Biology Commons^™

Studies Of Sodium-22 In Active And Hibernating Citellus Lateralis, Rex H. Howard

Biology ETDs

Interest in hibernation has risen in past years. With new techniques we are now better able to observe and evaluate some of hibernation's mysteries. Investigation of electrolyte metabolism and its regulatory systems at low temperatures may provide clues to the adaptive mechanism of hibernation. With sodium as the principal extracellular cation of the mammalian organism, information about the above might be gained from studies utilizing radiosodium (22Na) and isotope tracer techniques. Radiosodium studies were therefore initiated for several reasons: (i) an interest in hibernation, (ii) an interest in factors regulating electrolyte metabolism, (iii) an attempt to define the temperature dependent …

A Study Of The Genus Phacelia In New Mexico, Helen M. Bobisud

Biology ETDs

From Introduction:

Phacelia, the largest genus in the family Hydrophyllaceae, consists of some 150 to 200 species. The genus is heterogeneous and has undergone several revisions of both infrageneric organization and species classification. The type species is P. secunda J. F. Gmelin, Syst. 2:330. 1791.

In 1789. Jussieu assigned the genus to what is now the family Boraginaceae. Brown (see Edwards, 1817) assigned Phacelia to the order Hydrophylleae. In 1875 Asa Gray united the order Hydrophylleae with the family Hydroleae and formed the family Hydrophyllaceae. He divided the genus Phacelia into seven subgenera based on characteristics of ovules, seeds, and …

Crab Spiders (Araneida, Thomisidae) Associated With Plants In Central New Mexico, Daniel T. Jennings

Biology ETDs

A total of 2,034 crab spiders, representing 1,899 juveniles and 135 adults, were collected chiefly by sweeping pure and mixed stands of plants in central New Mexico. The spiders collected belong to 24 taxa and include 17 species, Plant associations were determined for most of the species and compared with previously published records. The species of crab spiders collected seem to occur more frequently on grasses and composites than on any other kinds of plants. Juvenile crab spiders were found to have less plant specificity than do mature crab spiders. Six species, Coriarachne aemula, Misumenops californicus, Philodromus droseroides, Rhysodromus histiro …

Ecological Distribution Of The Genus Peromyscus In The Sandia Mountains, New Mexico, Don E. Wilson

Biology ETDs

The Sandia Mountains in central New Mexico present an opportunity not often available for comparative studies of mice of the genus Peromyscus. Five species of Peromyscus are present in the range. Most investigators have been able to study only two or three naturally coexisting species of Peromyscus (McCabe and Blanchard, 1950; Dice, 1942; Jameson, 1951). Naylor (1964) described the vegetation, geography, and climate of the Sandia Mountains and Tatschl (1966) described bird distribution. A bioecological study of the Juan Tabo area is also available (Parker, 1949). The present study represents an attempt to elucidate the distribution of five species of …

Viability, Fecundity, And Longevity Of Heterozygous Combinations Of Lethal And Nonlethal Secon Chromosomes Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Jagadeesh Pyati

Biology ETDs

Homozygous lethal and nonlethal second chromosomes were isolated by the Cy-technique from a laboratory population of Drosophila melanogaster and placed opposite dp chromosomes to study the viability, fecundity, and longevity of heterozygotes. Viability was determined by testing 12 lethal and six non lethal chromosomes. Males heterozygous for the Cy and the test chromosomes were mated with dp/dp females. From the progeny, dp/+ males were crossed to dp/dp females. From the progeny, dp/+ males were crossed to dp/dp females. The relative proportion of dp/+ flies in the progeny would be expected to be the same in lethal and nonlethal classes if …

A Floristic Study Of The San Pedro Parks Wild Area, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, Annehara K. Tatschl

