Parasites are increasingly recognized for their significant roles in shaping community structure and ecosystem dynamics. Due to their cryptic nature, however, they are often neglected in measurements of energy flow and biomass in ecosystems. Past studies have demonstrated that parasites directly contribute to the flow of energy through marine estuaries...
Background: Even with numerous successful Trap-Neuter-Release programs, feral cat populations continue to grow. Our laboratory is interested in determining if an underlying biological cause exists for the exuberant reproductive success in this once domestic subspecies. An earlier age for developing reproductive capacity (onset of spermatogenesis in males) may be one...
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) seed yields in Oregon are significantly reduced by the Clover Root Borer (CRB), Hylastinus obscurus. Since the CRB develops in clover roots and only emerges above ground briefly to mate and disperse, insecticides are ineffective for its control. In contrast, biological control may have potential as...
"Red-sided garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, from Manitoba, Canada are known to be hosts to trematodes, Alaria sp., in their population. Alaria sp. have been located in the tail tissue of the snakes. The non-reproductive stage of these obligate endoparasites, known as a mesocercaria, is trophically acquired by garter snakes....
When people think of fossils, they generally imagine the bones of large, charismatic animals. However, small mammals are an ecologically important group of organisms that show up frequently in the fossil record, and can frequently function as indicators for local environmental and ecological conditions (Terry, 2007, 2010). Rodent and rabbit...
The ritualized courtship of the Red-legged salamander, Plethodon shermani, has been studied extensively. Males and females possess brightly colored red legs, but little is known about the implications of this coloration on mate choice. An alternative hypothesis is that coloration may be used as a warning signal to predators. Animals...