The Influence Of Pollinator Behavior On Patterns Of Pollen Dispersal And Its Implications For Floral Evolution,
2021
University of Missouri-St. Louis
The Influence Of Pollinator Behavior On Patterns Of Pollen Dispersal And Its Implications For Floral Evolution, Alex Lascher
Theses
Despite a storied history of pollination research, little information exists on how the unique characteristics of individual pollinators effect patterns of pollen dispersal. As these patterns of pollen dispersal inform our understanding of floral evolution, filling in this knowledge gap is imperative. I attempted to do so by analyzing two different outcomes of pollen dispersal: 1) pollen carryover, and 2) geitonogamy (i.e., intra-plant movements). For the pollen carryover, I analyzed the results of an experimental study in which bats in flight cages removed pollen from the male flower of a Burmeistera glabrata plant, and then visited 10 female flowers of …
The Effects Of Climate And Demographic History In Shaping Genomic Variation Across Populations Of The Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma Platyrhinos),
2021
Miami University - Oxford
The Effects Of Climate And Demographic History In Shaping Genomic Variation Across Populations Of The Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma Platyrhinos), Keaka Farleigh, Sarah A. Vladimirova, Christopher Blair, Jason T. Bracken, Nazila Koochekian, Drew R. Schield, Daren C. Card, Nicholas Finger, Jonathan Henault, Adam D. Leaché, Todd A. Castoe, Tereza Jezkova
Publications and Research
Species often experience spatial environmental heterogeneity across their range, and populations may exhibit signatures of adaptation to local environmental characteristics. Other population genetic processes, such as migration and genetic drift, can impede the effects of local adaptation. Genetic drift in particular can have a pronounced effect on population genetic structure during large-scale geographic expansions, where a series of founder effects leads to decreases in genetic variation in the direction of the expansion. Here, we explore the genetic diversity of a desert lizard that occupies a wide range of environmental conditions and that has experienced post-glacial expansion northwards along two colonization …
Diversity And Host Specificity Of Nycteribiid Bat Flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) In Kenya,
2021
Western Kentucky University
Diversity And Host Specificity Of Nycteribiid Bat Flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) In Kenya, Taylor Verrett
Masters Theses & Specialist Projects
Bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) are hematophagous ectoparasites of bats distributed globally. Members of Nycteribiidae are morphologically constrained relative to streblids, and are united by their lack of wings, dorso-ventrally compressed bodies, and a primary distribution across the Eastern hemisphere. Bats are principal reservoirs of infectious diseases, including viral zoonoses of important consideration to human health, but the overall high host specificity of bat flies has largely been thought to curb their potential as inter-specific vectors of bat-borne pathogens. However, nycteribiid diversity and host associations remain critically understudied in some geographic regions, and rare examples of nycteribiid bat flies …
Nebraska Wildlife Club,
2021
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Nebraska Wildlife Club, Jacob Spooner
Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs
The goal of this club was for students to expand their knowledge on wildlife that exists both in and outside of Nebraska and for them to get a better idea the types of wildlife they might be able to find within the state. In addition, an objective of this club was to spark curiosity so that the kids might try to further explore aspects of wildlife on their own.
Molecular Phylogeny Of Cave Dwelling Eremogryllodes Crickets (Orthoptera, Myrmecophilidae) Across Zagros Mountains And Southern Iran,
2021
Shiraz University, Iran
Molecular Phylogeny Of Cave Dwelling Eremogryllodes Crickets (Orthoptera, Myrmecophilidae) Across Zagros Mountains And Southern Iran, Mohadeseh Sadat Tahami, Mina Hojat-Ansari, Anna Namyatova, Saber Sadeghi
International Journal of Speleology
Recently, several new species and subspecies from the genus Eremogryllodes Chopard, 1929 (Insecta: Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae) inhabiting caves of Iran, have been described based on morphology. The high variation of genitalia structure along with high similarity of external morphology between populations hamper the precise species identification. Thus, molecular approaches are critical to determine the taxonomic positions of species/subspecies of this genus. Here we provide the molecular phylogeny, based on the 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene, of recently described species of Eremogryllodes along with some unidentified specimens from the same region. The results support the monophyly of the family Myrmecophilidae. The topology of …
A Rare Telson Anomaly In Parabuthus Liosoma (Ehrenberg, 1828) (Scorpiones: Buthidae),
2021
Marshall University
A Rare Telson Anomaly In Parabuthus Liosoma (Ehrenberg, 1828) (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Abdulaziz R. Alqahtani, Ahmed Badry
Euscorpius
A rare anomaly of telson vesicle with two functional aculei is observed and discussed in a Parabuthus liosoma (Ehrenberg, 1828) specimen collected from Jizan, Saudi Arabia.
An Anomaly Of Chelicera In Scorpio Kruglovi Birula, 1910 (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae),
2021
Marshall University
An Anomaly Of Chelicera In Scorpio Kruglovi Birula, 1910 (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, Mehmet S. Kılıç, Ömer Yılmaz
Euscorpius
An anomaly in cheliceral dentition of the fixed finger is recorded in the scorpion Scorpio kruglovi Birula, 1910. This rare teratological anomaly herein is described and illustrated.
