Biology Commons^™

Discovery And Percent Colonization Of Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizae In Pueraria Lobata, Christine Marie Sager

Senior Research Projects

Pueraria lobata, more commonly known as Kudzu, was brought from Japan to the United States in 1876. Although originally planted for erosion control, P. lobata's vigorous growth facilitated its escape and caused it to spread over vast areas of land. Today P. lobata is found predominately in the Southeastern United States where it thrives during the summer months, growing up to a foot a day. This growth leads to a vine-like canopy several layers thick with deep set roots which makes removal of the plant extremely difficult.

Research on P. lobata is limited and has focused mainly on its role …

The Potential For Ontogenetic Vertical Migration By Larvae Of Bathyal Echinoderms, William Jaeckle, Craig M. Young, Michael G. Devin, Suki U.K. Ekaratne, Sophie B. George

Scholarship

Planktotrophy is a relatively common developmental mode among bathyal and abyssal echinoderms, but the sources of food used by deep-sea planktotrophic larvae remain generally unknown. Very few deep-sea echinoderm larvae have been collected in plankton samples, so we do not know whether larvae migrate to the euphotic zone to feed or if they rely on bacteria or detritus at greater depths. We approached this question indirectly by investigating whether larvae of bathyal echinoids can tolerate the temperatures they would encounter in the euphotic zone and whether they possess sufficient energy stores to migrate to the euphotic zone without feeding. Twenty-four …

Communities Of Cloacal Bacteria In Tree Swallow Families, Michael P. Lombardo, Patrick A. Thorpe, R. Cichewicz, M. Henshaw, C. Millard, C. Steen, T. K. Zeller

Peer Reviewed Publications

Our aim in this study was to survey the communities of bacteria found in the cloacae of adult and nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), determine if there were familial patterns of prevalence, and determine if there were relationships between bacteria loads and nestling size when 12 days old and fledging success.

Book Review Of "The Battle Of Beginnings: Why Neither Side Is Winning The Creation-Evolution Debate" By Del Ratzsch, Carl J. Bajema

Other Scholarly Publications

The book is interesting for two reasons. First, the author presents numerous brief negative critiques of many of the arguments that creationists and scientists have employed in debates. Second, this book is an example of the recent strategy by Phillip Johnson and others to redirect the creation-evolution debate to such religious issues as intelligent design. This review will concentrate on Ratszch's discussion of (1) the imperfect nature of science, (2) design arguments and (3) who is entitled to be called a "creationist."

Top-Down Cascade From A Bitrophic Predator In An Old-Field Community, Matthew D. Moran, Thomas P. Rooney, L. E. Hurd

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We tested the hypothesis that a bitrophic (third and fourth level) arthropod predator can exert a cascading, top-down influence on other arthropods and plants in an early successional old field. First-stadium mantids, Tenodera sinensis, were added to replicated open-field plots in numbers corresponding to naturally occurring egg hatch density and allowed to remain for ≈ 2 mo. Sticky-trap dispersal barriers around both control and mantid-addition plots allowed us to monitor emigration of arthropods continuously during the experiment. Biomass of herbivores, carnivores, and plants, and abundances of arthropod taxa within plots were determined at the beginning, middle, and end of …

Streamnet: An Integrated Information System Serving Fisheries Scientists And Managers In The Columbia River Basin - Or - Is Innovation Possible When Differing Traditions Collide?, Gretta E. Siegel

Library Faculty Publications and Presentations

StreamNet is a project which brings together fisheries information collected by state agencies, federal agencies, and Indian tribes in a system of interconnected sets of data about anadromous fish in the Columbia River Basin. The data are used to observe trends in stock abundance escapement, hatchery production, etc. Each data point is linked to corresponding literature which can be searched separately in a references database. Plans are in progress to make this system available via the Internet. Data entry for the reference module is done via Microsoft Access. The application has been designed to include features of both a catalog …

Variation In Leaf Structure And Function In Quercus Douglasii Trees Differing In Root Architecture And Drought History, Ragan M. Callaway, Bruce E. Mahall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Seasonal changes in leaf specific mass, nitrogen, chlorophyll, and photosynthetic properties were measured for two groups of spatially intermixed Quercus douglasii trees with different drought histories and apparently different root architectures. One group, referred to as ''high-psi(pd) trees, included trees with low amounts of fine root biomass in the upper 50 cm of soil and high predawn xylem pressure potentials (psi(pd)) during summer drought. These two characteristics indicate that trees in this group have deep roots, which may reach the water table. The second group, referred to as ''low-psi(pd) trees, had three to five times higher fine root biomass in …

