bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of monensin and monensin and thiamine on feedlot performance of Mehraban male lambs given a high concentrate diet
Authors: Rowghani E. , Zamiri M. J. , Ebrahimi R.
Published: June 2019

The addition of monensin to lambs feeding diets containing a high proportion of grain of results in improved feed efficiency (Joyer et al., 1979) and in some cases, increased daily gains (Calhoun et al., 1979) but thiamine deficiency can be a serious problem when high carbohydrate diets are fed (Loew, 1975). The objective of this experiment was to provide additional information on the possible benefits of the addition of monensin and thiamine to Mehraban male lambs fed with a high concentrate diet.
Effects of utilising sugar beet seed waste on feed lot performance of Chal male lambs
Authors: Mirghaffari S. S. , Afzalzadeh A. , Zahedifar M. , Davati J. S.
Published: June 2019

Limited studies on evaluation of the nutritive value of sugar beet seed (Beta vulgaris ) waste (SBSW) and its application in beef or lamb production have been carried out in its producing countries. SBSW is one of the side products of sugar beet seed which approximately a quarter of seeds can not be used in cultivation and is considered as waste. Consisting of 17% whole seeds and the rest as cracked seeds or hulls, SBSW contains 14.5, 32.5, 1.3, 16.9, 27.5, 39 and 49.9 percent CP, CF, EE, NFE, CF, Ash, ADF and NDF respectively. Also, SBSW contains 3.20 Mcalkg-1 Potkanski and Urbaniak (1985) reported an improved average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in comparison to wheat straw because of its better essential amino acid index, which is close to wheat grain, but there is no report on its effects on fat tail composition. This trial was performed to examine SBSW replacement effects in fattening Chal lamb rations.
The effect of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae-1026) on rumen fermentation parameters and blood metabolites of sheep
Authors: Nowrozi M. , Mesgaran M. Danesh
Published: June 2019

Inclusion yeast in the diet of ruminants increases the density of active metabolic cells in rumen. These cells can stimulate the action of special kinds of microorganisms in the digestive tract (1). One of the most outstanding ability of yeast is to stimulate the cellulytic bacteria of rumen (7). Increased initial rate of cellulose digestion by yeast can improve the efficiency of feed and make available more nutrients for growth and milk production (2, 3). Furthermore, improved ruminal digestion may increase feed intake, and this effect specially for voluminous feed which are less consumed because of the physical limitation resulted from filled rumen is more prominent(7). On the other hand enhanced bacteria population of rumen may result in increased synthesis of microbial protein and may increase the incorporation of microbial population in digestive tract. Lower concentration of ammonia in the rumen indicating incorporation of ammonia into microbial protein is the direct result of stimulated microbial activity (3, 4, 5, 6). This paper reports the effects of yeast culture Saccharomyces cervisae (1026) on ruminal fermentations and blood metabolites of an Iranian native breed of sheep.
The effect of different dietary unsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratios on the performance and serum lipids in broiler chickens
Authors: Navidshad B. , Shivazad M. , Shahneh A. Zare , Rahimi G.
Published: June 2019

Fat saturation degree and the age of bird are two important factors for broilers’ ability to digest fats. It has been shown that hepatic fatty acid synthetase activity is decreased by diets with added sunflower oil (rich in PUFA of n-6 series) compared with those fed lard and this can result in abdominal fat pad reduction. (Sanzet al., 2000). It is well known that dietary intake of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs is effective in lowering blood lipid level, but they differ in their effect on serum lipid concentrations. It has been observed that n-6 fatty acids lower serum cholesterol level, but not triacylglycerol; n-3 fatty acids lower both serum cholesterol and serum triacylglycerol level in experimental animals (Berret al., 1993). The objective of this study was to survey the effects of different dietary unsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio on performance, abdominal fat pad and serum lipids in broiler chickens.
Performance and biochemical parameters of broiler chicks fed aflatoxin-contaminated and ammonia-treated corn
Authors: Safameher A. R. , Allameh A. , Shivazad M.
Published: June 2019

Aflatoxins (AF), natural contaminants of food stuffs and are toxic metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxins damage the liver, kidney and thymus resulting in a variety of effects including decreased growth rate, poor productivity and immunosuppression. Recently we have reported that ammonia solution can directly inhibit aflatoxin production in Aspergillus parasiticus in culture growth (Namazi et al., 2001). A study was conducted to determine the efficacy ammoniation of contaminated-corn with aflatoxin in decreasing aflatoxin in diet of broiler chicks and its effects on production and biochemical parameters.
Effect of microbial phytase on apparent digestibility of amino acids and minerals in diet of female broiler chickens
Authors: Hassanabadi A. , Moghaddam H. Nassiri , Kermanshahi H.
Published: June 2019