On R. Kinzelbach’S Euscorpiid Specimens From Turkey Deposited In The Naturhistorisches Museum Mainz, Germany (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae),
2021
Marshall University
On R. Kinzelbach’S Euscorpiid Specimens From Turkey Deposited In The Naturhistorisches Museum Mainz, Germany (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Ersen A. Yağmur
Euscorpius
I examined the specimens of Euscorpiidae collected by R. Kinzelbach in Turkey in the 1970s and deposited in the Naturhistorisches Museum Mainz (NMM), Germany. According to the current taxonomy, one “Euscorpius carpathicus” specimen from the İzmir Province is identified as E. avcii; two “E. carpathicus” specimens from the Mersin Province are identified as E. koci; and one “E. germanus mingrelicus” specimen from the Düzce Province is identified as Alpiscorpius phrygius.
The First Record Of Euscorpius Lesbiacus Tropea Et Al., 2020 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) In Turkey,
2021
Marshall University
The First Record Of Euscorpius Lesbiacus Tropea Et Al., 2020 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) In Turkey, Ersen A. Yağmur
Euscorpius
The scorpion species Euscorpius lesbiacus Tropea et al., 2020, previously known only from Lesvos Island (Greece), is recorded for the first time from the İzmir Province, Turkey. Detailed illustrations of E. lesbiacus are given.
Genomic And Ecological Dimensions Of Malagasy Reptile And Amphibian Biodiversity,
2021
CUNY Graduate Center
Genomic And Ecological Dimensions Of Malagasy Reptile And Amphibian Biodiversity, Arianna L. Kuhn
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
A long history of isolation coupled with complex topographic and ecological landscapes makes Madagascar ideal for exploring the historical factors that have shaped patterns of population diversity and endemism. Many species-level studies have suggested Late Quaternary climate change may have influenced population dynamics in the tropics, but Madagascar’s ecologically unique biomes or individual species properties may have driven idiosyncratic responses to these shifts. Using community-scale population genetic data I implement a hierarchical approximate Bayesian computation (hABC) approach to evaluate the degree of synchronous population expansion during glacial cycles across herpetofaunal assemblages both within and across discrete biomes and taxonomic groups. …
James Davidson Fawcett (1933–2020): Imbibing With The Kiwi,
2021
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
James Davidson Fawcett (1933–2020): Imbibing With The Kiwi, Louis A. Somma
Papers in Herpetology
An obituary and summary of the life of James D. Fawcett (1933-2020), herpetologist and instructor and professor of Biology at University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1972-2015. Includes bibliography of his works, list of master's theses chaired, and recollections of former students.
Empathy And Fairness In Nonhuman Primates: Evolutionary Bases Of Human Morality,
2021
Brigham Young University
Empathy And Fairness In Nonhuman Primates: Evolutionary Bases Of Human Morality, Colt Halter
Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology
Darwin offered an evolutionary perspective on the origins of human morality, suggesting that humans share a biological foundation with nonhuman primates. This paper reviews the current literature on moral and prosocial behaviors of nonhuman primates, specifically examining whether nonhuman primates exhibit behaviors that are typical of empathy and fairness. The literature documents that nonhuman primates exhibit empathetic behaviors regarding emotional contagion and sympathetic concern. There is also evidence that nonhuman primates have a sense of fairness, seen in their reciprocal behaviors and aversion to inequity. Taken together, this suggests that there are evolutionary roots of morality, lending empirical support to …
Somalibuthus Sabae Sp. N., A New Buthid Scorpion From Kenya (Scorpiones: Buthidae),
2021
Marshall University
Somalibuthus Sabae Sp. N., A New Buthid Scorpion From Kenya (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík, Laban Njoroge
Euscorpius
The poorly known buthid genus Somalibuthus Kovařík, 1998, is recorded for the first time from Kenya, with the description of a new species, S. sabae sp. n., from Kiwayu Island in the Kiunga Marine National Reserve. Based on a detailed study of the new materials, a revised diagnosis is given for the genus. Several generic characters suggest affinities with three other genera of small buthids found in the Horn of Africa: Neobuthus Hirst, 1911, Gint Kovařík, Lowe, Plíšková et Šťáhlavský, 2013, and Lanzatus Kovařík, 1998.
