Biology Commons^™

Review Of The Sub-Saharan Africa Species Of Dignomus And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Bostrichoids (Coleoptera: Bostrichoidea: Ptinidae), Amelia Lesbeth Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nine described species of Dignomus Wollaston, 1862. Study and dissection of specimens has led me to the hypothesis that there are nine undocumented species in this region. Descriptions and images of the new species are presented and discussed, along with a compiled list of all described species from the Sub- Saharan region. The probable biology as geographic distributions for members of the genus are also given.

Additionally, a phylogenetic analysis of 95 species of bostrichoids using CO1 molecular data was done with a focus on the origins of Dignomus and Pseudomezium. parsimony and bayesian analyses …

Evaluating The Social Behavior And Activity Patterns Of Clouded Leopards (Neofelis Nebulosa) At The Nashville Zoo: Research And Literature Review, Meghan Ryckeley

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The behavior of the elusive clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is not well understood. In captivity, they are prone to exhibit stress-related behaviors and are often aggressive to conspecifics when paired. The present study built on past research by examining clouded leopards at the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (NZG) to determine their activity patterns and temperament. Twelve leopards were exposed to familiar and unfamiliar objects and people, as well as their reflection in a mirror over nine trials. The males were often more reactive than the females, and the 5-year olds more reactive than their younger counterparts. The mirror …

Finding A Link Between Circadian Rhythms And The Immune System Of Captive Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia Guttata), Amber Bishop

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Circadian rhythms are commonplace in organisms and are normally controlled by a master clock. More recent evidence suggests that autonomous clocks operate in various systems in the body, including the immune system. This study looks for such a connection between the circadian rhythm and the immune system. In this study, captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) were exposed to different light and dark cycles and blood samples were taken every six hours. Birds were exposed to 12 hours of light and then 12 hours of darkness (LD), 24 hours of darkness (DD), or 48 hours of DD. After collecting …

Growth And Survival Of Salamanders Exposed To Different Formulations Of Glyphosate-Based Herbicide, Jessica Johnson

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Amphibian populations have been experiencing rapid declines worldwide in the past few decades. There are many proposed causations, including the use of agricultural chemicals such as herbicides. Glyphosate based herbicides are one of the most widely used herbicides. This study looks at the effects of different brands of glyphosate-based herbicides, including those intended for aquatic use, on the survival and growth of axolotl salamander larvae. Out of four brands of glyphosate herbicide (Aquamaster, Aquaneat, Helosate plus, and Roundup Pro), the survival rates of Roundup Pro were the lowest. Most mortality occurred between the 3 mg/L and 6 mg/L concentrations, during …

Patch-Occupancy Survey Of Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) Surrounding Livingstone, Zambia, David Youldon, Jackie Abell, Joanne Briffitt, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

Wild elephants represent the biggest human–wildlife conflict issue in Livingstone, Zambia. However, little is known about their movements. This survey investigated elephants’ habitat use outside a core protected and fenced zone that forms part of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia. Using ‘patch-occupancy’ methodology, indications of elephant presence (feeding behaviour, dung and tracks) were surveyed. The survey aimed to assist proposed future monitoring exercises by defining the geographical extent that should be considered to improve accuracy in species abundance estimates. Results were supplemented using collected indications of elephant presence from prior monitoring exercises, and during this survey. Elephant presence was confirmed up …

A Spanner In The Works: Human–Elephant Conflict Complicates The Food–Water–Energy Nexus In Drylands Of Africa, Bruce Schulte, Mwangi Githiru, Urbanus Mutwiwa, Simon Kasaine

Biology Faculty Publications

The two major conservation issues for drylands of Africa are habitat loss or degradation and habitat fragmentation, largely fromagriculture, charcoal production, and infrastructural development. A key question for management is how these landscapes can retain their critical ecological functions and services, while simultaneously supporting resilient livelihoods. It is a clear nexus question involving food (agriculture), water, and energy (fuelwood), which is complicated by human–wildlife conflicts. While these could appear disparate issues, they are closely connected in dryland forest landscapes of Africa where elephants occur close to areas of human habitation. For instance, crop failure, whether due to weather or wildlife …