Biology ETDs

A floristic study was conducted in the San Pedro Parks Wild Area located in the San Pedro Mountain. The core of this mountain is granitic and of Precambrian origin. Average annual precipitation varies from 17 to 30 inches. In the San Pedro Parks perennial water flow exists, and the soils absorb and store a high percentage of precipitation. As a result, mesic species of plants predominate over xeric species. Nine collection sites were selected to represent the three life zones present in the San Pedro Parks and to represent the various habitats within the life zones. Each collection site was …

Studies Of Cesium-137 Metabolism By Blatta Orientalis In Various Thermal Environments, Tsin Fu Chuang

Biology ETDs

The effect of temperature on cesium-137 metabolism in the oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, was studied. Adult and nymphal animals were fed cesium-137 to investigate the biological half-time, excretion rate, retention curve and distribution of the isotope among body tissues.

Metabolic rate studies at different temperatures showed an exponential relationship between oxygen consumption and temperature. The Q₁₀ was 2.56 for adults and 2.20 for nymphs in the 10 C – 35 C range.

Cesium-137 elimination rate increased as environmental temperature increased. The Q₁₀ for cesium-137 elimination was constant (1.2) over the 15 C – 35 C range and greatly …

Northern Geographic Limits Of Four Species Of Desert Rodents In The Rio Grande Valley., Antonio L. Gennaro

Biology ETDs

Pour species of desert rodents were studied 1n the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico in an effort to detect the factor or factors excluding each one from areas north of their ranges. Their distributions were analyzed in relation to climate, vegetation, soil texture, and biotic competition.

The cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus) and rock pocket mouse (Perognathus intermedius} seem to be limited by temperature. Each is saxicolous and inhabits rocky outcrops as far north as certain isotherms for average annual maximal temperature, these being 71 F for£. eremicus and 69 F for~. intermedius. Occasionally the former inhabits nonrocky sites, but …

Sporicidal Efficiency Of Dimethyl Sulfoxide, Various Disinfectants, And Their Combinations For Four Strains Of Bacillus, William L. Lappenbusch

Biology ETDs

This study was concerned with the sporicidal efficiency of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), various disinfectants, and their combinations or complexes. Spores of Bacillus subtilis var. niger (globigii), Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis (5230), and Bacillus stearothermophiluswere used to demonstrate the sporicidal activity of DMSO, phenol, Clorox, phenylmercuric nitrate, silver nitrate, Roccal, merthiolate, and iodine. Dimethyl sulfoxide has been shown in the past to enhance the penetration of neighboring substances which it encounters whether it be by the formation of a complex or by a reservoir effect in which DMSO causes a change in the osmotic concentrations on either side of a semipermeable …

Isolation, Identification And Antibiotic Sensitivity Of Enteric Obligate Anaerobes In Cases Of Gastro-Enteritis, Gordon E. Newlin

Biology ETDs

Organisms capable of living in the absence of atmospheric oxygen were first described in 1861. However, it was not until almost forty years later that anaerobes were discovered to be associated with the human body. From 1900 until the present, most work with anaerobes concerned media and methods to promote the growth of these organisms. Their classification has been attempted, but their taxonomy still remains in a state of confusion. Rarely, and only in rather obvious cases, has the pathogenicity of these organisms been investigated. Consequently, these organisms and their relationship to pathogenicity remain relatively unknown to bacteriologists today.

Breeding Birds Of The Sandia Mountains, John L. Tatschl

Biology ETDs

A field study was conducted during the summer and winter months of 1964 and 1965 to determine what birds breed and winter in the Sandia Mountains. Study plots were established in eight different plant communities from 10,600 feet in spruce-fir to 6,350 feet in Embudo Canyon. Of the 154 species noted, 89 were found to breed in the Sandias. Permanent residents, arrival and departure dates, total numbers of breeding pairs per 100 acres per plant community, and nests were recorded. Biomass was recorded for each species and each community. The occurrence in flocks, pairs, or singly and the beginning and …

Va Survey Of Intestinal Helminths Occurring In Dogs From Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ronald P. Hathaway

Biology ETDs

In recent years there have appeared numerous publications dealing with intestinal helminth of dogs and the relationships of these helminths to public health. Although several species of helminths that normally infect dogs recently have be found to infect humans, most of these parasites are unable to complete their life cycles in man and are destined to wander aimlessly through tissues, bringing about a condition known as visceral larva migrans. The importance of such helminths as Toxocara canis and Ancylostoma canium in relation to human disease has been pointed out by Beaver et al. (1952) and Beaver (1956, 1959).

