Global ETD Search

11	Behavioural differences between species and populations in the killifish genus Nothobranchius / Cognitive and aggressive behaviours in the annual killifish, Nothobranchius orthonotus Kubická, Lucie January 2016 (has links) I used annual killifish Nothobranchius orthonotus to investigate two separate questions related to behavioural aspects of their life history. The first study focused on spatial cognitive ability of two N. orthonotus populations that originated from temporary pools that varied in their expected duration due to differences in annual precipitation patterns (dry and humid region). Test of cognition was based on the ability to learn to find food in a dichotomous test. It was assumed that learning ability differs between populations when tested in young and old age along with their difference in captive lifespan. Additionally, association between cognitive ability and other life history traits was tested. It was found that: (1) there was no difference in the ability to learn spatial task between populations; (2) both populations had similar lifespan with no cognitive decay in older age, and older fish from dry region population had committed even less errors in the learning task than they did as young fish; (3) fish were able to effectively learn the task but (4) solitary fish had lower learning ability than group-reared fish; (5) longer- living fish were quicker learners; (6) high resting metabolic rate was associated with more effective learning; (7) hesitant fish found the food reward in learning task...
12	Cardiotoxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and abiotic stressors in early life stage estuarine teleosts Elizabeth B Allmon (10724124) 29 April 2021 (has links) <div>Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, extensive research has been conducted on the toxicity of oil and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the aquatic environment. The location and timing of the Deepwater Horizon surface slick coincided with the spawning seasons of many important pelagic and estuarine fish species. As such, there has been particular emphasis placed on the effects of PAHs on sensitive life history stages in fish, such as the embryonic and larval periods. Additionally, the spill occurred throughout the spring and summer months which, in estuaries, are marked by regular fluctuations in abiotic environmental factors such as dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature. Until recently, there has been little work done to elucidate the combined effects that PAHs from oil spills and adverse environmental conditions (hypoxia, increased salinity, and elevated temperatures).</div><div>Work presented in this dissertation uses next generation sequencing technology (RNA Seq) to determine differential gene expression in larval estuarine teleosts following exposure to adverse environmental conditions and PAHs. Downstream canonical pathway and toxicological function analysis were then applied to the identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to predict cardiotoxic responses at the organismal level. To verify the predicted responses, a phenotypic anchoring study was conducted and identified a cardiotoxic phenotype (pericardial edema) and reduced cardiac output in embryos exposed to oil. Finally, the mechano-genetic interplay governing the morphological development of the teleost heart was investigated and correlations between developmental gene expression and blood flow forces within the cardiovascular system were identified.</div> Molecular Biology Physiology Toxicology Developmental Biology Marine Biology Bioinformatics Genomics polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons hypoxia Deepwater Horizon Cardiac Development estuarine fish species transcriptomics Cardiac output Fundulus grandis Gulf killifish Cyprinodon variegatus sheepshead minnow Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes mechano-genetics teleost gene expression PAHs RNASeq early life history embryo larval fish

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Behavioural differences between species and populations in the killifish genus Nothobranchius / Cognitive and aggressive behaviours in the annual killifish, Nothobranchius orthonotus

Cardiotoxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and abiotic stressors in early life stage estuarine teleosts