Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Osteology, Natural History Notes, And Phylogenetic Relationships Of The Poorly Known Caribbean Frog Leptodactylus Nesiotus (Anura, Leptodactylidae), María Laura Ponssa, Michael J. Jowers, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The Leptodactylus melanonotus group consists of 15 species, but references to skeletal characters are available for only three species: L. leptodactyloides, L. melanonotus, and L. diedrus. Leptodactylus nesiotus is a member of the melanonotus group known only from the type locality, Bonasse swamp, on the Southwestern peninsula of Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. This species has been categorized as vulnerable given its restricted distribution. Herein, we report the adult osteology of L. nesiotus, the skeletal characters are compared with the available data from other Leptodactylus species. A phylogenetic analysis recovers a paraphyletic L. melanonotus group relative to the L. …

The Identity Of The Crackling, Luminescent Frog Of Suriname (Rana Typhonia Linnaeus, 1758) (Amphibia, Anura), E. O. Lavilla, José A. Langone, José M. Padial, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Review of the literature and recently available field notes from the collector of the type allows a reconsideration of the identity of the Linnaean name Rana typhonia. We provide evidence to demonstrate that the Linnaean species is neither a bufonid nor an Asiatic ranid, but a Neotropical hylid. Subsequently, we consider Rana typhonia as an older synonym of Rana venulosa Laurenti, 1768, redescribing its holotype under the new combination, Trachycephalus typhonius (Linnaeus, 1758).

The Identity Of Zachaenus Roseus Cope, 1890 (Anura: Species Inquirenda), Esteban O. Lavilla, J. J. Nuñez, F. E. Rabanal, José A. Langone, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Zachaenus roseus Cope, 1890, has puzzled systematists working in southern South America. A single individual, the holotype, has ever been collected and this specimen is in extremely poor preservation condition. Herein, the precise location of the type locality of Z. roseus is determined based on a historical review of the literature. Furthermore, following a careful comparison with all species that inhabit the southern austral forest, and that could potentially correspond to Zachaenus roseus, we conclude that this taxon is placed in the synonymy of Eupsophus calcaratus (Günther, 1881)

Microarray Analysis Of A Salamander Hopeful Monster Reveals Transcriptional Signatures Of Paedomorphic Brain Development, Robert B. Page, Meredith A. Boley, Jeramiah J. Smith, Srikrishna Putta, Stephen R. Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is considered a hopeful monster because it exhibits an adaptive and derived mode of development - paedomorphosis - that has evolved rapidly and independently among tiger salamanders. Unlike related tiger salamanders that undergo metamorphosis, axolotls retain larval morphological traits into adulthood and thus present an adult body plan that differs dramatically from the ancestral (metamorphic) form. The basis of paedomorphic development was investigated by comparing temporal patterns of gene transcription between axolotl and tiger salamander larvae (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) that typically undergo a metamorphosis.

RESULTS: Transcript abundances from whole brain and pituitary were estimated …

The Identification Of Rana Ocellata Linnaeus, 1758. Nomenclatural Impact On The Species Currently Known As Leptodactylus Ocellatus (Leptodactylidae) And Osteopilus Brunneus (Gosse, 1851) (Hylidae), Esteban O. Lavilla, José A. Langone, Ulisses Caramaschi, W. Ronald Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The usage of the name Rana ocellata Linnaeus, 1758, is plagued by misidentifications and misinterpretations. After an exhaustive bibliographic review, we conclude that the Linnaeus 1758 name refers to Osteopilus brunneus (Gosse, 1851) from Jamaica, while the taxon currently known as Leptodactylus ocellatus corresponds to Rana latrans Steffen, 1815. Herein, we designate and provide descriptions of the neotypes of Leptodactylus latrans (Steffen, 1815), revalidated, new combination, and Osteopilus ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1758), new combination, as a senior synonym of Osteopilus brunneus (Gosse, 1851).