Testing The Climatic Variability Hypothesis With Coastal And Inland Populations Of Mimulus Guttatus And Implications For These Populations Under Climate Change,
2021
University of San Francisco
Testing The Climatic Variability Hypothesis With Coastal And Inland Populations Of Mimulus Guttatus And Implications For These Populations Under Climate Change, Alec Chiono
Master's Theses
How climate shapes the niche of a species is a core interest in evolution and ecology. Research on the evolution of climatic niches can inform us on the historical relationship between organisms and their climate, and, in an era of great environmental change, what that relationship may look like in the future. In this study, I tested an essential idea in the history of climate niche research, the Climatic Variability Hypothesis, by comparing the thermal niche breadth of coastal and inland populations of Mimulus guttatus. Using thermal performance results from this experiment, I also forecasted how the suitability of …
The Phylogeography And Molecular Systematics Of Woodrats (Genus: Neotoma) In The American Southwest,
2021
University of New Mexico
The Phylogeography And Molecular Systematics Of Woodrats (Genus: Neotoma) In The American Southwest, Katrina M. Derieg
Biology ETDs
The American Southwest is a region where many biomes converge, harboring a wide variety of habitats ranging from desert to alpine environments. Habitat heterogeneity and the confluence of multiple species ranges make the American Southwest a biodiversity hotspot. Climate cycling throughout the Quaternary has driven the dynamics of changes in species’ ranges that are recorded by genetic signatures. For example, range expansion may lead to secondary contact between previously isolated populations or species. Contact can result in multiple evolutionary outcomes, including hybridization or the reinforcement and maintenance of independent lineages. I used multi-locus species tree methods to re-examine the nominal …
Strike-Induced Chemosensory Searching, Kleptoparasitism, And The Possibility Of Chemical Crypsis In Rattlesnakes,
2021
University of Texas at El Paso
Strike-Induced Chemosensory Searching, Kleptoparasitism, And The Possibility Of Chemical Crypsis In Rattlesnakes, Mark Scott Teshera
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Predator-prey interactions shape the natural histories of both species as each tries to adapt and counter-adapt to the tactics of the other. This important evolutionary dynamic is crucial for ecosystem formation and stability. Predation is a fundamental aspect of life for most organisms, and many venomous reptiles, particularly ambush-foraging viperids, have evolved a prey-acquisition strategy that is highly effective in immobilizing prey, while minimizing possible counterattacks. Best studied in rattlesnakes, this remarkable behavioral sequence is known as strike-induced chemosensory searching (SICS). Throughout decades of research, the body of SICS literature on venomous reptiles has become fairly robust, particularly in rattlesnakes. …
Dynamics Of Hybrid Zones At A Continental Scale,
2021
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Dynamics Of Hybrid Zones At A Continental Scale, Bradley T. Martin
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Hybridization has traditionally been viewed as a happenstance that negatively impacts populations, but is now recognized as an important evolutionary mechanism that can substantially impact the evolutionary trajectories of gene pools, influence adaptive capacity, and contravene or reinforce divergence. Physiographic processes are important drivers of dispersal, alternately funneling populations into isolation, promoting divergence, or facilitating secondary contact of diverged populations, increasing the potential for hybridization. In North America, glacial-interglacial cycles and geomorphological changes have provided a dynamic backdrop over the last two million years that promoted such oscillations of population contraction and expansion. These biogeographic processes have resulted in regional …
An Experiment To Test For Rapid Evolution In An Introduced Ectomycorrhizal Symbiosis,
2021
University of Mississippi
An Experiment To Test For Rapid Evolution In An Introduced Ectomycorrhizal Symbiosis, Valerie Rewa
Honors Theses
The rapid evolution of introduced ectomycorrhizal-plant partnerships is an under- explored topic that may have immense impacts on ecosystems around the world. This experiment sought to identify and quantify this evolution and its impacts on both fungal colonization as well as plant growth. I used a laboratory experiment to analyze these factors in native and exotic genotypes of Suillus cothurnatus and Pinus species. Much of the data was not able to be collected, but that which was did not support the presence of rapid evolution in the mutualistic partnership. Pine species was seen to have a significant effect on plant …
The Effects Of Urbanization On Insect Morphology: A Meta-Analysis,
2021
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The Effects Of Urbanization On Insect Morphology: A Meta-Analysis, Evann L. Bailey
Honors Theses
Urbanization has been shown to create a rapid change in the environment as you move from rural areas to urban areas. It can create a multitude of effects on the environment. Some examples include, land disturbance, pollution, increasing temperatures and a disturbance in vegetation and biodiversity. Insects are useful organisms that provide maintenance and upkeep for ecosystem functioning. The rapid development of urbanization and how it is changing the environment may impact insect morphology. Measuring morphological change in organisms have been used successfully as indicators of environmental and ecological disturbance. Changes that take place in an insect’s morphology may indicate …
The Role Of Nutrition And Hormone Signaling In Extended Larval Development And Obesity In Starvation-Selected Drosophila Melanogaster,
2021
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The Role Of Nutrition And Hormone Signaling In Extended Larval Development And Obesity In Starvation-Selected Drosophila Melanogaster, Jennifer M. Clark
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Brief periods of starvation are a common stressor that most animals encounter in the wild and must be able to survive in order to maximize their fitness. Starvation resistance of the adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is thought to be primarily conferred by adult fat stores, body size, metabolic rate, behavior, and activity levels. Additionally, flies selected for starvation resistance also often show delayed pupariation, which is usually indicative of altered hormone signaling. How starvation selection extends development and if it contributes to adult starvation resistance remains incompletely studied. Identifying the targets of starvation selection that cause extended development and …