Seeing Double: Crystal Structures Of The Type I Tnf Receptor, James H. Naismith, Barbara J. Brandhuber, Tracey Q. Devine, Stephen R. Sprang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The crystal structure of the extracellular domain of the type I tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNF-R1) has been determined to 2.25 Å at pH 7.5. We have also solved the structure of sTNF-R1 at pH 3.7. sTNF-R1 is an elongated molecule consisting of a linear combination of four cysteine-rich motifs. Interestingly, the crystal structure reveals two distinct dimers of the receptor. One dimer is formed by a parallel arrangement of receptors, the other by an antiparallel arrangement of receptors. In the parallel arrangement of the receptors, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binding face of the receptor is completely exposed to …

Plant Germplasm, Henry R. Owen

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Stratigraphic Consistency And The Shape Of Things, Mark E. Siddall

VIMS Articles

No abstract provided.

An Nmr Investigation Of The Effect Of Hydrogen Bonding On The Rates Of Rotation About The C-N Bonds In Urea And Thiourea, Karl A. Haushalter, Janice Lau, John D. Roberts

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

The interaction between urea and tetrabutylammonium acetate was investigated in dimethylformamide/ dimethyl sulfoxide solutions using ¹H and 15^N NMR. The chemical-shift behavior of the urea protons is consistent with a urea-acetate hydrogen-bonded complex involving both carboxylate oxygens and the urea hydrogens trans to the carbonyl oxygen with K_assoc = 120 ± 10. Line shape analysis of the temperature-dependent ¹H NMR spectra show that ∆G^‡ for rotation about the C-N bond of urea changes only slightly from 11.0 ± 0.1 to 11.2 ± 0.1 kcal/mol on 1:1 molar addition of tetrabutylammonium acetate to a dilute solution of urea. A parallel investigation …

Genetic Variability And Gene Flow In Metepeira Ventura (Araneae, Araneidae), Martina G. Ramirez

Biology Faculty Works

Levels of genetic variability and gene flow among three populations of Metepeira ventura o n Santa Catalina Island, California, were evaluated based on variation at 10 gene loci . Mean heterozygosity (observed) per population was 10 .4% and mean polymorphism was 36 .7%, consistent with levels of variabilit y in other arthropods. Values of FST for the five polymorphic loci (mean FST = 0 .009) suggest that gene flow prevents the genetic differentiation of these populations . The average number of migrants per generation (Nm) among these populations is estimated to be 28 .6 . The lack of inter-population genetic …

Neotropical Bird Migration During The Ice Ages: Orientation And Ecology, Timothy C. Williams , '64, T. Webb Iii

Biology Faculty Works

Reconstruction of breeding habitat of North American Neotropical migrants 18,000 years ago and 9,000 years ago indicated major shifts in both location and composition of plant communities relative to present conditions. Increased vegetation in xeric areas may have compensated, at least in part, for the reduction in breeding habitat due to glaciation. Autumnal flights of Neotropical passerine migrants flying on constant headings from North America to Central and South America were simulated under present wind conditions and for winds during periods of glaciation at 18,000 and 9,000 years ago. The 155 degrees average headings currently observed for Atlantic migrants were …

Relationship Between Morphology And Hydrodynamics During Swimming By The Hydromedusae Aequorea Victoria And Aglantha Digitale, Sean Colin, John H. Costello

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Organic Carbon, Hydrogen, And Nitrogen Concentrations In Surficial Sediments From Western Long Island Sound, Connecticut And New York, Roman Zajac, Larry J. Poppe, Ralph S. Lewis, S E. Pratt, Zofia J. Mlodzinska, B. B. Taylor, Mary L. Digiacomo-Cohen

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Total organic carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (CHN) analyses were performed on 147 surficial sediment samples from study areas off the Norwalk Islands and Milford, Connecticut, in western Long Island Sound. The CHN data and gross lithologic descriptions of the sediments are reported herein. The concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC), hydrogen, and nitrogen in these samples average 1.54, 1.40, and 0.17 weight percent, respectively. The individual CHN concentrations vary inversely with grain size, with CHN values increasing with the percent fines. Increasing nutrient inputs and decreasing circulation cause TOC and nitrogen values to generally increase westward within the Sound. C/N …

