Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Terrapene Ornata (Ornate Box Turtle) Predation On Cliff Swallows, Mary Bomberger Brown, Charles R. Brown

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

During a 25-year study of Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in southwestern Nebraska, we observed Terrapene ornata prey, or attempt to prey, on swallows. On one occasion as large numbers of birds flushed and hit the net, the weight of the birds pulled the net down to ground level. One T. ornata, which was seen regularly at the colony, approached one adult Cliff Swallow that was very low in the net and killed it by biting and eating its head. After killing the bird, the turtle walked away carrying the head.

Scale-Dependent Habitat Use By Fall Migratory Birds: Vegetation Architecture, Floristics, And Geographic Consistency, Jill Deppe, John Rotenberry

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Animal habitat selection is a central focus of ecology and conservation biology. Understanding habitat associations in migratory animals is particularly complicated because individuals have variable habitat requirements during the annual cycle, across their geographic range, along migratory routes, and at multiple spatial scales. We studied habitat associations of 16 fall Nearctic–Neotropical migratory land birds at two spatial scales at a stopover site along the northern Yucatan coast to examine scale-dependent habitat use, identify proximate cues shaping birds' distributions, and evaluate similarities in habitat use between our tropical stopover site and temperate sites. We addressed scale-dependent habitat associations in two ways, …

Variation In Surrounding Forest Habitat Influences The Initial Orientation Of Juvenile Amphibians Emigrating From Breeding Ponds, Leroy J. Walston, Stephen J. Mullin

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Scale-Dependent Habitat Use By Fall Migratory Birds: Vegetation Architecture, Floristics, And Geographic Consistency, Jill L. Deppe, John T. Rotenberry

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Animal habitat selection is a central focus of ecology and conservation biology. Understanding habitat associations in migratory animals is particularly complicated because individuals have variable habitat requirements during the annual cycle, across their geographic range, along migratory routes, and at multiple spatial scales. We studied habitat associations of 16 fall Nearctic–Neotropical migratory land birds at two spatial scales at a stopover site along the northern Yucatan coast to examine scale-dependent habitat use, identify proximate cues shaping birds' distributions, and evaluate similarities in habitat use between our tropical stopover site and temperate sites. We addressed scale-dependent habitat associations in two ways, …

Calf Development: Most Births At Night, Robert H.I. Dale

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

For many years, field researchers studying both African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximas) elephants have indicated that they have observed relatively few births in situ, suggesting that most elephant dams give birth at night. For example, according to Cynthia Moss, "Possibly the majority of births occur at night and perhaps those that do take place in the daytime happen in secluded places" (1988, p. 151). Others, for example, Clive Spinage, have referred to "the old beliefs that the cows retreated to 'calving grounds' or that birth took place at night." (Spinage, 1994, p. 90). Although …

Mating Systems, Copulatory Organ Size, And Scaling Relationship In Mollies (Poecilia Spp.), Martha Divver, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Copulatory organs rapidly evolve and are subject to complex selective pressures affecting mating success. One feature of copulatory organs that is subject to such selective pressures is size. Benefits of longer organs may include greater signal effectiveness in courtship and longer ‘reach’ when attempting copulations with evasive females. Costs of longer organs may include impaired locomotion, increased energetic cost or reduced mechanical compatibility with female genitalia. The optimal size for a copulatory organ may vary with mating behavior. The objective of this study is to examine among-species variability in copulatory organ size, body size and the relationship between copulatory organ …

Geographic Distribution: Sphaerodactylus Elegans Elegans (Ashy Gecko). Usa: Florida: Broward Co., Louis A. Somma, Kenneth L. Krysko

Papers in Herpetology

FLORIDA: BROWARD County: Pembroke Pines: 1031 NW 93rd Ave (26.0168833°N, 80.2695694°W; WGS84; elev. <1 >m). October 27, 2007. Collected by Lisa A. Charlton. Verified by F. Wayne King, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. One neonate captured in Jackson sticky trap set to sample insects in an alee tree (Blighia sapida). UF 152418. New county record. Originally turned in to Division of Plant Industry (DPI), Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, Florida, on October 31, 2007; Entomology Log No. 8204. This nonindigenous gecko was flrst reported from Key West, Monroe County, Florida, more than 85 …

Amphibian, Reptile, And Small Mammal Associates Of Ozark Pocket Gopher Habitat In Izard County, Arkansas, M. Connior, I. Guenther, Thomas S. Risch, Stanley E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We conducted a study of the amphibian, reptile, and small mammal community assemblage of Ozark pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius ozarkensis) habitat in north-central Arkansas. We used 2 methods to capture individuals: hand capture and drift fences. During the study, we captured and marked a total of 9 anuran, 4 salamander, 5 lizard, 3 turtle, 16 snake, and 8 small mammal species exclusive of pocket gophers. We found one hatchling three-toed box turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis) and one rough earth snake (Virginia striatula) inside a pocket gopher burrow and mound, respectively. Additionally, we witnessed both eastern racers (Coluber constrictor) and eastern …

