Dna From Feces And Museum Specimens Confirms A First State Record Bird,
2013
Northern Michigan University
Dna From Feces And Museum Specimens Confirms A First State Record Bird, Alec R. Lindsay Ph. D., Skye C. Haas
Faculty Works
In October 2005, a vagrant kingbird (Aves: Tyrannus sp.) appeared in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, nearly 2000 km from the northern limit of its usual range. Using mitochondrial DNA obtained from a fecal sample deposited by the bird and mitochondrial DNA isolated from museum reference specimens, the species iden- tity of this bird was definitively confirmed as a Tropical Kingbird (T. melancholicus) rather than a Couch’s Kingbird (T. couchii). This is the first time DNA evidence has been used to establish a state bird record, and one of the few studies of any type to successfully use avian feces for DNA …
Species Boundaries And Biogeography Of East African Torrent Frogs Of The Genus Petropedetes (Amphibia: Anura: Petropeditidae),
2013
University of Richmond
Species Boundaries And Biogeography Of East African Torrent Frogs Of The Genus Petropedetes (Amphibia: Anura: Petropeditidae), Simon P. Loader, F. Sara Ceccarelli, Mark Wilkinson, Michele Menegon, Jean Mariaux, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.
Biology Faculty Publications
Based on morphology there are currently three described East African species of torrent frogs belonging to the tropical African genus Petropedetes (P. dutoiti, P. martiennseni and P. yakusini). Taxonomic uncertainties are evident within this group: a putative new species reported from the Nguru Mountains and the species P. yakusini have a fragmented distribution across the Southern Tanzanian highlands. We conducted a molecular systematic study, sampling populations of East African petropedetids occurring in the mountains of Tanzania (P. martiennseni and P. yakusini), to investigate species boundaries and biogeography. Data provide evidence for the recognition of …
Occurrence And Genetic Diversity Of Lemon Sharks (Negaprion Brevirostris) At A Nursery Ground At The Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana.,
2013
University of New Orleans
Occurrence And Genetic Diversity Of Lemon Sharks (Negaprion Brevirostris) At A Nursery Ground At The Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana., Jonathan F. Mckenzie
LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
Anecdotal evidence suggested that immature lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) occur at the Chandeleur Islands in southeastern Louisiana. From May 2009 to August 2011, the Nekton Research Laboratory at the University of New Orleans regularly sampled habitats at the Chandeleur Islands to confirm the presence of immature individuals of this species. During these efforts, 147 immature lemon sharks (neonates, young-of-the-year, and juveniles) were collected. Each shark was PIT tagged and a tissue sample was taken for genetic analyses. Sizes ranged from 56 – 177 cm total length. Sharks showed a preference for sandy substrate and smaller individuals showed significant preference …
How Do Prey Refuges Affect Predator-Prey Interactions?,
2013
University of Rhode Island
How Do Prey Refuges Affect Predator-Prey Interactions?, Justin Vendettuoli
Senior Honors Projects
While it is well known that predators eat their prey, prey that avoid predation risk can also incur substantial fitness costs through risk-induced changes in survival and reproduction, growth, and morphology. Changes in prey that occur without the predator physically consuming the prey are referred to as ‘non-consumptive effects’. One way to reduce the risk of predation is to use a refuge. While refuge use may reduce predation risk, however, it may also be costly to the prey. These costs may include within-refuge competition for resources, which can alter prey population dynamics, coexistence, and metapopulation dynamics. While these costs may …
Unexpected Phylogenetic Positions Of The Genera Rupirana And Crossodactylodes Reveal Insights Into The Biogeography And Reproductive Evolution Of Leptodactylid Frogs,
2013
University of Richmond
Unexpected Phylogenetic Positions Of The Genera Rupirana And Crossodactylodes Reveal Insights Into The Biogeography And Reproductive Evolution Of Leptodactylid Frogs, Antoine Foquet, Boris Leonardo Blotto, Maximiliano Manuel Maronna, Vanessa Kruth Verdade, Flora Acuña Juncá, Rafael O. De Sá, Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues
Biology Faculty Publications
Despite major progress in deciphering the amphibian tree of life by molecular phylogenetics, we identified two questions remaining to be answered regarding relationships within Hyloidea, the clade of South American origin that comprises most extant anuran diversity. A few genera like Rupirana and Crossodactylodes have enigmatic phylogenetic positions, and relationships among major lineages within some families like Leptodactylidae remain ambiguous. To resolve these specific questions we used two approaches (1) a complete matrix approach representing >6.6 kb, including most major Hyloidea lineages (61 terminals) combining different methods of phylogenetic reconstruction and measures of node support; and (2) a supermatrix approach …
