MARLOW, H.*; MATUS, D.Q.; MARTINDALE, M.Q.; University of Hawaii at Manoa; University of Hawaii at Manoa; University of Hawaii at Manoa: Specification and patterning of the cnidarian nervous system in Nematostella vectensis Cnidarians are among the simplest metazoans with an organized nervous system, the nerve net. The basal position of the cnidaria within the metazoa […]

STELLA, M.S.*; KIER, W.M.; Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Specialization for fast contraction in the tentacle muscle of the cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis Although muscle specialization has been studied extensively in vertebrates, less is known about the mechanisms that have evolved in invertebrate muscle that modulate muscle performance. Recent […]

SIMPSON, A.W.*; ECKELBARGER, K.J.; WATLING, L.; University of Maine – Darling Marine Center; same as above; same as above: Some Aspects of the Reproductive Biology of Paramuricea placomus (Octocorallia) from the Gulf of Maine The cold-water octocoral, Paramuricea placomus (Linnaeus 1758), is endemic to the North Atlantic Ocean, occurring on both eastern and western sides […]

LOCHETTO, S.M.**; JAYNE, B.C.; Univ. of Cincinnati: Size affects the gap-bridging performance of brown tree snakes Environmental variation often has profound effects on the locomotion of animals, and networks of branches in arboreal environments provide a rich source of variation in physical structure that imposes several functional challenges. For example, gaps between branches in arboreal […]

JOHNSON, J. I.*; MORRIS, J. A. ; FOBBS JR., A. J.; Michigan State Univ., East Lansing; Michigan State Univ., East Lansing; National Mus. Health Medicine, Armed Forces Inst. Pathol., Washington DC: Shared Characters of Cerebral Isocortex in Cetacean Bottlenosed Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, and Artiodactyl Domestic Sheep, Ovis aries. In many large brained mammals, sensory regions […]

GRILLIOT, Matthew E. ; MENDONCA, Mary T.*; BURNETT, Stephen C.; Auburn University, Auburn; Auburn University, Auburn; Clayton State College and University, Morrow: Sexual Dimorphism in the Ultrasonic Signals of Big Brown Bats in the Mating Season Investigating the communicative function of ultrasonic signals in a social context provides valuable insight into one of the most […]

WACK, C.L.*; LOVERN, M.B.; Oklahoma State University: Sex, Age, and Season Effects on Plasma Steroids in Free-ranging Texas Horned Lizards Although several studies exist on the ecology and reproductive behavior of Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum), nothing is known about the underlying steroid concentrations that likely influence these ecological and reproductive traits. Due to its […]

GANSER, Lisa R.; University of Miami: Sex differences in the hindbrain of the cane toad, Bufo marinus Sex differences in morphology and reproductive behavior in anurans are often easily defined. The neuroanatomical areas that govern these sexually different reproductive behaviors are not as easy to discern. In many anuran species, males will attract mates by […]

RABURN, B.L.*; MOORE, P.A.; Bowling Green State Univ.: Serotonin and Agonistic Interactions in O. rusticus Agonistic interactions between crayfish establish a social role of dominance between the pair of combatants. These interactions are highly ritualized and can be described by a series of common behaviors of increasing or decreasing levels of aggression. The level of […]

O’NEILL, M. W.*; GIBB, A. C.; Northern Arizona University; NAU: Selective chemical denervation of pectoral fin muscles using botulinum toxin Recent use of botulinum toxin in mammals suggests that it could be used to chemically denervate specific muscles to test functional hypotheses without regional or systemic effects. We used Type A botulinum toxin complex to […]