Molar Macrowear As A Proxy For Age In A Captive Sample Of Papio Hamadryas,
2023
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Molar Macrowear As A Proxy For Age In A Captive Sample Of Papio Hamadryas, Lauren Conrad
Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses
This study is methods-focused, centering around molar crown macrowear and its performance as a proxy for age in a sample of pedigreed, non-human primates. It analyzes the correlation between age-structured variables and molar wear among both males and females in a captive group of baboons. Here, I examined whether wear is significantly correlated with age-related variables (i.e., generations/cohorts) and whether the structure of the “age” dataset differed across wear categories. Because chronological age is unknown, I used documented pedigrees and parent-offspring relationships to group individuals into possible generations. I then used dental development charts to group individuals into cohorts based …
Factors That Affect Home Range Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus) In Northwest Arkansas,
2023
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Factors That Affect Home Range Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus) In Northwest Arkansas, Bannon Gallaher
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Conservation of animal populations requires knowledge of their habitat and spatial needs. Quantifying spatial requirements involves the analysis of home range. We examined the effects of sex, body size (SVL), body condition (log mass/log SVL), and year on home range in Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) in Northwest Arkansas. Individual locality data from an ongoing, 22+ year radio-telemetry study in Madison Co., Arkansas were analyzed using both minimum convex polygon (MCP) and Kernel Density Estimates (KDE). Plots of the number of sequential observations versus home range (MCP and KDE) determined that a minimum of 25 locations per individual per active season …
Optimal R&D Investment In The Management Of Invasive Species,
2023
Hendrix College
Optimal R&D Investment In The Management Of Invasive Species, William Haden Chomphosy, Dale T. Manning, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Stephan Weiler
United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications
Invasive alien species (IAS) threaten world biodiversity, ecosystem services, and economic welfare. While existing literature has characterized the optimal control of an established IAS, it has not considered how research and development (R&D) into new removal methods or technologies can affect management decisions and costs over time. R&D can lower the costs of control in a management plan and creates an intertemporal trade-off between quick but costly control and gradual but cheaper removal over time. In this paper, we develop and solve a continuous time dynamic optimization model to study how investment in R&D influences the optimal control of an …
Growth, Mortality, And Movement Of Endemic Bartram's Bass And Invasive Alabama Bass In Upper Savannah River Basin Tributaries,
2023
Clemson University
Growth, Mortality, And Movement Of Endemic Bartram's Bass And Invasive Alabama Bass In Upper Savannah River Basin Tributaries, Tyler Zumwalt
All Theses
Bartram’s Bass are an endemic to the Upper Savannah River basin in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Bartram’s Bass are facing many risks, primary among them being hybridization with nonnative Alabama Bass. More recently, nonnative Alabama Bass and their hybrid congeners have been observed moving from reservoirs into tributaries where the remaining Bartram’s Bass populations exist. Thus, for Chapter 1 we sought to better understand the threat of nonnative gene spreading in tributary systems. To do this, we 1) quantified the movement of pure Alabama Bass, Bartram’s Bass, and their hybrids, 2) assessed correlations between movement and abiotic variables, …
New Reports Of Smilodon And Panthera From North American Cave Sites With Reviews Of Taxonomy, Biogeography, And History,
2023
East Tennessee State University
New Reports Of Smilodon And Panthera From North American Cave Sites With Reviews Of Taxonomy, Biogeography, And History, Matthew Bushell
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In this study, three new reports of large felids from the Pleistocene are presented and discussed. A single partial left dentary from Jawbone Cave represents the first confirmed presence of S. fatalis in east Tennessee and was sampled for radiocarbon dating. Wind Tunnel and Chilly Bowl Cave are among the first records of P. onca to be identified confidently from Arkansas. Chilly Bowl Cave also produced two trackways attributable to Panthera sp., one set potentially belonging to P. atrox. In addition to the description of these remains and the caves they were found in, taxonomic histories for both S. fatalis …
How Animals Affect Us: Examining The Relationship Between Human-Animal Interactions And Human Well-Being,
2023
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
How Animals Affect Us: Examining The Relationship Between Human-Animal Interactions And Human Well-Being, Elizabeth A. Johnson
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
