Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Evolutionary Relationships Among Duiker Antelope (Bovidae: Cephalophinae), Anne Johnston

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Duikers are a species rich subfamily of threatened African antelope whose recent origin poses a challenge to the molecular identification of taxa and estimation of their phylogeny. I test the ability of DNA barcodes to identify all taxa within this group. I then use mitochondrial and nuclear genes to estimate a multi-locus species tree and to date divergence times. DNA barcodes are unable to distinguish many sister taxa, calling into question the utility of barcodes for the regulation of duiker trade or in identification of field-collected feces. The multi-locus phylogeny provides support for the relationships among major duiker lineages and …

A New Locality Of Mesobuthus Eupeus Thersites (C. L. Koch, 1839) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) In East Kazakhstan, Alexander A. Fomichev

Euscorpius

A new locality of Mesobuthus eupeus thersites (C. L. Koch, 1839) is reported, found during the fieldtrip to East Kazakhstan, one of the most northern areas where scorpions are found in Asia. Notes on the habitats, map and photographs of specimens are given.

Homoploid Hybrid Speciation In A Rare Endemic Castilleja From Idaho (Castilleja Christii, Orobanchaceae), Danielle Leigh Clay

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Evidence to support the origins of a putative hybrid species with certainty must be determined using several lines of evidence: the presence of genetic additivity of parental marker alleles in a putative hybrid species, along with ecological or niche separation. Novel or transgressive morphological traits obtained through chromosomal rearrangements during hybridization may facilitate niche separation of the hybrid species from progenitor habitats. These evolutionary processes together enforce reproductive isolation and promote an independent evolutionary trajectory in hybrid species. By studying these evolutionary processes in putative hybrid species, researchers may identify hybrid species with confidence.

We employed multiple lines of evidence …

Life History Tradeoffs And Phenotypic Plasticity: The Tale Of A Flight Polyphenic Field Cricket, Chandreyee Mitra

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Most organisms are resource limited. Such limitations can result in tradeoffs between life history traits -- any traits that affect survival or reproduction. Flight polyphenic field crickets are thought to be a classic example of such a life history tradeoff, in which individuals tradeoff investment in flight capability and investment in reproduction. This polyphenism results from the interaction of two morphological traits: wing morphology (short or long) and flight muscle morphology (functional pink or non-functional white), and is affected by both genes and the environment. I examined life history traits of a flight polyphenic field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps. First, …

A Checklist Of The Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) Of Panama, With Two New Records, Rolando Teruel, Michiel A.C. Cozijn

Euscorpius

In the present note, we compile a checklist of all scorpion species recorded from Panama. A total of three families, five genera and 14 species are confirmed to occur in the country, and previous records of two other families, four genera, and nine species are discarded as misidentifications, mislabelings, or accidental introductions. Two Buthidae species are herein recorded for the first time from Panama: Tityus tayrona Lourenço, 1991 (so far known only from northern Colombia) and one apparently undescribed species of Ananteris Thorell, 1891.

On Centruroides Margaritatus (Gervais, 1841) And Closely Related Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Luis F. De Armas, Rolando Teruel, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Centruroides edwardsii (Gervais, 1843) comb. nov. is restored as a valid species, and a male neotype from Riohacha, La Guajira Department, Colombia is herein designated; this species ranges from Mexico through Colombia, but there are no reliable records from Guatemala, Belize, and Panama; introduced populations also occur in Cuba (West Indies) and Senegal (Africa). We regard the following species as its junior synonyms: Scorpio (Atreus) degeerii Gervais, 1844, Centrurus gambiensis Karsch, 1879, Centruroides margaritatus septentrionalis Hoffmann, 1932, and Rhopalurus danieli Prado et Rios-Patiño, 1940. We also consider Centruroides margaritatus morenoi Mello-Leitão, 1945 as a junior synonym of …

Is The Common Teasel (Dipsacus Sylvestris) A Carnivorous Plant Or Was Francis Darwin Wrong?, Justin Matthew Thomas

Kaleidoscope

No abstract provided.

Scorpions Of Iran (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Vii. Kerman Province, Shahrokh Navidpour, Majeed Ezatkhah, František Kovařík, Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

Thirteen species of scorpions belonging to two families are reported from the Kerman Province of Iran. Of these, the species Compsobuthus kaftani Kovařík, 2003, Mesobuthus macmahoni (Pocock, 1900), Orthochirus farzanpayi (Vachon et Farzanpay, 1987), Polisius persicus Fet, Capes et Sissom, 2001, Sassanidotus gracilis (Birula, 1900), and Hemiscorpius lepturus Peters, 1861 are recorded from the province for the first time. Kerman Province contains type localities of six species of scorpions, of which Kraepelinia palpator (Birula, 1903) and Orthochirus gruberi Kovařík et Fet, 2006 are valid. Prionurus crassicauda orientalis Birula, 1900 is a synonym of Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807), Buthus eupeus kirmanensis …

An Anomaly Of Pectinal Organs In Vaejovis Lapidicola (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Richard F. Ayrey

Euscorpius

Among specimens of Vaejovis lapidicola Stahnke, one female was found to have abnormally shaped pectines, both with only distal pectinal teeth. This rare, possibly teratological anomaly is documented and discussed.

