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Articles 61 - 90 of 3459

Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Cryptic Diversity Within Nyctixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae): A New Species, A Resurrection, And A Redescription, Jennifer Dever, Jimmy A. Mcguire, Djoko T. Iskandar, Amir Hamidy, Lee L. Grismer Mar 2026

Cryptic Diversity Within Nyctixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae): A New Species, A Resurrection, And A Redescription, Jennifer Dever, Jimmy A. Mcguire, Djoko T. Iskandar, Amir Hamidy, Lee L. Grismer

Biology Faculty Publications

The examination of molecular markers confirms hidden diversity and reveals a new species within the Nyctixalus pictus (Peters, 1871) complex. Three genetically distinct clades were recovered: one from the Thai-Malay Peninsula; one from Sumatra, Indonesia; and one from Sarawak, Borneo, East Malaysia. Voucher specimens from each region were compared, and significantly different mean values were found through morphological analyses. The populations also differ significantly in morphospace, as determined by PCA, DAPC, and MFA analyses. The Thai-Malay Peninsula individuals have a distinct, rounded and slightly elongated snout shape compared to the other two clades. Based on these combined data, these three …

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Leaf Droppage Delayed In Sugar Maple Trees On An Urban To Rural Gradient, Isabella S. Bastien, Isabella Bastien Mar 2026

Leaf Droppage Delayed In Sugar Maple Trees On An Urban To Rural Gradient, Isabella S. Bastien, Isabella Bastien

The Cardinal Edge

This study investigates the timing of leaf abscission in Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) trees along an urban-to-rural gradient in Louisville, Kentucky, to determine how proximity to urban environments influences leaf drop. We hypothesized that urban trees would retain their leaves longer than suburban or rural trees due to environmental stressors and tested this using weekly leaf collection and canopy cover measurements from three locations—urban, suburban, and rural. Results showed that urban trees exhibited delayed leaf drop and slower canopy opening compared to suburban and rural trees. These findings suggest that urban stressors significantly alter tree phenology, which may signal underlying …

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Asimina Triloba (L.) Dunal: The Complete Story Of America’S Forgotten Fruit, Autumn M. Howard Mar 2026

Asimina Triloba (L.) Dunal: The Complete Story Of America’S Forgotten Fruit, Autumn M. Howard

The Cardinal Edge

Asimina triloba, commonly known as the pawpaw, is a unique and historically significant native fruit tree of the eastern United States. This research paper explores the taxonomy, botanical description, distribution, habitat requirements, ecological interactions, economic importance, and reproductive biology of A. triloba. The species is distinguished by its tropical-flavored fruits, adaptation to temperate climates, and reliance on clonal reproduction and specific insect pollinators. While offering promising opportunities for sustainable agriculture and riparian restoration, A. triloba faces challenges related to limited seed dispersal, susceptibility to certain pests and diseases, and the presence of neurotoxic compounds. Despite its historical importance …

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Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 150 - Response To 2024 External Review Of Integrated Stock Assessments For Key Wa Demersal Indicator Stocks, Rubie Evans-Powell, S. A. Hesp, Ainslie Denham, Emily A. Fisher, Rachel Marks, Fabian I. Trinnie, Brett Crisafulli Mar 2026

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 150 - Response To 2024 External Review Of Integrated Stock Assessments For Key Wa Demersal Indicator Stocks, Rubie Evans-Powell, S. A. Hesp, Ainslie Denham, Emily A. Fisher, Rachel Marks, Fabian I. Trinnie, Brett Crisafulli

Fisheries Occasional Publications

In Western Australia (WA), stock assessments for key demersal species, including snapper and red emperor, have traditionally used bespoke integrated models developed in-house by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). In line with other Australian jurisdictions, DPIRD is transitioning to Stock Synthesis (SS) as its primary platform for integrated stock assessments of WA finfish. To support this transition, DPIRD commissioned an independent expert review of recent integrated models applied to three demersal stocks. This publication responds to recommendations from Professor André Punt (University of Washington and CSIRO) in his 2024 review, which examined assessments for Pilbara red …

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Trophic Structure And Mercury Bioaccumulation In Walleye And Yellow Perch In The Upper And Lower Red Lake Basins, Marissa Pribyl Mar 2026

Trophic Structure And Mercury Bioaccumulation In Walleye And Yellow Perch In The Upper And Lower Red Lake Basins, Marissa Pribyl