Phytic acid is the main storage form of P in grains and seeds. Cereals and grain legumes that are commonly used as poultry feed ingredients have similar phytate levels, approximating 0.25 percent of dry matter (Ravindran et al., 1995). There is not enough phytase activity in the digestive tract of chickens to digest phytate (Maenz and Classen, 1998). Phytate contributes to environmental pollution by reducing mineral and N bioavailability. The capacity of phytic acid to bind minerals reduces the utilization of P, Ca, Zn, Fe and N from plant ingredients by chickens (Sell et al., 2000). Phytate may form complexes with proteases, such as trypsin and pepsin in the gastrointestinal tract (Singh and Kricorian, 1982). These complexes may reduce the activity of digestive enzymes with a subsequent decrease in the digestibility of dietary proteins. It has been reported that microbial phytase improves the utilization of amino acids (Ravindran et al., 1999) and minerals in broiler chicks. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of microbial phytase on the apparent digestibility of amino acids (AA) and some minerals in the diet of female broiler chickens.
Effect of induction of thermotolerance with vitamin C, E supplementation on performance broiler chickens reared at during heat stress
Authors: Roshani S. , Tahmasbi A. M. , Taghizadeh A. , Valizadeh M.
Published: June 2019

The stress of high environmental temperature may have a deleterious influence on the performance of broiler chickens by reducing feed intake, live weight gain and feed efficiency. Exposing chicks to 36-38°C for 24h at 5d of age reinforces the resistance of older (6 to 7 wk-old) broilers to heat stress (De Basillo et al., 2003). Several studies have revealed that antioxidant nutrient supplementation especially vitamin C and E can be used to alter the negative effect of environmental stress (NRC, 1984). Combination of antioxidant vitamins generally shows greater antioxidant activity than that of each component alone. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of early age thermal conditioning and vitamin C, E supplementation on performance, carcass characteristic in broiler chickens reared under heat stress.
The effects of grain storage and processing method and level of feeding on the meat quality of beef cattle offered two contrasting grass silages
Authors: Lively F. O. , Keady T. W. J. , Moss B. W. , Kilpatrick D. J.
Published: June 2019

Feed is a major cost in beef production during the winter feeding period. One potential method of reducing cost is to purchase grain at harvest. However, grain must be processed either by rolling or milling prior to feeding and this is a labour intensive process. Currently labour is an expensive and scare resource on many beef units. Recently different techniques have been developed for storing and feeding grain to beef cattle, which involve the processing of the grain prior to storage. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of grain storage and processing method, and grain feed level on the meat quality of beef cattle offered two contrasting grass silages.
The performance of Holstein-Friesian and Jersey calves when fed two concentrations of a high protein milk replacer
Authors: Speijers M. H. M. , Langa J. R. S. O. , Struthers J. , Twigge J. , Scaife J. R.
Published: June 2019

Artificial rearing is a common practice for rearing calves from the dairy herd, either for replacement heifers or for beef production. The period from birth to weaning is a critical period for the calf and nutrition is one of the components important to ensure successful rearing of calves. Improved nutrition that allows earlier weaning through a rapid calf growth has the potential to decrease costs. Moreover, it has been shown that healthy, vigorous and well-grown weanling heifers may enter the milking herd sooner (Davis and Drackley, 1998). The objective of this study was to examine the effect of feeding two concentrations of a high protein milk replacer on the health and growth performance of dairy calves until weaning.
Effect of the different ratios of effective rumen degradable protein to fermentable metabolizable energy on early lactating Holstein cow performances
Authors: Rezaii F. , Danesh Mesgaran M. , Heravi Moosavi A. R.
Published: June 2019

The efficiency of dietary N by dairy cows is generally low, and in part, may be related to an impaired utilization of N in the rumen. A major determinant of microbial protein synthesis is the availability of energy-yielding substrates (Castillo et al., 2001). It seems likely that low ratios of effective rumen degradable protein (ERDP) to fermentable metabolisable energy (FME) will restrict microbial protein synthesis and dry matter intake and, consequently, lead to reduced milk yield (Cabrita et al., 2003). Nitrogen excretion in faeces and urine accounts for a high proportion of N intake, which may be more than 70% of the daily N consumption. Environmental pollution from N as ammonia and nitrates is regarded as a major potential problem world wide. Nutritional manipulations might be a way of significantly increasing N utilization and decreasing N pollution by dairy cows, and where as protein sources are expensive so, the cost of diet decrease (Castillo et al., 2001). The objective of this study was to examine the product and component of milk of dairy cows offered diets with different ratios of ERDP/FME.
Performance of Botswana composite breed and indigenous breeds under feedlot and grazing conditions
Authors: Madibela O. R. , Raditedu I. , Pelaelo-Grand T. D. , Macala J. , Mosimanyana B. M.
Published: June 2019

The Botswana Composite Breed (BCB) was developed by Dept. of Agricultural Research to mitigate problems of small herds that could not sustain crossbreeding programs. The breed has 47.5% Sanga, 22.6% Zebu and 29.9% Bos taurus blood. Indigenous Tswana cattle are 40% of the national herd (Masilo and Podisi 2001), indicating an erosion of local genetic material. Tswana cattle are small framed and are prejudiced by the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) weight-based pricing system in favour of large-framed cattle. Lack of carcass characterization of indigenous cattle contributes to the above situation. The aim of this study was to evaluate performance of BCB and other indigenous breeds under feedlot and grazing conditions in order to promote their attributes.
Monitoring the fate of untreated and microwave treated canola (oilseed rape) meal protein in the rumen using SDS-PAGE
Authors: Sadeghi A. A. , Nikkhah A. , Shawrang P.
Published: June 2019

