Experiments were conducted to determine: 1) the effects of exogenous melatonin and reduced photoperiod on molting and growth of the winter pelage (fur) and 2) whether changes in serum prolactin levels of treated and control mink during this same period were correlated with growth of winter fur. Adult and kit...
A comparison of the various endocrine glands, in addition to
other anatomical measurements, was made on 19 normal and 21
dwarf 2-3-month-old females and 20 normal and 20 dwarf 7-13-month-old females of the White Leghorn breed. At both ages, dwarfs
weighed significantly less and had significantly shorter shanks than
normals....
Four studies were conducted in the llama (Lama glama) evaluating changes in reproductive physiology, vaginal cytology, and growth. Study I. Temporal changes in vaginal cytology were correlated with alterations in serum estradiol -17β and progesterone concentrations. A 2 * 2 factorial study examined the treatment effects of a) concurrent male...
I examined two aspects of the reproductive behavior of the garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus, a temperate marine damselfish with male parental care. My primary objective was to determine the relationship between female choice and male parental investment in the care of offspring. In particular, I sought to determine: (1) how the...
A procedure was developed for the isolation and maintenance
of isolated abdomina of the cockroach, Leucophaea maderae. The
degree of injury and loss of body fluid was best minimized by ligating
the animals immediately following the final molt. The nutritional
needs of the isolates were satisfied by filling the animals'...
The work presented in this dissertation examines possible
modes of action for growth inhibition by anthropogenic endocrine
disrupting chemicals (EDCs) as well as endogenous hormones
associated with growth in fish. Using the sheepshead minnow (SHM)
(Cyprinodon variegatus) as a model, I developed methods to examine
perturbations in the endocrine axis...
Throughout most of the developed world, surgical sterilization via gonadectomy has become a common tool for combating the overpopulation of unwanted dogs as well as to eliminate the risk of reproductive diseases in pet dogs. In the dog as in other normal adult mammal, the hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH),...
4-nonylphenol (NP), a surfactant degradation product, is an unregulated, ubiquitous aquatic contaminant and endocrine disruptor, for which aquatic life criteria are currently under development by U.S. EPA. The effects of NP on estuarine amphipods and chinook salmon fry were investigated, and this dissertation reports research into the impacts of NP...
Aquatic animals possess surprising similarities to humans in reproductive signaling that are simplified or elaborated for life underwater, making them useful for studying reproductive control. In this thesis, killifish and sea anemones are used as models for reproductive function and aging. The aging model Nothobranchius (killifish) was used to investigate...