ABSTRACT This study reports on the results of a selection experiment using Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) with the aim of assessing the impact of a number of selection regimes on tolerance to heat stress as measured by growth rate. Four lines were selected for six generations for increased weight gain from 14-28 days of age under either high (W, 32ºC) or normal (C, 25ºC) temperature conditions on either a high (H, 250 g/kg) or low (L, 150 g/kg) protein diet. Both diets contained 13.0 MJ ME/kg. The four selected lines were thus designated WH, CH, WL and CL. Fortnightly hatches were produced each generation from matings between 12 males and 36 females per line, with the parents of the next generation selected from approximately 100 birds per sex per line. A randomly selected control line (line C) of similar size was also maintained and reared in all cages with the selected line birds. Each generation, a third hatch of birds was reared and approximately 20 birds per line per environment were placed in single-bird cages to measure correlated responses in weight gain and feed efficiency in all four temperature/ dietary protein environments. In addition, correlated responses were measured in body composition and an assessment of the relative responses of the lines to early post-hatch epigenetic heat conditioning and to dietary addition of betaine (an osmolyte) were undertaken. The final study involved measurement of correlated response in the lines in the components of reproductive performance. On the high protein diet, response in growth rate relative to the control line in all selected lines was positive under both temperature environments, and by generations 5 and 6 growth rate was higher in the WH than in the CH line birds in both temperature environments. As weight gain was the selection criterion, these results suggest that selection for increased growth rate under high temperature conditions may not only be beneficial for progeny reared under high temperature conditions, but might also be at least as effective as selection under normal temperatures for progeny reared under normal temperature conditions. Whilst there was no equivalent advantage in feed efficiency in the WH line birds in either temperature environment, and the results arise from a comparison between un-replicated lines, they certainly indicate that such a selection approach is unlikely to have deleterious consequences. There was no benefit in either growth rate or feed efficiency under either temperature environments achieved through selection of birds on a low protein diet, irrespective of the selection temperature conditions. This indicates that irrespective of environmental temperature either during selection or subsequently, any possible advantage obtained through a reduction in the protein breakdown rate conferred through selection on a diet limiting in protein is outweighed by other factors contributing to a lower heritability and poorer response in these lines. In contrast to the WH line, the CH line birds in the normal temperature conditions were significantly (P<0.01) leaner under high than normal temperature conditions, although these differences were not reflected in differences in feed efficiency. On the low protein diet, females were considerably fatter than males and the CL line birds had a considerably higher proportion of body fat than either their WL or C line counterparts. Responses in body composition emphasise the inadvisability of selecting birds for growth rate under protein deficient diets, particularly if they are expected to perform under high temperature conditions on either high or low protein diets. In a study of the effect of early post-hatch epigenetic heat conditioning on subsequent performance in the single-bird cages, half of the chicks from each line were exposed at 2 days of age to 38OC for 24 hours. The results of the study showed that there was a positive effect of heat conditioning, as measured by subsequent growth rate, in birds selected for increased growth rate under normal temperatures. However, selection for increased heat tolerance appeared to render the birds refractory to the beneficial effects of epigenetic conditioning. This suggests that the physiological pathways exploited by epigenetic heat conditioning are also utilised in selection for heat tolerance. Inclusion of betaine in the diet at 0.5 g/kg had a beneficial effect upon growth performance from 14-28 days of age in birds kept under high temperature conditions, but the degree of the effect was influenced by other factors possibly associated with the nutrient (and particularly the amino acid) composition of the diet. There was a lack of consistency in the relative responses of the lines to betaine supplementation indicating that it is unlikely that osmoprotection contributes in any meaningful way to heat tolerance expressed by the lines selected under high temperature conditions. A study of reproductive performance of the birds at generation six lent support to previous published findings showing deleterious effects upon the components of reproductive performance from selection for increased growth rate. There were, however, significant differences between the selection lines which suggested beneficial outcomes from selection for growth rate under moderately high temperature conditions, particularly in breeders housed under these same conditions. Relative to selection under normal temperatures, these benefits included: early onset of lay, increased egg production, increased egg weight and improved fertility.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-138). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 171-190). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Non-genetic maternal influences on prenatal development have a significant effect on the development of early life behavior. This study assessed the behavioral effect of elevated prenatal progesterone on postnatal emotional reactivity, or underlying fear and stress, in embryos of Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). Test groups of progesterone treated eggs, vehicle treated, and no injection were exposed to three measures of emotional reactivity at 48 and 96 hours after hatch: an open field, an emergence test, and a tonic immobility test. Heightened levels of emotional reactivity in the tonic immobility emergence tasks, and decreased levels of emotional reactivity in the open field suggest that elevated prenatal progesterone modifies post natal emotional reactivity up to 96 hours of age.