Leptodactylus Cunicularius, W. R. Heyer, Miriam M. Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Adult Leptodactylus cunicularius are moderately small. The head is longer than wide and the hind limbs are long (Table 1; Heyer and Thompson 2000 provided definitions of adult size and leg length categories for Leptodactylus). Male vocal sacs are internal, not externally expanded. The snout is protruding, not sexually dimorphic. Male forearms are not hypertrophied and males lack asperities on the thumbs and chest. The dorsum is variegated with small, often confluent, spots and blotches. There is a very thin interrupted mid-dorsal light stripe (pinstripe). Usually, there is a noticeable light, irregular, elongate, mid-dorsal blotch in the scapular region. The …

Leptodactylus Syphax, W. R. Heyer, Miriam M. Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Adult Leptodactylus syphax are moderately sized (males 58-83 mm, females 70-90 mm SVL). The head is about as long as wide, but usually is just wider than long. The hind limbs are moderately short (Table 1; Heyar and Thompson 2000 provided definitions of adult size and leg length categories for Leptodactylus). Male vocal sacs are laterally expanded, tan, and not darker than the adjacent throat. The male snout is not spatulate, the snout profile is rounded to obtuse in both sexes. Male arms are hypertrophied during the breeding season in sexually active males. The male thumb has two large, …

Elephants - A Conservation Overview, Heidi Riddle, Bruce A. Schulte, Ajay Desai, Laura Van Der Meer

Biology Faculty Publications

Loss of habitat is one of the most significant problems facing elephants worldwide, leading to clashes over resources between wildlife and humans where elephants receive the largest part of blame – defined as Human Elephant Conflict (HEC). The sub-Saharan region of Africa contains an approximate population of 500,000 elephants that occupy 37 range countries. The African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) is categorized as Vulnerable in the Red List of Threatened Species; they are listed there as two distinct subspecies: the Savanna Elephant (L.a. africana) and the Forest Elephant (L. a. cyclotis). The Red List of …

A Simplified Method For Monitoring Progestagens In African Elephants Under Field Conditions, Bruce A. Schulte, Elizaeth Freeman, F. Nicole Abbondanza, Jordana Meyer, Janine Brown

Biology Faculty Publications

Summary: 1. Hormone analyses are frequently used to support management of wildlife; however, current techniques are not very field-friendly. In situ hormone monitoring is often expensive, time consuming and logistically difficult. Thus, a new method for assessing ovarian cycle activity non-invasively in free-ranging African elephants was developed. 2. The technique involves handshaking faecal samples in common organic solvents, use of environmentally stable antibody-coated microtitre plates and assessment of progestagen concentrations based on a visual colour change. 3. Studies using ex situ African elephants determined that handshaking faeces in a solution of isopropyl alcohol was effective for extracting the faecal progestagens …

Linking Snake Behavior To Nest Predation In A Midwestern Bird Community, Patrick J. Weatherhead, Gerardo L.F. Carfagno, Jinelle H. Sperry, Jeffrey D. Brawn, Scott K. Robinson

Biology Faculty Publications

Nest predators can adversely affect the viability of songbird populations, and their impact is exacerbated in fragmented habitats. Despite substantial research on this predator-prey interaction, however, almost all of the focus has been on the birds rather than their nest predators, thereby limiting our understanding of the factors that bring predators and nests into contact. We used radiotelemetry to document the activity of two snake species (rat snakes, Elaphe obsoleta; racers, Coluber constrictor) known to prey on nests in Midwestern bird communities and simultaneously monitored 300 songbird nests and tested the hypothesis that predation risk should increase for nests when …

Leptodactylus Savagei, W. R. Heyer, Miriam M. Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Adult Leptodactylus savagei are large, the head is as wide as long or usually wider than long, and the hind limbs are moderate in length (Table 1; Heyer and Thompson (2000) provided definitions of adult size and leg length categories for Leptodactylus). Male vocal sacs are not visible externally. Sexually active males have hypertrophied forearms, usually 1 large black spine on each thumb, rarely with 1 large spine and a prepollical bump, and a pair of black chest spines. A pair of entire dorsolateral folds extend anteriorly from at least one_half to full distance from eye to groin, the …