Electrosensory Ampullary Organs Are Derived From Lateral Line Placodes In Bony Fishes, Melissa S. Modrell, William E. Benis, R. Glenn Northcutt, Marcus C. Davis, Clare V.H. Baker

Faculty and Research Publications

Electroreception is an ancient subdivision of the lateral line sensory system, found in all major vertebrate groups (though lost in frogs, amniotes and most ray-finned fishes). Electroreception is mediated by 'hair cells' in ampullary organs, distributed in fields flanking lines of mechanosensory hair cell-containing neuromasts that detect local water movement. Neuromasts, and afferent neurons for both neuromasts and ampullary organs, develop from lateral line placodes. Although ampullary organs in the axolotl (a representative of the lobe-finned clade of bony fishes) are lateral line placode-derived, non-placodal origins have been proposed for electroreceptors in other taxa. Here we show morphological and molecular …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 3: Two Early Publications, Charles H. Smith

DLPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Review Of The Subgenus Pandinus Thorell, 1876 With Descriptions Of Two New Species From Uganda And Ethiopia (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Pandinus (Pandinus) ugandaensis sp. n. from Uganda and P. (P.) mazuchi sp. n. from Ethiopia are described and compared with other species of the subgenus. P. ugandaensis sp. n. is characterized by 3-4/3: 3-4/3: 4/3: 4/3 spiniform formula of tarsomere II and only two spines on the inclined anteroventral surface of tarsomere II; eight ventral trichobothria on the chela; 10–11 pectinal teeth in females and 13–14 in males; and 1.6–1.7 length to depth ratio of the fourth metasomal segment. P. (P.) mazuchi sp. n. is characterized by 7/4: 6-7/4: 6-7/5-6: 8/5 spiniform formula of tarsomere II and only …

Redescription Of Centruroides Granosus (Thorell, 1876) And Identity Of Centrurus Granosus Simplex Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Luis F. De Armas, Rolando Teruel, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Centruroides granosus (Thorell, 1876) is redescribed based on several specimens of both sexes from Panama. We demonstrate that the original description of this species was based on an immature (subadult) male, which is herein designated as the lectotype. We conclude that Centrurus granosus simplex Thorell, 1876 is a senior synonym of Centruroides testaceus arubensis (Bakker, 1963), and elevate it to species level: Centruroides simplex (Thorell, 1876), comb. nov.

Buthus Awashensis Sp. N. From Ethiopia (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Buthus awashensis sp. n. from the Awash region of Ethiopia, is described and compared with B. berberensis Pocock, 1900 from Somaliland. The new species is characterized chiefly by the total length of 50–65 mm. B. berberensis reaches only 45–55 mm and differs in coloration, with adults having the chela of pedipalp and chelicerae entirely yellow without dark reticulations, and by mophometric characters, mainly the shape of the chela of pedipalp. Pectinal marginal tips extend the to proximal end of the fourth sternite in males of B. awashensis sp. n. and to proximal end of the fifth sternite in males of …

Extensive Clonal Spread And Extreme Longevity In Saw Palmetto, A Foundation Clonal Plant, Mizuki K. Takahashi, Liana M. Horner, Toshiro Kubota, Nathan A. Keller, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii

Warren G. Abrahamson, II

The lack of effective tools has hampered our ability to assess the size, growth and ages of clonal plants. With Serenoa repens (saw palmetto) as a model, we introduce a novel analytical frame work that integrates DNA fingerprinting and mathematical modelling to simulate growth and estimate ages of clonal plants. We also demonstrate the application of such life-history information of clonal plants to provide insight into management plans. Serenoa is an ecologically important foundation species in many Southeastern United States ecosystems; yet, many land managers consider Serenoa a troublesome invasive plant. Accordingly, management plans have been developed to reduce or …

Hemiscorpius Novaki Sp. N. From Somaliland (Scorpiones: Hemiscorpiidae), František Kovařík, Tomáš Mazuch

Euscorpius

Hemiscorpius novaki sp. n. from Somaliland is described and compared with other African species of the genus. The new species is characterized chiefly by the total length of 40–46 mm; yellow to yellowish-brown color with pedipalp fingers reddish brown to black, darker than the chela; slightly longer metasoma in the male than in the female. These characters distinguish H. novaki sp. n. from H. somalicus Lourenço, 2011. The third African species of the genus, H. tellinii Borelli, 1904, is known only from the female holotype, which differs from females of H. novaki sp. n. in having much less pronounced granulation …

