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2006

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Articles 151 - 180 of 536

Full-Text Articles in Biology

An Experimental Approach To Modeling The Strength Of Canine Teeth, Patricia W. Freeman, Cliff A. Lemen Jun 2006

An Experimental Approach To Modeling The Strength Of Canine Teeth, Patricia W. Freeman, Cliff A. Lemen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The strength of canine teeth in several carnivores is found through direct fracture experiments. The average forces required to break the canines of adult animals are coyote 1170 N, red fox 533 N, bobcat 737 N and raccoon 512 N. Stresses created in teeth at the breaking load are predicted by finite-element analysis and beam theory. The ultimate tensile stress sustainable in these teeth is 338 MPa in adult animals. The large pulp cavity in the canines of young animals significantly weakens the bases of their teeth (by about 25%), but as the animal ages the pulp cavity decreases and …

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A Minimally Invasive Method Of Piscine Tissue Collection And An Analysis Of Long-Term Field-Storage Conditions For Samples, James Campanella, John V. Smalley May 2006

A Minimally Invasive Method Of Piscine Tissue Collection And An Analysis Of Long-Term Field-Storage Conditions For Samples, James Campanella, John V. Smalley

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: The acquisition of high-quality DNA for use in phylogenetic and molecular population genetic studies is a primary concern for evolutionary and genetic researchers. Many non-destructive DNA sampling methods have been developed and are used with a variety of taxa in applications ranging from genetic stock assessment to molecular forensics. Results: The authors have developed a field sampling method for obtaining high-quality DNA from sunfish (Lepomis) and other freshwater fish that employs a variation on the buccal swab method and results in the collection of DNA suitable for PCR amplification and polymorphism analysis. Additionally, since the circumstances of storage are …

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Cadherin2 (N-Cadherin) Plays An Essential Role In Zebrafish Cardiovascular Development, Brian Bagatto, Jessie Francl, Bei Liu, Qin Liu May 2006

Cadherin2 (N-Cadherin) Plays An Essential Role In Zebrafish Cardiovascular Development, Brian Bagatto, Jessie Francl, Bei Liu, Qin Liu

Biology Faculty Research

Background: Cadherins are cell surface adhesion molecules that play important roles in development of vertebrate tissues and organs. We studied cadherin2 expression in developing zebrafish heart using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical methods, and we found that cadherin2 was strongly expressed by the myocardium of the embryonic zebrafish. To gain insight into cadherin2 role in the formation and function of the heart, we analyzed cardiac differentiation and performance in a cadherin2 mutant, glass onion (glo).

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Cellulose Synthase Encoding Polynucleotides And Uses Thereof, Vincent L. Chiang, Chandrashekhar P. Joshi, Luguang Wu, Daniel T. Carraway May 2006

Cellulose Synthase Encoding Polynucleotides And Uses Thereof, Vincent L. Chiang, Chandrashekhar P. Joshi, Luguang Wu, Daniel T. Carraway

Michigan Tech Patents

The invention relates to isolated polynucleotides encoding functional cellulose synthases and UDP-glucose binding domain thereof, transgenic plants and plant cells transformed with the polynucleotides. The invention further relates to methods of transforming plants and plant cells with cellulose synthase or UDP-encoding polynucleotides.

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An Essential Role For Endocytosis Of Rhodopsin Through Interaction Of Visual Arrestin With The Ap-2 Adaptor, Nicholas R. Orem, Luxi Xia, Patrick J. Dolph May 2006

An Essential Role For Endocytosis Of Rhodopsin Through Interaction Of Visual Arrestin With The Ap-2 Adaptor, Nicholas R. Orem, Luxi Xia, Patrick J. Dolph

Dartmouth Scholarship

Previously, we have identified a class of retinal degeneration mutants in Drosophila in which the normally transient interaction between arrestin2 (Arr2) and rhodopsin is stabilized and the complexes are rapidly internalized into the cell body by receptor-mediated endocytosis. The accumulation of protein complexes in the cytoplasm eventually results in photoreceptor cell death. We now show that the endocytic adapter protein AP-2 is essential for rhodopsin endocytosis through an Arr2-AP-2beta interaction, and mutations in Arr2 that disrupt its interaction with the beta subunit of AP-2 prevent endocytosis-induced retinal degeneration. We further demonstrate that if the interaction between Arr2 and AP-2 is …