Canola meal (CM) proteins are extensively degraded in the rumen. Various physical and chemical treatments have been used to alter the rate of ruminal degradation of CM protein, thus decreasing rumen protein degradability and increasing the content of metabolizable protein. To our knowledge, little information is available concerning the effect of microwave treatment on the type of CM proteins that leaves the rumen undegraded. The main objective of our research was to evaluate the degradation of untreated and microwave treated CM proteins by using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).
Changes in total and individual proteins during drying and ruminal fermentation of alfalfa
Authors: Sadeghi A. A. , Shawrang P. , Moradi M. , Nikkhah A.
Published: June 2019

Proteolysis within plant cells occurs during wilting and drying. Changes in plant proteins during those periods usually are monitored by measurement of total crude protein and non protein nitrogen. Alternatively, changes in concentrations of individual proteins can be measured. Plants are composed of an array of different proteins. Electrophoresis can be used to separate these proteins and has been used to study effects of wilting and ensiling on proteins of some forages (Grum et al., 1991). Electrophoresis also has been used in the study of ruminal hydrolysis of oilseed meals proteins (Sadeghi et al., 2004). Most of the experiments designed to use electrophoresis to study protein metabolism in forages and ruminants have been qualitative. The main objective of this study was to determine whether sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and densitometry could be used to monitor quantitatively the changes in alfalfa protein composition during wilting, drying and ruminal exposure.
Identification of the training, advisory and research requirements of milk producers in the South West of England
Authors: Clemens K. , Margerison J. K.
Published: June 2019

In the UK increasing economic pressure on milk producers has highlighted the need to identify key areas to optimise farm efficiency and profitability. The areas of dairy herd production diseases are a major concern and improvements made in reducing the incidence of disease will improve animal welfare and reduce costs (Kossaibati, M. A. and Esslemont, R. J., 1997)

Therefore the aim this research was to identify the training, advisory and research requirements of milk producers in the SW of England.
A comparison of the effectiveness of oxytetracycline or salt water in the management of digital dermatitis in dairy cattle
Authors: Ishmael R. , Goodman T. , Martin J. , Stockwell C.
Published: June 2019

Digital dermatitis is one of the main causes of lameness in dairy cattle, possibly accounting for 25% of the reported cases of lameness (Watson, 1999). With lameness being attributed to reduced milk yields and increased calving intervals there are considerable economic implications and effective treatment and prevention regimes are essential. Topical antibiotic treatment is the most common method of treating digital dermatitis in the UK although there is currently only one product licensed for use (Terramycin spray, Pfizer Animal Health) which contains oxytetracycline. Although effective, there can be various problems (e.g. antibiotic resistance) associated with using antibiotics for the management of digital dermatitis meaning that a suitable prevention regime that uses a non-antibiotic solution instead would be desirable. One possible alternative is sodium chloride solution (salt water) which is hypertonic and would therefore cause the bacterial cells to dehydrate, inhibiting cell growth and multiplication. This trial aimed to investigate the effect of topical application of either oxytetracycline or sodium chloride solution on the pre-washed rear feet of cows for the prevention/treatment of digital dermatitis in dairy cattle.
Responses of lactating dairy cows to sodium bicarbonate or sodium bentonite in low forage diet
Authors: Mesgaran M. Danesh
Published: June 2019

Dietary sodium bicarbonate or sodium bentonite has been used in lactating cow diets to aid ration adjustment. Addition of sodium bicarbonate increased intake and milk production for cows fed high concentrate diets in the first two months after parturition (Erdman et al., 1980). Addition of dietary buffers such as sodium bicarbonate and sodium bentonite increased molar percentage of acetate and reduced propionate in dairy cows. Milk fat percentage was increased by sodium bicarbonate in dairy cows when fed low roughage diets (Erdman, 1988). The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of sodium bicarbonate or sodium bentonite in diets of high yielding dairy cows on milk yield, milk composition, and faecal pH.
Bioassay for measuring tannin effects based on gas production technique. 3. Curve of biological equivalence
Authors: Bueno I.C.S. , Nozella E.F. , Longo C. , Godoy P.B. , Peçanha M.R.S.R. , Vitti D.M.S.S. , Louvandini H. , Abdalla A.L.
Published: June 2019

The chemical determination of tannins has become inefficient to predict the negative effects in nutritional parameters. Apparently, different tannins have distinct activity (or reactivity) resulting in anti nutritional effects. The objective of this work was to test three compounds to establish a curve of biological equivalent effect of tannins using the in vitro gas production technique.
The relationship between grazing animals and a Biodiversity Action Plan species, Spiranthesromanzoffiana, Irish Lady’s-tresses orchid, in the West of Scotland
Authors: Gulliver R. L. , Gulliver M. , Sydes C.
Published: June 2019