Predation And Behavioral Plasticity In Green Swordtails: Mate Choice In Females And Exploratory Behavior In Males,
2013
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Predation And Behavioral Plasticity In Green Swordtails: Mate Choice In Females And Exploratory Behavior In Males, Andrew J. Melie
School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Two studies were carried out with green swordtails, Xiphophorus helleri, to investigate the effect of predation on swordtail behavior, and to determine how behavioral plasticity operates in both a mate choice and an anti-predator context. Male green swordtails vary in colorful conspicuous traits, e.g. the colorful dorsal fin and sword. Female swordtails have a preexisting bias for males with a sword, and prefer long-sworded males to short-sworded males, but this preference is plastic. The first study examined predator-related plasticity in the behavior of males differing in size. Smaller males showed greater behavioral plasticity; they were more active in the …
The Life History Of Larinus Minutus, A Biological Control Agent Of Invasive Knapweeds, And Its Dispersal From Release Sites In Arkansas,
2013
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
The Life History Of Larinus Minutus, A Biological Control Agent Of Invasive Knapweeds, And Its Dispersal From Release Sites In Arkansas, Adam M. Alford
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Larinus minutus Gyllenhal, a biological control agent of invasive knapweeds, has become established in several states and provinces since initial North American introduction in 1991. In order to reduce growing spotted knapweed populations in Northwest Arkansas, Larinus minutus (a biological control agent of spotted knapweed) was released annually from 2008-2011. Little is known about the larval development of this species, although the widespread use of this insect has provided research describing detailed host range and generalized life history. The speed and extent of the spread of this weevil from release sites following introduction have not been reported. This research described …
Ecology And Flock-Following Behavior Of The Wedge-Billed Woodcreeper In Eastern Ecuador,
2013
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Ecology And Flock-Following Behavior Of The Wedge-Billed Woodcreeper In Eastern Ecuador, Abigail Darrah
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The wedge-billed woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus) is a common understory suboscine passerine of lowland Neotropical rainforests. It frequently joins mixed-species understory flocks but also regularly forages alone, and thus is an excellent model species on which to conduct comparative behavioral observations to examine the hypothesized costs and benefits of flock-following. Individuals exhibit variable flocking propensities (proportion of time spent with flocks), and thus observing the correlations between flocking propensity and physical and environmental factors can provide further insight into the importance of flock-following to the ecology of this species. Despite its abundance at many sites and its wide geographic range, surprisingly …
Fallow Deer Polyandry Is Related To Fertilization Insurance,
2013
Queen Mary University of London
Fallow Deer Polyandry Is Related To Fertilization Insurance, Elodie F. Briefer, Mary E. Farrell, Thomas J. Hayden, Alan G. Mcelligott
Ethology Collection
Polyandry is widespread, but its adaptive significance is not fully understood. The hypotheses used to explain its persistence have rarely been tested in the wild and particularly for large, long-lived mammals. We investigated polyandry in fallow deer, using female mating and reproduction data gathered over 10 years. Females of this species produce a single offspring (monotocous) and can live to 23 years old. Overall, polyandry was evident in 12 % of females and the long-term, consistent proportion of polyandrous females observed, suggests that monandry and polyandry represent alternative mating strategies. Females were more likely to be polyandrous when their first …
A Woolly Monkey Travel Guide: An Assessment Of The Foraging Patterns Among Lagothrix Poeppigii On Sumak Allpa Island, Ecuador,
2013
SIT Study Abroad
A Woolly Monkey Travel Guide: An Assessment Of The Foraging Patterns Among Lagothrix Poeppigii On Sumak Allpa Island, Ecuador, Adrienne Mathis
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This project was conducted to assess the foraging patterns of a troupe of seven woolly monkeys, Lagothrix poeppigii, on Sumak Allpa island in the eastern part of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Recently, many studies concerning woolly monkey foraging and nutrition have been conducted near this area in Yasuní National Park, and these studies have defined this species of monkey as generalized frugivores (Stevenson, 2004). During this study, we observed the monkeys during 22 separate foraging sessions and recorded which plant families and species the troupe foraged from during these sessions. We then mapped the locations of the species which the …