Population Ecology Of The Golden Mouse, Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

An understanding of the population dynamics of a species requires knowledge of the major life-history parameters of a population, including age at maturity, distribution of age classes, and lifetime reproductive contribution of the sexes, sex ratio, length of the breeding season, mean litter size, rates of growth and survival, and life span. Because few long-term studies have been conducted with Ochrotomys nuttalli as the focal species of investigation, only fragmentary information is available for many population parameters. As importantly, densities of golden mice often are low, making them difficult to evaluate statistically. Little has been published on age at maturity …

Low-Density Rodent Communities In Eastern Virginia, Robert K. Rose, Jean F. Stankavich

Virginia Journal of Science

Two communities of small mammals were live trapped every other week for 15 months in linear oilfield habitat bordered by forested swampland in eastern Virginia. All nine species of the rodent community were present, mostly in low numbers and often intermittently. All species were characterized by high transiency, with a minority of marked animals becoming resident. Despite high trappability, all but two species in these communities had extremely low densities, suggesting that most species could not sustain populations via in situ reproduction.

Out Of South America: Multiple Origins Of Non-Native Apple Snails In Asia, Kenneth Hayes

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Apple snails (Ampullariidae: Pomacea) native to the New World have become agricultural and environmental pests widely in southern and eastern Asia since their introduction in about 1980. Although their impacts have been extensively documented, considerable confusion persists regarding their identities and geographical origins. Efforts to resolve the confusion have suffered from inadequate taxonomic and geographical sampling from both native and introduced ranges. Using phylogenetic and genealogical methods, we analysed 610–655 bp of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I DNA sequences from 783 apple snails from 164 Asian locations and 57 native South American locations. In Asia, we found four species of …

Acanthocephalan Parasites (Echinorhynchida: Heteracanthocephalidae; Pomphorhynchidae) From The Pirate Perch (Percopsiformes: Aphredoderidae), From The Caddo River, Arkansas, Chris T. Mcallister, O. Amin

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Muscleworms, Parelaphostrongylus Andersoni (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae), Discovered In Columbia White-Tailed Deer From Oregon And Washington: Implications For Biogeography And Host Associations, Ingrid M. Asmundsson, Jack A. Mortenson, Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Parelaphostrongylus andersoni is considered a characteristic nematode infecting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Host and geographic distribution for this parasite, however, remain poorly defined in the region of western North America. Fecal samples collected from Columbia white-tailed deer (O. v. leucurus) in a restricted range endemic to Oregon and Washington, USA, were examined for dorsal-spined larvae characteristic of many protostrongylid nematodes. Multilocus DNA sequence data (internal transcribed spacer 2 and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) established the identity and a new record for P. andersoni in a subspecies of white-tailed deer previously unrecognized as hosts. Populations of …

Oviposition Behavior Partitions Aquatic Landscapes Along Predation And Nutrient Gradients, C. A. Binckley, W. J. Resetarits Jr.

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

That individuals attempt to minimize the ratio of mortality risk/growth rate (μ/g) when foraging within individual habitat patches is well established. Do species partition among spatially discrete communities embedded in complex landscapes in a similar manner? We investigated how 3 ovipositing species (2 Hyla treefrogs and a hydrophilid beetle, Tropisternus lateralis) responded to simultaneous gradients of nutrients and predation risk. Species partitioned our experimental metacommunity primarily by reducing oviposition with fish. Tropisternus positively responded to increased nutrients, but the effect decreased with increasing risk, as predicted by μ/g theory. Use of fish habitats by Tropisternus was unrelated to breeding …

Speciation Within Bonneted Bats (Genus Eumops): The Complexity Of Morphological, Mitochondrial, And Nuclear Data Sets In Systematics, Molly M. Mcdonough, Loren K. Ammerman, Robert M. Timm, Hugh H. Genoways, Peter A. Larsen, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

We phylogenetically analyze 705 base pairs of the cytochrome-b gene and 351 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) bands from populations of the karyotypically variable Wagner’s bonneted bat, Eumops glaucinus, and the Florida bonneted bat, Eumops floridanus (Chiroptera: Molossidae). Three karyotypes have been documented across the range of E. glaucinus, and we report that the karyotype from Cuba is morphologically similar to that from Jamaica. A 4th karyotype is present in specimens from western Ecuador. Three distinct lineages are present in both the cytochrome-b and AFLP trees. One lineage is restricted to western Ecuador and exhibits cytochrome-b …

High Rate Of Recent Transposable Element–Induced Adaptation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Josefa Gonzalez, Kapa Lenkov, Mikhail Lipatov, J. Michael Macpherson, Dmitri A. Petrov