The Texture Of Surficial Sediments In Western Long Island Sound Off The Norwalk Islands, Connecticut, Roman Zajac, Larry J. Poppe, B. B. Taylor, Dann Blackwood, A. E. Harmon

Biology and Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Grain-size analyses were performed on 69 samples from western Long Island Sound. The relative grain-size frequency distributions and related statistics are reported herein. Descriptions of the benthic character from video tapes and still camera photographs of the bottom at these stations, and 33 others, are also presented. The southern and eastern parts of the study area are dominated by poorly sorted clayey silts that have nearly symmetrical distributions. Gravelly sediments are prevalent in the shallow northwestern part of the study area, but are also present in central part of the study area. Bands of sand, silty sand, and sand-silt-clay occur …

Mile-A-Minute Weed, (Polygonum Perfoliatum L.), An Invasive Vine In Natural And Disturbed Sites, J. Douglas Oliver

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Polygonum perfoliatum L. (Polygonaceae) or mile-a-minute weed, from eastern Asia, has been spreading through wild and disturbed areas of the mid-Atlantic United States. It has a wide ecological amplitude and is found on stream banks, moist thickets, roadsides, nurseries, wood-piles, clearings, and ditches. Polygonum perfoliatum presents serious problems for reforestation because it thrives where forests are clear-cut. A southward direction of spread indicates that the species will probably proliferate in at least some southern states. Mechanical control is not likely to be completely effective because seeds are often left behind. No appropriate biocontrols are known. The plant poses a threat …

Geographic Variation Of Song Form Within And Among Chestnut-Sided Warbler Populations, Bruce E. Byers

Biology Department Faculty Publication Series

Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) song repertoires include both accented-ending (AE) and unaccented-ending (UE) songs, and the two song categories are used in different behavioral contexts. To determine if the song categories also differ in patterns of spatial distribution, I analyzed local geographic variation in song form within a Massa­chusetts population and also compared songs from this local population with songs from other geographic regions. I found that: (1) UE repertoires of individuals were more similar to those of nearby individuals in the local population than to those of more distant birds; (2) most UE song types and song elements tended …

Scaling Of Muscle Composition, Wing Morphology, And Intermittent Flight Behavior In Woodpeckers, Bret W. Tobalske

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Existing theory and empirical evidence suggest that body size should have a profound influence upon the composition of flight muscles and the performance of intermittent flight in birds. I examine the relationships between functional morphology and intermittent flight behavior within a closely-related group of birds using six species of woodpeckers (Picidae): Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens, 27.2 g), Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis, 47.4 g), Hairy Woodpecker (P. villosus, 70.5 g), Lewis' Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis, 106.6 g), Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus, 148.1 g), and Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus, 262.5 g). In woodpeckers with a body mass less than 100 g, the pectoralis …

Effects Of Regional Origin And Genotype On Intraspecific Root Communication In The Desert Shrub Ambrosia Dumosa (Asteraceae), Bruce E. Mahall, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Previous work has shown that the contact inhibition that occurs among roots of Ambrosia dumosa shrubs has a self/nonself recognition capability. In the current study, we investigated some of the geographic and genotypic dimensions of this recognition capability by using root observation chambers to observe the effects of encounters of individual roots on root elongation rates. We measured such effects in encounters between roots of plants from the same region and compared these to effects in encounters between roots of plants from two different regions. We also measured effects of encounters between roots of plants from the same clones and …

Mutations In Trans-Acting Factors Affecting Mrna Decapping In Saccharomyces Cereviciae, Lianna K. Etchberger, C. A. Stevens, A. Stevens, R. Parker

Biology Faculty Publications

The decay of several yeast mRNAs occurs by a mechanism in which deadenylation precedes decapping and subsequent 5'-to-3' exonucleolytic decay. In order to identify gene products required for this process of mRNA turnover, we screened a library of temperature-sensitive strains for mutants with altered mRNA degradation. We identified seven mutations in four genes that inhibited mRNA turnover. Two mutations were alleles of the XRN1 5'-to-3' exoribonuclease known to degrade mRNAs following decapping. One mutation defined a new gene, termed DCP1, which in subsequent work was demonstrated to encode a decapping enzyme or a necessary component of a decapping complex. The …

Fate Of Biological Control Introductions: Monitoring An Australian Fungal Pathogen Of Grasshoppers In North America, Michael J. Bidochka, Scott R. A. Walsh, Mark E. Ramos, Raymond J. St. Leger, Julie Cl Silver, Donald W. Roberts

