Integrative Biology Commons^™

Sexual Di(Et)Morphism: Using Experimental Evolution To Test Whether Resource Partitioning Promotes Divergence Of The Sexes In Drosophila Melanogaster, Owen A. Jamieson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Sexual dimorphism has been a long-studied phenomenon in the field of evolutionary biology. Usually, these differences in morphology, physiology and/or behaviour between the sexes are studied through the parsimonious lens of sexual selection. However, there are natural history cases where this lens does not seem applicable. Some species show sex specific morphological traits whose presence may not be due to a direct benefit to reproduction, but a difference in how each sex interacts with the environment and differing selective pressures from the environment on either sex. Darwin even brought up examples of this kind of dimorphism and pondered their existence, …

Data Curation And Integration For Cancer Cell Line Pharmacogenomics Analysis, Meric Kinali

Graduate Masters Theses

Cancer cell lines are essential resources for connecting genomic and molecular features with drug response and identifying biomarkers. Therefore, large-scale cancer cell line resources have been growing, but this introduces challenges such as data standardization, consistent annotation, matching identifiers, cross-database integration, and a reproducible computational framework. CellMiner Cross Database (CellMinerCDB) integrates pharmacogenomic datasets from multiple resources and provides a standardized analysis of cell lines across datasets. This thesis examines cancer cell line cross-databases and their importance in pharmacogenomics, with a particular focus on CellMinerCDB. As part of this work, I developed an R package for the gCSI (Genentech Cell Line …

Infrared Detectability Of Whale Species And Behaviors To Enhance Automatic Detection For Real-Time Vessel Strike Avoidance, Laura J. Howes

Graduate Masters Theses

Real-time detection of large whales at sea is critical for mitigating serious injury and mortality from ship strikes and other human activities such as seismic surveys, especially for endangered species such as the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Traditional marine mammal observers are limited by environmental conditions and human factors, necessitating a robust, 24-hour solution. This study investigates the efficacy of a novel onboard detection tool infrared (IR) technology to detect whale blows and body parts. While IR is a promising advancement, its performance under varying sea conditions (e.g., fog, humidity) and its ability to …

Marine Heatwaves And Fish Reproduction: Endocrine Responses In The Eurythermal Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon Variegatus), Isabel Villafuerte

Master's Theses

Marine heatwaves associated with climate change are increasing in frequency and severity, posing significant threats to fish populations in shallow habitats such as estuaries and salt marshes. Because temperature is a primary regulator of fish reproduction, understanding how heatwaves affect reproductive physiology is critical for anticipating the biological consequences of ongoing climate change for coastal fishes. Here we examined how simulated heatwave conditions affect the reproductive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) endocrine axis in the estuarine sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), a eurythermal fish well suited to studying thermal stress responses in estuarine environments. Adult sheepshead minnows acclimated to a daily oscillating …

Evaluating The Commercial Aquaculture Potential Of The Native Pacific Littleneck Clam (Leukoma Staminea) As A Climate Resilient Alternative To The Non-Native Manila Littleneck Clam (Ruditapes Philippinarum)., Skylar M. Wuelfing

Master's Theses

The California shellfish industry’s near-exclusive reliance on the non-native Manila littleneck clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) creates an economic vulnerability to climate-driven disturbances, which can cause mortality events that eradicate up to 80% of stocks. This singular reliance on an introduced species highlights a need for the evaluation of native alternatives like the Pacific littleneck clam (Leukoma staminea). Our goal was to assess the feasibility of using the native Pacific littleneck in commercial aquaculture by comparing their performance to the non-native Manila littlenecks across the following conditions: 1) a five-month field outplant trial at high and low intertidal …

Identifying And Coping With Failure In Human Anatomy & Physiology I And Ii Students, Annie R. Mueller

Honors Theses

Human Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) is a two-semester course that focuses on the structure and function of the human body systems. For many students, A&P could be their first challenging undergraduate course and their first experience with academic difficulty. Students must learn to adapt their study habits and respond productively to academic failure. The purpose of this study was to examine how students in the A&P courses at the University of Mississippi perceive and cope with academic failure, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention method. Students enrolled in BISC 206 and BISC 207 participated in three …