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A Structural Analysis And Assessment Of The Bjorklunden Forest, Andrew Allan Link May 2006

A Structural Analysis And Assessment Of The Bjorklunden Forest, Andrew Allan Link

Lawrence University Honors Projects

A common assumption in ecology is that stability within an ecosystem is reached through equilibrium. In actuality, the mechanisms that help maintain a healthy ecosystem are based upon heterogeneity and scale multiplicity. This study assessed the vegetation organization at Bjorklunden as a function of time and space. Comparisons were made to previous research that demonstrated both similarities and differences in the vegetational components of the forest. Certain areas of the forest that were previously believed to be in a permanent steady-state were proved otherwise. While other areas that were thought to mature and climax, did not. The forest at Bjorklunden …

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The Effects Of Nitrate Levels On The Response Of Pimephales Promelas To Conspecific Chemical Alarm Cues, Lucas J. Borgstrom May 2006

The Effects Of Nitrate Levels On The Response Of Pimephales Promelas To Conspecific Chemical Alarm Cues, Lucas J. Borgstrom

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

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Delimitating Species Boundaries Within The Liomys Pictus- Spectabilis Complex (Rodentia: Heteromyidae), Victoria L. Vance May 2006

Delimitating Species Boundaries Within The Liomys Pictus- Spectabilis Complex (Rodentia: Heteromyidae), Victoria L. Vance

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies based on morphological, allozymic and mitochondrial sequence data have indicated that Liomys pictus is paraplyletic relative to L. spectabilis. The purpose of this study was to determine the species boundaries that exist within this complex. I estimated phylogenetic relationships within this complex using sequence data from 1,140 bp of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene and two nuclear introns from engrailed protein (190 bp) and myosin heavy chain (254 bp) genes for approximately 712 individuals representing 82 localities across the range of L. pictus and L. spectabilis. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analyses suggest that there are …

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In Vitro Expression And Purification Of Class I Mhc Molecules, Loi Cheng May 2006

In Vitro Expression And Purification Of Class I Mhc Molecules, Loi Cheng

Honors Scholar Theses

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a gene family responsible for many critical functions of the immune system in most vertebrates. The MHC consists of three classes differentiated by their structure and function, and MHC class I encodes antigen binding proteins as well as chaperone and accessory proteins such as tapasin. The purpose of this project is to reconstitute several human MHC class I molecules in their peptide-filled and peptide-deficient forms, and to purify these proteins for biochemical study. The expressed proteins include wild type and mutant variants of the fusion protein human leukocyte antigen HLA-B*0801-fos, and human beta-2-microglobulin (β2m). …

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Evolutionary Epidemiology Of Endemic Gal¿Pagos Birds And Their Parasites, Noah Kerness Whiteman May 2006

Evolutionary Epidemiology Of Endemic Gal¿Pagos Birds And Their Parasites, Noah Kerness Whiteman

Dissertations

In order to better understand parasite diversification, I went to the Gal¿pagos Islands to study the ecology and evolution of a model bird-parasite system, which included four phylogenetically independent ectoparasite lineages infecting the Gal¿pagos Hawk (Aves: Buteo galapagoensis). The parasites comprised two lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera), a lousefly (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) and an avian skin mite (Acari: Epidermoptidae). Ultimately, my goal was to examine ectoparasite evolutionary epidemiology and disease susceptibility in relation to the host¿s ecological and colonization history. At the outset, I hypothesized that parasite natural history was key in influencing the coalescent process. Accordingly, I found differences …

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A Kinesin-Like Calmodulin-Binding Protein In Chlamydomonas: Evidence For A Role In Cell Division And Flagellar Functions, Erin E. Dymek, Daniel Goduti, Tal Kramer, Elizabeth F. Smith May 2006

A Kinesin-Like Calmodulin-Binding Protein In Chlamydomonas: Evidence For A Role In Cell Division And Flagellar Functions, Erin E. Dymek, Daniel Goduti, Tal Kramer, Elizabeth F. Smith

