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We used a combination of acoustic detectors, thermal imaging cameras, and mist netting to confirm the use of a rock crevice by northern long-eared myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) in winter in northeastern Nebraska. Bats roosted in a large crevice in a rock face along the Missouri River, and 5 individuals were captured emerging from the opening of the crevice in March 2017. Our study is the first to confirm the use of a rock-crevice hibernaculum by M. septentrionalis and adds to the growing literature on the winter use of rock crevices by hibernating bats in North America. As white-nose syndrome (WNS) continues to spread across North America and decimate populations of M. septentrionalis, more knowledge of hibernation requirements is necessary to develop an effective recovery plan and to monitor this threatened species. RESUMEN.—A partir del uso combinado de detectores acústicos, cámaras termográficas y redes de niebla, confirmamos el uso de grietas en las rocas como refugio del murciélago Myotis septentrionalis, durante el período de invierno, al noreste de Nebraska. Observamos murciélagos en una gran grieta en una roca del río Missouri, de donde cinco ejemplares fueron captados saliendo de ella en marzo de 2017. Nuestro estudio es el primero en confirmar que el M. septentrionalis utiliza grietas en las rocas a modo de refugio, durante el invierno, esta información se suma a la creciente biblio - grafía que confirma el uso de grietas en la roca por los murciélagos que hibernan en América del Norte. A medida que el síndrome de la nariz blanca (WNS, por sus siglas en inglés) continúa propagándose por América del Norte y diezmando las poblaciones de M. septentrionalis, es necesario indagar sobre sus condiciones de hibernación para desarrollar un plan efectivo de restauración y monitorear a esta especie amenazada.

BackgroundPrescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are primary prevention tools to reduce substance use disorders (SUD) and sequelae. Evidence regarding perceptions of PDMPs from different primary care providers, which may impact PDMP utilization for women, is unavailable.ObjectiveTo examine perceived PDMP effectiveness among obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs) compared to primary care physicians (PCPs).MethodsIndependent surveys of PDMP users in Florida, Kentucky, and California were evaluated based on a Likert-type item to assess perception of PDMP effectiveness in reducing prescription drug abuse and diversion. Response distributions of OB/GYNs versus PCPs were compared using chi-square tests.ResultsIn Florida, there were 41 OB/GYN and 511 PCP respondents; Kentucky, 46 OB/GYNs and 265 PCPs; and California, 41 OB/GYNs and 162 PCPs. In each state OB/GYNs viewed PDMPs as less effective, positive, or useful compared to PCPs (p ≤ 0.01, all states): Florida: 64.1% OB/GYN vs. 83.7% PCP "agree positive impact"; Kentucky: 45.0% OB/GYN vs. 68.5% PCP "effective". California: 73.2% OB/GYN vs. 86.4% PCP "useful".ConclusionsThese results suggest OB/GYNs view their state's PDMP as less effective than do PCPs, which may present barriers to PDMP utilization and decrease opportunities for SUD interventions. Engagement of all healthcare team members is needed to inform future strategies and policies to increase PDMP effectiveness.

The northern long-eared myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), a federally threatened species, occurs in extreme northern, eastern, and southern Nebraska. These regions vary in climate due to geographic location, topography, and elevation. During a 1-week period in early July 2015, we surveyed bats across the state and observed striking variation in the reproductive status for M. septentrionalis. We examined whether or not growing degree days, an abiotic climatic factor used mainly for agricultural practices, was associated with this reproductive variation in a mammalian species. In early July, we captured only pregnant females in the Pine Ridge region of northwestern Nebraska, the region with the lowest number of growing degree days. In contrast, we captured both lactating females and flying young along the Republican River in south-central Nebraska near the border with Kansas, an area with a high, but intermediate number of growing degree days. Along the Missouri River, in extreme east-central Nebraska, along the border with Iowa, we documented lactating females with no evidence of volant young. This locality had the highest number of growing degree days. Phenotypic plasticity in timing of births for M. septentrionalis appears to be, in part, related to climatic differences across Nebraska, a relationship commonly observed for plants and invertebrates. Our study demonstrates that reproductive phenology can vary significantly across the distribution of a species and needs to be considered when making management decisions for imperiled species. Delayed reproduction in cooler regions of the species’ range presents risks to reproductive female M. septentrionalis and their nonvolant offspring, even with current protective measures. In areas with short growing seasons, restrictions on the timing of tree-cutting should be expanded beyond 31 July in more northerly parts of the species’ distribution, so as not to hinder reproductive success during the time when juvenile bats are

—Before white-nose syndrome arrives in Nebraska, it is important to document the preexposure distributions of cave bats in the state. We examined the distributions of Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis), Myotis septentrionalis (northern long-eared myotis), and Perimyotis subflavus (tri-colored bat) in eastern Nebraska by setting acoustic detectors for a single night at 105 sites in wooded habitats during summers of 2012 and 2014. We compared 2 methods of determining presence at each site. Results of our analyses are fine-scale distributional maps for these bats and some range extensions from published records. Results for M. septentrionalis and P. subflavus are largely consistent with previous reports. Results for M. lucifugus vary depending on the method of determining presence; however, our preferred method creates a pattern consistent with the known vouchered distribution of this species. The differences between published distributions of these species and distributions based on acoustic detection from our study might result from a lack of extensive netting in many areas of eastern Nebraska, underrepresentation of P. subflavus from mist net surveys in Nebraska, and a recent westward range expansion of P. subflavus and M. septentrionalis in southern Nebraska. RESUMEN.—Es importante documentar la distribución de la pre-exposición de los murciélagos al síndrome de la nariz blanca antes de que llegue a Nebraska. Estudiamos la distribución de Myotis lucifugus (murciélago pequeño café), Myotis septentrionalis (murciélago orejudo septentrional) y Perimyotis subflavus (murciélago tricolor) en la zona este de Nebraska estableciendo detectores acústicos durante una sola noche en 105 sitios en hábitats boscosos durante los veranos de 2012 y 2014. Comparamos dos métodos para determinar la presencia en cada sitio. Obtuvimos mapas de distribución de escala detallada de estos murciélagos, como resultado de nuestros análisis, y algunas extensiones de su rango de dist