The Advertisement Calls And Distribution Of Two Sympatric Species Of Chiasmocleis (Méhely 1904) (Anura, Microhylidae, Gastrophryninae) From The Atlantic Forest,
2013
University of Richmond
The Advertisement Calls And Distribution Of Two Sympatric Species Of Chiasmocleis (Méhely 1904) (Anura, Microhylidae, Gastrophryninae) From The Atlantic Forest, Mauricio C. Florani, Caio Vinicus De Mira Mendes, Iuri Ribeiro Dias, Danilo Silva Ruas, João Fillipe Riva Tonini, Rafael O. De Sá
Biology Faculty Publications
The advertisement calls of Chiasmocleis cordeiroi and C. crucis are described for populations from the municipalities of Igrapiúna and Camacan, respectively, state of Bahia, Brazil. Both calls consist of multipulsed notes produced in series. Differences between the two calls are: dominant frequency, higher in C. cordeiroi (range 4500–4898 Hz; C. crucis range 4069–4435 Hz); note rate, higher in C. cordeiroi (range 6.20–7.46 s/note; C. crucis range 5.17–5.59 s/note); pulse rate, higher in C. cordeiroi (151.82–194.83 s/note; C. crucis range 125.30– 142.12 s/note); and the structure of the modulation patterns of the notes. Moreover, the advertisement calls of C. crucis and …
Carrion Beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) Carcass Selection: Effects Of Carcass Mass And Site Fidelity,
2013
Old Dominion University
Carrion Beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) Carcass Selection: Effects Of Carcass Mass And Site Fidelity, Jonathan M. Schmude
Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations
This study investigated reproductive behaviours of the carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of southeastern Virginia. Carrion beetles have been known to have ranges of carcass masses used for reproductive behaviors. In this study, pitfall traps were baited with 25g, 50g, or 75g of a cat food/mackerel mixture and left to decay and attract beetles for one week to investigate if any Silphidae species prefer a single mass over another. This study investigated the carcass bait mass that is used on the subfamily and species level, and how the beetle mass plays a role in preference. The study also investigated the effect …
Spontaneous Male Death And Monogyny In The Dark Fishing Spider Dolomedes Tenebrosus Hentz, 1843 (Araneae, Pisauridae),
2013
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Spontaneous Male Death And Monogyny In The Dark Fishing Spider Dolomedes Tenebrosus Hentz, 1843 (Araneae, Pisauridae), Steven K. Schwartz
School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Male animals typically attempt to mate with multiple females in order to increase their reproductive success. In some species, however, males instead invest in fertilizing the eggs of a single female. Monogyny (male monogamy) is found in a diverse assemblage of taxa, and recent theoretical work reveals that a male-biased sex ratio can favor the evolution of this relatively rare mating system. We integrate this theoretical framework with field observations and laboratory experiments involving the sexually size dimorphic fishing spider, Dolomedes tenebrosus. Results from mating trials revealed a novel form of self-sacrifice behavior where males spontaneously die when they …
A Study Of Sharing And Reciprocity In Grey Parrots (Psittacus Erithacus),
2013
Paris West University Nanterre La Défense
A Study Of Sharing And Reciprocity In Grey Parrots (Psittacus Erithacus), Franck Péron, Maria John, Stephanie Sapowicz, Dalila Bovet, Irene M. Pepperberg
Sentience Collection
Demonstrations of nonhuman ability to share resources and reciprocate such sharing seem contingent upon the experimental paradigm used (note Horner et al. in PNAS 108:13847–13851, 2011). Here, such behaviour in Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) was tested in two experiments, both designed to avoid possible issues involving apparatus complexity, visible reward options, and physical competition and/or limited communication between subjects. In both studies, two birds, working in dyads, took turns in choosing one of four different coloured cups with differing outcomes: empty (null, nonrewarding), selfish (keeping reward for oneself), share (sharing a divisible reward), or giving (donating reward to other). In …
Parasitoid Infestation Changes Female Mating Preferences,
2013
Indiana University - Bloomington
Parasitoid Infestation Changes Female Mating Preferences, Oliver M. Beckers, William E. Wagner
School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Females often adjust their mating preference to environmental and social conditions. This plasticity of preference can be adaptive for females and can have important consequences for the evolution of male traits. While predation and parasitism are widespread, their effects on female preferences have rarely been investigated. Females of the cricket Gryllus lineaticeps are parasitized by the parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea. Infestation with fly larvae substantially reduces female life span and thus reproductive opportunities of the cricket. Both female G. lineaticeps and flies orient to male song and both prefer male songs with faster chirp rates to songs with slower chirp …