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Although transposable elements (TEs) are known to be potent sources of mutation, their contribution to the generation of recent adaptive changes has never been systematically assessed. In this work, we conduct a genome-wide screen for adaptive TE insertions in Drosophila melanogaster that have taken place during or after the spread of this species out of Africa. We determine population frequencies of 902 of the 1,572 TEs in Release 3 of the D. melanogaster genome and identify a set of 13 putatively adaptive TEs. These 13 TEs increased in population frequency sharply after the spread out of Africa. We argue that …

Foraging Behavior And Habitat Use By The Carolina Chickadee (Poecile Carolinensis) In West-Central Indiana, Ihan Chen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I studied the effect of environmental conditions on the foraging behavior of Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) in Kiewig woods, property of Indiana State University, in West Terre Haute in west-central Indiana. My study method uses Optimal Foraging Theory (Brown 1988) to measure the giving up density (GUD) of Chickadees under different environmental conditions ( different resource abundances, different habitat types, different resource types and different seasons). For my experiment, I set up 24 feeding stations in three kinds of habitats ( open area, secondary growth woods and mature woods) within 4 sites and paired trays in each habitat X site. …

Seasonal Changes In Thermal Conductance Of Bat Pelage: A Comparison Of The Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus Borealis) And Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus Fuscus), Daniel Justin Judy

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two species with different ecologies and natural histories use different morphological characteristics and thermoregulatory strategies to survive seasonal environmental changes. The purpose of this project was to investigate two such species, the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) and big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). Red bats roost in the foliage of trees and occasionally leaf litter and have dense fur, as well as a furred interfemoral membrane. These two species differ in their morphology and roosting ecology in that big brown bats are generally larger with less dense fur, no fur on the interfemoral membrane, and are less exposed to environmental …

Prey Naiveté: Evolutionary And Ecological Implications, Jonathan G. Cox

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite its ecological importance, the concept of prey naivete has become a biological truism that receives little study. I explored the evolution of naivete and its likely influence on two major ecological patterns: a) the historically greater destructiveness of freshwater predator introductions, and b) the greater strength of aquatic trophic cascades. In a review of the ecological literature, I demonstrate that the conditions for the evolution of naivete (isolation) exist in freshwater habitats at multiple spatial scales. In addition, I show that freshwater prey exhibit naivete which could be responsible for the high impacts of freshwater predator introductions. I then …

Designation Of A Neotype For Leptodactylus Gracilis (Duméril And Bibron, 1840) (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae), Rafael O. De Sá, A. Dubois, A. Ohler

Biology Faculty Publications

The examination of the preserved specimens in the herpetological collection of the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, along with a review of the original literature, indicates that no extant specimen can be undoubtedly identified as the holotype of Leptodactylus gracilis (DumCri.l and Bibron, 1840). Furthermore, it revealed that the type locality recently assigned to this taxon is in error.

Seasonal Variation In Diet Of The Cotton Rat (Sigmodon Hispidus) Based On Fecal Analysis, Lynn A. Walker

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus, live in oldfields, habitats with a variety of mostly herbaceous plants. Based on other studies, the hispid cotton rat eats predominantly grasses, but grasses rarely are the only food. Fecal samples were collected each month during an ongoing capture-mark-release demographic study of the rodent community at a location in southern Chesapeake, Virginia. In the lab, five fecal pellets per animal were stained, placed on a microscope slide, and covered with starch-gel medium and coverslip. Then a clear nail polish was applied to produce a semi-permanent slide. Using a microscope and a set of reference slides, plant …

Eleutherodactylus Ridens (Pygmy Rainfrog) Predation, Tobias Eisenberg, Twan Leenders

Biology Faculty Publications

Workers of the large ponerine ant Paraponera clavata typically forage on small to medium-sized arthropods or collect pieces of plants or nectar but have been suspected of predating small vertebrates.

Effects Of Calcium Availability On The Reproductive Output Of Insectivorous Bats, Christina M. Booher

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reproduction is a period of high calcium demand in vertebrates, and calcium deficiency can limit reproductive output in mammals. Insects are a poor calcium source, suggesting that insectivorous species are more likely to be calcium deficient. Pregnant big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) consume 10 times less calcium than they are estimated to require. To accommodate calcium demand during pregnancy, many mammals mobilize more calcium from the skeleton, and extensive bone loss has been observed in some bats during pregnancy. A conflict may arise between the female and developing embryo over allocation of limited calcium supplies, which could limit reproductive output …

