Biology Commons^™

Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus Urophasianus) Habitat Selection In Northwestern Wyoming And Stable Isotope Analysis Of Fecal Material, Andrea Renee Green

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dramatic range-wide declines in Greater Sage-Grouse populations have prompted efforts to determine habitat characteristics that are selected by sage-grouse for foraging, nesting and brood-rearing areas in an effort to conserve this species. Managers at Heart Mountain and Y U Bench in northwestern Wyoming expressed the need to quantify various habitat characteristics and to determine key use areas at both study sites. Data were collected on a variety of habitat variables in spots selected by grouse for foraging, nesting, and brood-rearing activities. These variables were compared to the same variables measured at random points at both study sites. Significant differences existed …

Communication And Common Interest, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Manolo Martínez

Publications and Research

Explaining the maintenance of communicative behavior in the face of incentives to deceive, conceal information, or exaggerate is an important problem in behavioral biology. When the interests of agents diverge, some form of signal cost is often seen as essential to maintaining honesty. Here, novel computational methods are used to investigate the role of common interest between the sender and receiver of messages in maintaining cost-free informative signaling in a signaling game. Two measures of common interest are defined. These quantify the divergence between sender and receiver in their preference orderings over acts the receiver might perform in each state …

Fluttering Beauty, Jonathan Jeffrey

SCL Faculty and Staff Publications

This article chronicles the efforts of Lillian Iona (Tyne) Pace (1925-2010) in getting the Viceroy butterfly designated as the Kentucky state butterfly.

The Envenoming Pandemic And The Misguided Views Of Snakes: Developing Sustainable Relationships Between Native Poisonous Snakes Of India And The Citizens Of Maharashtra Through The Use Of The Irula Model., Destiny Villanueva

Animal Science

Due to its vast population and general negative consensus regarding snakes, India is notorious for having more snakebite incidents than any other country. Snakes are simultaneously revered and feared in Indian religion and culture. This stigma is perpetuated through propaganda, family beliefs, and innate fears of snakes.These stigmas are more pronounced within rural areas, such as the region of Mahad within the state of Maharshtra. Envenoming is endemic in these areas, and others like them. The World Health Organization identified envenoming as one of the most neglected tropical diseases of the 21st century (Nature India, 2013). Additionally, both nonvenomous and …

Utilizing Remote Sensing And Geospatial Techniques To Determine Detection Probabilities Of Large Mammals, Patricia A. Terletzky-Gese

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Whether a species is rare and requires protection or is overabundant and needs control, an accurate estimate of population size is essential for the development of conservation plans and management goals. Wildlife science has traditionally relied on human observers in airplanes, helicopter, or ground vehicles to count the number of individuals seen during wildlife surveys. However, these traditional surveys of wildlife require significant resources, are difficult to conduct quickly and safely over remote and/or extensive locations, are disruptive to the studied species, and are prone to significant error due to unobserved or missed animals and multiple counts of single animals. …

Alternations Of Nmda And Gabab Receptor Function In Development: A Potential Animal Model Of Schizophrenia, Monica Bolton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder that affects up to 3% of the world population. The behavioral symptoms are categorized into positive and negative symptoms, which appear during late adolescence/early adulthood. Unfortunately, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of the disease are poorly understood. Several hypotheses exist to explain mechanisms contributing to these behavioral alterations. One model proposes that a reduced function of the NMDA glutamate receptor on specific GABAergic interneurons may be responsible for deficits in schizophrenia. Post-mortem investigations provide evidence of reductions in both glutamate and GABA-related proteins in patients with schizophrenia. Further, GABAergic interneurons that are activated …

Science Fiction And The Myth Of Trajectory Evolution, Jocelyn D. Pickreign

The Macalester Review

Stephen Jay Gould first proposed the idea of “iconographies of progress.” Today, one of the most prominent forms of progress iconography is the science fiction story. Science fiction as a genre frequently portrays evolution as a linear trajectory of increasing complexity, and in doing so, furthers a worldview that is not unlike the pre-Darwin understanding of human beings as both the center and the pinnacle of the natural world.

Ontogeny Of Venom Use And Venom Composition In The Western Widow Spider Latrodectus Hesperus, David Roger Nelsen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

I investigated the behavioral ecology of venom and venom use by the western widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus), emphasizing the role of ontogeny. In an introductory paper, I reviewed existing definitions of venom and poison, and refined these by adding a third category of toxic biological secretions: toxungen. These three can be distinguished by mode of toxin delivery and presence of a wound. In the first of four empirical studies, I investigated venom use by adult females in the context of threat assessment. A single brief poke at the lowest threat level elicited primarily avoidance responses ("move" and "retract"), repeated prodding …

Effects Of Food Dispersion On Dominance Related Behaviors In Garnett's Bushbaby (Otolemur Garnettii)?, Kyle Daniel Edens

Dissertations

Socio-ecological theorists tie primate social structure diversity to variations in habitats within which primate species reside. This premise permits laboratory researchers to investigate specific factors that influence or relate to social structure formation and maintenance. The focus of the current investigation was three fold. We first aimed to determine the relationships between traditional and non-traditional behavioral measures of dominance, then evidence for dominance hierarchy formation was examined, and various hypotheses were tested to discern if adjustments in the foraging context altered social behaviors in Garnett’s bushbaby (Otolemur garnettii). It was determined that animals likely to displace conspecifics were …

The Cultural Manifestations Of Anorexia Nervosa, Aaron Volk

Tredway Library Prize for First-Year Research

No abstract provided.

