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Genetics and functional genomics of abscission
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Abscission is the shedding of plant organs as part of development or in response to environmental stresses. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, only the floral organs abscise as part of development. This is controlled ...
Complex life-histories and biogeochemical cycles : interactions between amphibian life-history strategies and elemental cycling
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
All life must balance two key currencies: energy and matter. My dissertation focuses on the struggle that animals face in balancing various permutations of the latter currency: elements. The availability of essential ...
Factors affecting abundance, physiology, and fine-scale genetic differentiation of the western slimy salamander (Plethodon albagula)
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Inferring process from pattern can be a challenging undertaking when dealing with ecological complexity. The distribution and abundance of organisms on the landscape is often interpreted through the lens of competition, ...
Bisphenol A (BPA) in human serum and urine : exposure via dermal absorption from thermal paper receipts and oral ingestion after transfer from hand to food
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure is thought to be mainly due to absorption from the gut by oral ingestion. However thermal receipt paper represents another potential source of BPA exposure via direct absorption through the skin ...
Genome-wide exploration of direct GBX2 target genes and their contributions to mouse development
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The cells that comprise the vertebrate nervous system require molecular cues to determine their cellular position, identity and their ability to make ...
Mature forest-breeding bird use of early-successional habitat
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Some late-successional birds shift habitat-use from mature forestbreeding habitat to early-successional habitat. Management efforts have primarily focused on breeding habitat for migratory songbirds, but the post-breeding ...
Role of WntPlanar cell polarity genes in migration of facial branchiomotor neurons
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
During brain development, newborn neurons must migrate to precise locations in order to establish functional circuitry. Defective neuronal migration underlies several human brain disorders. The facial branchiomotor (FBM) ...
Analysis of post-translational modifications of the blue light photoreceptor, phot1, by the CRL3NPH3 ubiquitin ligase complex
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Plants are sessile by nature; because of this they have evolved many strategies to cope with the diverse environmental stimuli they encounter in nature. One such strategy is the phototropic response by which plants reorient ...
Movement ecology of juvenile pond-breeding salamanders: implications for the management and conservation of amphibian populations
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Human-induced habitat change is widely regarded as a primary factor threatening the persistence of species. One major consequence of habitat alteration is its effect on the movement behavior of individuals. Spotted salamanders ...
Motor neuron output in the crustacean cardiac ganglion is organized and maintained by homeostatic conductance relationships
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Generating appropriate and functional neuronal output is a matter of fundamental importance to nervous systems across species and phyla. Potential perturbations to a neurons intrinsic excitability alone include Hebbian ...
Motor unit characterization in canine degenerative myelopathy :a disease model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Dogs homozygous for missense mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) develop a late-onset neuromuscular disorder called degenerative myelopathy (DM) that has many similarities to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ...
A noninvasive approach to understanding adaptation, crop raiding behavior, and the fecal microbiota of the African elephant
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
For my research I used noninvasive dung samples to study the ecology, evolution and behavior of the African elephant. First, I looked for positive selection in the mitochondrial genome between the two African elephant ...
Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) gene flow within rivers of the Missouri Ozark highlands
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
For species of conservation concern, effective management includes maintaining robust population sizes while monitoring and promoting genetic variability. For hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), an aquatic salamander ...
Influence of habitat selection and habitat quality on the demography of a neotropical migrant songbird, the Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii)
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Individual fitness varies with the quality of the habitat occupied. Variation in habitat quality is difficult to assess, particularly in heterogeneous habitats where quality may differ within a single patch. Individuals ...
Investigating an adaptive radiation in temperate Neoconocephalus
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
Evolution of communication system is seemingly complex requiring coevolution between sender and receiver mechanisms. Studying acoustic communication in the katydid genus Neoconocephalus (coneheaded katydids), I compare ...
Sensory processing and the evolution of female preference in Neoconocephalus
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2013)
While the importance of the female preference for exaggerated male traits is largely understood, the evolutionary origins remain under debate. During the evolution of the female preference for leading signals via a sensory ...