Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Reinterpreting Bateman Gradients: Multiple Mating And Selection In Both Sexes Of A Songbird Species, N.M. Gerlach, J.W Mcglothlin, P.G Parker, E.D Ketterson

Biology Department Faculty Works

Bateman’s principle, which states that male reproductive success should increase with multiple mating, whereas female reproductive success should not, has long been used to explain sex differences in behavior. The statistical relationship between mating success and reproductive success, or Bateman gradient, has been proposed as a way to quantify sex differences in sexual selection. We used a long-term data set on the distribution of paternity in the socially monogamous dark-eyed junco to examine the effect of multiple mating on lifetime reproductive success and to determine the relative contributions of within-pair and extra-pair mating. Both sexes exhibited a strong positive Bateman …

Euscorpius Sicanus (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) From Tunisia: Dna Barcoding Confirms Ancient Disjunctions Across The Mediterranean Sea, Matthew R. Graham, Pavel Stoev, Nesrine Akkari, Gergin Blagoev, Victor Fet

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

We used a DNA barcoding marker (mitochondrial cox1) to investigate the controversial natural occurrence of Euscorpius sicanus (C.L. Koch) in North Africa. We tested this hypothesis by comparing a sample collected from a mountain in Tunisia to disjunct populations in Sardinia, Malta, and Greece. Using these samples, and a few additional Euscorpius spp. from southern Europe as outgroups, we reconstructed the maternal phylogeny. We then used a molecular clock to place the phylogeny in a temporal context. The Tunisian sample grouped closest to a specimen from Sardinia, with both being more distantly related to E. sicanus from Malta, which is …

Plains Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys Montanus Griseus): Species Conservation Assessment, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The primary goal in development of at-risk species conservation assessments is to compile biological and ecological information that may assist conservation practitioners in making decisions regarding species of interest. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the plains harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys montanus griseus) as a Tier I at-risk species of high conservation need. Some general management recommendations are made here regarding the plains harvest mouse; however, conservation practitioners will need to use professional judgment to make specific management decisions based on objectives, location, and a multitude of variables. This resource was designed to share available knowledge of the plains harvest mouse …

Topeka Shiner (Notropis Topeka): Species Conservation Assessment, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The primary goal in development of at-risk species conservation assessments is to compile biological and ecological information that may assist conservation practitioners in making decisions regarding the conservation of species of interest. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka) as a Tier I at-risk species of high priority for conservation. Some general management recommendations are made here regarding Topeka shiners; however, conservation practitioners will need to use professional judgment to make specific management decisions based on objectives, location, and a multitude of variables. This resource was designed to share available knowledge of the Topeka shiner that …

Foraging Ecology Of Fall-Migrating Shorebirds In The Illinois River Valley, Randolph V. Smith, Joshua Stafford, Aaron P. Yetter, Michelle M. Horath, Christopher S. Hine, Jeffery P. Hover

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Populations of many shorebird species appear to be declining in North America, and food resources at stopover habitats may limit migratory bird populations. We investigated body condition of, and foraging habitat and diet selection by 4 species of shorebirds in the central Illinois River valley during fall migrations 2007 and 2008 (Killdeer [Charadrius vociferus], Least Sandpiper [Calidris minutilla], Pectoral Sandpiper [Calidris melanotos], and Lesser Yellowlegs [Tringa flavipes]). All species except Killdeer were in good to excellent condition, based on size-corrected body mass and fat scores. Shorebird diets were dominated by invertebrate taxa from Orders Diptera and Coleoptera. Additionally, Isopoda, Hemiptera, …

High Prevalence Of The Amphibian Chytrid Fungus (Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis) Across Multiple Taxa And Localities In The Highlands Of Ethiopia, David J. Gower, Thomas M. Doherty-Bone, Roman K. Aberra, Abebe Mengistu, Silvia Schwaller, Michele Menegon, Rafael O. De Sá, Samy A. Saber, Andrew A. Cunningham, Simon P. Loader

