The arid and semiarid region in central Asia is sensitive and vulnerable to climate variations. However, the sparse and highly unevenly distributed meteorological stations in the region provide limited data for understanding of the region’s climate variations. In this study, the near-surface air temperature change in central Asia from 1979 to 2011 was examined using observations from 81 meteorological stations, three local observation validated reanalysis datasets of relatively high spatial resolutions, and the Climate Research...

With as little as 3% of southeastern Coastal Plain pitcher plant bogs remaining, it is important to understand the life-history aspects of the endemic organisms that comprise this community. In this study, we elucidate aspects of the life history of Exyra semicrocea (Pitcher Plant Moth) by incorporating unpublished portions of a thesis from 1978–1979 with recent fi eld and lab observations in 2010. We give morphological descriptions of both larvae and adults, as well as...

The reproductive ecology of male Crotalus adamanteus Beauvois (Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake) from southwestern Georgia (Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Baker County) was studied from 14 August 2003 to 14 August 2006. Few studies provide information on reproduction of free-living Eastern Diamondbacked Rattlesnakes, and no information is available on the seasonal relationship of plasma sex steroids of males to changes in the reproductive organs (e.g., mass of the testis and kidney) and the mating season....

Dendritic cells (DC) are sentinels of the immune system, alerting and enlisting T cells to clear pathogenic threats. As such, numerous studies have demonstrated their effective uptake and proteolytic activities coupled with antigen processing and presentation functions. Yet, less is known about how these cellular mechanisms change and develop as myeloid cells progress from progenitor cells to more differentiated cell types such as DC. Thus, our study comparatively examined these functions at different stages of...

The evolution of reproductive strategies depends on local environmental conditions. When environments are seasonal, selection favors individuals that align changes in key reproductive traits with seasonal shifts in habitat quality. Offspring habitat quality can decline through the season, and increased maternal provisioning to late-produced offspring may compensate. This shift, however, may depend on environmental factors that influence reproduction and are, themselves, subject to temporal changes (e.g., food abundance). We studied the brown anole lizard (Anolis...

Self-righting performance is a key ability for most terrestrial animals, and has been used as a metric of fitness, exhaustion and thermal limits in a variety of taxa. However, there is little understanding of the underlying mechanisms that drive variation in self-righting performance. To evaluate the mechanical factors that contribute to success versus failure when animals attempt to self-right, we compared force production and kinematic behavior in the rigid-bodied, pleurodire turtle Emydura subglobosa between successful...

To accurately assess the roles of agriculture in securing food security and maintaining environmental sustainability, it is essential to improve the representation of crop growth, development, and yield formation in global land models that traditionally focus on energy, water, carbon, and nitrogen exchanges between land and the atmosphere. In this study, a process-based agricultural module has been coupled with the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM-AG2.0) for assessing how multiple environmental factors (climate change, atmospheric CO2...

Animal signals are characterized by two design components: efficacy (detectability) and content (message being conveyed). Selection for efficient signal perception should favor the evolution of traits that exhibit an optimal balance between these two design components. We examined the evolution of signal design in the colorful plumage ornaments of manakins (Aves: Pipridae). We used a model of avian color space to quantify how differences in plumage coloration would be perceived by a typical passerine bird...

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.

Article from the George Eliot Review, digitized and hosted by the George Eliot Review Online.