bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reproductive patterns of the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) in Alberta
Authors: Lee Dennis A. , Spence John R.
Published: March 2009

Males and females of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) from Alberta were held at constant and variable temperatures within a 17–32 °C range to determine the effect of temperature on longevity, daily oviposition, egg viability, total fecundity, reproductive period, and oviposition rate. The lower developmental thresholds and thermal summations for each stage were calculated from linear regressions. Moths from the South Saskatchewan River valley laid significantly more eggs over a longer period than those from the surrounding plains. The upper threshold for oviposition was higher (27 °C) for valley than for plains borers (25 °C). Optimum temperatures for egg viability were also higher for valley (25–27 °C) than for plains borers (22 °C). Fluctuating temperatures increased survival of both sexes compared with equivalent constant temperatures. Differences in male and female longevity likely arose in response to selection for different reproductive strategies in each sex. Long-lived individuals achieved high fecundity by reproducing at a low rate over many age-classes, while short-lived individuals reproduced at a high rate over few age-classes, with less total fecundity. Fecundity and reproductive period in the corn borer are plastic phenotypes that can change rapidly under differing environments.
A comparative study of the biology of five species of Neophylax (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) in southern Ontario
Authors: Beam B. D. , Wiggins G. B.
Published: March 2009

The habitat, life cycle, behaviour, and food of five species of caddisflies of the genus Neophylax (N. aniqua Ross, N. ornatus Banks, N. concinnus McLachlan, N. oligius Ross, and N. fuscus Banks) were compared, based on general surveys and biweekly to monthly samples from several stream systems in southern Ontario. Larvae of four of the species, N. aniqua, N. concinnus, N. oligius, and N. fuscus, occur sequentially from the headwaters downstream and grow from late autumn through spring, but differ slightly in temporal development; adults of these species emerge in September and October, after a summer prepupal diapause. Larvae of the fifth species, N. ornatus, grow in late summer and autumn; their habitat coincides with portions of the habitats of N. aniqua and N. concinnus in cool headwater sections of streams, but adults emerge in June following a winter diapause. These species also differ in duration of diapause, case construction, location of pupal cases, and oviposition. All species graze on algae and fine organic particles from exposed surfaces of rocks. The study demonstrates that the five species of Neophylax studied differ in larval habitat and in time of development in ways that tend to keep them separate in stream systems. Evolutionary implications are considered.
Mesothelial tumors associated with larval taeniid cestodes maintained by intraperitoneal inoculation in rodents
Authors: Rausch R. L. , Giddens Jr. W. E. , Bridgens J. G.
Published: March 2009

Fibrosarcomatous mesotheliomas were associated with long-standing intraperitoneal infections of the larval stages (metacestodes) of Echinococcus vogeli and Taenia crassiceps in gerbils and Taenia polyacantha in a northern vole. The tumor apparently induced by E. vogeli was readily transferable in gerbils by intraperitoneal or subcutaneous inoculation of ascitic fluid containing tumor cells or fragments of tumor tissue, and was characterized by rapid growth, early death of the host, and host specificity. The carcinogenic reaction of the mesothelium to the larval cestodes may be related to the duration of infection and the volume of cysticerci or vesicles in the peritoneal cavity.
A world review of the pyri species group in the genus Typhlodromus Scheuten (Acari: Phytoseiidae)
Authors: Chant D. A. , Yoshida-Shaul E.
Published: March 2009

The pyri species group in the genus Typhlodromus Scheuten is proposed to accommodate species characterized primarily by the presence of setae S2 and S4 and the absence of S5 of the S-series on the opisthoscutum. There are at present 18 species in this group: T. leptodactylus Wainstein, T. magdalenae Pritchard and Baker, T. corticis Herbert, T. andrei Karg, T. griekwensis Schultz, T. atticus Swirski and Ragusa, T. baccettii Lombardini, T. pyri Scheuten, T. tubifer Wainstein, T. klimenkoi Kolodochka, T. tiliae Oudemans, T. setubali Dosse, T. cotoneastri Wainstein, T. athiasae Porath and Swirski, T. laurae Arutunjan, T. exhilaratus Ragusa, T. phialatus Athias-Henriot, and T. ernesti Ragusa and Swirski. Four subspecies also are proposed: Typhlodromus athiasae athiasae Porath and Swirski stat. nov., Typhlodromus athiasae perbibus Wainstein and Arutunjan stat. nov., Typhlodromus exhilaratus exhilaratus Ragusa stat. nov., and Typhlodromus exhilaratus americanus subsp. nov. Typhlodromus pritchardi Arutunjan and T. vepallidus (Koch) are designated as species inquirendae because of insufficient information on their identities. The identity and status of T. pyri, the type species of the genus Typhlodromus, is reviewed. The following new synonymies are proposed: T. rodovae Wainstein and Arutunjan as a junior synonym of T. corticis; T. helenae Schicha and Dosse and T. oligadenus Athias-Henriot as junior synonyms of T. baccettii; T. ajsel Abbasova as a junior synonym of T. tubifer; T. siwa El Badry, T. hellenicus Swirski and Ragusa, and T. perbibus Wainstein and Arutunjan as junior synonyms of T. athiasae; and T. laurentii Ragusa and Swirski as a junior synonym of T. setubali. The group is defined and a key to and descriptions of the adult females of the species and subspecies are provided.
A comparison of interspecific differences in the morphology of external and internal feeding apparatus among North American Anatidae
Authors: Kehoe F. Patrick , Thomas Vernon G.
Published: March 2009

