Evolution Commons^™

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part Xxii. Two New Species Of Neobuthus From Somaliland (Buthidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

New information about taxonomy and distribution of the genus Neobuthus Hirst, 1911 is presented, based on material recently collected in Somaliland. N. awashensis Kovařík & Lowe, 2012 is reported from Somaliland for the first time. Two new species are described, N. haeckeli sp. n. and N. solegladi sp. n. An updated distribution map of the genus Neobuthus is provided.

Evolution - #0: Advanced Biological Systems, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

The first unit of Advanced Biological Systems is focused on the theory of evolution, the mechanisms of evolutionary change, and discussions of the biological species concept. We discuss briefly how biodiversity stabilizes ecosystems. A study of biological evolution is placed first in the sequence of our curriculum to establish a foundation that explains the diversity of organisms, as well as biochemical processes, and the ongoing change process we witness today. These concepts will later be utilized in our curriculum to highlight cellular and metabolic diversity, the development of cancers, the interactions of bacteria with the ecosystem of the human host, …

Evolution - #8: Ecosystem Disrupted, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

This is the culminating activity for the evolution unit. For this assignment, students must research into the impact human industry has on a small part of our world. Students have had a brief introduction to the history of the planet and the role that carbon dioxide concentration play in climate change. The role of climate and weather patterns is important in a discussion of a chosen place on the planet. Students have spent a large amount of effort in understanding evolutionary theory and mechanisms and seen it in practice as they read about speciation. With this assignment, students can synthesize …

Evolution - #3: Evolution On The Web, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

This lesson is a companion piece the previous one: Evolutionary Evidences and Inferences. It is completed supported by readings at an online site hosted by The University of California at Berkeley. The site is linked here:

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/evo_14

Evolution - #2: Evolutionary Evidence And Inferences, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

The theory of evolution articulates elegantly a series of inferences from a vast collection of observations and evidence. We present some of those evidences here to stimulate in our students the sorts of scientific reasoning necessary to understand the presence and origin of diversity of life on the planet.

Evolution - #1: History Of Life, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

From the perspective of a biologist, the history of life on the Earth is a recurring story. Although details may be different, what happens today has precedence in the occurrences of the past. Two underlying ideas are vital for students to understand a modern conception of the theory of evolution. First, over long periods of time, and due to natural events, the environment of the Earth has changed, sometimes dramatically. Second, each environmental change has created more favorable conditions for some species to live and reproduce, while producing less favorable conditions for others. This first lesson in our unit on …

Evolution - #4: Genetic Drift And Founder Effect, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

Genetic drift is a term used to describe chance fluctuations in the allelic frequencies in a population over time. The effects of genetic drift tend to be very minor in large populations, but they can be quite significant in small populations. Alleles are different functional forms in which a gene might exist. Humans have two alleles, sometimes the same but sometimes different, of most of their genes. In any population, it is possible to determine the frequency of all alleles. If these alleles get passed on to the next generation at random, then we should expect to see approximately the …

Evolution - #6: Selection Simulation, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

A modern understanding of the theory of evolution revolves around the selection of certain types within a population that over long time periods eventually leads to change of the species. This descent with modification is modeled with this activity, and leads to a subsequent lesson that has students reading about research into examples of speciation.

Evolution - #5: Globin Gene Evolution, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

For this lesson, students are guided through the steps necessary to compare nucleotide and amino acid sequences available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information that is maintained by the National Institutes of Health. The lesson starts with an examination of the alpha-globin gene. Alpha-globin is one of the proteins that constitutes hemoglobin. Student look at the various sequences of this gene that have been deposited at NCBI with a goal of determining alternative forms of the gene. The lesson then broadens the scope of comparison to include members of the globin protein family. Students create a phylogenetic tree that …

Evolution - #7: Speciation Jigsaw, Jessica Amacher, Sowmya Anjur, Donald Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Unit 1: Evolution

This is a lesson intended to be complementary to the selection simulation. Whereas the simulation was used to develop a conceptual understanding of selection, the readings done here are used to allow students to see the application of their conceptualized understanding to researched examples of selection and speciation.

Identity Of The Central American Scorpion Centruroides Mahnerti Lourenço, 1983 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Luis F. De Armas

Euscorpius

The Central American scorpion Centruroides mahnerti Lourenço, 1983, was described on the basis of three female specimens (holotype and paratypes) from Momotombo Volcano, Nicaragua. Almost two decades later, it was synonymized under Centruroides koesteri Kraepelin, 1911 by Armas and Maes, without examination of the type specimen; but Teruel and Stockwell posteriorly argued that description and figures given for C. mahnerti are also similarly referable to juveniles of C. edwardsii (Gervais, 1843). Now, an evaluation of the holotype of C. mahnerti has definitively shown that it is a subadult female of C. koesteri. For the first time, photographs of the …

Dynamics Of Avian Elevational Ranges Reveal Hidden Evolutionary Forces, Chauncey R. Gadek