Biology Faculty Publications

Surveys of the potentially lethal amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis - Bd) in Africa are patchy, especially in some regions of high species endemicity. We present results of the first Bd surveys of wild amphibians in Ethiopia, for two upland regions on either side of the Rift Valley: the Bale Mountains and the Kaffa region. Surveys were opportunistic so that robust interpretation of the data is limited. Utilizing diagnostic qPCR assays, 51 out of 120 frogs (14 species in 10 genera) tested positive for Bd at altitudes of 1,620–3,225 m, across all genera and species, and all but …

The Development Of Dermatonotus Muelleri (Anura: Microhylidae: Gastrophryninae), Marissa Fabrezi, Silvia Quinzio, Javier Goldberg, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The monophyly of Microhylidae is supported by an overwhelming accumulation of synapomorphic larval features. Despite the distinctiveness of the microhylid tadpole, few studies have focused on larval development. Microhylid larval morphology is usually described and based on standard tables that imply that developmental events at equivalent stages of overall tadpole development are independent from species-specific patterns of developmental timing. Herein, we present additional developmental data based on external morphology and field data on larval growth for the gastrophrynine microhylid Dermatonotus muelleri. We describe internal morphological variation (e.g., skeletal and soft systems) during larval development. The results indicate that the onset …

Rapid Range Expansion In The Great Plains Narrow-Mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne Olivacea) And A Revised Taxonomy For North American Microhylids, Jeffrey W. Streicher, Christian L. Cox, Jonathan A. Campbell, Eric N. Smith, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

We investigated genetic variation within the Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad, Gastrophryne olivacea, across its geographic range in the United States and Mexico. An analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 105 frogs revealed remarkably low levels of genetic diversity in individuals inhabiting the central United States and northern Mexico. We found that this widespread matrilineal lineage is divergent (ca. 2% in mtDNA) from haplotypes that originate from the western United States and western coast of Mexico. Using a dataset that included all five species of Gastrophryne and both species of the closely related genus Hypopachus, we investigated the phylogenetic …

Evolutionary History Of Assassin Bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae): Insights From Divergence Dating And Ancestral State Reconstruction, Wei Song Hwang, Christiane Weirauch

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Assassin bugs are one of the most successful clades of predatory animals based on their species numbers (~ 6,800 spp.) and wide distribution in terrestrial ecosystems. Various novel prey capture strategies and remarkable prey specializations contribute to their appeal as a model to study evolutionary pathways involved in predation. Here, we reconstruct the most comprehensive reduviid phylogeny (178 taxa, 18 subfamilies) to date based on molecular data (5 markers). This phylogeny tests current hypotheses on reduviid relationships emphasizing the polyphyletic Reduviinae and the blood-feeding, diseasevectoring Triatominae, and allows us, for the first time in assassin bugs, to reconstruct ancestral states …

Estimates Of Body Mass For Fossil Giant Ground Squirrels, Genus Paenemarmota, H. Thomas Goodwin, Kelsey M. Bullock

Faculty Publications

Paenemarmota Hibbard and Schultz, 1948 includes 3 species of giant ground squirrels within Marmotini (Rodentia, Sciuridae) from the Late Miocene and Pliocene of central and western North America. We developed skeletal and dental models for estimating body mass across modern species of Marmotini and apply these models to Paenemarmota. The most reliable models for estimating body mass of modern species (on the basis of length and width of femur, lengths of p4 and P4) generally yielded lower estimates of body mass for Paenemarmota than less reliable models (on the basis of lengths of m1, m2, M1, and M2). Models that …

Biodegradation Of Textile Dye Anthraquinone Vat Blue 4 By Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Rajee Olaganathan, Jamila Patterson

Publications

Uncontaminated and Vat blue 4 contaminated soil were screened for heterotrophic bacterial population and the bacterial density were found to be 19.3 X 104 and 5.5 X 104 CFU/gm respectively. The bacterial genera of dye contaminated soil was dominated by Pseudomonas sp. (32.5 %) followed by Bacillus sp. (27.5 %), Aeromonas sp. (15.0 %), Micrococcus sp. (12.5 %) and Achromobacter sp. (12.5 %). The optimum inoculums load, pH and temperature were found to be 5%, 7 and 35oC respectively. The initial pH of the effluent prepared using Vat Blue 4 was 8.5. The free cells of P. aeruginosa reduced the …