Landscape Ecology Of Crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) In West-Central Indiana, Jacob L. Burskey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated the distribution, zoogeography, and habitat associations of crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in an area of west central Indiana containing glaciated and unglaciated regions. I first sampled 180 streams within Vigo, Clay, Owen, Sullivan, Greene, and Knox counties to establish spatial distributions of crayfish species and gather information on natural history and site specific habitat conditions. Ten species were found; Cambarus (Tubericambarus) polychromatus, Cambarus (Lacunicambarus) sp.A, Cambarus (Erebicambarus) laevis, Fallicambarus (Creaserinus)fodiens, Procambarus (Girardiella) gracilis, Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutus, Orconectes (Triscellescens) immunis, Orconectes ( Gremicambarus) virilis, Orconectes ( Crockerinus) propinquus, - Orconectes (Faxinous) indianensis. The two rarest species were 0. indianensis (collected …

Description Of The Tadpole Of Leptodactylus Pustulatus Peters, 1870 (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Rafael O. De Sá, Reuber Brandão, Lorena Dall'ara Guimarães

Biology Faculty Publications

The external morphology and oral disc of the tadpole of Leptodactylus pustulatus Peters, 1870, are described and illustrated for Gosner stage 39. The internal oral anatomy was analyzed with SEM at Gosner stage 36 whereas chondrocranial anatomy is reported for Gosner stage 35. The overall characteristics do not depart from those known for the genus Leptodactylus and they particularly agree for those of the melanonotus species group. The labial tooth row formula is 2(2)/3. Observations are presented that suggest that L. pustulatus engages in larval parental care.

Resumo

São descritas a morfologia externa e o disco oral do girino de …

Evidence For Disease Mediated Extinction: Correlation Between An Introduced Pathogen And Extinction Of Rattus Macleari On Christmas Island, Kelly B. Wyatt

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The Durham Collection and the Cambridge and Oxford University Museums provided the materials to investigate the possibility that the extinction of indigenous rats of Christmas Island was a result of disease introduced by infected ship rats (R. rattus) in 1899. The collections of H.E. Durham in 1901-1902 reveal that R. macleari was present on Christmas Island up to then and includes specimens of R. rattus together with specimens that exhibit characteristics of both R. rattus and R. macleari. Durham's notes indicate both R. rattus and R. macleari specimens were heavily infected with trypanosomes at the time of collection. In …

The Tadpole Of Eupsophus Queulensis (Anura, Cycloramphidae), Diana R. Cárdenas-Rojas, Alberto Veloso, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The genus Eupsophus is characterized by endotrophic larvae that inhabit water-filled cavities. The larvae feed from large yolk reserves during metamorphosis. The external morphology has been described for four of the ten known species and data on larval chondrocranial morphology are available only for one. We describe the extema1 morphology, oral disc and chondrocranial anatomy of the larvae of Eupsophus queulensis. The characteristics of E. queulensis tadpoles are compared with those of other Eupsophus larvae.

The Tadpole Of Leptodactylus Notoaktites Heyer, 1978 (Anura, Leptodactylidae), Rafael O. De Sá, José A. Langone, Magno V. Segalla

Biology Faculty Publications

The external morphology and oral disc of the tadpole of Leptodactylus notoaktites Heyer, 1978, are described and illustrated for Gosner’s stage 33. The internal oral anatomy was analyzed under SEM at Gosner’s stage 36 whereas chondrocranial anatomy is reported for Gosner’ stage 38. The morphology of this tadpole is compared with those available for other species of the L. mystaceus complex. The overall characteristics do not depart from those known for the genus Leptodactylus and they particularly agree for those of the fuscus species group. The labial tooth row formula is 2(2)/3.

Determining Winter Flounder Spawning Sites In Two Connecticut Estuaries, Eric T. Schultz, Jose J. Pereira, Peter J. Auster

EEB Articles

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) come inshore during the late winter and early spring to lay their eggs in shallow bays and estuaries along the coast. Unlike most fish eggs, which are buoyant, these eggs are demersal and sink to the seafloor. This makes them vulnerable to burial from various types of natural and human caused disturbances (e.g., storms, mobile fishing gear, maintenance dredging). Our objective was to map spawning areas in two harbors and search for generalities among these sites that would allow us to predict where winter flounder might spawn in other areas. This would allow managers to avoid …

Tackling Biocomplexity With Meta-Models For Species Risk Assessment, Philip J. Nyhus, Robert C. Lacy, Francis R. Westley, Philip S. Miller, Harrie Harrie Vredenburg, Paul C. Paquet, John Pollak

Faculty Scholarship

We describe results of a multi-year effort to strengthen consideration of the human dimension into endangered species risk assessments and to strengthen research capacity to understand biodiversity risk assessment in the context of coupled human-natural systems. A core group of social and biological scientists have worked with a network of more than 50 individuals from four countries to develop a conceptual framework illustrating how human-mediated processes influence biological systems and to develop tools to gather, translate, and incorporate these data into existing simulation models. A central theme of our research focused on (1) the difficulties often encountered in identifying and …