Advait Jukar
abstract poster
Fry-fishing.
Patricia Snarski and Holly Cho
abstract poster
Effect of Sublethal Copper Concentration on Flow Orientation
Behavior of Zebrafish, Danio rerio
Angeline Wolski and Ross Young
abstract poster
Enhancement in the Response to Multiple Predatorial Cues in
the Planorbella Pond Snail.
Dani Cardia,
Robin Steitz and Charlie Morse
abstract poster
Investigating the Effects of Herbicides on Stickleback Behavior:
92% Random.
Katie Tanner, Kavita Krishnakant, and Molly King
abstract poster
Not Exactly the Masters of the Maze
Charlene Grahn and Michael Weingart
abstract poster
The Effect of Acetylcholine-Induced Stridulation on Octopamine
Levels in the Cricket Brain
Matt Hagen and Laurel Oldach
abstract poster
Paradox-ical Proximity of Coffee Shops to College Libraries:
Does Caffeine Do More than Keep You Wake?
Laura Bradley, Sophie Mayer and Peter Cawley
abstract poster
Ethanol’s Effect on Drosophila Mating Behavior.
David Krueger & Lanlan Jin
abstract poster
Are Lazy-Eaters Also Lazy in Bed: Inter-Strain Differences in
Drosophila Mating Behavior?
Shreya Shrestha and Marion Burrill
abstract poster
Does Mate Choice Depend on Age?
Dan Berstein and Justine Spencer
abstract poster
Bettas Gone Wild.
Alyssa Gotschlich
abstract poster
Who's Who at the Zoo - Is there a Stereotypical Stereotype?
Molly Radany and Marisa Mirviss
abstract poster
Panicked Tadpoles Don’t Feed: The
Effect of Predator and Alarm Cues on the Foraging
Behavior of Bombina Orientalis Tadpoles
Advait Jukar
Bombina Orientalis is an amphibian native to Korea. Its developmental
stages are typical of any amphibian, producing tailed tadpoles. I conducted
a study to see whether predator cues, alarm cues or a combination of
both would affect feeding behavior of the tadpoles. Captive Bombina Orientalis
were bred and the tadpoles obtained were randomized and sixty were placed
into four conditions (15x4). The four conditions were as follows: 1)
control, 2) alarm cue, 3) predator cue, 4) predator cue + alarm cue.
The predators I chose were three-spined stickleback caught from the Reed
Canyon and the alarm cues were generated by introducing tadpoles that
had their tails cut off to simulate attack by a predator. Introducing
tadpoles in the tank with stickleback so that the fish would attack the
tadpoles thereby generating both predator and alarm cues created the
fourth condition. Feeding behavior was determined by the number of tadpoles
present of the bed of spinach created in the testing enclosures. The
tadpoles were observed at fifteen-minute intervalss for an hour every
alternate day. An analysis of the data collected revealed a significant
difference in the number of tadpoles present of the spinach bed between
the control and the second third and fourth conditions. The second and
third conditions were not significantly different from one another but
were significantly different from the fourth condition. Therefore, a
combination of predator cues and conspecific alarm cues had the greatest
effect on the feeding behavior of the tadpoles.
Fry-fishing.
Patricia
Snarski and Holly Cho
Predation is a constant danger to young fish but the mechanisms of how
the behaviors of these fry materialize is not clear. In this study, Astatotilapia
burtoni fry were taken from wild caught stock and laboratory-raised stock
to see whether the fish learn how to evade predation or if it is genetic.
Female adult A. burtoni show significant differences in maternal behaviors
depending if they are wild caught or laboratory raised, and to see if
these effects transcend to their kin, fry were chased with a net to mimic
a predator and the time it took to be caught was used as an estimate
of how "good" the predator evasion tactics are. We looked at
different strains and different treatment methods to see if the fry would
learn how to evade predators or if it came ingrained. We found no significant
effects between strains, treatment conditions, or naive or experience
individuals or any cross effect between these variables, but there was
some interesting correlations that could provide interesting follow up
experimentation. We found that overall both strains decreased in time
to be caught after they became experienced fish (that is, caught in the
net before) and that the fish were caught more readily after being chased
by a net for a week and that strain two took less time to be caught than
strain two, although none of the data showed significance.
Effect of Sublethal Copper Concentration
on Flow Orientation Behavior of Zebrafish, Danio rerio
Angeline Wolski and Ross Young
Dissolved copper can enter aquatic ecosystems through runoff from roads
or due to other human activities. The goal of our experiment was to analyze
the effects of an ecologically relevant sublethal concentration (20 mg/L
for 3 hours) of dissolved copper on the behavior of Danio rerio when
introduced to a constant flow. Behavior was quantified by orientation
and location of fish within the experimental setup. Fish exposed to the
copper treatment did not show a preference for any orientation directions
(p=.1065) while control fish spent significantly more time oriented towards
quadrants 1 and 3 (p<.0001). Both control and copper-exposed fish
spent significantly more time in quadrant 1 than any other quadrant (p<.0001
for both analyses). Copper-treated fish spent significantly less time
in quadrant 1 than the control (p=.0461). These results indicate that
sublethal dissolved copper concentrations have a measurable effect on
flow orientation behaviors of D. rerio.