Notes On The Distribution And Habitat Of Omethes Marginatus Leconte (Coleoptera: Omethidae), Arthur V. Evans, Kyle E. Schnepp

Insecta Mundi

The known distribution of a rarely collected omethid, Omethes marginatus LeConte (Coleoptera), includes Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Collection and ecological notes on recent collections in Arkansas, Indiana, and Virginia are presented.

Specimen Catalog & Field Notes, Bethany L. Abrahamson

Division of Mammals - Field Notes and Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Lessons Learned From Citizen Science In The Classroom. A Response To "The Future Of Citizen Science.", Steven A. Gray, Kristina Nicosia, Rebecca C. Jordan

Democracy & Education

Mueller, Tippins, and Bryan’s contrast of the current limitations of science education with the potential virtues of citizen science provides an important theoretical perspective about the future of democratized science and K–12 education. However, the authors fail to adequately address the existing barriers and constraints to moving community-based science into the classroom. We contend that for these science partnerships to be successful, teachers, researchers, and other program designers must reexamine questions about traditional science education and citizen-science programs and attend to certain dimensions, including: framing these projects around the nature of science, creating a dialog with experts and allowing access …

Morphological Correlates Of A Combat Performance Trait In The Forked Fungus Beetle, Bolitotherus Cornutus, K. M. Benowitz, E. D. Brodie Iii, Vincent A. Formica

Biology Faculty Works

Combat traits are thought to have arisen due to intense male-male competition for access to females. While large and elaborate weapons used in attacking other males have often been the focus of sexual selection studies, defensive traits (both morphological and performance) have received less attention. However, if defensive traits help males restrict access to females, their role in the process of sexual selection could also be important. Here we examine the morphological correlates of grip strength, a defensive combat trait involved in mate guarding, in the tenebrionid beetle Bolitotherus cornutus. We found that grip strength was repeatable and differed between …

Impacts Of Climate Variability And Human Colonization On The Vegetation Of The Gala´Pagos Islands, Alejandra Restrepo, Paul A. Colinvaux, Mark B. Bush, Alexander Correa-Metrio, Jessica L. Conroy, Mark R. Gardener, Patricia Jaramillo, Miriam Steinitz-Kannan, Jonathan T. Overpeck

Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Faculty Publications

A high-resolution (2-9 year sampling interval) fossil pollen record from the Galapagos Islands, which spans the last 2690 years, reveals considerable ecosystem stability. Vegetation changes associated with independently derived histories of El Niño Southern Oscillation variability provided evidence of shifts in the relative abundance of individual species rather than immigration or extinction. Droughts associated with the Medieval Climate Anomaly induced rapid ecological change that was followed by a reversion to the previous state. The paleoecological data suggested nonneutral responses to climatic forcing in this ecosystem prior to the period of human influence. Human impacts on the islands are evident in …

Comparative Phylogeography Of Central African Duikers Using Non-Invasive Sampling Methods, Stephan Ntie

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The present study sets out to assess patterns of evolutionary diversification in central African duikers (subfamily Cephalophinae). The sampling strategy consisted of collecting geo-referenced duiker feces across 43 sites and seven countries. However, several challenges related to the use of non-invasive samples needed to be addressed prior to large scale DNA amplification. First, the best storage method for obtaining DNA from fecal samples needed to be established. Our study revealed that while silica is best for nuclear microsatellite analyses, RNAlater is the best storage medium for maximal mitochondrial amplification. Moreover, extracting DNA as early as possible always provided the …

Evolution Of Nuclear Integrations Of The Mitochondrial Genome In Great Apes And Their Potential As Molecular Markers, Ivan D. Soto-Calderon

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The mitochondrial control region (MCR) has played an important role as a population genetic marker in many taxa but sequencing of complete eukaryotic genomes has revealed that nuclear integrations of mitochondrial DNA (numts) are abundant and widespread across many taxa. If left undetected, numts can inflate mitochondrial diversity and mislead interpretation of phylogenetic relationships. Comparative analyses of complete genomes in humans, orangutans and chimpanzees, and preliminary studies in gorillas have revealed high numt prevalence in great apes, but rigorous comparative analyses across taxa have been lacking.

