Physiology Commons^™

Foraging And Roosting Behaviors Of Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus Rafinesquii) At The Northern Edge Of The Species Range, Joseph S. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Bat populations in the eastern United States are currently declining at unprecedented rates as a result of habitat loss, commercial wind energy development, and white-nose syndrome. Effective conservation of these declining populations requires knowledge of several aspects of summer and winter ecology, including daytime habitat use (day-roost selection and social behaviors), nocturnal habitat use (foraging habitat selection, prey selection, and prey abundance), and winter hibernation (torpor) patterns. This dissertation addresses these questions for Rafinesque’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii), a species of conservation concern in the southeastern United States. Kentucky represents the northern edge of the range of Rafinesque’s …

Interspecies Comparison Of Αii-Spectrin Abundance Between Chinook Salmon And Steelhead, Brielle D. Kemis, Ann L. Miracle, Katie A. Wagner, Christa M. Woodley

STAR Program Research Presentations

Salmonids, such as Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss), are a staple economic, recreational, tribal, and environmental resource, yet many populations are unsustainable. This study was part of a broad scale effort to monitor the impact of downstream migration obstacles on juvenile salmonid health and survival, which is an essential step towards increasing Smolt-to-Adult Return ratios (SARs). The objective of this study was to determine if juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead exhibit differing quantities of alphaII-Spectrin Breakdown Products (SBDPs) over two consecutive spring migration periods, indicative of neurogenesis rate and/or biological response to head …

The Relationship Between 11-Ketotestosterone, Cortisol, And Testosterone And Condition Index For Poecilia Reticulata, Shelly Gupta, Brandy G. Kalbach

Biological Sciences

The guppy, Poecilia reticulata, is a common study organism for behavioral and other ecological experiments (Houde, 1997).  As far as we know, no previous data have been compiled regarding hormones and condition index of guppies.  In this experiment we examined the relationship between circulating levels of three hormones (testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone and cortisol) and condition index in males and also made comparisons among the hormone levels, for three guppy sites from the northern range of Trinidad – Aripo River, Marianne River and Small Crayfish River.  Hormone samples were obtained using non-invasive water borne techniques and quantified by our collaborator.  The condition …

A Comparative Study Of Eucalanoid Copepods Residing In Different Oxygen Environments In The Eastern Tropical North Pacific: An Emphasis On Physiology And Biochemistry, Christine J. Cass

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The eastern tropical north Pacific (ETNP) is characterized by one of the ocean's most severe midwater oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), where oxygen levels are often less than 5 µM. The copepod family Eucalanidae is a numerically abundant and diverse zooplankton group in the ETNP, and displays a wide range of vertical distributions related to environmental oxygen concentrations. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a better understanding of the ecology, physiology, and biochemistry of closely related copepod species (family Eucalanidae) that inhabit the ETNP OMZ system. This was accomplished through examining different parameters relating to (1) metabolic rates, (2) …

Physiological Status Of Male And Female Popillia Japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Affects Mating And Grouping Behavior, Natasha Tigreros, Rashmi Jadhav, Katelyn A. Kowles, Britto P. Nathan, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Because mating may be costly, sexually active males or females are predicted to be in relatively good physiological condition and may preferentially direct their mating behavior toward relatively high-quality mates. We tested this hypothesis in Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica Newman), a pest species in which males and females may be either isolated or in aggregations while feeding on host plants. We examined male size and lipid content and female size and egg load with respect to both their pairing status and whether they were isolated or in aggregations. Males that were paired had the highest lipid levels, and single, isolated …

Physiological Status Of Male And Female Popillia Japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Affects Mating And Grouping Behavior, Natasha Tigreros, Rashmi Jadhav, Katelyn Kowles, Britto Nathan, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Because mating may be costly, sexually active males or females are predicted to be in relatively good physiological condition and may preferentially direct their mating behavior toward relatively high-quality mates. We tested this hypothesis in Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica Newman), a pest species in which males and females may be either isolated or in aggregations while feeding on host plants. We examined male size and lipid content and female size and egg load with respect to both their pairing status and whether they were isolated or in aggregations. Males that were paired had the highest lipid levels, and single, isolated …