Objective: Identify characteristics of Kentucky community pharmacists and community pharmacists’ practice environment associated with utilization of the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting Program (KASPER).Methods: Surveys were mailed to all 1,018 Kentucky pharmacists with a KASPER account and an additional 1,000 licensed pharmacists without an account. Bivariate analyses examined the association between KASPER utilization and practice type (independent or chain) and practice location (rural or urban). A multivariate Poisson regression model with robust error variance estimated risk ratios (RR) of KASPER utilization by characteristics of pharmacists’ practice environment.Results: Responses were received from 563 pharmacists (response rate 27.9%). Of these, 402 responses from community pharmacists were included in the analyses. A majority of responding pharmacists (84%) indicated they or someone in their pharmacy had requested a patient’s controlled substance history since KASPER’s inception. Bivariate results showed that pharmacists who practiced in independent pharmacies reported greater KASPER utilization (94%) than pharmacists in chain pharmacies (75%; p<0.001). Multivariate regression results found utilization of KASPER varied significantly among practice environments of community pharmacists with those who practiced in an urban location (RR: 1.11; [1.01–1.21]) or at an independent pharmacy (RR: 1.27; [1.14–1.40]) having an increased likelihood of KASPER utilization.Conclusion: Utilization of KASPER differs by community pharmacists’ practice environment, predominantly by practice type and location. Understanding characteristics of community pharmacists and community pharmacists’ practice environment associated with PDMP use is necessary to remove barriers to access and increase utilization thereby increasing PDMP effectiveness.

Mammalian distributions are constantly changing. Some distributional shifts reflect habitat change, climate change, and human transplantations; thus, such shifts are due to actual expansions or contractions of populations. However, other species ranges that appear to shift as the result of new records being added to known distributional limits actually might reflect populations that previously were undetected due to a lack of past surveys or species that are difficult to detect. In 2013, multiple techniques were employed to document mammalian distributional records in southwestern Kansas and northwestern Oklahoma. We discovered three new county records in Morton County, Kansas (Crawford’s Desert Shrew, Notiosorex crawfordi; American Beaver, Castor canadensis; and Eastern Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger), with Crawford’s Desert Shrew also representing the first records of the species in Kansas. We documented five new county records in Cimarron County, Oklahoma (Least Shrew, Cryptotis parva; American Parastrelle, Parastrellus hesperus; Wapiti, Cervus canadensis; White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus; and Eastern Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger). The Eastern Fox Squirrel and Least Shrew likely are expanding their distribution in this region along the Cimarron River, whereas the Wapiti, White-tailed Deer, and American Beaver likely are recolonizing the area after extirpation during the last century. Occurrence of Eastern Fox Squirrels in Elkhart, Kansas, and Boise City, Oklahoma, might represent human introductions. The American Parastrelle and Crawford’s Desert Shrew likely have gone undetected at those sites and have not recently experienced range expansions. Our results demonstrate the importance of continued surveys using various methods to document mammals. Both counties have been intensively surveyed for mammals, indicating that targeted surveys and various techniques are important to document distributional shifts as well as rare or difficult to capture species. Unde

We compared four programs designed to identify species of bats from their echolocation calls (Bat Call ID, EchoClass, Kaleidoscope Pro, and SonoBat) using field data collected in Nebraska, USA (29,782 files). Although we did not know the true identity of these bats, we could still compare the pairwise agreement between software packages when identifying the same call sequences. If accuracy is high in these software packages, there should be high agreement in identification. Agreement in identification by species averaged approximately 40% and varied by software package, species, and data set. Our results are not consistent with the high accuracy often claimed by some software packages and may be a warning about the importance of understanding accuracy of acoustical identification in designing ecological experiments and interpreting results. RESUMEN.—Comparamos cuatro programas diseñados para identificar especies de murciélagos a partir de sus llamados de ecolocalización (Bat Call ID, EchoClass, Caleidoscopio Pro, y SonoBat) utilizando datos de campo obtenidos en Nebraska (29,782 archivos). No sabemos la verdadera identidad de estos murciélagos, pero comparamos el acuerdo por pares entre los paquetes de software en la identificación de las mismas secuencias de llamados. Si la precisión entre estos paquetes de software es alta, debe haber un acuerdo en la identificación. El promedio en la identificación por especies fue en promedio el 40% y varió por paquete de software, por especies, y por conjunto de datos. Nuestros resultados no son consistentes con la alta precisión aclamada por algunos paquetes de software y pueden ser una advertencia acerca de la importancia de entender la exactitud de la identificación acústica en el diseño de experimentos ecológicos y en la interpretación de los resultados.

This remarkable collection of ornithological specimens is a gift of Everett C. Madson, M.D., a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to the University of Nebraska State Museum in honor of Paul Johnsgard, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of the School of Biological Sciences. Contents: Foreword Introduction Biography - Paul A. Johnsgard Biography - Everett C. Madson Species Profiles and Photographs Tinamous (Order Tinamiformes, Family Tinamidae) Spotted Tinamou (Nothura maculosa) Waterfowl (Order Anseriformes) Ducks, Geese and Swans (Family Anatidae) Whistling Ducks (Tribe Dendrocygnini) White-faced Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna vidu Geese and Swans (Tribe Anserini) Black Swan (Cygnus atratus). Tundra [Whistling] Swan (Cygnus columbianus) Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons). Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus) Greylag Goose (Anser anser) Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens) Ross's Goose (Anser rossii) Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) and Cackling Goose (B. hutchinsii) Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) Brant (Branta bernicla) Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis) Sheldgeese and Shelducks (Tribe Tadornini) Andean [Upland] Sheldgoose (Chloephaga picta) Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) New Zealand [Paradise] Shelduck (Tadorna variegata) Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah) Ashy-headed Sheldgoose (Chloephaga poliocephala) Perching Ducks (Tribe Cairinini) White-winged Wood Duck (Carina scutulata). African Pygmy Goose (Nettapus auritus) Ringed Teal (Callonetta leucophrys) North American Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) Brazilian Teal (Amazonetta brasiliensis) Dabbling Ducks (Tribe Anatini) American Wigeon (Anas americana) Chiloe Wigeon (Anas sibilatrix) Falcated Duck (Anas falcata) Gadwall (Anas strepera) Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) American Black Duck (Anas rubripes). Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) Brown [Yellow-billed] Pintail (Anas georgica). White-cheeked [Bahama] Pinta

