SIEG, A/E; SPOTILA, J/R; BINCKLEY, C/A; PALADINO, F/V; Drexel University; Drexel University; Old Dominion; Indiana Purdue, Fort Wayne: Effects of Ambient Temperature and Precipitation on Inferred Sex Ratios for Leatherback Sea Turtle Nests at Playa Grande, Costa Rica Temperature is an abiotic factor that has been well-documented in its effects on sea turtle nests�especially in […]

SPENCER, R-J; JANZEN, F.J.; Iowa State University: Ecology and evolution of TSD in turtles: The value of long-term research and the effects of climate change. Sex in many reptiles is determined permanently by environmental temperatures experienced during embryonic development. The unusual nature of this sex-determining system, with its potential to produce strongly-biased sex ratios, has […]

ESQUIVEL, J.*; TUBERTY, S.R.; MOORE, J.A.; DUUS, M.; CAMPANY, C.; JONES, M.; Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.: Ecdysteroid titer and characterization during the first instar intermolt of the scorpion, Centruroides vittatus. Ecdysteroids (Ec) play a crucial role as the regulatory steroid molting hormone in arthropods and have been isolated from many insect and crustacean species, […]

SONA, S.; ELLINGTON, W.R.*; Florida State Univ., Tallahssee; Florida State Univ., Tallahssee: Early Events in the Evolution of Intracellular Targeting in Creatine Kinases Creatine kinase (CK) plays a central role in energy homeostasis in cells displaying high and variable rates of ATP turnover. A key attribute of this enzyme system is the existence of distinct […]

LIVINGSTON, Brian T.; HARMON, Mary; University of South Florida: Early Development of the Ophiuroid Ophiocoma wendtii Both the morphogenetic movements and the gene regulatory network that control sea urchin development have been characterized in great detail. In particular, we know how micromeres are formed during the fourth cleavage division, and how entry of beta-catenin into […]

LAVIN, S.R.; MCWHORTER, T.J.; KARASOV, W.H.; Univ of WI : Do birds exhibit greater paracellular absorption than mammals? Water-soluble compounds can be absorbed paracellularly (in between epithelial cells) in the small intestine, and this absorption is enhanced by transport of luminal nutrients possibly due to solvent drag. Differential paracellular uptake may make certain taxa more […]

WEISE, Michael / J; COSTA, Daniel / P; Univ. of CA Santa Cruz: Diving Behavior of the Male California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) Intraspecific differences in foraging and diving behavior of males and females have been found in a variety of marine predator species. Among the hypotheses to describe sex differences in foraging behavior are […]

PASEKA, A.D.*; SLOBODCHIKOFF, C.N.; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Northern Arizona University: Discrimination of Color by Gunnison�s Prairie Dogs in Alarm Calls Gunnison�s prairie dogs, Cynomys gunnisoni, can identify and incorporate information about physical features of individual humans into their alarm calls. Previous work has shown that humans, each wearing a separate color, elicit different alarm calls. […]

KALMUS, Gerhard W.; BAXLEY, Tamatha; SCEMAMA, Jean-Luc; East Carolina University: Differential Expression of Abd-B-like Genes in the Enterocytic Differentiation of Caco-2 Cells. The well conserved family of Hox genes code for transcription factors that are active regulators of segmental identity along the anterior-posterior axis in developing embryos. This activity is reportedly seen in the AP […]

GUNTER, H M; DEGNAN, B M*; Univ. of Queensland, Australia; Univ. of Queensland, Australia: Developmental and heat shock response roles of Hsp90 in Haliotis asinina larvae. Heat shock protein 90 is a chaperone, a developmental regulator and stress protein. Stress diverts Hsp90 from its developmental role and its occurrence during development can unlock cryptic genetic […]