Manipulating Testosterone To Assess Links Between Behavior, Morphology, And Performance In The Brown Anole Anolis Sagrei, Robert M. Cox, Derek S. Stenquist, Justin P. Henningsen, Ryan Calsbeek

Dartmouth Scholarship

Survival and reproductive success are determined by the complex interplay between behavior, physiology, morphology, and performance. When optimal trait combinations along these various phenotypic axes differ between sexes or across seasons, regulatory mechanisms such as sex steroids can often facilitate sex‐specific and/or seasonal trait expression. In this study, we used surgical castration and replacement of exogenous testosterone in adult male brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) to simultaneously examine the effects of testosterone on a suite of morphological (dewlap area, body size), physiological (immune function), behavioral (dewlap, head bob, and push‐up displays), and performance (stamina, sprint speed, bite force) traits. …

The Relationship Between Plasma Steroid Hormone Concentrations And The Reproductive Cycle Of The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, Crotalus Oreganus, Craig Michael Lind

Master's Theses

To gain a better understanding of the role of steroid hormones in vertebrate reproduction, we quantified steroid hormone concentrations in a free ranging population of the Northern Pacific rattlesnake, Crotalus oreganus. Plasma steroid hormone concentrations were quantified for both male and female snakes throughout the active season (Mar-Oct). We measured testosterone (T), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and corticosterone (B) concentrations in male and female snakes. 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) were measured in females only. We also observed breeding behaviors (e.g. consortship, courtship, and copulation) in the field and measured testis and follicle size in male and female snakes from museum collections. …

Endurance And Exercise Physiology In Urosaurus Ornatus: Sex And Morph Differences?, Elizabeth Christine Foulkes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Locomotory performance has been the focus of many ecological and evolutionary studies, and lizards have been a model system. While several studies have demonstrated interspecific differences in performance, few have examined intraspeciflc variation in performance and the suites of underlying physiological traits in tree lizards ( Uro.,·aurns ornatus) a species with alternative reproductive tactics that show variation in spatial use patterns. To assess the functional ecology of movement behaviors of male morphs and or females, I examined variation in exertion, plasma metabolites, plasma steroid hormones, and muscle fiber types in ornate tree lizards ( Urosaurus ornalus). In my study population, …

Goatsrue (Galega Officinalis) Seed Biology, Control, And Toxicity, Michelle Oldham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Goatsrue is an introduced perennial plant that has proven to have great invasive potential, leading to its classification as a noxious weed in many states and at the federal level. This research focused on seed biology, herbicide control, and toxic dynamics of goatsrue. Physical dormancy of mature goatsrue seed was tested through scarification using sulfuric acid with exposures of up to 60 minutes resulting in 100% germination. Comparison of dormancy for 26-year-old and 6-month-old goatsrue seed indicated aged seeds had reduced dormancy levels compared to newly harvested seeds, but had similar viability. Goatsrue seedling emergence was inversely related to burial …

Characterization Of 24 Microsatellite Loci In Delta Smelt, Hypomesus Transpacificus, And Their Cross-Species Amplification In Two Other Smelt Species Of The Osmeridae Family, Kathleen M. Fisch, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Melinda R. Baerwald, John K. Pedroia, Bernie May

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

We characterized 24 polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) endemic to the San Francisco Bay Estuary, California, USA. Screening of samples (n = 30) yielded two to 26 alleles per locus with observed levels of heterozygosity ranging from 0.17 to 1.0. Only one locus deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, suggesting these individuals originate from a single panmictic population. Linkage disequilibrium was found in two pairs of loci after excluding the locus out of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Twenty-two primer pairs cross-amplified in wakasagi smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis), and 15 primer pairs cross-amplified in longfin smelt ( …

Integrated Responses Of Crustaceans Inhabiting Estuaries To The Challenges Of Feeding And Digestion In Low Salinity, Daniel Luke Curtis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Estuaries are highly productive and serve as vital habitats for numerous decapod crustacean species. However, the environmental conditions within estuaries are often highly dynamic and subject to large changes in salinity and temperature that occur on seasonal and tidal scales. Not all of the species occupying these habitats are adept in coping with changes in these environmental conditions. This dissertation describes the influence of low salinity conditions on the 1) habitat preference, 2) feeding behaviour and 3) digestive physiology of crustaceans inhabiting estuaries. I have primarily focussed on a weak osmoregulator, the Dungeness crab, Cancer magister , but have also …