Spiranthes romanzoffiana (Orchidaceae: specialist orchid form of mycorrhiza present) flowers in July and August. Plants also occur above ground in the non-flowering state but are hard to detect. Established plants can spend up to 6 years in the underground (U: sometimes called dormant) phase; Dr J. Robarts, personal communication. Both vegetative (V) and flowering (F) plants produce lateral buds which appear above ground in summer or early autumn. Current data indicate that it is in decline in Britain and Ireland, (UK Biodiversity Action Group, 1999). However numbers detected in study populations have increased over the 2 or 3 year periods of investigation, (Gulliver, Gulliver and Sydes, 2003). Most sites in Scotland are grazed by sheep and/or cattle. Plants are also grazed by wild vertebrates and by invertebrates, especially slugs. Plants are often defoliated by domestic stock. Stock modify sites by dung production. Their trampling activities can damage individual plants, can tear open swards and can create small to medium scale bare patches (especially in damp ground). Each of these activities may have some negative and some positive elements. For example, defoliation results in a loss of tissue; but, on balance, S. romanzoffiana with its second source of organic carbon, may be less disadvantaged than potential competitors. The objective was to investigate survival over a 4-year period at a heavily grazed and at a lightly grazed site.
Long-term effects of extensification of sheep grazing management on botanical diversity and sheep production in upland grassland
Authors: Marriott C. A. , Barthram G. T. , Common T. G. , Griffiths J. H. , Fisher J. M. , Hood K.
Published: June 2019

Sheep systems on upland permanent pastures sown with Lolium perenne/Trifolium repens, have typically been relatively intensively managed, relying on inorganic fertilizers to maintain or increase animal output. However changes in the Common Agricultural Policy have resulted in the development of agri-environment schemes to deliver environmental goals from grasslands. These schemes encourage more extensive grazing systems, and change the emphasis from animal output to issues such as increasing biodiversity. Lower stocking densities provide increased opportunities for diet selection, the development of a heterogeneous habitat and associated changes in species composition. However, will more extensive management increase botanical diversity in upland sown swards? The experiment reported here describes the effect of more extensive management combining cessation of fertilizer and lower grazing intensity on vegetation change, stocking density and lamb output over 14 years.
The manipulation of vegetation field and field margin vegetation structure in intensively managed UK cattle grazed pasture systems: Implications for invertebrate biodiversity
Authors: Woodcock B. A. , Potts S. G. , Mortimer S. R. , Lawson C. S. , A. J.Ramsay  , Brown V. K. , Tallowin J. R.
Published: June 2019

Changing management in UK lowland pasture systems has lead to larger fertiliser inputs, increased intensity and frequency of cutting and a movement towards silage rather than hay based systems. This has lead to changes in both floral diversity and the seasonal characteristics of sward architectural complexity, which include the loss of key vegetation structures at critical times of the year. e.g., seed heads. This has had large impacts on invertebrate communities in pasture systems and is thought to be the cause of large-scale declines in both the abundances and diversity of invertebrates (Duffey et al., 1974). This decline in invertebrate abundance has also been linked to a concomitant decline in farmland bird populations reliant on invertebrates as a food sources (Vickery et al., 2001). By manipulating cattle grazing, cutting and fertiliser regimes in intensively managed pasture systems the role of vegetation structure for a variety of invertebrate communities has been investigated.
The Grazing Animals Project (GAP); enhancing the effectiveness of conservation grazing through a partnership approach
Authors: Grayson F.W.
Published: June 2019

The Grazing Animals Project (GAP) is a partnership between most of the major conservation organisations, governmental as well as non-governmental, working alongside key groups from the livestock sector. Its main aim is to promote and facilitate effective and sustainable livestock grazing systems that will directly benefit wildlife and landscape conservation.
Testing quantitative genetic selection theory with the mouse: A review
Authors: Eisen E. J.
Published: June 2019

The theory of quantitative genetics is used to predict certain outcomes in a dynamic population undergoing selection. The goal of this review is to demonstrate the value of the mouse as a model to test quantitative genetic selection theory.

Heritablity estimates in a base population are used to predict selection response. How good is this prediction? Sheridan (1988) reported discrepancies between predicted and realized heritabilities in selection experiments with laboratory and farm animals. An updated summary of single-trait selection experiments for different traits in mice indicates good agreement between predicted and realized heritabilities (r = 0.81, P < 0.01), with no suggestion of upward or downward bias in the base estimates (Eisen, 2005).
The genetic analysis of growth and body composition in the mouse as a livestock model
Authors: G. Hill W. , Bünger L.
Published: June 2019

The similarities between the mouse and farm livestock at the genetic and functional level make it a useful model for farm livestock breeding and indeed for human genetic research, taking the opportunities presented by its short generation interval, the development of inbred lines, and the ability to do gene knock-outs. Genetic similarities apply both at the molecular level, in gene structure and sequence, and at the quantitative level, for example genetic parameters of growth. We discuss here what can be learnt about the action and interaction of genes that influence traits of growth and body composition and contribute to genetic changes in them from work on the mouse, concentrating particularly on candidate genes and experiments conducted in our laboratory. As a resource we have developed highly divergent selection lines for growth, body composition and food intake, brought together lines of mice selected for growth from around the world, and inbred them both for stability and to facilitate their use for molecular genetic analysis. These lines differ greatly as a consequence of selection not only in growth and degree of fatness, but also in efficiency, as assessed by food intake corrected for body weight.
Reaping the benefits of an equine genome map
Authors: Bailey E.
Published: June 2019

Genetics has not been a usual academic pursuit in the study of horses. Nutrition, exercise physiology and veterinary topics related to infectious diseases or mechanical defects are more traditional scientific pursuits. Genetics has been left to the realm of horse breeders. Indeed, horse breeders are historically credited with being the leading practitioners of the art and certainly have the longest pedigree records including the Weatherby Studbook and the oral tradition of Arabian horse breeding.

