Phenotypic differences within a species significantly contribute to the variation we see among plants and animals. Plasticity as a concept helps us to understand some of this variation. Phenotypic plasticity plays a significant role in multiple ecological and evolutionary processes. Because plasticity can be driven by the environment it is more likely to produce beneficial alternative phenotypes than rare and often deleterious genetic mutations. Furthermore, differences in phenotypes that arise in response to the environment can affect multiple individuals from the same population (or entire populations) simultaneously and are therefore of greater evolutionary significance. This allows similar, beneficial alternative phenotypes to increase quickly within a single generation and allow new environments to produce and select for new phenotypes instantly. The direction of the present thesis is to increase our understanding of how phenotypic plasticity, coupled with contrasting environmental conditions, can produce alternative phenotypes within a population. Plasticity provides a source of variation for natural selection to act upon, and may lead to genetic isolation as a by-product. For example, there are multiple cases of polymorphic populations of fish, where groups belonging to multiple isolated gene pools, have arisen in sympatry. Here it is shown that although plasticity is important in sympatric speciation events, plasticity alone is not responsible for the frequency in which sympatric polymorphic populations occur. The most frequently observed differences among sympatric polymorphic populations are morphological differences associated with parts of the anatomy used in the detection, handling and capture of prey. Moreover, it is shown here that there are physiological effects associated with foraging on alternative prey that may significantly contribute towards ecological speciation. It is also shown in this study that anthropogenic abiotic factors can disrupt developmental processes during early ontogeny, significantly influencing morphology, and therefore having ecological consequences. Phenotypic structuring in postglacial fish is most frequently based around a divergence towards either pelagic or littoral benthic foraging specialisms. Divergences that deviate from this pattern are of greater scientific interest as they increase our understanding of how evolutionary processes and selection pressures work. Here we describe a rare divergence not based around the typical pelagic/littoral benthic foraging specialisms. Finally, in this study, the effectiveness of local level conservation policy shows that species of fish which are highly variable in their life history strategies are harder to effectively manage and often poorly represented at a local level.

This thesis offers an examination of egg-collecting, which was a very popular pastime in Britain from the Victorian era well into the twentieth century. Collectors, both young and old, would often spend whole days and sometimes longer trips in a wide variety of different habitats, from sea shores to moorlands, wetlands to craggy mountainsides, searching for birds’ nests and the bounty to be found within them. Once collectors had found and taken eggs, they emptied out the contents; hence, they were really eggshell collectors. Some egg collectors claimed that egg-collecting was not just a hobby but a science, going by the name of oology, and seeking to establish oology as a recognised sub-discipline of ornithology, these collectors or oologists established formal institutions such as associations and societies, attended meetings where they exhibited unusual finds, and also contributed to specialist publications dedicated to oology. Egg-collecting was therefore many things at once: a culture of the British countryside, from where many eggs were taken; a culture of natural history, taking on the trappings of a science; and a culture of enthusiasm, providing a consuming passion for many collectors. By the early twentieth century, however, opposing voices were increasingly being raised, by conservation groups and other observers, about the impact that egg-collecting was having on bird populations and on the welfare of individual birds. By mid-century the tide had turned against the collectors, and egg-collecting in Britain was largely outlawed in 1954, with further restrictions imposed in 1981. While many egg collections have been lost or destroyed, some have been donated to museums, including Glasgow Museums (GM), which holds in its collections over 30,000 eggs. As a Collaborative Doctoral Award involving the University of Glasgow and GM, the project outlined in this thesis aims to bring to light and to life these egg collections, the activities of the collectors who originally built them, and the wider world of British egg-collecting. By researching archival material held by Glasgow Museums, published specialist egg-collecting journals and other published sources, as well as the eggs as a material archive, this thesis seeks to recover some of the practices and preoccupations of egg collectors. It also recounts the practical activities carried out during the course of the project at GM, particularly those involving a collection of eggs newly donated to the museum during the course of this project, culminating in a new temporary display of birds’ eggs at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre.

