Zoology Commons^™

The Inconvenient Truth About Thinking Chickens, Lori Marino

Animal Sentience

Original Abstract: Domestic chickens are members of an order, Aves, which has been the focus of a revolution in our understanding of neuroanatomical, cognitive, and social complexity. Some birds are now known to be on a par with many mammals in their intelligence, emotional sophistication, and social interaction. Yet views of chickens have largely remained unrevised in light of this new evidence. In this paper, I examine the data on cognition, emotions, personality, and sociality in chickens, exploring such areas as self-awareness, cognitive bias, social learning and self-control, and comparing their abilities with other birds and other vertebrates, particularly …

First Report Of A Population Of Western Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys Obtusus) In The Brushy Creek System Of The Black Warrior River Drainage, Alabama, Eric Bauer, Malorie M. Hayes

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Alabama is home to the southernmost populations of Rhinichthys obtusus, the Western Blacknose Dace. Within Alabama, R. obtusus is found in the Tennessee, Coosa, and Black Warrior River basins, but its presence in the Black Warrior River drainage has been limited. Until now, R. obtusus in the Black Warrior drainage has only been reported as collections of 1 to 4 specimens at a time in the Sipsey Fork drainage. Herein, we report two novel occurrences of R. obtusus in the headwaters of the Brushy Creek system in the Black Warrior River drainage including a singleton and a large population. …

Life-History Aspects Of Chrosomus Oreas (Mountain Redbelly Dace) In Catawba Creek, Virginia, Dezarai Thompson, Shelby Hargrave, Gregory Morgan, Steven L. Powers

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Life-history aspects of Chrosomus oreas, Mountain Redbelly Dace, were identified using specimens collected monthly from Catawba Creek in Roanoke County, Virginia. Chrosomus oreas were found in depths up to 63.3 cm with a modest relationship between abundance and depth. The largest specimen examined was a female 64.68 mm standard length, 4.80 g eviscerated weight, and 36 months of age. The oldest specimens examined were 37 months of age suggesting a maximum lifespan of approximately three years. Spawning appears to occur from April to early July, with a mean of 243 oocytes (SD = 178) up to 1.61 mm diameter …

Can Squirrel Monkeys Learn An Abna Grammar? A Re-Evaluation Of Ravignani Et Al. (2013), Stefano Ghirlanda

Publications and Research

Ravignani et al. (2013) habituated squirrel monkeys to sound sequences conforming to an ABnA grammar (nD1;2;3), then tested them for their reactions to novel gram- matical and non-grammatical sequences. Although they conclude that the monkeys ``consistently recognized and generalized the sequence ABnA,'' I remark that this conclusion is not robust. The statistical significance of results depends on specific choices of data analysis, namely dichotomization of the response variable and omission of specific data points. Additionally, there is little evidence of generalization to novel patterns (n D 4;5), which is important to conclude that the monkeys recognized the ABnA grammar beyond …

Diet And Habitat Analysis Of Barn Owls (Tyto Alba) Nesting At Ponca State Park, Ann Spilker, Joseph A. Gubanyi

Nebraska Bird Review

In 2015 Barn Owls (Tyto alba) nested on the floor of a grain bin in Ponca State Park, Dixon County. Seven nestlings were observed (Figure 1). It is believed that 6 fledged (one carcass was found on the floor of the bin September 26). Barn Owls were not observed the following spring (Jan Johnson, personal communication). Because there are few records of Barn Owls in the region, we collected data to better understand the Barn Owl nesting in Ponca State Park. Barn Owl prey and their importance to reproductive success has been well documented (Marti et al. 2005; Gubanyi et …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 85 September 2017 Number 3

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report, June - July 2017, by W. Ross Silcock …94

Diet and Habitat Analysis of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) Nesting at Ponca State Park, by Ann Spilker and Joseph Gubanyi … 121

2016 (28th) Report of the NOU Records Committee, by Mark A. Brogie …128

Subscription and Organization Information … 143

Summer Field Report, June - July 2017, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Changes in breeding ranges and numbers of Nebraska breeding birds are the primary focus of a Summer Seasonal Report. Every year there are changes to be noted; this year is no exception. Although most of the phenomena listed below are examples of dispersing individuals without breeding evidence, these often indicate breeding range expansion. White-winged Doves are becoming numerous in southern and western Nebraska, although breeding in far eastern Nebraska was only the 5th report for the state. Chuckwill’s- widow continues to creep westward in the south; the westernmost report to date was of one that crossed the 100-mile gap from …