Biology Faculty Publications

In North America there are two generally recognized pathotypes (pathotypes 1 and 2) of the fungus Entomophaga grylli which show host-preferential infection of grasshopper subfamilies. Pathotype 3, discovered in Austra- lia,hasabroadergrasshopperhostrangeandwasconsidered to be a good biocontrol agent. Between 1989 and 1991 patho- type3wasintroducedattwofieldsitesinNorthDakota.Since resting spores are morphologically indistinguishable among pathotypes, we used pathotype-specific DNA probes to con- firm pathotype identification in E. grylli-infected grasshop- pers collected at the release sites in 1992, 1993, and 1994. In 1992, up to 23% of E. grylli-infected grasshoppers of the subfamilies Melanoplinae, Oedipodinae, and Gomphocerinae were infected by pathotype 3,with no infections >1 km …

Hyla Multifasciata, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Hyla multifasciata is a medium to large species in the albopunctata species group, adults ranging in size from 42 - 61 mm SVL (mean male SVL = 48 mm, mean female SVL = 53 mm). The head is longer than wide. The snout is rounded in dorsal view, whereas in lateral view it is rounded and protrudes slightly beyond the mandible. The canthus rostralis is rounded and distinct, the loreal region is concave, and the internarial region is convex. The eyes are large, approximately twice the diameter of the tympanum. The tympanum is separated from the eye by a distance …

Leptodactylus Silvanimbus (Amphibia: Anura: Leptodactylidae): Natural History Notes, Advertisement Call, And Relationships, W. Ronald Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá, James R. Mccranie, Larry David Wilson

Biology Faculty Publications

In July 1995, we visited two of the three previously known localities for Leprodactylus silvanimbus in Departamento de Ocotepeque, Honduras. We found a new breeding site for the species, recorded its advertisement call, and collected and observed its adults and larvae. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of these new findings and to comment on the relationships L. silvanimbus.

Características De La Osificación Craneal En Phyllomedusa Boliviana (Anura: Hylidae), Rafael O. De Sá, E. O. Lavilla

Biology Faculty Publications

RESUMEN. Dentro de la familia Hylidae disponemos de información sobre las secuencias de osificación craneal para menos del 4.0% de sus miembros. El presente trabajo describe la secuencia de osificación craneal de Phyllomedusa boliviana. El patrón general de osificación es similar a lo reportado para otras especies de la familia, pero existen algunas diferencias importantes tales como la osificación tardía de los próoticos y la osificación premetamórfica de neopalatino, vómer, cuadrado-yugal, pterigoides y columela. El lento desarrollo ulterior de la osificación resulta en juveniles con cráneos extensamente cartilaginosos.

ABSTRACT. Characteristics of the cranial ossification in Phyllomedusa …

Intraspecific Life History Variation In Sceloporus Undulatus: A Factor Analysis, Geoffrey R. Smith, John W. Rowe, R. E. Ballinger

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Arabidopsis Homeotic Genes Apetala3 And Pistillata Are Sufficient To Provide The B Class Organ Identity Function, Beth A. Krizek, Elliot M. Meyerowitz

Faculty Publications

The class B organ identity genes, APETALA3 and PISTILLATA, are required to specify petal and stamen identity in the Arabidopsis flower. We show here that the activities of these two genes are sufficient to specify petals and stamens in flowers, in combination with the class A and C genes, respectively. Flowers of plants constitutively expressing both PISTILLATA and APETALA3 under the control of the 35S promoter from cauliflower mosaic virus consist of two outer whorls of petals and inner whorls of stamens. These plants also exhibit vegetative phenotypes that are not present in either of the singly (APETALA3 …

Haploid Plant Regeneration From Anther Cultures Of Three North American Cultivars Of Strawberry (Fragaria X Ananassa Duch.), Henry R. Owen, A. Raymond Miller

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A study was conducted to maxmuze plant regeneration frequencies from cultured anthers of' Chandler', 'Honeoye', and 'Redchief strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.). A comparison of auxins (IAA, NAA), cytokinins (BA, BPA, KIN) and carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose, maltose) in MS medium showed that the highest shoot regeneration across cultivars (8%) occurred when using a medium containing 2 mgtl IAA, I mgtl BA, and 0.2 M glucose. A comparison ofMS, NN, and HI inorganic medium (a new formulation based on the anther culture literature) solidified with either agar or gellan gum and containing IAA, BA, and glucose, showed the highest shoot regeneration …