Does Relaxed Predation Drive Phenotypic Divergence Among Insular Populations?
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KS2 Tortoise Shapes and Sizes
TORTOISE SHAPES AND SIZE... ? Not all tortoises look the same. What can you learn about a tortoise from looking at the shape of its shell? Some Galapagos tortoises have Some Galapagos tortoises have domed shells like this saddleback shells like this An adaptation is a feature an animal has which helps it survive. If an animal has a greater chance of surviving then it has a greater chance of having more babies who are also likely to have the same adaptation. In the space below, draw one of our Galapagos giant tortoises. Make notes describing the TASK 1 different adaptations of the tortoise and how those features might help the tortoise survive in the wild. Worksheet 2 KS2 1 ? Not all the Galapagos Islands have the same habitat. What can you tell about the habitat of a tortoise by looking at the shape of its shell? Some of the Galapagos Islands are Some of the Galapagos Islands are smaller and dryer, where tall cacti larger and wetter, where many plants grow. plants grow close to the ground. TASK 2 Of the two tortoise shell shapes, which is likely to be better for reaching tall cacti plants? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Which of these island types is likely to provide enough food for tortoises to grow to large sizes? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ -
An Introduction to Lemurs for Teachers and Educators
AN INTRODUCTION TO LEMURS FOR TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF AKO THE AYE-AYE The Ako the Aye-Aye Educator’s Guide introduces you to the remarkable world of lemurs. This guide provides background information about the biological concepts conveyed through the 21 Ako lessons. These lessons were created to accompany the Ako books. The Ako book series were developed by renowned primatologist Alison Jolly for students in Madagascar to inspire understanding and appreciation for the unique primates that share their island home. In addition to the books there is also a set of posters which showcase the habitat of each lemur species and their forest “neighbors.” GOALS OF THE AKO LESSONS: • Inspire students to make a positive difference for lemurs and other wildlife. • Promote environmental awareness, understanding and appreciation. • Provide activities that connect students to nature and motivate conservation action. HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE Each lesson aligns with a specific grade level (Kindergarten-1st, 2nd-3rd and 4th-5th) and one of the seven environmental themes below. Before carrying out an activity, we recommend reading the corresponding section in this guide that matches the theme of the lesson. The themes are: • LOOKING AT LEMURS—CLASSIFICATION AND BIODIVERSITY (PAGE 4) • EXPLORING LEMUR HABITATS (PAGE 10) • INVESTIGATING LEMUR ADAPTATIONS (PAGE 18) • DISCOVERING LEMUR COMMUNITIES—INTER-DEPENDENCE (PAGE 23) • LEARNING ABOUT LEMUR LIFE—LIFE CYCLES AND BEHAVIOR (PAGE 26) • DISCOVERING MADAGASCAR’S PEOPLE AND PLACES (PAGE 33) • MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR LEMURS (PAGE 40) Lessons can be completed chronologically or independently. Each activity incorporates multiple learning styles and subject areas. -
HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN Green Bay and Gravel Island
HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges October 2017 Habitat Management Plans provide long-term guidance for management decisions; set forth goals, objectives, and strategies needed to accomplish refuge purposes; and, identify the Fish and Wildlife Service’s best estimate of future needs. These plans detail program planning levels that are sometimes substantially above current budget allocations and as such, are primarily for Service strategic planning and program prioritization purposes. The plans do not constitute a commitment for staffing increases, operational and maintenance increases, or funding for future land acquisition. The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world's premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants. Since the designation of the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the System has grown to encompass more than 150 million acres, 556 national wildlife refuges and other units of the Refuge System, plus 38 wetland management districts. This page intentionally left blank. Habitat Management Plan for Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Habitat Management Plan (HMP) provides vision and specific guidance on enhancing and managing habitat for the resources of concern (ROC) at the refuge. The contributions of the refuge to ecosystem- and landscape-scale wildlife and biodiversity conservation, specifically migratory waterfowl, are incorporated into this HMP. The HMP is intended to provide habitat management direction for the next 15 years. The HMP is also needed to ensure that the refuge continues to conserve habitat for migratory birds in the context of climate change, which affects all units of the National Wildlife Refuge System. -
