal Communication, Cory T. Miller, A. Wren Thomas, Samuel U. Nummela, Lisa A. De La Mothe

Psychological Sciences and Counseling Faculty Research

The role of primate frontal cortex in vocal communication and its significance in language evolution have a controversial history. While evidence indicates that vocalization processing occurs in ventrolateral prefrontal cortex neurons, vocal-motor activity has been conjectured to be primarily subcortical and suggestive of a distinctly different neural architecture from humans. Direct evidence of neural activity during natural vocal communication is limited, as previous studies were performed in chair-restrained animals. Here we recorded the activity of single neurons across multiple regions of prefrontal and premotor cortex while freely moving marmosets engaged in a natural vocal behavior known as antiphonal calling. Our …

At Home And At Large In The Great Plains: Essays And Memories, Paul A. Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

This volume presents fourteen essays (some updated) that originally appeared in Prairie Fire, a monthly free newspaper that for seven years (as of 2015) has carried important messages of social, environmental, and economic issues in a mature and nonpartisan manner to tens of thousands of residents of Nebraska, western Iowa, eastern Colorado, and southern South Dakota, and by mail to subscribers in the rest of the world. These essays discuss the North American east-west ecological boundaries, spring migration events, birds at the bird feeder, feathered survivors of a glacial past, the threatened sharp-tailed grouse of Nebraska and South Dakota, and …

Comparative Analysis Of The Flexural Stiffness Of Pinniped Vibrissae, Carly C. Ginter Summarell, Sudeep Ingole, Frank E. Fish, Christopher D. Marshall

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Dynamics And Micro-Climatic Preference Of Two Alpine Endemic Hypogean Beetles, Stefano Mammola, Elena Piano, Pier Mauro Giachino, Marco Isaia

International Journal of Speleology

Hypogean beetles generally live in stable environments, characterized by constant temperature and high relative humidity. Changes in the underground microclimatic conditions generally induce local migrations of the beetles through the hypogean environment in search of suitable microhabitats. We studied the seasonal dynamics and the micro-climatic preference of two Alpine endemic hypogean beetles - Sphodropsis ghilianii (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and Dellabeffaella roccae (Coleoptera, Cholevidae) - in the hypogean complex of Pugnetto (Graian Alps, Italy). We surveyed the two species for one year, using baited pitfall traps and measuring temperature and humidity along the two main caves. We used logistic regression mixed models …

In Vitro And In Vivo Evaluation Of Infestation Deterrents Against Lice, Kyong-Sup Yoon, Jennifer K. Ketzis, Samuel W. Andrewes, Christopher S. Wu, Kris Honraet, Dorien Staljanssens, Bart Rossel, J Marshall Clark

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

The human head louse is a cosmopolitan ectoparasite and frequently infests many people, particularly school-age children. Due to widespread pyrethroid resistance and the lack of efficient resistance management, there has been a considerable interest in the protection of uninfested people and prevention of reinfestation by disrupting lice transfer. In this study, two nonclinical model systems (in vitro and in vivo) were used to determine the efficacy of the infestation deterrents, Elimax lotion and Elimax shampoo, against human head lice or poultry chewing lice, respectively. With in vitro assessments, female head lice exhibited significantly higher avoidance responses to hair tufts treated …

Nou Spring Field Days And Annual Meeting, Valentine, May 15–17, 2015, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The annual meeting of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union was held in Valentine May 15–17, 2015, and ably organized by Dave Heidt and Betty Grenon. Although muddy roads from a Friday night storm prevented travel to several planned field trip destinations on Saturday and rain cut short field trips on Sunday morning, the 58 attendees were able to locate and identify 180 species. Most of the birding took place in Cherry County, and many birders commented happily on the good number of species they were able to add to their Cherry Co. lists.