On the other hand, modern animal breeder need not yield ground in the area of genetics to horse breeders. Rightfully, our quantitative geneticists can point to the remarkable genetic gains and genetic predictions that have been made with Dairy cattle and since the 1940s,... without benefit of molecular biology!
How does the nature of forages and pasture diversity influence the sensory quality of dairy livestock products?
Authors: Martin B. , Verdier-Metz I. , Buchin S. , Hurtaud C. , Coulon J. B.
Published: June 2019

The characteristics of dairy products depend on both the processing technology and the chemical and microbiological characteristics of milk. The milk properties depend themselves on a number of production factors linked to animals (genetic and physiology) or feeding. Some of these factors, the way animal are fed in particular, are increasingly becoming the focus of consumers’ concern. In particular, grass-based diets are sensitive because grass carries a positive image that can be attractive to some, because it may confer special nutritional characteristics to the products and also because grass feeding is part of the basic link between products and their original land which is important in the case of labelled products (Protected Denomination of Origin [PDO]). The aim of this text is to take stock of the recent studies (Coulon et al., 2004), which have studied the effect of grass on the sensory qualities of cheeses and butter. Other dimensions of quality. i.e., health and nutrition, are not investigated.
Paleoecology and Taphonomy of Recent to Pleistocene Intertidal Deposits, Gulf of California
Authors: Flessa Karl W. , Ekdale A. A.
Published: June 2019

The purpose of this field trip is to examine sedimentary environments, fauna, and Pleistocene deposits in the northeastern Gulf of California. The coastal area experiences tides of up to 8 meters in amplitude, the Gulf harbors a rich invertebrate fauna, especially molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms, and the arid climate of the region makes for a distinctive sedimentary regime. Adjacent fossiliferous Pleistocene deposits provide a glimpse into both ancient habitats and taphonomic processes. In short, the area is an excellent natural laboratory – a laboratory for the study of Recent animal-sediment relations, sedimentary processes, and taphonomy.
Late Cenozoic Rocks in the Puerto Penasco Area
Authors: Ekdale A.A.
Published: June 2019

Pleistocene-Holocene sedimentary rocks, which outcrop along the northern Gulf of California coast in the vicinity of Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, have a very heterogeneous, mixed carbonateclastic composition. Carbonate grains are primarily molluscan, echinoderm, bryozoan and calcareous algal fragments. Terrigenous grains are primarily silicate minerals (e.g., quartz and feldspar) derived from three nearby igneous prominences (the basaltic Punta Peñasco and Cerro Prieto and the granitic Punta Pelicano).

Porosity of the sedimentary rocks, which commonly exceeds 50% in many units, may be intergranular and/or moldic. Cements in eolianite, precipitated within the vadose zone, are mainly of the meniscus spar type at grain contacts. Cements in beachrock, precipitated within the intertidal or shallow subtidal zone, include isopachous calcite spar and/or acicular aragonite.
Surficial Physical Sedimentary Structures of Bahia la Choya
Authors: Hayes Michael J.
Published: June 2019

I observed and measured the orientations of common physical sedimentary structures on the beach and spit, estero, tidal channel, and inner and outer tidal flats of Bahia la Choya. The spit is characterized by wind ripples and the beach typically displays swash marks. Mudcracks typify the high marsh portions of the estero while the meandering estero channel contains ripples and megaripples. The inner and outer tidal flats are dominated by small, ebb-oriented, straight-crested to undulatory current ripples. The current ripples are often superimposed on flood-oriented ridges and runnels of the outer flat. Rill marks, tool marks, and current crescents occur sporadically. Ebb-oriented megaripples, small current ripples, and primary current lineations occur in the tidal channel.

Ripple crests trend from N15E - N40E on the southern tidal flats to N10W - N20W on the northern flats. The crests roughly parallel the shoreline and are normal to tidal currents.
Paleoecological Approaches to Analyzing Stratigraphic Sequences
Authors: Burnham Robyn J.
Published: June 2019

Stratigraphic successions provide basic data on past changes in the biosphere. The fossil record may reflect climatic, evolutionary or ecosystem alterations. Careful analysis of Mesozoic and Cenozoic stratigraphic sequences has provided a clearer picture of the diversity of early angiosperms (Doyle, 1978, 1984; Doyle and Hickey, 1976; Crane et al., 1986), their environments of deposition (Hickey and Doyle, 1977), the nature of plant response to Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary events (Wolfe, 1987), the changes in angiosperm fruit and seed sizes as correlated with the increase in forest dominance and changes in dispersal mode over time (Tiffney, 1984, 1986; Wing and Tiffney, 1987), and changes in floristic and physiognomic forest compositions correlated with climatic fluctuations (Leopold and MacGinitie, 1972; Wolfe, 1978, 1981b).
Long-Term Development of Biological Communities
Authors: Ricklefs Robert E.
Published: June 2019