Previous studies have indicated that concurrent multimodal stimulation can interfere with prenatal perceptual learning. However, the nature and extent of this interference is not well understood. This study further assessed this issue by exposing three groups of bobwhite quail embryos to (a) no unusual prenatal stimulation, (b) a bobwhite maternal call, or (c) a maternal call + light compound in the period prior to hatching. Experiments differed in terms of the types of stimuli presented during postnatal preference tests (Exp 1 = familiar call vs. unfamiliar call; Exp 2 = familiar compound vs. unfamiliar compound; Exp 3 = familiar compound verses unfamiliar call; Exp 4 = familiar call vs. unfamiliar compound). Embryos receiving no supplemental stimulation showed no preference between stimulus events in all testing conditions. Embryos receiving exposure to a unimodal call preferred the familiar call over the unfamiliar call regardless of the presence or absence of patterned light during testing. Embryos receiving concurrent audio-visual exposure showed no preference between stimulus events in Exp 1 and Exp 4, but did prefer the familiar call when it was paired with light during testing (Exp 2 and 3). These findings suggest that concurrent multimodal stimulation does not interfere with prenatal perceptual learning by overwhelming the young organism's limited attentional capacities. Rather, multimodal biases what information is attended to during exposure and subsequent testing. Results are discussed within an attentional-bias framework, which maintains that young organisms tend to initially process non-redundant compound events as integrative units rather than processing the components of the compound separately. / Master of Science

A genetic selection study to determine the effects on egg hatchability and subsequent chick performance of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) eggs incubated at 100 F dry bulb temperature (Control, Line C) when compared to other eggs incubated at 102 F (Selected, Line S) was conducted over 10 consecutive generations. Eggs from a randomly mated population (designated as Generation 0) of Japanese quail maintained at the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station were randomly allocated to two treatment groups (Lines C and S) and incubated at the different temperatures in separate but identical Jamesway 252 machines. On day 14 of incubation all eggs were transferred to a common hatcher (98.5 F). Using family-based selection, the chicks that hatched from the two lines were subsequently used as breeders (25 paired matings per line) and the resulting eggs from each line incubated at their respective temperatures for 10 consecutive generations. Following the 10th generation percent egg fertility and percent hatch of fertile eggs were greater in Line C vs. Line S (p<O.O3 and p<O.0001, respectively). Embryo development time was shortened in Line S by 24 hours and mean 4- or 5- week body weights were greater (p<0.001) in Line S. Ten-day post-hatch mortality increased greatly in Line S vs. Line C after generation 6 (p<0.001) and hen-day egg production decreased after generation 4 in Line S vs. Line C (p<0.0001). The results indicate that embryo development time can be reduced by high temperature incubation, but at the expense of reproductive traits such as egg production, fertility, and hatchability of fertile eggs. / Graduation date: 2005

No description available.

The common gecko, Hoplodactylus pacificus (Gray, in McCann (1955) ), is widely distributed throughout New Zealand. As yet no specific ecological study of this lizard has been published, though Sharell (1966) mentions habitat preferences and hibernation behaviour, and Whitaker (1968) has published some data for H. pacificus on Poor Knights Islands (mentioned in this report) and describes their observed foraging behaviour. In this study, carried out from late March through to May 1970, I have recorded information on snout-vent lengths, weights, individual movements, and habitat preference, and have also estimated the population density. This particular lizard does not seem to be active during the Autumn months and no observations of food preferences and foraging behaviour were able to be made.

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