Biology Commons^™

Size Doesn't Matter: Microbial Selection Experiments Address Ecological Phenomena, Michael Feldgarden, Daniel M. Stoebel, Dustin Brisson, Daniel E. Dykhuizen

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Experimental evolution is relevant to ecology because it can connect physiology, and in particular metabolism, to questions in ecology. The investigation of the linkage between the environment and the evolution of metabolism is tractable because these experiments manipulate a very simple environment to produce predictable evolutionary outcomes. In doing so, microbial selection experiments can examine the causal elements of natural selection: how specific traits in varying environments will yield different fitnesses. Here, we review the methodology of microbial evolution experiments and address three issues that are relevant to ecologists: genotype-by-environment interactions, ecological diversification due to specialization, and negative frequency-dependent selection. …

A Revision Of The Silkmoth Genus Samia, Richard Peigler, Stefan Naumann

Faculty Books

"The authors have collaborated to produce this taxonomic revision and compilation on the splendid moths and caterpillars of the genus Samia, of which 19 species are now known to science. All species are shown in full color. For centuries, colorful and traditional textiles have been woven from their silk on handlooms in India, Bhutan, and China, but with improved technology and globalization, this form of wild silk increasingly attains a higher rank in the world market....

New Illinois Butterfly Records For Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, And Edgar Counties, Paul Switzer, Jared Switzer, Isaac Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The butterfly (Lepidoptera) fauna of east-central Illinois is largely undocumented. We collected butterflies and examined specimens in the Insect Museum at Eastern Illinois University for unpublished records for five counties in east-central Illinois. Here we report 105 new butterfly county records: 17 for Clark County, 30 for Coles County, 28 for Cumberland County, 9 for Douglas County, and 21 for Edgar County. We also describe behavioral observations, in particular those behaviors related to reproduction, for some of the records. Of special note were two rare vagrants from Coles County found in the museum collection, the orange-barred sulphur (Phoebis philea) and …

Nest Characteristics Of The Clapper Rail In Coastal Georgia, Karen F. Gaines, James C. Cumbee Jr., Warren L. Stephens Jr.

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The nesting habitat of the Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris) is not well studied in the southeastern United States. We documented Clapper Rail nest characteristics and surrounding habitats near Brunswick on the Georgia coast. Of 159 nests found, only 29 were active. Although some nests may have been abandoned or never used, many could have been depredated. Nests were constructed farther away from tidal influences than in those populations studied in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Clapper Rails also tended to nest near tidal pools as frequently as tidal creeks, contrasting with other Atlantic coast studies. The greater tidal …

The Comparative Energetics And Growth Strategies Of Sympatric Antarctic And Sub Antarctic Fur Seal Pups, At Iles Crozet, J Py Arnould, S P. Luque, C Guinet, D P. Costa, J Kingston, Scott A. Shaffer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

The period of maternal dependence is a time during which mammalian infants must optimise both their growth and the development of behavioural skills in order to successfully meet the demands of independent living. The rate and duration of maternal provisioning, post-weaning food availability and climatic conditions are all factors likely to influence the growth strategies of infants. While numerous studies have documented differences in growth strategies at high taxonomic levels, few have investigated those of closely related species inhabiting similar environments. The present study examined the body composition, metabolism and indices of physiological development in pups of Antarctic fur seals …

Evolution And Plasticity Of Photosynthetic Thermal Tolerance, Specific Leaf Area And Leaf Size: Congeneric Species From Desert And Coastal Environments, Charles A. Knight, David D. Ackerly

Biological Sciences

• We examined whether increased high temperature photosynthetic thermal tolerance (PT), reduced specific leaf area (SLA) and reduced leaf size represent correlated and convergent adaptations for recently diverged Encelia, Salvia, Atriplex and Eriogonumcongeneric species pairs from contrasting thermal and water environments (the Mojave Desert and coastal California). We also studied whether variation in PT is associated with inducible small heat shock protein expression (sHsp).

• Traits were measured in a common environment (CE) and in the field to partition effects of phenotypic plasticity and genetic divergence.