abstract: Natural history is, and was, dependent upon the collection of specimens. In the nineteenth century, American naturalists and institutions of natural history cultivated and maintained extensive collection networks comprised of numerous collectors that provided objects of natural history for study. Effective networks were collaborative in nature, with naturalists such as Spencer Baird of the Smithsonian trading their time and expertise for specimens. The incorporation of Darwinian and Neo-Lamarckian evolutionary theory into natural history in the middle of the century led to dramatic changes in the relationship between naturalists and collectors, as naturalists sought to reconcile their observations within the new evolutionary context. This dissertation uses the careers of collectors Robert Kennicott, Frank Stephens, Edward W. Nelson, E.A. Goldman, and Edmund Heller as case studies in order to evaluate how the changes in the theoretical framework of late nineteenth century natural history led to advances in field practice by assessing how naturalists trained their collectors to meet new demands within the field. Research focused on the correspondence between naturalists and collectors, along with the field notes and applicable publications by collectors. I argue that the changes in natural history necessitated naturalists training their collectors in the basics of biogeography - the study of geographic distribution of organisms, and systematics - the study of the diversity of life - leading to a collaborative relationship in which collectors played an active role in the formation of new biological knowledge. The project concludes that the changes in natural history with regard to theory and practice gradually necessitated a more professional cadre of collectors. Collectors became active agents in the formation of biological knowledge, and instrumental in the formation of a truly systematic natural history. As a result, collectors became de facto field naturalists, the forerunners of the field biologists that dominated the practice of natural history in the early and middle twentieth century. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. History 2011

No description available.

The research focusses on the river Lugg – a cross-border catchment and major tributary of the river Wye, the most important Atlantic salmon river in England and Wales. The problem of declining Atlantic salmon populations in the catchment is addressed through investigating recruitment from egg fertilization to the emergent life stage and beyond using multiple field-based and laboratory techniques. The approach adopted is multidisciplinary and addresses the need for holistic approaches to habitat degradation which is increasingly recognised as systemic in nature; often with multiple stressors acting interactively. The initial premise of deleterious fine sediment infiltration into spawning gravels was addressed by a sediment fingerprinting study to ascertain the provenance of infiltrated redd sediment from a range of land-use types. In addition, nine artificial redd sites were constructed and assessed for fine sediment infiltration, intragravel dissolved oxygen levels, intragravel flow velocity and other hyporheic pore water characteristics, in relation to survival to emergence over two field seasons. A study examining the quality of emergent fry was also carried out using fitness tests and individual stress levels. Additionally, a study on long-residence groundwater infiltration into the incubation environment was carried out. The main fine sediment contributor was derived from agricultural sources, particularly during wetter periods. The average contribution of fine sediment from agricultural sources was 60%. Survival ranged from 12% to 70% during the 2008 flood season and from 76% - 93% during the 2009 dry season. Fine sediment mass as a stand-alone index was only weakly correlated with survival but is thought to influence other factors; medium strength correlations of survival with dissolved oxygen, intragravel flow velocity and oxygen supply in particular were observed. Evidence of groundwater-surface water interactions were detected at two of three sites investigated and is proposed as an additional controlling mechanism for embryonic survival in the catchment. Sublethal fitness tests demonstrated variations between cohorts in the 2009 period despite a relatively small range of oxygen concentrations. The results highlight both temporal and spatial variations in spawning habitat quality, which influence not only survival to hatch but also posthatch fitness.

Orientador: Otavio Augusto Vuolo Marques / Banca: Marcio Roberto Costa Martins / Banca: Ricardo Janinni Sawaya / Resumo: Serpentes dos gêneros Echinanthera e Taeniophallus pertencem à família dipsadidae e estão alocadas na tribo Echinantherini. Esses gêneros possuem características morfológicas similares entre si, incluindo o porte médio (comprimento total < 850 mm) e o corpo delgado, a dentição áglifa e a pupila circular. Além disso, compartilham semelhanças ecológicas como o hábito critozóico e diurno, a dieta baseada em anfíbios anuros e a reprodução, aparentemente restrita à estação chuvosa (setembro a março). O reconhecimento de Echinanthera e Taeniophallus como linhagens filogenéticas distintas tem sido controverso, mas a hipótese mais recente considera a existência de ambos os gêneros. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi caracterizar de forma mais detalhada a história natural de Echinanthera e Taeniophallus para avaliar semelhanças e possíveis diferenças entre esses gêneros. Foram examinados e dissecados espécimes preservados depositados em coleções herpetológicas para coleta de dados de dieta e reprodução. Foi analisado um total de 240 espécimes de E. undulata para caracterização do ciclo reprodutivo e dieta. Outras espécies (T. affinis e T. occipitalis) tiveram exemplares dissecados somente para exame do conteúdo alimentar. Dados da literatura disponíveis para outras espécies também foram incluídos para comparação. Echinanthera undulata apresentou dimorfismo sexual, com fêmeas apresentando comprimento rosto-cloacal maior e tamanho relativo da cauda menor que machos. Duas características (comprimento da cabeça e diâmetro do olho) são similares entre os sexos. Essa serpente apresentou cauda longa, correspondente a cerca de 45% do tamanho total. Com relação à dieta foram encontrados 12 itens, todos anfíbios anuros. A dieta de espécies do gênero Taeniophallus foi mais diversificada. Apenas três... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Dipsadid snakes of the genera Echinanthera and Taeniophallus belong to the Echinantherini tribe. These genera have similar morphological features, including the medium size (total length < 850 mm) and slender body, the aglyph dentition, and round pupil. Furthermore, they share ecological similarities such as the cryptozoic habit and day time activity, diet based on amphibians anurans and reproduction apparently restricted to the rainy season (September to March). The recognition Echinanthera and Taeniophallus as distinct phylogenetic lineages has been controversial, but the most recent hypothesis considers the existence of both genera. The objective of this study was to describe the natural history of Echinanthera and Taeniophallus to evaluate possible similarities and differences between these genera. This study was based on the dissection of preserved specimens from herpetological collections. We analyzed a total of 240 specimens of E. undulata to characterize the reproductive cycle and diet. Individuals of the other species (T. affinis and T. occipitalis) were dissected only to examine gut contents. Literature data for other species were included for comparison. Echinanthera undulata presented sexual dimorphism, females have larger snout vent-length and smaller tail than males. Two variables (head length and eye diameter) are similar between the sexes. This snake had long tail, corresponding to about 45% of the total size. All the prey items (n = 12) found in the gut of E. undulata were anurans. The diet of species from the genus Taeniophallus was more diverse. Only three specimens of T. affinis contained food vestiges (one lizard, one amphibians anurans and one rodent). In T. occipitalis were 12 items (one amphibians anurans and 11 lizards). The reproduction of both genera is similar. Testicular volume... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