We examined the relationship among bill shapes and gut morphology for 22 species of North American Anatidae. Bill shape was defined by nine bill measurements. Gut morphology was defined by the wet weights of empty ceca, small intestine, and gizzard. Interspecific differences in morphology were quantified through a canonical discriminant function analysis. Although the pattern of interspecific differences in the two sets of measurements showed some similarity (P < 0.001) this relationship was weak (R2 = 0.057). Species that were very similar or different in bill shape tended to be very similar or different in gut morphology. At any given intermediate distance of separation in either bill shape or gut morphology there was a wide range in separation in the other axis. We conclude that interspecific differences in both bill shape and gut morphology should be considered in studies of resource partitioning between closely related species at a particular time and location.
Fine structure of the coniform sensillar complex on the antennal flagellum of the stonefly nymph Paragnetina media (Plecoptera: Perlidae)
Authors: Kapoor N. N.
Published: March 2009

Four to seven coniform sensillar complexes, each formed by 16–21 narrow spines, project perpendicularly from the distal end of middle and distal antennal flagellar segments of the stonefly nymph Paragnetina media. Each spine in the complex is innervated by two neurons with unbranched dendrites. The dendrites extend to a pear-shaped cavity in the tip of the spine. The tip of the spine is porous and contains channels filled with an amorphous material. Each pair of neurons is surrounded by three accessory cells. Based on structural similarities with the terminal multiporous sensilla of other insects, each spine in a sensillar complex represents a fundamental type of chemosensillum.
Viability of prepupae of the leafcutting bee Megachile rotundata (Fab.) during extended storage
Authors: Fairey D. T. , Lefkovitch L. P. , Nelson D. L.
Published: March 2009

In the management of the leafcutting bee Megachile rotundata, diapausing prepupae are overwintered at 3–5 °C for approximately 260 days before use for a current season's pollination. In this study, viability of diapausing prepupae was investigated at 28-day intervals between days 260 and 641 of storage. Substantial numbers of bees emerged from prepupae stored for up to 501 days. However, 50% of the sampled prepupae became nonviable after 417 days. About 95% of the emerging bees survived for at least 24 h. Survival of emerged adults did not appear to depend on storage time or sex.
Stomatogenesis in Paramecium tetraurelia: genetics and phenotypes of mutants affecting the development of the oral apparatus
Authors: Tam Lai-Wa , Ng Stephen F.
Published: March 2009

Seven temperature-sensitive mutants of Paramecium tetraurelia, in which the development of the oral apparatus was affected, were recovered from mutagenesis with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and ultraviolet irradiation and analysed. Five of them (short-1, buccalless-1, crook-1, monster-1, monster-2) were shown to possess single mutant recessive genes (designated sh1, bu1, cr1, mo1, and mo2, respectively). The other two, short-2 and short-3, were probably of the same mutagenic origin, which involved two linked recessive loci acting in concert. The short mutants are characterized by reduction in the length of the buccal cavity and oral membranelles and disruption of the organization of the membranelles. The crook mutant shows extra curvature and lengthening of the oral membranelles. The buccalless mutant exhibits loss of the buccal cavity, in addition to the absence, shortening, or disruption of the organization of oral membranelles. The monsters develop abnormal oral apparatuses and abnormalities in cell division giving rise to monstrous cells. All of these mutations are pleiotropic in expression. While the genes for short-1 and crook-1 affect stomatogenesis in the asexual and sexual cycles to similar extents, the other five mutants exhibit defects only in asexual stomatogenesis. The developmental interests of these mutants are discussed.
The cranial nerves of three species of sea snakes
Authors: Young Bruce A.
Published: March 2009

A generalized description is given of the form and peripheral distribution of all cranial nerves of Hydrophis melanocephalus, Lapemis hardwickii, and Aipysurus eydouxii. Results presented here agree with the studies of Auen and Langebartel (Auen, E. L., and Langebartel, D. A. 1977. J. Morphol. 154(2): 205–222) regarding the presence of the ocular trunk and the absence of the spinal accessory nerve, and differ from those reported by Agarwal and Sharma (Agarwal, P. N., and Sharma, S. 1979. Indian J. Zool. 7(1): 23–34).
Reliability of blood parameters to assess the nutritional status of caribou
Authors: Messier François , Huot Jean , Goudreault François , Tremblay Armand V.
Published: March 2009

Total body fat reserves and 13 blood parameters were assessed from 58 female caribou. Animals were sampled in autumn and in spring from the George River caribou herd, northern Quebec and Labrador. Most blood constituents showed a remarkable homeostasis even though fat reserves ranged from 1.6 to 19.3% of the body mass. Total proteins versus fat content yielded a positive relationship, yet with a poor predictive power (r2 = 0.36). The lack of response in most blood parameters might be ascribable to small variations in diet among individual caribou. These variations in diet, although possibly small, may have a cumulative effect on fat reserve dynamics. Overall, we did not identify a set of blood parameters that could adequately reflect nutritional status of caribou. The limitations of blood parameters as indicators of the general nutritional status of caribou are discussed.
Serum phosphoprotein phosphorus and calcium levels as reproductive indicators of vitellogenin in highly vitellogenic mature female and estradiol-injected immature rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)
Authors: Nagler James J. , Ruby Sylvia M. , Idler David R. , So Ying P.
Published: March 2009

