Biology Commons^™

Current Dog Breeding Practices Impacts On Health And Preservation Of Purebred Dogs, Bridget E. Baker

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Development And Testing Of Artificial Membranes For Rearing Of Rhipicephalus Microplus, The Southern Cattle Fever Tick, Ann T. Vacek, John A. Goolsby, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is a livestock pest worldwide in tropical and subtropical climates, including South Texas, and can vector Babesia spp., the causal agents of bovine babesiosis. Artificial rearing methods for R. microplus are needed, especially for rearing specialist tick parasitoids that are under evaluation for classical biological control. In this study, we tested the efficiency of artificial feeding of R. microplus larvae, nymphs, and adults on a siliconized substrate (goldbeater’s membrane, lens paper, or Hemotek), or on nonsiliconized goldbeater’s membrane or Hemotek. Other variables tested were a warm water bath, incubator, positioning blood above or …

Obituary: Sydney Anderson (1927–2018), Scott Lyell Gardner, Robert M. Timm, Nancy Olds, Hugh H. Genoways

Scott L. Gardner Publications

On August 12, 2018, the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) lost one of its giants of the latter half of the 20th century when Sydney Anderson quietly passed away at his home in Birmingham, Alabama, at the age of 91. “Syd,” to his many friends and colleagues, was born on January 11, 1927 in Topeka, Kansas, to Robert Grant and Evelyn Fern (Hunt) Anderson.

Anderson began his professional career at the University of Kansas, where for four years (1955–1959) he served as Assistant Curator in charge of mammals in the Museum of Natural History, and Instructor in the Department of …

Dynamic Terminal Investment In Male Burying Beetles, Paige A. Farchmin, Anne-Katrin Eggert, Kristin R. Duffield, Scott K. Sakaluk

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

The dynamic terminal investment threshold model posits that the propensity of an individual to terminally invest in response to an immediate survival threat, such as an infection, depends on other factors that alter an individual's residual reproductive value. Here, we explore the potential for dynamic terminal investment in burying beetles, insects that inter small vertebrate carcasses as the sole source of food for their offspring and that exhibit extensive biparental care. We injected males at two different ages with heat-killed bacteria and measured their reproductive output, predicting that immune-challenged males would show a longer period of parental care, consume less …

Correlates Of Bird Collisions With Buildings Across Three North American Countries, Jared A. Elmore, Stephen B. Hager, Bradley J. Cosentino, Nastasha Hagemeyer, Eric Walters, Scott R. Loss, Et Al.

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Collisions with buildings cause up to 1 billion bird fatalities annually in North America. Bird-building collisions have recently received increased conservation, research, and policy attention. However, efforts to reduce collisions would benefit from studies conducted at large spatial scales across multiple study sites, with standardized methods, and with consideration of species- and life history-related variation and correlates of collisions. We addressed these research needs with a coordinated data collection effort at 40 sites across North America. We estimated collision vulnerability for 40 bird species by accounting for their North American population abundance, distribution overlap with study sites, and sampling effort. …

Evolutionary Determinism And Convergence Associated With Water Column Transitions In Marine Fishes, Melissa Rincon-Sandoval, Emmanuelle Duarte-Ribeiro, Aaron M. Davis, Aintzane Santaquiteria, Lily C. Hughes, Carole C. Baldwin, Luisángely Soto-Torres, Arturo Acero P., H.J. Walker Jr, Kent E. Carpenter, Marcus Sheaves, Guillermo Orti, Dahiana Arcila, Ricardo Betancur-R.

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Repeatable, convergent outcomes are prima facie evidence for determinism in evolutionary processes. Among fishes, well-known examples include microevolutionary habitat transitions into the water column, where freshwater populations (e.g., sticklebacks, cichlids, and whitefishes) recurrently diverge toward slender-bodied pelagic forms and deep-bodied benthic forms. However, the consequences of such processes at deeper macroevolutionary scales in the marine environment are less clear. We applied a phylogenomics-based integrative, comparative approach to test hypotheses about the scope and strength of convergence in a marine fish clade with a worldwide distribution (snappers and fusiliers, family Lutjanidae) featuring multiple water-column transitions over the past 45 million years. …

A Tale Of Two Cities: Aedes Mosquito Surveillance Across The Texas-Mexico Border, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Consuelo Aguilar, Cuauhtémoc Quintero Vazquez, Rene Santos-Luna, Susana Roman-Perez, Tamer Oraby, Gustavo Sanchez Tejeda, Fabian Correa Morales, Víctor M. Salazar Bueyes, Pascual Camacho Guevara

