Zoology Commons^™

Comparative Semiotic Analysis Of Non-Verbal Communication: Apis Mellifera Waggle Dance And Human Kinesic Signaling Systems, Nishtha Tikalal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

There are many parallels between two seemingly disparate forms of non-verbal communication: the waggle dance of Apis mellifera (honeybees) and human kinesic signaling systems. Through a comparative semiotic analysis, this research aims to conduct a comparative semiotic analysis, investigating structural and functional similarities between these communication methods, challenging anthropocentric assumptions about meaning making in the natural world. This research employs a meta-synthesis approach, drawn from a methodological literature review to examine historical representations of bee-human relationships, semiotics of non-verbal communication, and the specific mechanisms of the waggle dance and human kinesics. This methodology involves systematic categorization and analysis of extracted …

The Prize Biter Of Modernity? Investigating Killer Whale Bite Mechanics, Daniel Hong

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Although the killer whale (Orcinus orca) is a cosmopolitan apex predator, very little work has been done on its feeding biomechanics. Here I use finite element analysis to investigate the mandibular stiffness of a juvenile male Bigg’s killer whale, and compare it to that of the false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) and the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Full mandibles and left and right halves of mandibles are simulated under FEA. I also estimate the total jaw muscle force produced by the Bigg’s killer whale using the dry skull method. The killer whale lacks an …

Distribution And Ecology Of The Cedar Keys Mole Skink (Plestiodon Egregius Insularis), Kevin M. Enge, Louis A. Somma, Paul E. Moler, Travis M. Thomas, Matthew T. Fedler, John M. Matter, Dennis C. Haney

Papers in Herpetology

We conducted surveys for the Cedar Keys Mole Skink, Plestiodon egregius insularis (Mount), during 1989– 1999 and 2015–2024, examined museum vouchers, and compiled personal observations from others to determine the status and distribution of this subspecies, which has the smallest geographic distribution of the five subspecies and is being considered for federal listing. We observed Cedar Keys Mole Skinks on Airstrip Island, Atsena Otie, Cedar Point, Deer Island, North Key, Scale Key, Seahorse Key, Snake Key, and possibly Dog Island. We have anecdotal reports of Mole Skinks on Way Key, which contains the most potential habitat and is the main …

Précis Of The Edge Of Sentience: Risk And Precaution In Humans, Other Animals, And Ai, Jonathan Birch

Animal Sentience

We often face grave practical decisions that seem to hinge on whether a system is sentient. This family of cases includes invertebrate animals, people who are unresponsive after brain injury, fetuses, neural organoids, and now AI technologies. We must decide what to do despite ongoing disagreement about the nature of sentience. In our state of uncertainty, we should pragmatically transform the question from “Is it sentient?” to “Is it a sentience candidate, an investigation priority, or neither?”. When a system is a sentience candidate, it is negligent to fail to consider precautions. We should instead evaluate precautions for their proportionality …

Comparing Microct Staining And Scanning Methodology For Brain Studies In Various Sizes Of Spiders, Vanessa Penna-Gonçalves, Nikolas J. Willmott, Michael B.J. Kelly, Jay R. Black, Elizabeth C. Lowe, Marie E. Herberstein

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recent advances in microCT are facilitating the investigation of microstructures in spiders and insects leading to an increased number of studies investigating their neuroanatomy. Although microCT is a powerful tool, its effectiveness depends on appropriate tissue preparation and scan settings, particularly for soft, non-sclerotized tissues, such as muscles, organs, and neural tissues. As the application of microCT in spiders is only in its infancy, published protocols are often difficult to implement due to substantial size variation of the specimens. The present study was initiated to determine how to account for this variation. Our work builds on previous methods using microCT …

Editorial, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Miriam Marmontel [email protected]

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Predation Of A Sperm Whale (Physeter Macrocephalus) By Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca) In Guanaja, Honduras, Gaby M. Ochoa, Eric Angel Ramos, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bat Species Diversity In The Klamath Basin Prior To Dam Removals, Ryan Page Matilton

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

River ecosystems make up a small percentage of the earth’s surface, but they support high levels of biodiversity and attract high levels of human use. Dams, for example, disrupt a river’s natural course and flow, alter water temperatures in the stream, redirect river channels, transform floodplains, and fragment river continuity, which affects ecological balance and food webs. The Klamath River in northern California, which has been dammed for the last century, experienced dramatic disruptions including a large fish die-off in 2002. With the negative impacts of the Klamath dams apparent, multiple entities negotiated to remove the dams and restore the …

Group And State-Specific Estimation In Animal Movement Models Using A Bayesian Approach, Anita Bhandari Sharma

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This research study investigates statistical approaches for modeling the movement patterns of white-tailed deer in Louisiana using GPS tracking data. We start by classifying the latent behavioral states using a hidden Markov model (HMM) and then integrate those inferred states into a state-dependent step selection framework to evaluate the land cover preferences. Standard HMMs, however, assume the same movement patterns for all animals, overlooking the differences due to characteristics such as sex, age, breeding season, etc.