Accessing Learning In The Adult Zebrafish With A Novel Associative Learning Task, David Joseph Jouandot Ii

Dissertations

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is accepted in the developmental and genomic communities as a model organism. However, the capacity for the zebrafish as a behavioral model has yet to be fully acknowledged. The research presented provides evidence validating the novel task, aids in gaining a better understanding of the learning processes, and identifies individual differences. The novel associative learning task differs from any present well established behavioral model and lends itself to future development. The task provides the zebrafish community with a high output behavioral task which is readily replicated and allows one researcher to test between eight …

The Effects Of Selected Drugs On The Memory Recall Of Sleep Deprived Mice, Jenn Pauldurai

Capstone Research Projects

Humans often make use of the neurotransmission altering effects of drugs such as caffeine, ephedrine, and ethanol. These drugs induce changes in memory and learning ability, specifically when used for sleep deprivation. English white mice (Mus musculus) have been shown to exhibit similar cognitive changes when administered drugs while sleep deprived. A sample of 20 mice was divided into three experimental groups (each group receiving a different drug) and one control group. Maze-testing demonstrated that mice performance decreased with sleep deprivation (Treatment-1) but all groups returned to baseline performance when injected (IP) with selected drugs (Treatment-2), regardless of …

Isolation Of Secreted Micrornas (Mirnas) From Cell-Conditioned Media, Claire L. Glynn, Sonja Khan, Michael J. Kerin, Roisin M. Dwyer

Forensic Science Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be stable in the circulation of cancer patients raising their potential as circulating biomarkers of disease. The specific source and role, however, of miRNAs in the circulation is unknown and requires elucidation to determine their true potential. In this study, along with primary tissue explants and primary stromal cells, three breast cancer cell lines were employed, including T47D, MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3. Tissue explants were harvested in theatre, with informed patient consent, and included tumour, tumour associated normal, and diseased lymph node samples. Cell-conditioned media containing all factors secreted by the cells were harvested. MiRNAs …

Combatting Dental Anxiety In Patients, Gretchen Osdoba

Natural Science Student Work

Dental Anxiety is a highly debilitating condition that can keep people away from the dentist and from receiving critical care. This can lead to serious medical conditions that could have easily been prevented through proper dental care. The purpose of this paper is to describe the nature of dental fear and the different treatment options available. I will focus on helpful traits of dentists and the use of psychological treatments, nitrous oxide, anti-anxiety medications, and general anesthesia to reduce this fear. I will also discuss a comparison of a psychological treatment and an anti-anxiety medication as short-term and long-term treatment …

Volume 05, Ian Karamarkovich, Jessica Cox, Kyle Fowlkes, Allison Pawlowski, Kaitlin Major, Carrie Dunham, Kelsey Scheitlin, Kathryn Grayson, Ashley Johnson, Jennifer Nehrt, Kelsey Stolzenbach, Kristin Mcquarrie, Sara Nelson, Melisa Michelle, Jessica Sudlow, Perry Bason, Danielle Dmuchawski, Mariah Asbell, Matthew Sakach, Timothy Smith Jr., Annaliese Troxell, T. Dane Summerell, Sarah Ganrude, Malina Rutherford, Hannah Hopper, John Berry Jr., James Early, Colleen Festa, Chelsea D. Taylor, Michelle Maddox, Kaitlyn Smith, Sarah Schu, Cabell Edmunds, Katherine Grayson, Kayla Tornai

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Dean Dr. Charles Ross

The Tallis House as an Extension of Emily Tallis in McEwan's Atonement by Ian Karamarkovich

Graphic Design by Jessica Cox

Graphic Design by Kyle Fowlkes

Graphic Design by Allison Pawlowski

Incorporating Original Research in The Classroom: A Case Study Analyzing the Influence of the Chesapeake Bay on Local Temperatures by Kaitlin Major, Carrie Dunham and Dr. Kelsey Scheitlin

Graphic Design by Kathryn Grayson

Graphic Design by Ashley Johnson

Facing the Music: Environmental Impact Assessment of Building A Concert Hall on North Campus by Jennifer Nehrt, Kelsey Stolzenbach And Dr. Kelsey Scheitlin

Art by Kristin …

Internet Reviews: Ben (Biosciednet) Portal, John Creech

Library Scholarship

Review of the University of Michigan's BioSciEdNet Portal for use by undergraduates, graduate students, faculty instructors, and researchers.

