Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is commonly thought to be a predictor of environmental stress. However, the relationship between FA and established indicators for environmental stress has received little attention. In this study, 10-38 specimens of the freshwater fish Rhinichthys atratulus were collected from 15 natural populations under varying amounts of environmental stress. Asymmetry measurements in three bilateral characters of the specimens were used to investigate the relationship between FA and established indicators of environmental stress. Significant differences in the magnitude of FA were observed between sampling locations. However, the relationship between estimates of FA and established indicators produced varying results. The present study concludes with a discussion on the usefulness of FA as a bioindicator for environmental stress and implications for future studies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-3546 |
| Date | 06 May 2006 |
| Creators | Shotwell, Matthew Stephen |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Copyright by the authors. |
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