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Assessing stress physiology of cane toads in Florida: tradeoffs with dispersal
(2021-04-08)
Physiological tradeoffs occur in organisms coping with their environments, which are likely to increase as populations reach peripheries of established ranges, potentially due to stress. Invasive species offer opportunities ...
Identification of novel biosynthetic gene clusters and bacterial taxa from a soil microbiome using metagenomic approaches
(2021-04-21)
The microbial world is home to incredible taxonomic and metabolic diversity. Microorganisms are prolific producers of secondary metabolites, which are an important source of bioactive compounds, namely antibiotics, which ...
EFFECTS OF DDT AND DDE ON IMMUNITY, OXIDATIVE STRESS AND REPRODUCTIVE PARAMETERS IN RODENTS
(2021-04-26)
Lingering endocrine disrupting chemicals (i.e. DDT) are a significant threat to wildlife and humans. The effects of DDT have long been documented to cause adverse effects on reproduction, immunity and induce physiological ...
Evolutionary ecology of stripe-necked musk turtles (Sternotherus peltifer) in the Cahaba River drainage
(2021-04-27)
Stripe-necked musk turtles (Sternotherus peltifer) are one of the least-studied species of the southeastern United States’ diverse turtle fauna. Despite this, the environmental variation that exists within their geographic ...
Floral Biology of Alabama’s Spigelia species (Family Loganiaceae)
(2021-05-04)
This thesis examines the pollination ecology of Alabama species of Spigelia. Alabama currently has two species that are under threat of extinction: S. gentianoides and S. alabamensis. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has ...
The Molecular Underpinning of Life-History Evolution: Roles of the IIS network and the Building of a Reptilian Model
(2021-07-12)
The Insulin and Insulin-like Signaling (IIS) network regulates cellular processes including pre- and post-natal growth, cellular development, wound healing, reproduction, and longevity. Despite their importance on the ...
Nesting ecology of reptiles: Effects of maternal nesting behavior and egg incubation environments on offspring phenotypes and fitness
(2021-07-13)
Understanding the role of the environment in shaping phenotypic variation has been a goal at the heart of evolutionary biology since its inception. Through the work that led to the modern synthesis framework, we see that ...
THE BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF MENTAL GLAND SECRETIONS OF BOTH SEXES OF GOPHER TORTOISES (GOPHERUS POLYPHEMUS)
(2021-07-19)
All living chelonian species (e.g., turtles and tortoises) are experiencing population declines, causing a new imperative to maintain the longevity of adults and to facilitate reproduction. One strategy in facilitating ...
Copper dependent defects in mitochondria
(2021-07-27)
Wilson disease (WD) is a disease characterized by excessive copper accumulation in the liver and various other organs. In WD copper is absorbed through dietary consumption and not properly excreted from the body. Excessive ...
Evolution of deuterostome immune systems
(2021-09-10)
Contemporary theory on the evolution of metazoan immune systems is primarily derived of work on a few historically established model species (including Drosophila, human, and mouse). Though these species have provided ...