A linear relationship exists between increasing levels of the indirect indicators serum total phosphoprotein phosphorus (TPP), alkali-labile phosphoprotein phosphorus (ALPP), and total calcium (Ca) and increasing levels of serum vitellogenin (Vg) in mature female rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) during active vitellogenesis. A similar result was observed with TPP, Ca, and Vg in immature rainbow trout injected with 17β-estradiol (E2). Although TPP, ALPP, and Ca could be utilized to distinguish vitellogenic from nonvitellogenic fish, the phosphoprotein phosphorus measures TPP and ALPP emerged as the most reliable indirect indicators of serum Vg levels. Linear regression equations developed from the data allow the estimation of Vg levels from TPP or Ca values for both highly vitellogenic mature female and E2-injected immature rainbow trout when a direct assay for vitellogenin is not available.
Size- and age-specific patterns of trace metal concentrations in freshwater clams from an acid-sensitive and a circumneutral lake
Authors: Hinch Scott G. , Stephenson Linda A.
Published: March 2009

We collected freshwater clams (Elliptio complanata) from an acid-sensitive and a circumneutral lake in south central Ontario and compared tissue metal concentrations. Clams from the acid-sensitive lake had higher concentrations of Cu and Cd and lower concentrations of Zn and Mn than clams from the circumneutral lake. Tissue concentrations did not reflect metal levels in the water. Competition may be occurring between metals for binding substrate in clam tissue. Clam size and (or) age successfully predicted tissue metal concentrations, but in a metal-specific and tissue-specific manner. Clam biomonitoring studies should therefore control for size and age variability. Lake buffering capability was not very important in influencing size- and age-specific patterns of tissue metal concentrations. However, this conclusion is based solely on data from two lakes.
Distribution and behaviour of the spider crab Macroregonia macrochira Sakai (Brachyura) around the hydrothermal vents of the northeast Pacific
Authors: Tunnicliffe Verena , Jensen R. Gordon
Published: March 2009

Over 200 individuals of the majid crab Macroregonia macrochira Sakai, 1978 were examined on submersible and towed camera photographs from the Juan de Fuca and Explorer ridges. The crab is found at bathyal depths and shows a preference for hard substrata. Its attraction to the food source at hydrothermal vents is reflected in the high population concentrations around vent sites of the northeast Pacific. Mature males, distinguished by their large chelipeds, tend to be widely dispersed while the female–juvenile group clusters in and around vents. Stomachs of captured specimens contain remains of vent animals, confirming, along with submersible observations, that this crab is a major predator of animals at these vents. Other aspects of M. macrochira biology suggest that the sexes are separable on the basis of carapace aspect ratio, that polygamy is not apparent, and that planktotrophic larvae are released. The crab's ability to range both in and away from vents makes it an excellent indicator of the proximity of hydrothermal activity. In addition, it represents a mechanism for transferring the rich production of chemosynthetic activity to the oligotrophic deep-sea environment.
Biogenic catecholamines in the cnidarian Renilla köllikeri: radioenzymatic and chromatographic detection
Authors: Waele Jean-Pascal De , Anctil Michel , Carlberg Mats
Published: March 2009

The presence of biogenic catecholamines in the colonial anthozoan Renilla köllikeri was assessed with a radioenzymatic assay and thin-layer chromatographic separation of extracts from different parts of the colony. Confirmation of catecholamine detection was also obtained using an HPLC technique with electrochemical detection. All three catecholamines, i.e., dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline, were detected to varying degrees in the colonial compartments. Unidentified inhibitory factor(s) endogenous to Renilla tissues prevented the detection of internal catecholamine standards to an extent that was dependent upon time of sampling and part of the colony assayed. Peaks in catecholamine levels fluctuated sharply over the 10-month sampling period. Dopamine was the most frequently detected catecholamine, with levels generally higher than those of the other two amines, especially in the autozooids. The presence of adrenaline is reported for the first time in a coelenterate species. These results suggest that catecholamines are present in the most primitive metazoan phylum known to possess a nervous system. The physiological significance of these findings is discussed.
Development of Syncuaria squamata (Linstow, 1883) (Nematoda: Acuarioidea) in ostracods (Ostracoda) and double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus auritus)
Authors: Wong P. L. , Anderson R. C.
Published: March 2009

Syncuaria squamata (Linstow) developed to the infective third stage in two species of freshwater ostracods (Cyclocypris ovum (Jurine) and Cypridopsis vidua (Muller)). At room temperature (19–21 °C) the first moult occurred 11 d and the second moult 18 d postinfection. In experimentally infected double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus auritus (Lesson)) larval stages of S. squamata were found between folds of the proventriculus and underwent the third moult within 3.5 d and the fourth moult within 8 d postinfection. Mature male and gravid female worms were found under the gizzard lining at 29 d postinfection; some females were embedded in the gizzard musculature with their tails protruding into the lumen. First through fourth larval stages are described. Of 14 cormorants captured at 5 weeks of age from Pigeon Island, Lake Ontario, 13 (93%) were naturally infected with S. squamata. Five of these birds, 15 weeks or older when examined, harboured only mature male S. squamata. This suggests that female worms may become senescent before males. It is estimated that S. squamata has a life-span of about 4 months in its final host.
Social and local environments of the vole Microtus townsendii
Authors: Chitty Dennis
Published: March 2009