• We found little evidence for convergent adaptation of PT (CE measurements). Field …

When Does A Reproducing Female Viper (Vipera Aspis) ‘Decide’ On Her Litter Size?, Olivier Lourdais, Xavier Bonnet, Richard Shine, Emily N. Taylor

Biological Sciences

Some organisms rely on stored energy to fuel reproductive expenditure (capital breeders) whereas others use energy gained during the reproductive bout itself (income breeders). Most species occupy intermediate positions on this continuum, but few experimental data are available on the timescale over which food intake can affect fecundity. Mark–recapture studies of free-ranging female aspic vipers Vipera aspis have suggested that reproductive output relies not only on the energy in fat bodies accumulated in previous years, but also on food intake immediately before ovulation. A simple experiment was conducted to test this hypothesis, maintaining female snakes in captivity throughout the vitellogenic …

Spatio-Temporal Patterns Of Campylobacter Contamination In Freshwaters: Results From The Taieri And Motueka Catchments, Rebekah Eyles, George L. Benwell, Dev Niyogi, Colin Townsend, Phil Weinstein

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

New Zealand has a history of rapid ecosystem change since the arrival of humans, resulting in a predominantly agricultural landscape. Non-point source pollution from pastoral land use causes microbial contamination of freshwaters and compromises their suitability for contact recreation. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of campylobacteriosis in the developed world (334 cases per 100, 000 people), yet only a few surveys for Campylobacter in freshwaters have been carried out. This study investigates the influence of land use and other environmental variables on spatio-temporal variation in Campylobacter concentrations in two distinct river catchments (the Taieri and Motueka) of …

Extreme Water Velocities: Topographical Amplification Of Wave-Induced Flow In The Surf Zone Of Rocky Shores, Mark Denny, Luke Miller, M. Stokes, L. J. H. Hunt, B. S. T. Helmuth

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Water velocities as high as 25 m s-1 have been recorded in the surf zone of wave-swept rocky shores-velocities more than twice the phase speed of the breaking waves with which they are associated. How can water travel twice as fast as the waveform that initially induces its velocity? We explore the possibility that the interaction of a wave with the local topography of the shore can greatly amplify the water velocities imposed on intertidal plants and animals. Experiments in a laboratory wave tank show that interactions between bores refracted by a prowlike beach can produce jets in which the …

Biodiversity And Biogeography Of The Islands Of The Kuril Archipelago [Abstract], Theodore W. Pietsch, Victor V. Bogatov, Kunio Amaoka, Yuri N. Zhuravlev, Vyacheslav Y. Barkalov, Sarah Gage, Hideki Takahashi, Arkady S. Lelej, Sergey Y. Storozhenko, Noboru Minakawa, Daniel J. Bennett, Trevor R. Anderson, Masahiro Ôhara, Larisa A. Prozorova, Yasuhiro Kuwahara, Sergey K. Kholin, Mamoru Yabe, Duane E. Stevenson, Erin L. Macdonald

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

To The Knowledge Of Trigonalyid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Trigonalyidae) Of Sakhalin, Daniel J. Bennett, Arkady S. Lelej

Faculty Publications

The northern border for the distribution of the Trigonalyidae on Sakhalin is moved northwards to 49° N. The genus Orthogonalys Schulz, 1905 and O. elongata (Teranishi, 1929) are new for Sakhalin fauna.

Blackspot Disease Of Roses [Abstract], Robert J. Wiggers, Josephine Taylor, J. A. Margoitta, S. G. Pandalai

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Accelerated Hatching Of Southern Leopard Frog (Rana Sphenocephala) Eggs In Response To The Presence Of A Crayfish (Procambarus Nigrocinctus) Predator, Daniel Saenz, James B. Johnson, Cory K. Adams, Gage H. Dayton

Faculty Publications

Phenotypic plasticity, such as morphological and behavioral changes in response to predators, is common in larval anurans. Less is known about inducible defenses in the embryonic stages of development. We investigated the predation risk imposed by crayfish (Procambarus nigrocinctus) on southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala) eggs aud whether crayfish presence induces a change in the timing of hatching of R. sphenocephala eggs. We found that crayfish significantly reduce the hatching success of R. sphenocephala eggs by eating them and that eggs hatch significantly faster in the presence of crayfish than when crayfish are not present. We …

