Here we report on a new fossil locality, şerefköy-2, from the Yataĝan Basin of southwestern Turkey that preserves a well-sampled, abundant, and diverse mammal fauna. Indeed, after three field seasons, more than 1200 catalogued specimens representing 26 mammal species belonging to 14 genera make the şerefköy-2 mammalian assemblage one of the richest Late Miocene fauna from Anatolia. Five hipparionines, six bovids, including the rare and enigmatic Urmiatherium rugosifrons and the presence of Pliohyrax graecus, strongly support affinities with Late Miocene faunas from Samos Island, Greece. Through a consideration of the identified material and the subsequent comparison with material from well-known Balkan and Anatolian faunas, a Middle Turolian (MN12) age for şerefköy-2 is indicated.

Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallapavo silvestris) were extirpated from most of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) by 1980 by overharvest and habitat loss. Federal programs have restored areas of the MAV to hardwood forest, potentially warranting restoring wild turkeys to the MAV. As part of a pilot restoration study, I gathered data on resource use and nest sites from July 2010–August 2011. I observed intraspecific niche specialization and spatial niche separation between genders. Spatiotemporal variation in resource availability and intraspecific competition appear to be factors influencing intraspecific niche specialization. Mature hardwood forest was primary habitat selected by translocated wild turkeys. Hardwood regeneration areas were primary habitat selected by hens for nesting. Visual obstruction from 0.0 m–0.5 m was important in selecting fine-scale nest sites. Hardwood regeneration areas have dual value for restoring wild turkeys to the MAV: future mature hardwood areas; and potential nest sites.

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Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

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The objective of the first study was to characterize amino peptidase N (APN), peptide (PepT1), amino acid (ASCT1, bo,+AT, CAT1, EAAT3, LAT1, y+LAT2), and sugar transporter expression (GLUT2, GLUT5, SGLT1) in the small intestine of male and female turkeys. Small intestine samples were collected during embryonic development (E21, E24) and DOH. In a separate experiment during post-hatch development (DOH, D7, D14, D21, D28). APN, bo,+AT, PepT1, y+LAT2, GLUT5 and SGLT1 were expressed most on DOH. Post-hatch, all genes except GLUT2 and SGLT1 were expressed greater in females than males. SGLT1 was expressed greater in males. Basolateral transporters were expressed more during early development; while there was more expression of brush border transporters EAAT3, GLUT5 and SGLT1 later in development. In chickens, there are alternatively spliced exons of the PepT2 gene that encode proteins with four different N-termini (Variants 5-8). The objective of this study was to characterize the patterns of expression of these PepT2 variants. Brain, kidney, liver and intestine were analyzed at E18 and D7 (n=5). Expression of Variant 5 was most prominent in the brain and variant 6 was most prominent in the kidney. Variant 8 appeared in all tissues on E18 and D7. Variant 7 was only expressed in late embryonic development in the ileum. Results from these studies demonstrate that there are differences in gene expression of nutrient transporters in two agriculturally important avian species from the same order Galliformes. These differences can be used to improve feed efficiency and enhance the growth of both species. / Master of Science