Last summer I spent time with old friends. Terry Vaughan and company have significantly updated their text, Mammalogy, for the 5th edition (2011). The book is 62% larger than the 1st edition in 1972 (Vaughan 1972). Vaughan, Ryan, and Czaplewski skewer topics with a simplicity derived from years of mammalian research and teaching, and it is a pure pleasure to read. The synthetic nature of Mammalogy (2011) and exceptional clarity in writing make this edition an ideal book that is not just for class. Because much new research has been integrated into each chapter, all mammalogists will appreciate new introductions to each group and newly synthesized classification, ecology, physiology, and other subject-driven chapters. I found myself picking up the book where I had left off and treating it more like a novel than a text. Further, I kept interrupting myself and wandering to other topics (what’s going on these days with primates, or the latest in bats, or the latest in whale evolution). It was a rich, rewarding summer.

Peter Ungar has written a book on mammalian teeth, a topic close to the heart of mammalogy itself and most mammalogists. His distillation of the massive literature on teeth into a succinct whole will appeal to scientists and professionals across disciplines. With paleontological and extant dental research in one place I no longer have to search these areas separately to find what I want. Ungar’s broad background includes physical anthropology, anatomy, and paleontology. Further, he has been one of the pioneers using dental microwear to analyze diets in primates and geographic information systems (GISs) on a microscale to study cusps and valleys of teeth instead of mountains and valleys of landscapes. ... I like Ungar’s book and his whole-organism approach. I particularly like thinking about the interface between teeth and food, how teeth fit together and wear away with different diets, and the nature of animalivorous prey. This book deserves to be on your shelf.

Bite forces of 39 species from six families of New World bats with a variety of diets are quantified with a force meter under field conditions. Using regression approaches we search for a model that is a good morphological predictor of these bite forces. Body mass, an index that ignores differences in skull morphology, has a statistically significant relationship with bite force (R2 = 0.76) but is a relatively poor predictor compared with our best model (R2 = 0.94). The two best models of the eight we examine are one based on an estimate of strength of dentary, which is really simple beam theory; and the other based on muscle mass and jaw mechanics of input and output arms. Both models explain about 90% of the variation in bite force. However, the combination of these variables together in multiple regression works even better, explaining about 94% of the variation. Our model derived from beam theory relies on bony characteristics, which are readily available from museum specimens. This model will be of particular use to students of fossils or ecomorphology for inferring bite force. We also test Freeman’s earlier predictions about bite forces of bats with gracile versus robust skulls. These predictions can be only partially confirmed. For species we measured, bats with gracile skulls did have weak bites; however, bats designated by Freeman as having robust skulls did not have particularly strong bites.

Bite force was quantified for 13 species of North American rodents using a piezo-resistive sensor. Most of the species measured (11) formed a tight relationship between body mass and bite force (log 10(bite force) = 0.43(log 10(body mass)) + 0.416; R2 > 0.98). This high correlation exists despite the ecological (omnivores, grazers and more carnivorous) and taxonomic (Cricetidae, Heteromyidae, Sciuridae and Zapodidae) diversity of species. Two additional species, Geomys bursarius (Geomyidae) and a Sciurus niger (Sciuridae), bit much harder for their size. We found a simple index of strength based on two measurements of the incisor at the level of the alveolus (Zi = ((anterior-posterior length)2 × (medial-lateral width))/6) that is highly predictive of bite force in these rodents (R2 > 0.96). Zi may be useful for prediction of bite force (log10 (Bite Force) = 0.566 log10 (Zi) + 1.432) when direct measurements are not available.

We investigate the shape of canine teeth under the assumption that the tooth’s morphology is optimized by the evolutionary trade-off to minimize breakage and maximize ease of the penetration of prey. A series of experiments using artificial teeth to puncture the hides of a deer Odocoileus virginianus and pig Sus scrofa domesticus were conducted to establish the relationships between the tooth shape and the force needed to puncture the hide. The shapes of these teeth were also used in a beam theory analysis to calculate the strength of the teeth. Because the relative costs of puncturing and breakage were not known, a complete prediction of tooth shape was not possible. Instead, we used two independent measures of tooth shape: aspect ratio (total tooth length/tooth width at base) and rate of taper along the shank of the tooth. We quantified rate of taper in several species of felids, and by assuming this was the optimal design, we determined the relative costs of breakage and puncturing that would produce such a taper. Then, we used the relative costs to predict the aspect ratio of the optimum tooth. The average predicted value is about 2.5, very close to the average value in extant species of cats.

Idealized edged and non-edged indenters, mimicking canine teeth, were used to puncture thin materials and thick materials. Less force was needed for the edged (triangular in cross section) indenter to penetrate thin Mylar, paper, leather, beetle elytra and turkey skin than the non-edged (circular in cross-section) indenter. Oak, grass and magnolia leaves responded equally to both indenters. In thick materials, the edged indenter punctured beetles, shrimp, bananas, and chicken flesh more easily than the non-edged indenter. Apple, tomato and avocado were punctured equally well. The edged indenter directs cracks at the corners so that the material can fold away in the direction of puncture, whereas cracks form unpredictably with the non-edged indenter. Edged indenters have the advantage in many of the materials tested.