The Effects Of Drought On Diets Of Apex Predators In The South African Lowveld Inferred By Fecal Hair Analysis, Shelby Wade

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

To properly manage offtake quotas and conservation efforts, Balule Nature Reserve (South Africa) instituted a study in 2014 to determine prey species selection by megapredators. In 2015, Balule Nature Reserve received about 190 mm less rainfall between the months of January and June than in 2014 (116 mm less than average). This study compares the diets of lions and hyaenas between 2014 and 2015. Prey species consumed were determined by fecal analysis, and results were compared to prey availability. Sixteen, 1 km2 plots were chosen from the 400 km2 Reserve. Between June and August 2015, we walked three, 1 km …

Exercise To The Rescue: An Analysis Of Altered Metabolic Gene Regulation Post-Exercise In Lean And Obese Individuals, Brandon Mudd

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The skeletal muscle of obese individuals exhibits a depressed ability to metabolize fats. Exercise training is thought to rescue this dampened ability to metabolize fats; mediated by a coordinated increase in the expression of a network of genes that regulate metabolism and fuel utilization. The purpose of this study is to determine the exercise-induced regulation of metabolically important genes in lean and obese individuals. Muscle biopsies (one pre-exercise/baseline and one immediately post-exercise) were obtained from 4 lean (BF% 24.4 ± 5.5; 23.5 yrs ± 1.9) and 13 obese (BF% 39.7 ± 2.4; 26.1 yrs ± 2.3), age-matched, relatively young subjects, …

Maternal Sleep Loss During Fetal Development Alters Offspring Endocrine Responses To Stress Throughout Life, Audrey Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis releases glucocorticoids, including corticosterone (CORT), in response to stress. CORT then negatively feeds back to inhibit its own production by binding to glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The HPA axis is subject to “programming” by abnormal stimuli during early development, which may permanently alter how the HPA axis responds to stress. These altered responses have been linked to an increased risk for human psychiatric and metabolic disorders in later life, but the mechanism by which this happens is not fully understood. This study tests the hypothesis that changes to GR expression patterns …

Chemical Signaling In Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus): Concentration Effects With Applications For Management And Conservation, Chase Andrew Ladue

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Asian elephants utilize two chemical signals that have been described to function in reproduction: (1) (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate (Z7-12:Ac) is released by females near ovulation, and (2) frontalin is released by males around the time of musth. Signaling theory posits that the concentration at which either compound is emitted should have implications for the response of the receiver, varying with factors such as sex and reproductive experience. Here, the objectives were to: (1) investigate the effect of concentration on receiver chemosensory behavior in an effort to identify detection thresholds and concentrations of maximum response for reproductively experienced or inexperienced male and …

Effects Of Sleep Fragmentation On The Immune System Of Zebra Finches Using Cytokine Gene Expression, Laken N. Cooper

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sleep loss is known to trigger an inflammatory response and increase serum corticosterone in both human and murine models. However, very little evidence is available on the potential effects of sleep loss in avian models. This study aims to construct a profile using cytokine gene expression data to determine how birds respond to sleep loss in a controlled environment. I investigated changes in pro-inflammatory (IL-1β and IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine gene expression in the periphery (fat, liver, spleen, and heart) and brain (hypothalamus, hippocampus, and apical hyperpallium) in zebra finches exposed to a novel sleep fragmentation method. Serum corticosterone, …

Impacts Of Habitat Fragmentation On The Cranial Morphology Of A Threatened Desert Fish (Cyprinodon Pecosensis), Michael Chaise Gilbert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Drastic alterations to the North American Southwest’s hydrology have highly influenced resident fish communities. In New Mexico and Texas, the Pecos River has been severely altered as a result of water manipulation, isolating backwaters and various habitats that were once connected to the main river. Cyprinodon pecosensis (Pecos pupfish) has been highly impacted due to the effects of anthropogenic water manipulation, as well as species introductions. Cyprinodon pecosensis populations have become isolated and scattered, residing in sinkholes, remnant lakes, and static backwaters, thus creating numerous micropopulations. The purpose of this study was to assess the morphological variation in cranial features …

Phylogeny Of The Oniticellini And Onthophagini Dung Beetles (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) From Morphological Evidence, T. Keith Philips

Biology Faculty Publications

A phylogenetic study was conducted to hypothesize relationships of most of the genera of the Oniticellini and Onthophagini for the first time using morphological characters from a diverse array of external and internal sclerites. The monophyly and sister relationship of both tribes was found using Bayesian and parsimony analyses with heavily to moderately weighted data. An alternative hypothesis based on parsimony analyses of unweighted or slightly weighted data show a paraphyletic Oniticellini without the Onthophagini, although recognition of the subtribe Helictopleurina as a tribe would eliminate non-monophyly.