Description Of The Tadpole Of Proceratophrys Renalis (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920) (Anura: Cycloramphidae), Filipe Augusto C. Do Nascimento, Barnagleison S. Lisboa, Gabriel O. Skuk, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The tadpole of Proceratophrys renalis is described based on specimens from Maceió, State of Alagoas, northeastern Brazil. At stage 35 the body is slightly dorso-ventrally depressed, ovoid in lateral, dorsal, and ventral views. Oral disc is ventral with lateral emarginations, surrounded by a single row of marginal papillae with a large gap on the upper labium. Labial tooth row formula is 2(2)/3(1). The analysis of internal oral anatomy revealed two possible characters that readily distinguish P. renalis from P. boiei, supporting the recent ressurection of P. renalis. Comparisons with available descriptions of the larvae for other species in the …

Snail Grazing Facilitates Growth Of A Bloom-Forming Alga, Michele Guidone, Carol S. Thornber, Emily Field

Biology Faculty Publications

Herbivory often has a negative effect on plants. However, there is a growing number of examples, primarily in terrestrial ecosystems, where herbivory causes an increase in plant size, growth rate, and/or reproductive output. In marine ecosystems, the positive effects of herbivores on macroalgae are not as well studied, although limited evidence exists for herbivore-induced increases in macroalgal growth rates via 2 mechanisms: nutrient addition via grazer defecation, and epiphyte removal. In this study, we examined the effects of grazing by the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta on Ulva lactuca, the dominant bloom-forming macroalga in many New England estuaries. We found …

The Ratio Of Gametophytes To Tetrasporophytes Of Intertidal Chondrus Crispus (Gigartinaceae) Across A Salinity Gradient, Michele Guidone, Sean Grace

Biology Faculty Publications

Population studies of the Gigartinaceae (Rhodophyta) have often observed that the ratio of gametophytes to tetrasporophytes varies with the location of the population or the time of sampling. For some species, patterns have emerged that correlate this ratio to one or a few particular environmental variables, such as elevation, wave exposure, or season. Identifying these distributional patterns is an important step towards understanding what (if any) ecological differences exist between the two free-living life history stages.

The purpose of this study was to measure the ratio of gametophytes to tetrasporophytes of intertidal populations of Chondrus crispus across a decreasing salinity …

Reproductive Behavior In Horseshoe Crabs: Does Density Matter?, Jennifer Mattei, Mark Beekey, Adam Rudman, Alyssa Woronik

Biology Faculty Publications

While the four species of horseshoe crabs share many common reproductive traits with respect to their reproductive systems, they do differ with respect to their mating behavior (monogamy vs. polygynandry). Past research has attributed these differences to a number of factors including: spawning densities, operational sex ratios (OSR’s), male condition (or age), environmental and/or genetic factors, or a combination thereof. Mating behaviors in the three Asian horseshoe crab species (Tachypleus gigas , T. tridentatus, and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda ) with low spawning densities and 1:1 operational sex ratios are typically monogamous. In Limulus polyphemus , mating behavior is more …

Movement Patterns And Population Genetics Of The American Horseshoe Crab In Relation To Long Island Sound Conservation Strategies, Jo-Marie Kasinak, Kirk A. Bartholomew, Mark Beekey, Jennifer Mattei

Biology Faculty Publications

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) established three no-harvest zones for the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) population as part of a conservation plan for the species. Data from a long-term mark/recapture study of horseshoe crabs in conjunction with a microsatellite-based genetic survey of the population were analyzed to determine if this plan was appropriate to conserve genetic diversity and broaden our knowledge of movement patterns of Limulus in Long Island Sound (LIS). To date, ~53,000 crabs have been tagged over a 10 year period through the Project Limulus program with an annual average recapture rate of 12 …

Predicting Leptodactylus (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae) Distributions: Broad-Ranging Versus Patchily Distributed Species Using A Presence-Only Environmental Niche Modeling Technique, Miguel Fernández, Daniel Cole, W. R. Heyer, Stephen Reichle, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Locality data available for many, if not most, species of Neotropical frogs are based on written descriptions of the collecting sites, not on GPS device determined coordinate data. The pre-GPS device data are imprecise relative to GPS data. Niche modeling is a powerful technique for predicting geographic distributions that provides the best results when the locality data are precise. The purpose of this study is to determine whether imprecise historical locality data are sufficient such that niche modeling techniques can yield realistic new insights to species-level distributions. Two sets of frogs of the genus Leptodactylus that have known different kinds …