Distribution And Ecology Of The Bats Of Southern Hidalgo County, New Mexico, Jay Dee Druecker

Biology ETDs

This study has two objectives: (1) to determine the species composition and ecologic and geographic distribution of the chiropteran fauna in southern Hidalgo County, New Mexico, (2) to record the time and air temperature during periods of utilization of water holes by the species of bats found in the study area.

Most of the 1,250 specimens examined in this study were taken in mist nets over streams, ponds, and metal stock tanks. A few individuals were collected in day roosts, night roosts, hibernacula or by shooting. Most of the specimens are [reserved as standard museum study skins and skulls or …

A Comparative Floristic Study Of Mount Taylor And Redondo Peak, New Mexico, Neal L. Osborn

Biology ETDs

For several years, there has been an intensified interest and activity in floristic studies of various areas in New Mexico, especially of certain well-isolated mountain masses characteristic of many mountainous areas in New Mexico. Many of these mountain masses are, in effect, islands of Montane Biota separated from other islands by lower and drier mesa and valley barriers. Botanists realize a need to investigate thoroughly the floras of these areas with one another to reveal possible modifications in flora composition or species differences that may have arisen as a result of geographic isolation and subsequent changes in gene frequencies.

Heat Exposure And 137-Cesium Distribution In Citellus Spilosoma, Noel Savignac

Biology ETDs

Radiocesium ( ¹³⁷Cs) is formed in high yield from nuclear fission and has a long physical half-life, 27 yr. These facts plus ready absorption by the gastrointestinal tract (Hamilton, 1947) make cesium one of the most dangerous fission products and as such has provided impetus for the study of ¹³⁷Cs metabolism from the standpoint of both physical characteristics and health physics. As a portion of these investigations, the effects of temperature changes, specifically elevated environmental temperatures, were studied with the intent of demonstrating physiological factors involved in ¹³⁷Cs uptake and retention by animals native to semiarid environments. …

Some Developmental Aspects Of The Bacula Of Lasiurus And Antrozous, Modesto Del Castillo

Biology ETDs

A means of aging Lasiurus cinereus by bacular measurement was sought. The study indicated that linear measurements of the baculum cannot be used as a means of aging.

A histological study of the development of the baculum of Antrozous pallidus was conducted. The animals used in the study ranged in age from two days to eight weeks. The study showed that the structure is not preformed in cartilage.

Seasonal Tolerance Of Citellus Tridecemlineatus, Citellus Lateralis, And The Laboratory Rat To Deprivation Of Drinking Water, Gary L. Bintz

Biology ETDs

Season was investigated as a factor determining tolerance to deprivation of drinking water. Employing weight loss as a criterion, two hibernators, Citallus lateralis and C. tridecemlineatus, are more tolerant to water deprivation in any season than the laboratory rat, a non-hibernator. Both C. lateralis and C. tridecemlineatus are more tolerant to water deprivation and fall than in summer. In general, bold species demonstrate greater tolerance to water deprivation as ambient temperature decreases (in the range of 27 to 21 C ). Season appears to have no effect upon tolerance to water deprivation in the laboratory rat.

During periods of water …

Geographic Variation Of The Deer-Mouse Peromyscus Maniculatus In New Mexico, Robert M. Hunt

Biology ETDs

Two subspecies of the deer-mouse Peromyscus manicluatus Wagner are presently recognized in New Mexico, P. M. rufinus Merriam and P. m. blandus Osgood. The present investigation supports the validity of these taxa.

