Biological Sciences Doctoral Work
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Curriculum design and assessment: the development of a nonmajor biology course-based undergraduate research experiences and its effects on students and instructors
(North Dakota State University, 2024)The goals of nonmajor science education are to improve scientific literacy and produce pro-science attitudes. Together, these goals are expected to improve an individual’s ability to make evidence-based decisions based on ... -
‘Omics’ approaches to understand ecology and physiology of bees
(North Dakota State University, 2024)Bees face several ecological and physiological challenges due to poor nutrition and abiotic stress. This dissertation explores various aspects related to these challenges, including the microbial ecology of honey bees and ... -
Short- and Long-Term Effects of Environmental Variability on the Ecophysiology of a Solitary Bee
(North Dakota State University, 2022)Environments can vary across seasons. One characteristic of spring in temperate regions is fluctuations in temperature. Sudden bouts of low temperature can have lasting effects on ectotherms that rely on ambient temperature. ... -
An Investigation of Student Understanding and Acceptance of Evolution
(North Dakota State University, 2021)Evolution is central to biology education and yet, it is often one of the most misunderstood and controversial topics that biology educators must teach. Research spanning the last four decades has shown that students ... -
The Influence of Body Size on Metabolic Rates, Scaling, Telomere Dynamics, and Metamorphosis in Megachilid Bees
(North Dakota State University, 2021)Body size is related to many aspects of a bee’s life history including foraging distance and pollination efficiency. Megachile rotundata, and Osmia lignaria are agriculturally important, solitary pollinators. Adult body ... -
Alignment of Genetic Variation, Plasticity, and Selection, and the Effects of Cost of Plasticity
(North Dakota State University, 2021)Phenotypic expression depends on both the underlying genetics and the environment the phenotype is expressed in, i.e., plasticity. Adaptive theory predicts that selection should align with the dimensions of most genetic ... -
Interaction and Innovation: The Impacts of Social Factors and Classroom Type on University Biology Instructor Classroom Assessment Decisions
(North Dakota State University, 2020)Efforts to improve university science education continue to emphasize the importance of active learning, including frequent formative assessment and timely feedback that helps students reach desired learning outcomes. Yet, ... -
Using a Cross-Cutting Theoretical Framework to Explore Difficulties Learning Human Anatomy and Physiology
(North Dakota State University, 2020)Across the United States, Human Anatomy and Physiology (HA&P) courses typically have some of the highest withdrawal and failure rates on college campuses. These high enrollment course typically serve as gate-keepers for ... -
Physiological Mechanisms Underpinning Growth and Aging in Wild Birds
(North Dakota State University, 2019)Life-history trade-offs have been well-documented within the literature through correlational and experimental studies. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying these trade-offs are less understood. Currently, there ... -
Peripheral Hormone Interactions with the Growth Hormone-Insulin-Like Growth Factor (GH-IGF) System in Rainbow Trout
(North Dakota State University, 2019)The growth of vertebrates is primarily regulated by the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor (GH-IGF) system, but not in isolation. The central question of this dissertation was how do other hormones peripheral to the ... -
Low Temperature Stress in the Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee, Megachile Rotundata
(North Dakota State University, 2017)Dramatic changes in ambient temperature can have a significant impact on insect physiology throughout development. The accumulations of the deleterious physiological effects throughout low temperature exposure are collectively ... -
Evidence of Climate Niche Creation in the Northern Great Plains: The History of Invasion, Population Genetics, Competitive Effect, and Long-Term Trends of Invasive Poa Pratensis L.
(North Dakota State University, 2016)Understanding the mechanisms of invasion is critical in order to control an invasive species. Poa pratensis L. (Kentucky bluegrass) is an invasive species that has been present in the northern Great Plains (NGP) for over ... -
Population Dynamics and Management Implications for American White Pelicans (Pelecanus Erythrorhynchos) Breeding at Marsh Lake, Lac Qui Parle Wildlife Management Area, Minnesota
(North Dakota State University, 2016)The American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a prominent breeding bird in Minnesota, but little information has been available on their production, population dynamics, growth and development, or demographic ... -
Social and Acoustic Behavior of the Leaf-Roosting Bat Thyroptera Tricolor
(North Dakota State University, 2015)The limited availability of refuges may represent an important factor promoting the evolution of sociality, particularly in bats. Spix’s disc-winged bats (Thyroptera tricolor) show highly specialized morphological adaptations ... -
Ecophysiological Implications of Spring Conditions on the Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee, Megachile rotundata
(North Dakota State University, 2017)Spring conditions stimulate development of many plants and animals after a period of winter dormancy. Climate change is predicted to cause earlier spring thaws, increasing temperature variability, and more frequent cold ... -
The Distribution and Habitat Use of North Dakota Bats
(North Dakota State University, 2014)Prior to 2009, a comprehensive statewide survey of occurrence and distribution of bats in North Dakota had not been conducted. From 2009 to 2012, mist netting, radio telemetry, and acoustic monitoring were conducted to ... -
Effects of Phylogenetic Tree Style on Student Comprehension
(North Dakota State University, 2017)Phylogenetic trees are powerful tools of evolutionary biology that have become prominent across the life sciences. Consequently, learning to interpret and reason from phylogenetic trees is now an essential component of ... -
Developmental Effects on Immunity: Hormonal and Proteinase Control
(North Dakota State University, 2016)Insects are ubiquitous, diverse, and able to combat infections despite their lack of adaptive immunity. Insects have a robust innate immune system that is divided into two branches, cell-mediated and humoral. Activation ... -
The Evolution and Development of a Novel Trait in Sepsidae
(North Dakota State University, 2016)Evolutionary novelty, the appearance of new traits with no existing homology, is central to the adaptive radiation of new species. Novel traits inform our understanding of development and how developmental mechanisms can ... -
Examination of Age at Death Methods and the Effects on Estimation Accuracy when Applied to Computed Tomography Scans and Virtual Models of Mummies
(North Dakota State University, 2015)Three-dimensional (3D) medical imaging provides a method to non-invasively examine the sub-surface structures of a mummified body, particularly the skeleton. The unique nature of both natural and anthropogenic mummification ...
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