Browsing Department of Biology Graduate Theses by Title
Now showing items 217-236 of 333
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A 'Jaunt' Across the Pond: Investigating Patterns of Genetic Differentiation and Trans-Atlantic Migration in a Temperate Seabird (Morus Bassanus)
Our understanding of the mechanisms driving population divergence is dependent on our ability to effectively detect and interpret patterns of genetic differentiation. In natural populations, the evolutionary processes ... -
A lacustrine sediment record of the last three interglacial periods from Clyde Foreland, Baffin Island, Nunavut: biological indicators from the past 200,000 years
(2009-05-06)The study of long-term climatic change in the Arctic, a region both particularly sensitive to the effects of a warming climate and an important driver of global climate, is pertinent to understanding the rates and magnitude ... -
Large-Scale Exogenous Forcing of Long-Term Pacific Salmon Production and Ecosystem Interactions in Western North America
(2008-09-27)Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) production strongly influences the ecosystems, cultures and economies of the Northeast Pacific. Historical variability in population sizes is complex, reflecting natural and human drivers. ... -
Limnological and paleolimnological investigations of environmental change in three distinct ecosystem types, Canadian High Arctic
(2007-09-19)The biological remains preserved in the sediments of Arctic lakes and ponds in the Canadian High Arctic are important indicators of environmental change, especially as long-term instrumental data are often lacking. Although ... -
Linking courtship behaviour, colour perception and mate choice decisions in peafowl
(2013-03-25)Despite a long history of study showing that male courtship signals influence female mate choice in many species, we lack a good understanding of how females choose. What are the mechanisms of mate choice, and how do these ... -
Lolium perenne antifreeze protein, part of a freeze-tolerance strategy
(2016-11-02)Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are a novel class of ice-binding stress response proteins produced by organisms which experience freezing at some point within their respective life histories. These proteins are structurally and ... -
Long-term changes to food web structures and mercury biomagnification in three large, inland North American lakes
(2013-01-31)Numerous anthropogenic disturbances have occurred in large lakes over recent decades. These may alter concentrations of the biomagnifying contaminant mercury (Hg) in fish, but long-term impacts of disturbances on Hg ... -
Long-Term Limnological Dynamics in Multiple-Stressor Systems in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region, Canada
Lakes in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) are threatened by multiple environmental stressors linked to industrial development of the local hydrocarbon deposits and climate change. Waterbodies are vulnerable to changes ... -
Long-term response of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) nursery lakes to climate and watershed management activities in British Columbia (Canada)
Sockeye salmon (Oncorhyncus nerka) are a heavily exploited species. Owing to their large geographical distribution and use of both freshwater and oceanic habitats, sockeye salmon are exposed to various stressors at the ... -
Long-term stability of cladoceran assemblages in small, shallow, South-central Ontario lakes subjected to multiple stressors
(2013-01-14)Shallow lakes in Muskoka-Haliburton have been largely ignored in previous limnological and paleolimnological studies, as many are considered to be less desirable for cottage development and other cultural activities. ... -
Making Sure Hungry Plants Get Fed: The Dual-Targeted Purple Acid Phosphatase Isozyme AtPAP26 is Essential for Efficient Acclimation of Arabidopsis Thaliana to Nutritional Phosphate Deprivation
(2009-11-18)Acid phosphatases (APases; E.C. 3.1.3.2) catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphate (Pi) from Pi monoesters and anhydrides within the acidic pH range. Induction of intracellular and secreted purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) is a ... -
Maternal and Paternal Growth Regulatory Factor Expression in Hybrid Sunfish
(2016-08-05)Unidirectional hybridization between bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and pumpkinseed (L. gibbosus) sunfish enables researchers to explore the relative expression of paternal and maternal alleles in hybrids. Past studies ... -
The maternal effects of haemosporidian infection in red-winged blackbirds
Vector borne diseases present a substantial selective pressure to many animals, as they can impose direct fitness costs and intensify trade-offs between immune function and other life history traits, like reproduction. ... -
Measuring the influence of winter conditions on largemouth bass behaviour using both biotelemetry and laboratory studies
(2007-10-03)Studying the winter ecology of freshwater fishes has been a focus of much past and present research. Because of obvious constraints with studying fish in situ during the winter, few studies have made links between laboratory ... -
The mechanism of retene toxicity in the early life stages of fish
(2009-01-15)Alkylphenanthrenes such as retene (7-isopropyl-1-methylphenanthrene) are aquatic contaminants commonly found in anthropogenically-, industrially-, and petroleum-contaminated environments, and have been implicated in crude ... -
Mercury and Stable Isotopes in Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo) from the St. Lawrence River: A Comparison Between Breeding and Winter Habitats
(2013-06-04)The Common tern (Sterna hirundo) is considered a sentinel wildlife species for monitoring mercury (Hg) and other contaminants within the St. Lawrence River Cornwall/Massena Areas of Concern (AOC). Here, I investigate the ... -
Mercury Biomagnification in Subtropical Reservoirs of Eastern China
(2014-07-03)Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant, yet Hg biomagnification, the increase in Hg with trophic level, remains poorly characterized in many regions, especially at subtropical latitudes. The present study assessed subtropical ... -
Mercury biotransport via migratory birds and food web biomagnification influenced by geospatial patterns
(2014-08-13)Intrinsic physico-chemical characteristics, trophic transfer and preexisting mercury (Hg) in aquatic ecosystems are ultimate drivers influencing accumulation and mercury concentrations ([Hg]) in organisms in a food web. ... -
Microalgae Cultivation on Wastewater and Genetic Modifications to Increase Triacylglycerol Production
Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that can grow in a variety of environments. They have become a popular feedstock for the production of biofuels, high-value chemicals, and nutraceuticals. One of the main products ... -
Microsatellite variability in four contemporary rhinoceros species : implications for conservation
(2008-07-08)Rhinoceroses are arguably the most endangered of all large mammal taxa. In order for ongoing conservation of this species to be successful, it is crucial to accurately characterize the remaining genetic diversity for all ...