Maternal colonies of the Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) were located and studied in Delaware, Grant, Hamilton and Madison Counties, Indiana, from March 1, 1970 to June 1, 1971. A total of 602 bats was captured. These banded bats provided data on intercolony movements and longevity. Three intercolony movements were recorded, all of short distances. Two bats were recaptured which had attained a minimum age of 12 years. Further detailed data regarding population levels; age as determined by canine tooth year and wing bone ossification; sex ratios; reproductive characteristics and body weight are discussed. / Department of Biology

Colonies of the Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) were located and studied in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, and Randolph Counties, Indiana, from June 12, 1988 through August 25, 1989. During the study, 24 colonies were located. Attempts were made to capture as many bats as possible during visits to the colonies. Colony sites were revisited several times during the two year study. A total of 1,846 bats were captured, banded and examined. During examinations bats were sexed, aged, weighed, and checked for wing damage and ectoparasites. The weights from the captured bats provided data on differences in bat weights for the summer of 1988 and 1989. The summer of 1988 was characterized by drier than normal precipitation, and the summer of 1989 had wetter than normal precipitation. Several comparisons were carried out on the data. The comparisons showed a correlation between increased rainfall and increased bat weights. In the wet year of 1989, adult bats were significantly heavier than they were in 1988. Juveniles were slightly heavier but not significantly. Further detailed data regarding age and sex ratios; wing damage and ectoparasite occurence are discussed briefly. / Department of Biology

Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) from a colony in Delaware County, Indiana were captured weekly from 9 July to 13 September, 1993. Food habits of the bats were quantified by analysis of fecal pellets collected in the field. The major foods were Coleopterans, particularly carabids and the agricultural pest Diabrotica undecimpunctata (averaging 54.47% and 32.91% of the total volume of fecal pellets, respectively). Other foods included Acrosternum hilare, Lepidoptera, Cicadellidae, Scarabaeidae, Curculionidae, Chrysomeloidea, Dytiscidae, Lygaeidae, Hemerobiidae, Gryllidae, Miridae, and Delphacidae. The volume of Carabidae and Galerucinae and the frequency of Carabidae and Scarabaeidae in fecal pellets varied temporally. Adults and juveniles differed significantly in the volume of Carabidae in the diet late in the summer. There was no significant difference in diet between the sexes. Diet of adults was more diverse than that of juveniles. Juveniles of both sexes had similar diet diversity. / Department of Biology

In addition to their conventional role as hormones, studies have shown that steroids can act as pheromones in mammals. Emphasis has been placed on evaluating the physiological and behavioural effects of male, urinary 17β- estradiol (E2) exposure in pheromone phenomena including the prevention of embryo implantation and induced precocious puberty in females. Steroids have also been observed to transfer between female mice, leading to changes in the duration of their estrous cycle. Progesterone (P4), a crucial female sex steroid, promotes pro-social sexual reproductive behaviour and the growth of the endometrium in preparation for ovum implantation. Few studies have investigated the effects of P4 in a pheromonal context. Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) are ideal models for pheromone research because they are evolutionarily distinct from rodents, live in highly social and sexually-competitive harems, and are regularly exposed to conspecific secretions in the close confines of their roost. Experimental analysis revealed absorption of tritium-labeled progesterone (3H-P4) (10 μCi) 1 h after cutaneous and intranasal application to adult females. Additionally, radioactivity was observed in mature female bats caged for 48 h with an adult female conspecific that had been intraperitoneally-injected with 3H- P4 (50 μCi). Using the same paradigm, 3H-E2 transfer was not observed between females. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays revealed measurable levels of unconjugated P4 and E2 present in the urine of female bats, suggesting urine as one likely vector for P4 transfer. Given corroborative findings in mice, progesterone transfer during cohabitation is likely a mammalian-wide phenomenon that could have evolved to prime conspecifics—and more specifically kin—for sexual reproduction. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Steroid molecules are conventionally assumed to act solely within the individual that produced them; however, recent experiments have demonstrated that the sex steroid 17β-Estradiol (E2) can be excreted in the urine of adult male mice and taken up into the neural, reproductive, and peripheral tissues of cohabitating females. This exogenous E2 can result in changes to female physiology and behaviour. Our lab has observed E2 to transfer between male and female captive big brown bats during the mating season. The current project aimed to determine whether E2 transfers between captive cohabitating female bats. We also examined whether progesterone (P4), an important female sex steroid involved in the preparation and maintenance of pregnancy, transfers between female bats. We determined that P4 reliably transfers between female bats, but E2 does not. Bioactive E2 and P4 were measured in the urine of non- pregnant female bats and propose urine as one likely vector of P4 transfer between cohabitating individuals.