2016 (28th) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (NOURC) are described in its bylaws (NOURC 2010). The committee’s purpose is to provide a procedure for documenting unusual bird sightings and to establish a list of all documented birds for Nebraska. Accidental and casual species for which the NOURC seeks documentation (NOURC Review List) can be found at the NOU website: www.NOUbirds.org. All records mentioned here are available to interested persons at the NOU archives at the University of Nebraska State Museum (UNSM), Lincoln, NE. Interested parties should contact the current NOU Librarian, whose address can be found …

Behavioral Responses To Pulses Of Light In The Longfin Inshore Squid, Doryteuthis Pealeii (Lesueur, 1821), Stavros P. Hadjisolomou

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The coleoid cephalopods (octopus, squid, and cuttlefish) are masters of rapid, adaptive camouflage. Unlike the slower hormonal chromatophore control of flatfish and chameleons, coleoid mollusks can change body patterns in milliseconds. Visual camouflage in coleoids is driven by a sensorimotor system consisting of visual input of their surroundings, a sophisticated central nervous system for information processing, and a neuromuscular control for body patterning. Motor neurons selectively activate millions of muscles, alternately expanding and reducing the pigmented chromatophores to generate visible brown, red, orange and yellow patterns on the skin. Below the chromatophore-layered skin are two types of reflecting cells, iridophores …

Chronic Plasmodium Brasilianum Infections In Wild Peruvian Tamarins, Gideon A. Erkenswick, Mrinalini Watsa, M. Andreína Pacheco, Ananias A. Escalante, Patricia G. Parker

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

There is an increased interest in potential zoonotic malarias. To date, Plasmodium malariae that infects humans remains indistinguishable from P. brasilianum, which is widespread among New World primates. Distributed throughout tropical Central and South America, the Callitrichidae are small arboreal primates in which detection of natural Plasmodium infection has been extremely rare. Most prior screening efforts have been limited to small samples, the use of low-probability detection methods, or both. Rarely have screening efforts implemented a longitudinal sampling design. Through an annual mark-recapture program of two sympatric callitrichids, the emperor (Saguinus imperator) and saddleback (S …

The Scorpion Fauna Of Mona Island, Puerto Rico (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae), Rolando Teruel, Mel J. Rivera, Alejandro J. Sánchez

Euscorpius

The scorpion fauna of the small Mona Island (= Isla de Mona), located roughly midway between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico and administratively belonging to the latter, is herein revised. Three species are confirmed to occur: the buthids Centruroides bani Armas et Marcano Fondeur, 1987 and Heteroctenus abudi (Armas et Marcano Fondeur, 1987), plus the diplocentrine scorpionid Cazierius garridoi Armas, 2005. The previously recorded Heteronebo sp. is reexamined and deemed a mislabeled specimen of Heteronebo portoricensis Francke, 1978 from adjacent Puerto Rico. Also, Centruroides mariaorum Santiago-Blay, 2009 is demonstrated to be a junior synonym of C. bani (implying the first demonstrable …

Hemiscorpius Shahii Sp. N. From Iran (Scorpiones: Hemiscorpiidae), František Kovařík, Shahrokh Navidpour, Michael E. Soleglad

Euscorpius

Hemiscorpius shahii sp. n. from Iran, Hormozgan Province, is described and compared with other species of Hemiscorpius genus. The new species is characterized mainly by total length of 84 (female) to 110.7 (male) mm and unique trichobothrial pattern of pedipalp patella. The number of external trichobothria on patella is 17–18 (5 eb, 4 esb, 2–3 em, 3 est, 3 et); the number of ventral trichobothria on patella is 14–16. This distinguishes H. shahii sp. n. from all other species of genus Hemiscorpius, which have 3 or 10–12 ventral trichobothria on patella, one or …

The Behavioral Effects Of Feeding Enrichment On A Zoo-Housed Herd Of African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Caroline Marie Driscoll

Graduate Theses

A comprehensive study on the behavioral effects of feeding enrichment was conducted on six African elephants housed at the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, NC. The herd is comprised of are two adult males, three adult females, and one subadult female. The study was conducted over a 10-month period and consisted of focal sample observations across three conditions. Observations were recorded during the baseline condition (June to September) and continued through the introduction of feeding enrichment. Behavioral data were also collected when enrichment items were present but food presentation followed the historical husbandry routine, known as the experimental control …

Geographic Variation In Low Frequency Narrow-Band Sounds Produced By Amazon River Dolphins (Inia Geoffrensis) In Brazil And Peru, Grace Olson