The strength of canine teeth in several carnivores is found through direct fracture experiments. The average forces required to break the canines of adult animals are coyote 1170 N, red fox 533 N, bobcat 737 N and raccoon 512 N. Stresses created in teeth at the breaking load are predicted by finite-element analysis and beam theory. The ultimate tensile stress sustainable in these teeth is 338 MPa in adult animals. The large pulp cavity in the canines of young animals significantly weakens the bases of their teeth (by about 25%), but as the animal ages the pulp cavity decreases and has little effect on overall tooth strength. The tooth material of young of the year is significantly weaker than that from older animals (by about 35%). With the experimentally derived ultimate tensile stress, finite-element analysis can estimate the breaking load of canines for several carnivores. A significant allometric relationship exists between log of body weight and log of strength of tooth (slope=0.81).

Comparative studies provide correlational evidence of morphological adaptations for high locomotor performance, such as the classical indicators of cursoriality in mammals, long limbs and high metatarsal/femur ratios. More recently, enlarged femoral condyles have been suggested as an adaptation for high endurance running in the genus Homo. Asymmetry of locomotor appendages should adversely affect locomotor abilities, but this has not been studied in a rigorous evolutionary context. We used experimental evolution to test for morphological adaptations associated with high voluntary wheel running in selectively bred lines of mice. Surprisingly, the classical indicators of cursoriality had not evolved in concert with high activity levels. Instead, high runners had larger femoral condyles and reduced directional asymmetry of hindlimb bones. We hypothesize that greater limb symmetry and larger femoral heads are general adaptations associated with sustained, high-speed locomotion.

The past several decades have seen the beginning of integration of discoveries in the ecology and morphology of bats into an ecomorphological whole that promises to be greater than the sum of its parts. However, achieving this integration is challenging. Each of the elements of this interdisciplinary field is, in itself, avast and complex subject. This book is a testament to the breadth and depth of ecological studies of bats. Morphological studies now extend be- yond descriptive anatomy in both outlook and method, and incorporate, for example, aspects of genetics, physiology, solid and fluid mechanics, and developmental biology. There is also greater awareness that a particular morphology embodies not only the requirements of present life but also an organism’s developmental and evolutionary history. Studies that have identified patterns of association between morphology and behavior have provided a big-picture view of the ecomorphology of flight and feeding and serve as important foundations from which to generate new hypotheses about the function of morphological traits and factors that might have influenced bat evolution. There are many gaps in current knowledge about bat ecomorphological relationships, and many of the patterns of morphological differences and associated behaviors have yet to be experimentally tested or quantified. It is our hope that the approaches we have outlined in this chapter will aid in the design of future studies. Future field studies will continue to expand our knowledge of the ecology and behavior of bats in their natural environments, and experimental work and detailed kinematic studies can help test theories based on mechanics or fixed-wing aerodynamics. In cases where experiments are difficult to conduct on live animals, computer modeling provides anew tool with which to understand better the mechanical limitations imposed by morphology and to help identify functionally important morphological characters. Species discussed: Antrozo

We attempted to correlate echolocation call parameters to a comprehensive array of ear and nose measurements from 12 families of bats. Surprisingly, we failed to find any significant relationships. We did find consistent differences between nasal and oral emitters such as: (a) nasal emitters have higher frequencies with maximum energy for their size than oral emitters, (b) nasal emitting bats tend to have longer, narrower skulls, and (c) nasal emitters have a shorter distance from the nostril to the eye (muzzle length).

The American Society of Mammalogists has held 80 annual meetings between 1919 and 2000. These meetings have been held in 32 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Mexico. At least 86 people have served as the chair or co-chair of the Local Committee planning the meetings. The number of technical presentations has grown from a low of 17 in 1921 to 340 in 1994. Symposia were an early feature of annual meetings but did not become a regular feature until 1971. Poster presentations were introduced in 1979 and reached a high of 195 posters at the 1994 annual meeting. Two trends are evident in the analyses of presentation data from annual meetings. There has been a major increase in the number of presentations, especially since 1968, when the number of presentations first exceeded 100. The other trend is the significant increase of participation of women scientists in the annual meetings of the Society. This trend had its origins in the late 1960s and was significantly aided by the addition of poster sessions, which have been popular venues for women scientists to present their research results. However, women are not as well represented as organizers or invited participants in symposia.

New distributional records are presented for 20 species of mammals in Nebraska. The majority of these records appear to represent changes in geographic distribution rather than just better sampling in poorly known areas. One group of mammals, including the opossum, northern myotis, evening bat, red bat, woodchuck, white-footed mouse, and gray fox, is expanding westward, probably in response to increasing woodlands along river systems. Another group, including the meadow vole, masked shrew, and least weasel, is expanding southward, possibly in response to new prey species and changing microclimates. The eastern woodrat appears to be expanding northward in eastern Nebraska. The armadillo and hispid cotton rat also have been documented as expanding northward into Nebraska in previous studies. The mountain lion is expanding eastward into extreme western Nebraska and reclaiming some of its historical geographic range, whereas the northern grasshopper mouse also is expanding eastward, but in extreme eastern Nebraska. On the other hand, mammals requiring large tracts of undisturbed prairie appear to be contracting in geographic range in Nebraska.

Two new records of Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana are reported from Nebraska. The literature records of this taxon from the central United States are summarized. In this region of North America, these bats occupy a “natal range” where the species carries on regular reproductive activities and the populations are relatively stable, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. To the north of the natal range of T. b. mexicana is a “pioneering zone” where, under favorable conditions, the species is capable of reproducing and conducting its normal activities. The pioneering zone of the Mexican free-tailed bat includes Barber and Comanche counties in Kansas and as far north as Mesa and Saguache counties in southwestern Colorado. Finally, to the north of the pioneering zone, there is a much larger area that is proposed as the “exploring zone” in which only a few individuals of the species are found. Reproductive activities do not occur on any regular basis in the exploring zone, which encompasses the remainder of Colorado and Kansas as well as the states of Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and southeastern South Dakota.