The Influence Of Predator Threat On The Timing Of A Life-History Switch Point: Predator-Induced Hatching In The Southern Leopard Frog (Rana Sphenocephala), James B. Johnson, Daniel Saenz, Cory K. Adams, Richard N. Conner

Faculty Publications

We tested the hypotheses that potential egg predators, crayfish Procambarus nigrocinctus and dytiscid Cybister sp. larvae, would accelerate the timing of hatching and that a larval predator, dragonfly naiad Anax junius, would delay hatching in the southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala). We also tested the hypothesis that differences in response would be proportional to predator lethality. Our results indicate that our hypotheses were partially supported. The presence of an efficient egg predator (crayfish) induces hatching faster than a less efficient predator (dytiscid larvae). However, the presence of a larval predator (naiads) did not delay hatching. Eggs that …

Site‐Selective In Vivo Targeting Of Cytosine‐5 Dna Methylation By Zinc‐Finger Proteins, Christopher D. Carvin, Rebecca D. Parr, Michael P. Kladde

Faculty Publications

Cytosine‐5 DNA methylation is a critical signal defining heritable epigenetic states of transcription. As aberrant methylation patterns often accompany disease states, the ability to target cytosine methylation to preselected regions could prove valuable in re‐establishing proper gene regulation. We employ the strategy of targeted gene methylation in yeast, which has a naturally unmethylated genome, selectively directing de novo DNA methylation via the fusion of C5 DNA methyltransferases to heterologous DNA‐binding proteins. The zinc‐finger proteins Zif268 and Zip53 can target DNA methylation by M.CviPI or M.SssI 5–52 nt from single zinc‐factor binding sites. Modification at specific GC (M.CviPI) or CG (M.SssI) …

Acoustic Communication In Two Freshwater Gobies: Ambient Noise And Short-Range Propagation In Shallow Streams, Marco Lugli, Michael L. Fine

Biology Publications

Noise is an important theoretical constraint on the evolution of signal form and sensory performance. In order to determine environmental constraints on the communication of two freshwater gobies Padogobius martensii and Gobius nigricans, numerous noise spectra weremeasured from quiet areas and ones adjacent to waterfalls and rapids in two shallow stony streams. Propagation of goby sounds and waterfall noise was also measured. A quiet window around 100 Hz is present in many noise spectra from noisy locations. The window lies between two noise sources, a low-frequency one attributed to turbulence, and a high-frequency one (200–500 Hz) attributed to bubble …

Bioavailability Of Uranium And Nickel To Vegetation In A Contaminated Riparian Ecosystem, Tracy Punshon, Karen F. Gaines, Paul M. Bertsch, Joanna Burger

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The lower portion of Tims Branch (TB), a second-order stream system on the Savannah River site (SC, USA), receives influx of mixed waste-contaminated sediments from Steed Pond, a former settling basin for target processing wastes for over three decades. The magnitude and distribution of U, Ni, and other metals and the potential for trophic movement were studied to facilitate risk assessment and determine potential remedial action. Total and sequential extraction of TB soils demonstrated contaminant heterogeneity both spatially and between operationally defined fractions. Metal concentrations were elevated within riparian zone soils in contrast to stream sediments, suggesting off-site transport. Leaf …

Ethanol: A Better Preservation Technique For Daphnia, A. Ross Black, Stanley I. Dodson

Biology Faculty Publications

A 4% formalin-40% sucrose solution has been used by limnologists for three decades as the preferred freshwater zooplankton preservative because it kills and fixes cladocera (Branchiopoda) with relatively little distortion. Because of the increasing evidence of health hazards related to formalin, we sought an alternative, safer preservative that satisfies the need for low distortion. Our results suggest the ethanol preservative methods (70% and 95% treatments) are as good or better as using 4% sugar formalin to fix and store samples. Our results indicate the best method is to fix samples in 95% EtOH followed by storage in 70% EtOH. This …