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Cross border situations complicate epidemiologic risk assessments in transboundary regions such as the US-Mexico border. Countries have different health policies, mosquito control policies, and mosquito surveillance systems. We established a binational Aedes mosquito surveillance program in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, and McAllen, Texas by replicating a part of the Mexican Integrated Vector Monitoring System (IVMS) across the international border. The entomologic surveillance of the IVMSs is based on ova collection cups (ovitraps) and for the binational project, the surveillance protocol was modified to include an Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap (AGO) in the center of every city-block (100 m2) distribution of four ovitraps. We …

Review Of Major Crop And Animal Arthropod Pests Of South Texas, Holly N. Davis, John A. Goolsby, Donald B. Thomas, Ismael Badillo, Rupesh R. Kariyat, Christopher Vitek, Danielle Sekula

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The Lower Rio Grande Valley is an area in Texas that consists of the four southern-most counties. This area contains a diverse range of agriculture and land-use including vegetable, row-crop and livestock production. The year-around cool to hot subtropical climate means that green vegetation is continually present, including many crops. Geographically, it shares an international border, making it a region vulnerable to new invasive species and the re-introduction of pests that have been previously eliminated in the United States. These combined factors lead to an array of arthropod pests that may have serious impacts on the crops, animals, and people …

Evaluation Of The Use Of Alternative Biomarkers As Indicators Of Post-Release Mortality In Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus Limbatus), Casey L. Zender

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The release of sharks caught in recreational fisheries or as by-catch in non-target commercial fisheries is generally regarded as a sustainable fishing approach. However, post-release mortality can occur in these fish due to physiological damage sustained during capture. It is important to determine the amount of mortality specifically attributed to capture so losses can be accounted for in population management practices. Previous studies have used electronic tagging and/or measurement of secondary stress indicators in plasma (e.g., pH, levels of lactate, glucose, pCO₂) to estimate rates of post-release mortality. These methods may not always be the best approaches, as …

Exploring Eight-Armed Intelligence Through Film, Tierney M. Thys

Animal Sentience

Mather (2019) provides a rich overview of the elements underlying octopus cognition and behavioral flexibility. Recently, two remarkable natural history films, My Octopus Teacher and The Octopus in My House have explored intimate human-octopus relationships with a wild (Octopus vulgaris) and a captive octopus (Octopus cyanea) respectively. Both films show rare behaviors that offer observations to test new hypotheses as well as a novel perspective on our own human relationships and place within the natural world. An interview with filmmaker Craig Foster from My Octopus Teacher reveals the profound and transformative power of forming a trusting …

Assessing The Blood Meal Hosts Of Culex Quinquefasciatus And Aedes Taeniorhynchus In Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Samoa Asigau, Sawsan Salah, Patricia Parker

Biology Department Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Mangrove Cuckoo, Coccyzus Minor, Neurocranium, Lola R. Mildren, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Bone Mineral Density Of The Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops Truncatus: A Proposed Model For Monitoring Osteological And Ecosystem Health, James Wright Burrus Powell

Dissertations and Theses

Bone mineral density (BMD) in the pectoral flipper of the common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, was examined to address the need to define a comprehensive target site for clinical osteodensitometric assessment and to establish ranges of observed bone density values for this species. Radii were analyzed using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), the accepted standard in human medical studies. Multiple loci within the radius were identified and assessed for their correlation to BMD of the entire bone. Radii BMD were also examined for differences based on sex, age, total body length, handedness, geographical affinity, and nutritional status at time …

Changes In The Diet And Body Size Of A Small Herbivorous Mammal (Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon Hispidus) Following The Late Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction, Catalina P. Tomé, Emma A. Elliott Smith, S. Kathleen Lyons, Seth D. Newsome, Felisa A. Smith

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The catastrophic loss of large-bodied mammals during the terminal Pleistocene likely led to cascading effects within communities. While the extinction of the top consumers probably expanded the resources available to survivors of all body sizes, little work has focused on the responses of the smallest mammals. Here, we use a detailed fossil record from the southwestern United States to examine the response of the hispid cotton rat Sigmodon hispidus to biodiversity loss and climatic change over the late Quaternary. In particular, we focus on changes in diet and body size. We characterize diet through carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen …

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

Mammal Species Inventory Using Various Trapping Methods In Zone 4 Of Billy Barquedier National Park, Belize During Rainy Season, Mersady Redding

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize is a small country, but it is extremely ecologically diverse. Based on the few studies conducted in Belize, the abundance of mammals is low but diversity is high. Particular findings note the number and identity of species differed between four sites in the Maya Mountains of Belize, indicating that a data set from a single site is not representative of the Neotropical region. Insufficient data is available to estimate current species richness of many areas in Belize, including Billy Barquedier National Park (BBNP). The objective of this study was to explore trapping and documentation methods of terrestrial mammals in …