Mammalian remains from owl pellet material collected in 24 Nebraska counties were examined. A total of 1262 individual mammals was identified from all owl pellet material and included 19 identifiable species and 21 total genera. The most commonly consumed prey by owls across the state were Microtus (41% of identifiable prey material), followed by Peromyscus (18%), and Reithrodontomys (11%). Significant locality information for the northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster), the southern bog lemming (Synaptomys cooperi), and the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are reported.

No family of mammals has undergone a greater adaptive radiation than phyllostomid bats. Phylogeny combined with eco-morphological considerations of trophic structures can help understand this adaptive radiation and the evolution of Microchiroptera. Microchiropteran bats are overwhelmingly insectivorous, and constraints within the morphospace of insectivory have produced a dynamic equilibrium in bat morphologies that has persisted for 60 million years. The ability to eat fruit may be the key synapomorphy that allowed phyllostomids to escape insectivore morphospace and diversify. Although many phyllostomids have changed greatly, others that have maintained insectivory have changed little, which is equally remarkable.

Bats provide a model system for tracking change from the primitive mammalian tooth pattern to patterns indicating the more-derived food habits of carnivory, nectarivory, frugivory, and sanguinivory. Whereas microchiropteran bats show all these transitions, megachiropterans illustrate an alternative pattern concerned only with frugivory and nectarivory. In microchiropterans, it is likely that carnivory nectarivory, frugivory, and sanguinivory are all derived from a dilambdodont insectivorous tooth pattern. Megachiropterans are troublesome because they appear as nectarivores or frugivores without a clear relationship to ancestral taxa. The nature of the food item and how teeth respond to that item evolutionarily is an issue I have addressed previously diet by diet (Freeman 1979, 1981a, 1981b, 1984, 1988, 1995). With the insectivorous family Molossidae, and among insectivorous microchiropteran bats in general, consumers of hard-bodied prey can be dstinguished from consumers of soft-bodied prey by their more robust mandibles and crania, larger but fewer teeth, longer canines, and abbreviated third upper molars (M3; Freeman 1979, 1981a, 1981b; Strait 1993a, 1993b). Carnivorous microchiropterans have distinctive large upper molars with lengthened metastylar shelves and elongated skulls with larger brain volumes and external ears than their insectivorous relatives. As in terrestrial mammals, however, there is no clear distinction between insectivorous and carnivorous species (Savage 1977; Freeman 1984). Microchiropteran nectarivores are also on a continuum with insectivores but are characteristically long-snouted with large canines and diminutive postcanine teeth (Freeman 1995). Finally among microchiropterans, frugivores differ from insectivore/carnivores and insectivore/nectarivores by having a substantially different cusp pattern on the molars. The paracone and metacone are pushed labially or buccally to become a simple, raised but sharpened ridge at the perimeter of th

Of approximately 81 species of mammals present in Nebraska today, 55 occur in the Sand Hills, with an additional three species that are associated only with the Niobrara River. Nebraska as a whole is truly a crossroads for mammals because two-thirds of the species reach their distributional limits in the state (Jones, 1964). Most of these mammals are widespread species or are specific to the grasslands as a whole and are not affected by this sandy zone. Jones (1964) wrote that “only a few mammals are restricted to this area. Mostly it serves to filter western species moving east and, in part, eastern species moving west, although some of the latter have passed through the area along the riparian [river] community bordering the Platte River.” On the other hand, the Sand Hills appear to be a barrier to the distribution of some mammals. The eastern woodrat is a southern species that during a warmer, wetter time moved north. Today an isolated population occurs only along the Niobrara River in central Nebraska. Another mammal, the olive-backed pocket mouse, is found north of the Niobrara River in Cherry County and in the Panhandle, but evidently it does not inhabit the Sand Hills. The Sand Hills, with their extraordinary variety of habitats from dune top to interdunal wetland and river bank, provide habitats for many different types of mammals. The drier upland Sand Hills have an abundance of plains pocket gophers, plains pocket mice, Ord’s kangaroo rats, prairie voles, and deer mice. Wet areas are characterized by the masked shrew, jumping mouse, meadow vole, and muskrat. The open areas, such as ridge tops and blowouts, tend to be the best microhabitat for kangaroo rats, which are bipedal and fast-moving; the dense grass microhabitat is favored by voles, which are quadrapedal and slow moving. Typically, kangaroo rats are from western, drier habitats, and voles are from eastern, moister habitats. In the Sand Hills, however, these two mammals occur together because of the

Of the 60 species of amphibians and reptiles presently known from Nebraska, 27 are found in the Sand Hills and one more is marginal to the east. Fourteen species of the 60 are essentially state wide in distribution, including the Sand Hills, and eight species of reptiles are strongly influenced by the Sand Hills (Lynch, 1985). Of 12 species that occur widely over the moister eastern part of the state, only four extend into the Sand Hills, and one occurs only under the wet conditions along the rivers of the eastern Sand Hills.Amphibians: Tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum); Great plains toad (Bufo cognatus) ; Rocky mountain toad (Bufo woodhousii); Northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans); Western striped chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata) ; Bull frog (Rana catesbeiana); Northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens); Plains spadefoot toad (Spea bombifrons); Turtles: Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina); Yellow mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens); Ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata); Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta); Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii); Spiny softshell turtle (Trionyx spiniferus) ; Lizards: Lesser earless lizard (Holbrookia maculata); Northern prairie lizard (Sceloporus undulatus); Six-lined racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus); Prairie skink (Eumeces septentrionalis); Many-lined skink (Eumeces multivirgatus) ; Snakes: Common or northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) ; Plains gartersnake (Thamnophis radix) ; Common or red-sided gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) ; Western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus) ; Blue or green racer (Coluber constrictor) ; Glossy snake (Arizona elegans) ; Bull snake (Pituophis catenifer); Milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) ; Prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)