Long-Term Data For Endemic Frog Genera Reveal Potential Conservation Crisis In The Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, David J. Gower, Roman K. Aberra, Silvia Schwaller, Malcolm J. Largen, Ben Collen, Stephen Spawls, Michele Menegon, Breda M. Zimkus, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

Populations of many frogs have declined alarmingly in recent years, placing nearly one third of the > 6,000 species under threat of extinction. Declines have been attributed largely to habitat loss, environmental degradation and/or infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis. Many frogs undergo dramatic natural population fluctuations such that long-term data are required to determine population trends without undue influence of stochastic factors. We present long-term quantitative data (individuals encountered per person hour of searching) for four monotypic frog genera endemic to an Afromontane region of exceptional importance but growing conservation concern: one endemic to the Ethiopian highlands (Spinophrynoides osgoodi) and three …

Application Of Remote Sensing In Aquatic Ecosystems, Foad Yousef

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

I utilized state the art remote sensing and GIS (Geographical Information System) techniques to study large scale biological, physical and ecological processes of coastal, nearshore, and offshore waters of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. These processes ranged from chlorophyll a and primary production time series analysies in Lake Michigan to coastal stamp sand threats on Buffalo Reef in Lake Superior. I used SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) satellite imagery to trace various biological, chemical and optical water properties of Lake Michigan during the past decade and to investigate the collapse of early spring primary production. Using spatial analysis techniques, I …

Ovarian Cycle Activity Varies With Respect To Age And Social Status In Free-Ranging Elephants In Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, Elizabeth Freeman, Jordana Meyer, Sarah Putman, Bruce A. Schulte, Janine Brown

Biology Faculty Publications

Free-ranging African elephants live in a fission–fusion society, at the centre of which is the matriarch. Matriarchs are generally older females that guide their families to resources and co-ordinate group defense. While much is known about elephant society, knowledge is generally lacking about how age affects the physiology of wild elephants. Investigation of the ovarian activity of free-ranging elephants could provide insight into the reproductive ageing process, with implications for population management. Faecal samples were collected from 46 individuals ranging in age from 14 to 60 years for a 2-year period, and progestagen metabolite analyses were used to examine relationships …

A Multi-Method Study Of The Socioeconomic Status Of People Living On The Kumbon Landfill In Khon Kaen, Thailand, Candace Leflame

Whittier Scholars Program

This project is multidimensional including data from questionnaires, inventories, maps, life stories, focus groups and interviews to create a data analysis on the socioeconomic status of people living on the Kumbon landfill. This students shares history of the landfill and explains how the pile of waste has become both home and work to a population of people. They write, Socioeconomic studies in this community are very limited due to the overwhelming environmental health hazards that are affecting surrounding communities. Governments and individual research faculties have been more interested to the effect to the surrounding villages than to the actual people …

Ketamine Induced Deficits In Working Memory With Relevance To Schizophrenia, Michael A. Langhardt, Jefferson Kinney

McNair Poster Presentations

Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating brain disorder, which affects approximately one per­cent of the adult population worldwide. The symptoms of schizophrenia are commonly divided into three broad classes: positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive disturbances (Kay, et al., 1987). The positive symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, delusions, and dis­organized thinking, while the negative symptoms include affective flattening, social withdrawal, and an inability to plan and carry out future activities. The cognitive disturbances exhibited in schizophrenia include deficits in spatial reference and working memory as well as difficulties with focus and attention (Lewis et. al., 2007). Several models have been proposed …

An Acute Inflammatory Response In A Diabetic Alzheimer’S Disease Model, Krystal Courtney D. Belmonte, Jefferson Kinney

McNair Poster Presentations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 50 to 80 percent of all dementia cases. This neurodegenerative disease leads to neuronal death and tissue loss in the brain, resulting in the slow deterioration of memory, thinking skills, and eventually even the ability perform daily tasks. While it is not a normal part of aging, AD is mostly diagnosed in people over the age of 65; thus, the main risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is increased age, though it is most likely other additional factors also contribute (Heese & Akatsu, 2006). Neuropathological hallmarks of AD include …

A Revision Of The New World Ants Of The Genus Platythyrea Roger 1863 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Mayra Janett Leyva

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The genus Platythyrea consists of arboreal ants that are rarely collected. The genus was last partially revised in 1975 by Brown. Since that revision two additional species have been described. The New World genus Platythyrea now includes nine species: P. angusta Forel, P. exigua Kempf, P. lenca De Andrade, P. pilosula (Smith), P. prizo Kugler, P. punctata (Smith), P. sinuata (Roger), P. strenua Wheeler and P. zodion Brown. A new key, illustrations, diagnoses and distributions of the ants are provided.