The application of rural land-use planning is seen by many in developing countries as a panacea for minimising land-use conflicts and for increasing the productivity of natural resources in African rangelands. However, this assumption has not been thoroughly tested in the context of wildlife corridors in African rangelands. The focus of the research work for this thesis was to evaluate both "conventional" and "participatory" approaches to land-use planning in an African rangeland setting, and to assess the impact of these land-use plans in mitigating conflict and enhancing conservation of important wildlife migratory routes. Nine villages were selected for study in Northeastern Tanzanian rangelands, within the Tarangire-Manyara, Greater Serengeti and MkomaziTsavo ecosystems. Several methods were used to provide an indication of the performance of the plans, against their stated objectives of minimising land-use conflict and conserving wildlife migratory routes. Eight hundred and fifty two households, 13 "expert witnesses" and 4 representatives of planning agencies were interviewed. Several field assessment visits and focus group discussions were also carried out. Review and analysis was conducted on archive data, land-use plans technical reports and general management plans for neighbouring Parks. The results of the research presented in this thesis revealed five major findings: (1) involvement of land-use stakeholders in land use preparation was low; (2) different types of conflicts and encroachments increased after the plans were implemented; (3) Park management failed to involve adjacent villages in the preparation and implementation of Park GMPs; (4) the amount of conflict around villages where plans were in place was comparable to that around villages with no plans, suggesting that the plans made no difference to conflict; (5) overall, both participatory and conventional plans failed to achieve their objectives of mitigating conflicts and enhancing conservation of wildlife corridors and dispersal areas. The major causes of weakness and failure of the plans to achieve their desired objectives were: (l) insufficient participation oflocal communities in the planning process; (2) lack of robust of robust, transparent and accountable implementation strategies for the plans; (3) inadequately qualified rural planners; (4) lack of a comprehensive vision - "holistic approach" - to the planning process. Taking these findings into account, the author has made recommendations for an improved Buffer Zone Land-use Planning framework (BUZLUP) that could contribute to progress in mitigating conflicts and enhancing both conservation and development in Northeastern Tanzania. It is concluded, however, that high quality plans in themselves cannot ensure the successful establishment and maintenance of effective wildlife corridors. In addition to improved planning strategies such as the proposed BUZLUP framework, other broader socio-economic issues need to be addressed, including strengthened conservation education, better protection for rural people's natural resources and support for their livelihoods, equitable benefit sharing from conservation and tourism activities, and more devolution of decision-making powers to the grass-roots level in communities neighbouring conservation areas.