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 …

Winter Behavior Of Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus Fuscus) In A Building Roost: Intermittent Feeding, Passive Rewarming, And Energy Conservation, Amy L. Fairbairn

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I investigated the use of torpor and arousals during winter of 2005 - 2006 by freeliving big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) by measuring skin temperature (remotely using data loggers) and used those measurements to estimate winter energy expenditure. Torpor bouts lasted for a mean of 3 .3 days ( d) with a mean of 3 .6 d and 2.2 d for males and females, respectively. There was no correlation between ambient temperature (Ta) during torpor and torpor bout length, but there was a significant correlation between Ta and length of the active period. Arousals lasted on average 5.0 hours (h). …

Time Constraints Mediate Predator-Induced Plasticity In Immune Function, Condition, And Life History, Robby Stoks, Marjan De Block, Stefanie Slos, Wendy Van Doorslaer, Jens Rolff

Dartmouth Scholarship

The simultaneous presence of predators and a limited time for development imposes a conflict: accelerating growth under time constraints comes at the cost of higher predation risk mediated by increased foraging. The few studies that have addressed this trade-off have dealt only with life history traits such as age and size at maturity. Physiological traits have largely been ignored in studies assessing the impact of environmental stressors, and it is largely unknown whether they respond independently of life history traits. Here, we studied the simultaneous effects of time constraints, i.e., as imposed by seasonality, and predation risk on immune defense, …

Immune-Endocrine Interactions In The Lizard Sceloporus Undulatus Hyacinthinus: Testing An Assumption Of The Immunocompetence Handicap Hypothesis, Mukta Chakraborty

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (IHH) was proposed by Folstad and Karter ( 1992) to describe the role of the endocrine system in ensuring honesty of sexual signaling. Numerous studies have investigated the assumptions of the IHH, but currently there is mixed evidential support in favor of the IHH. The first chapter of this thesis is a review examinining these studies, their limitations, and proposed alternative models and future directions. The second chapter of this thesis presents a study in which we experimentally assesss the testosterone immunosuppression assumption in adult male Sceloporus undulatus lizards. We manipulated circulating androgen levels (Day 0) …

Thermal Adaptation Of Maternal And Embryonic Phenotypes In A Wide Spread Lizard (Sceloporus Undulatus), Christopher E. Oufiero

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Geographically widespread ectotherms encounter thermal gradients that generate variation in behavior, physiology and life-history. Because rates of physiological processes are very sensitive to temperature, cold environments are thought to favor genotypes that have relatively high capacities for growth despite environmental constraints. Two different adaptive responses can occur: (1) mothers in colder environments can allocate more energy to each offspring, or (2) offspring in colder environments make more efficient use of available resources. In this study, I examined both maternal adaptations and embryonic adaptations to environmental temperature. Evidence of maternal adaptations was assessed by examining the relationship between egg size and …

Temperature Regulation And The Constraints Of Climate In The Eared Grebe, Hugh I. Ellis, Joseph R. Jehl Jr

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) encounter a variety of climatic regimes in their annual cycle. The most dramatic occur while on staging areas in autumn. We investigated the thermoregulatory abilities of the Eared Grebe to determine how they coped with these climate changes during staging. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) was higher than predicted. Mass-specific BMR was 1.212 mL O2/g·h for birds averaging 317 g. The thermoneutral zone is wide and extended from 15°C to 38°C. Minimal thermal conductance and average body temperature were not unusual. We conclude that Eared Grebes live most of the year under thermoneutral conditions and that …

Energetics Of Free-Ranging Seabirds, Hugh I. Ellis, Geir Wing Gabrielsen

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Environmental Ph And Bicarbonate Concentration On The Excretion Of Nitrogenous Waste Products In Two Species Of Freshwater Teleost, Paul D. Fabsits

Masters Theses

The catabolism of amino acids derived from dietary protein results in the production of ammonia and bicarbonate ion, waste products that an animal must eliminate. Often, animals excrete a nitrogenous waste product that is correlated with water availability: Freshwater fish, living where water is abundant, usually excrete ammonia while terrestrial animals excrete urea or uric acid. Recent studies report that fish inhabiting alkaline waters (pH 10) characterized by high bicarbonate concentrations do not excrete ammonia, instead synthesize urea, an energetically expensive process. The conversion to urea excretion by a normally ammonotelic animal is likely to be stimulated by a specific …