Small Heat Shock Protein Responses Of A Closely Related Pair Of Desert And Coastal Encelia, Charles A. Knight, David D. Ackerly

Biological Sciences

Evolutionary variation for accumulation of small heat shock protein (sHsp) may contribute to thermal niche differentiation between species. Here we examine temperature and time-course-dependent variation for sHsp accumulation in a recently diverged pair of Encelia raised in a common environment: Encelia farinosa, common in the Mojave desert, and Encelia californica, which is found along the cool coastal bluffs of southern North America. Both species exhibit peak sHsp accumulation at 42^oC. Encelia californica accumulated greater levels of sHsp at temperatures below 42^oC, while E. farinosa had greater levels above 42^oC. Encelia farinosa accumulates …

Gyra Mutations In Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Bartonella Bacilliformis Strains Obtained In Vitro, Michael F. Minnick, Zachary R. Wilson, Laura S. Smitherman, D. Scott Samuels

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We isolated and characterized mutants of Bartonella bacilliformis that are resistant to the fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin, which targets the A subunit of DNA gyrase. Mutants had single point mutations in the gyrA gene that changed either Asp-90 to Gly or Asp-95 to Asn and had 3- or 16-fold higher resistance, respectively, to ciprofloxacin than did wild-type B. bacilliformis. Asp-95 is homologous to Asp-87 of Escherichia coli GyrA and is a common residue mutated in fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of other bacteria. This is the first report of a mutation at an Asp-90 homologue, which corresponds to Asp-82 in E. coli GyrA.

Determination Of The Efficacy Of The Antigen Extraction Technique In The Pathfinder-Eia Chlamydia Detection System, George Ndeta, Broderick Eribo, James Gregory

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

There is need for a fast and reliable method to detect Chlamydia trachomatis. With new technology, a technologist can be processing newly arrived swab samples at the same time that an old batch is being assayed. A technologist should be familiar with the bright apple-green fluorescence of the Chlamydia organism in the MicroTrack technique.

Review Of "Embryos In Wax: Models From The Ziegler Studio" By N. Hopwood, Scott F. Gilbert, J. Bard

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Educating For Social Responsibility: Changing The Syllabus Of Developmental Biology, Scott F. Gilbert, A. Fausto-Sterling

Biology Faculty Works

Developmental biology is deeply embedded in the social issues of our times. Such topics as cloning, stems cells, reproductive technologies, sex selection, environmental hormone mimics and gene therapy all converge on developmental biology. It is therefore critical that developmental biologists learn about the possible social consequences of their work and of the possible molding of their discipline by social forces. We present two models for integrating social issues into the developmental biology curriculum. One model seeks to place discussions of social issues into the laboratory portion of the curriculum; the other model seeks to restructure the course, such that developmental …

The Morphogenesis Of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Scott F. Gilbert

Biology Faculty Works

The early studies of evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) come from several sources. Tributaries flowing into Evo-Devo came from such disciplines as embryology, developmental genetics, evolutionary biology, ecology, paleontology, systematics, medical embryology and mathematical modeling. This essay will trace one of the major pathways, that from evolutionary embryology to Evo-Devo and it will show the interactions of this pathway with two other sources of Evo-Devo: ecological developmental biology and medical developmental biology. Together, these three fields are forming a more inclusive evolutionary developmental biology that is revitalizing and providing answers to old and important questions involving the formation of biodiversity on …

Varriation Of Growth Rates In Yellow-Bellied Marmots, Carmen M. Salsbury, K. B. Armitage

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Growth rates of yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) populations over a 32-year period (1965 -1996) varied Significantly with sex, age, location, and year. Overall, males had higher growth rates than females and young and yearlings generally had higher growth rates compared to adults at all locations. The locations varied with respect to elevation and the relationship between elevation and growth rate was complex and likely weather dependent. Low rainfall in late summer was often associated with low growth rates at high elevations where the active season is constrained and delayed by late spring snowmelt compared to low elevations. Growth rates and …