A study of variation in 16 cranial and skin characters suggests that p. m. rufinus consists of a single interbreeding and relatively genetically uniform population in northern New Mexico but in southern New Mexico comprises isolated and genetically variable montane populations which seem to intergrade locally with a distinct lowland subspecies p. m. blandus, which occupies the desert plain of southern New Mexico.

Nutrition And Physiology Of Myxococcus Fulvus, John D. Friede

Biology ETDs

This thesis discusses the deterioration of existing adobe structures and the solutions available to retard deterioration.

1. The thesis presents information necessary for analyzing the existing structure.

2. The thesis discusses the causes of deterioration in order to stabilize against it.

3. It discusses and illustrates the various forms and visible signs of deterioration.

4. Finally, the thesis shows the reader various solutions that may be implemented to resolve and halt further deterioration of the adobe structure.

Evaluation Of A Process Of Expanding The Palpi Of Male Spiders For Taxonomic Purposes, William A. Shear

Biology ETDs

Characteristics of the complicated palpal organs of male spiders are widely used in taxonomy. In species with a simple and unspecialized palpus, a gross observation is unusually satisfactory, but in species in which the palpal organ is complicated and specialized, many spider taxonomists expand the palpus in order to observe the structural details. Because the process of expansion has never been critically examined, there is little uniformity in figures and descriptions of new species. In many publications on spider taxonomy figures are of expanded palpi; in other publications, figure are of unexpanded palpi. The present study is based on 29 …

Some Aspects Of The Natural History Of The Rock Squirrel, Citellus Variegatus, William Stalheim

Biology ETDs

A field study was conducted during the summer and early fall months of 1964 to collect information on aspects of the natural history of the rock squirrel, Citellus variegatus grammurus. The study was done in Embudo Canyon at the foot of the west slope of the Sandia Mountains (6500 feet elevation) east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Twenty nine squirrels were live trapped from a study area 350 yards long by 120 yards wide. These squirrels were painted for visual identification, toe clipped for permanent identification, and released at the point of capture. Field observations yielded information on social behavior, food …

A Systematic Study Of The Genus Castilleja In New Mexico, Mary Carol Olsen

Biology ETDs

A critical field and herbarium study in Castilleja provides sufficient evidence for recognizing 20 species, 19 perennials and one annual of this genus in New Mexico. Castilleja species are found in a variety of habitats throughout New Mexico and flower from early April to late October. The yellow-bracted taxa are limited to the high mountains of the northern part of the state; others are more generally distributed. One taxon apparently is endemic to the White and Sacramento Mountains. One variety, described from the Charleston Mountains of Nevada, is now reported from the Chuska Mountains of New Mexico also. The scarlet-bracted …

Cesium And Sodium Metabolism By The New Mexico Whiptail Lizard, Margaret Flory

Biology ETDs

The effect of temperature on electrolyte metabolism in the lizard Cnemidophorus perplexus was studied. The biological half-time and tissue distribution were the aspects of cesium and sodium metabolism noted. Increased temperature results in a higher metabolic rate. Measurements were made of the extent oxygen consumption increased with raised temperature in C. perplexus. Radioisotopes sodium-22 and cesium-137 were injected intraperitoneally into lizards kept at several environmental temperatures. Whole body radioactivity counts were taken twice daily on the live animals to determine the retention curves. At 50% retention and 80% retention lizards were sacrificed and tissue radioactivity counts taken to determine electrolyte …

The Effects Of Ambient Pressure On The Biological Response Of Mice To Air Blast., Edward G. Damon

Biology ETDs

The extensive use of high-energy fuels and the development of a wide variety of high explosives have led to increased accidental and wartime exposure of men to detonations. furthermore, with the advent of the development of nuclear weapons, the need for a better under­standing of the biological effects of blast has been greatly increased.

