An Approach For Use Of Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (Didson) To Quantify Behavioral Aspects Of Piscivory At Ecologically Relevant Time And Space Scales,
2012
University of Connecticut - Avery Point
An Approach For Use Of Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (Didson) To Quantify Behavioral Aspects Of Piscivory At Ecologically Relevant Time And Space Scales, Victoria E. Price
Master's Theses
Predator-prey interactions of large vagile fishes are difficult to study in the ocean due to limitations in the space and time requirements for observations. Small-scale direct underwater observations by divers (<10m >radius) and large-scale hydroacoustic surveys (10s - 100s km2) are traditional approaches. However, large piscivorous predators identify and attack prey at the scale of meters to tens of meters. Dual- Frequency Identification Sonar, or DIDSON, is a high-resolution acoustic camera operating in the MHz range that provides detailed continuous video-like imaging of objects out to 30 m range. This technology can be used to observe predator-prey interactions at ecologically …
Litter, Color Variation, And Sex Effects On Feeding And Anti-Predator Behavior In Individual Thamnophis Sirtalis,
2012
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Litter, Color Variation, And Sex Effects On Feeding And Anti-Predator Behavior In Individual Thamnophis Sirtalis, Jennifer F. Porter, Gordon M. Burghardt
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
There are stark coloration differences within single populations of Thamnophis sirtalis such as the Isle Royale population. While these red color patterns cause the snakes to stand out, it is unsure if it is for some defensive purpose such as aposematic coloring. To see if this or other genetic factors, sex, and relatedness with litters, could influence behavior anti-predator and feeding tests were performed on 38 captive-born neonate T. sirtalis. The feeding experiment recorded the latency of feeding from placement of the piece of night crawler to food capture. The anti-predator experiment recorded reactions to a probe touching each snake …
Comparative Analysis Of Courtship In Agelenopsis Funnel-Web Spiders (Araneae, Agelenidae) With An Emphasis On Potential Isolating Mechanisms,
2012
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Comparative Analysis Of Courtship In Agelenopsis Funnel-Web Spiders (Araneae, Agelenidae) With An Emphasis On Potential Isolating Mechanisms, Audra Blair Galasso
Doctoral Dissertations
The genus Agelenopsis (Araneae, Agelenidae) is a group of morphologically similar funnel-web spiders with overlapping habitat requirements and geographic ranges. Yet, molecular evidence suggests this group has undergone recent speciation with no evidence of hybridization. In this dissertation, I explored courtship divergence as a possible explanation for the formation and coexistence of these species. Courtship behavior patterns, sequences, and vibratory signals were compared across 12 Agelenopsis species and three related outgroup species. Courtship in Agelenopsis was found to be comparatively long but not completely species-specific. To investigate mechanisms of reproductive isolation within the genus, interspecific crosses were staged in the …
Territories,Territoriality, And Conservation Of The Louisiana Waterthrush And Its Habitat, The Watershed Of The Upper Buffalo National River,
2012
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Territories,Territoriality, And Conservation Of The Louisiana Waterthrush And Its Habitat, The Watershed Of The Upper Buffalo National River, Leesia Cheryl Marshall
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The Louisiana Waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla, is a migratory wood-warbler and breeding season resident of the eastern United States. Males defend breeding territories that extend linearly along clear, fast-flowing, gravel-bottomed, forest streams. Defense includes two song types, primary and extended song. As riverine specialists, birds rely upon aquatic invertebrates as prey and riparian habitat features for nesting. They use a unique foraging maneuver, leaf-pulling, that involves picking up or pulling a leaf from water, and turning it over to search for prey. Their relationship with riparian habitat introduces potential for Louisiana Waterthrushes to serve as indicators of stream health. The …
Spatio-Temporal Differentiation And Sociality In Spiders,
2012
University of British Columbia
Spatio-Temporal Differentiation And Sociality In Spiders, Jessica Purcell, João Vasconcellos-Neto, Jeffrey Alan Fletcher, Marcelo O. Gonzaga, Leticia Avilés
Systems Science Faculty Publications and Presentations