Dartmouth Scholarship

Kinesin-like calmodulin-binding protein, KCBP, is a novel member of the C-kinesin superfamily first discovered in flowering plants. This minus-end-directed kinesin exhibits Ca(2+)-calmodulin-sensitive motor activity in vitro and has been implicated in trichome morphogenesis and cell division. A homologue of KCBP is also found in the unicellular, biflagellate green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CrKCBP). Unlike plant cells, Chlamydomonas cells do not form trichomes and do not assemble a phragmoplast before cell division. To test whether CrKCBP is involved in additional microtubule-based processes not observed in plants, we generated antibodies against the putative calmodulin-binding domain and used these antibodies in biochemical and localization …

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Application Of Polymerase Chain Reaction To Screen Rodents From New Mexico, Texas, Bolivia, And Nicaragua For Leishmania And An Assessment Of The Specificity Of Primers, Robert Alan Miranda May 2006

Application Of Polymerase Chain Reaction To Screen Rodents From New Mexico, Texas, Bolivia, And Nicaragua For Leishmania And An Assessment Of The Specificity Of Primers, Robert Alan Miranda

Theses & Dissertations

Polymerase chain reaction was used to screen rodents from four regions for Leishmania and to screen isolates of L. enriettii and L. hertigi using L. mexicana complex primers and L. (Viannia) primers to examine the specificity of these primers. Twenty-five rodent specimens from Bolivia, 42 from Nicaragua, 84 from New Mexico, and 74 from Texas were tested for Leishmania. Two Oryzomys acritus and two Oryzomys nitidus from Bolivia and one Neotoma micropus from Texas tested positive for Leishmania and additionally tested positive with L. mexicana complex-specific primers. Isolates of L enriettii and L hertigi reacted with L mexicana complex …

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Selective Male Mortality In The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta, Gary Fritz, Robert Vander Meer, Catherine Preston May 2006

Selective Male Mortality In The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta, Gary Fritz, Robert Vander Meer, Catherine Preston

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Males in polygyne populations of Solenopsis invicta are primarily sterile diploids and thought to not express the Gp-9 gene coding for a pheromone-binding protein affecting complex social behavior.We examined an aspect of the breeding system hitherto not considered—male Gp-9 genotypes in relation to sperm stored in queens. Four sites with varying frequencies of sympatric monogyne and polygyne colonies were sampled, including sexuals, workers, and broods from four colonies. Most queens were heterozygotes storing B sperm. Although predicted to be common, only 14 of 504 males were B or BB genotypes, suggesting strong selection. Increased frequency of polygyne colonies at each …

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Book Review: Evolution In Four Dimensions By Eva Jablonka And Marion J. Lamb, William D. Stansfield May 2006

Book Review: Evolution In Four Dimensions By Eva Jablonka And Marion J. Lamb, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Selective Male Mortality In The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta, Gary N. Fritz, Robert K. Vander Meer, Catherine A. Preston May 2006

Selective Male Mortality In The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta, Gary N. Fritz, Robert K. Vander Meer, Catherine A. Preston

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Males in polygyne populations of Solenopsis invicta are primarily sterile diploids and thought to not express the Gp-9 gene coding for a pheromone-binding protein affecting complex social behavior.We examined an aspect of the breeding system hitherto not considered—male Gp-9 genotypes in relation to sperm stored in queens. Four sites with varying frequencies of sympatric monogyne and polygyne colonies were sampled, including sexuals, workers, and broods from four colonies. Most queens were heterozygotes storing B sperm. Although predicted to be common, only 14 of 504 males were B or BB genotypes, suggesting strong selection. Increased frequency of polygyne colonies at each …

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Sequence Analysis Of The Rdna Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 And Polymerase Chain Reaction Identification Of Anopheles Fluminensis (Diptera: Culicidae: Anopheles) In Bolivia, Corey L. Brelsfoard, Gary Fritz, Roberto Rodriguez May 2006

Sequence Analysis Of The Rdna Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 And Polymerase Chain Reaction Identification Of Anopheles Fluminensis (Diptera: Culicidae: Anopheles) In Bolivia, Corey L. Brelsfoard, Gary Fritz, Roberto Rodriguez

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Anopheles fluminensis Root is a member of the Arribalzagia Series in the subgenus Anopheles. We report the first record of this species in the department of Cochabamba, Bolivia. This species was sampled from two locations in the foothills of the eastern Andes Mountains within the Chapare Valley. Larvae were collected in fast-flowing, shaded streams at the edges of rocky pools. We provide the first sequence data for the rDNA of An. fluminensis, a partial sequence of the 5.8S and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). The ITS2 of An. fluminensis, sequenced from two individuals at one site, was at least …