To address this limitation, we extend the modeling framework to incorporate the group-level structure defined by similar characteristics or conditions to assess whether such …

Severe Aggression Among Zoo-Housed Coconut (Trichoglossus Haematodus) And Rainbow (Trichoglossus Moluccanus) Lorikeets: Wellbeing Considerations For Free-Flight Aviaries, Emily Simkins

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As conservation and education institutions, modern zoos balance the needs of animals with the interests of visitors through several strategies which can increase animal wellbeing and improve visitor experience. Environmental enrichment is frequently employed to increase the suitability of anthropogenic environments for zoo-housed animals, such as through walkthrough habitats and free-flight aviaries. While habitats such as these are important for visitor experience and can be enriching to animals, there are also wellbeing considerations for these spaces. Walkthrough habitats can be a potential source of fear and stress for animals, as shown by increased frequencies of vigilance, undesirable behavior, and aggression. …

Dental Remains Of Pachyportax (Bovidae) From Late Miocene Deposits Of Jhelum, Punjab, Pakistan, Saira Ashfaq, Muhammad Rizwan, Maryam Mushtaq, Umar Naveed Saqib, Sheraz Khan, Hifza Zahid, Muhammad Arshaid, Tabassum Nawaz

Journal of Bioresource Management

The upper Dhok Pathan Formation is characterized to newly found Pachyportax fossils from Late Miocene outcrops in the Hasnot region. The discovered dental remains of Pachyportax include upper and lower molars. Based on morphometry, the examined tooth material was identified, and the specimens were categorized as Pachyportax latidens and Pachyportax nagri. A well-known example is Pachyportax latidens, but Pachyportax nagrii stands out due to its rare fossil record from the middle Siwaliks. Potwar Pleateu is the most productive region for the deposition of vertebrate fossils (Pilbeam et al., 1979; Badgley et al., 2008). Bovids in open environments are …

Scorpiops Reini Sp. N. From Yunnan, China (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Scorpiops reini sp. n. is described from Yingjiang County (Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province) based on an adult pair. It can be readily discriminated from all of its congeneric geographic neighbors in Yunnan, namely S. jendeki Kovařík, 1994, S. shidian (Zhu et al., 2005), S. tongtongi Tang, 2022, and S. zhangshuyuani (Ythier, 2019). Within Yunnan, it resembles S. validus (Di et al., 2010) and S. yangi (Zhu et al., 2007) most, but can be identified by its large median ocelli (relative to the width of ocular subislet), pedipalp chelal finger morphology and pectinal tooth count. Beyond Yunnan, it shows the highest …

Native Freshwater Mussel Communities In The Lower Grand River, Michigan: Assessing Tributary Confluence Effects And Updating Survey Information, Grayson L. Kosak

Masters Theses

Freshwater mussels (Unionidae) are ecosystem engineers and keystone species vital to stream ecosystems yet represent the most imperiled group of freshwater fauna. Conservation of unionids necessitates further understanding how assemblages interact with watershed features. This study investigates mussel occupancy, distribution, and assemblage structure upstream and downstream of tributary confluences in the lower Grand River, Michigan, alongside updated surveys of the unionid community with comparisons to previous assessments conducted by Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) in 2002–2003. Unionid density, richness, and diversity were greater upstream of confluences. No significant distance-gradient effects were observed. Assemblage structure differed between upstream and downstream reaches …

Star-Studded Stingers: Fluorescent Sensilla On The Scorpion Aculeus (Arachnida: Scorpiones), Graeme Lowe

Euscorpius

The aculeus of the scorpion telson was studied by UV fluorescence microscopy. Numerous brightly fluorescent punctae were observed on the non-fluorescent distal aculeus, including the tip region. The punctae were identified as aculear sensilla coeloconica (ASC), and were connected to fluorescent canals running through the cuticle. ASC were present in both sexes, and in adults and immatures as early as the second juvenile instar, but were absent from the first instar. The distal aculeus was found to be encased in a thick, non-fluorescent dark exocuticle (DX), covering an underlying thin, fluorescent hyaline exocuticle (HX). Fluorescent ASC were recorded from 183 …

Technological Accessibility For Wildlife Telemetry Research, Andrew Danielson

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Over the course of two years, I conducted original research into improving accessibility for researchers in the field of wildlife telemetry. Wildlife telemetry is a technique used by biologists to track wildlife in the field, which requires the biologist to attach a small radio transmitter to an animal, usually using a specially designed collar, harness, or another means. These transmitters are battery powered and will emit or transmit a regularly timed radio signal that can be received by radio receivers carried by the researchers. Two issues faced by wildlife telemetry researchers are the cost of wildlife telemetry equipment and the …

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxxiv. Four New Species Of Neobuthus From Somaliland (Buthidae), František Kovařík, Hassan Sh A. Elmi, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

New information about taxonomy and distribution of the genus Neobuthus Hirst, 1911 is presented, based on material recently collected in Somaliland. Four new species are described, N. dhobo sp. n., N. opatovae sp. n., N. osoli sp. n., and N. verae sp. n. (Somaliland). An updated distribution map of the genus Neobuthus is provided.

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Mardon Skipper (Polites Mardon), Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Mardon skipper (Polites mardon) using NatureServe methodology, 2024.

Study Of The Brain Anatomy Of Three Extinct Marsupials: Thylacinus Cynocephalus, Thylacoleo Carnifex, And Silvabestius Johnnilandi, Francisco Garcia

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Marsupials are pouched mammals that today are mainly found in Australasia and South America. Marsupials have proven to be quite intriguing to evolutionary biologists who note how some marsupials resemble placentals in anatomy due to convergent evolution, with both marsupials and placentals filling similar niches in their respective environments. As of today, studies interested in marsupial brain evolution have published descriptions of cranial endocasts for several species of marsupials, with the number of descriptions seeing a massive boost over the last 20 years with the arrival of CT imaging technology. However, no comprehensive study of brain evolution in marsupials has …

Black Grouper (Mycteroperca Bonaci) Neurocranium, Nicholas Burchett, Kelsee Rotering, Marissa Rosas, David Kerstetter, Derek Burkholder

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Butterfly Peacock Bass (Cichla Ocellaris), Samuel K. Zellefrow, David Kerstetter, John Nichols

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.