On Friday evening Wayne Mollhoff told the group …

Oriole Consumption Of Grape Jelly, Gary Lingle

Nebraska Bird Review

It is well known that several species of orioles are attracted to grape (Vitis sp.) jelly. A few years ago I began “feeding” grape jelly to orioles in my yard in Buffalo County. Both Baltimore Orioles (Icterus galbula) and, to a lesser extent, Orchard Orioles (Icterus spurius) frequented my feeder upon their arrival in early May and fed daily until the red mulberries (Morus rubra) ripened and nesting had commenced prior to mid-June. At that time visitation to my feeder plummeted from a high of 1.5 birds per minute to 0 .1 birds …

Subscription And Organization Information [June 2015]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $25 in the United States and $35 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $7 each, postpaid, in the United States and $9 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active Household (one or more people) $25; Sustaining …

Spring Field Report, March 2015 To May 2015, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This was a largely uneventful spring in terms of major events, as most species stayed within their ranges and movement timing parameters. There are always a few stochastic exceptions, but no clear pattern of, for example, early arrival dates was discernible. However, several interesting situations came to light, and there were a few rarities detected. A Couch’s Kingbird in Sarpy Co was well described but awaits a determination by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Records Committee as to whether the evidence is strong enough to add this species to the Official State Bird List. Other exciting finds were a wintering Brown …

Nebraska Bird Review (June 2015) 83(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March 2015 to May 2015 ... 54

NOU Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting, Valentine, May 5–17, 2015 … 86

Oriole Consumption of Grape Jelly ... 93

Book Review of At Home and at Large in the Great Plains: Essays and Memories by Paul A. Johnsgard ... 98

Subscription and Organization Information ... 99

Book Review [Of At Home And At Large In The Great Plains: Essays And Memories], Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska birders may remember reading some of the 14 essays published in this book, since they appeared previously in Prairie Fire, the monthly Great Plains public policy newspaper. Topics of the short and engaging essays range from changing bird life to outstanding birding areas to conservation in the Great Plains. We read about sediment deposits, the “gifts of glaciers past,” which were left by retreating rivers of ice thousands of years ago and resulted in the creation of the prairie potholes so important now to our waterfowl and wading birds. One essay marvels at the variety of animal skeletons, including …

Phylogeography Of Southeast Asian Flying Foxes (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae: Pteropus), Susan Man Shu Tsang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Flying foxes (Pteropus) are a genus of Old World fruit bats that are important seed dispersers and pollinators for plants native to the 200,000+ islands in Southeast Asia, yet they are some of the most poorly known bats in the world. They comprise some of the largest known bat species, and are morphologically relatively conserved on the genus level. Pteropus is the most species-rich genus within Pteropodidae, though the origin for this diversity remains incompletely understood. In Chapter 1, I discuss the importance of Pteropus to the ecosystem and as reservoir hosts. In Chapter 2, a molecular phylogeny is presented …

How Access To Plant & Animal Books Affects Participation In Conservation Activities, Dustin Ingram, Hassnaa Ingram

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Public libraries are an important resource for communities. Access to plant and animal books impacts a communities’ ability to learn about their environment. In this study, the number of plant and animal books available to people through local libraries in northern Kentucky, and neighboring counties in Ohio and Indiana were counted and a survey assessing one’s preferences and likeliness to participate in conservation activities was distributed to local residents. Based on the collected data, a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.05) was found between access to plant and animal books available at local libraries and the likelihood of people to participate in conservation activities. Further analysis was performed between the total number of shelved plant and animal books at local libraries, the total number of shelved juvenile plant and animal books and the shelved adult plant and animal books, and the total number of plant and animal books in libraries compared to the local household income and number of households near a library. This study found that people that read books about plants and animals were more likely to participate in conservation activities associated with their book preference. This study also found that people living in low-income communities with fewer households are less likely to participate in plant and animal conservation, as compared to higher-income communities with a higher number of households. Additionally, this study found that lower income areas have fewer plant and animal books on the library shelves than higher income areas. Consequently, study results suggest that if more plant and animal books were made available to low-income areas and areas of biological importance through libraries, people may be more likely to conserve the wildlife around them.

The Suitability Of Habitats And The Effects Of Human Activities In Osupuko And Olepolos Wildlife Sanctuaries On Maasai Giraffes, Sydney P. Davis

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Habitat quality and resource availability within wildlife dispersal areas in the Amboseli ecosystem are experiencing degradation due to pastoralism and agriculture by humans, which negatively affects the wildlife species that utilize these dispersal areas. Maasai giraffes are a common species that utilize these areas, but information on how human activities and the presence of domestic livestock affects the Maasai giraffe is limited. This study was conducted in two wildlife sanctuaries: Osupuko and Olepolos. Habitat condition assessment was done to determine the quality of habitats found within each sanctuary. The Point-Centered Quadrat Method was used to determine the number of five …

Background Paper On Systematics, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

The Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) makes recommendations to the Federal government agencies that have an invasive species portfolio. This systematics recommendation strives to motivate action in the agencies that have been identified in the Situation Report as the agencies with systematics capabilities in the Federal government.