Of the three Oniticellini subtribes, the Helictopleurina and Drepanocerina are monophyletic. There is …

Global Phylogeny Of The Water Penny Beetles Using Both Molecular And Morphological Evidence (Co, Mathew Vincent Wood

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Psephenidae is a family of freshwater beetles usually found in swift streams worldwide. Their unique disc shaped and flattened larvae have made this a group of interest for scientists for centuries. Morphologically, this family has been relatively well researched, and systematically the family is fairly well known and supported as monophyletic. One issue with Psephenidae, and with many other insect groups, is the lack of the molecular phylogenetic analyses to test morphology hypothesizes.

After successfully sequencing these two genes from species representing nearly all of the known genera, the data were analyzed using both Bayesian and parsimony methods. Analyses …

Decay Of Macroalgae And Leaves And Their Relation To Detrital Food Webs, Megan E. Grandinetti

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This project addressed if decaying macroalgae and leaf detritus play a major role in the detrital pool of a 7th-order karst riverine system. Decay rates, macroinvertebrates colonization patterns, and change in δ13C values of Cladophora, Platanus occidentalis, and a mix of Acer negundo and A. saccharinum were tracked during summer and autumn months for portions of multiple years.

Packs of air-dried Cladophora, Acer, and P. occidentalis were placed in mesh bags and put in groups (n=4) in wire baskets. Seven baskets were submerged in riffle (0.5 m) and deeper run (2 m) habitats. Benthic organic matter was collected with each …

Modulation Of Prey-Capture Kinematics And Suction Feeding Performance In Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus Dolomieu, Andrea Sejdic

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The feeding behavior of fishes is a topic that has piqued the interests of many researchers given the dynamic and ancestral nature of aquatic prey-capture. This study examines aquatic feeding in terms of the suction and ram components of feeding in smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu, and how they modulate their kinematic behavior when attacking pelagic and benthic prey. Relative to other Micropterus genera, the reduced gape in smallmouth bass suggests they may create considerable suction pressure – stronger subambient pressure pulled through a smaller opening creates greater velocity. Suction feeding is useful when feeding on benthic prey, such as crayfish. …

Examining Patient-Centered Care Through The Eyes Of An Occupational Therapist, Molly R. Ray

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The concept of person-centered care is a major factor in the ongoing shift between a type of care that focuses on biological concepts ignoring psychological and emotional needs of a person, to a new type of care that considers the whole person, striving to meet not only their physical needs, but their spiritual and emotional needs, striving to involve the patient in every aspect of care. In this study, an adapted person-centered checklist was created as a possible future tool to encourage occupational therapists to implement person-centered care techniques in daily practice. Supporting research includes a literature review on person-centered …

Wire Netting Reduces African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana) Impact To Selected Trees In South Africa, Kelly Derham, Michelle Henley, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are ecosystem engineers in that they substantially alter the environment through their unique foraging and feeding habits. At high densities, elephants potentially have negative impacts on the environment, specifically for large trees. Because of this, recent increases of elephants in the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, have caused concern regarding the survival of several tree species. Our objective was to assess the effectiveness of wrapping protective wire netting around the trunk of the tree for preventing and reducing bark stripping, branch breaking, …

Genus-Wide Assessment Of Bactrurus (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae) Informs Conservation And Management Of Groundwater Habitats, Matthew L. Niemiller, Steven J. Taylor

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Karst Wreckage: Subterranean Fauna As Collateral Damage, Julian J. Lewis, Salisa L. Lewis