O estudo desenvolvido enfoca o Museu de História Natural do Colégio Anchieta (Porto Alegre, RS), constituído pelo padre jesuíta Pio Buck, no ano de 1908. A investigação objetiva construir a história do Museu, dando ênfase à atuação dos professores e pesquisadores jesuítas, o padre Pio Buck e o padre Balduíno Rambo, cujas práticas científicas foram fundamentais para a criação e existência deste Museu. A sua fundação ocorreu dentro do cenário de criação dos primeiros museus brasileiros, em que se pode inserir os museus de História Natural, e de criação de museus de Educação em todo o mundo, em que se pode inserir os museus escolares. As coleções formadas por objetos produzidos pela indústria e por elementos coletados na natureza formavam as coleções de História Natural do museu escolar. Esses materiais funcionavam como modelos para a compreensão e representação da natureza e da realidade, no âmbito do Método Intuitivo e Lições de Coisas. O museu escolar se configurava como um novo espaço nas escolas, em especial para o ensino de Ciências e História Natural, vinculados ao contexto científico da época. Nos colégios jesuítas, havia a tradição de estudos na área de Ciências Naturais. O Museu de História Natural do Colégio Anchieta, assim, voltava-se para o ensino de História Natural e para a pesquisa, associando a tradição científica dos jesuítas com a modernidade pedagógica do ensino no novo contexto de uma sociedade científica. A abordagem deste estudo envolve a Educação e a Museologia, estabelecendo um encontro entre a história da educação e a história dos museus, estabelecendo relações entre os museus escolares e os Museus de História Natural. O estudo tece relações do Museu voltado para as práticas do ensino, no âmbito de um museu escolar, e para as práticas da pesquisa científica, no âmbito de um museu de História Natural. A investigação verifica que o Museu reunia acervo didático e científico, com caráter voltado para o ensino e para a Ciência. A pesquisa identifica o Museu como um espaço de produção científica dos jesuítas. O estudo constrói a história do Museu através de suas práticas a partir das atuações de seus agentes como professores, pesquisadores e cientistas. Adota os pressupostos teóricos e metodológicos da História Cultural, elegendo o conceito de práticas para a abordagem. Constitui o corpus documental da pesquisa, um conjunto de documentos textuais e visuais, e artefatos. Destaca que o Museu Anchieta de Ciências Naturais, denominação atual, está entre os mais antigos museus escolares e museus de História Natural no país. Constata a importância do trabalho desenvolvido no Museu do Colégio Anchieta para o escopo das Ciências Naturais e dos museus escolares. Conclui que o museu foi associado a uma rede de Museus de História Natural e de comunicação com outros cientistas e instituições / The study developed is focused on the Natural History Museum at Anchieta School (Porto Alegre, RS), by the Jesuit Priest Pio Buck, in 1908. The investigation aims to build the history of the museum, emphasizing the work of teachers and Jesuits researchers, Priest Pio Buck and Priest Balduíno Rambo, whose scientific practices were fundamental to the creation and existence of this museum. Its foundation took place in the scenario of creation of the first Brazilian museums in which you can insert the Natural History Museums and creation of Education museums all over the world, where you can insert the school museums. The collections composed by objects produced by the industry and elements collected in nature formed the collections of the Natural History Museum School. These materials served as models for the understanding and representation of nature and reality, in the framework of the intuitive Method and Thing Lessons. The school museum is configured as a new space in schools, especially in the teaching of Science and Natural History, linked to the scientific context of that time. At the Jesuit schools, there was a tradition of studies in the field of Natural Sciences. The Natural History Museum at Anchieta School, like this, was turned to the teaching of Natural History and research, combining the Jesuit scientific tradition with the pedagogical teaching modernity in the new context of a scientific society. The approach of this study involves Education and Museology, establishing a meeting between the history of Education and the history of museums, establishing relations between the school museums and the Natural History Museums. The study makes relations of the museum related to teaching practices, in a school museum and for the practices of the scientific research as a part of a Natural History Museum. The research finds that the museum brought together educational and scientific collection with character for teaching and science. The investigation identifies the museum as a space of scientific production of the Jesuits. The study builds the history of the museum through its practices from the actions of its agents as teachers, researchers and scientists. It adopts the theoretical and methodological assumptions of Cultural History, choosing the concept of practices to the approach. It constitutes the documental corpus of the research, visual and textual documents and artifacts. It points out that the Anchieta Museum of Natural Sciences, the current name, is among the oldest school museums and Natural History Museums in Brazil. It shows the importance of the work developed in the museum at Anchieta School for the scope of the Natural Sciences and school museums. It concludes that the museum was associated with a network of Museums of Natural History and communication with other scientists and institutions.