Biology Graduate Theses

Mercury is a persistent global contaminant that biomagnifies through aquatic food webs, with dietary and environmental factors serving as the primary drivers of accumulation in fishes. Trophic structure and methylmercury dynamics in Walleye (ogaa; Sander vitreus) and Yellow Perch (asaawens; Perca flavescens) were investigated in the Upper and Lower Red Lake basins in Red Lake, Minnesota, during 2024-2025. Diets of Walleye and Yellow Perch were assessed through stomach dissections, and tissue samples from both species were analyzed for total mercury concentrations. Additional analyses included shiners (gigoozens; Notropis spp., Hudsonius spp.) along with a variety of freshwater fish and …

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Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson Jan 2026

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

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A Simple And Affordable Protocol To Assess Censer Seed Dispersal: First Confirmation Of The Mechanism In The Genus Solanum, Abigail J. Motter, Christopher T. Martine, Melody P. Sain Jan 2026

A Simple And Affordable Protocol To Assess Censer Seed Dispersal: First Confirmation Of The Mechanism In The Genus Solanum, Abigail J. Motter, Christopher T. Martine, Melody P. Sain

Faculty Journal Articles

The censer seed dispersal mechanism, whereby mature fruits are retained on plants and seeds dispersed by mechanical shaking, is among the most specialized wind-aided seed dispersal strategies employed by the flowering plants. An efficient, affordable, and easily repeatable protocol for determining whether a species uses this unusual mechanism of seed dispersal is lacking. Our focal species, Solanum tudununggae, is one of just two Solanum species (in a fleshy-fruited genus of ca. 1200 species) hypothesized to use this dispersal mechanism as a means to move seeds farther from parent plants than would gravity alone.

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Biology Department Publications: 2025, Sam Lindgren Jan 2026

Biology Department Publications: 2025, Sam Lindgren

Biology Department Bibliographies

This document is a non-comprehensive list of publications made by graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and faculty members in the Biology Department in 2024. It indexes those publications available through PubMed, and serves as an archival record of the Department's robust scholarly contributions.

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Phylogeography, Fungal Host Specificity, And Fitness In The Corallorhiza Maculata Species Complex, Hana Thixton-Nolan Jan 2026

Phylogeography, Fungal Host Specificity, And Fitness In The Corallorhiza Maculata Species Complex, Hana Thixton-Nolan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mycoheterotrophic plants exploit fungi for most or all nutritional needs, providing a compelling system to address the evolutionary consequences of genome reduction, population-level variation, and germination requirements. I am using the widespread Corallorhiza maculata species complex to address questions of genomic variation, fungal host specificity, morphological variation, and germination requirements across the broad geographic range from Mexico to northern North America. This complex contains C. bulbosa, C. macrantha, and C. mertensiana, the latter with three varieties (maculata, occidentalis, and mexicana). These taxa vary in flowering time, floral morphology, and fungal associations. However, the degree …

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Where Mussels Hang Out: A Multiscale Analysis Of Zebra Mussel (Dreissena Polymorpha) Spread In South Dakota, Justin Verner Sorensen Jan 2026

Where Mussels Hang Out: A Multiscale Analysis Of Zebra Mussel (Dreissena Polymorpha) Spread In South Dakota, Justin Verner Sorensen

Dissertations and Theses

The spread of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymrpha) poses significant ecological and economic threats to freshwater systems across North America. Understanding population dynamics and how this aquatic invasive species spreads is essential for making natural resource management decisions. South Dakota represents an active frontline of the zebra mussel invasion, highlighting the importance of understanding the spread in this region. Statewide habitat suitability modeling of available aquatic habitat was performed using MaxEnt, a robust machine learning algorithm. Individual waterbody suitability means were also extracted to rank waterbodies within highly suitable regions. This work revealed that South Dakota possesses widespread suitable …

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Largemouth Bass Diet Changes Through The Summer In Central Minnesota, Ethan Kunz Jan 2026

Largemouth Bass Diet Changes Through The Summer In Central Minnesota, Ethan Kunz

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Largemouth Bass Micropterus nigricans is one of the most widespread fish species in the world, due in part to human introduction for angling. Largemouth Bass are opportunistic predators that will consume the largest prey they can often find; however, it has been shown that their diet mainly consists of invertebrates such as crayfish, with less focus on other fish species. This research aimed to determine what the Largemouth Bass diets in Central Minnesota consist of, and how they may change from the beginning of summer through the beginning of fall. A total of 174 Largemouth Bass were sampled from late …