Evaluating Species Responses To Climate Change Using Ecological Niche Modeling And Genetic Data, Jeanette Perry

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The current and projected future warming trends together with degradation of habitats throughout much of the Great Basin and Columbian Plateau represent real threats to many species occupying these regions. If we can determine the impacts of past climatic changes on the distribution of species, we can obtain a better understanding of the future impacts of projected climatic trends on many species in these regions. My results with the Great Basin Pocket Mouse (Perognathus parvus) may be relevant to conservation ecologists and resource managers attempting to protect several Endangered Species Act candidates, such as the pygmy cottontail (Brachylagus idahoensis). I …

Redescription Of Tityus Pictus Pocock, 1893 And Tityus Smithii Pocock, 1893, With Notes On The Tityus Species From The Lesser Antilles (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Rolando Teruel

Euscorpius

In the present paper, the taxonomic status of Tityus pictus Pocock, 1893 and all of its junior synonyms is revised. Tityus smithii Pocock, 1893 is restored as a valid species, and the subspecies Tityus smithii microdon Pocock, 1893 (currently T. pictus microdon) is regarded as its junior synonym. Both T. pictus and T. smithii are redescribed, supplementary information on their morphological variability are given, and their geographical distribution is up- dated, including a new locality record for the latter. Also, the taxonomic position and relationships of all Lesser Antillean species of the genus are clarified: it is demonstrated that …

Pectine Development In Scorpion Embryos And First And Second Instars, Roger D. Farley

Euscorpius

The pectines are complex sensory organs that extend from the ventral surface of the anterior opisthosoma (mesosoma) in all extant scorpions and nearly all the fossil scorpions that have been examined. The pectines are synapomorphic for the Order Scorpiones. In this investigation, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the development of the pectines in representatives from five scorpion families. In the more basal families (e.g., Vaejovidae) with apoikogenic development, the pectines start to develop early with enlargement of the limb buds on the third opisthosomal segment. The primordial pectines become elongate lobes attached to the ventro-lateral surface …

In Situ Infrared Videography Of Sand Scorpion Nighttime Surface Activity, Douglas D. Gaffin

Euscorpius

Sand scorpions make burrows from which they emerge at night to seek mates and prey. Previous ecological studies have documented scorpion activities on the sand surface. Few studies, however, have videotaped scorpion movements in the context of understanding their sensory neurobiology. Our objective is to understand which signals guide scorpions as they emerge from and return to their burrows. Candidate stimuli include chemical trails, footsteps, celestial patterns, geomagnetic cues, humidity and/or temperature gradients, distinctive scents from the burrow, seismic echolocation, memory, or landmark orientation. We videotaped scorpions to learn whether they return to their burrows by the same path they …

Scorpions In The Modern Cuban Culture: An Introductory Iconography, Luis F. De Armas

Euscorpius

Some graphic examples of the role of scorpions in the present-day culture of Cuba are presented. They include tattoos, jewels, carpets, caps, and drawings by children, among other objects of personal or social usage. Increased use of this arachnid as a cultural element among Cuban people during last 50 years seems to be directly related with globalization, mostly through the TV and movies.

On Fabre’S Traces: An Important Contributor To The Knowledge Of Buthus Occitanus (Amoreux, 1789), Marco Colombo

Euscorpius

Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre (1823–1915) has probably been one of the most important entomologists of the world in the last two centuries, leaving to posterity a huge amount of manuscripts and books. The Languedoc yellow scorpion, Buthus occitanus (Amoreaux, 1789), has been one of his objects of study: many of its behaviours, including the famous “promenade a deux”, have been described by the careful eye of the French entomologist, giving an interesting contribution to modern scorpiology

Scorpions In Ancient Egypt, Hisham K. El-Hennawy

Euscorpius

The ancient Egyptians knew the scorpion and its toxicity, and venerated it since pre-dynastic era. They used the scorpion as a king's name, a name of a nome (county), and a symbol to their goddess, Serqet, that protects the body and the viscera of the dead, and that accompanies them in their journey to the afterlife. They had medical prescriptions and magical spells to heal the stings. Since the 5th dynasty, the title of a “Follower of Serket” was given to clever physicians. Scorpions are most famously depicted on Horus Cippus, a talisman featuring Horus the Child holding in his …

The First Record Of Upper Permian And Lower Triassic Scorpions From Russia (Chelicerata: Scorpiones), Victor Fet, Dmitry E. Shcherbakov, Michael E. Soleglad

Euscorpius

Several small fragments of fossil scorpions are reported from two localities in Vologda Province, Russia, representing the Upper Permian (Severodvinian, correlated to Wuchiapingian) (Isady) and Lower Triassic just above the Permian-Triassic boundary (Induan) (Nedubrovo). Most observed structures are not diagnostic at genus or family level. The Isady leg fragment possesses ungues (claws), which are both denticulated and setaceous, and resembles a Carboniferous Eobuthus sp. (Eobuthidae). It is the latest record of this type of ungues, which are known in some Paleozoic scorpions (extinct suborder Mesoscorpiones); all extant scorpions have smooth claws without denticulation or setation.