Why do vole populations usually stop increasing before they run out of food, then decline to a phase of low numbers and low body weights? Here I test the hypothesis that indefinite increase is prevented by spacing behaviour and that the decline is due to selection against the phenotypes present during the increase and early peak phases. This hypothesis implies that, by establishing a stock of voles born in a phase of increase, one can produce peak populations out of phase with a decline in a natural cycle. Using such voles, I established increasing and peak populations on trapped-out areas of grassland near Vancouver, British Columbia. At first these populations remained abundant during a decline in a natural population in spring 1976. This decline, however, was not followed by a definitive low phase but by an immediate return to a peak. Also, despite good reproduction and survival before the middle of March 1976, numbers of the experimental animals then declined further than expected. Failure to produce out-of-phase populations seems to have been due to the falsity of two assumptions: (i) that increase-phase voles are innately docile and (ii) that selection necessarily occurs at high densities. Instead of being docile during the increase phase, voles are, I now suggest, so aggressive towards strangers that they maintain discrete family groups. But amicable behaviour within groups, if disrupted by hostile behaviour between them, would explain why increase stops or is interrupted by a temporary decline. By contrast, a 2- to 3-year period of decline or a refractory phase of low numbers and low body weights is more plausibly explained by a change in behaviour due to natural selection. A decline in 1977–1980, associated with poor survival and reduced body weight, may therefore be attributed to a change in the social rather than the local environment.
L-(+)-Lactate translocation into the red blood cells of the skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)
Authors: Moon T. W. , Brill R. W. , Hochachka P. W. , Weber J.-M.
Published: March 2009

Red blood cells from skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, were incubated in vitro in various concentrations of L-(+)-lactate. There was no significant effect of pH between 6.6 and 8.1 on inward lactate translocation. Because there was a linear response between translocation rate and lactate added (up to 30 mM), we propose that a diffusive mechanism is the primary mode of lactate translocation into tuna red blood cells at least over the range of concentrations tested. This mechanism is unlike that reported for lactate influx in other animal cell types and may result from the reported differences in the control of proton movements across the red blood cell membrane of fish species.
Lack of ethynylestradiol-induced stimulation of uranium deposition in the femora and tibiotarsi of male Japanese quail. Comparison with the responses to several other estrogens and estrogen-mimetic chemicals
Authors: Robinson G. A.
Published: March 2009

Estradiol-17β, diethylstilbestrol, and zearalenone stimulated the deposition of a 235U tracer at levels of 18.6% in the femora and tibiotarsi, 4.0% in the livers, and 2.0% in the kidneys of male Japanese quail. Ethynylestradiol-17α stimulated only 6% uranium deposition in the leg bones but 7.7% in the livers and 6.8% in the kidneys. Corresponding control values were 1.9, 0.37, 0.36, 2.2, 0.59, and 0.53%, respectively. Cholecalciferol, corticosterone, o,p′-DDT, progesterone, and testosterone were ineffective. The mechanism of estrogen interaction with the fermora and tibiotarsi discriminated between estradiol and ethynylestradiol, and thus differed from the estrogen receptor system in the liver.
Additional comments on species of Pelecitus (Nematoda: Filarioidea) from birds
Authors: Bartlett Cheryl M. , Anderson R. C.
Published: March 2009

Pelecitus spiralis (Annett, Dutton, and Elliott, 1901) n.comb. is proposed for Filaria spiralis avium Annett, Dutton, and Elliott, 1901, and Pelecitus major (Annett, Dutton, and Elliott, 1901) n.comb. for Filaria spiralis avium major Annett, Dutton, and Elliott, 1901. Ploceus aurantius (Vieillot) is designated as type host of P. spiralis and Ploceus nigricollis brachypterus Swainson as type host of P. major; both hosts are in Ploceidae of Passeriformes. Other reported hosts of P. spiralis are additional species of Ploceidae and species of Nectariniidae and Pycnonotidae (Passeriformes) and Apodidae (Apodiformes); other hosts of P. major are species of Ploceidae. Species of Pelecitus have not previously been reported in these three passeriform families or in Apodiformes.
Alternative population estimates of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hawaiian waters
Authors: Baker C. Scott , Herman Louis M.
Published: March 2009