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Relationship Between Ratio Of Hybrid Sunfish To Their Parent Species And Latitude, Maxwell Kattner Jan 2026

Relationship Between Ratio Of Hybrid Sunfish To Their Parent Species And Latitude, Maxwell Kattner

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Hybrid sunfish of the Lepomis genus make up a generally small but notable portion of the population of sunfish in Minnesota lakes. Hybrid sunfish play a significant role in freshwater ecosystems across the United States. They are both morphologically and behaviorally distinct in some ways and similar in other ways to their parent species, causing them to both fill and compete with their parent species for niches occupied by multiple Lepomis species. Despite this, the ratio of hybrid sunfish to their parent species has never been properly explored. This study observed if the ratio of hybrid sunfish to their parent …

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Soil Respiration Drivers And Challenges In A Changing Environment, Olivia Rae Haas Jan 2026

Soil Respiration Drivers And Challenges In A Changing Environment, Olivia Rae Haas

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study aims to understand post agricultural forested soils (sandy loam, silt loam, and loam) and the influences that drive carbon sequestration and soil respiration flux. Duke Farms in Hillsborough NJ, has historically been utilized as an agricultural zone for farming a variety of crops. Currently the area is protected with a focus on environmental conservation and restoration of the land. This includes getting a better understanding of the forested portions of the property. Understanding the quality of forested areas is vital as they have the potential to act as a carbon sink which can mitigate the effects of climate …

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Mapping Coastal Vegetation To Evaluate Salt Marsh Decline From 2016 To 2025 In South Carolina, Usa, Zak Henry Bartholomew Jan 2026

Mapping Coastal Vegetation To Evaluate Salt Marsh Decline From 2016 To 2025 In South Carolina, Usa, Zak Henry Bartholomew

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Accelerating sea-level rise and storm surge events pose a substantial threat to salt marsh ecosystems, which provide critical ecosystem services. Classification and mapping of coastal vegetation through remote sensing can identify marsh dieback events and provide spatial context for patterns of marsh vulnerability. We used a multi-sensor approach that incorporated LiDAR data, multispectral imagery, and field-derived cover estimates to classify Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) dominated marsh types on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (MCRDPI), a sea island in South Carolina, USA. In summer 2025, surveys were conducted within marsh classes to collect training and validation data. We used random …

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Effects Of Desiccation On Invasive Faucet Snail (Bithynia Tentaculata) And Trematode Survival, Elise Marie Jordahl Jan 2026

Effects Of Desiccation On Invasive Faucet Snail (Bithynia Tentaculata) And Trematode Survival, Elise Marie Jordahl

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Parasitism is one of the most common and diverse life history strategies, yet relatively little is known about the role of parasites as invasive species. Invasive species, which present one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, often need to overcome adverse environmental conditions as they establish and spread in new habitats. Invasive parasites are subject to these same conditions, though the effects may be mediated through their hosts. Here, I use an invasive snail and its trematode parasites to quantify the effects of desiccation on survival to better understand how processes of invasion play out in host-parasite systems. The faucet …

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A Review Of Mockingbird Song, Jacqueline Milander Jan 2026

A Review Of Mockingbird Song, Jacqueline Milander

Student Theses

The northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is known for its large repertoire and highly versatile song patterns.  It is a frequent mimic that is thought to continue learning sounds from its environment for the duration of its life.  Utilizing available song studies, this is a comprehensive review of northern mockingbird song, including learning, mimicry, repertoires, song dependence on seasonal cyclicity, and song function, particularly interspecific territoriality. While much discussion has surrounded the idea that northern mockingbirds engage in interspecific territoriality and that vocal mimicry functions in intersexual selection, this review provides new insight into the possibility that latitudinal differences among populations …

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Inferring Genes And Biological Systems Under Selective Pressure In The Secondarily Temperate Cryonotothenioids, Esteban Cabrera Jan 2026

Inferring Genes And Biological Systems Under Selective Pressure In The Secondarily Temperate Cryonotothenioids, Esteban Cabrera