This dissertation utilized a mixed-methods approach which illustrated the potential benefits of HAI in addressing human health concerns, focusing on specific populations within the United States. The chapters presented in this dissertation provide insight into the complex relationships between humans and animals, including the roles of companion animals in promoting human well-being. Chapter three surveys 234 Americans observing COVID-19 stay at home isolation orders and findings suggest that the presence of companion animals alleviates stress and isolation by providing attachment figures and activities on which to focus one’s energy. Chapter four explores women’s oxytocin levels after interacting with their cat …
Disruption Of Play Behavior Influences Development Of Caution In Juvenile Ground Squirrels,
2023
University of San Francisco
Disruption Of Play Behavior Influences Development Of Caution In Juvenile Ground Squirrels, William Ryan
Master's Theses
Play behavior is ubiquitous among young mammals and has a variety of important influences on early development. I evaluated possible influences of social play behavior on the development of temperament in juvenile Belding’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi), using the caution/boldness spectrum as a measure of temperament. I disrupted the play behavior of juvenile U. beldingi by walking toward juveniles at play until the play interactions stopped. I used undisrupted juveniles and juveniles whose non-play behavior was disrupted at regular intervals as controls. Caution was measured with behavioral tests during which a human intruder walked toward a squirrel and recorded the …
Acoustic Sampling Of Arkansas Bat Species Richness Across Different Seasons And Habitats,
2023
Arkansas Tech University
Acoustic Sampling Of Arkansas Bat Species Richness Across Different Seasons And Habitats, Lark E. Sybrant
ATU Scholars Symposium
Arkansas is home to sixteen bat species belonging to the Vespertilionidae and Molossidae families. Bats are keystone species and provide numerous ecosystem services that also benefit people. This study explores factors that impact species richness between the spring and fall seasons in a wooded rural site (Washburn Park) and an urban field site (Arkansas Tech University campus), Russellville, AR. The non-invasive Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro, from Wildlife Acoustics, was used to record calls and identify bat species from these locations. Nearly 1,050 calls were recorded from 11 different species across the spring and fall between both sites. Results showed …
White Blood Cell Make Up In Kellback Snake Offspring Of Varying Maternal Size,
2023
Kennesaw State University
White Blood Cell Make Up In Kellback Snake Offspring Of Varying Maternal Size, Angelica Mccoy
Symposium of Student Scholars
The immune system is composed of various organs, systems, and other components with one of the most important being white blood cells. White blood cells are commonly separated into two scientific varieties, granulocytes and agranulocytes, which can be differentiated by the presence or absence of granules in the cytoplasm once stained on a slide. There are three granulocytes and two agranulocytes, each with a distinct function and shape. The ratio of these may impact the effectiveness of this portion of the immune system, and multiple factors could play a role in this ratio, an example being the size of an …
Assessing The Dynamics Of The Southeast Florida Shark Community From 2013-2019 Via Catch Per Unit Effort And Stable Isotope Analysis,
2023
Nova Southeastern University
Assessing The Dynamics Of The Southeast Florida Shark Community From 2013-2019 Via Catch Per Unit Effort And Stable Isotope Analysis, Alexandra Barth
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Sharks, as well as other top predators, are in drastic decline worldwide. As apex and near-apex predators, species such as nurse, lemon, and tiger sharks maintain balanced marine ecosystems by enacting top-down trophic control. However, this cascading effect is diminished with exploitation via commercial and recreational fishing. Sharks are generally long-lived, mature late, have long reproductive cycles, and produce few offspring. Much remains to be learned about the community structure, population trends and conservation statuses of shark populations worldwide. Comprehensive studies on the composition of the shark community in Southeast Florida north of Miami have been limited. This study assessed …
Plant Sentience: A Hypothesis Based On Shaky Premises,
2023
Institute of Biology, Leiden University
Plant Sentience: A Hypothesis Based On Shaky Premises, Carel Ten Cate
Animal Sentience
Plants may produce fascinating behavioural phenomena for which the label ‘cognitive process’ may be applicable, at least by some definitions. Segundo-Ortin & Calvo (2023) base their hypothesis that plants might be sentient on the premise of demonstrated presence of cognitive complexity. However, the way phenomena are ascribed, and how the term ‘cognitive’ is used by Segundo-Ortin & Calvo, deviates from the common practice in studies of animal cognition, implying greater complexity than seems justified. It thus provides a questionable basis for attributing sentience to plants.