Examination of the distribution of nine-banded armadillo in Nebraska reveals that these animals may be entering the state from two directions. The animals in Chase, Dundy, and Furnas counties appear to be closely associated with the Republican River and its tributaries and probably reached the state along these riparian habitats from northwestern Kansas and northeastern Colorado. Records in the central and eastern part of Nebraska are not closely tied to one river system. For the specimen from Ord to have followed watercourses, it would have needed to follow the Big or Little Blue rivers, crossed to the Platte River, and finally reached the North Loup River. Due to the moister climate and extensive center-pivot and ditch irrigation employed in eastern Nebraska, armadillos apparently are not confining their movements to riverine habitats. Nine-banded armadillos appear to be entering this part of Nebraska from north-central Kansas. Resumen--Los datos de la disperción a1 norte desde hace casi 150 años desde el sur de Texas por el armadillo de nueve bandas (Dasypus novemcinctus) son revisados. El registro máls hacia al norte para esta especie está ahora a 8 mi. O. Ord, Valley Co., Nebraska. Otros tres especímenes de armadillos son reportados en Nebraska. Se discuten nueve avistamientos adicionales de la especie. Dos de estos avistamientos fueron confirmados basándose en datos que no provinieron de especímenes de museos. La mayoria de las medidas de 10s especimenes de Nebraska caen en el rango de las muestras reportadas de los Rolling Plains de Texas y de Oklahoma, indicando que el material de Nebraska exhibe poca o no diferenciación morfológica con las poblaciones sureñas. Los armadillos de los condados de Chase, Dundy, y Furnas en el suroeste de Nebraska parecen estar cercanamente asociados con el Republican River y sus tributarios y probablemente llegaron al estado por medio de estos habitat rivereños del noroeste de Kansas y del noreste de Colorado. Los registros del

We surveyed the mollusks of the Niobrara River in Nebraska from 1992–1996. We found two species of unionid clams and ten species of snails that either must live in water or near water. Both clams and snails are poorly sampled in the state, however we attribute the low number of species of unionid clams in the Niobrara to its cold, fast flow and rocky bottom. In contrast, the Platte River is slower moving with a muddy bottom and has at least 11 species of unionid clams. Each species has been mapped with latitude/longitude coordinates. Specimens have been curated and are housed in the Division of Zoology of the University of Nebraska State Museum.

Over the past 25 years, Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowships have been awarded to 26 young mammalogists. Of the 26 Shadle Fellows, 20 are men and six are women. Twenty-five of the 26 Fellows remain active in science and are still members of the American Society of Mammalogists. Shadle Fellows have been selected from 15 academic institutions and 17 professors have served as academic advisors for awardees. Shadle Fellows have already made significant contributions to the American Society of Mammalogists and to their home institutions. Awardees have published an average of 3.2 scientific articles per year per Fellow since they received the fellowship and have received $12 million in grant funds to support their research programs.

Casts of upper canine teeth of 15 species of microchiropteran bats were fixed securely into a testing machine and made to puncture the bloom side of an apple. The force necessary to break through the surface of the apple was regressed against both shape of the tip of the canine and the size of the animal. Sharper tips require less force to puncture than blunt ones. Results were also verified using giant two-dimensional models of Plexiglas™ with sharp and blunt tips that were loaded onto a Plexiglas™ beam. Fringes, or stress lines, are more highly concentrated at the point of contact for a smaller radius than for a larger radius under the same loading conditions, indicating that stress in the beam is higher and more concentrated at the sharper tip. Ours is some of the first experimental work to quantify apical sharpness of a tooth and performance as it punctures a substance.

The relict population of Neotoma floridana occurring along the Niobrara River in north-central Nebraska was found to have a diet composed of 38 types of food items of which 37 types were plants. Unique features of the summer diet of this population were a higher than expected use of red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and invertebrates as food items.

Few North American ecosystems have been as dramatically altered by humans as the prairies of the Great Plains. Occupying the immense interior of North America, these deceiving grassland oceans hid their complexity and diversity from many early travelers who saw this area merely as an obstacle to overcome in their westward journeys. But for the careful observer, prairies hold a tremendous quantity of life, arranged in a diverse mosaic of patches ranging in scale from minute anthills to the vastness of the Nebraska Sandhills or Kansas Flint Hills. Not only is a given ridgetop subdivided into a number of areas in varying stages of succession, but this ridge varies from the hilltop adjacent to it and from the valley separating the two. On a broader scale, prairies change substantially as one progresses west and north because of variation in soil characteristics, the rain-shadow effect of the Rocky Mountains, and increasing continentality of climate to the north. But as fascinating and complex as these prairies are, they have a characteristic that may lead to their extinction: they perfectly meet the agricultural demands of a species that does not understand the value of conservation. Thousands of years of decomposing plant matter have created some of the richest soils on earth, and the living prairie plants fulfill the nutritional needs of livestock. Today, no piece of prairie exists that has not been impacted by humans in one way or another. The plant and animal communities that have occupied the Great Plains for thousands of years have been completely restructured by humans in the last two centuries. They have been impacted by such a variety of factors both intentional and unintentional that we will never understand them all.

From August 1993 to August 1994, bats were surveyed on Montserrat, Lesser Antilles. Four years after this small volcanic island was struck by Hurricane Hugo (1989), there remains a 20-fold decrease in bat populations as compared to levels before Hugo. After the hurricane, composition of the community shifted from smaller frugivorous species to one of more omnivorous and larger frugivorous species. With the addition of a new record for Sturnira thomasi, voucher specimens from Montserrat exist for ten species of Chiroptera: Noctilio leporinus, Monophyllus plethodon, Sturnira tkomasi, Chiroderma improvisum, Artibeus jamaicensis, Ardops nichollsi, Brachyphylla cavernarum, Natalus stramineus, Tadarida brasiliensis, and Molossus molossus.