Species that differ in their social system, and thus in traits such as group size and dispersal timing, may differ in their use of resources along spatial, temporal, or dietary dimensions. The role of sociality in creating differences in habitat use is best explored by studying closely related species or socially polymorphic species that differ in their social system, but share a common environment. Here we investigate whether five sympatric Anelosimus spider species that range from nearly solitary to highly social differ in their use of space and in their phenology as a function of their social system. By studying …
Effects Of Exogenous Androgens On Parental Care Behaviour In Male Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus),
2012
The University of Western Ontario
Effects Of Exogenous Androgens On Parental Care Behaviour In Male Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus), Chandra M.C. Rodgers
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Research suggests an androgen mediated trade-off between nurturing and defensive behaviour during parental care. This research, however, comes from species with biparental care, where changes in behaviour of one parent can be compensated for by the other parent. I tested the validity of this trade-off by manipulating androgen levels in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), a species where males provide sole parental care. I implanted males with testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone or flutamide, an androgen receptor blocker, and tested their nurturing behaviour and aggressiveness towards a brood predator. Males implanted with 11-ketotestosterone were 64% more aggressive and 71% less nurturing than …
Effect Of Light Level On Feeding Behavior In A Lemur Species (Eulemur Rubriventer) With A Color Vision Polymorphism.,
2012
SIT Study Abroad
Effect Of Light Level On Feeding Behavior In A Lemur Species (Eulemur Rubriventer) With A Color Vision Polymorphism., Ainsley Lockhart
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Understanding the visual capabilities and correlated behavior of prosimians provides vital information regarding the evolution of color vision. Feeding behavior in particular is often modified based on color vision status in various primate taxa. The present study examined feeding behavior under various light conditions in Eulemur rubriventer, a lemur species with a color vision polymorphism in which only females can have trichromatic vision. Behavioral observations were conducted for a single E. rubrventer group over a 13 day study period in April 2012. Results found no significant difference in rates of frugivory or exploitation of green vs. non-green food between male …
Scavenger Interactions In A Human-Influenced Environment: The Foraging Behavior Of The Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo Lineatus) At Residential Compost Piles,
2012
Trinity College
Scavenger Interactions In A Human-Influenced Environment: The Foraging Behavior Of The Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo Lineatus) At Residential Compost Piles, Eleanor Lucadamo
Senior Theses and Projects
Residential composting has increased in popularity in recent years, along with the untested claim that the addition of animal-based kitchen scraps will increase the number of scavenging wildlife visitors. This study represents the first experimental test of that claim. Using three compost piles consisting respectively of no kitchen scraps (CON), a mix of animal and vegetable scraps (MIX), or only vegetable scraps (VEG) that were monitored with heat-in-motion sensitive cameras, we studied the visitation pattern of attracted wildlife. Of the 29 species identified thus far at the compost piles, I chose to focus on the red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus …
Effects Of A Cymothoid Ectoparasite On The Turning Behavior (Lateralization) Of The Bridled Monocle Bream Scolopsis Bilineata,
2012
SIT Study Abroad
Effects Of A Cymothoid Ectoparasite On The Turning Behavior (Lateralization) Of The Bridled Monocle Bream Scolopsis Bilineata, Laura Strong
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Lateralization, or behavioral asymmetry, is the tendency to favor one side of the body over the other, and exists in humans and animals including in mammals, birds, and fishes. It has been found to increase performance in certain behaviors such as escape from predators by lowering reation time. Lateralization has predominantly genetic bases, but can also be influenced by environmental factors. For example, lateralization has been observed to increase in populations of fish subject to high predation pressure as it decreases their response time to predatory attacks. Parasitism may also have important effects on lateralization. In particular, increased drag from …
Complex Patterns Of Male Alliance Formation In A Dolphin Social Network,
2012
Macquarie University