No description available.

xxii, 242 p. : ill. (some col.) / The arminacean nudibranch Janolus fuscus (family Zephyrinidae) is found in rocky intertidal habitats along the northeast Pacific coast. Adult J. fuscus are conspicuous from April to October but absent in the early winter at two sites, North Cove and Fossil Pt., in the Coos Bay region of Oregon. Over four years of intertidal surveys at these sites, the density of J. fuscus peaked with the abundance of their bryozoan prey, Bugula pacifica and Tricellaria circumternata , in spring and summer, while adult absence in winter was correlated with strong winter storms. To describe the timing of development and determine the life cycle of J. fuscus , embryos and larvae were reared in the laboratory and examined with light, scanning electron, and confocal microscopy. Larvae reared in the lab and juveniles collected from the field were monitored to quantify growth. Janolus fuscus exhibited typical spiral cleavage and hatched as planktotrophic veligers that grew for over a month before they reached competency, settled, and metamorphosed on their prey, B. pacifica . Juvenile growth was rapid, and adults reached maximum sizes of over 50 mm before dying. These demographic and developmental studies suggest that J. fuscus is a subannual species with a life span of approximately five months. Janolus fuscus is often infected with an endoparasitic copepod, Ismaila belciki . In the field, prevalence of I. belciki increased with host density and size. The distribution of I. belciki was weakly aggregated in the host population. The large female parasite was generally found in the anterior portion of the host hemocoel, and one or more dwarf males were typically associated with each female. Infected J. fuscus produced significantly smaller egg masses with fewer larvae than did uninfected individuals. Infection did not influence growth rate but did cause decreased survival in older nudibranchs. To examine the life cycle of I. belciki , naupliar larvae were reared in the lab and incubated with potential hosts. Additionally, copepodid stages were described from dissected J. fuscus collected from the field. Ismaila belciki has a least three planktotrophic naupliar stages and four copepodid stages in its life cycle. / Committee in charge: Barbara Roy, Chairperson; Craig Young, Advisor; Richard Emlet, Member; Sandra Brooke, Member; Frances White, Outside Member

No description available.

No description available.

O objetivo do trabalho foi realizar investigação sobre ocorrência de ranavirose, infecção causada por vírus do gênero Ranavirus, família Iridoviridiae, em anfíbios anuros silvestres nos municípios de Porto Ferreira e Pirassununga, cidades da região centro-leste do estado de São Paulo, Brasil, utilizando diagnóstico molecular. Ao todo, 40 anuros adultos silvestres da espécie Leptodactylus fuscus foram capturados nos municípios citados, sendo coletados três órgãos alvos (fígado, baço e rins) de replicação viral, com registro de eventuais alterações macroscópicas nesses órgãos, e dos quais extraiu-se DNA. Na sequência, realizou a reação em cadeia pela polimerase (PCR), utilizando-se primers específicos para o gene MCP (major capsid protein) de Frog Virus 3 (FV3), ranavírus circulante no Brasil, com isolado de FV3 pertencente ao biobanco do Laboratório de Higiene Zootécnica da FZEA-USP empregado como controle positivo e água livre de nuclease como controle negativo. Como resultados, em relação às alterações macroscópicas, somente um espécime apresentou hepatoesplenomegalia e hipopigmentação do coração. No entanto, ao diagnóstico molecular, nenhum dos 40 animais amostrados foi positivo à ranavirose. Tal resultado pode estar associado tanto a fatores intrínsecos (espécie, idade, resposta imune) como extrínsecos ao hospedeiro (alterações ambientais, patogenicidade viral). Em paralelo, em rãs de criação comercial, surtos por FV3 já foram detectados em vários ranários do país; contudo, essa é a primeira vez que uma prospecção para ranavirose é realizada especificamente com representantes da espécie Leptodactylus fuscus, em municípios da região centro-leste do estado de São Paulo. Assim, são necessárias mais pesquisas com espécies silvestres de rãs, particularmente no entorno de ranários com histórico de animais positivos para FV3, para melhor conhecimento da epidemiologia e dinâmica de transmissão da ranavirose entre rãs silvestres. / The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of ranavirus infection caused by virus belonging to genus Ranavirus, Iridoviridiae family, in wild anuran amphibians from Porto Ferreira and Pirassununga municipalities, located in the central-eastern region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, using molecular diagnostics. In all, 40 wild adult anurans of the species Leptodactylus fuscus were captured in the mentioned municipalities, and three target organs (liver, spleen and kidneys) of the viral replication were collected, being possible macroscopic changes in these organs recorded, and from which DNA was extracted. In the sequence, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out using primers specific for the MCP (major capsid protein) gene of Frog Virus 3 (FV3), a circulating ranavirus in Brazil, with a FV3 isolate belonging to the biobank of the Laboratory of Zootechnical Hygiene of FZEA-USP employed as positive control and nuclease-free water as negative control. As a result, in relation to macroscopic alterations, only one specimen showed hepatosplenomegaly and heart hypopigmentation. However, for molecular diagnostics, none of the 40 animals sampled were positive for ranavirus. This result may be associated to both intrinsic (species, age, immune response) and extrinsic (environmental changes, viral pathogenicity) factors to the host. In parallel, FV3 outbreaks have already been detected in several frog farms in the country. However, this is the first time that a prospection for ranavirus infection is performed specifically with specimens of the Leptodactylus fuscus from municipalities in the central-eastern region of the state of São Paulo. Thus, more studies on wild-type frogs are needed, particularly in the settings of frog farms with positive animal history for FV3, to better understand the epidemiology and dynamics of ranavirus transmission among wild frogs.