Implementation Of Seasonal Diets Through Seasonal Diet Surveys In Sloth Bears (Melursus Ursinus): A Case Study At Idaho Falls Zoo,
2023
Otterbein University
Implementation Of Seasonal Diets Through Seasonal Diet Surveys In Sloth Bears (Melursus Ursinus): A Case Study At Idaho Falls Zoo, Noah Clever
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects
Wild sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) display seasonal diet preferences for insects and fruit during the dry and monsoon season respectively. To potentially utilize as a method for reducing abnormal behaviors and improving animal welfare, the purpose of the study is to survey zoos with captive sloth bears and determine if zoo-housed individuals display seasonal diet preferences. From May 18th, 2022 to March 2nd, 2023 data was collected on Priya, a sloth bear from Idaho Falls Zoo, and her preference for fruit and insects. Temperature, season, fruit choice based on sugar levels, and insect choice based on texture of …
Stress: An Adaptive Problem Common To Plant And Animal Science,
2023
Independent scholar
Stress: An Adaptive Problem Common To Plant And Animal Science, Özlem Yilmaz
Animal Sentience
It is very hard to determine whether plants have “felt states,” but they do have specific states, such as stress, that depend on sensory input from their environment. Plants do not have neurons or brains, but they do have xylem and phloem, as well as many signalling molecules that are dynamically distributed in their bodies, enabling them to produce systemic responses to environmental stimuli. One common topic in plant and animal science that may or may not prove to involve sentience but that does involve the same molecules is stress.
A New Monotypic Genus And Species From China, Langxie Feti Gen. Et Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae),
2023
Marshall University
A New Monotypic Genus And Species From China, Langxie Feti Gen. Et Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Victoria Tang, Qingquan Jia, Leonhard Liu
Euscorpius
A new monotypic genus, Langxie gen. n., is described from Xizang (Tibet), China. The new genus shares an important morphological character with Afrolychas Kovařík, 2019: absence of external accessory denticles (EADs) along the sixth row of median denticles (MDs) on the pedipalp movable finger. Langxie gen. n. is different from Afrolychas in the following aspects: loss of EAD near the proximally enlarged MD within each row (i. e., loss of all EAD on the movable finger; this also distinguishes the new genus from other related genera in the “(Ananteris + Isometrus)” clade (Štundlová et …
Benthic Beasts: The Ecological Significance Of Lake Sturgeon And Blue Catfish In Eastern Appalachian Waterways,
2023
Lincoln Memorial University
Benthic Beasts: The Ecological Significance Of Lake Sturgeon And Blue Catfish In Eastern Appalachian Waterways, Stewart Thacker
Research Day
East Tennessee freshwater ecosystems comprise an abundance of an extremely diverse selection of species. This presentation examines Acipenser fulvescens and Ictalurus furcatus, two of the largest freshwater fish in the Appalachian area, which play significant ecological roles within the benthic dimension of our freshwater environments. Commonly known as “bottom-feeders,” Benthivorous species enjoy a broad range of food sources including other fish, detritus, crustaceans, and more. The extensive variety of food consumed by A. fulvescens and I. furcatus permits population control of other, denser, aquatic populations inhabiting other regions of the water column, as well as other organisms included …
What Can Plant Science Learn From Animal Nervous Systems?,
2023
University of Maryland at College Park
What Can Plant Science Learn From Animal Nervous Systems?, Luiz Pessoa
Animal Sentience
I welcome Segundo-Ortin & Calvo’s (2023) call for a rigorous science of plant behavior and physiology. My commentary addresses three points drawn from the literature on animal brains that could help elucidate the possibility of cognition and sentience in plants: (1) the presumed requirement of a centralized brain; (2) centralization of control versus heterarchical organization; and (3) connecting plant research with research on animal nervous systems.