Complex Patterns Of Male Alliance Formation In A Dolphin Social Network, Joanna Wiszniewski, Culum Brown, Luciana M. Möller
Sentience Collection
The formation and maintenance of alliances is regarded as one of the most socially complex male mating strategies in mammals. The prevalence and complexity of these cooperative relationships, however, varies considerably among species as well as within and between populations living in different ecological and social environments. We assessed patterns of alliance formation for Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops aduncus, in Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia, to investigate the stability of these alliances, the structure of associations, as well as variation in schooling patterns among males. Our results showed that association patterns among males within this population showed considerable variability. …
Nonlinear Effects Of Group Size On The Success Of Wolves Hunting Elk,
2012
University of Minnesota
Nonlinear Effects Of Group Size On The Success Of Wolves Hunting Elk, Daniel R. Macnulty, Douglas W. Smith, L. David Mech, John A. Vucetich, Craig Packer
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Despite the popular view that social predators live in groups because group hunting facilitates prey capture, the apparent tendency for hunting success to peak at small group sizes suggests that the formation of large groups is unrelated to prey capture. Few empirical studies, however, have tested for nonlinear relationships between hunting success and group size, and none have demonstrated why success trails off after peaking. Here, we use a unique dataset of observations of individually known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park to show that the relationship between success and group …
Use Of Real-Time Pcr To Detect Canine Parvovirus In Feces Of Free-Ranging Wolves,
2012
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Use Of Real-Time Pcr To Detect Canine Parvovirus In Feces Of Free-Ranging Wolves, L. David Mech, Emily S. Almberg, Douglas Smith, Sagar Goyal, Randall S. Singer
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Using real-time PCR, we tested 15 wolf (Canis lupus) feces from the Superior National Forest (SNF), Minnesota, USA, and 191 from Yellowstone National Park (YNP), USA, collected during summer and 13 during winter for canine parvovirus (CPV)-2 DNA. We also tested 20 dog feces for CPV-2 DNA. The PCR assay was 100%sensitive and specific with a minimum detection threshold of 104 50% tissue culture infective dose. Virus was detected in two winter specimens but none of the summer specimens. We suggest applying the technique more broadly especially with winter feces.
Behavioral And Chemical Analysis Of Deposited Chemical Cues In Striped Plateau Lizards,
2012
University of Puget Sound
Behavioral And Chemical Analysis Of Deposited Chemical Cues In Striped Plateau Lizards, Jay Goldberg
Summer Research
Many pheromones are produced by glands and deposited on substrates throughout the environment. Lizards possess an array of glands that secrete chemical cue. During mating seasons the glandular secretions of many lizards contain elevated levels of lipophilic compounds including: free-fatty acids, sterols, and long-chain fatty alcohols. This study examines the effect of season and hydrophobicity of chemicals on male response to female deposited chemical cues in the Striped Plateau Lizard (Sceloporous virgatus). Cues were collected and then scraped into a vial containing hexane and water in order to separate hydrophilic and lipophilic molecules. Chemical cue fractions were then …
The Role Of Social Interactions On The Development And Honesty Of A Signal Of Status,
2012
University of Kentucky
The Role Of Social Interactions On The Development And Honesty Of A Signal Of Status, Sanh K. Diep
Theses and Dissertations--Biology
Badges of status are supposed to have insignificant production costs, so use costs are thought to be most important in ensuring signal reliability. Use costs arise from the use of the status signal in social interactions. Social experiences that arise from the use of inappropriate signals in social interactions may drive mechanisms that result in reduced fitness for inappropriate signalers. The role of social control, probing and familiarity in producing use costs was explored. There was no evidence that social control by dominants produced a cost for cheaters and no evidence that social control by subordinates produced a cost for …
Foraging And Roosting Behaviors Of Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus Rafinesquii) At The Northern Edge Of The Species Range,
2012
University of Kentucky
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 …
Do Clark’S Nutcrackers Demonstrate What-Where-When
Memory On A Cache-Recovery Task?,
2012
Luther College