Influences Of Ecological Light Pollution On Advertisement Calls Of Spea Multiplicata (Amphibia: Anura: Scaphiopodidae) In Rural And Urban Populations In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert And An Evaluation Of Hybrid S. Bombifrons X S. Multiplicata Calls, Katie Anderson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Spea is a genus of toad-like, arid adapted frogs distributed throughout much of the western U.S. and northern Mexico. Two species, (S. Bombifrons and S. Multiplicata) are syntopic throughout most of the northern Chihuahuan Desert, a region that is experiencing rapid urbanization. For this study, I examined 936 male advertisement calls from urban and rural populations of S. multiplicata, and a rural population of S. bombifrons in west Texas and south-central New Mexico. Advertisement calls from urban and rural S. multiplicata were compared against light level to assess the potential influence ecological light pollution plays in sexual …

The Effect Of Visual Wulst Lesions And Trigeminal Nerve Sectioning On The Discrimination Of Magnetic Inclination In The Homing Pigeon (Columba Livia), Merissa Acerbi

Honors Projects

The ability of homing pigeons to return to their loft from unknown places has fascinated scientists for centuries. It is well established that homing pigeons, like migratory birds, posses an innate magnetic inclination compass to determine direction by measuring the angle between the magnetic field vector and the Earth's surface. Recent work has indicated that the avian magnetic compass is light mediated and appears to mediate magnetic information to the brain. This occurs via a visual pathway with processing in the visual Wulst area of the forebrain. There is, however, also evidence from other avian species that magnetic direction may …

Chronic Stress Elevates Telomerase Activity In Rats, Annaliese K. Beery, Jue Lin, Joshua S. Biddle, Darlene D. Francis, Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Elissa S. Epel

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

The enzyme telomerase lengthens telomeres—protective structures containing repetitive DNA sequences at chromosome ends. Telomere shortening is associated with diseases of ageing in mammals. Chronic stress has been related to shorter immune-cell telomeres, but telomerase activity under stress may be low, permitting telomere loss, or high, partially attenuating it. We developed an experimental model to examine the impacts of extended unpredictable stress on telomerase activity in male rats. Telomerase activity was 54 per cent higher in stressed rats than in controls, and associated with stress-related physiological and behavioural outcomes. This significant increase suggests a potential mechanism for resilience to stress-related replicative …

Internet Reviews: Biodiversity Heritage Library, John Creech

Library Scholarship

Review of the Biodiversity Heritage Library, emphasizing its value and appeal to a world-wide multi-lingual audience.

Rapid Range Expansion In The Great Plains Narrow-Mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne Olivacea) And A Revised Taxonomy For North American Microhylids, Jeffrey W. Streicher, Christian L. Cox, Jonathan A. Campbell, Eric N. Smith, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

We investigated genetic variation within the Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad, Gastrophryne olivacea, across its geographic range in the United States and Mexico. An analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 105 frogs revealed remarkably low levels of genetic diversity in individuals inhabiting the central United States and northern Mexico. We found that this widespread matrilineal lineage is divergent (ca. 2% in mtDNA) from haplotypes that originate from the western United States and western coast of Mexico. Using a dataset that included all five species of Gastrophryne and both species of the closely related genus Hypopachus, we investigated the phylogenetic …

Of Mice And Mozart: Testing Spatial Reasoning And Memory Of Rats, Kaitlin O'Toole

Honors Theses

An increase in spatial-temporal reasoning has been documented in the presence of Mozart's sonata K.448; this enhancement of physical and psychological activities is called the "Mozart Effect" (Hughes 2001). This effect has been recorded in humans and animals alike, and its influence reaches a myriad of applications including calming wild animals to increasing test scores in college students to lowering high blood pressure. Using a cheeseboard apparatus to test spatial reasoning in rats, this experiment recorded the results from maze tasks completed in the presence of sonata K.448 compared to trials completed in silence. Results showed a significant difference between …

Remarkable Resilience Of Teeth (How Are Teeth So Brittle Yet So Resilient), Paul J. Constantino

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Tooth enamel is inherently weak, with fracture toughness comparable with glass, yet it is remarkably resilient, surviving millions of functional contacts over a lifetime. We propose a microstructural mechanism of damage resistance, based on observations from ex situ loading of human and sea otter molars (teeth with strikingly similar structural features). Section views of the enamel implicate tufts, hypomineralized crack-like defects at the enamel–dentin junction, as primary fracture sources. We report a stabilization in the evolution of these defects, by ‘‘stress shielding’’ from neighbors, by inhibition of ensuing crack extension from prism interweaving (decussation), and by self-healing. These factors, coupled …