Application Of Qualitative Behavioural Assessment To Horses During An Endurance Ride,
2013
Murdoch University
Application Of Qualitative Behavioural Assessment To Horses During An Endurance Ride, Patricia A. Fleming, Cheree L. Paisley, Anne L. Barnes, Françoise Wemelsfelder
Sentience Collection
Endurance horses are considered subject to a unique set of training and competing pressures due to the long distances travelled. The health and welfare of these horses could be compromised if they have not been adequately trained or are pushed beyond their limits, and there are increasing concerns regarding the capacity of horses to cope with the exercise demands placed on them, with high elimination rates for lameness and metabolic reasons. Veterinary inspections during these rides are important for assessing physiological measures, but the inclusion of behavioural assessments is also warranted. We investigated the application of Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) …
Inter-Observer Reliability Of Qualitative Behavioural Assessments Of Sheep,
2013
University of Liverpool
Inter-Observer Reliability Of Qualitative Behavioural Assessments Of Sheep, Clare Phythian, Eleni Michalopoulou, Jennifer Duncan, Françoise Wemelsfelder
Sentience Collection
Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) is whole-animal methodology that assesses the expressive qualities of animal demeanour using descriptors such as ‘relaxed’, ‘anxious’ or ‘content’. This study aimed to examine the inter-observer reliability of 12 fixed-list QBA descriptors for sheep that had been generated in a previous Free-Choice Profiling study by experienced animal welfare inspectors, based on the same video footage used in the current study. The 12 QBA terms were scored by two different assessor groups consisting of two veterinary science students and four veterinary surgeons (Group 1), and seven farm assurance inspectors (Group 2). The two assessor groups met and …
Pattern Of Social Interactions After Group Integration: A Possibility To Keep Stallions In Group,
2013
Agroscope - Swiss National Stud Farm
Pattern Of Social Interactions After Group Integration: A Possibility To Keep Stallions In Group, Sabrina Briefer Freymond, Elodie F. Briefer, Rudolf Von Niederhäusern, Iris Bachmann
Ethology Collection
Horses are often kept in individual stables, rather than in outdoor groups, despite such housing system fulfilling many of their welfare needs, such as the access to social partners. Keeping domestic stallions in outdoor groups would mimic bachelor bands that are found in the wild. Unfortunately, the high level of aggression that unfamiliar stallions display when they first encounter each other discourages owners from keeping them in groups. However, this level of aggression is likely to be particularly important only during group integration, when the dominance hierarchy is being established, whereas relatively low aggression rates have been observed among stable …
Long-Term Data For Endemic Frog Genera Reveal Potential Conservation Crisis In The Bale Mountains, Ethiopia,
2013
University of Richmond
Long-Term Data For Endemic Frog Genera Reveal Potential Conservation Crisis In The Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, David J. Gower, Roman K. Aberra, Silvia Schwaller, Malcolm J. Largen, Ben Collen, Stephen Spawls, Michele Menegon, Breda M. Zimkus, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.
Biology Faculty Publications
Populations of many frogs have declined alarmingly in recent years, placing nearly one third of the > 6,000 species under threat of extinction. Declines have been attributed largely to habitat loss, environmental degradation and/or infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis. Many frogs undergo dramatic natural population fluctuations such that long-term data are required to determine population trends without undue influence of stochastic factors. We present long-term quantitative data (individuals encountered per person hour of searching) for four monotypic frog genera endemic to an Afromontane region of exceptional importance but growing conservation concern: one endemic to the Ethiopian highlands (Spinophrynoides osgoodi) and three …
The Problem Of Too Many Statistical Tests: Subgroup Analyses In A Study Comparing The Effectiveness Of Online And Live Lectures,
2013
Rice University
The Problem Of Too Many Statistical Tests: Subgroup Analyses In A Study Comparing The Effectiveness Of Online And Live Lectures, David M. Lane
Numeracy
The more statistical analyses performed in the analysis of research data, the more likely it is that one or more of the conclusions will be in error. Multiple statistical analyses can occur when the sample contains several subgroups and the researchers perform separate analyses for each subgroup. For example, separate analyses may be done for different ethnic groups, different levels of education, and/or for both genders. Media reports of research frequently omit information on the number of subgroup analyses performed thus leaving the reader with insufficient information to assess the validity of the conclusions. This article discusses the problems with …