The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Smithsonian Institution are repositories of a large amount of the systematics collections and human capabilities for systematics essential work on invasive species. Conducting the Survey of their systematics capabilities and needs is urgent. The Survey will describe actions in research, specimen-based collections, a biodiversity informatics …

Characterization And Transplantation Of Felid Spermatogonial Stem Cells, Robin H. Powell

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) self-renew and differentiate into spermatozoa throughout the life of the male. SSC transplantation is a potential method for the propagation of genetically important males. These cells have been isolated in different mammalian species using specific cell surface markers, but not in felines.

The goal of this study was to explore a relevant strategy for conservation of endangered felids by characterizing domestic cat (Felis catus) SSCs and assessing their ability for self-renewal after transplantation. Firstly, SSC and pluripotent surface markers, identified in non-feline species, were tested for expression in mixed germ cells from adults by …

Distributional Expansion Of The Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon Hispidus) Into Dawson County, Nebraska, Jennifer D. Frisch, Keith Geluso, Joseph T. Springer

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

In the last century, the Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) has moved northward in central parts of the United States, reaching Nebraska in the late 1950s. Recent surveys demonstrate Hispid Cotton Rats inhabit counties across southern parts of Nebraska south of the Platte River. Herein, we report on captures of S. hispidus from a new county (Dawson County), its seasonal occurrence at our study site, and the first known record of the Hispid Cotton Rat north of channels of the Platte River. Our captures represent one of the northern-most records in Nebraska.

Habituation To Auditory Stimuli By Captive African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Sarah Elizabeth Goodyear

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Elephants are cognitive species that exhibit many types of learning. Associative, social, and insight learning have been investigated with elephants, but one of the simplest forms, habituation, has not. As an individual learns that a stimulus is neither harmful nor beneficial, it will decrease its response to the stimulus through the process of habituation. Elephants possess a well-developed sensory system and may habituate to stimuli that could be used for enrichment and/or management. The aim of this study was to examine the habituation process of elephants in response to repeated presentations of two auditory stimuli –buzzing by a disturbed beehive …

The Development Of Skeletal Muscle In Young Horses: An Ultrasonography And Satellite Cell Approach, Emma K. Lavigne

Honors Scholar Theses

Muscle growth in young horses is characterized by an increase in muscle cross-sectional area, which can be accomplished through the activation and differentiation of satellite cells. Satellite cells can be stimulated or inhibited in response to different cytokines and growth factors and are key mediators of muscle hypertrophy and regeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle in horses under 5 years of age and to obtain preliminary data on satellite cell behavior in foals. The area, width, height, and subcutaneous fat were measured using ultrasonography at 6-month increments over the …

Effects Of Pre-Release Physical Stressors On Post-Release Success Of Hatchery-Reared Spotted Seatrout, Taylor Westbrook Guest

Master's Theses

Alteration of habitat associated with coastal development and increased demand for food and recreation can result in the depletion of fisheries resources such as the Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), the Gulf of Mexico’s most popular recreational fish. Stock enhancement, or the release of cultured fish to supplement wild populations, is one potential tool for managing important fisheries resources. Although much effort has gone into marine stock enhancement, the effectiveness of stocking is not well established, and techniques for ensuring success have not been developed. Although the basic biology of the Spotted Seatrout is well known, comparatively little is known about …

A Systematic Review Of The Soricimorph Eulipotyphla (Soricidae: Mammalia) From The Gray Fossil Site (Hemphillian), Tennessee, Joshua Doby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due in part to the incompleteness of the Cenozoic fossil record in the eastern U.S., the evolution and immigration of shrews (Soricidae) is not well understood. A rich soricid fauna from the Gray Fossil Site (GFS), Washington County, TN, has enabled many new inferences to be made. There are 7 new species in 6 genera: Paenelimnoecus, “Blarinella”, Petenyia, Tregosorex, Crusafontina, and Gen et sp. nov. GFS species of the genera Paenelimnoecus, “Blarinella”, and Petenyia are the first occurrence of each genus in the New World. Tregosorex, Crusafontina, and the N.A. taxon Limnoecus all have their latest documented occurrence at the …