Based on a census of photographically identified humpback whales in Hawaiian waters during the years 1977 to 1981, J. D. Darling and H. Morowitz (1986. Can. J. Zool. 64: 105–111) estimate that the number of individuals visiting this breeding ground is 1000 during a single winter and 2100 across five winters. Confidence limits are not reported for either estimate, however, and the authors do not consider fully the potential biases of their capture–recapture analyses. A test of the frequency of capture model used for the within-year analysis showed, in some cases, a poor fit between the theoretical distribution and the reported data, thus indicating that the resulting population estimates may also be incorrect. Alternative estimates of across-years abundance were calculated using data from an independent study of humpback whales in Hawaiian waters conducted during the years 1980 to 1983. From the resighting records of the 519 whales identified during this period, Petersen and Jolly–Seber models provide estimates ranging from 635 to 1536 individuals for contiguous sampling years. These estimates are difficult to reconcile with the larger across-years estimate of Darling and Morowitz and suggest that further study is needed to accurately assess the status of this endangered population.
Intraspecific nest and brood recognition by queens of the bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
Authors: Gamboa George J. , Foster Robin L. , Richards Kenneth W.
Published: March 2009

Queens of pre-emergence colonies of the bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis, discriminated between their own nest or brood and that of an unrelated conspecific queen in the field. In particular, behavioural observations of queens from 11 matched pairs of replaced nests (controls) and switched nests (treatments) revealed that queens spent significantly more time in thermoregulatory behaviour (incubating and covering brood), and initiated such behaviours significantly sooner, with their own brood than with unrelated (foreign) brood. Queens also spent significantly more time inspecting foreign brood than their own brood. Finally, queens returning to foreign nests were significantly more likely to depart during the observation period than queens returning to their own nest. Although queens recognized unrelated nests or brood, they were not observed to destroy unrelated brood. Rather, in most cases they adopted foreign nests containing unrelated worker-destined brood, and remained with these nests for the life of the colonies.
Engulfing mechanics of fin whales
Authors: Orton Lisa Schichtel , Brodie Paul F.
Published: March 2009

The grooved throat wall of fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, extends tremendously during feeding causing the whale to expand its profile from a cigar shape to the shape of an elongated, bloated tadpole. Ventral groove blubber associated with the engulfing feeding mechanism can be extended reversibly to as much as 4 times its resting length in the circumferential direction, and to 1.5 times its resting length along the long axis of the body. The muscle in the throat wall can be reversibly extended up to 3 times its resting length. Both these tissues have large amounts of the protein elastin in their microstructures that may function in retracting the expanded buccal cavity. Calculations of forces contributing to the expansion of the buccal cavity show that the engulfing process in feeding can be powered solely by the speed of swimming.
Cold-hardiness of adult and larval spruce beetles Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby) in interior Alaska
Authors: Miller L. Keith , Werner Richard A.
Published: March 2009

Dendroctonus rufipennis, a serious insect pest causing periodic widespread damage to mature white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) stands in Alaska, was studied to determine if either larvae or adults were freezing-tolerant. Mean supercooling points in both larvae and adults dropped from −12 °C in summer to about −31 °C in winter. The decrease in supercooling points in larvae was closely associated with synthesis of glycerol, but the decline in adult supercooling points partially preceded the synthesis of glycerol in the fall. Winter glycerol levels reached 3 molal. Neither larvae nor adults were freezing-tolerant at any time of the year. Measurement of temperatures beneath the bark of standing spruce showed that only beetles hibernating below the snowline would be expected to survive a typical winter.
Juvenile survival and recruitment in a population of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Authors: Testa J. Ward
Published: March 2009

Survival and recruitment of Weddell seal pups were studied in eastern McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Pups were marked and their apparent survival estimated by mark–recapture methods. The resulting estimates were used together with published estimates of adult survival, yearly sighting probabilities, and direct counts of pup production to simulate the dynamics of the population and evaluate the assumption that it is closed to immigration. Estimates derived from census data in 1982 and 1983 were over five times larger than those simulated. This discrepancy was due to the extremely low juvenile survival rates calculated from marked seals. Since few animals born in Erebus Bay return to breed, the large adult breeding population must be the result of substantial immigration, indicating an important role for juvenile dispersal in the population dynamics of Weddell seals.
Nematode parasites of Orthoporus americanus (Diplopoda; Spirobolida) from Paraguay
Authors: Adamson Martin L.
Published: March 2009

Three new species of the Rhigonematida (Nematoda) are described from the posterior intestine of Orthoporus americanus from Paraguay. Heth orthopori n.sp. resembles Heth hamatus Bowie, 1985 from Eumastigonus kaorinus from New Zealand in that striae posterior to the cervical collar of the females bear rows of tiny spines; it differs from this species in that all spines in the cervical collar are of approximately the same size. Rondonema nelsonae n.sp. is most similar to the type species Rondonema rondoni Artigas, 1926 from an unidentified Brazilian diplopod in that lateral spines in the cervical region of the female are conical; it differs from this species in that these spines are much smaller, and differs from all species in the genus by the shape of the tail of the male. Rhigonema carlosi n.sp. most closely resembles Rhigonema truncatum Artigas, 1926 from an unidentified Brazilian diplopod and Rhigonema subtruncatum Dollfus, 1952 from Gymnostreptus sp. from Brazil in having a short subconical tail in the female and a short blunt tail and robust arcuate spicules in the male; it differs from both species in having at least two more pairs of caudal papillae and by the shape of the distal extremity of the spicule.
Intraclutch variation in egg size of Canada geese
Authors: Leblanc Yves
Published: March 2009