Species Summary
Podarcis gaigeae Region: 3 Taxonomic Authority: (Werner, 1930) Synonyms: Common Names: Lacerta taurica gaigeae Werner, 1930 Skyros Wall Lizard English Order: Sauria Family: Lacertidae Notes on taxonomy: This taxon was raised to species rank by Gruber (1986), with two subspecies, gaigeae and weiglandi (Grube and Schultze-Westrum 1971). Although this status was not recognised by Gasc et al. (1997), it is supported by additional genetic results (Harris and Arnold 1999). General Information Biome Terrestrial Freshwater Marine Geographic Range of species: Habitat and Ecology Information: This species is endemic to Greece where it occurs in the Skyros It is found in bushy vegetation or bare areas on some of the smaller archipelago and on Piperi Island in the northern Sporades Islands of islands. It is an egg-laying species. On some small islands cases of the Aegean Sea. It is a lowland species. gigantism in this species have been recorded. Conservation Measures: Threats: Its range is effectively protected on Piperi island, as there is a Although the species has a restricted range there appear to be no Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) population present, major threats at present. It is possible that the potential introduction of and access to the island is restricted. predators could threaten populations on some of the smaller islands. Species population information: It is a common species. Native - Native - Presence Presence Extinct Reintroduced Introduced Vagrant Country Distribution Confirmed Possible GreeceCountry: Native - Native - Presence Presence Extinct Reintroduced Introduced FAO Marine Habitats Confirmed Possible Major Lakes Major Rivers Upper Level Habitat Preferences Score Lower Level Habitat Preferences Score 3.8 Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation 1 6 Rocky areas (eg. -
Human Translocation As an Alternative Hypothesis to Explain the Presence of Giant Tortoises on Remote Islands in the Southwestern Indian Ocean
See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298072054 Human translocation as an alternative hypothesis to explain the presence of giant tortoises on remote islands in the Southwestern Indian Ocean ARTICLE in JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY · MARCH 2016 Impact Factor: 4.59 · DOI: 10.1111/jbi.12751 READS 63 3 AUTHORS: Lucienne Wilmé Patrick Waeber Missouri Botanical Garden ETH Zurich 50 PUBLICATIONS 599 CITATIONS 37 PUBLICATIONS 113 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Jörg U. Ganzhorn University of Hamburg 208 PUBLICATIONS 5,425 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, Available from: Lucienne Wilmé letting you access and read them immediately. Retrieved on: 18 March 2016 Journal of Biogeography (J. Biogeogr.) (2016) PERSPECTIVE Human translocation as an alternative hypothesis to explain the presence of giant tortoises on remote islands in the south-western Indian Ocean Lucienne Wilme1,2,*, Patrick O. Waeber3 and Joerg U. Ganzhorn4 1School of Agronomy, Water and Forest ABSTRACT Department, University of Antananarivo, Giant tortoises are known from several remote islands in the Indian Ocean Madagascar, 2Missouri Botanical Garden, (IO). Our present understanding of ocean circulation patterns, the age of the Madagascar Research & Conservation Program, Madagascar, 3Forest Management islands, and the life history traits of giant tortoises makes it difficult to com- and Development, Department of prehend how these animals arrived -
Lemurs, Little and Large
Lesson Description LEMURS, LITTLE Students practice measuring and learn that lemurs come in many sizes by measuring the length of Bitika the mouse lemur AND LARGE and other lemur species that she encounters on her evening adventure. The discussion focuses on lemur biodiversity (and 2-3rd grade also island gigantism and dwarfism) and the risks and benefits Language Arts, Science. Math of being big and small. Students will know that lemurs come in a variety of sizes and be able to use different tools ● Sets of marked lemur measurement rope and and units to measure them. identification, made using: ● Lemur Fact Cards ● Thick yarn or twine (15 feet long, one per group of ● Measure the length of different lemur species students plus one for the teacher) ● Describe why lemurs are so diverse in size ● Toilet paper, paper towel roll, or similar tube ● Measure lengths using a variety of tools ● Paper clips (8 per group of students ) ● Compare various units of measurement ● Colored tape (to mark lengths on rope) ● Describe why island species are sometimes very ● Masking tape to tape the ends of the large or very small lemur measuring rope to the floor ● Understand complexity of conservation issues ● Menabe-Antanimena Ako Poster i LOOKING AT LEMURS SETUP . Print out one set of Lemur Fact Cards for each rope. Cut out each card and hole-punch the corner. Place a paper clip through the hole. The paper clip will be used to attach the card at the distance representing the length of each lemur depicted. Cut one 15 foot length of yarn for each student group. -