Further Considerations On The Species Of The Genus Orthochirus Karsch, 1891 From Africa, With Description Of Three New Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Wilson R. Lourenço, Elise-Anne Leguin

Euscorpius

New considerations are proposed regarding the African species of the genus Orthochirus Karsch, 1891. Two species, Orthochirus aristidis (Simon, 1882) and Orthochirus innesi Simon, 1910 have been the subject of several publications in the past decades; however, doubts remain about their exact identity and range of geographical distribution. In this note, their taxonomic status is reinvestigated. The type material is revised and the lectotype and paralectotypes are designated for O. aristidis. Revised diagnoses and illustrations are proposed for both species, and these are confirmed as valid. Three new species are described from Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania. The total number …

Polymorphism And Hybridization In Species Of Hottentotta Birula, 1908 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Wilson R. Lourenço, Eric Ythier, Mark Stockmann, John L. Cloudsley-Thompson

Euscorpius

A new and well documented case of hybridization among scorpions is presented. It was obtained under laboratory conditions between Hottentotta jayakari (Pocock) and Hottentotta salei (Vachon) specimens of which had been collected in the northern and southern regions of Oman. Hybrids were successfully produced not only from F₀ males and females, but also from F₁ males and females, thereby attesting to the fact that the first generation obtained (F₁), was completely fertile. Both F₁ and F₂ broods were composed of dark and pale morphs, indicating that the juveniles could inherit either one or …

The First Record Of The Family Euscorpiidae (Arachnida: Scorpiones) From Central China, With A Key Of Chinese Species Of The Genus Scorpiops, Zhi-Yong Di, Ya-Wen He, Zhi-Jian Cao, Ying-Liang Wu, Wen-Xin Li

Euscorpius

The genus Scorpiops (Euscorpiidae) is recorded for the first time in Central China. Two immature specimens of a form belonging to Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) “complex” were collected from Huzhaoshan Mountains in Hubei Province. A discussion of Chinese species of genus Scorpiops is provided, as well as a key of Scorpiops from China.

Metabolism And Cryo-Sensitivity Of Domestic Cat (Felis Catus) And Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus) Spermatozoa, Kimberly Terrell

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Teratospermia (ejaculation of ≥ 60% structurally abnormal spermatozoa) is prevalent among felids facing extinction risk, including the cheetah. This trait also occurs in certain domestic cat populations, providing a valuable research model. Multiple components of sperm function are disrupted in teratospermic cats, and even structurally normal spermatozoa from these ejaculates may be functionally compromised. Teratospermic ejaculates are highly sensitive to damage during cryopreservation, limiting the success of genome resource banking programs for species conservation. Although both teratospermia and cryopreservation are linked to disruptions in multiple energy-dependent sperm processes, the metabolism of these cells has not been investigated. This project explored …

Evolution, Speciation, And Conservation Of Amblyopsid Cavefishes, Matthew Lance Niemiller

Doctoral Dissertations

Cave organisms are classic examples of regressive evolution, as many disparate taxa have evolved similar convergent phenotypes in subterranean environments. While recent phylogeographic and population genetic analyses have greatly improved our understanding of the evolutionary and biogeographic history of cave organisms, many questions remain unanswered or poorly investigated. I investigated several evolutionary and biogeographic questions in a model system for regressive evolution and studies of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms, amblyopsid cavefishes. In chapter I, I used recently developed methods to delimit species boundaries and relationships in a widely distributed cavefish, Typhlichthys. I show that species diversity in Typhlichthys is …

Historical Diversification Of Montane Herpetofauna Within And Between The Sierras Of Mexico, Robert William Bryson Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mexican highlands consist of four major mountain ranges spanning most of mainland Mexico. The evolutionary history of the Mexican highlands has been shaped by various geological and climatic events over the past several million years. The relative impacts of these historical events on diversification in montane taxa, however, remains uncertain. I used mitochondrial DNA data from three widely distributed species complexes of lizards as a model system to exemplify the potential roles of Neogene mountain formation and Quaternary climate change on timing and tempo of diversification across the Mexican highlands. My results suggested strong geographic partitioning of genetic variation …