Biology ETDs

The distribution of life across the Andes mountains reflects historical elevational-range contraction and expansion. Whereas contraction implies specialization, expansion requires overcoming hidden barriers. Three eco-evolutionary phenomena may drive patterns in rates of elevational range evolution: (1) The Dobzhansky-MacArthur Phenomenon (DMP) predicts lower rates of upward expansion with harsher physical conditions, while downward expansion increases with lower diversity; (2) the evolutionary tendency toward specialization predicts contraction increases when ranges are broad; and (3) natural selection for respiratory performance could suppress expansion across mid-elevations due to gene-environment mismatch. We modeled elevational range shifts of Neotropical landbirds. Contrary to the DMP, upward expansion …

A New Species Of Kochius From Avra Valley, Southern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Richard F. Ayrey, Lawrence L. C. Jones, Brandon Myers

Euscorpius

A new scorpion species, Kochius colluvius sp. n. is described (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). This small brown species is found in the Avra Valley near Tucson, Arizona, USA. It appears to be most similar to Kochius sonorae (Williams, 1971) and K. hirsuticauda (Banks, 1910). On all fingers examined, the fixed finger has 6 ID denticles and the movable finger has 7. There is no scalloping of the chela fingers. This species differs from all other vaejovids in Arizona by having a coarsely granulated exoskeleton.

Description Of The Adult Male Of Euscorpius Feti Tropea, 2013 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), With Notes On Cave Ecology Of This Species, Gioele Tropea, Roman Ozimec

Euscorpius

The adult male of Euscorpius feti Tropea, 2013 (Euscorpiidae) is described for the first time. A large series (45 specimens including the type material) has been studied, most of the material previously unpublished. E. feti has been found in as many as 17 caves in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, including the Adriatic islands, which makes it the most common Euscorpius species so far found in caves. Ecological notes on this species are presented.

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxi. Parabuthus (Buthidae) (Part Ii), With Description Of Five New Species From Somaliland And Ethiopia, František Kovařík, Graeme Lowe, Hassan S. A. Elmi, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

The complex of Parabuthus heterurus Pocock, 1897 is split into four species: P. heterurus Pocock, 1897 s. str. whose type locality and real distribution are discussed and corrected, and three herein described species, P. kabateki sp. n., P. robustus sp. n. and P. somalilandus sp. n. In the species complex of Parabuthus liosoma (Ehrenberg, 1828), P. erigavoensis sp. n. from Somaliland is described. Also described are P. mazuchi sp. n., sympatric with P. cimrmani Kovařík, 2004 and P. eritreaensis Kovařík, 2003 from Somaliland. New data are presented on the distribution of the genus Parabuthus Pocock, 1890 in the …

Description Of The Adult Female Of Diplocentrus Lachua (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae: Diplocentrinae) From Northeastern Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, Rony E. Trujillo, Luis F. De Armas, Carlos A. Gaitán

Euscorpius

The female of the scorpion Diplocentrus lachua Armas, Trujillo & Agreda, 2011 is herein described, on the basis of a single specimen collected at Parque Nacional Laguna Lachuá, Alta Verapaz Department, Guatemala, type locality for this species. An emended diagnosis is provided and the known distribution of all described Guatemalan Diplocentrus species is graphically presented.

Taxonomic Reassessment Of The Genera Lychas, Mesobuthus, And Olivierus, With Descriptions Of Four New Genera (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

The diagnostic characters are reassessed and defined for the genera Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845, Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, and Olivierus Farzanpay, 1987 (the latter is restored from synonymy with Mesobuthus). Four new genera are described: Aegaeobuthus gen. n. (type species Buthus gibbosus Brullé, 1832), Afrolychas gen. n. (type species Isometrus burdoi Simon, 1882), Janalychas gen. n. (type species Lychas srilankensis Lourenço, 1997), and Spelaeolychas gen. n. (type species Isometrus hosei Pocock, 1891). Type species are designated for subgenera Lychas (Distotrichus) Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 (type species Isometrus nigristernis Pocock, 1899), Lychas (Alterotrichus) Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 (type species Scorpio …

Seven New Alpine Species Of The Genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein Et Al., 1999, Stat. N. (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), František Kovařík, Jana Štundlová, Victor Fet, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Two subgenera of Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) are elevated to the genus status: Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999, stat. n. and Tetratrichobothrius Birula, 1917, stat. n. Seven new Alpine scorpion species are described and illustrated: Alpiscorpius delta sp. n. (Italy) from the “alpha group” (“germanus complex”); A. kappa sp. n. (Slovenia) and A. lambda sp. n. (Slovenia) from the “germanus group” (“germanus complex”); A. omega sp. n. (Slovenia), A. omikron sp. n. (Slovenia), A. sigma sp. n. (Italy, Slovenia), and A. ypsilon sp. n. (Austria, Slovenia) …

Evaluating The Effect Of Time Of Day On Singing Behavior In Anna’S Hummingbirds, Adrian D. Macedo, Maxine R. Mota

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Spinosad Resistance In Colorado Potato Beetles (Leptinotarsa Decemlineata), Coby Michael Klein

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) are a major pest of cultivated potato plants worldwide. They are well-known for their ability to rapidly evolve resistance to all major classes of pesticides. Defoliation of potato plants by L. decemlineata can reduce potato yields by a considerable margin. The damage done by resistant beetles is steep and much research is focused on developing new chemical controls, especially those derived from naturally occurring compounds. Spinosad is a relatively new natural product insecticide, introduced approximately a decade ago, suitable for use in organic farming. Potato beetles on Long Island, NY developed very strong …