SPENCER, Ricky-John; CLARK, William/F; Iowa State University; Iowa State University: Testing a theoretical model of nest site selection in turtles and water birds. Nest selection has important consequences for fitness in water birds and freshwater turtles, as factors such as nest predation are high in many populations. We developed a theoretical model that balances perceived […]

FEDORKA, KM*; ZUK, M; University of California, Riverside; University of California, Riverside: Reproductive behavior and immune defense in the striped ground cricket Biologists have recently become interested in how variance in immune effector systems may translate into variance in fitness. To this end, the rapidly developing field of ecological immunity has begun to focus on […]

PALACIOS, M.G.*; MARTIN, T.E.; Iowa State University, Ames; University of Montana, Missoula: Parasites, predators, and the evolution of incubation period in birds. One longstanding question regarding life history evolution is why organisms vary so dramatically in the time required for development. Avian incubation provides an ideal model to study variation in developmental periods because incubation […]

YOUNG, R.L.*; BADYAEV, A.V.; University of Arizona; University of Arizona: Mechanisms behind maternal favoritism in a passerine bird: Rate and duration of yolk development in relation to embryo sex and laying order All birds lay at most one egg per day until their clutches are completed. However, because the formation of a single egg often […]

MILES, C.M.*; WAYNE, M.L.; University of Florida; University of Florida: Estimates of heritability for the trait of egg size in the serpulid polychaete Hydroides elegans Some theories regarding the evolution of life history in marine invertebrates suggest selective changes in egg size as key transitional events. Egg size can only respond to selection if there […]

RICHARDSON, Susan L; Florida Atlantic University: COMPARATIVE DEMOGRAPHY OF THE EPIPHYTIC FORAMINIFERAN SORITES DOMINICENSIS, BELIZE AND FLORIDA Sorites dominicensis is an evolutely-coiled, disk-shaped Soritacean species with dinoflagellate endosymbionts that lives as an epiphyte on the seagrass Thalassia testudinum throughout the shallow waters of the subtropical to tropical Western Atlantic. Populations of S. dominicensis were censused […]

MCDONALD, Elizabeth A.; University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Habitat Use By the Eastern Hognose Snake, Heterodon platirhinos, at Multiple Spatial Scales Eastern hognose snakes were collected in northern Michigan and surgically implanted with temperature-sensitive radio transmitters before release. The snakes were relocated approximately every two days between May 2001 and October 2002. A set of 38 […]

GIENGER, C.M.; TRACY, C. Richard; University of Nevada-Reno: Field investigation of the ecology of the Gila monster in Nevada The Gila monster ( Heloderma suspectum ) was studied in southern Nevada over three seasons using radio-telemetry. Activity, thermal biology, refuge selection, hibernation, and spatial habitat use were quantified. Gila monsters were most active in late […]

MARTIN, A. L.; University of Missouri, Rolla: Effects of Geographic Distance and Dispersal Barriers on Amphibian Polymorphism Understanding the natural history of a species is critical to developing sound management practices. This is especially true for indicator species such as amphibians that play a large role in our understanding of an ecosystem’s general health. While […]

HUYGHE, K; SCHEERS, H; VAN DAMME, R; Univ. of Antwerp, Belgium; Univ. of Antwerp, Belgium; Univ. of Antwerp, Belgium: Determinants of fighting ability in the lizard Gallotia galloti Gallotia galloti is a large lacertid lizard, endemic to the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). In the field, large males maintain territories and exhibit strong aggression […]