Enhancement in the Response to Multiple
Predatorial Cues in the Planorbella Pond Snail.
Dani Cardia, Robin Steitz and Charlie Morse
Previous studies have shown that pond snails o the genus Planorbella
exhibit a distinct predator avoidance response in the presence of crayfish.
These studies focused on the reaction to chemosensory stimuli associated
with crayfish, including addition of crushed snails and water collected
from tanks housing crayfish to the environment of snails in the lab.
The present study focused on the possibility of an enhancement of the
reaction to the presence of both the crushed snail and crayfish water
stimuli presented simultaneously as proposed to their separate and distinct
effects. The results show that the snail's reaction to the three treatments,
(snail water, crayfish water and both) were not statistically different
and therefore, these findings do not support the hypothesis of enhancement.
Investigating the Effects of Herbicides
on Stickleback Behavior: 92% Random
Katie Tanner, Kavita Krishnakant, and Molly King
Our project sought to investigate the effects of the herbicides glyphosate,
atrazine, and an “eco-friendly” organic herbicide Nature’s
Avenger on the stress response in stickleback. Stickleback fish
are a native species to the northwest, so it is valuable to understand
the effects of pollutants on their behavior. Atrazine is a very
common, and very harmful, pesticide present as a pollutant in the Willamette
River. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is also a
common environmental pollutant. Nature’s Avenger, with active
ingredient limonene (a citrus-derived compound), is advertised as an
herbicide for organic gardens. We exposed stickleback fish
to two different concentrations of each of the three herbicides. We
chose concentrations based on the EPA recommended non-lethal concentrations
for fish. For each trial, a pair of fish was placed in each treatment
container and exposed for an average of three days. Each fish was
then scored for activity based on the number of times it moved between
the top and bottom half of the tank and on the number of burst swims
exhibited over a 15 minute period. Burst swims are a strong indicator
of stress in fish. Following scoring, the fish were weighed to
determine if there was a significant mass-based effect. Analyses
were performed to analyze the effects of treatment on activity and burst
swims. We found that there is no significant effect of treatment
or of mass on activity or number of stress bursts in stickleback fish. We
thus cannot determine if activity is a good measure of stress or a response
to toxicity.
Stickleback: Not Exactly the Masters
of the Maze
Charlene Grahn and Michael Weingart
The experiment tested whether or not there was a difference in the associative
learning capacity in two different populations of stickleback. They were
raised in different environments and potentially have different capacities
from this ontological difference. After constructing a maze out of ABS
pipe the fish were to associate the presence of a plant with the presence
of food. After a chi squared analysis it was determined that there was
a difference in associative learning capacity, with the pond population
associating a lack of plant with the presence of food (unfortunate byproduct
of the habituation trials). The canyon population did not make associations
of food presence one way or the other.
The Effect of Acetylcholine-Induced Stridulation
on Octopamine Levels in the Cricket Brain
Matt Hagen and Laurel Oldach
Inducing stridulation in male crickets by injection of acetylcholine
is a neuroethological protocol often used to study naturally occurring
reafference as well as the remaining neurochemical cascade occurring
behind the behavior. We hoped to determine whether injection-induced
stridulation changes gene expression in the brain by staining for octopamine,
the arthropod equivalent of epinephrine. Although our injections
failed to elicit chirps, more pre-stridulatory behavior was observed
in injected males than PBS-injected controls. An in depth discussion
of staining results will occur at the poster session.
Paradox-ical proximity of coffee shops
to college libraries: Does caffeine do more than keep you awake?
Laura Bradley, Sophie Mayer and Peter Cawley
Learning ability was measured in Rattus novegicus that were orally
administered differential doses of caffeine over a period of four weeks. Experimenters’ interest
stemmed from increasingly prevalent prescription of stimulant “study
drugs,” such as Ritalin and Adderall, to aid focus and academic
performance. Previous studies demonstrated that caffeine can have
an advantageous effect on learning (Smith 2002). In this study,
learning in rats was measured by their ability to extend a sequence of
lever presses in an operant chamber over a period of four sessions. A
baseline recording of sequence length was measured, followed by three
additional sessions in which rats were previously administered caffeine
for four days. Mean and median response time and percent correct
responses were also measured. Solutions of three different caffeine
concentrations were available ad libitum to three experimental groups;
actual dosages were subsequently calculated based on individual consumption. Available