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Notothenioid fishes represent one of the most compelling examples of adaptive radiation driven by extreme environmental change, having diversified in the chronically cold waters of the Southern Ocean. While most cryonotothenioids evolved highly specialized cold-adapted characteristics, several secondarily temperate species later re-invaded warmer environments. These lineages provide a rare opportunity to examine evolutionary reversibility and the genomic mechanisms enabling escape from extreme specialization. In this study, we investigate two secondarily temperate species, Dissostichus eleginoides and Champsocephalus esox, comparing their protein-coding orthogroups to background sets from Antarctic cryonotothenioids and basal temperate teleosts. Using phylogeny based evolutionary models (BUSTED, aBSREL, and RELAX) …

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Investigating Microbe-Mediated Temperature Tolerance In Lemna Minor, Matthew Thomas Farbaniec Jan 2026

Investigating Microbe-Mediated Temperature Tolerance In Lemna Minor, Matthew Thomas Farbaniec

Honors Theses and Capstones

Temperature limits plant growth and survival more than many other environmental variables, and increases in the frequency of extreme hot or cold weather events pose significant challenges for plant growth and crop yields. Previous studies have shown that bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms associated with plants ( i.e., the plant microbiome) can influence host response to temperature stress. These same microbes have their own temperature tolerances. We investigated whether microbial temperature tolerance correlates with plant resilience using an aquatic plant model, Lemna minor, and isolates derived from its microbiome. Microbial isolates were assessed at −10°C, 4°C, and 32°C for …

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Stress And Reward Interactions In Substance Use Disorder: An Evolutionary Mismatch Framework, Nicholas L. Castrucci Jan 2026

Stress And Reward Interactions In Substance Use Disorder: An Evolutionary Mismatch Framework, Nicholas L. Castrucci

Honors Theses and Capstones

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a major public health concern characterized by compulsive substance use despite adverse consequences. While contemporary models emphasize biological, psychological, and environmental contributors, stress- and reward-related systems are often examined in isolation. This review integrates these systems within an evolutionary mismatch framework to examine how chronic stress exposure and repeated substance use increase vulnerability to addiction. Stress and reward systems are evolutionarily conserved but may become chronically dysregulated under modern conditions characterized by persistent psychosocial stressors and highly potent rewarding stimuli. This is associated with converging neuroadaptations across stress and reward circuitry, resulting in altered affective …

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Current And Historical Occurrences Of Rare Coastal Plants In The Hampton Falls Salt Marshes, Liliana T. Chirichella Jan 2026

Current And Historical Occurrences Of Rare Coastal Plants In The Hampton Falls Salt Marshes, Liliana T. Chirichella

Honors Theses and Capstones

A botanical survey of two sites in the Hampton Falls saltmarshes was conducted to document the occurrences of a list of eleven endangered and threatened coastal plants listed in the Natural Heritage Bureau’s NH Rare Plant List. This survey was conducted in fulfillment of the NH Native Plant Protection Act to highlight and identify target species in an area where restorative runneling is to be implemented in order to restore proper hydrology and prevent further expansion of mega-pools in the Little River and Depot Road salt marsh sites, which have been subject to historical ditching and are a part of …

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Buzzes Over Burrows: Bats And Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs In Western Kansas, Patrick L. Geyer Jan 2026

Buzzes Over Burrows: Bats And Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs In Western Kansas, Patrick L. Geyer

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The native grasslands of the Great Plains and the organisms that inhabit them are threatened by the anthropogenic disturbance of land-use change; prairie dogs (Genus Cynomys) are one such example. These mammals are considered ecosystem engineers due to their behaviors that physically modify the areas they inhabit, directly affecting the resources available to surrounding organisms. Much research exists on established or potential relationships between black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and other taxa; until recently, one taxon group absent from mentions of an association with black-tailed prairie dogs was bats (Order Chiroptera). Results of acoustic studies in eastern …

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An Ecological-Evolutionary Investigation Of Phenotypic, Genetic, And Environmental Variation And Correlations Among Reproductive Traits Of Tall Goldenrod (Solidago Altissima), Michael J. Wise, Daniel Lavy, David E. Carr, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii Jan 2026

An Ecological-Evolutionary Investigation Of Phenotypic, Genetic, And Environmental Variation And Correlations Among Reproductive Traits Of Tall Goldenrod (Solidago Altissima), Michael J. Wise, Daniel Lavy, David E. Carr, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii

Faculty Journal Articles

Although fitness-related traits are expected to be under strong selection, traits related to reproduction are often quite variable within plant populations. We used data from two large greenhouse experiments to quantify phenotypic, genetic, and environmental variation, as well as genetic tradeoffs that might help explain the maintenance of withinpopulation variation in four traits related to sexual or vegetative reproduction in tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima). The goldenrod population exhibited high levels of both phenotypic and genetic variation for capitulum (flower head) number and size, seed production, and rhizome growth. Significant negative genetic correlations were present between the number of capitula and …

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Does Fishery Management For Groupers (Teleostei: Epinephelidae) Protect Them Effectively? Context From The Iucn's Red List Of Threatened Species, Sean T. Fennessy, Christi Linardich, Kevin Rhodes, Joao P. Barreiros, David Pollard, Eloy Sosa-Cordero, Felicia Coleman, Alfonso Aguilar-Perera, Christopher R. Malinowski, Thierry Brulé, Pedro Afonso, Kayan Ma, Min Liu, Muktha Menon, Colin Wen, Stanley K. H. Shea, Sean N. Porter, Matthew Craig, Yvonne Sadovy De Mitcheson Jan 2026

Does Fishery Management For Groupers (Teleostei: Epinephelidae) Protect Them Effectively? Context From The Iucn's Red List Of Threatened Species, Sean T. Fennessy, Christi Linardich, Kevin Rhodes, Joao P. Barreiros, David Pollard, Eloy Sosa-Cordero, Felicia Coleman, Alfonso Aguilar-Perera, Christopher R. Malinowski, Thierry Brulé, Pedro Afonso, Kayan Ma, Min Liu, Muktha Menon, Colin Wen, Stanley K. H. Shea, Sean N. Porter, Matthew Craig, Yvonne Sadovy De Mitcheson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Worldwide, groupers (Epinephelidae) are commercially valued fishes, which also play key ecological roles on tropical and subtropical reefs. In 2007 and 2016, the IUCN's Groupers and Wrasses Specialist Group assessed all 160+ grouper species, with 17 of these being identified as threatened in 2016 and the major threat factor being overexploitation. Our present study aimed to identify whether management measures (MMs) for previously assessed groupers were established, whether these measures aligned with IUCN's Red List categories, and whether they effectively protect grouper populations. Experts in grouper biology and management assigned scores per grouper species based on the extent to which …

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A Re-Evaluation Of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) Spawning Distribution In The Western Atlantic Ocean, David E. Richardson, Katrin E. Marancik, Malgorzata Adamus, Elizabeth A. Broughton, Robert K. Cowen, Trika Gerard, Christina M. Hernández, John J. Hoey, Joel K. Llopiz, Molly E. Lutcavage, Estrella Malca, Debra L. Palka, Lourdes Vásquez-Yeomans, Harvey J. Walsh, C. Michelle Willis, Glenn A. Zapfe Jan 2026

A Re-Evaluation Of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus Thynnus) Spawning Distribution In The Western Atlantic Ocean, David E. Richardson, Katrin E. Marancik, Malgorzata Adamus, Elizabeth A. Broughton, Robert K. Cowen, Trika Gerard, Christina M. Hernández, John J. Hoey, Joel K. Llopiz, Molly E. Lutcavage, Estrella Malca, Debra L. Palka, Lourdes Vásquez-Yeomans, Harvey J. Walsh, C. Michelle Willis, Glenn A. Zapfe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

There is currently a lack of consensus on the spatial, seasonal and decadal-scale patterns of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) spawning in the western Atlantic Ocean. We compiled ichthyoplankton and reproductive data to characterize bluefin spawning patterns and the uncertainty in these patterns. Ichthyoplankton data indicates that bluefin spawn in the Gulf of America/Gulf of Mexico, northwest Caribbean Sea, north of the Bahamas, along the inshore edge of the Florida Current off the Carolinas and in the western Slope Sea. Reproductive studies identified these same spawning areas, as well as the Windward Passage and waters east of the …

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Herbivore Cues And Plant Damage-Associated-Compounds Jointly Alter Seed Germination And Seedling Herbivory, Katherine Overstrum Jan 2026

Herbivore Cues And Plant Damage-Associated-Compounds Jointly Alter Seed Germination And Seedling Herbivory, Katherine Overstrum

