JACOBS, M. W.; SHERRARD, K. M.: Shape Matters: The Effect of Nutritional Stress on Juvenile Growth Rates of Four Species of Ascidians Ascidians are common invasive species, and often competitively dominant in fouling communities. Ascidian juveniles exhibit a range of early growth strategies, from encrusting (flat, low in the boundary layer) to erect (tall, high […]

NEWLON III, A.W.; YUND, P.O.; STEWART-SAVAGE, J.*: Phenotypic Plasticity of Reproductive Effort in a Colonial Ascidian Phenotypic plasticity, the capability of a genotype to produce different phenotypes in different environments, is an adaptive response to temporal and spatial oscillations in the environment. Previous studies have suggested phenotypic plasticity in the reproductive effort of Botryllus schlosseri, […]

CLUM, N.J.*; PREEST, M.R.: Incubation History and Embryonic Development in Boat-tailed Grackles Synchronicity of hatching in birds can have significant effects on the survival of individual chicks and entire broods. Hatch synchrony in birds is assumed to be primarily under the control of the incubating female, with incubation at the start of laying resulting in […]

ZELDITCH, M.L.*; LUNDRIGAN, B.L.: Developmental causes and costs of precocial development. The adaptive value of precocial development may depend on its developmental basis. When precociality arises by an increase in developmental rate, later growth may be constrained because terminally differentiated cells do not divide. This trade-off has been postulated for precocial birds. In mammals, precociality […]

SCHAAD, E. W.*; GOBALET, K. W.; California State University, Bakersfield; California State University, Bakersfield: What is the function of the caudal opening of the posterior myodome of scombrid fishes? The posterior myodome of actinopterygian fishes is a prominent recess of the neurocranium ventral to the braincase. Its anterior opening is continuous with the orbit and […]

DAVIS, J.R.*; DENARDO, D.F.; Arizona State Univ.: The contribution of urinary bladder water to hydrostasis in the Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) The infrequent, yet predictable seasonal rainfall of the Sonoran Desert results in feast or famine hydric conditions for many desert species. As a result, the hydration state of some Sonoran Desert organisms may fluctuate […]

VAN DER HAM, J.L.*; FELGENHAUER, B.E.; Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette; Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette: The Comparative Ultrastructure of the Aesthetascs of Speleonectes tanumekes (Crustacea, Remipedia) and Crustaceans from Stressful Environments. Osmotic stress of the freshwater environment may have a shortening effect on the length of crustacean aesthetascs. Desiccation associated with the terrestrial and […]

CHRISTEL, C.M.; DENARDO, D.F.; Arizona State University; Arizona State University: Release of Exendin-4 controlled by mechanical action in Gila Monsters, Heloderma suspectum Exendin-4 is a peptide produced exclusively by the salivary glands of the Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectum. Although exendin-4 is considered a venom component, circulating plasma levels of exendin-4 have been shown to increase […]

MEAD, K. S.; Denison University, Granville OH: Physical Tuning: Does Antennule Morphology Correlate With The Hydrodynamics Of The Flow Environment In The Crayfish Orconectes virilis? Through a variety of physical mechanisms and at several scales, the local flow environment affects the shape of waterborne chemical signals. For instance, waves, current, turbulence, and substrate roughness affect […]

FONTANA, M. F.; ASK, K. A.; MACDONALD, R. J.; CARNES, A. M.; STAUB *, N. L.; Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA; Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA; Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA; Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA; Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA: Loss of traditional mucous glands in the plethodontid salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii Amphibians possess two types of skin glands: mucous […]