Variation in egg size relative to laying sequence was examined for clutches of captive and wild western Canada geese (Branta canadensis moffitti). Eggs laid in the middle of a sequence were very similar in size and were larger than the first and last eggs of a clutch, which did not differ. Intraclutch variation in egg size in Canada geese may be caused by hormonal changes during egg formation and at the onset of incubation.
Investigations of the mechanisms of glycolytic control during hibernation
Authors: Storey Kenneth B.
Published: March 2009

Molecular mechanisms of glycolytic rate control during hibernation were investigated in the meadow jumping mouse, Zapus hudsonius. The content of fructose-2, 6-bisphosphate, a potent activator of phosphofructokinase, decreased significantly in brain, heart, and fat pad after 5–8 days of hibernation, rose in kidney, and was unchanged in skeletal muscle. Apparent covalent modification of regulatory enzymes of glycolysis during hibernation was examined in brain, heart, kidney, and skeletal muscle but occurred only in selected instances. Hibernation led to a significant reduction in the percentage of glycogen phosphorylase in the phosphorylated a form in brain and produced kinetic changes (altered Ka AMP, I50 citrate) in phosphofructokinase from heart indicative of enzyme covalent modification. No evidence for covalent modification of pyruvate kinase during hibernation was found in any tissue. Covalent modification of enzymes and alterations in fructose-2, 6-bisphosphate content offer organ-specific control over glycolytic rate during hibernation in response to both the general metabolic rate depression of the hibernating state and the individual adjustments in organ fuel use.
Effects of female pairing status and timing of breeding on nesting productivity in western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta)
Authors: Dickinson T. E. , Falls J. B. , Kopachena J.
Published: March 2009

The nesting ecology of western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta) in southern Manitoba is strongly influenced by the timing of breeding. Physical characteristics of nests change, apparently in response to seasonally altered thermal demands. The largest eggs and the largest clutches are produced in the middle portion of the breeding season, and nests initiated at that time produce the greatest number of young. Nevertheless, nesting productivity is highest for females that begin nesting earlier in the season and that can therefore renest if their initial attempt fails. Females breeding with already-mated males have, on average, as high a reproductive success as do primary females. Nevertheless, nestlings of secondary females frequently starve if they do not receive a male's parental care. Asynchronous hatching and facultative brood reduction may decrease the total losses incurred through nestling starvation, and may be adaptations that allow successful polygyny in this species. Aggressive interactions between resident and unmated females may protect a primary female's "preferred" status and may affect a male's ability to breed bigamously.
On some species of the genus Thermocyclops (Crustacea, Copepoda) from the Oriental Region
Authors: Defaye D. , Dussart B. H. , Fernando C. H. , Sarnita A. S.
Published: March 2009

The status of some species of Thermocyclops found in the Oriental Region is assessed after a study of extensive material: Thermocyclops crassus, T. decipiens, T. analogus, T. rylovi, T. wolterecki, T. operculifer, and T. trichophorus are considered valid. Thermocyclops hyalinus, T. vermifer, T. microspinulosus, and T. brevifurcatus are considered synonyms of other species. In addition, 10 other species and subspecies have been designated from the Oriental Region. These will require further study for clarification of their status.
Cardiovascular responses to diving and their relation to lung and blood oxygen stores in vertebrates
Authors: Burggren Warren
Published: March 2009

Air-breathing vertebrates generally respond to apnea during diving by adjusting cardiovascular performance (e.g., bradycardia, selective increases in peripheral resistance, reduction and redistribution of cardiac output). In mammals, and to a lesser extent in birds, the major O2 stores at the beginning of a dive reside within blood and tissues rather than in lung gas. Consequently, there is limited respiratory benefit during apnea in either maintaining or transiently restoring extensive lung perfusion to predive levels, and so cardiac output (and thus lung perfusion) remains low during the dive. In contrast, in most amphibians and reptiles the major O2 stores at the beginning of a dive reside within lung gas rather than in blood and tissues. Recent experiments on frogs and turtles reveal that pulmonary blood flow during diving can transiently increase to or above predive levels when it becomes necessary during the dive to transfer O2 from lung gas to arterial blood. In this regard, cardiovascular responses to diving in lower vertebrates are qualitatively different from those of higher vertebrates.
Methods for studying the energetics of freely diving animals
Authors: Costa Daniel P.
Published: March 2009

Advances in instrumentation and labeled water methodologies are providing new insights into at-sea behavior and energetics of freely diving animals. Used concurrently, these approaches can add significantly to our understanding of the physiological ecology of diving animals. In this paper I review existing information on at-sea behavior and free-ranging metabolism of diving mammals and birds, and discuss the methods available to assess at-sea diving food consumption, energy expenditure, and behavior. Finally, using the limited available data for northern fur seals, I present approaches for the analysis of concurrently collected data on at-sea metabolism and diving behavior. These include estimation of prey capture success per dive, rate of energy acquisition per dive, time–energy budget analysis, and diving metabolic rate derived from regression analysis. I hope that this discussion will stimulate interest in a potentially powerful method of understanding the physiology and ecology of freely diving animals in nature.
Torpor in mammals and birds
Authors: Wang Lawrence C. H. , Wolowyk Michael W.
Published: March 2009