Seasonal Body Temperature Fluctuations And Energetic Strategies In Free-Ranging Eastern Woodchucks, Carmen M. Salsbury

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

During a 2-year period, radiotelemetry was used to continuously monitor body temperature ( T b) of free-ranging woodchucks (Marmota monax) in southeastern Pennsylvania. Hibernation was preceded by daily T b fluctuations ("test drops") of 2-4°C. During hibernation, woodchucks exhibited the characteristic pattern of torpor bouts. Time of arousals occurred randomly, but onset of torpor occurred predominantly between 1800 and 0000 h. Males had shorter hibernation periods (mean of 104.8 days) than did females (121.8 days). Males had shorter torpor bouts, but euthermic bouts were the same length as in females. Males also maintained higher T b during torpor. Overall, the …

Long-Term Observations Of A Harbor Seal Haul-Out Site In A Protected Cove In Casco Bay, Gulf Of Maine, David Harris Phd, Barbarai Lelli, Sat Gupta

Faculty Publications

We counted the numbers of seals hauled out at low tide on two near-shore ledges in a protected cove in Casco Bay, Gulf of Maine a minimum of 12 times per month, for four years starting in August 1997. The highest mean monthly counts were in August (molting season) and the lowest in either January or February. Counts during pupping season (May and June) were lower than during April or July. As no mother-pup pairs were observed, these ledges are molting but not pupping ledges. Time-series analysis revealed no overall trend in the number of seals present. but did show …

Are Hummingbirds Facultatively Ammonotelic? Nitrogen Excretion And Requirements As A Function Of Body Size, Todd J. Mcwhorter, Donald R. Powers, Carlos Martinez Del Rio

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Most birds are uricotelic. An exception to this rule may be nectar-feeding birds, which excrete significant amounts of ammonia under certain conditions. Although ammonia is toxic, because it is highly water soluble its excretion may be facilitated in animals that ingest and excrete large amounts of water. Birdpollinated plants secrete carbohydrate- and water-rich floral nectars that contain exceedingly little protein. Thus, nectarfeeding birds are faced with the dual challenge of meeting nitrogen requirements while disposing of large amounts of water. The peculiar diet of nectar-feeding birds suggests two hypotheses: (1) these birds must have low protein requirements, and (2) when …

Effect Of Sequence On The Conformation Of Dna Holliday Junctions, Franklin A. Hays, Jeff Vargason, P. Shing Ho

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

Structures of the DNA sequences d(CCGGCGCCGG) and d(CCAGTACbr5UGG) are presented here as four-way Holliday junctions in their compact stacked-X forms, with antiparallel alignment of the DNA strands. Thus, the ACC-trinucleotide motif, previously identified as important for stabilizing the junction, is now extended to PuCPy, where Pu is either an adenine or guanine, and Py is either a cytosine, 5-methylcytosine, or 5-bromouracil but not thymine nucleotide. We see that both sequence and base substituents affect the geometry of the junction in terms of the interduplex angle as well as the previously defined conformational variables, Jroll (the rotation of the stacked duplexes …

Central Serotonin And Melanocortin Pathways Regulating Energy Homeostasis, Lora K. Heisler, Michael A. Cowley, Toshiro Kishi, Laurence H. Tecott, Wei Fan, Malcolm J. Low, James L. Smart, Marcelo Rubinstein, Jeffrey B. Tatro, Jeffrey M. Zigman, Roger D. Cone, Joel K. Elmquist

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

It is now established that the hypothalamus is essential in coordinating endocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses to changes in energy availability. However, the interaction of key peptides, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters systems within the hypothalamus has yet to be delineated. Recently, we investigated the mechanisms through which serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) systems recruit leptin-responsive hypothalamic pathways, such as the melanocortin systems, to affect energy balance. Through a combination of functional neuroanatomy, feeding, and electrophysiology studies in rodents, we found that 5-HT drugs require functional melanocortin pathways to exert their effects on food intake. Specifically, we observed that anorectic 5-HT drugs activate pro-opiomelanocortin …