The Role Of Floodplain Connectivity In Shaping The Abundance, Size-Class Distribution, And Schooling Behavior Of The Associated Fish Assemblage, Adam H. Quade

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The life histories of many Louisiana fishes are closely tied to the timing, magnitude, and duration of the Mississippi River flood pulse, which regulates the ecological connectivity and productivity of adjacent floodplain habitats. Anthropogenic modifications such as levee construction and water-control structures have disrupted these natural hydrologic linkages, altering habitat quality and community structure across the Lower Mississippi River Basin. This dissertation used high-resolution imaging sonar to investigate how fish assemblages, species, and collectives respond to changes in floodplain connectivity within the Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area prior to hydrologic restoration. In the first chapter, I applied imaging sonar …

Morphological Variation Of Lingual Glands In Wild American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis) Populations, Benjamin Angalet

Master's Theses

American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) inhabit diverse aquatic ecosystems including freshwater wetlands, swamps, and estuarine rivers. As apex predators, their physiological resilience has implications for ecosystem stability and long-term conservation. With projected sea-level rise and increasing saltwater intrusion into coastal freshwater habitats, understanding the osmoregulatory capacity of alligators is increasingly important. Unlike marine-tolerant crocodilians such as the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), which possess specialized salt-secreting lingual glands in addition to renal and cloacal mechanisms, the morphology and physiological significance of lingual glands in wild American alligators remain poorly understood. This study examined lingual gland morphology and plasma …

Species Boundaries Of The Rare Menzies’ Wallflower (Brassicaceae: Erysimum Menziesii), An Endemic Of The Northern California Coast, Cameron M. Jones

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Morphological similarity among geographically isolated populations can obscure deep evolutionary divergence, especially when convergent evolution under similar environmental conditions yields comparable phenotypes across independent lineages. Such cryptic diversity is likely underestimated in hotspots like the California Floristic Province (CFP), a global biodiversity hotspot, defined by its Mediterranean-like climate and encompassing most of California, southwestern Oregon, and northwest Baja California. The CFP is home to a disproportionate number of narrow endemics whose origins and evolutionary relationships remain poorly understood. Here, I investigate the evolutionary origins of Erysimum menziesii (Brassicaceae), a federally endangered California coastal dune endemic whose fragmented distribution has led …

Geographic Variation In Proteomic Responses To Ocean Acidification In A Cold-Water Coral (Balanophyllia Elegans), Keana A. Richmond

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In the face of a rapidly changing climate, assessing organismal responses to future stressors in the context of current, natural exposure to stress could provide key insights to understanding marine ecosystem resilience. I used Balanophyllia elegans, a cold-water, solitary, azooxanthellate coral as a model to better understand how varying oceanographic conditions across its geographic range have shaped its ability to tolerate and potentially adapt to current and future ocean acidification conditions. I collected B. elegans individuals from four sites across 2,500km of their range and subjected them to two pH treatments to investigate site-specific protein expression in response to …

Lead Biosorption By Oceanobacillus Profundus Kbz 3-2: Strategies For Bioremediation Systems In Kabwe, Danielle S. Desmarteau

Scripps Senior Theses

Lead contamination remains a significant global public health concern, particularly in Kabwe, Zambia, the site of a former lead mining operation. Bioremediation, which utilizes biological materials and processes to remove environmental contaminants, represents a promising approach for addressing lead pollution. However, the development of effective bioremediation systems requires a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying metal removal and the feasibility of implementation in low-resource settings. Oceanobacillus profundus KBZ 3-2, a bacterium isolated from Kabwe mine waste, has demonstrated the ability to remove lead from aqueous environments. This study proposes to investigate the mechanism of lead biosorption by this organism, …

Mitochondrial Efficiency: Bridging Early-Life Environment And Organismal Performance, Kayla E. Lichtner

Master’s Theses

Mitochondria operate at the forefront of organismal-environmental interactions. Despite remarkable diversity in mitochondrial function both within and among species, all mitochondria serve a universal role in facilitating the flow of energy between organisms and their environment. Energetic efficiency, the way in which organisms assimilate and transform environmental substrate into physiological currency, is a major determinant of organismal performance. Although previous studies have shown that early-life environment can have lasting effects on metabolism, the underlying mechanisms driving the emergence of mitochondrial phenotypic variation remain poorly understood. Leach’s storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) provide a valuable opportunity to investigate longitudinal hypotheses of …

