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Skip to Search Results- 1Barr, Braden N.
- 1Burns, Michael Edward
- 1Croghan, Jasmine A.
- 1Dyer, Aaron David
- 1Fagua Gonzalez, Giovanny
- 1Kelley, Amanda D
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A molecular assessment of range expansion of the northern or virile crayfish (Orconectes virilis), crayfish-based community co-structure, and phylogeny of crayfish-affiliated symbionts
DownloadFall 2012
Geographical limits of a species’ range are determined in part by the environmental tolerances of that species, and also by its past and current ability to colonize new areas. Range shifts are a common occurrence in the evolutionary history of almost all taxa; however, anthropogenically-mediated...
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Comparative Analysis of the Anatomy of the Myxinoidea and the Ancestry of Early Vertebrate Lineages
DownloadFall 2012
The question of whether a hagfish is a true vertebrate or not has profound implications about the ancestry of the clade. New anatomical evidence allows a test of their systematic position. With dissections and serial sections of original specimens, and with a literature review, a comparative...
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Cranial Morphology, Taxonomy, and Systematics of Pachycephalosaurids (Dinosauria, Ornithischia)
DownloadSpring 2022
Pachycephalosauridae (pachcycephalosaurids) were small to medium sized bipedal ornithischians, known solely from the Late Cretaceous of North America and Asia. These dinosaurs are characterised by thick, often domed frontals and parietals (frontoparietal dome), which are thought to have been used...
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Fall 2014
Animal personality – defined as consistent differences in behaviour among individuals – is a growing field in behavioural ecology due to its demonstrated effects on fitness. However, the ontogeny of personality under natural conditions remains relatively unexplored. In this thesis, I examine the...
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Spring 2015
Pachyrhinosaurus is a peculiar ceratopsian known only from Upper Cretaceous strata of Alberta and the North Slope of Alaska. The genus consists of three described species Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis, Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai, and Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum that are distinguishable by cranial...
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Fall 2015
Here I assess sources of intraspecific morphological variability in the armoured dinosaurs (Dinosauria: Ornithischia: Ankylosauria), approached from the viewpoints of ontogenetic allometry, fossil bone histology, and individual variation. Juvenile specimens of Pinacosaurus grangeri Gilmore, 1933,...
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Fall 2014
With well over 3,400 described species, snakes undoubtedly represent one of the most successful groups of reptiles. Much has been written about their ecology, behavior, anatomy, relationships and evolution. However, despite the debate about the origin of this taxonomic group dating back to the...
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Fall 2018
A full understanding of the evolution of novel forms requires inference about their origins through the study of variation in extant taxa and clues from the fossil record. However, the origins of morphological diversity in many groups are obscured by the scarcity of transitional fossils or...
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Osteology, Taxonomy, Phylogeny, and Body Shape Changes of Eocene Catostomid and Problematic Catostomid Fishes
DownloadFall 2016
Extant catostomid fishes occupy diverse aquatic ecosystems and niches in North America (NA). Less than 3% of catostomid taxonomic richness, or two species, are found outside of NA in Asia. Such adjunct and unbalanced distribution pattern has been established since the late Oligocene, when...
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Fall 2017
Leafrollers moths are one of the most ecologically and economically important groups of herbivorous insects. These Lepidoptera are an ideal model for exploring the drivers that modulate the processes of diversification over time. This thesis analyzes the evolution of Choristoneura Lederer, a well...