The present study aimed to systematically compare the evolutionary dynamics of MCR numts in …

A Genetic Survey Of English Sole Populations In The Salish Sea, Elizabeth S. Gutierrez, Gary A. Winans, Jon Baker, Amanda Cope

STAR Program Research Presentations

This summer I interned at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA and participated in NOAA’s Salish Sea Project. The Salish Sea Project’s goal is to identify genetically distinctive groups of species in the Salish Sea that may have unique evolutionary and/or adaptive backgrounds. These findings will allow NOAA to promote and monitor the natural production of species in the Salish Sea, to select representative populations for experimental work regarding pollution, ocean acidification and climate change, to contribute to managing the ecosystem for intra- and inter-species diversity, and to help make informed decisions about adaptive management and marine protected …

Functional Response Of Protected Larval Stage Delta Smelt (Hypomesus Transpacificus), Jorge Ruiz, Lindsay Sullivan, Wim Kimmerer, Joan Lindberg

STAR Program Research Presentations

Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is a protected slender-bodied fish endemic to the San Francisco Estuary. Smelt prey upon various zooplankton including the copepods such as Pseudodiaptomus forbesi. This experiment studied the prey maximum feeding rate of 2 larval stages (21 DHP, 35 DPH) of Delta smelt on various concentrations of P. forbesi. The copepod prey was offered at 7 different concentrations (2No./L–120No./L). After feeding was terminated the free prey and ingested prey were counted and analyzed to find the feeding rate of Delta smelt. Maximum feeding rate was found to be at much higher prey densities …

Developing Monitoring Methods For Leptasterias Spp. As Sentinel Species In Detecting Local Environmental Changes, Zachary Sturbaum, Kathryn Nuessly, Riley J. Smith, C. Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Leptasterias spp., a six-rayed sea star, is found in rocky intertidal habitats ranging from Alaska to central California. Leptasterias spp. can be monitored on a broad scale throughout their range by a variety of means using timed counts and random plot censusing in order to detect both large-scale and local-level changes in the environment due to climate change, land-based human activity, or other environmental events. Leptasterias brood their young externally until the embryos grow into fully developed juveniles. These juveniles disperse by crawling away, limiting their dispersal potential. This localized dispersal provides an opportunity to use Leptasterias spp …

Testing The Salinity Tolerance Levels Of Similar Invasive Species Found In The San Francisco Bay, Julia M. Smith, C. Sarah Cohen, Elizabeth Sheets

STAR Program Research Presentations

Testing the salinity tolerance levels of similar invasive species found in the San Francisco Bay

Julia Smith^1,2, Elizabeth Sheets², and C. Sarah Cohen²

¹Department of Teacher Education, California State University, Sacramento ²Department of Biology and Romberg Tiburon Center, San Francisco State University

Three non-indigenous colonial ascidian species, Botrylloides violaceus, Botrylloides diegensis, and Botryllus schlosseri, have become well established in San Francisco Bay. Two species, B. violaceous and B. schlosseri, are globally distributed, and understanding the salinity ranges and tolerances of these successful invaders in their introduced habitats is important for …

Size And Weight Changes Of Leatherback Hatchlings Among Emergence Groups, Shane Morales, Kelly Stewart

STAR Program Research Presentations

In ideal leatherback sea turtle nests, all the hatchlings move together as a single group through the sand to leave the nest. Often, though, hatchlings emerge in two separate groups hours or days apart while others remain stuck in the sand where they may die unless they are dug out (excavation). First emergence groups spend the shortest amount of time in the sand while excavated hatchlings spend the longest amount of time in the sand (typically three days longer than first emergence hatchlings). Individuals from each of the separate emergences were weighed and measured (carapace only) in order to compare …

