On certain islands in the Seychelles archipelago a large and abundant animal is the Seychelles giant millipede, Seychelleptus seychellamm (Desjardins, 1834). This study quantifies the ecological role of this species in litter breakdown on Cousine Island, Seychelles. Observations on various ecological aspects and surface behaviour of this millipede were also made. The population of the Seychelles giant millipede on Cousine Island consists mostly of mature females, with few mature males and immatures. Apparent millipede density was higher at night (i.e. 4.44 ind.m⁻²) than during the day (i.e. 0.19 ind.m⁻²). Millipede biomass was 1.95 tons.ha¯¹. Millipedes were observed feeding on eight food types, with the most common food types being leaf litter and fallen fruit. Predation and scavenging on the Seychelles giant millipede was rarely seen, with only a total of 18 observations being made. The giant ghost crab was the only predator observed killing a millipede. The most common scavenger on dead millipedes was the Seychelles magpie robin. Mean litter ingested by the Seychelles giant millipede was 157 ± 28.1 mg.day¯¹ (n = 45) and mean faecal production was 111 ± 12.8 mg.day¯¹ (n = 45). On Cousine Island, the Seychelles giant millipede consumed daily, approximately 4.6 % of the total litter standing crop and approximately 17.2 % of the daily litter fall. Daily faecal production by the Seychelles giant millipede on Cousine Island was equivalent to approximately 2.9 % of the litter standing crop and to approximately 11.0 % of the daily litter fall. The implications of these results for nutrient dynamics and soil fertility on Cousine Island are discussed. Seven types of surface behaviour were observed being performed by the millipede. More behavioural types were observed at night than during the day, with burrowing and grooming being exclusively nocturnal behaviours. The most commonly observed behaviours were walking and feeding. Movement was more evident in the males and immatures, whilst feeding was more apparent in the females. Less behavioural types were observed in areas of low vegetational heterogeneity and complexity. Vegetation disturbance also had an inhibitory effect on millipede behaviour. Possible explanations for these differences in behaviour are discussed. The implications of these results for the conservation of the Seychelles giant millipede and Cousine Island are also discussed. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

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Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-138). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1972. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1998. / Title from title page screen, viewed July 5, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Carleton J. Phillips (chair), Elmer C. Birney, Angelo P. Capparella, Sabine S. Loew, Charles F. Thompson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-74) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2006. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-104). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Kyrgyzstan is the single most seismically active country in the world. Accessing the past, and therefore future hazard of faults, necessitates a high-resolution understanding of the timing of different geologic events. With no radiometrically datable rocks from the Neogene of Kyrgyzstan, I herein present the first work formally describing Neogene vertebrate faunas from the Kochkor Basin of Kyrgyzstan. I utilize a combination of biostratigraphy and magnetostratigraphy to constrain the timing of when the vertebrate assemblages were emplaced, and have dated the three bone beds to all fall in the latest Miocene, spanning 9-5 million years ago. All four bone beds represent mass death assemblages, inferred to be from drought-caused mortality. The timing of the deposits corresponds to uplift in the Pamirs, Himalayan, and greater Tibetan Plateau, which would have blocked the Indian monsoon from reaching Central Asia, forever altering the climate and biota of the region. This change is reflected in the shifting mammals faunas, as evidenced by the novel rhinocerotid I describe in a phylogeographic context.

Orientador: Helmut Troppmair / Banca: Adler Guilherme Viadana / Banca: Lucy Marion Calderini Philadelpho Machado / Banca: Marta Felícia Marujo Ferreira / Banca: Juliana Augusta Verona / Resumo: Os objetivos da presente pesquisa compreenderam o resgate, o levantamento, a análise e a avaliação sistemática das contribuições e originalidades geradas pela produção científica na área de Biogeografia, desenvolvida no período de 1969 a 2004, por professores, pesquisadores e alunos do Departamento de Geografia e de Pós-Graduação em Geografia, Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas de Rio Claro, da Universidade Estadual Paulista, mais diretamente envolvidos com a temática biogeográfica. A partir do levantamento anterior houve a classificação das pesquisas dentro das áreas específicas da Biogeografia, a fim de identificar as subáreas mais contempladas e as que vêm apresentando maior desenvolvimento. Também houve alusão às abordagens espaciais e às escalas mais comumente utilizadas nessas pesquisas. A divulgação do papel de destaque dos pesquisadores vinculados ao denominado Núcleo de Estudos Biogeográficos de Rio Claro na orientação e condução das pesquisas, tanto no estado de São Paulo como em outros estados, acabou naturalmente compondo o rol dos objetivos. A gênese da Biogeografia deu-se pelos esforços de pesquisadores que se dedicaram à investigação sobre a distribuição dos seres vivos, desde os primórdios, tais como os naturalistas, mas seu desenvolvimento e evolução somente foram possíveis pela dedicação de outros pesquisadores, como os do Núcleo de Estudos Biogeográficos de Rio Claro, sobretudo quanto à investigação sobre o relacionamento e funcionamento global das Biogeocenoses e dos Geossistemas. / Abstract: The objective of this study was recovery the academic production in Biogeography, developed since 1969 until 2004, by professors, researchers and students of the Geography Department, Master and Doctor Degree of Geography Program, Geosciences and Accurate Sciences Institute of São Paulo State University, at Rio Claro, more directly involved with Biogeography subjects. Before this investigation, a systematic analysis and estimation of the contributions and originalities were made, and a classification of the works in the specific disciplines in Biogeography as well, for the purpose to identify the more contemplate areas and those that are showing more progress. It was given also an emphasis to the analysis of the space and the scales more common in these researches. Spreading the importance of the researchers in Nucleus of Biogeography Studies at Rio Claro to the development and conduction of these researches was a natural process of this work. The Biogeography's genesis was possible due the efforts of the researchers, since a long time, in studying alive-beings' distribution, like the naturalists did. But the development and evolution only had continuity by the dedication of other researchers (the Rio Claro's researchers, for example) in studies about the relationship and the global functionality of the Biogeocenoses and Geossystems. / Doutor