Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Mating Games Squid Play: Reproductive Behaviour And Sexual Skin Displays In Caribbean Reef Squid Sepioteuthis Sepioidea, Jennifer Mather

Reproductive Behavior Collection

Observation of the sexual interactions of Sepioteuthis sepioidea squid during the short reproductive stage of their lives showed a scramble competition system, with both male and female polygyny. Mature females were faithful to a specific location in the daytime, whereas males moved from group to group and formed short-term consortships with females. Males defended females from other males, particularly with an agonistic Zebra display. Male–female pairs exchanged Saddle-Stripe displays, after which males might display an on–off Flicker. There was considerable female choice. Only if a female responded to this display with a parallel Rocking action would she pair and would …

Hpi Reactivity Does Not Reflect Changes In Personality Among Trout Introduced To Bold Or Shy Social Groups, Jack S. Thomson, Phillip C. Watts, Tom G. Pottinger, Lynne U. Sneddon

Social Behavior Collection

Physiological stress responses often correlate with personalities (e.g., boldness). However, this relationship can become decoupled, although the mechanisms underlying changes in this relationship are poorly understood. Here we quantify (1) how an individual’s boldness (response to novel objects) in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, changes in response to interactions with a population of either bold or shy conspecifics and we (2) measured associated post-stress cortisol levels. Initially-bold trout became shyer regardless of group composition, whereas shy trout remained shy demonstrating that bold individuals are more plastic. Stress-induced plasma cortisol reflected the original personality of fish but not the personality induced …

Geographic Variability Of Octopus Insularis Diet: From Oceanic Island To Continental Populations, Tatiana S. Leite, Allan T. Batista, Françoise D. Lima, Jaciana C. Barbosa, Jennifer A. Mather

Habitat and Trophic Ecology Collection

A predator’s choice of prey can be affected by many factors. We evaluated various influences on population dietary composition, individual specialization and size of prey in Octopus insularis populations from 2 continental and 4 insular locations. We expected that habitat diversity would lead to diet heterogeneity. Furthermore, in keeping with MacArthur & Wilson’s (1967) theory of island biogeography, we expected that diet diversity would be lower around islands than on the coast of the mainland. Both predictions were confirmed when prey remains from octopus middens were examined. The 2 continental areas exhibited a richer habitat diversity and a wider variety …

The Spatial Distribution Of Terrestrial Stable Carbon Isotopes In North America, And The Impacts Of Spatial And Temporal Resolution On Static Ecological Models, Sydney M. Firmin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the unique spatial and temporal characteristics of ecological phenomena, the extent and grain size of spatial data sets essentially filter the observations. This thesis examines the impacts of temporal and spatial resolution on the modeling of terrestrial stable carbon isotopic landscapes (isoscapes). I model the distribution of leaf stable carbon isotope composition (delta¹³C) for the continent of North America at multiple temporal and spatial resolutions. I generate each delta¹³C isoscape variation by first predicting the relative abundance of C3/C4 vegetation cover using monthly climate grids, crop distribution/type grids, and remote sensing data of plant …

Voluntary Food Sharing In Pinyon Jays: The Role Of Reciprocity And Dominance, Juan F. Duque, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Food sharing offers a clear example of prosocial behavior, in which one individual’s actions benefit another. Researchers have proposed a range of hypotheses that explain why food sharing may occur among unrelated individuals. Two such hypotheses, reciprocity and dominance, have been tested in many species, including fish, corvids, rats, bats, and primates, showing that (1) recipients sometimes reciprocate sharing back to previous donors and (2) dominant individuals share more than subordinates. Although primates dominate the study of prosocial behavior, active donation of food is actually quite rare in primates. In contrast, several corvid species spontaneously share food much more frequently. …

An Update Of The Family-Level Taxonomy Of Vascular Plants In Mongolia, M. Urgamal, Ch. Sanchir

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

A new comprehensive checklist of Mongolian vascular plant families includes descriptions of all accepted plant families, each with a basionym, homonym, and full list of synonyms. The list is a completely revised update of GUBANOV’s conspectus (1996) of the Mongolian flora. The currently list covers a total of 3,113 species, subspecies and 683 genera, 112 families of vascular plants, belonging to 39 orders, 14 classes or clades and 5 divisions of the vascular plants in the flora of Mongolia.