Eumops perotis is the largest bat in the United States. The greater mastiff bat resembles other North American free-tailed bats, but is distinguished from other molossids by its large size and lack of long guard hairs on the rump (Barbour and Davis, 1969). E. perotis has the thinnest dentary of any Eumops (Freeman, 1981a).In the United States, E. perotis can be separated from E. underwoodi by its larger size (forearm is 73-83 mm in E. perotis and 65-77 mm in E. underwoodi), darker color, and lack of long guard hairs on the rump. The ears are longer (36-47 mm in E. perotis and 28-32 mm in E. underwoodi), they extend beyond the nose when laid forward, and they are joined at the midline. In E. perotis, the tragus is large, broad, and square, the greatest length of the skull usually is >30 mm rather than less, the basisphenoid pits are large, deep, and not oval shaped, and the third transverse commissure of the M3 hardly is discernible (Barbour and Davis, 1969; Hoffmeister, 1986). Compared with E. perotis, the skull of E. underwoodi (Fig. 2) is shorter, wider, and less robust, and the interorbital region is distinctly hourglass-shaped rather than nearly cylindrical as in E. perotis (Benson, 1947). Compared with E. perotis, E. dabbenei has shorter ears, smaller pointed tragus, more massive skull, and the basisphenoid pits are shallower and less developed (Eger, 1977).

On the morning of November 10, 1991, a deer hunter in the Pine Ridge area of extreme northwestern Nebraska shot a young female mountain lion (Gertzen, 1991, Omaha World-Herald, November 15, Sunrise ed. p. 17sf; Henion, 1991, Omaha World-Herald, November 15, Metro ed. p. 17). Although mountain lions (Felis concolor) were part of the original mammalian fauna of Nebraska (Jones, 1949, J. Mammal. 30: 313; 1962, Bull Univ. Nebraska State Mus. 4: 87-100; 1964, Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist. 16: 1-356), the species has been considered to be extirpated from the state. The most recent record that Jones could confirm was an individual seen in 1903 along Deadmans Creek, 11.3 km S and 5.6 km W of Crawford in Dawes Co., also in the Pine Ridge region of the state. The recent specimen comes from northwest of Crawford with the exact site that it was shot being 8 km N and 22.5 km E of Harrison in Sioux Co. (T32N, R14E, Sec 13).

Cranio-dental characteristics are quantified between micro- and megachiropteran nectarivores and compared with microchiropteran animalivores, frugivores, and megachiropteran frugivores. Microchiropteran nectarivores share many characteristics with megachiropteran nectarivores and frugivores, but differ in having a long, narrow head. Megachiropterans have wide zygomata, which would allow for more jaw musculature. Diminutive cheekteeth are characteristic of nectarivory in both suborders, but both have relatively large canines. Teeth in nectarivores can occupy as little as a tenth of the palatal area compared to nearly two-thirds in microchiropteran animalivores. The proportion that the dilambdodont stylar shelf occupies of molars in microchiropteran nectarivores can be as much as that in microchiropteran animalivores (insectivorous and carnivorous bats) or as little as that in microchiropteran frugivores but not as extreme as either. In addition to diminutive teeth, nectarivores have fused mandibles and upper canines that are worn from contact with the lower canines (thegosis). These characteristics may be necessary for the lower jaw to support an elongated, mobile tongue. While microchiropteran nectarivory, frugivory, and carnivory probably evolved independently from an insectivorous microchiropteran ancestor, megachiropteran nectarivory probably evolved from megachiropteran frugivory or the reverse.

Energy conservation efforts reduced Department of Defense (DoD) fossil fuel consumption considerably between FYX5 and FY9 I, yet electricity consumption increased. Electricity consumption accounts for only one-third of DoD energy use, but over half of DoD energy costs. In addition, the production of electricity at coal or nuclear plants often creates environmental concerns, while the use of clean-burning natural gas does not; its use can help DoD bases comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Recent developments in natural gas-fired technologies also demonstrate improved efficiency and productivity at lower costs. This report identifies state-of-the-art and emerging natural gas utilization technologies with potential application on DoD installations. This report describes various technologies that have potential residential, commercial, or industrial applications on DoD installations. Applications include heating, cooling, power generation, food preparation, and several industrial processes.

We are interested in the tooth-food interface and the functioning of teeth. The cross-sectional shapes of canine teeth of bats can be triangular or polygonal. The vertices of the triangle or polygon represent edges that extend longitudinally from tip to cingulum. One of us proposed there should be differences in how cracks are propagated in the substance being penetrated based on the shape of the tooth. To test this idea we have used finite-element analysis to simulate the effect of an edged tooth versus a non-edged or circular tooth as it penetrated a substance. To see what actually happens we have used oversized metal models of edged and non-edged teeth and the materials science technique of photoelasticity. A unique aspect of our approach is to use photoelastic plastic, to test the stress in a photoelastic “food.” Here we stress-freeze the oversized model in the plastic and document the patterns of stress with a polariscope. From our preliminary results we can now verify experimentally what was simulated with finite-element analysis. It is not surprising that there is an increase of surface energy at the edge of an edged tooth and no such build-up with a circular or non-edged tooth. We have now established a protocol to examine more subtle shapes of teeth and can analyze the tooth marks in three dimensions.