Comparative Thinking in Biology
Comparative Thinking in Biology Adrian Currie This material has been published in the Cambridge University Press series Elements in the Philosophy of Biology, edited by Grant Ramsey and Michael Ruse. This version is free to view and download for personal use only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Adrian Currie. Acknowledgements I’m grateful to Marta Halina, Sabina Leonelli, Alison McConwell, Aaron Novick, Trevor Pearce, Russell Powell, William Wong and two anonymous referees for extremely useful and kind feedback on draft material. Also thanks to Grant Ramsey and Michael Ruse. Ideas from this element were presented to Exeter’s Cognition and Culture reading group, at Philosophy of Biology at Dolphin Beach 13 and at the Recent Trends in Philosophy of Biology conference in Bilkent; thanks to the audiences there. Many thanks to Kimberly Brumble for the wonderful illustrations. Some of the research for this Element was funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. Dedicated to the incomparable Kate. Table of Contents Cats versus Dogs............................................................................................................................... 1 1. Comparative Thinking .......................................................................................................... 14 1.1 Comparative Concepts .................................................................................................... 14 1.2 Two Kinds of Inference ................................................................................................... -
The Island Rule and Its Application to Multiple Plant Traits
The island rule and its application to multiple plant traits Annemieke Lona Hedi Hendriks A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology and Biodiversity Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand 2019 ii “The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder” Ralph W. Sockman. iii iv General Abstract Aim The Island Rule refers to a continuum of body size changes where large mainland species evolve to become smaller and small species evolve to become larger on islands. Previous work focuses almost solely on animals, with virtually no previous tests of its predictions on plants. I tested for (1) reduced floral size diversity on islands, a logical corollary of the island rule and (2) evidence of the Island Rule in plant stature, leaf size and petiole length. Location Small islands surrounding New Zealand; Antipodes, Auckland, Bounty, Campbell, Chatham, Kermadec, Lord Howe, Macquarie, Norfolk, Snares, Stewart and the Three Kings. Methods I compared the morphology of 65 island endemics and their closest ‘mainland’ relative. Species pairs were identified. Differences between archipelagos located at various latitudes were also assessed. Results Floral sizes were reduced on islands relative to the ‘mainland’, consistent with predictions of the Island Rule. Plant stature, leaf size and petiole length conformed to the Island Rule, with smaller plants increasing in size, and larger plants decreasing in size. Main conclusions Results indicate that the conceptual umbrella of the Island Rule can be expanded to plants, accelerating understanding of how plant traits evolve on isolated islands. -
Testing the Impact of Food Availability and Intraspecific Aggression On
1 Received Date : 19-Jan-2015 2 Accepted Date : 06-Aug-2015 3 Article type : Standard Paper 4 Editor : Jennifer Grindstaff 5 Section : Community Ecology 6 7 Feed or fight: Testing the impact of food availability and intraspecific 8 aggression on the functional ecology of an island lizard 9 10 Colin M. Donihue* a, Kinsey M. Brockb, Johannes Foufopoulosb, and 11 Anthony Herrelc,d 12 a Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, USA 13 b School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 14 USA 15 c UMR7179, CNRS/MNHN, 75005 Paris, France 16 d Ghent University, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 17 B-9000 Gent, Belgium 18 *Corresponding author: [email protected] 19 20 Summary 21 1. Body size often varies among insular populations relative to continental 22 conspecifics – the “island rule” – and functional, context-dependent 23 morphological differences tend to track this body size variation on islands. 24 2. Two hypotheses are often proposed as potential drivers of insular population 25 differences in morphology: one relating to diet, and the other involving intra- 26 specific competition and aggression. We directly tested whether differences in 27 morphology and maximum bite capacity were explained by inter-island changes Author Manuscript This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and has undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12550 This article is protected by copyright. -
