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- Sexual selection (2)
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Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in Behavior and Ethology
Pilfering Passerines? Inter-Class Competition: A New Direction In Foraging Ecology, Shannon Gillen
Pilfering Passerines? Inter-Class Competition: A New Direction In Foraging Ecology, Shannon Gillen
Masters Theses, 2020-current
Life in the epigeal layer below leaf litterfall often goes unexplored. Shrews (Soricidae, 1910) have foraged in this microhabitat for millions of years, carving out an existence in harsh habitats around the world, ranging from the tropics to subarctic boreal tundra. Two shrew species that inhabit the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the least shrew (Cryptotis parva) and northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda), were the focus of this study. Shrews make epigeal foraging trails while they continually forage for food, and caching is a way to save this food for times of low and sporadic food availability. …
Urbanization Drives Changes In Avian Communities, Which Are Reflected In The Song Of A Vocal Mimic, Jaclyn Tolchin
Urbanization Drives Changes In Avian Communities, Which Are Reflected In The Song Of A Vocal Mimic, Jaclyn Tolchin
Masters Theses, 2020-current
Urban landscapes present problems for wildlife including highly modified habitat, anthropogenic noise pollution, and competition for suitable habitat. These novel selection pressures can filter species present in urban habitats or result in changes to behavior. Recent studies show that some bird species sing differently (louder, higher pitch, faster) in noisier, urban areas compared to quieter, more rural areas, and that anthropogenic noise alone can exclude species. I investigated how the level of urbanization affects 1) bird species composition, and 2) the assemblage of species that a songbird mimics from the local bird community. I studied gray catbirds, Dumetella carolinensis, across …
Is Immediate Flexibility Present In A Vocal Mimic, The Gray Catbird (Dumetella Carolinensis), Across An Urban Gradient?, Shannon K. Eppert
Is Immediate Flexibility Present In A Vocal Mimic, The Gray Catbird (Dumetella Carolinensis), Across An Urban Gradient?, Shannon K. Eppert
Masters Theses, 2020-current
Increasing urbanization has increased anthropogenic noise levels near developed areas. Urban noise is high amplitude and low-frequency, and these frequencies can overlap with the signals animals use to communicate, including bird songs. Many urban birds sing higher minimum frequencies in urban areas, which avoids some masking by noise, but the mechanism behind this difference is not well understood. Immediate flexibility is the ability to alter song in real-time in the presence of sudden noise, allowing for avoidance of masking and better signal transmission. I investigated if male catbirds increased signal transmission in the presence of anthropogenic versus high-frequency noise playback …
Influence Of Testosterone On Male-Male Competition In The Red-Sided Garter Snake, Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis, Isabella M. G. Bukovich
Influence Of Testosterone On Male-Male Competition In The Red-Sided Garter Snake, Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis, Isabella M. G. Bukovich
Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current
Female mimicry in the red-sided garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, is described in several well-studied evolutionary advantages, but an aspect that remains elusive is how reproductive traits are linked to the 3-fold higher circulating androgens in males with this phenotype. In this study, we implanted male garter snakes (n=15 per group) with either a blank implant (SHAM; control) or a T implant, the latter simulating the female mimic phenotype. Following simulated low-temperature dormancy, males were scored for courtship intensity over three days of behavioral trials with females housed in the same facility. Males were sacrificed, and sperm were collected …
Determining The Impacts Of Urbanization On Song Structure And Its Function In Territorial Defense For Gray Catbirds (Dumetella Carolinensis), Morgan L. Rhodes
Determining The Impacts Of Urbanization On Song Structure And Its Function In Territorial Defense For Gray Catbirds (Dumetella Carolinensis), Morgan L. Rhodes
Masters Theses, 2020-current
In urbanized habitats, animals are faced with novel selection pressures such as differences in community structure and increased urban noise. Urban noise pollution can negatively impact songbirds as low-frequency noise often masks portions of birds’ mating signal and reduces signal transmission. Previous research has demonstrated that songs of birds in more urban habitats have structural differences that enhance signal transmission when noise is present. These studies have focused on species that deliver short, stereotyped songs with limited repertoires. Gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis, family: Mimidae) sing long bouts containing imitated, improvised, and invented song elements, and therefore may have …
Variation In Female Mating Behavior And Success In The Damselfly, Calopteryx Maculata, Suzanne E. Allison
Variation In Female Mating Behavior And Success In The Damselfly, Calopteryx Maculata, Suzanne E. Allison
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
Traditionally, the study of sexual selection has focused on the evolution of elaborate male traits and how they enhance the ability to out-compete other males directly (access to females) and indirectly (access to desirable territories or resources). Female trait studies have focused most on evolved preferences for male traits. While we know much about how sexual selection acts on males, there is a deficit of equivalent study on females. In insects, including damselflies, male size and pigmentation are positively correlated with fat reserves and immune abilities, and therefore with male competitive ability. Here, we show that phenotypic variation that has …
Escape Strategy Of The Cockroach (Gromphadorhina Portentosa) To Heat And Looming Stimuli, Jiangda Ou
Escape Strategy Of The Cockroach (Gromphadorhina Portentosa) To Heat And Looming Stimuli, Jiangda Ou
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Escape responses to aversive stimuli have been observed in insects, including species of cricket, fly, locust, and cockroach. The goal of this study was to investigate the escape strategy of the Madagascar cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa. In regard to this species, Erickson and colleagues (2015) showed that electrical stimulation of both cerci and antennae together could generate an escape response. However, in other reports (Olsen and Triblehorn, 2014), it was observed that wind could not elicit the escape response. In this study, G. portentosa was stimulated by looming and heat stimuli. A 2.5’’ black ball approaching at 1 m/s was used …