Questions About Sentience Are Not Scientific But Cultural,
2023
The Technion
Questions About Sentience Are Not Scientific But Cultural, Yoram Gutfreund
Animal Sentience
Abstract: The findings of complex cognitive-like behaviours in plants are surprising and exciting. However, they do not provide a scientific reason for ascribing sentience to plants. The target article, in trying to provide evidence for sentience in plants, exposes the weakness of the science of animal consciousness in general. In this commentary, I try to explain why the scientific method is incapable of resolving the question of which organisms or systems are sentient.
A Diverse Flea (Siphonaptera) Assemblage From The Small Mammals Of Central New Mexico,
2023
University of New Mexico
A Diverse Flea (Siphonaptera) Assemblage From The Small Mammals Of Central New Mexico, Dianne E. Peterson, Jonathan L. Dunnum, Schuyler W. Liphart, Karen A. Boegler, Ralph P. Eckerlin, Eric P. Hoberg, Martha O. Perez-Arriaga, Katrina Derieg, David Garnand, Mariel L. Campbell, Joseph A. Cook
MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity
The geographical ranges of many mammals and their associated parasites are dynamic. Comprehensive documentation of these communities over time provides a foundation for interpreting how changing environmental conditions, driven by accelerating climate change, other anthropogenic disturbances, and natural events, may influence host-parasite interactions. Fleas (Order Siphonaptera) are obligate, hematophagous parasites of birds and mammals with medical interest because of their role in transmitting pathogens. From 2016 to 2019, we sampled the small mammal and associated flea communities in El Malpais National Conservation Area (El Malpais) in Cibola County, New Mexico. Among 898 mammalian specimens, 925 fleas representing 29 species were …
Abcds Of Triggerfish In Pemba And Misali Island: Abundance, Biodiversity, Behaviour, Cultural Significance And Distribution,
2023
SIT Study Abroad
Abcds Of Triggerfish In Pemba And Misali Island: Abundance, Biodiversity, Behaviour, Cultural Significance And Distribution, Hannah Ng Shueh Yi
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This study takes a socioecological approach to understanding triggerfish (Balistidae) in Pemba Island, using Misali Island reefs as a sample ecological site. Two reef sites on Misali Island and three of four districts in Pemba were observed during the study. The abundance of Balistipus undulatus at one of two study sites is close to the maximum carrying capacity of the reef. Overall observed biodiversity was low. Behavioural trends point to distinct species specific defence strategies and species aggression taking different forms. Triggerfishes cultural significance was primarily as a food fish, though it is not highly sought after. With polarised responses …
Hydropower To The People: Implications Of A Comparative Macroinvertebrate Study On Either Side Of The Central Hidroeléctrica Topo In Tungurahua, Ecuador,
2023
SIT Study Abroad
Hydropower To The People: Implications Of A Comparative Macroinvertebrate Study On Either Side Of The Central Hidroeléctrica Topo In Tungurahua, Ecuador, Grace Mazur
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This study uses macroinvertebrates as bioindicators to assess the water quality upstream and downstream of a hydroelectric project in Ecuador’s eastern cloud forest. Ecuador has increasingly turned to hydropower to supply its energy needs as pressure mounts to turn away from fossil fuels. This transition has been realized on the Río Topo, located in the province of Tungurahua. This study aims to determine how the Central Hidroeléctrica Topo (CHT), a diversion hydroelectric project (HEP) constructed on the Río Topo in the 2010s, has affected the water quality of the river. Samples were taken of benthic (bottom-dwelling) macroinvertebrates in the Río …
