Meeting Abstract 40.5  Friday, Jan. 4  Determining Neuromechanical Control Architecture Using Kinematic Phase Response to Perturbations REVZEN, S.*; BERNS, M.S.; KODITSCHEK, D.E.; FULL, R.J.; U. Cal. Berkeley; U. Cal. Berkeley; U. Penn. Philadelphia; U. Cal. Berkeley shrevz@berkeley.edu We define several neuromechanical control architectures that represent rhythmic motion. The first class is a mass-spring system interacting with the […]

Meeting Abstract 39.3  Friday, Jan. 4  Three-diminesional finite element analysis of elasmobranch teeth WHITENACK, L.B.*; SIMKINS, D.C.; MOTTA, P.J.; Univ. of South Florida; Univ. of South Florida; Univ. of South Florida whitenac@mail.usf.edu While teeth are a vital component of the shark feeding apparatus, their role in feeding has largely been ignored. Applying engineering techniques to shark tooth […]

Meeting Abstract 39.4  Friday, Jan. 4  The Pterylosis of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus): An in situ study FULLER, J.M.**; HOMBERGER, D.G.; Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge; Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge jlamb2@lsu.edu The pterylosis of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) was studied in situ based on the premises that (1) powered flight originated in small arboreal, […]

Meeting Abstract 39.1  Friday, Jan. 4  Ocular Skeletal Adaptations for the Devonian Deep-Sea PILGRIM, B.; FRANZ-ODENDAAL, TA*; Mount Saint, Vincent Univ., Halifax, Canada; Mount Saint, Vincent Univ., Halifax, Canada Tamara.Franz-Odendaal@msvu.ca Aquatic organisms face challenges with regards to vision at different depths since the different zones in the water column have different amounts of light penetration. Thus aquatic […]

Meeting Abstract 39.2  Friday, Jan. 4  Morphology of the cephalic lobes and anterior pectoral fins in batoids MULVANY, Samantha*; MOTTA, Philip; Univ. of South Florida, Tampa; Univ. of South Florida, Tampa smulvany@mail.usf.edu Cephalic lobes are modified portions of the anterior pectoral fins, found only in the more derived rays. Cephalic lobes vary by species, ranging in number […]

Meeting Abstract 39.5  Friday, Jan. 4  Functional morphology and physiology of tail vibration in snakes MOON, B. *; TULLIS, A. ; Univ. Louisiana at Lafayette; Univ. Puget Sound BradMoon@louisiana.edu Rattling by rattlesnakes is one of the fastest vertebrate movements and involves some of the highest contraction frequencies sustained by vertebrate muscle. In this project, we studied the […]

Meeting Abstract 38.2  Friday, Jan. 4  Physiological dimorphisms in pre- and post-reproductive spotted salamanders: endocrine and mitochondrial density differences FINKLER, M.S.*; WILLIAMS, M.K.; MCELVEEN, R.T.; Indiana Univ. Kokomo; Indiana Univ. Kokomo; Indiana Univ. Kokomo mfinkler@iuk.edu We investigated potential differences in circulating levels of corticosterone and thyroxine and in mitochondrial densities in various tissues of male and female […]

Meeting Abstract 38.4  Friday, Jan. 4  PERIRECEPTOR ROLE FOR THE HARDERIAN GLAND IN PHEROMONE DETECTION IN GARTER SNAKES MASON, R.T.*; HALPERN, M.; Oregon State University; SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn masonr@science.oregonstate.edu One of the few vertebrate pheromones that has been isolated, purified, and characterized is the sex pheromone of the red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). […]

Meeting Abstract 38.6  Friday, Jan. 4  Maternal investment depends on season in reproducing European hares VALENCAK , TG*; TATARUCH, F; RUF, T; University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna teresa.valencak@vu-wien.ac.at Compared to other precocial mammals, European hares bear high lactational costs. These costs may be caused by the year-round […]

Meeting Abstract 38.5  Friday, Jan. 4  Implications of python egg brooding behavior on clutch gaseous micro-environment and metabolic rate STAHLSCHMIDT, Z.R.*; DENARDO, D.F.; Arizona State University at Tempe; Arizona State University at Tempe zs@asu.edu All female pythons exhibit a brooding behavior that involves tightly coiling around a clutch of eggs during an incubation period (more than 80 […]