Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [98]-113).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Joseph Travis, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Biological Science. Title and description from dissertation home page (Jan. 18, 2005). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1972. / Title from title page screen, viewed Oct. 4, 2004. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [171]-[176]) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2005. / Includes bibliography.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) / This work centered on the tadpoles in a temporaray pond in the middle of Kenilworth racecourse, Cape Town, South Africa. Trapping was carried out over two wet seasons and five species were found. The racecourse was selected to investigate the tadpole community occupying temporary winter pools. The main focus of this study was the community of tadpoles that occur in the ephemeral ponds in the centre of Kenilworth Racecourse. This study was a very broad insight into tadpole ecology in the Western Cape. / South Africa

No description available.

To assess the context dependence of kin discriminating behavior, I examined kin-biased aggregation behavior in tadpoles of R. cascadae in different ecological conditions. I manipulated food distribution, predator presence, thermal heterogeneity, and relatedness in a multifactorial mesocosm experiment. All four factors interacted to influence tadpole dispersion. My results suggest that kinship is an important factor in aggregation behavior dependent upon ecological conditions. Kin-biased predator defense mechanisms have been proposed as a possible functional explanation for kin discrimination in anuran larvae. Tadpoles may better cooperate in predator vigilance while in kin groups or release kin specific alarm pheromones when attacked by a predator. I examined predator avoidance and alarm response behavior in tadpoles of the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) and tested whether such behavior is influenced by kinship factors. I found no evidence of an alarm response behavior in R. cascadae. My results suggest that crushed tadpoles appear to initiate a feeding response rather than an alarm response as has been previously proposed. Kin-biased competitive interactions have been proposed as a possible functional explanation for kin discrimination in anuran larvae. Tadpoles may direct competitive interactions away from kin. I examined the role of kinship in growth and development of tadpoles of the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) in both laboratory and field studies. In the laboratory, individuals reared in kin groups had a significantly smaller mass at metamorphosis than individuals reared in mixed groups. However, kinship effects in the field depended upon the treatment context. Depending upon tadpole density and access to flocculent substrate, tadpoles survived better (after adjusting for differences in mass) in kin groups than in mixed groups. My results demonstrate that kinship factors can affect growth and development in tadpoles, depending upon the ecological conditions. Furthermore, my results provide a functional explanation for the kin discriminating behavior observed in R. cascadae and suggest why such behavior may be context dependent. / Graduation date: 1995

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, August, 2003. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 171-179)

<p>This work centered on the tadpoles in a temporaray pond in the middle of Kenilworth racecourse, Cape Town, South Africa. Trapping was carried out over two wet seasons and five species were found. The racecourse was selected to investigate the tadpole community occupying temporary winter pools. The main focus of this study was the community of tadpoles that occur in the ephemeral ponds in the centre of Kenilworth Racecourse. This study was a very broad insight into tadpole ecology in the Western Cape.</p>

<p>This work centered on the tadpoles in a temporaray pond in the middle of Kenilworth racecourse, Cape Town, South Africa. Trapping was carried out over two wet seasons and five species were found. The racecourse was selected to investigate the tadpole community occupying temporary winter pools. The main focus of this study was the community of tadpoles that occur in the ephemeral ponds in the centre of Kenilworth Racecourse. This study was a very broad insight into tadpole ecology in the Western Cape.</p>