Torpor in mammals and birds is characterized by a periodic lowering of the set point for body temperature regulation to achieve a hypometabolic state for energy and water conservation. Torpor may be seasonal (hibernation, estivation) or non-seasonal (nocturnal hypothermia, daily torpor) and, depending on the depth and duration of the torpor, energy savings from 10 to 88% may be achieved. Despite the different patterns of torpor, recent studies have demonstrated a physiological homology between sleep and torpor, suggesting a continuum in energy conservation in times of inactivity. The physiological and biochemical adaptations for torpor are many, including both species-specific and seasonally dependent aspects. Two examples are discussed. In terms of cardiac function, differences exist among species in the maintenance of resting and action potentials at low temperatures, whereas seasonal differences exist for dependence of trans-sarcolemmal calcium flux in excitation–contraction coupling. With respect to ionic regulation, the ability of red blood cells to maintain high intracellular K+ and low intracellular Na+ and Ca2+ at low temperatures is species-specific and not seasonally dependent. The competence for intracellular Ca2+ regulation (i.e., active calcium pump) at low temperatures appears to be a key feature that allows the hibernator's cells to function continually despite the prolonged and profound depression of body temperature during hibernation.
Nasopharyngeal reflexes: role of brain monoamines in central integration. a review
Authors: White Saxon , Quail Anthony
Published: March 2009

The nasopharyngeal reflex in the rabbit (respiratory suppression, activation of vagal and sympathetic nerves, and reduction in oxygen usage) is initiated by trigeminal nerves and is enhanced by the arterial baroreceptor and by loss of lung inflation afferent activity. A review of (i) the functional anatomy of central nervous catecholamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine pathways participating in cardiorespiratory regulation, (ii) studies of the reflex in pontine, thalamic, and intact-brain rabbits in which the arterial baroreceptor and lung inflation inputs were manipulated, and (iii) studies of the reflex in rabbits in which central nervous catecholamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine were depleted indicates that the trigeminal nerve can initiate the reflex pattern during maintained ventilation at the ponto-medullo-spinal level through interactions that may include convergence with glossopharyngeal and vagal nerves in the nucleus of the solitary tract. By contrast, loss of lung inflation activity in itself activates vagal and sympathetic pathways through interactions with arterial baroreceptor activity and diencephalic influences. The vagal output component of the reflex is relatively independent of either central nervous monoamine, but the sympathetic vasoconstrictor component appears clearly dependent on central nervous catecholamine and, to a much lesser extent, on 5-hydroxytryptamine. Both monoamines play a role in respiratory suppression. Pentobarbitone blocks centrally the vagal output component of the nasopharyngeal reflex by a monoamine-independent mechanism. The findings provide a framework for testing postulates concerning central nervous catecholamine integration and neurotransmitter control of submergence reflexes in diving species.
Benefits of parasitic infection: a test using a ground squirrel – trypanosome system
Authors: Munger James C. , Holmes John C.
Published: March 2009

A proposal that laboratory rats and mice infected with laboratory strains of trypanosomes survived better and grew faster than uninfected controls was tested with a host and parasite newly isolated from a natural field system. Wild-caught young of the year Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii) were brought into the laboratory and subjected to three pairs of experimental treatments in a factorial design: (i) infection with Trypanosoma otospermophili or no infection, (ii) restriction to 85% of ad libitum amount of food or ad libitum availability of food, and (iii) a diet deficient in pyridoxine (vitamin B6) or a diet containing pyridoxine. The effect of these factors on mass gain of the squirrels during their first summer, a period of rapid growth, was measured. Only squirrels receiving a pyridoxine-deficient diet and able to feed ad libitum showed beneficial effects of parasitic infection; infected squirrels had a greater mass gain than their controls. Squirrels on other diets were, if anything, negatively affected. These results indicate that features observed in laboratory systems probably occur in natural systems as well and that environmental variables may be important in determining the outcome of a host–parasite interaction.
Population size, growth, and production of a unionid clam, Anodonta grandis simpsoniana, in a small, deep Boreal Forest lake in central Alberta
Authors: Hanson John Mark , Mackay William C. , Prepas E. E.
Published: March 2009

Unionid clams were sampled quantitatively by divers searching quadrats and by dredging in Narrow Lake, central Alberta. The mean density and biomass of Anodonta grandis simpsoniana Lea (aged ≥2 years) on the area of the littoral zone available to clams (80%) were 15/m2 and 132 g/m2 (live weight), respectively. The mean length at 5 years of age was 49 mm and only increased to 69 mm by 11 years of age. Variation in length at annulus was high. Years of small growth increments (1982 and 1983) coincided with years of poor juvenile recruitment. Production/biomass ratios were highest for clams of 2 and 3 years of age, but the amount of biomass produced was greatest for clams of 5–8 years of age. The overall production/biomass ratio (live weight) was 0.25 and varied with annual differences in growth.
Classification system for embryonic development of Simulium arcticum Malloch (IIS-10.11) (Diptera: Simuliidae)
Authors: Shipp J. L.
Published: March 2009

A classification system for embryonic development of Simulium arcticum Malloch (IIS-10.11) is described. Embryonic development was divided into five stages based upon the degree of embryogenesis. This simple classification system would be useful for monitoring development of S. arcticum (IIS-10.11) in studies to determine the effects of environmental factors or chemical insecticides on egg development and hatch.
Polyandry in the mating system of the American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis
Authors: Middleton Alex L. A.
Published: March 2009