I shall define biological community as the species comprising a temporally and spatially localized assemblage. Although members of a community may interact, I do not wish to imply that the community behaves as a functional unit or that interactions among members determine its structure. When discussing community structure in this paper, I refer exclusively to the diversity of species because of the general availability of comparative data and because most of community theory makes predictions concerning number of coexisting species. Other important community attributes, such as relative abundance patterns, trophic level structure, food web organization, resistance to and recovery from perturbation, and physical architecture, will not be considered.
Observations on the Evolution and Classification of Dysaerobic Communities
Authors: Wignall Paul B.
Published: June 2019

The term dysaerobic was first coined by Rhoads and Morse (1971) to define conditions in which oxygen levels ranged between 1.0 and 0.1 mL of oxygen/litre of water. Such low oxygen tensions were thought to exclude all but soft-bodied invertebrates with the absence of shelly fossils being one of the diagnostic features of the dysaerobic zone. Subsequent observations of recent dysaerobic environments has revealed that shelly invertebrates can survive in oxygen values as low as 0.3 mL/L (e.g. Savrda, Bottjer and Gorsline, 1984). Consequently the dysaerobic zone is now used in the more qualitative sense to denote conditions in which oxygen levels are sufficiently low to cause a notable change in the fauna (Kammer and others, 1986; Wignall and Myers, 1988). Faunal abundance and diversity is reduced under low oxygen conditions compared to more normally oxygenated (aerobic) biofacies.
Phanerozoic Evolution of Macroinvertebrate Shell Accumulations: Preliminary Data from the Jurassic of Britain
Authors: Kidwell Susan M.
Published: June 2019

Given sweeping evolutionary changes in the diversity and environmental deployment of species that produce shells, destroy shells, and otherwise interact with shells, it would be surprising if patterns of shell accumulation did not change over Phanerozoic time. Documentation of such patterns might indicate how and to what degree post-mortem bias has changed, and thus the taphonomic comparability of data sets used in paleobiologic modelling. At the same time, long-term patterns in shell accumulation can be products of evolutionary ecology, and thus represent an underexploited source of paleobiological insight themselves.
Description of a Quantitative Approach to Taphonomy and Taphofacies Analysis: All Dead Things Are Not Created Equal
Authors: Davies David J. , Staff George M. , Callender W. Russell , Powell Eric N.
Published: June 2019

The utilization of taphonomic information to formulate biostratinomic models for modern and ancient assemblages has become a potentially powerful tool in paleoecologic analysis. The division of fossil assemblages into discrete suites of taphonomically-similar material adds an extra dimension to the interpretation of depositional setting and paleoecologic structure (Brett and Baird, 1986; Speyer and Brett, 1986, 1988; Speyer, 1987). This approach uses the hypothesis that taphonomic alteration varies in a predictable way with depositional setting. In other words, each specific environment (e.g., low-salinity muddy bay, storm-dominated clastic shelf) is characterized by a unique suite of physical, chemical and biological processes: these processes imprint a unique and predictable “taphonomic signature” on the death assemblage.
Taphonomic Signature and the Imprint of Taphonomic History: Discriminating Between Taphofacies of the Inner Continental Shelf and a Microtidal Inlet
Authors: Staff George M. , Powell Eric N.
Published: June 2019

Although taphonomic processes alter or destroy much of the preservable portion of the original community, many of these processes also imprint valuable paleoecological information about the fauna and the environment of deposition which might be employed in paleoenvironmental reconstruction (Brett and Baird, 1986; Speyer and Brett, 1986, 1988). Accordingly, taphonomic analysis of modern and ancient death assemblages has received much attention recently (Powell et al., in press; Parsons et al., 1988; Kidwell and Behrensmeyer, 1988) and a new concept, that of the taphofacies, has been developed (e.g., Speyer, 1988). Taphofacies are based on distinct suites of taphonomic characteristics, taphonomic signatures, imprinted on the shell material and on its relationship to the sedimentary fabric by mixtures of physical, biological and chemical processes, which potentially are unique for a given environment. Ideally, if unique taphonomic signatures can be identified and the formative processes understood in a wide range of modern environments, this baseline can be employed to make more accurate reconstructions of equivalent paleoenvironments.
Guidelines for the Documentation and Care of Invertebrate Fossil Collections
Authors: White Russell D.
Published: June 2019

COLLECTIONS OF invertebrate fossils are commonly maintained in museums, at universities, and by individual researchers and interested private collectors. Twenty years ago, the Committee on North American Resources in Invertebrate Paleontology (CONARIP) estimated that there more than 550 institutions housed invertebrate paleontological macro- and micro- fossil collections (Glenister, 1977). Historically, collections have been developed, managed and maintained by paleontologists as a resource for their research (e.g., museum curator or university faculty) (Hebda, 1985). Since the early 1970s, the field of collection management has evolved and the increased professionalization of collection manager positions has been instrumental in improving the management and preservation of invertebrate fossils as well as other natural history collections (Cato, 1991; Simmons, 1993; Simmons, 1995).
Considerations Before Deaccessioning or Disposing of Paleontological Specimens
Authors: Mikulic Donald G.
Published: June 2019