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Sequence Analysis Of The Rdna Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 And Polymerase Chain Reaction Identification Of Anopheles Fluminensis (Diptera: Culicidae: Anopheles) In Bolivia, Corey Brelsfoard, Gary Fritz, Roberto Rodriguez May 2006

Sequence Analysis Of The Rdna Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 And Polymerase Chain Reaction Identification Of Anopheles Fluminensis (Diptera: Culicidae: Anopheles) In Bolivia, Corey Brelsfoard, Gary Fritz, Roberto Rodriguez

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Anopheles fluminensis Root is a member of the Arribalzagia Series in the subgenus Anopheles. We report the first record of this species in the department of Cochabamba, Bolivia. This species was sampled from two locations in the foothills of the eastern Andes Mountains within the Chapare Valley. Larvae were collected in fast-flowing, shaded streams at the edges of rocky pools. We provide the first sequence data for the rDNA of An. fluminensis, a partial sequence of the 5.8S and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). The ITS2 of An. fluminensis, sequenced from two individuals at one site, was at least …

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Exploring The Role Of Sac9 In Arabidopsis Thaliana Stress Response And Phosphoinositide Signaling, Elizabeth J. Drake May 2006

Exploring The Role Of Sac9 In Arabidopsis Thaliana Stress Response And Phosphoinositide Signaling, Elizabeth J. Drake

Biology

The SAC9 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana encodes a protein, Sac9, which is a putative 5-phosphatase involved in phosphoinositide stress signaling pathways in plants. The SAC domain of Sac9 has sequence homology with yeast and mammalian phosphoinositide phosphatases that catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2]. The loss of the Sac9 protein in A. thaliana leads to an increase in the quantity of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in the plant. This increase in PtdIns(4,5)P2 in the sac9-1 mutant A. thaliana likely causes plants grown under non-stress conditions to exhibit several phenotypes normally associated with stress. The focus of this thesis …

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Systematics Of The Sympetrine Dragonflies With Emphasis On The Phylogeny, Taxonomy, And Historical Biogeography Of The Genus Sympetrum (Odonata: Libellulidae), Erik M. Pilgrim May 2006

Systematics Of The Sympetrine Dragonflies With Emphasis On The Phylogeny, Taxonomy, And Historical Biogeography Of The Genus Sympetrum (Odonata: Libellulidae), Erik M. Pilgrim

Biology

Within dragonflies and damselflies, the family Libellulidae is the largest. The systematics have never been analyzed in a phylogenetic context. Using both molecular and morphological characters, this dissertation is the first study to address the phylogenetics of the Libellulidae, the phylogenetics and historical biogeography of Sympetrum, and several species-level disputes within Sympetrum. Phylogenetic study of the family Libellulidae revealed that many of the libellulid subfamilies (Brachydiplactinae, Leucorrhininae, Sympetrinae, Trameinae, Trithemistinae, and Urothemistinae) were paraphyletic. Wing venation characters were not useful for delineating the hierarchy of taxa within Libellulidae. Study of the systematics of Sympetrum shows that S. navasi …

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Genetic And Phenotypic Variability Of Metarhizium Anisoplae For Virulence And Tolerance To Uv-B Radiation And Heat, Drauzio E. N. Rangel May 2006

Genetic And Phenotypic Variability Of Metarhizium Anisoplae For Virulence And Tolerance To Uv-B Radiation And Heat, Drauzio E. N. Rangel

Biology

The fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is an important agent for biological control of insects and has great advantages over chemical insecticides. However, ultraviolet radiation and heat from sunlight are serious obstacles for the use of M. anisopliae in agriculture, where the conidia may be impaired in a matter of a few hours in the field. Therefore, isolate selection and/or generation of conidia with increased tolerance to UV radiation and heat are a major goal of this dissertation. High variability in heat and UV-B tolerance was found among 17 isolates of M. anisopliae from different geographic origins, but there was very low …

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Creating Mechanistic Ion Channel Models Using Genetic Algorithms, Jonathan Neal Hurst May 2006