caffeine concentrations were increased ~10 mg/kg each week such that
each experimental group retained its relative dosage level. The
study was designed such that each group received ~25 mg/kg caffeine for
one week during the study in order to demonstrate an effect of previous
administration on performance. The hypothesis that caffeine improves
learning in rats is putatively supported in this experiment. Each
rat’s score was evaluated with respect to its measured baseline
in order to control for individual differences in performance. Linear
regression models indicate a positive correlation between sequence length
and caffeine dose, with a great amount of variation. Interestingly,
median response time did not decrease as expected with increased dosage. Smith,
A. (2002) Food and Chemical Tox. 40:1243-55.
Ethanol’s effect on Drosophila
mating behavior
David Krueger & Lanlan Jin
Inebriation is related to mating behavior in humans, but while it is
generally reputed to make mating more likely, sociological and psychological
studies indicate that this seems to be a social phenomenon and intoxication
actually suppresses arousal in humans. Ethanol exposure in drosophila has
been shown to have many of the same effects observed in humans: hyperactivity
followed by sedation, and loss of coordination. Drosophilas also
show signs of withdraw after prolonged exposure. Chronic alcohol
exposure in male drosophila leads to increased courtship and more courting
of other males. We study the effects of short-term ethanol exposure
on drosophila melongaster mating behavior in both females and males. We
performed mating assays between individuals measuring time to 1st courtship,
time to 1st mating attempt and time to successful copulation, for inebriated
males and females (IMIF), sober males and inebriated females (SMIF),
inebriated males and sober females (IMSF), and a control group with both
sexes sober (SMSF). We hypothesized that, relative to the control:
1. the males will court and attempt to mate earlier when inebriated (IMSF,
IMIF), 2. successful mating will be slower due to loss of coordination
when the females are sober (IMSF). 3. mating will occur earlier, relative
to control, in groups with inebriated females(IMIF, SMIF). Our
results were inconclusive, since our flies displayed very few mating
behaviors across all test groups and we had no successful matings.
Are Lazy-Eaters Also Lazy in Bed: Inter-Strain
Differences in Drosophila Mating Behavior?
Shreya Shrestha and Marion Burrill
A meeting abstract presented by Pereira and Sokolowski in 1991, reported
inter-strain differences in mating behavior between Rover and Sitter
strains of Drosophila melanogaster. They show that Rover males,
who tend to search larger areas while foraging, also achieve copulation
faster and mate for longer than Sitter males, who tend to remain in one
location while foraging. We obtained Rover/Sitter strains from
Juliana Arrighi and maintained separate cultures of each strain for the
duration of our study. Using JWatcher V 1.0 we ran mating trials
and recorded three possible states, courting, mating, and not courting. Within
the courting state we allowed three possible events to be recorded, wing
vibration, orientation, and attempt to mate. Data will be analyzed
preliminarily using JWatcher and will subsequently be analyzed for statistical
significance using nonparametric tests via JMP 7. The data will
be discussed in relation to previous findings regarding inter-strain
variation in the behaviors of D. melanogaster.
Does mate choice depend on age?
Dan Berstein and Justine Spencer
Our experiment attempted to test whether the age of the chosen mate is
dependent on the age of the mate chooser in both genders. An attempt
was made to mate all four combinations of ages and genders. The
results were inconclusive.
Bettas Gone Wild
Alyssa Gottschlich
While attempting to breed betta fish, an interesting contradiction occurred.
Because bettas are naturally aggressive, care needs to be taken that
the male won’t attack the female, and breeders can discern the
male’s interest in the female by his behavior. However, it was
difficult to discriminate between the signals for courtship and aggression.
The goal for this project was to create an ethogram which would distinguish
between courtship and aggressive behaviors. Males were observed interacting
with other males, as well as with unfamiliar and familiar females. Certain
behaviors like flaring were significantly increased between males, and
the males were also much more active throughout the observation period
if they were interacting with another male, though a few behaviors were
observed more frequently if it was a female the male was interacting.
No behaviors were observed in interacting with one sex that were not
observed in the other.
Who's Who at the Zoo - Is there a Stereotypical
Stereotype?
Molly Radany and Marisa Mirviss
The purpose of this experiment to investigate methods for assessing roles
of stereotyped and social behaviors in large captive mammals, as a precursor
to developing protocols to assess the overall mental health of zoo animals.
The study was conducted at the Oregon Zoo in Portland. Observations of
three types of large mammals – social herbivores, (elephants),
social predators, (Stellar’s sea lions), and non-social predators
(polar bears) – were conducted using focal sampling techniques.
Behaviors were categorized into five general groups: Social Interaction,
Enrichment Interaction, Stereotypy, Independent Activities, and No- activity,
with Not in Sight as a sixth possible category. Visual representations
of the data show prominent stereotypic behavior in all animal types,
with unique variations in individual animals. Surprisingly, some behaviors
could not be classified in one group, and overlapped stereotypic behaviors
with social interaction or keeper-provided enrichment activities; for
example, polar bears were observed interacting with enriching items in
a repetitive pattern that differed little from non-enrichment stereyotypies.
Sea lions also exhibited swim patterns that were obvious stereotypies
yet were also facilitated as social interactions. Further research along
these lines could investigate the origins of the differences in stereotypic
behavior in various types of mammals while aiming to improve the mental
health and wellbeing of captive individuals.