MUSEUMS HAVE always disposed of unneeded material, and the practice is an important means to keep collections functional and organized. However, it also is a potentially dangerous activity that should be undertaken only as a last resort and not used as a simple way to make collections management more convenient. This is especially true for catalogued or well-labeled specimens, but even “poorly-documented” specimens may have considerable importance. There are numerous examples of collections that have been damaged and irreplaceable material that has been lost to science through poor disposal choices, regardless of the deaccessioning methods used.

Methodology and guidelines for deaccessioning fossil materials are presented in DeMouthe et al. (this volume). However, they provide limited information about the preliminary work and policies required to properly identify material that can be disposed of safely. The following is a brief summary of some of the important considerations required to reliably determine the soundness and suitability of specimen disposal plans.
Countering Common Misconceptions of Evolution in the Paleontology Classroom
Authors: Miller Keith B.
Published: June 2019

Students will come to class with misconceptions about evolution and about the nature of science itself. Erroneous views that create obstacles to teaching evolution include: 1) that the fossil record does not support evolutionary continuity between different taxonomic groups; 2) that the expected temporal pattern of evolution is linear and ladder-like; and 3) that evolutionary hypotheses are not subject to scientific testing. These views negatively impact the understanding of evolutionary science, particularly paleontology, in a number of ways. It is important that these misconceptions be recognized and explicitly countered. If student's false ideas are left unaddressed, new knowledge presented in the classroom will likely simply be superimposed on, or integrated with them. Effective teaching thus requires that we not only impart new knowledge, but seek to correct previously held false ideas. This essay presents several teaching strategies that can address misconceptions about evolution. These include: 1) teaching important concepts in their historical context; 2) having students construct and interpret cladograms; and 3) showing that, when interpreted as evolutionary trees, cladograms make testable predictions of the fossil record.
Perceiving Change with Continuity: Morphologic Patterns in the Fossil Record Using an Analogy
Authors: Allmon Warren D.
Published: June 2019

The Belgian inventor and scientist Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau (1801–1883) pioneered one of the first devices aimed at making pictures that seemed to move. Plateau studied various optical illusions that seemed to result from the persistence of the image on the retina of the eye after the image had passed from view. In 1832, he built an apparatus consisting of a flat wheel on which were sequential images of a dancer dancing. When the wheel was turned, the dancer was “seen” to execute the dance. Plateau chose a revealing name for his invention. He called it a “phenakistiscope,” meaning “deceitful view” (Fig. 1). The images did not move, but they looked like they did.
Origination, Evolutionary Radiation, and Extinction in the Modern World: The Story of Partulid Tree Snails
Authors: Hickman Carole S.
Published: June 2019

Charles Darwin's (1859) case for the fact of evolution was as crucial to his theory as was the mechanism he proposed. The idea of natural selection becomes interesting and compelling only in the context of all the great facts of natural history that it explains. Life on earth has changed. New forms have appeared, replacing forms that have ceased to exist. Origination and extinction are two of the great facts of natural history. They underlie the patterning of biological diversity. Case by case, these facts are explained more consistently, more simply, and more compellingly by the mechanisms of evolution than by any set of ad hoc explanations.
Religious Faith and the Geological Sciences
Authors: Benjamini Chaim
Published: June 2019

The Creationist/Scientist conflict, centering on the teaching of evolution in public schools, has become an ideological battleground in some parts of the U.S. The constitutional requirement of separation of Church and State is being countered by sophisticated maneuvering that attempts to present Creationism as an alternate, non-religious, legitimate scientific paradigm (model). On the other hand, the counter-claim that a religion-free approach is itself an alternative belief system, and therefore should also be prohibited by the Constitution, is not satisfactorily resolved. Left in the middle are children, students, and lay people for whom not the constitutional issue, but the actual out-of-court resolution of the conflict between science and religion is of considerable importance.
The Origin of Dinosaurs and the Beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs
Authors: Padian Kevin
Published: June 2019

What are dinosaurs? What features characterize them? Who were their closest relatives? What were the times like when the dinosaurs first evolved? How did their appearance change the balance of diversity in terrestrial ecosystems? During the past decade we have come to know much more about these topics than ever before. What follows is only a brief review. For more extensive information, readers are referred to the chapters in Padian (1986a), particularly the Introduction, on questions of the Late Triassic - Early Jurassic transition; and to Gauthier (1984, 1986) on the characteristics of dinosaurs and their relations. Because this is meant to be a general account, like the other papers in this book, it is impossible to cite every worker, discovery, or relevant paper in the field, and some personal judgments must be exercised.
Dinosaurs in Space and Time: The Geological Setting
Authors: Fastovsky David E.
Published: June 2019