O canto de anúncio é o principal sinal emitido pelos machos durante a estação reprodutiva e geralmente apresenta duas funções básicas: a atração de fêmeas coespecíficas receptivas sexualmente e o anúncio da posição de um macho para outros machos coespecíficos / heteroespecíficos, ajudando a manter o espaçamento entre os indivíduos vocalizando. A importância do canto de anúncio em anuros como mecanismo primário de isolamento reprodutivo foi extensivamente documentado na literatura e, em decorrência disso, os cantos tem se mostrado altamente valiosos na determinação da identidade das espécies, com aplicação potencial em abordagens macroevolutivas e zoogeográficas. O gênero Leptodactylus atualmente abriga 89 espécies, distribuídas do sul da América do Norte e ao longo de toda a extensão neotropical, do México e Antilhas até a Argentina e Uruguai, cujas espécies são atualmente classificadas em cinco grupos fenéticos. O grupo de L. fuscus é formado por 27 espécies que se distribuem desde o sul do México até o sul do Uruguai e norte da Argentina. Leptodactylus cunicularius foi descrito da Serra do Cipó, área serrana pertencente à porção meridional do complexo da Serra do Espinhaço, e posteriormente, citado de outras três regiões serranas do estado de Minas Gerais. O presente estudo tem como objetivo específico acessar dados bioacústicos e morfológicos/morfométricos de populações previamente atribuídas a Leptodactylus cunicularius, visando a caracterização de populações e o reconhecimento de espécies potencialmente novas. Para isso, analisamos espécimes adultos e cantos de anúncio de oito populações, incluindo a população topotípica, sendo que algumas populações foram previamente atribuídas a L. cunicularius, e outras populações eram desconhecidas até o presente momento. Cinco populações foram reconhecidas como distintas de L. cunicularius através de dados morfológicos/morfométricos e/ou bioacústicos. As outras duas populações ainda estão sob análise. Regiões serranas podem representar áreas de endemismo para anfíbios anuros, ao passo que em algumas delas, é possível detectar congruência biogeográfica para outros grupos de anuros, incluindo espécies próximas e populações confinadas a essas regiões sob complexos de espécies ainda não estudados. / The advertisement call is the main acoustic signal emitted by males during the reproductive season, and usually plays two basic roles: the attraction of conspecific females sexually receptive, and the advertisement of a males position to other conspecific / heteroespecific males, contributing to keep the distance among calling individuals. The importance of the advertisement call in anurans as a primary mechanism of reproductive isolation has been extensively documented in the literature, so that calls have been recognized as very useful to the recognition of species identity, in addition to potential application on macro-evolutionary and zoogeographic approaches. The genus Leptodactylus currently comprises 89 species, distributed from southern North America and throughout the Neotropics, from Mexico and Antilles to Argentina and Uruguay, whose species are today encompassed within five phonetic groups. The L. fuscus group includes 27 species distributed from southern Mexico to southern Uruguay and northern Argentina. Leptodactylus cunicularius was described from the Serra do Cipó, a montane region belonging to the southern secton of the Serra do Espinhaço mountain range, and later, cited from other three montane regions in the State of Minas Gerais. The aim of the present study is to assess bioacoustic and morphological/morphometric data of populations previously assigned to Leptodactylus cunicularius so as to the characterization of populations and the recognition of potentially new species. We analyzed adult specimens and advertisement calls of eight populations, including the topotypic population, considering that some populations were previously assigned to L. cunicularius, and other populations have been unreported so far. Five populations were recognized as different from L. cunicularius based on morphological/morphometric and/or bioacoustic data. The other two populations are still under analysis. Montane regions might represent endemism areas for anuran amphibians, since in some regions, it is already possible to detect biogeographic congruence concerning other anuran groups, including related species and populations restricted to these regions under complex of species unstudied.