Creating Mechanistic Ion Channel Models Using Genetic Algorithms, Jonathan Neal Hurst

Biology

Modeling ion channel function is often problematic, especially for channels that have not been physically characterized, because transitions between many conformational states cannot be directly observed. Myriad voltage clamp protocols have been developed to study these transitions, but model parameterization remains difficult because either all transitions must be culled from one protocol, or the data from multiple protocols must be non-redundantly combined. One solution to this problem is to use a genetic algorithm to create models that fit all desired voltage clamp data. This method has the distinct advantage of producing accurate ion channel models without manipulating the voltage clamp …

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Somato-Dendritic Morphology Predicts Physiology For Neurons That Contribute To Several Kinds Of Limb Movements, Ari Berkowitz, Gina L.C. Yosten, R. Mark Ballard May 2006

Somato-Dendritic Morphology Predicts Physiology For Neurons That Contribute To Several Kinds Of Limb Movements, Ari Berkowitz, Gina L.C. Yosten, R. Mark Ballard

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

It has been difficult to predict the behavioral roles of vertebrate CNS neurons based solely on their morphologies, especially for the neurons that control limb movements in adults. We examined the morphologies of spinal interneurons involved in limb movement control, using intracellular recording followed by Neurobiotin injection in the in vivo adult turtle spinal cord preparation. We report here the first description of a class of spinal interneurons whose somato-dendritic morphologies predict their robust activity during multiple forms of ipsilateral and contralateral fictive hindlimb scratching and fictive hindlimb withdrawal. These "transverse interneurons" or T cells have mediolaterally elongated soma and …

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Host-Parasite Relatedness In Wood Ducks: Patterns Of Kinship And Parasite Success, Charlotte Nielsen, Brad Semel, Paul Sherman, David Westneat, Patricia Parker May 2006

Host-Parasite Relatedness In Wood Ducks: Patterns Of Kinship And Parasite Success, Charlotte Nielsen, Brad Semel, Paul Sherman, David Westneat, Patricia Parker

Biology Department Faculty Works

We investigated the role of kinship in intraspecific nest parasitism of wood ducks (Aix sponsa). Among waterfowl, female philopatry creates the potential for female relatives to nest in proximity. Costs of intraspecific nest parasitism to host females may be reduced if parasites lay eggs with kin. However, previous observations of marked wood ducks indicated that females avoided parasitizing clutch mates or the female that incubated them. To further examine the role of kinship, we determined the genotypes of 27 host-parasite pairs at five microsatellite loci. Average relatedness between hosts and all females laying parasitic eggs was only 0.04 ± 0.03. …

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Unexpected Diversity And Complexity Of The Guerrero Negro Hypersaline Microbial Mat, Ruth E. Ley, J. Kirk Harris, Joshua Wilcox, John R. Spear, Scott R. Miller, Brad M. Bebout, Julia A. Maresca, Donald A. Bryant, Mithcell L. Sogin, Norman R. Pace May 2006

Unexpected Diversity And Complexity Of The Guerrero Negro Hypersaline Microbial Mat, Ruth E. Ley, J. Kirk Harris, Joshua Wilcox, John R. Spear, Scott R. Miller, Brad M. Bebout, Julia A. Maresca, Donald A. Bryant, Mithcell L. Sogin, Norman R. Pace

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We applied nucleic acid-based molecular methods, combined with estimates of biomass (ATP), pigments, and microelectrode measurements of chemical gradients, to map microbial diversity vertically on a millimeter scale in a hypersaline microbial mat from Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico. To identify the constituents of the mat, small-subunit rRNA genes were amplified by PCR from community genomic DNA extracted from layers, cloned, and sequenced. Bacteria dominated the mat and displayed unexpected and unprecedented diversity. The majority (1,336) of the 1,586 bacterial 16S rRNA sequences generated were unique, representing 752 species (>= 97% rRNA sequence identity) in 42 of the …

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What Use Is Half A Wing In The Ecology And Evolution Of Birds?, Kenneth P. Dial, Ross J. Randall, Terry R. Dial May 2006

What Use Is Half A Wing In The Ecology And Evolution Of Birds?, Kenneth P. Dial, Ross J. Randall, Terry R. Dial