New Data On Feeding Ecology Of Bubo Bubo And Asio Otus (Aves: Strigidae) In Mongolia, Michael Stubbe, Nayamsuren Batsaikhan, Oliver Lindecke, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Annegret Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

New materials of 10 Eagle owl Bubo bubo localities from Mongolia were analyzed. The feeding ecology of Long-eared owl Asio otus was studied by the investigation of pellets from 4 roosting or nesting places in S-Mongolia. All together in the prey of Bubo bubo were analyzed 1098 vertebrates (1017 mammals, 39 birds, 41 reptiles, 1 fish), involving about 22 mammal species. The pellets were dominantly those of Lagomorpha with 23.3% in SW-Mongolia, Dipodidae in W-, SW- and S-Mongolia (37.3%, 23.4%, 30.2%), Cricetidae in SW- and S-Mongolia (13.6%, 17.6%), Gerbillidae in W- and S-Mongolia (19%, 32.1%) and Arvicolidae in W- and …

Historische Und Aktuelle Daten Zum Wolf In Der Mongolei, D. Eregdenedagva, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Zusammenfassung Die Mongolei beherbergt trotz intensiver Verfolgung einen der besten Wolfsbestände Eurasiens. Der Wolf kommt als wertvoller Großsäuger in allen Vegetationszonen der Mongolei vor. Bereits zahlreiche Steinzeichnungen künden von Mensch-, Haus- und Wildtierkonflikten mit dem wehrhaften Beutegreifer Wolf. Er ist und bleibt ein Konkurrent des Nomaden und andererseits ein wertvoller Pelzlieferant und Regulator in den Nahrungsnetzen. Die geringe menschliche Besiedlung und die in freier Weidewirtschaft gehaltenen Haustiere sowie eine reiche Fauna an kleinen und großen Wildsäugetieren bereiten der Wolfspopulation optimale nahrungsökologische Bedingungen. Seit geraumer Zeit hat die Haustierhaltung die 50 Millionengrenze überschritten. Der ökonomische Schaden des Wolfes in der Viehwirtschaft …

The Domain Specificity Of Intertemporal Choice In Pinyon Jays, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Bryce Kennedy, Dina Morales, Marianna Burks

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

When choosing between a piece of cake now versus a slimmer waistline in the future, many of us have difficulty with self-control. Food-caching species, however, regularly hide food for later recovery, sometimes waiting months before retrieving their caches. It remains unclear whether these long-term choices generalize outside of the caching domain. We hypothesized that the ability to save for the future is a general tendency that cuts across different situations. To test this hypothesis, we measured and experimentally manipulated caching to evaluate its relationship with operant measures of self-control in pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus). We found no correlation …

Wildlife And Local Community Investigation In Trans-Boundary Area Between China-Mongolia Borders, Weikang Yang, Wenxuan Xu, Canjun Xia, Wei Liu, Xingyi Gao

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

During June 2008, and August and December 2010, we investigated both the status of wildlife and local human communities in the great Gobi trans-boundary area between China and Mongolia. We surveyed Baytik Mountain (called Baitag Bogdt on the Mongolian side of the border)( 44°59′ - 45°21′N，90°30′ - 90°53′E), which is located in the West of Great Gobi B strict protected area (GGB) and connected with Dzungarian Gobi. The Kazakh shepherds still maintain their nomadic life here in Baytik Mountains. The region was divided into summer, winter and transitional pasture, and most of the livestock were goats and sheep. We also …

Bibliographia Phytosociologica Et Floristica Mongolia: Pars Iv, Werner Hilbig

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In Ergänzung zu den bisherigen drei Teilen der Bibliographie vegetationskundlicher, vegetationsökologischer, floristischer und pflanzengeographischer Arbeiten über die Mongolei wird in dieser Arbeit Teil IV der Bibliographie vorgelegt. Er umfasst im Wesentlichen den Zeitraum 2007 bis 2014. Auch Publikationen zur Vegetationsgeschichte und zum botanischen Naturschutz werden berücksichtigt.

English summary:

In addition to the hitherto existing three parts of the bibliography of geobotanical, ecological, floristic and plant-geographical papers on Mongolia the part IV of the bibliography is given. It comprises in the main point the period from 2007 until 2014. In addition, publications on vegetation history and botanical nature protection are considered.

