Global ETD Search
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Showing 1 to 20 of 116 for “"QL Zoology"”.
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Prioritization of conservation areas using species distribution modeling based on current data of butterflies in Johor
Rapid disappearance of habitats and species justifies the need to study species range and distributions so that high-priority conservation areas can be identified. Species distribution modeling (SDM) is an approach that can overcome the time and budget constraints of protected area management. This …
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To mix or not to mix? Evaluating breeding productivity in mixed species bird enclosures within European zoos.
Housing animals within mixed species aggregations is often believed to offer a more naturalistic captive environment by providing behavioural and social enrichment, and has become an integral design feature for many zoos across the world. There is however, a common perception among zoo …
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Genetic and ecological investigations of European populations of the pool frog, Rana lessonae (Camerano, 1882) with allied, osteological and species identification methods
Current identification methods for distinguishing north-west European brown and water frogs are discussed and tested, to allow the presentation here, of more accurate guidance on their separation. Novel methods for the identification of species and individuals including novel, non-invasive, …
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Reweaving the tapestry: a supertree of birds
Supertrees are a useful method of constructing large-scale phylogenies by assembling numerous smaller phylogenies that have some, but not necessarily all, taxa in common. Birds are an obvious candidate for supertree construction as they are the most abundant land vertebrates on the planet and no …
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Sibling rivalry in black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)
Chicks of several species compete with their siblings for parental provisioning of resources and care. This competition is mainly manifested by begging or food hoarding and in only few species, as in the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) direct aggression between the offspring is present.. …
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Towards a conservation strategy of the Roseate tern Sterna dougallii in the Azores Archipelago
The Roseate Tern, Sterna dougallii, is currently regarded as one of the most endangered seabirds in Europe. The mid-Atlantic Azores islands, Portugal, are an important breeding ground for this species, holding more than 50 per cent of the European population. EU directives are aimed at maintaining …
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Individual variability in the behaviour and morphology of larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua, L.)
Individuals both within and between populations can vary markedly in a number of traits, including behaviour, life-history patterns and morphology. These differences do not simply reflect noise around a mean, but reflect real and important variability that can have a number of important …
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Micro and macroclimate effects on reproductive performance of Common Eiders
The physical environment has a strong influence on the lives or organisms by limiting the way energy is gained and expended determining the capacity of organisms to invest in activities like reproduction. The avian nest site and structure, through its effects on the thermal conditions of the …
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Investigating the neurobiological basis underlying the sex-specific production of courtship song in Drosophila: the roles of sex determination genes fruitless and doublesex
The elaborate courtship ritual performed by Drosophila melanogaster males to interest females in copulation is used as a model to investigate the genetic and neurobiological basis for the specification of complex behaviours. One component of this courtship ritual is the ‘lovesong’, which both …
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Supplementing the studbook. Using genetic analysis to complement a captive breeding programme of an endangered primate, Hylobates moloch.
Genetic analysis of animals involved in captive breeding and reintroduction programmes can provide valuable information to aid in maintaining wild type genotypes and genetic variability. Hylobates moloch, also referred to as the silvery gibbon, is an Endangered primate species endemic to the …
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Bat Skull Evolution: the Impact of Echolocation
Morphological adaptations of the mammalian skull are influenced by a variety of functional, environmental and behavioural factors. Skulls of echolocating species, such as bats, also face the challenge of optimizing sound emission and propagation. A strong association between bat skull morphology …
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Mechanisms facilitating coexistence between leopards (Panthera pardus) and their competitors in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Large carnivores provide key ecological services to ecosystems, and full species assemblages are thought to be important in maintaining full ecosystem function. The African large carnivore guild represents one of the last functionally intact guilds of large carnivores on Earth, but relatively …
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The Influence of Forest Structure on Sumatran Orangutan Nesting and Densities in the Lowland Dipterocarp Forests of North Sumatra
Prior studies on Bornean orangutans have suggested that orangutans were primarily selecting nest sites that provided more stable and sheltered platforms thereby offering greater comfort rather than selecting for nests which reduced the risk of predation by limiting access to ground predators …
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Ranging patterns and resource use in samango monkeys
Loss and fragmentation of habitat can have significant negative consequences for forest-dwelling species. Understanding how a species uses space in an increasingly fragmented and human-dominated landscape is important to determine the extent to which they can persist in such landscapes. How animals …
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The Role of the Preoptic Area in Social Interaction in Zebrafish
The proposed “Social Decision Making Network” (SDMN) is a network of conserved, interconnected brain areas believed to regulate social behaviour across vertebrate taxa. While the role of the SDMN in complex social behaviours is relatively well understood, we know comparatively little about the role …
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Anthropogenic influences on the behavioural ecology of urban vervet monkeys
An animal’s behaviour is dependent upon its ability to adapt to environmental changes and available resources; consequently, generalist omnivorous species thrive in the continually developing urban landscape and preferentially choose the urban setting over its rural counterpart. Our understanding …
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Phobic finches: Investigating neophobia reactions in a colour polymorphic specialist, the Gouldian finch, Erythrura gouldiae.
Unpredictable changes to familiar environmental conditions, owing to Human Induced Rapid Environmental Change (HIREC), are increasingly presenting novel stimuli and creating strong selection pressures on specialist species to adapt to these changes. Neophobia is an ecologically relevant and …
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Host-seeking behaviour in the malaria vector Anopheles Gambiae
In sub-Saharan Africa, 90% of malaria cases are the result of transmission by the Anopheles gambiae species complex, causing 600,000 deaths annually. Increasingly, An. gambiae demonstrate behavioural and physiological resistance to control interventions and this, coupled with inadequate sampling …
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