Hybridization And Introgression In Marine Invertebrates: Population Genomics Of Phymactis Papillosa And Asterias Sea Stars, Christopher J. Dookie

Dissertations and Theses

Hybridization and introgression are evolutionary significant processes in marine invertebrates (Sanford & Kelly,2011) yet genome-wide investigations of gene flow in these taxa remain limited relative to vertebrate systems (Marchi et al., 2021). This thesis presents genomic analyses of hybridization and introgression in two marine invertebrates occupying contrasting oceanographic settings and characterized by contrasting genomic datasets: restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) SNP data for the eastern Pacific sea anemone Phymactis papillosa and whole genome sequencing (WGS) data for the North Atlantic sea stars Asterias rubens and Asterias forbesi. For each system, I applied coalescent-based species tree inference using CASTER (Zhang …

Modulating Oran Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria To Enhance Nitric Oxide Bioavailability As A Therapeutic Target For Atherosclerosis, Donovan C. Davidson

CMC Senior Theses

Atherosclerosis remains the primary driver of global cardiovascular disease, yet clinical interventions are largely restricted to high-cost, invasive procedures only after it has reached a critical stage. Recent research has identified a connection between the oral microbiome and vascular health via the enterosalivary nitrate-nitrite-nitic oxide (NO) pathway. Oral nitrate-reducing bacteria (ONRB) drive the synthesization of NO by reducing dietary nitrate into nitrite, which is then converted into bioavailable NO. NO is a potent vasodilator that maintains endothelial health by suppressing inflammation through inhibiting the expression of adhesion molecules VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. However, this pathway is easily compromised by dysbiotic oral …

Sex In Plants: Birth, Death, And Trying To Survive In Changing Climates, Elena M. Meyer

Theses and Dissertations

Plant mating systems are key determinants of fitness. Angiosperms exhibit a wide variety of reproductive strategies, including self-fertilization (or selfing), outcrossing, and mixed mating. It has been estimated that up to 43% of plant species are capable of selfing, and selfing has been hypothesized to provide reproductive assurance where opportunities for mating may be limited, such as in marginal environments. However, questions regarding the overall distribution of selfing rates across angiosperms, the maintenance of mixed mating in the face of inbreeding depression, and the impact of self-fertilization on diversification rates remain incompletely resolved. Here, we explore the dynamics of self-fertilization …

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Role Of Sex In Load Carriage, Rachel E. Perez, Dustin R. Slivka, Brent C. Ruby

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Axially loaded weight may impose a metabolic demand equivalent to that of fat mass (FM) during load carriage. Males (M) typically have a lower body fat percentage than females (F), resulting in metabolic demand differences during load carriage that may be mitigated by accounting for FM in pack loads. PURPOSE: To determine whether normalizing pack load to FM equalizes metabolic cost across sexes during load carriage. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (14M, 23 ± 5 y, 1.81 ± 0.07 m, 78.7 ± 10.0 kg, 12.7 ± 5.4% body fat, VO₂peak 4.18 ± 0.54 L·min^-1; 14F, 22 ± 4 …

Analysis Of Alternative Oxidase In Non-Angiosperm Plants, Anissa M. Francis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Alternative oxidase (AOX) is a mitochondrial terminal oxidase that provides an alternative pathway for electron transport, allowing plants to maintain respiratory flexibility under environmental stress conditions. While AOX has been extensively studied in angiosperms (flowering plants), little is known about its distribution and conservation in non-angiosperms. Based on gaps identified in the literature, this thesis investigated the distribution of AOX across non-angiosperm plant lineages. Although AOX is present in many green algae and is therefore considered to be an ancient protein that originated before the existence of non-angiosperm plants, it remains unclear whether the protein is uniformly distributed across these …

Investigating Factors That Affect Total Ige Antibody Levels Of A Canine Population In Louisville, Ky, Iris N. Gillespie

Undergraduate Theses

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a genetically predisposed condition that causes inflammatory and pruritic (itchy) skin reactions in response to environmental and food allergens. The main purpose of this study is to determine if there is a correlation between pollen counts and total canine IgE antibody levels of dogs living in Louisville, KY. Additionally, data is analyzed to look for trends documented in previous studies related to the impacts of sex, age, and allergic symptoms on total IgE count. In collaboration with the Downtown Animal Hospital, blood samples were drawn from 16 dogs at one point in February (when pollen …

