RAMENOFSKY, M; AGATSUMA, R; RAMFAR, T; University of Washington; University of Washington; University of Washington: Environmental Conditions Influence Migratory Behavior of Captive Birds Migration is the annual movement between locations for breeding (spring) and nonbreeding (autumn). Whereas a great deal of attention has been paid to various aspects of migration � evolution, orientation, navigation, physiology […]

LUDTKE, J.A. *; PROTHERO, D.R.; San Diego State University; Occidental College: Taxonomic Revision of the Middle Eocene Protoceratid Leptoreodon (Mammalia: Artiodactyla) The primitive hornless protoceratid Leptoreodon occurs abundantly in the Uintan (Utah, California, Saskatchewan, Texas, Wyoming, and Montana) and rarely in the Duchesnean (California, Texas and Saskatchewan) North American Land Mammal Ages. Large new collections […]

LANDRY, S.O.; State University of New York, Binghamton: Surface Mass raio and Neck and Tail Elongation in Large Dinosaurs. Exaggeratedly long necks and (to lesser degree) tails in dinosaurs appear to be restricted to those of extremely large size. This suggests that elongation may be a consequence of unfavorable surface-mass ratios for dissipating internally generated […]

YAMAGUCHI, S; OAKLEY, TH; Univ. of California, Santa Barbara; Univ. of California, Santa Barbara: Ostracod crustaceans as a key to testing an early Paleozoic diversification Did an explosive period of animal divergences, the so-called “Cambrian explosion” , occur in the early Paleozoic? Although molecular phylogenic data can address this question, the taxa used often have […]

REGA, E.A.; NORIEGA, K.C.; SUMIDA, S.S.; LEE, A.H.; Western University of Health Sciences; California State University San Bernardino; California State University San Bernardino; University of California, Berkeley: Histological analysis of traumatic injury to multiple neural spines of an associated skeleton of Dimetrodon: Implications for healing response, dorsal sail morphology and age-at-death in a Lower Permian […]

GEIST, N.R.; RUBEN, J.A.; Sonoma State Univ.; Oregon State Univ.: Evolution of the Hard-Shelled Egg: Clues to Mesozoic Dominance and Eventual Demise of the Archosaurs The ability to produce an amniotic egg surrounded by a rigid, calcium-rich shell conferred several distinct advantages to crocodilians, dinosaurs, birds, and presumably, a variety of basal archosaurian taxa. Such […]

PADIAN, K.; HORNER, J.R.; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Montana State University: “Bizarre” morphological structures in dinosaurs: adaptation, sexual display, or neither? Many dinosaur groups are instantly recognized by “bizarre” horns, frills, plates, and so on. But why did they evolve? Two general explanations are function and display. Functional explanations (and some display explanations) depend on […]

MOESER, G.; LEBA, H.; CARRINGTON*, E.; University of Rhode Island; University of Rhode Island; University of Rhode Island: When mussels don�t go with the flow: seasonal variation in byssal thread production and mechanics The attachment strength of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, follows an annual cycle on New England temperate rocky shores, increasing two-fold in […]

BELTR�N, Jennie L.; BLACKLEDGE, Todd A.; SUMMERS, Adam P.; HAYASHI, Cheryl Y.; University of California-Irvine; University of California-Riverside; University of California-Irvine; University of California-Riverside: The effect of spider size and amino acid composition on the mechanical properties of dragline silk Many studies have explored the material properties, composition, and genetics of the dragline silk spun […]

SMITH, A.M.*; LEGG, S.; MORRISON, T.; SIMON, C.; Ithaca College: Sticky, fast-setting glues vs. dried, long-lasting glues: functional differences among gastropod glue proteins. Many molluscs form strong attachments using gel-based glues. These dilute gels are structurally similar to the mucous gels used in locomotion, but they have additional proteins that we have named �glue proteins�. […]