Red Grouper Skull, Jessica Urban, Miranda Brohman, Zachery Young

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Molecular Survey Of Helminths Infecting Ground Dwelling Birds In The Grouse Subfamily Tetraoninae, Briana M. Sesmundo

Honors College Theses

Alaskan grouse and ptarmigan (Galliformes) are important avian game species in Alaska. Interestingly, gallids harbor a fairly diverse helminth fauna, particularly cestodes, which may make birds with high parasite loads more susceptible to predation. Unfortunately, there is limited information available on the helminth fauna of Alaskan gallids, and no molecular surveys. The present study aims to develop baseline data on diversity of intestinal and subcutaneous (filariid) helminth infections in galliforms using morphological and molecular (DNA) approaches. These data can then be used to better understand changes in helminth community structure given current environmental volatility. The intestines, cloaca, liver and kidneys …

Sea Robin, Prionotus Carolinus , Neurocranium, Alexandra L. Jackson, Mia I. Andahazy, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Sea Robin (Prionotus Carolinus) Neurocranium, Brittany A. Malin, Mykenzee L. Munaco, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Neurocranium from 7.7cm total length (TL) Sea Robin (Prionotus carolinus), collected from a preserved mixed-fishes set from Carolina Biological Supply Company

Sea Robin (Triglidae) Neurocranium, David W. Kerstetter, Sarah Kennedy, Kathryn Kuruoglu

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Burrowing Owl (Athene Cunicularia) Cranium, Dennis A. Mandi, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Dynamics Of Avian Elevational Ranges Reveal Hidden Evolutionary Forces, Chauncey R. Gadek

Biology ETDs

The distribution of life across the Andes mountains reflects historical elevational-range contraction and expansion. Whereas contraction implies specialization, expansion requires overcoming hidden barriers. Three eco-evolutionary phenomena may drive patterns in rates of elevational range evolution: (1) The Dobzhansky-MacArthur Phenomenon (DMP) predicts lower rates of upward expansion with harsher physical conditions, while downward expansion increases with lower diversity; (2) the evolutionary tendency toward specialization predicts contraction increases when ranges are broad; and (3) natural selection for respiratory performance could suppress expansion across mid-elevations due to gene-environment mismatch. We modeled elevational range shifts of Neotropical landbirds. Contrary to the DMP, upward expansion …

Immune Gene Diversity And Populations Structure Of Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma Bishopi), Steven Tyler Williams

LSU Master's Theses

Reticulated flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma bishopi) populations began decreasing dramatically in the late 1900s. Contemporary populations are small, isolated, and may be susceptible to inbreeding and reduced adaptive potential because of low genetic variation. Genetic variation at immune genes is especially important as it influences disease susceptibility and adaptation to emerging infectious pathogens, a central conservation concern for declining amphibians. Connectivity between isolated populations is also vital to maintain genetic diversity and avoid inbreeding. I collected tissue samples from across the extant range of this salamander to examine genetic variation and population structure in: immune genes broadly (immunome), the …

Testing Protocols For Surveying Captive Limulus Polyphemus Microbiomes, Fabian Leija, Sean A. Neiswenter Dr.

LSAMP Poster Presentations

Limulus polyphemus, the Atlantic horseshoe crab, is a marine arthropod that primarily resides in the shallow intertidal zone of brackish water, water where high salinity seawater meets fresh water. The ecological niche that horseshoe crabs reside in makes them an ideal animal to be placed in an aquarium touch-tank, only needing a shallow pool of water to live comfortably as well as having a tough chitin carapace that won’t be easily damaged by visitors touching them. However, the implications of these human-animal interactions are severely unexplored with limited research being conducted regarding touch-tanks. In contrast, the consequences and hygienic practices …

Hogfish Neurocranium, Christopher Z. Lucero, Michael A. Terlizzi, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Amendments To The 1995 Offshore Constitutional Settlement, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Green Club After School Program Curriculum, Megan Willburn

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

Green Club is an after school program which encourages students to develop environmental empathy, passions for environmental sustainability, and knowledge about the workings of environmental systems.

Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus), Alois Romanowski, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) collected as-is on the beach of Anclote Key, Florida in 1999.

Leopards Are Good To Think With: Spotting The Zanzibar Leopard In Jozani Forest, Andrew Weier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this project, the modern narrative of the Zanzibar leopard was studied in Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park. Game cameras were installed and various locations around the national park to try and gather primary evidence that supported the existence of a leopard population in the forest. In addition, local community members were interviewed about recent leopard related activities. No biological evidence was gathered that supported the existence of the Zanzibar leopard and information collected from interviews indicated a potential shift in which other organisms are considered leopards. Recommendations were made for future research to be able to better understand the complex …