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Managing The Spread Of Pseudogymnoascus Destructans And Conserving Bats Threatened By White-Nose Syndrome In North America, Jeremy Coleman, Jonathan D. Reichard, Richard Geboy, Christopher Servheen, Christina Kocer, Mike Armstrong

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Strip Adaptive Cluster Sampling With Application To Cave Crickets, Kurt Lewis Helf

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

Monitoring In-Cave Resources With Reduced Impact And Increased Quantitative Capacity: Developing Photogrammetry Methodologies For In Cave Environments, Robyn L. Henderek, John R. Wood, Benjamin W. Tobin

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

The Extirpation Of A Population Of The Endangered Illinois Cave Amphipod (Gammarus Acherondytes) By An Exotic Species: The Wednesday Cave Debacle, Julian J. Lewis, Salisa L. Lewis

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

White-Nose Syndrome Response At Mammoth Cave National Park, Rickard S. Toomey

National Cave and Karst Management Symposia

No abstract provided.

The Examination Of Enrichment Using Space And Food For African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) At The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Charlotte Hacker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Concern for elephant welfare in zoological facilities has prompted a number of exhibit and management modifications, including those involving enrichment. Knowledge of how these changes impact measures of health and wellbeing, such as elephant movement and behavior, is crucial as the effects of multiple enrichment types and their interactions are largely understudied. The present study used observations and GPS unit collected data to determine the effects of space and food on the walking distance and behavior of thirteen African elephants, whose dominance structure was ascertained by the handlers at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (SDZSP). This facility has two …

Functional Characterization Of A Cathepsin L In Drosophila Melanogaster, Qian Dong

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Drosophila dorsal Air Sac Primordium (ASP) is a tracheal tube that invasively grows toward and into the wing imaginal disc. The unfolding of Drosophila wing is a process following eclosion with a cuticular bilayer replacing epithelial cells originally packing the wing. We reasoned that protease functions might be needed for the invasion of ASP into the wing imaginal disc as well as the rearrangement of epithelia cells during wing unfolding. Our study is particularly focused on understanding the role of a Cathepsin L like cysteine protease (CP1) in the development of dorsal ASP and wing development of Drosophila melanogaster. …

Applications Of Latin Hypercube Sampling Scheme And Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient Analysis To Mathematical Models On Wound Healing, Hannah M. Pennington

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Latin hypercube sampling and Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient procedure (LHS/PRCC) can be used in combination to perform a sensitivity analysis that assesses a model over a global parameter space. Through this analysis, the uncertainty of the parameters and therefore the variability of the model output in response to this uncertainty can be observed. Latin hypercube sampling divides the parameter space into equiprobable regions and sample without replacement, producing a global, unbiased selection of parameter values. For montonic, non-linear relationships, the correlation between the outputs and parameters can be understood by performing a Partial Rank Correlation Coefficient procedure. This sensitivity analysis …

The Effects Of New Materials And Teaching Methodologies On Low-Level Biology Courses, Rebecca L. Garrison

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

A new generation has entered higher education that learns differently from generations before. To meet the changing needs of this generation, Western Kentucky University’s Biology Department introduced e-textbooks and e-materials from McGraw Hill™ publishing in the fall of 2013 to most low-level classes. A foreseen product of this shift was a change in the way that some faculty taught and assessed their classes. This study assesses the changes in pedagogical techniques among professors of 100- and 200-level biology classes due to the new e-text and e-materials. Syllabi were collected from these classes pre- and post-implementation and common characteristics were inductively …

Analysis Of Seed Preference Trials Of Red Veld Rats And Smith's Bush Squirrels And Trap Effectiveness In The Lowveld Of South Africa, Brooke A. Barber

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Large tree species in South Africa face reproductive decline, especially older trees that provide ecosystem connectivity. Management of Balule Nature Reserve, an extensive private nature reserve in South Africa, wanted to investigate the roles rodents play in the recruitment and survival of select tree species. Two large tree species of concern, marula (Sclerocarya birrea) and knobthorn acacia (Acacia nigrescens) are dominant, habitat providers and red bushwillow (Combretum apiculatum) is a smaller and more common, prolific seed producer. I investigated whether rodents, specifically red veld rats and Smith’s bush squirrels, may play a detrimental role …