The title of this chapter makes a promise that cannot be kept: that somehow there could be summarized in its few pages all the paleoenvironments of dinosaur-bearing strata through time. Dinosaurs were –as far as can be determined – ubiquitious in the terrestrial realm. It would be impossible to summarize the Recent terrestrial settings of birds (avian dinosaurs), let alone 135 million years of terrestrial settings. For this reason, this paper will be restricted to generalizations about ancient environments, highlighting particularly interesting or productive dinosaur-bearing localities in North America.
Prosauropoda: The Basal Sauropodomorpha
Authors: Galton Peter M.
Published: June 2019

Prosauropods were small to large (maximum lengths approximately 2.5 to 11 m), bipedal to quadupedal, plant-eating dinosaurs with small skulls and elongate necks (Figures 1A, C). They are basal members of the Sauropodomorpha, which include the giant sauropods of the Jurassic and Cretaceous. The Prosauropoda as a group is usually regarded as paraphyletic, because the general trends toward large size, quadrupedality, and herbivory seem to continue into the Sauropoda proper. However, a rigorous phylogenetic analysis of this question has not been made, and some evidence suggests that the prosauropods represent a radiation independent of the lineage leading to the more derived Sauropoda.
The Demise of the Dinosaurs and the Rise of the Mammals
Authors: Archibald J. David
Published: June 2019

The demise of the dinosaurs some 66.4 million years ago (MYA) has come to embody for scientist and layman alike the concept of extinction, especially that of mass extinction. So pervasive has this idea become that no book, whether specializing on dinosaurs or representing a general overview of biology or geology, concludes without dealing with dinosaur extinction. In the context of the Phanerozoic history of life, this preoccupation with dinosaur extinction is probably not warranted because it may tell us little about extinction or evolutionary processes in general.
Quo Vadis Tyrannosaurus?: The Future of Dinosaur Studies
Authors: Chure Daniel J.
Published: June 2019

“Although I work a lot with fossils in my own research on fishes, I do not care to be called a paleontologist; and I am turned off by many aspects of the public-relations hoopla surrounding paleontology, especially dinosaurs…. One could easily argue that the schools' fascination with dinosaurs might also detract from the other aspects of earth science and biological science and, in the end, weaken paleontology's image as an activity for hard-nosed grown-ups.”

K.S. Thomson, 1985: p. 73

“Let dinosaurs be dinosaurs. Let the Dinosauria stand proudly alone, a Class by itself. They merit it. And let us squarely face the dinosaurness of birds and the birdness of the Dinosauria. When the Canada geese honk their way northward, we can say: “The dinosaurs are migrating, it must be spring!”

R.T. Bakker, 1986: p. 462

It is a now oft-repeated statement that we are in the Second Golden Age of dinosaur studies. This may at first seem to be yet another overstatement by dinosaur fanatics; in fact, it is substantiated on a number of fronts. Research activity is certainly at an all-time high, with resident dinosaur researchers on every continent (except Antarctica) and dinosaurs known from every continent (including Antarctica). This activity has resulted in a spate of discoveries, including not only new genera and species, but entirely new types of dinosaurs, such as the segnosaurs. Well-known groups are producing surprises, such as armored sauropods and sauropods bearing tail clubs. Good specimens of previously named genera are revealing unsuspected structural features that almost defy explanation, as in the skull of Oviraptor. However, dinosaur studies extend far beyond the traditional emphasis on dinosaur morphology, and encompass paleobiogeography, paleoecology, taphonomy, physiology, tracks, eggs, histology, and extinction, among others. In some cases, several of these studies can be applied to a single taxon or locality to give us a fairly detailed understanding of the paleobiology of some species.
Taphonomic approaches to time resolution in fossil assemblages: Introduction
Authors: Kidwell Susan M. , Behrensmeyer Anna K.
Published: June 2019

Since their inception in 1978, the annual short courses sponsored by the Paleontological Society have aimed to broaden and to enhance the professional education of paleontologists, including students new to the field. The 1993 short course continues in that tradition, but differs from many previous courses in focussing not on a taxonomic group but on a broader aspect of the fossil record, namely the time resolution of fossil assemblages. This seemed an especially good topic for a short course because questions of absolute and relative time – how old? how fast? how synchronously? – pervade paleontology and historical geology in general.
Time-averaging and temporal resolution in Recent marine shelly faunas
Authors: Flessa Karl W.
Published: June 2019

Paleoecological and paleoenvironmental studies have a rich tradition of actualistic work on Recent biotas and environments. Ever since Lyell (and before) geologists have examined present–day sedimentary environments and faunas in an effort to interpret the environments and life of the past. After all, if the present is notthekey to the past, it is at leastakey to the past. However, there is no similarly long tradition of studying the Recent in an effort to gain insight into issues of the temporal resolution of fossil assemblages.
Processes of time-averaging in the terrestrial vertebrate record
Authors: Graham Russell W.
Published: June 2019

The terrestrial vertebrate fossil record provides a window into the past evolution of taxa, communities, and ecosystems. It can also be used to reconstruct ancient environments, climates, and landscapes. Vertebrate fossils can document the evolution of humans and their interactions with fauna and environments. However, before the maximum potential of this record can be realized, it is essential to know the extent of temporal resolution, or time-averaging, represented by fossil samples.