Greater Galagos Near Mt. Kasigau, Kenya: Population Density Estimates, Andrea Falcetto

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined population density and habitat use of a species of greater galago, genus Otolemur, around Mt. Kasigau, Kenya. Mt. Kasigau has a unique regional microclimate, a cloud forest, which provides many different flora and fauna a home. To examine population density, two different methods were used. The first method was using line transects and analyzing results using Distance 6.0. These surveys were conducted during both dry and wet season and results were compared after the study. The second method was to trap individuals and use mark-recapture to determine population density. When caught in a trap, individuals were …

Next Generation Sequencing Reveals Gene Expression Patterns In The Zebrafish Inner Ear Following Growth Hormone Injection, Gopinath Rajadinakaran

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Loss of hair cells due to acoustic trauma results in the loss of hearing. In humans, unlike other vertebrates, the mechanism of hair cell regeneration is not possible. The molecular mechanisms that underlie this regeneration in nonmammalian vertebrates remain elusive. To understand the gene regulation during hair cell regeneration, our previous microarray study on zebrafish inner ears found that growth hormone (GH) was significantly upregulated after noise exposure. In this current study, we utilized Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to examine the genes and pathways that are significantly regulated in the zebrafish inner ear following sound exposure and GH injection. Four …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of September Hunting Seasons On Canada Geese In Nebraska, Scott R. Groepper, Mark P. Vrtiska, Larkin A. Powell, Scott E. Hygnstrom

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Populations of temperate-nesting Canada geese (Branta canadensis) have increased in Nebraska, USA, resulting in an increased number of nuisance and damage complaints. September hunting seasons were initiated in southeastern Nebraska in 2004 to reduce populations of Canada geese. We analyzed band recoveries from Canada geese banded in southeastern Nebraska during their hatch-year (HY) or after-hatch-year (AHY) to determine whether September hunting seasons affected survival, harvest, and recovery rates. Survival analyses revealed that HY geese had higher survival than AHY geese (SAHY = 0.696, 95% CI = 0.679–0.713; SHY = 0.896, 95% CI = 0.786–0.953) and September seasons did …

Discovering The Light Bulb Tunicate, James F. Reinhardt Phd, Margaret (Peg) A. Van_Patten (Editor) Ms.

Wrack Lines

An article by a former UCONN marine sciences graduate student about a new invasive tunicate in Long Island Sound, the light bulb tunicate.

Nature's Perfect Food, Geoffrey D. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Nature's Perfect Food is an article that describes the history of local beekeeper Jack Hartman and the benefit of local honey bees to agriculture and honey consumers.

Modeling And Mathematical Analysis Of Plant Models In Ecology, Eric A. Eager

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Population dynamics tries to explain in a simple mechanistic way the variations of the size and structure of biological populations. In this dissertation we use mathematical modeling and analysis to study the various aspects of the dynamics of plant populations and their seed banks.

In Chapter 2 we investigate the impact of structural model uncertainty by considering different nonlinear recruitment functions in an integral projection model for Cirsium canescens. We show that, while having identical equilibrium populations, these two models can elicit drastically different transient dynamics. We then derive a formula for the sensitivity of the equilibrium population to …

Phylogenetic Relationships Within Columnea Section Angustiflorae: Insights Into Forces Driving Speciation, Lacie Janelle Schulte

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Determining the specific factors that played a role in speciation previously took extensive resources that made such studies nearly intractable. Despite the difficulties presented by speciation studies, we are still interested in determining what forces drive the process of evolution to gain a better understanding of divergence among species. Advances in technology allow for a new approach to speciation studies, beginning with molecular phylogenetic analyses that identify the species within a monophyletic clade and generate a species-level phylogeny. Molecular data are an independent source of data and provide a phylogeny to map both morphological characters and ecological parameters. Identifying patterns …