Summer Activity Cost Of Eared Grebes At Mono Lake, Hugh I. Ellis

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Microzooplankton In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, And The Tidal Elizabeth, James, And York Rivers, Gyung-Soo Park, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Results of a one year study in the lower Chesapeake Bay and three tidal rivers indicate an abundant microzooplankton population, with a mean concentration of 4,231.1/Liter. The most abundant components are the non-loricate ciliates (2,518.2L, 59.5% of the annual total) and tintinnids (1,400.1/L 33.1%). In lesser abundance were the rotifers (191.4/L) and nauplii larvae (121.7/L). Seasonal abundance maxima were highest in summer, followed by fall, spring and winter.

Total Body Water And Body Composition In Phalaropes And Other Birds, Hugh I. Ellis, Joseph R. Jehl Jr

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

Contrary to some reviews, total body water (TBW) may fall below the expected value of about 65% in birds if measured as a percentage of total body mass. However, water constitutes a relatively stable proportion (659%-70%) of body composition when measured as a percentage of lean body mass (LBM). We demonstrate this by using data from two migratory phalaropes (Phalaropus tricolor and Phalaropus lobatus), which exhibit inverse relationships between TBW and body mass and between TBW and fat content. As the phalaropes fatten before migration, lipids increase but not at the expense of water, which also increases with gains in …

Incubation Energetics Of The Laysan Albatross, Ted N. Pettit, K A. Nagy, Hugh I. Ellis, G Causey Whittow

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

The energy expenditure of incubating and foraging Laysan Albatross (Diomedea immutabilis, mean body weight 3.07 kg) was estimated by means of the doubly-la- belled water technique. During incubation, the energy expenditure was similar to that of resting birds that were not incubating an egg. The energy expenditure of foraging albatross (2072 kJ/day) was 2.6 times that of resting birds. It was concluded that the energy expenditure of the tropical Laysan Albatross was not less than that of species foraging over cold, high-latitude oceans. An energy budget compiled for an incubating pair of albatross revealed that the energy expenditure of the …

Metabolism And Solar Radiation In Dark And White Herons Nesting In Hot Climates, Hugh I. Ellis

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

Metabolism, body temperature (Tb), and feather reflectance was measured for dark Louisiana herons (LOU), little blue herons (LB), snowy egrets (SE), and cattle egrets (CE); only LOU nest preferentiallyin shade. The reflectance of LOU and adult LB was 13%-15%; it was 80%-82% for SE, CE, and immature (white) LB. Tb for all four species approximated 40 C; hypothermy was never observed. Basal metabolism (HJb) was 107% of the expected level for LOU, 85% for SE and CE, and 66% for LB. Minimal thermal conductance (C) was calculated as approximately 131% of the expected value for LOU, 115% for SE and …

The Dynamics Of Root Growth And The Partitioning Of Photosynthates In Cool Desert Shrubs, Osvaldo Alberto Fernandez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study addresses the nature of physiological and phenological evolutionary strategies of root growth dynamics and energy allocation followed by Atriplex confertifolia, Ceratoides lanata, and Artemisia tridentata growing in their natural cool desert environment.

Root observation chambers with inclined Plexiglass windows were installed in monospecific desert communities of Atriplex confertifolia, Ceratoides lanata and Artemisia tridentata. Soil temperature and water potential measurements taken immediately adjacent to the observation windows indicated a minimal disturbance was caused by the presence of these chambers. For the three species initiation of root growth was observed before initiation of shoot activity, furthermore, active root growth extended …

Mating Weaners Does Not Affect Future Ewe Performance, R J. Suiter, K. P. Croker

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Maiden ewes in Western Australia are usually mated in their second year because of supposed ill-effects of earlier mating on the ewe's future production. Mating at a younger age however, providing there was no reduction in future performance, would provide for an extra lamb drop and thus increase the lifetime output of ewes.

Information from various sources indicated that weaners could be successfully mated providing their bodyweights were satisfactory. This trial was carried out to test the results of mating weaners under Western Australian conditions.