Rapid Fixation Of Non-Native Alleles Revealed By Genome-Wide Snp Analysis Of Hybrid Tiger Salamanders, Benjamin M. Fitzpatrick, Jarrett R. Johnson, D. Kevin Kump, H. Bradley Shaffer, Jeramiah J. Smith, S. Randal Voss

Biology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Hybrid zones represent valuable opportunities to observe evolution in systems that are unusually dynamic and where the potential for the origin of novelty and rapid adaptation co-occur with the potential for dysfunction. Recently initiated hybrid zones are particularly exciting evolutionary experiments because ongoing natural selection on novel genetic combinations can be studied in ecological time. Moreover, when hybrid zones involve native and introduced species, complex genetic patterns present important challenges for conservation policy. To assess variation of admixture dynamics, we scored a large panel of markers in five wild hybrid populations formed when Barred Tiger Salamanders were introduced into …

A New Brevicipitid Species (Brevicipitidae: Callulina) From The Fragmented Forests Of The Taita Hills, Kenya, Simon P. Loader, G. John Measey, Rafael O. De Sá, Patrick K. Malonza

Biology Faculty Publications

A new species Callulina dawida is described from the Taita Hills, Kenya. It is distinguished from other members of the genus on the basis of the degree of digital expansion. The species further differs from other members of the genus based on molecular sequence comparisons and on its call. The morphological variation in the new species is described, including a comparison of internal and external characters and sexual dimorphism with other species of Callulina. The conservation status of the species, on the basis of its restricted distribution and land use changes in the area, is considered to be of …

Alternative Life Cycle Strategies And Colonization Of Young Anurans By Gorgoderina Attenuata In Nebraska, Matthew G. Bolek, Scott D. Snyder, John J. Janovy Jr.

Biology Faculty Publications

Studies on life cycles and epizootiology of North American frog bladder flukes indicate that adult frogs become infected predominantly by ingesting tadpoles or other frogs that serve as second intermediate hosts for gorgoderid metacercariae. Other studies have indicated that newly metamorphosed frogs are rarely infected with these parasites because they are gape-limited predators that cannot feed on large intermediate hosts such as tadpoles and other frogs. We examined the role of potential intermediate hosts in the recruitment of the frog bladder fluke, Gorgoderina attenuata, to metamorphosed northern leopard frogs, Woodhouse’s toads, and bullfrogs from western Nebraska. We completed the …

Ambystoma Maculatum (Spotted Salamander) Occurrence, Kristine L. Grayson, A. M. Bloch

Biology Faculty Publications

Natural History Notes: Ambystoma maculatum is a wide ranging mole salamander found from Nova Scotia and southern Ontario through Georgia and eastern Texas (Conant and Collins 1998).

Granite Rock Outcrops: An Extreme Environment For Soil Nematodes?, Erin Austin, Katharine Semmens, Charles Parsons, Amy M. Treonis

Biology Faculty Publications

We studied soil nematode communities from the surface of granite flatrock outcrops in the eastern Piedmont region of the United States. The thin soils that develop here experience high light intensity and extreme fluctuations in temperature and moisture and host unique plant communities. We collected soils from outcrop microsites in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC) in various stages of succession (Primitive, Minimal, and Mature) and compared soil properties and nematode communities to those of adjacent forest soils. Nematodes were present in most outcrop soils, with densities comparable to forest soils (P > 0.05). Nematode communities in Mature and Minimal soils …

Sex- And Context-Dependent Migration In A Pond-Breeding Amphibian, Kristine L. Grayson, Henry M. Wilbur

Biology Faculty Publications

Partial migration, variation in the percentage of a population that completes a migration, can be influenced by the local environment and condition of an individual. We examined the direct and interacting effects of habitat quality and gender on migration decision by manipulating population density and sex ratio in a factorial field experiment using aquatic enclosures. In partially migrating red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens), we measured the percentage of newts migrating to the terrestrial habitat vs. overwintering as pond residents. Density significantly influenced migration, with 63% of newts migrating from high-density enclosures compared to 39% from low-density enclosures. Newts also …

Investigation Of A Fresh African Elephant Carcass By Conspecifics, Christen Merte, Katie Gough, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

