Browsing Department of Biology Graduate Theses by Title
Now showing items 332-344 of 344
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Understanding sources of variation in advertisement call attributes in spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer)
The mate recognition system is the foundation of biological speciation in frogs and toads. Sexual selection has been suggested to cause male call evolution, population divergence, and ultimately reproductive isolation. It ... -
Unraveling the Function of Bacterial-Type Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase in Vascular Plants
(2016-10-03)Two distinct phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) isozymes occur in vascular plants and green algae: plant-type PEPC (PTPC) and bacterial-type PEPC (BTPC). PTPC polypeptides typically form a tightly regulated cytosolic ... -
The Use of Historical Data to Describe Changes in Fish Communities Over Time
(2015-10-06)This thesis, comprised of two studies, investigates the use of historical data to describe changes in fish communities over time. Identifying changes in fish community is important for the conservation of biodiversity. The ... -
Using Insect Model Systems to Study Mechanisms of Spreading Depression
(2015-12-14)Spreading depression (SD) occurs as a slowly propagating wave of neural inactivity and plays an important role in both the vertebrate and invertebrate CNS. Mammalian SD is associated with human pathologies such as migraine, ... -
Using Paleolimnology to Reconstruct Past Environments of Lakes Affected by Direct Anthropogenic Activities
(2015-07-29)Although the magnitude of recent anthropogenic environmental change is unprecedented, humans have been leaving measurable footprints on the landscape prior to the era of industrialization. This thesis examines the long-term ... -
Using Population Genomics to Disentangle the Evolutionary History and Aid Conservation of the Leach’s Storm-Petrel Species Complex (Hydrobates spp.)
Despite their ability to overcome most geographic barriers to dispersal and to fly long distances, many seabird species exhibit strong population genetic structure. For this project, I quantify population differentiation ... -
The Utility of DNA Microsatellite Markers in Conservation of a Namibian Population of the Black Rhinoceros (Diceros Bicornis)
(2009-06-01)Massive declines in the latter half of the 20th century left black rhinoceros populations perilously close to extinction with only approximately 3600 individuals remaining, in contrast to estimated census numbers of over ... -
Vocal behaviour of Song and Swamp sparrows upon arrival on shared breeding grounds
Closely related species interact often, typically competitively, aggressively, and asymmetrically, with a consistent dominance hierarchy among species. Competition for resources appears to be a rate-limiting step in ... -
Warming and Chronic High Nutrient Manipulations Yield Differing Legacy Effects on the Soil Microbial Community and Nutrient Pools in the Low Arctic
(2016-08-05)Climate warming is predicted to increase summer air temperatures in the Arctic, warming soils and enhancing microbial decomposition of soil organic matter. Given the size of the soil carbon stores in the Arctic, even a ... -
What traits predispose the Band-rumped Storm-petrel, Oceanodroma castro, to ecological speciation in the absence of physical barriers to gene flow?
(2013-02-01)Evidence for the repeated, independent evolution of hot- and cool-season breeding populations across colonies of the Band-rumped Storm-petrel has garnered much interest from seabird ecologists and evolutionary biologists, ... -
The White Gene and Locomotor Recovery From Anoxia in Drosophila Melanogaster
(2016-07-05)Locomotor recovery from anoxia is complicated and little is known about the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating anoxic recovery in Drosophila. For this thesis I established a protocol for large-scale analysis of ... -
Why is a robin’s egg blue? Exploring the evolution of egg colour in birds
(2009-05-28)A recent hypothesis for explaining blue-green eggs in birds suggests that they may be a sexually selected signal of female (and thus nestling) quality that males use to make parental investment decisions. Although this ... -
Windows of opportunity: the timing of dispersal events influences zooplankton community response to environmental change in Subarctic ponds
(2012-09-17)Theoretical and empirical work has shown that community diversity and composition can be influenced by both local conditions and dispersal from a regional species pool. This may be especially true shortly after environmental ...