Impacts Of Halophila Stipulacea Invasion On Organic Matter Dynamics In Thalassia Testudinum Dominated Seagrass Meadows, Puerto Rico, Jonathan D. Herald

Master's Theses

Halophila stipulacea (Forsskål & Niebuhr) is a tropical seagrass native to the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Indian Ocean. In 2002, invasive populations of H. stipulacea were identified in the Caribbean Sea where it now forms large meadows, displaces native seagrasses, alters invertebrate and fish communities, and potentially affects organic matter dynamics in invaded meadows. This study investigated differences in organic matter dynamics between meadows of H. stipulacea and native Thalassia testudinum within the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR) on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. From March 2023-March 2024, sampling was conducted across four sites to investigate …

Requirement Of Prepiilin Peptidase Activity For Variovorax Paradoxus Eps Flp/Fap Pilus Assembly, Jenny L. Lanthripp

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Variovorax paradoxus is a Gram-negative aerobic bacterium present in both soil and the human oral microbiome. This species contributes to biotransformation of xenobiotics and promotes plant growth. Interestingly, although the genome of strain EPS lacks the flagellum operon annotated in strain S110, the microbe remains motile, and flagella can be observed microscopically. To investigate this unexpected phenotype, motility mutants were enriched from a Tn5 mutant library using a liquid culture settling strategy. A total of 122 isolates were screened for motility defects, and 57 exhibited significantly reduced motility compared to the wild type. Rescue cloning revealed that over 60% of …

Assessing Expected Cover Of Invasive Flora Species Near Corridor Features By Distance, Joshua G. Logan

Theses

Fragmentation of landscapes has been a growing topic of interest within scientific literature over the past several decades, as the way we as humans affect our planet becomes more apparent as the years go on. As humans, we have shaped the land and what it contains in immeasurable ways, erasing or forever altering entire natural ecosystems. Chief among the drivers altering these ecosystems is the fragmentation of landscapes, which can have all kinds of effects on natural ecosystems, from limiting nutrient transport to providing easier access for invasives to permeate throughout a landscape. Corridors are significant areas of interest regarding …

Trophic Roles And Climate-Driven Vulnerability For Benthic Invertebrates At Artificial Reefs In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Amanda Kirkland

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Artificial reefs are deployed to enhance marine habitats and fisheries, yet their role in supporting secondary production and their vulnerability to climate stressors remain understudied. This dissertation investigates the trophic ecology and climate sensitivity of benthic invertebrates at artificial reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Chapter 1 assessed reef food webs using stable isotopes from fishes, invertebrates, and primary producers across six reefs and two seasons. Mixing models showed that most fishes rely on benthic reef carbon, while suspension feeders consume plankton and sediment microphytobenthos. Isotopic niche analysis revealed functional diversity and seasonal shifts in δ¹³C and δ³⁴S, though …

Investigating The Impact Of Psychoactive Plant Alkaloids On Bumblebee Behavior, Skylar Mathieson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between plants and their pollinators is often framed as a food-for-service exchange in which plants provide pollinators with nutrients in exchange for transport of their gametes. However, in addition to essential nutrients, many floral rewards (nectar, pollen) also contain defensive toxins such as alkaloids, with largely unexplored consequences for plant-pollinator interactions. I investigated how three psychoactive and addictive plant alkaloids — caffeine, nicotine, and morphine — affect foraging behavior in generalist bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) using robotic flowers. Each of these chemicals affected pollinator foraging behavior, influencing the number and duration of their visits to flowers in …

Evolutionary Biomechanics In Cetartiodactyla: Impacts Of Ecological Shifts On Bone Material Properties And Control Surface Morphology, Danielle S. Adams

All Dissertations

Extreme ecological transitions expose organisms to novel selective pressures that can reshape morphology and performance. This dissertation investigates how the transition from land to water has influenced form and material properties in cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), a clade that has undergone dramatic morphological and physiological adaptations to a fully aquatic lifestyle. I integrate comparative morphology, material property testing, and phylogenetic analyses, to explore how ecological demands, particularly related to foraging mode and prey detection, have shaped multiple aspects of cetacean morphology and function. Using nanoindentation and microCT, I measured elastic modulus and bone density of the skull and mandible …