This examination of elephant bones and ivory indicates that elephants show an elevated level of interest in conspecifics over other dead animals. Elephants do not seem to express special interest in dead kin but rather they appear to have a generalized response to injured, dying and deceased conspecifics (Douglas Hamilton et al. 2006, McComb et al. 2006). The present study reports the behaviour of a group of elephants in response to a euthanized adult male elephant that suffered severe wounds inflicted by a conspecific male. Most of the observations from previous studies have been on females and female group members. …

Prospecting For Mammalian Chemical Signals Via Solventless Extraction Techniques: An Elephantine Task, Thomas Goodwin, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

In contrast to a plethora of known insect pheromones, a paucity of mammalian pheromones has been identified, two of which have been in elephants (Albone, 1984; Brown and Macdonald, 1985; Wyatt, 2003; Burger, 2005). Elephants possess one of the world’s best chemosensory systems, due in no small measure to their prehensile trunk. The trunk is not only the gateway to smelling (primary olfaction), but also the means by which chemical signals are conveyed from their source to the openings of the vomeronasal organ ducts in the roof of the mouth (the flehmen response; secondary olfaction) (Rasmussen, 1999). The late L. …

Estrogenic Compounds Downstream From Three Small Cities In Eastern Nebraska: Occurrence And Biological Effect, Marlo K. Sellin, Daniel D. Snow, Debbie L. Akerly, Alan S. Kolok

Biology Faculty Publications

Recent studies have detected estrogenic compounds in surface waters in North America and Europe. Furthermore, the presence of estrogenic compounds in surface waters has been attributed, in some cases, to the discharge of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The primary objective of the current study was to determine if WWTP effluent contributes estrogens to the surface waters of Nebraska. A second objective of this study was to determine if estrogens were found in concentrations sufficient enough to manifest feminizing effects on fish. These objectives were satisfied by deploying polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) and caged fathead minnows at eight …

Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey Protocol, Jennifer Mattei

Biology Faculty Publications

The protocol lists supplies and clothing needed for the survey, as well as which data is to be collected and when and how it should be entered for the census of horseshoe crabs on the Recapture Data Sheet for 2009. Adopted from Cape Cod and Delaware Bay survey protocols.

Spots Of Adult Male Red-Spotted Newts Are Redder And Brighter Than In Females: Evidence For A Role In Mate Selection?, Andrew K. Davis, Kristine L. Grayson

Biology Faculty Publications

As aquatic adults, eastern red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus v. viridescens) are generally green with two rows of dorsal spots, which vary in number between individuals and range in colour from orange to red. The function of these spots is unknown, but it is possible that they serve as sexual ornamentations and we examined this hypothesis by testing for sexual dimorphism in spot characteristics. We used an image analysis approach that has been used previously with this and other amphibian species to compare the number, size and colour – redness (hue score) and brightness – of spots in 100 male …

Response Properties Of The Auditory Telencephalon In Songbirds Change With Recent Experience And Season, Thomas A. Terleph, Kai Lu, David S. Vicario

Biology Faculty Publications

The caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) is a telencephalic auditory area that is selectively activated by conspecific vocalizations in zebra finches and canaries. We recently demonstrated that temporal and spectral dynamics of auditory tuning in NCM differ between these species [1]. In order to determine whether these differences reflect recent experience, we exposed separate groups of each species and sex to different housing conditions. Adult birds were housed either in an aviary with conspecifics (NORM), with heterospecifics (canary subjects in a zebra finch aviary, and vice versa: (CROSS)), or in isolation (ISO) for 9 days prior to testing. We then recorded extracellular …

A New Reproductive Mode In The Genus Melanzophryniscus Gallardo, 1961 (Anura: Bufonidae) With Description Of A New Species From The State Of Paraná, Brazil, José A. Langone, Magno V. Segallo, Marcos Bornschein, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

A new species of bufonid toad of the genus Melanophryniscus is described from a mountaintop that is part of the Serra do Mar in the northeastern State of Paraná, Brazil. Melanophryniscus alipioi sp. nov. is distinguished from other known species by its uniformly dark brown dorsal color and a unique breeding site. The new species reproduces in bromeliads, a reproductive mode previously unknown for this genus. This species might be susceptible to current habitat lost.