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The use of incipient wings during ontogeny in living birds reveals not only the function of these developing forelimbs in growing birds’ survival but also the possible employment of protowings during transitional stages in the evolution of flight. When startled, juvenile galliform birds attempt aerial flight even though their wings are not fully developed. They also flap their incipient wings when they run up precipitous inclines, a behavior we have described as wing-assisted incline running (WAIR), and when they launch from elevated structures. The functional benefit of beating these protowings has only recently been evaluated. We report the first ontogenetic …

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On The Geomorphology, Hydrology, And Biogeochemistry Of Stream-Lake Interactions In The Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, Usa, Christopher D. Arp May 2006

On The Geomorphology, Hydrology, And Biogeochemistry Of Stream-Lake Interactions In The Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, Usa, Christopher D. Arp

Biology

This dissertation focuses on the geomorphology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry of streams and lakes as coupled, interacting ecosystems in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, USA. The study design used intensive field studies of several ecosystems nested within a broader comparative study of many ecosystems. Stream geomorphology was affected by lakes due to the glacial legacy of lakes and subsequent modification of water and sediment flux. Hydrologically, streams below lakes had more frequent and longer duration floods, and lakes were shown to attenuate summer floods, but not spring snowmelt floods. Biogeochemically, nutrient uptake among streams showed high phosphate and low nitrate uptake downstream …

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Evolutionary Consequences Of An Introduced Predator: Adaptive Change In Daphnia Melanica In Response To Exotic Salmonids In The Sierra Nevada, Debra L. Fisk May 2006

Evolutionary Consequences Of An Introduced Predator: Adaptive Change In Daphnia Melanica In Response To Exotic Salmonids In The Sierra Nevada, Debra L. Fisk

Biology

The introduction of exotic species into a novel habitat, like all drastic environmental alterations, can lead to rapid evolution of both native and exotic species. Few studies have focused on the rapid adaptive evolution of native species to the introduction of a foreign species. Therefore, I wanted to determine if the introduction of exotic size-selective predators (salmonids) to alpine lakes in the Sierra Nevada, CA, has led to an adaptive response in the native prey species, Daphnia melanica. I conducted two common garden experiments with D. melanica from multiple populations, and collected data for morphological and life-history traits. With …

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Mycobacterium-Plant Interactions In Bioremediation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds, Robert D. Child May 2006

Mycobacterium-Plant Interactions In Bioremediation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds, Robert D. Child

Biology

Five mycobacterium isolates that degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons colonize the surface of barley roots from a seed inoculum. Colonization was maintained in the presence of an aggressive root-colonizing pseudomonad. All five of the mycobacterium strains utilized components in root washes for growth but they differed in their potential for biofilm formation. Components in the barley root washes did not impede the mineralization of pyrene. An inexpensive, portable, flexible microcosm chamber system was constructed and implemented in pyrene mineralization experiments. The system facilitated control of sterile conditions, air flow-through, and collection of volatilized radiolabeled compounds. Mineralization rates of pyrene were higher …

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A Survey Of The Bees Of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Southern Utah: Incidence, Abundance, And Community Dynamics, Olivia Messinger May 2006

A Survey Of The Bees Of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Southern Utah: Incidence, Abundance, And Community Dynamics, Olivia Messinger

Biology

A survey of the bees of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah, was conducted over a period of four years. Six hundred and fifty-six species were discovered within the monument, including numerous range extensions, several new species, and three genera new to the state of Utah. This is the richest bee landscape studied to date; reasons for the high diversity include the large elevation gradient, the richness of flowering plants, many of which are limited in distribution and require specific pollinators, and the many small local populations of species. To test the significance of these features on patterns of bee …

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Anurans Of The Solomon Islands, Gerald W. Scoville May 2006

Anurans Of The Solomon Islands, Gerald W. Scoville

Biology

Studies of Northern Melanesia have contributed prominently to our understanding of evolution, but knowledge of the distribution, abundance, and diversification of amphibians of the region remains poor. In 2004, I accompanied members of the American Museum of Natural History to the New Georgia group, Western Province of the Solomon Islands, to conduct an investigation of the anurans of the area. Data consist of descriptions of morphology, behavioral traits, ecological settings, and relative abundance and diversity, as well as a review of historical information. Platymantines of the Solomon Archipelago are exceedingly distinctive, and are likely the product of an autochthonous radiation.

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