Open Access Master's Theses

While plant defense against herbivory is primarily thought to occur following attack, there is also evidence that plants can detect and respond to pre-attack cues. These cues include chemicals released from damaged conspecifics and kairomones, non-attack-related substances emitted by an herbivore that plants can detect and use to their benefit. It is unknown, however, whether or how plants react to the interaction of these pre-attack cues. We measured germination, growth, and herbivore susceptibility of B. nigra seedlings in an experiment that crossed the presence/absence of crushed B. nigra leaves with the presence/absence of mucus of a generalist herbivore, A. subfuscus …

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Using Camera-Based Unmarked Spatial Capture-Recapture Modeling To Estimate Reintroduced Elk (Cervus Canadensis) Population Parameters And Distribution In Southeastern Kentucky, Claire Marie Muia Jan 2026

Using Camera-Based Unmarked Spatial Capture-Recapture Modeling To Estimate Reintroduced Elk (Cervus Canadensis) Population Parameters And Distribution In Southeastern Kentucky, Claire Marie Muia

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Estimation of population parameters is important for wildlife management decisions. Elk reintroduced to southeastern Kentucky experienced early irruptive population growth and are currently monitored using a statewide harvest-based statistical population reconstruction model (SPR) across the Kentucky Elk Restoration Zone (KERZ). Because the SPR model is spatially coarse and difficult to scale to the smaller management units comprising the KERZ, we conducted a spatially explicit capture-recapture study using a clustered camera-trapping array deployed for 10 weeks from June–August 2024 to estimate elk population parameters within Management Unit 4. Due to a lack of resights of GPS-marked elk, population parameters were estimated …

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Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera), Courtney L. Klumpp Jan 2026

Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera), Courtney L. Klumpp

Capstone Showcase

This thesis investigates the evolutionary relationships among disk-winged bats in the genus Thyroptera, a small group of Neotropical bats known for the adhesive suction disks on their wings and feet that allow them to roost inside tightly rolled leaves. The distinctive morphology and behavior of these bats have not been extensively documented, and their phylogenetic relationships remain only partially resolved. The goal of this research is to better understand how these species are related to one another and to determine whether the five recognized species of Thyroptera form a single monophyletic group. To address this question, morphological and genetic …

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Data And Code From: Migration Speed, Timing, And Long-Term Shifts In Age Structure In North American Passerines During Fall Migration, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Martha J. Desmond, Timothy F. Wright Jan 2026

Data And Code From: Migration Speed, Timing, And Long-Term Shifts In Age Structure In North American Passerines During Fall Migration, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Martha J. Desmond, Timothy F. Wright

Biology: Datasets

No abstract provided.

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Noninvasive Monitoring Techniques: The Use Of Scat-Sourced Dna And Camera Traps To Monitor Mammalian Carnivore Species At The Ucf Arboretum, Zachary Montealegre Jan 2026

Noninvasive Monitoring Techniques: The Use Of Scat-Sourced Dna And Camera Traps To Monitor Mammalian Carnivore Species At The Ucf Arboretum, Zachary Montealegre

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The 800-acre University of Central Florida Arboretum Natural Lands functions as a conservation area, recreational space, and research site, making it essential to understand the ecological community it supports. Traditional wildlife monitoring methods such as mark-recapture and blood sampling can be effective but may stress animals or disrupt natural behaviors. To minimize these impacts, this study used non-invasive techniques, specifically scat-based DNA analysis and camera trapping, to assess carnivore species' presence. Two ecologically similar sites within the Arboretum were selected. Suspected carnivore scat was collected twice weekly over two months using both structured and opportunistic sampling. DNA was extracted, amplified, …

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Factors Affecting Detection Of A Cryptic Ambush Predator Using Camera Traps, With Implications For Snake Monitoring, Sarah Elizabeth Ebert Jan 2026

Factors Affecting Detection Of A Cryptic Ambush Predator Using Camera Traps, With Implications For Snake Monitoring, Sarah Elizabeth Ebert

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Camera traps are becoming increasingly popular in wildlife research because they can be deployed for long time periods with little maintenance and are much less invasive than traditional trapping methods. However, they are primarily used to study large mammals and have not been extensively tested for snake species, many of which are cryptic and understudied. The Adapted-Hunt Drift Fence Technique (AHDriFT) arrays were designed to improve detection of herpetofauna by attaching camera traps to drift fences. In the summer of 2022, we installed 20 AHDriFT arrays at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in coastal South Carolina where we …

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