The Origin Of The Grassland Amphibian, Reptilian, And Mammalian Faunas Of The San Juan-Chaco River Drainage, Arthur H. Harris

Biology ETDs

Grasslands of the San Juan-Chaco Drainage are separated from grasslands of other New Mexican drainages by plant associations characteristic of higher altitudes. Connection with other grasslands in the Colorado Drainage is restricted to a narrow corridor in the northwest.

Grassland habitat of the present type was absent from the basin during the last major Pleistocene pluvial as were those amphibians, reptiles, and mammals closely associated with this habitat. An effort has been made to determine which of these vertebrates invaded the area from the northwest in post-pluvial time and which have entered the basin via relatively low-lying areas along the …

Sleep Movements In Oxalis, Charles A. Campman

Biology ETDs

This work was done to explore the causes of sleep movements in Oxalis. Several methods were employed to discover the answers to speific questions concerning Oxalis nyctinasty.

The question of the control of Oxalis leaf movement by a typical biological clock and problems of the parameters of photic control are answered with the help of light control chambers and time-lapse photography. An anatomical study of the pulvinus, or motile organ, is described. Physiological studies consisted of tests for the site of activity of light and color of light active, as well as comparisons of the action on pulvini of externally …

Geographic Variation Of The Pocket Gopher Thomomys Bottae In The Rio Grande Valley Of New Mexico, Thomas H. Follingstad

Biology ETDs

The geographic variation of the pocket gopher Thomomys bottae in the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico and Conejos County, Colorado were studied. The pocket gophers were collected and prepared as standard museum skins and skulls. Various dimensions of the pocket gophers are measured, treated statistically, and plotted as Dice squares. Four groups of geographically related and like-sized animals were noted. These groups could be associated with four previously described subspecies of T. bottae. It was possible to observe a correlation between the mean size of each sample of gophers and the soil type in which they were found. The …

Studies Of Cs137 Metabolism In Several Mammals During Cold Exposure And Hibernation, Yu-Chong Lin

Biology ETDs

Experiments were conducted to define the extent to which lowered body temperature changes biological half-time and distribution of radiosotopes in tissues.

Metabolism of radioisotopes may be expected to be temperature dependent as the metabolism of many electrolytes has been demonstrated to involve temperature dependent mechanisms such as enzymatic transfer.

The effect of temperature on Cs 137 distribution in the mammalian hibernator, Citellus lateralis (Golden mantled ground squirrels) was studied. Experiments were conducted at the whole body and tissue levels. Radioactivity was measured with a small animal gamma scintillation detector. Whole body counts of animals given a single intraperitoneal injection of …

Phytosociological Study Of The Picuris Grant And Ethnobotanical Study Of The Picuris Indians., John C. Krenetsky

Biology ETDs

The objective of this study was to make a vegetative map and phytosociological study of the Picuris Grant, Taos County, New Mexico, and an ethnobotanical study of the Picuris Indians. The ethnobotanical study consists of a lid of commonly used plants and their uses.

The vegetation of the Grant is divided into five types: pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine-pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, and domestic. The first four types were subjected to intensive sampling using the line-strip method of Woodin and Lindsey modified to 400-foot elbs. Six elbs per slope exposure in each type were attempted.

Due to more favorable temperature and …

Some Aspects Of Kangaroo Rat Locomotion, Gerald G. Wheeler

Biology ETDs

Two species of kangaroo rats, Dipodomys merriami and D. ordi, were compared as to speed of locomotion in an experimental situation. They were timed as they moved through a hardware cloth tunnel with an electrified floor. Measurements of body parts especially those associated with a salutatory mode of locomotion were made, analyzed statistically, and their relation to the results discussed. The morphological data suggest that D. merriami can be expected to move more rapidly. Under laboratory conditions, however, D. ordi was faster (at the 95% confidence level). Possible reasons are discussed.