MOON, Brad; Univ. of Louisiana, Lafayette: Muscle Function and the Evolution of the Rattlesnake Rattling System Rattling by rattlesnakes is one of the fastest vertebrate movements and involves some of the highest contraction frequencies sustained by vertebrate muscle. The high performance tailshaker muscles of rattlesnakes can sustain contraction frequencies up to 100 Hz for minutes […]

CONRAD, J.L.; Univ. of Chicago: Morphology of Shinisauridae Compared with Other Anguimorpha (Squamata, Reptilia). Despite recent cladistic work, the interrelationships of the major anguimorph lineages (Carusioidea, Anguioidea, and Platynota) remain uncertain. Repeated errors concerning the anatomy of Shinisaurus significantly contribute to systematic difficulties. I discuss the published anatomical errors concerning Shinisaurus, its similarities with an […]

JACKSON, K; Harvard University: Evolution of the venom-conducting fang in snakes Three lineages of colubroid snakes, the elapids, the viperids, and the atractaspidids, possess tubular fangs as part of a system that injects venom into a prey item. All recent phylogenies indicate that these three lineages represent three independent derivations of the tubular fang. Nonetheless, […]

SWIDERSKI, D.L.; SHEETS, H.D.; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Canisius College, Buffalo, NY: Divergence of scapula shape in Neotropical bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae): inferences from combining landmarks and outlines Phyllostomid bats have diverse diets (flying insects, fruit, nectar, small vertebrates, blood) and exhibit corresponding diversity in modes of flight used during foraging. Studies on many other […]

KLEY, N.J.*; HILTON, E.J.; RICHMOND, A.M.; Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL; Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL; University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA: Comparative morphology of the pelvic apparatus of snakes The presence or absence of pelvic vestiges has been used as a key character in the study of snake systematics for over […]

VEECH, J.A.; Colorado State University: Using structural equation modeling to compare hypotheses of local and regional species diversity Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate several hypotheses previously proposed to explain local and regional species diversity. The North American Breeding Bird Survey provided estimates of species richness within communities (local diversity) and ecoregions (regional […]

GHERARDI, F; ACQUISTAPACE, P; AQUILONI, L; BARBARESI, S; CIONI, A; PAGLIANTI, A; RENAI, B; TRICARICO, E; Univ. of Florence, Italy; Univ. of Florence, Italy; Univ. of Florence, Italy; Univ. of Florence, Italy; Univ. of Florence, Italy; Univ. of Florence, Italy; Univ. of Florence, Italy; Univ. of Florence, Italy: The red swamp crayfish in Europe: lessons […]

SOLOMON, Scott E; MIKHEYEV, Alexander S; The University of Texas at Austin; The University of Texas at Austin: The Ant Fauna of Cocos Island, Costa Rica Island communities are often the subject of ecological research because they are generally less complex than otherwise similar continental habitats. Relatively small and isolated islands are expected to have […]

TRACY, C.R.; AVERILL-MURRAY, R.; BOARMAN, W.; DELEHANTY, D.; HEATON, J.; MCCOY, E.; MORAFKA, D.; NUSSEAR, K.; Univ. of Nevada, Reno; Arizona Game and Fish; U.S.G.S.; Idaho State Univ.; Univ. of Redlands; Univ. of So. Florida; California Acad. of Sci.; Univ. of Nevada, Reno: Scientific Assessment of the Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan An eclectic committee of […]

REID, Adele/M; HOCHULI, Dieter/F; CASSIS, Gerasimos ; University of Sydney; University of Sydney; Australian Museum: Long-term effect of nutrients and grazing on grassland ground-dwelling invertebrates Sustainable grazing depends on the functioning of ecological processes, but because communities are complex and contain large numbers of species, understanding individual processes are difficult. Community dynamics must be studied […]