Graduate Theses

Relatively few studies have investigated the sound production of Amazon River dolphins (Inia geoffrensis), and many questions remain regarding their social sounds. In this study, we document the presence of “low frequency narrow-band” (LFN) sounds in Amazon River dolphins. Amazon River dolphin LFN sounds were recorded in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve (Brazil), and 1,512 km away in the Área de Conservación Regional Comunal Tamshiyacu Tahuayo reserve (Peru). A quantitative comparison of LFN sounds produced by these two populations demonstrates evidence of geographic variation. The variation found in the social sounds produced by geographically separated Amazon River dolphin populations provides …

Habitat Associations With Small Mammal Communities At Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Stephanie Anne Ellison

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to aid the National Park Service at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield with the reported habitat monitoring and management goals through vegetation and wildlife surveys within the park. I provided a description of two major habitat types that are of ecological concern, which included non-native ruderal grasslands and upland deciduous woodlands and forests. I evaluated small mammal communities to determine factors that may affect the detection of individual species and examined habitat associations with occupancy, as small mammals are good indicators of habitat quality. My study highlights the need to manage invasive species such as …

Bee Communities On Managed Emergent Wetlands In The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Of Arkansas, Phillip Lee Stephenson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Native bee communities that use emergent wetlands are among the least studied systems in bee research. Most native bee species are thought to be in decline based on the loss of usable habitat across the United States. I surveyed emergent wetlands in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Arkansas during the summers of 2015 and 2016 using pan traps, blue-vane traps, and sweep nets to determine the current status of bee communities in this system. I surveyed 11 sites in 2015 and 17 sites in 2016 and found that bee communities were similar in actively versus passively managed emergent wetlands. …

Characterization Of The Thermal Environment During Transport Of Commercial Broiler Chickens, Douglas J. Aldridge

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transport of commercial broiler chickens from the farm to the processing plant is perceived to compromise welfare under some circumstances. Research has been conducted using European standard equipment to characterize the environment experienced by poultry during broiler transport. In contrast no studies have been reported on the environment experienced by broilers under United States standard industry practices during transport. Moreover, microenvironment temperatures within industry trailers have not been reported.

The present study characterized the thermal micro-environment experienced by broiler chickens during transport across different seasons. The temperatures were influenced by temperature mitigation practices (plastic wrap, double side board, single side …

Effects Of Wave Action On The Structure Of Fish Assemblages Across An Exposure Gradient, Lauren Liddon

Master's Theses

Disturbance affects the function and diversity of ecosystems. Increased wave exposure to salt marsh can disturb sediments and cause a loss of habitat. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of increased wave exposure on diversity, abundance, and functional ecology of estuarine fishes. If increased wave exposure is acting as a disturbance to these habitats, ecological theory (Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis) predicts that diversity will peak at intermediate frequencies and intensities of disturbance. Fish were sampled from 10 sites monthly for 6 years. The sites were assigned to different exposure categories (Open, Intermediate, and Sheltered) using an exposure …

Checklist Of Helminths Of Bats From Mexico And Central America, F. Agustín Jiménez, Juan M. Caspeta-Mandujano, Said B. Ramírez-Chávez, Silvia E. Ramírez-Díaz, Marissa G. Juárez-Urbina, Jorge L. Peralta-Rodríguez, José A. Guerrero

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Based on original data obtained from fieldwork conducted from January 2008 to December 2015 and from previous records from published accounts, an updated checklist of helminth parasites of bats from Mexico and Central America is presented. The checklist has been organized in four ways, first as a helminth-host list in the state of Morelos, second as a helminth-host list with taxonomic and geographic distributional information, third as a bat-helminth list with references, and last, as a summary of the host-helminth association. A total of 105 records and 67 helminth taxa (26 trematodes, 4 cestodes, and 37 nematodes [33 adult and …

Social Context-Dependent Activity In Marmoset Frontal Cortex Populations During Natural Conversations, Samuel U. Nummela, Vladimir Jovanovic, Lisa De La Mothe, Cory T. Miller

Psychological Sciences and Counseling Faculty Research

Communication is an inherently interactive process that weaves together the fabric of both human and nonhuman primate societies. To investigate the properties of the primate brain during active social signaling, we recorded the responses of frontal cortex neurons as freely moving marmosets engaged in conversational exchanges with a visually occluded virtual marmoset. We found that small changes in firing rate (∼1 Hz) occurred across a broadly distributed population of frontal cortex neurons when marmosets heard a conspecific vocalization, and that these changes corresponded to subjects' likelihood of producing or withholding a vocal reply. Although the contributions of individual neurons were …