Do Clark’S Nutcrackers Demonstrate What-Where-When Memory On A Cache-Recovery Task?, Kristy L. Gould, Amy J. Ort, Alan C. Kamil
Avian Cognition Papers
What-where-when (WWW) memory during cache recovery was investigated in six Clark’s nutcrackers. During caching, both red- and blue-colored pine seeds were cached by the birds in holes filled with sand. Either a short (3 day) retention interval (RI) or a long (9 day) RI was followed by a recovery session during which caches were replaced with either a single seed or wooden bead depending upon the color of the cache and length of the retention interval. Knowledge of what was in the cache (seed or bead), where it was located, and when the cache had been made (3 or 9 …
Four Events Of Host Switching In Aspidoderidae (Nematoda) Involve Convergent Lineages Of Mammals,
2012
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Four Events Of Host Switching In Aspidoderidae (Nematoda) Involve Convergent Lineages Of Mammals, F. Agustín Jiménez-Ruiz, Scott Lyell Gardner, Graciela Navone, Guillermo Ortí
Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology
The Great American Interchange resulted in the mixing of faunistic groups with different origins and evolutionary trajectories that underwent rapid diversification in North and South America. As a result, groups of animals of recent arrival converged into similar habits and formed ecological guilds with some of the endemics. We present a reconstruction of the evolutionary events in Aspidoderidae, a family of nematodes that infect mammals that are part of this interchange, i.e., dasypodids, opossums, and sigmodontine, geomyid, and hystricognath rodents. By treating hosts as discrete states of character and using parsimony and Bayesian inferences to optimize these traits into the …
Oyun: A New, Free Program For Iterated Prisoner’S Dilemma Tournaments In The Classroom,
2012
Louisiana State University
Oyun: A New, Free Program For Iterated Prisoner’S Dilemma Tournaments In The Classroom, Charles H. Pence, Lara Buchak
Faculty Publications
Evolutionary applications of game theory present one of the most pedagogically accessible varieties of genuine, contemporary theoretical biology. We present here Oyun (oy-oon, http://charlespence.net/oyun), a program designed to run iterated prisoner's dilemma tournaments, competitions between prisoner's dilemma strategies developed by the students themselves. Using this software, students are able to readily design and tweak their own strategies, and to see how they fare both in round-robin tournaments and in “evolutionary” tournaments, where the scores in a given “generation” directly determine contribution to the population in the next generation. Oyun is freely available, runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers, …
Partial Depredations On Northern Bobwhite Nests,
2012
University of North Dakota
Partial Depredations On Northern Bobwhite Nests, Susan Ellis-Felege, Anne Miller, Jonathan S. Burnam, Shane D. Wellendorf, D. Clay Sisson, William E. Palmer, John P. Carroll
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Partial clutch loss following a predation event is rarely studied in ground-nesting birds despite predation often being the leading cause of nest failure. Partial nest depredation occurs when predators attack but leave some eggs intact. Using continuous video monitoring, we documented a total of 372 initial predation events at nests of Northern Bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). From these, we observed a sample of partial nest pre-dation events (n=47). Partial predation events resulted in three outcomes: (1) The nest failed due to parental abandonment; (2) adult stayed with the nest, but clutch failed to hatch, usually due to further predation events; or …
Patterns Of Incubation Behavior In Northern Bobwhites (Colinus Virginianus),
2012
University of Georgia
Patterns Of Incubation Behavior In Northern Bobwhites (Colinus Virginianus), Jonathan S. Burnam, Gretchen Turner, Susan Ellis-Felege, William E. Palmer, D. Clay Sisson, John P. Carroll
School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications
Patterns of incubation and nesting behavior for many species of birds, especially those with cryptic nests, have been difficult to obtain due to logistical and technological limitations. As a result, little is known about the daily attendance rhythms and behavioral patterns of many species, including the Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), despite this species being one of the most studied birds in the world. Incubation represents parental investment in offspring, and a multitude of factors may affect investment behaviors, including reproductive ecology, sex and age of parent, habitat quality, clutch age, and timing in the nesting season. Most Northern Bobwhite nests …