Analytical Approaches For Identification Of Essential Genomes Of Plasmodium Knowlesi And Babesia Divergens, Sida Ye

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Apicomplexa constitute a large phylum of single-celled, obligate intracellular protozoan parasites. Notably, Plasmodium spp. and Babesia spp. are apicomplexan parasites that infect red blood cells. Plasmodium species are the causative agent of malaria and are transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, affecting large human populations, whereas Babesia spp., transmitted through the bite of Ixodes ticks cause babesiosis.

In this dissertation, we investigate the essential genome of these parasites using high-throughput transposon mutagenesis. Identifying the essential genome is key to finding new drug targets and understanding resistance mechanisms, a crucial pursuit given the rising resistance to frontline antimalarial drugs and the challenges …

Thermal Physiology Of The Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma Grandis, Infinity Alvarez

Masters Theses (Archived)

Ectotherms rely on their environment to regulate and maintain their body temperature. For this reason, environmental fluctuations strongly impact their biology. Lizards are ectotherms that are suitable models to investigate thermal physiology. However, the bulk of this research has been studied using new world Anolis lizards. In this study, the giant day gecko, (P.grandis), native to Madagascar but invasive in Florida, was selected as a model for comparison. In our physiotype of P.grandis we included measurements such as metabolic rates, sprint speed at relevant temperatures, thermal preference, critical thermal minimum, and voluntary thermal maximum. Our findings showed that …

Pollinator Plant Communities Within Restored Montane Longleaf Pine Ecosystems, Hanen Van Rossem

Master's Theses

Historically the fire-dependent and biodiverse longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem was the dominant ecosystem of the Southeastern US. This ecosystem’s range was massively reduced due to land conversion and fire exclusion, causing the decline of many native species. Efforts to restore and protect longleaf pine stands are now ongoing with the goal of expanding habitat and refuge for threatened species. Differences in restoration practices and prior land use may influence the extent to which restored habitat patches can support pollinators and their plants. This study compared pollinator plant biodiversity between restored neighboring montane longleaf pine stands that differed in …

A Phylogenomic Investigation Of The Historical Biogeography Of Livebearers (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae), Sheila Rodríguez Machado

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Neotropics contain several biodiversity hotspots and harbor the highest diversity of freshwater fishes globally. Yet, recognizing the patterns and processes driving this richness remains a challenge. Similarly, all groups and subregions have not received the same attention, especially in the genomics era. Addressing these knowledge gaps will help us to better understand the region’s evolutionary and biogeographic complexity. The goal of this dissertation is to examine phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns of Neotropical freshwater fishes, with emphasis on the Greater Antilles, across multiple taxonomic and geographic scales. To achieve this goal, I generated a genomic dataset of hundreds of ultraconserved …

Balancing Burrowing Owl (Athene Cunicularia Hypugaea) Protections While Maintaining Renewable Energy Development Within The San Joaquin Valley, Madison Lenzi Mcginn

Master's Projects and Capstones

Balancing the needs of wildlife and people has long been a complex challenge. The San Joaquin Valley exemplifies this tension, as space for agriculture and urbanization compete for land use of native grasslands– often resulting in the conversion of grasslands for agriculture fields, commercialized areas, or energy development. With an increasing number of agricultural landscapes going fallow and the passing of SB-100 in 2018, solar farm development has emerged as an attractive option to offset financial losses from unproductive farmland. However, the same landscapes favored for solar development also provide suitable habitat for sensitive species such the western burrowing owl …

Academic Burnout In Human Anatomy & Physiology I Students, Shivani Shukla

Honors Theses

Human Anatomy and Physiology I is the study of the function and structure of the human body. It is a challenging class that many students have to take for their undergraduate degree. Due to the vast information that is given in this complex class, students can struggle with understanding the material and knowing how to study thus leading to burnout in the course. Understanding why students undergo burnout in their courses could uncover ways that professors and institutions could help the students to prevent burnout. The goal of this study was to determine the level of burnout in Human Anatomy …