Structure and Evolution of Lizard Immunity Genes
University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Summer 8-7-2020 Structure and Evolution of Lizard Immunity Genes Trent Santonastaso University of New Orleans, New Orleans Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Part of the Evolution Commons, Genetics Commons, Genomics Commons, Integrative Biology Commons, Molecular Biology Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Other Genetics and Genomics Commons, and the Population Biology Commons Recommended Citation Santonastaso, Trent, "Structure and Evolution of Lizard Immunity Genes" (2020). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2819. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2819 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Structure and Evolution of Lizard Immunity Genes A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Biology by Trenten T. Santonastaso B.S. Pennsylvania State University, 1994 M.S. -
Focus on an Island Rule May Hide Morphological Disparity in Insular Plants LETTER Joshua I
LETTER Focus on an island rule may hide morphological disparity in insular plants LETTER Joshua I. Briana,1 and Nathanael Walker-Haleb,1 The island rule (1, 2) posits that large mainland species case of island gigantism in stature but dwarfism in evolve to be small on islands, while small mainland leaves. However, C. repens is more closely related species evolve to be large. Biddick et al. (3) assess to Coprosma petiolata (4), which appears to repre- the signal of an island rule in plant traits on islands sent a case of island dwarfism in both stature and off the coast of New Zealand, concluding that some leaves, indicating that this process can be extremely plant traits show evidence of an island rule while variable. others do not. We applaud Biddick et al. for their ap- We consider that this variation may represent a plication of the island rule to plants. However, we ob- process of island plants exploring more of trait space serve significant heterogeneity in their data, and while than mainland relatives (5, 6), even in situations of so- analysis on a trait-by-trait basis may reveal an island rule, called anagenesis (5, 7). Analyses of separate traits can it may obscure evidence of island lineages explor- reflect an island rule but hide divergent patterns of ing more of trait space than their mainland relatives. among-trait evolution. In general, we expect that pop- A single plant species may demonstrate consider- ulations colonizing islands will be more subject to drift able variation in growth form, as their data suggest. -
Ecological Release and Allometry Explain Insular Gigantism and Shape Variation in a Widespread North American Rodent
ECOLOGICAL RELEASE AND ALLOMETRY EXPLAIN INSULAR GIGANTISM AND SHAPE VARIATION IN A WIDESPREAD NORTH AMERICAN RODENT By Mariah C. Schlis-Elias A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology Austin Peay State University January 2020 Thesis Committee: Dr. Mollie Cashner, Committee Chair Dr. Jason Malaney Dr. Chris Gienger College of Graduate Studies Austin Pe y Document Approval Sheet state ArUniversity Thesis/Dissertation/Research Paper/Literacy Paper/Field Study Last Name: APSU Email: Concentration: Student Agreement In presenting this document in partial fulfillmentof the requirements for a degree at Austin Peay State University, I agree that the library shall make it available to borrowers under the rules of the library. Brief quotations from this document are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Permissions for extensive quotation or reproduction of this document may be granted by my major professor or, in his/her absence, by the Head of Interlibrary Services when, in the opinion of either, the proposed use of the material is for scholarly purposes. Any copying or use of the material in this document for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. �ia�f Student�� Date Committee Approval We are submitting this document written by ,,{kyia.b, &kl,:s. - f]1C\.,S, . We have examined the final copy of this document for form and content. We recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the student's degree. Graduate Committee Major Professor og��Q Second Professor O"? �ec.