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio (fiscina@bahia.fiocruz.br) on 2012-08-31T17:10:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Raimundo Celestino_Silva_Neves Incidência e fatores de risco de bexiga.pdf: 998634 bytes, checksum: 5eb364aec58c2f9083b13aac7f6e675c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-08-31T17:10:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Raimundo Celestino_Silva_Neves Incidência e fatores de risco de bexiga.pdf: 998634 bytes, checksum: 5eb364aec58c2f9083b13aac7f6e675c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, Bahia, Brasil / Estudar a história natural de bexiga hiperativa (BH) numa amostra da população adulta em Salvador, estimando a incidência e a remissão de BH. Adicionalmente, avaliar o grau de desconforto e a gravidade dos sintomas nos indivíduos com esta condição, investigar seus fatores de risco e descrever o comportamento de procura por tratamento nos pacientes sintomáticos. Trata-se de um estudo longitudinal que coletou informações numa amostra representativa da população urbana de homens e mulheres com idade de 30 anos ou mais, acompanhados de 2006 a 2008. BH foi avaliada segundo sua definição vigente, estabelecida em 2002, pela Sociedade Internacional de Continência. A coorte contou com a participação de 1350 mulheres e 1424 homens. A incidência de BH foi estimada em 1,7/1 00 pessoas-ano no sexo feminino e de 1,4/1 00 pessoas-ano no sexo masculino, aumentando com a idade em ambos os sexos (p=0,04). As estimativas de remissão nas mulheres variaram de 42% a 52%, e no sexo masculino de 49% a 75%. O número de partos naturais foi diretamente associado ao risco de apresentar BH em mulheres, RR=3,66 (Le.95%, 1,34 - 9,96). Os homens com sobrepeso tiveram risco significativamente menor de desenvolver BH, RR=0,29 (LC. 95%, 0,13 - 0,68). O percentual de casos prevalentes de BH com muito ou total incômodo pelos sintomas urinários foi de 58% em mulheres e 37% em homens. Apesar disso, apenas 46% e 32% de mulheres e homens respectivamente, buscaram ajuda médica para seus sintomas. BH é uma desordem comum na população adulta em Salvador. A incidência de BH foi semelhante em ambos os sexos e aumentou com a idade. Nossas estimativas foram inferiores à de outros estudos prévios realizados em populações com idade média mais alta, formadas por pacientes de cadastros/registros médicos ou de inquéritos postais com baixa taxa de participação e seguimento. Nossas projeções indicam que cerca de um milhão de casos novos de BH ocorrem a cada ano no Brasil. Portanto, podemos considerar que esta condição é um problema de saúde pública e que programas para diagnostico, tratamento e prevenção de BH devem ser desenvolvidos e implantados. / To study the natural history of overactive bladder (OAB) in a sample of adult population in Salvador, estimating the incidence and remission rates of OAB. In addition, to assess the discomfort and severity of symptoms in subjects with this condition, to investigate its risk factors and to describe the help seeking behavior for urinary symptoms. Methods: This is a longitudinal study that has collected information on a representative sample of urban men and women aged 30 years old or more, followed from 2006 to 2008. OAB was assessed according to the International Continence Society current definition. Results: The initial cohort included 1,350 women and 1,424 men. The incidence ofOAB was 1.7 per 100 person­ years for females and 1.4 per 100 person-years in males, and increased with age in both genders (p=0.04). Estimates of remission rated in women varied from 42% to 52% and in males from 49% to 75%. Parity was direct1y associated with the risk for OAB in women, RR=3.66 (95% CI, 1.34 - 9.96), and overweight men had a significantly lower risk of developing OAB, RR = 0.29 (95% CI, 0.13 to 0.68). The percentage of prevalent cases of BH with very or total bother by the urinary symptoms was 58% in women and 37% in men. However, only 46% and 32% of women and men respectively, sought medical help for their symptoms. Conclusions: The incidence of OAB was similar in both genders and increased with age. Our rates were lower than estimates from previous studies conducted in populations with higher mean age, comprised by patients from general practitioner registers or postal surveys with low response and follow-up rates. Our projections indicate that about one million new OAB cases occur each year in Brazi1. Thus, this condition can be considered a public health problem, and programs for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of BH should be developed and implemented.

This thesis deals with the knowledge testing of the natural history at pupils in 9th classes of primary and lower secondary schools by means of the didactic test which was created by students of Masaryk´s University in Brno (Kokošínská, Slavíčková) in 2009. Output knowledge of natural history was tested with 302 students (156 boys and 146 girls) in South Bohemia region (České Budějovice, Tábor, Soběslav). The comparison of the knowledge of the natural history was carried out at primary school leavers a graduates of lower secondary school cycle. The respondents from secondary school showed better knowledge than pupils of the natural history of the 9th classes of the primary school. The pupils achieve the highest knowledge in the field of human biology, the lowest one in the field of inanimate nature. The results of the thesis were compared with the results of the survey in primary and lower secondary schools in Brno (2009) and Central Bohemia Region (2009, 2011). The results were in all tested regions comparable and a statistically significant difference was not proved.