A Lobed Argiope Spider On Its Most Eastern Distribution – First Record Of Argiope Lobata (Pallas, 1772) For The Sub-Family Argiopinae (Arachnida: Araneidae) In Mongolia, Oliver Lindecke, Marcus Wall

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The subfamily Argiopinae SIMON, 1890 is reported for Mongolia the first time by Argiope lobata (PALLAS, 1772). Furthermore, we herein highlight the most eastern distribution of this species, which is widespread in the Mediterranean, African and in some Asian countries. The obtained specimen was found in the Eastern Gobi, a landscape of semi-desert character. Despite numerous studies with arachnological background in the past, even larger species new for Mongolia could be found. Findings like this show the on-going need for basic biodiversity research in the Gobi ecoregions. We further discuss previous, but doubtful reports of A. lobata in South-east Asia …

Acclimatization Of Coregonus Autumnalis Migratorius (Georgi, 1775) In Some Water Bodies Of The Mongolian Gobi, Auyriin Dulmaa

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Introductions and subsequent acclimatization of the fish Baicalian omul (Coregonus autumnalis migratorius natio possolskii) was carried out in 1980, 1982, and 1986 in the previously fishless lakes of Ulaagchnii Khar, Baga, and Jaahan located in the territory of Gobi region of the Zavhan administrative aimag of Mongolia. Three million larvae of Coregonus autumnalis migratorius natio possolskii were received from the Bolshrechnsky fishery in Buryatya, Russia (DULMAA 1999). The density of distribution was 10-15 thousand units per hectare with an average larvae mass of 0.05 g. The relatively abundant fodder base has facilitated the high rate of growth and …

Plant Communities In Eastern Mongolia, Werner Hilbig, Naidan Narantuya

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In this contribution is presented a phytosociological description of plant communities, recorded in the phytogeographical district of Eastern Mongolia, including parts of the Dornod (Eastern) and the Choybalsan aymags. The whole district is characterized by steppe vegetation. Other vegetation types, like elm (Ulmus pumila) bush vegetation, shrubbery on sandy and rocky sites, Salix miyabeana bushes, meadow and reed vegetation in the river plains and lake basins, salt vegetation and ruderal plant communities were also recorded, documented by synoptic vegetation tables or single relevés and characterized by information on the ecological conditions of their habitats. Some of the observed …

Current Status And Conservation Of Mountain Ungulates In Mongolia, Badamjav Lkhagvasuren, Yansanjav Adiya, Garam Tsogtjargal, Garam Amgalanbaatar, Rich Harris

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

In November 2009, we conducted a countrywide survey for wild sheep or argali and Siberian ibex. Field survey teams sampled in total 134 argali distribution units within Mongolia, which are estimated to occupy approximately 46,603 km² of the whole area of 60,237 km² that been previously mapped as populated by argali. They observed 385 groups of argali, totaling 3.373 individuals. Our point estimate of argali is 18,140 with a lower 95% confidence limit of 9,193 and an upper 95% confidence limit of 43,135.

At the same time the authors observed 162 groups of ibex, totaling 2,541 individuals and our point …

How Could Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) Be Used For Ecohydrological And Ecosystem Research? Experiences Of First Operations With Uas In River Flood Plains Of Northern Mongolia, Jürgen Hofmann, Martin Oczipka, Thomas Rutz, Hauke Dämpfling

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This paper proposes the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as a method for monitoring biotic resources and ecohydrological systems in river floodplains.

Small scale mapping based on LANDSAT and SRTM or ASTER data is of limited applicability since a spatial resolution of 30 to 90 m is not sufficient to meet the demands of habitat mapping and large scale 3D -modelling. Newer satellites like WorldView2 and SENTINEL (space mission from European Space Agency within the Copernicus Programme) could be an option to gain a 0.5 m resolution, but the availability of image data is limited.

