BOURDEAU, P.E.; Stony Brook University: Integration of anti-predator behavior and morphology in three species of rocky intertidal gastropods Prey organisms have evoloved behavioral and morphological defenses that reduce their susceptibility to predation. However, until recently the joint evolution of anti-predator behavior and morphology has received little attention. I examined the relationship between anti-predator behavior and […]

CALDWELL, M.S.*; MCDANIEL, J.G.; WARKENTIN, K.M.; Boston University: Do red-eyed treefrog embryos use frequency cues in distinguishing egg predators from benign disturbances? Red-eyed treefrogs Agalychnis callidryas lay eggs on leaves overhanging seasonal ponds. If attacked by egg-eating snakes or wasps, the embryos hatch rapidly up to 30% prematurely, escaping to the water below. Other disturbances, […]

PRATT, M.C.; GRASON, E.W.; Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME; Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME: Do invasive species provide the opportunity to watch evolution in action in predator-prey interactions. Introduced species can become dominant if they are released from predation, outcompete prior residents, or occupy an open niche. The bryozoan Membranipora membranacea was introduced into the Gulf of […]

GRANT, Jacqualine B; Colorado State University: Defensive behaviors affect caterpillar anatomy Regurgitation is a common defensive strategy in many insects � to the point of being assumed ubiquitous among lepidopterous larvae. I tested this hypothesis by assaying defensive responses of 35 species of larvae from 16 lepidopteran families. Regurgitation was not a universal defensive behavior […]

TAKAGI, Kimberly K.; REIHANIFAM, Nadia; FREITAS, Brad; WRIGHT, William G.; Chapman University; Chapman University; Chapman University; Chapman University: Chemical versus cognitive defenses in opisthobranch mollusks. Across evolutionary time, animals have evolved a variety of predator defenses. We are studying two such defenses in the California sea hare, Aplysia californica. First, Aplysia increases the vigor of […]

BERKE, Sarah K; WOODIN, Sarah A; Univ of South Carolina; Univ of South Carolina: Behavioral balancing acts: energy and mortality trade-offs in young decorator crabs To address the fitness impacts associated with a common behavior (decoration of the body surface), we conducted experiments assessing the impact of decorating behavior on growth and mortality risk in […]

JOST, JA*; HELMUTH, BST; University of South Carolina; University of South Carolina: Thermal tolerance of Geukensia demissa: The effect of daily maximum temperatures on growth and mortality Predicting alterations in communities due to climate change requires elucidation of both the physiological limits and the exposure ranges of organisms in the field. The Atlantic ribbed mussel, […]

DOWNS, C.J.**; HAYES, J.P.; TRACY, C.R.; University of Nevada, Reno; University of Nevada, Reno; University of Nevada, Reno: Temperature, Sampling Bias, and Scaling of BMR in Endotherms The basal metabolic rate (B) for an organism can be scaled to body mass (M) using the allometric equation, B = cMb, where i is the normalizing constant […]

SEPULVEDA , C. A.*; GRAHAM , J.B.; BERNAL, D.; Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research; Scripps Institution of Oceanography; University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth: Swimming performance studies of the mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus The mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus, is an active epipelagic predator that has been shown to possess several adaptations for a heightened aerobic swimming performance. […]

HERREL, A.*; JAMES, R.S.; VAN DAMME, R.; University of Antwerp, Belgium; Coventry University, UK; University of Antwerp, Belgium: Muscle physiology constrains behaviour in lizards: physiological basis for the fight vs. flight paradigm. Previous workers have noted that some agamid lizards show a temperature dependent behavioural shift where a flight response is used at high temperatures. […]