For the first time, regular and recurring classical polyandry is documented in a passerine species, the American Goldfinch. Between 1979 and 1985, five cases of polyandry were documented through observations at the nests of colour-banded birds. Based on the timing of second broods combined with a change of mates, an additional seven cases of polyandry were suspected to have occurred between 1969 and 1978. Polyandry was attempted by females with previous breeding experience and provided a successful strategy for producing a second brood in a short breeding season. The fledging success of known polyandrous females was 7.4 ± 0.81 young per season compared with 2.3 ± 0.22 for nests of all other females. Polyandry occurred at a minimum of 4.9% of all nests at Guelph.
Asymmetry in the skull of the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena (L.) and its relationship to sound production and echolocation
Authors: Yurick D. B. , Gaskin D. E.
Published: March 2009

Cranial asymmetry in the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena (L.) was studied using a series of 115 skulls obtained from animals from both sides of the North Atlantic and the east coast of the North Pacific. The degree of sinistrad asymmetry or "skew" did not differ significantly between these three populations. Contrary to an earlier report in the literature, skew was not found to be correlated with skull length or, by implication, age. This result is in accord with the necessity for precocious development of the nasal sac complex and associated structures in this species, which inhabits an environment in which the aural and acoustic faculties are of paramount importance.
Primary structures of the alanine-rich antifreeze polypeptides from grubby sculpin, Myoxocephalus aenaeus
Authors: Chakrabartty Avijit , Hew Choy L. , Shears Margaret , Fletcher Garth
Published: March 2009

Antifreeze polypeptides (AFP) isolated from the plasma of the grubby sculpin (Myoxocephalus aenaeus)were compared with those of a close relative, the shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius). Both species synthesize a family of AFP that are alanine rich and exist as amphiphilic α-helices. The grubby sculpin AFP could be resolved into five active components by reverse-phase liquid chromatography. The major (GS-5) and one of the minor (GS-8) components were sequenced. Grubby sculpin AFP GS-5 was 33 amino acids long. It was homologous to one of the minor shorthorn sculpin AFP (SS-3) in terms of its molecular size and amino acid sequence. The sequences of these two components differed by only four amino acids. The minor grubby sculpin AFP GS-8 was 40 amino acids long. It was shorter than the major shorthorn sculpin AFP (SS-8) by five amino acids. The sequence of the first 40 amino acids from SS-8 and GS-8 was essentially identical, differing by only 4 amino acids. Antibodies raised against SS-8 cross reacted with GS-8 but not with the shorter AFP (GS-5 and SS-3). The data suggest that the antibody was directed towards the unstructured N-terminal regions of SS-8 and GS-8. It would appear that shorthorn and grubby sculpins possess similar families of AFP genes and that the grubby sculpin preferentially expresses one gene product (GS-5) while the shorthorn sculpin expresses another, larger product (SS-8).
Ecology, functional morphology, behaviour, and feeding in coral- and sponge-boring species of Upogebia (Crustacea: Decapoda: Thalassinidea)
Authors: Scott P. J. B. , Reiswig H. M. , Marcotte Brian Michael
Published: March 2009

Species of Upogebia, commonly found as infaunal bioturbators of soft sediments in marine coastal environments, have been discovered inhabiting burrows in coral and siliceous demosponges on tropical reefs. Upogebia operculata is experimentally demonstrated to actively bore into the calcium carbonate skeleton of the coral Porites astreoides. An undescribed species of Upogebia burrows into the sponge Agelas sceptrum. Morphological and behavioural adaptations to these habitats are more striking in the coral-boring species, including the development of probable boring glands and an unusually shaped tail fan. Feeding and, as far as is known, life history are similar to those of the better-known mud-burrowing species. Neither species appears to gain any nutritional benefit from its host; appendage morphology, feeding behaviour, and gut contents are consistent with a suspension-feeding mode of life.
Ovarian cysts in moose in southeastern New Brunswick
Authors: Boer Arnold H. , Goltz James P. , Currie Robert H.
Published: March 2009

Ovarian and paraovarian cysts were found in 14 of 49 moose (Alees alces) ≥ 1 year old examined in New Brunswick. The pathogenesis of cystic structures in moose in New Brunswick is not known. Breeding success (conception) does not appear to be influenced by ovarian or paraovarian cysts.
The distribution, cellular structure, and metabolism of adipose tissue in the fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
Authors: Pond Caroline M. , Mattacks Christine A.
Published: March 2009

The gross mass, mean adipocyte volume, and hexokinase and phosphofructokinase activities of blubber and internal adipose tissue were measured from fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) caught in the North Atlantic west of Iceland. Fin whale adipocytes are smaller but more numerous than predictions from allometric equations relating adipose tissue structure to body mass, but the deviations are no greater than those of some terrestrial mammals, including humans. Significant activity of the glycolytic enzymes was measured from all adipose tissue samples except those around the eyeball; the activities of hexokinase and phosphofructokinase measured at room temperature are only slightly lower in the blubber than in the internal adipose depots. There was little evidence for metabolic correlates of the site-specific differences in the structure and chemistry of blubber. The highest capacity for glucose utilization was measured in adipose tissue from depots in the neck and the thorax, both of which may contain thermogenic tissue in neonates.