UAS allow the collection …

To Jump Or Not To Jump: Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) And White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Crossing Decisions, Emily N. Burkholder

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

There have been recent efforts to enhance ungulate movement through modified fencing structures. Ungulates such as mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) typically negotiate fences by either jumping over fencing or going under. Here we examine crossing success and crossing decisions of mule deer and white-tailed deer and determine factors that influence crossing success and the impending decision to jump over or crawl underneath fencing. Using a BACI (Before-After-Control-Impact) design, we deployed remote cameras along fence lines in three study areas; Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield and OneFour research center in Southeastern Alberta, …

A Single Strand Of Argument With Unfounded Conclusion, Robert W. Elwood

Animal Sentience

Key (2016) describes the neural system involved in human pain experience in an excellent fashion but then suggests that only that complete system can generate the experience of pain. Thus animals without all components will not feel pain. This argument has been refuted in the past by analogy to vision where it is clear that a broad range of taxa, vertebrate and invertebrate, have good visual abilities albeit with completely different central nervous systems and receptors. This known counterargument to Key’s main idea is not mentioned in the target article. Further criteria that might indicate pain and studies examining these …

Evaluation Of Bison (Bison Bison) Ecology At The Olson’S Bison Conservation Ranches, Pine River Ranch, Manitoba, Canada, Joshua L. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bison (Bison bison), the largest mammalian species in North America, historically numbering in the tens of millions (Roe 1970, McHugh 1972, Dary 1989, Shaw 1995), was nearly extirpated at the turn of the 19th century (Knapp et al. 1999; Gates et al. 2010). At the time, estimates of less than 1,000 bison remaining in North America are widely accepted (Hornaday 1889; Seton 1927; Gates et al. 2010). The decline of bison includes factors such as disease (Flores 1991; Isenberg 2000), sport hunting (Danz 1997; Dary 1989; Hewitt 1919; Isenberg 2000; McHugh 1972), and unofficially funded commercial hunting by the U.S. …

Identifying Plant Functional Traits To Assist Ecological Intervention In A Drying Landscape, Ana Luiza Muler

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) are among the most vulnerable to land use and climate change and many attempts are in place to restore these ecosystems. Therefore, it is necessary to assess differences in plants’ ability to withstand water-stress, including biotic interactions. Such knowledge helps us understand community assembly, which is crucial for ecological intervention. This study involved: (1) reviewing the literature on traits that can differentiate functional types; (2) adapting the methodology to measure leaf water potential at turgor loss point (πtlp) for small-leaved species; (3) using these traits to quickly identify water-use strategies of adult …

Effects Of Visitors And Enrichments On Behavior Of Captive Red Wolves’ (Canis Rufus) At The Great Plains Zoo, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Kylee S. Shotkoski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Red wolves (Canis rufus) are the first animals to maintain a wild population from captive, released individuals. A captive breeding program for red wolves was started before complete extirpation, and 4 breeding pairs were released in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (North Carolina) in 1987 and a small wild population still exists there. Currently, there are several captive breeding facilities for red wolves within the Species Survival Plan (SSP) program. The Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota participates in the SSP program. My study was initiated to create a natural history background and evaluate interaction between …

Cognitive Phenotypes And The Evolution Of Animal Decisions, Tamra C. Mendelson, Courtney L. Fitzpatrick, Mark E. Hauber, Charles H. Pence, Rafael L. Rodríguez, Rebecca J. Safran, Caitlin A. Stern, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Faculty Publications

Despite the clear fitness consequences of animal decisions, the science of animal decision making in evolutionary biology is underdeveloped compared with decision science in human psychology. Specifically, the field lacks a conceptual framework that defines and describes the relevant components of a decision, leading to imprecise language and concepts. The ‘judgment and decision-making’ (JDM) framework in human psychology is a powerful tool for framing and understanding human decisions, and we apply it here to components of animal decisions, which we refer to as ‘cognitive phenotypes’. We distinguish multiple cognitive phenotypes in the context of a JDM framework and highlight empirical …

Developing Management Guidelines That Balance Cattle And Timber Production With Ecological Interests In The Black Hills Of South Dakota, Kurt M. Chowanski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forested lands contribute to the United States (US) economy by providing livestock and timber production. Livestock grazing of forested lands has been widespread throughout the western US since the settlement era, and currently occurs on 51.4 million hectares (ha) representing 16% of all US grazing land and 22% of all US forested land (Nickerson et al. 2011). While livestock grazing and timber harvest are occurring on a substantial amount of forested land, relationships between management practices, tree stocking, timber production, forage production, livestock grazing, wildlife, aesthetics, and ecological integrity are not well documented. Whether considering timber or cattle, finding a …

What's In A Kiss? : The Role Of Kissing In Romantic Relationships, Kristina N. Spaulding

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A strong understanding of the role of kissing has important theoretical implications; however little research has been done on kissing in romantic relationships. This study aimed to examine the role of kissing in (a) mate assessment, (b) initiating arousal and (c) maintenance of an emotional bond. Data were collected by surveying college students at a public university in the northeast. The first survey (n = 121) examined the memory of the first kiss compared to other sexual “firsts” as well as the relationship between the first kiss and relationship outcome. Memories of the first kiss were weaker than memories of …

Consequences Of Developmental Lead (Pb2+) Exposure On Reproductive Strategies In Drosophila, Elizabeth Kathleen Peterson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Anthropogenic lead (Pb) pollution is ubiquitous in the environment and a risk factor for both human and wildlife health. Pb exposure has the potential to alter reproductive strategies with respect to mate choice and reproductive output. This could be especially deleterious if these changes disrupt adaptive behavioral and reproductive life history strategies. Therefore, the overall aim of this body of work was to examine the consequences of developmental Pb exposure on reproductive strategies, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. In all experiments, D. melanogaster were reared from egg stage to adulthood in either control or leaded medium and were …

Cortex Necessary For Pain — But Not In Sense That Matters, Adam J. Shriver

Animal Sentience

Certain cortical regions are necessary for pain in humans in the sense that, at particular times, they play a direct role in pain. However, it is not true that they are necessary in the more important sense that pain is never possible in humans without them. There are additional details from human lesion studies concerning functional plasticity that undermine Key’s (2016) interpretation. Moreover, no one has yet identified any specific behaviors that mammalian cortical pain regions make possible that are absent in fish.

Territoriality And Inter-Pack Aggression In Gray Wolves: Shaping A Social Carnivore's Life History Rudyard Kipling's Law Of The Jungle Meets Yellowstone's Law Of The Mountains, Kira A. Cassidy, Douglas W. Smith, L. David Mech, Daniel R. Macnulty, Daniel R. Stahler, Matthew C. Metz

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

When Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book in 1894 and included the famous line "For the strength of the Wolf is the Pack, and the strength of the Pack is the Wolf," he would have had no idea that over a century later, scientific research would back up his poetic phrase. Recent studies in Yellowstone have found that both the individual wolf and the collective pack rely on each other and play important roles in territoriality. At a time when most fairy tales and fables were portraying wolves as demonic killers or, at best, slapstick gluttons, Kipling seemed to have …

Wolf (Canis Lupus) Generation Time And Proportion Of Current Breeding Females By Age, L. David Mech, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, John Erb

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Information is sparse about aspects of female wolf (Canis lupus) breeding in the wild, including age of first reproduction, mean age of primiparity, generation time, and proportion of each age that breeds in any given year. We studied these subjects in 86 wolves (113 captures) in the Superior National Forest (SNF), Minnesota (MN), during 1972–2013 where wolves were legally protected for most of the period, and in 159 harvested wolves from throughout MN wolf range during 2012–2014. Breeding status of SNF wolves were assessed via nipple measurements, and wolves from throughout MN wolf range, by placental scars. In …

Mediating Claims Through Critical Anthropomorphism, Gordon Burghardt

Animal Sentience

Key’s (2016) discussion of his claim that fish do not feel pain ignores the history of attempts to study the attribution of mental states to other species. Although willing to accept that mammals feel pain, Key claims that fish lack the mammalian neural mechanisms underlying pain and are unconscious of their experiences. Consequently, we do not need to be overly concerned about fishing practices that would otherwise be viewed as painful. Key uses a flawed anthropomorphic lens. All attributions of mental events to organisms other than oneself involve inferences derived from anthropomorphic processes through which we process physiological and behavioral …

Pain And Other Feelings In Humans And Animals, Antonio Damasio, Hanna Damasio

Animal Sentience

Evidence from neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and neuropsychology suggests that the experience of feelings in humans does not depend exclusively on structures of the cerebral cortex. It does not seem warranted to deny the possibility of feeling in animals on the grounds that their cerebral cortices are not comparable to those of humans.