Little known, but hauntingly beautiful and valuable to the environment as well, clams and mussels inhabit many Nebraska lakes and rivers. In the first survey of the entire Platte River, the authors found 11 species. We surveyed mollusks (clams and snails) of the Platte River during the summers of 1990 and 1991. With the exception of the Big Bend reach of the river in Dawson, Buffalo, and Hall counties, no mussels were found in the river's main channel. But in backwaters, lakes and sand-pits along the river, we found 11 species of mussels at 49 different sites from east to west across the state. Among them we found the Asiatic clam, a non-native, pest species, for the first time in the state, placing it several hundred miles west of the present eastern population of eastern Iowa and Missouri

Nebraska is characterised as a critical juncture for distributional ranges of mammals from northern, southern, eastern, and plains faunal elements. As might be expected, ranges have not remained static since the benchmark survey done by Jones, 1964. We have evidence that 10 of about 80 species of mammals found in the Platte River Valley have expanded their ranges. Opossum, red bats, bog lemmings, white-footed mice, woodchucks and least weasels are further west in the state, and grasshopper mice are further east in the state. Elliot's short-tailed shrew, cotton rats and armadillos are further north in the state. We have the northernmost specimens of armadillos ever recorded in the United States. These new records may be attributed to better sampling, but there is also good evidence that vegetation has increased along the rivers in the state. Especially on the move are those mammals associated with woodlands. These can be expected to expand into the riverine forests where they develop within the dispersal range of an existing population.

We report the capture of a second specimen of Merriam’s shrew (Sorex merriami) from the northwestern comer of Nebraska from dry grassland of sage and rabbitbrush. The first specimen, captured in 1965, is a more eastern record in what today is Sandhills prairie.

A survey of the mollusks of the Platte River was carried out during the summers of 1990 and 1991. With the exception of the Big Bend Reach of the River in Dawson, Buffalo and Hall counties, no unionids (mussels) were found in the main channel of the river. We found 11 species of mussels along the river and 16 species of snails at 49 different sites from east to west across the state. We found the Asiatic clam, a known, non-native, pest species, for the first time in the state placing it several hundred miles west of the present eastern population of eastern Iowa and Missouri. Two species of snails surveyed are the first records for the state. Because very little past work has been done on the mollusks, we have little with which to compare present distributions. We think the lack of mussels east of the Big Bend Reach may be related to the lack of diversity of habitat along the river and to the increase in urban and cultural activities. All specimens are being curated and housed at the University of Nebraska State Museum and will serve as the benchmark study against which future surveys and monitoring of the mollusks of the Platte can be compared.

Morphometric analysis revealed three distinctive groups among the genera of emballonurids. Taphozous-Saccolaimus is a group distinctive in size and shape, particularly cranially. Diclidurids are distinctive in appendicular characters only, especially those in the wing. The third group include all other emballonurids. Phylogenetic studies also separated Taphozous-Saccolaimus as distinctive but included diclidurids among other New World species. Compared with molossids, emballonurids are morphometrically quite homogeneous.

Upper canines in microchiropteran bats show a variety of cross-sectional shapes. A consistent feature of all species studied here is that the tooth is edged and not simply round or oval. Prominent sharp edges are positioned in several directions but particularly antero-medially toward the incisors and posteriorly toward the premolars. These edges appear to direct the cracks made in food items to the incisors or to the premolars. A continuous cutting edge is apparent in the occlusal view of the palate running from tip of canine to the ectoloph of the molars. Size and shape analysis indicates that larger bats have slender, rather than stouter, canines for their height, a condition that may be attributable to the nature of the prey. Most bats take prey that have little hard substance imbedded within. The compromises in tooth shape may vary between that of a terrestrial predator with short, conical canines for processing endoskeletal prey to that of a small flying predator with long, slender, edged canines for capturing and processing exoskeletal prey. Unicuspid teeth and how they might function in food break-up have been overlooked to the literature; such a study could lead to an understanding of how more complex teeth function.

Recently, and for good reason, interest in bat houses has increased. But bats and bat houses are fundamentally different from birds and bird houses. Birds are active in the day, and bats are active at night. Unlike bird houses, where it is easy to see the birds and any problems that arise from the placement of the house, bat houses may be more sensitive to environmental conditions, and problems more difficult to diagnose. Probably most important for the success of a bat house is the daily temperature regime. The physical factors that affect temperature are the size of the house, its shape, insulation and placement. Also important are the size and shape of the internal spaces for roosting (not nesting), the roughness of the surfaces bats cling to and climb around on, and the distance to drinking and feeding areas

The properties of cladistic data sets from small monophyletic groups (6-1 2 species) are investigated using computer simulations of macroevolution. Two evolutionary models are simulated: gradualism and the punctuated-equilibrium hypothesis. Under the conditions of our simulations these two models of evolution make consistently different predictions about the distribution of autapomorphies among species. When strict stasis is enforced, the punctuated-equilibrium hypothesis predicts that the most expected number of autapomorphies per species will be zero, no matter how many characters are used in the analysis. As the number of characters used in the analysis increases, the distribution of the number of autapomorphies per species becomes bimodal. Under gradualism, the distribution of autapomorphies remains unimodal under all conditions, but the number of species without autapomorphies can fall to zero. A survey of real cladograms of extant monophyletic groups from a wide range of taxa indicates that the predictions of the punctuated-equilibrium hypothesis about autapomorphies do not hold. This constitutes strong evidence against the punctuated-equilibrium hypothesis.

Ricklefs (1980) suggested the use of neontological data to distinguish between puncuated equilibrium and gradualism as modes of evolution. This paper investigates his model and finds it contains oversimplifications that make any test difficult. We modify his model slightly and use it as a limited test of punctuated equilibrium by large morphological shifts at speciation. This test is applied to a data set of 110 species from two families of bats, the Emballonuridae and the Molossidae. We find no evidence of consistently large morphological shifts at the formation of subspecies, species or genera.

—A series of removal experiments were performed on Dipodomys merriami, D. microps, and Perognathus longimembris to test for the importance of competition for food and microhabitats in a heteromyid community in the Great Basin Desert. Each of these species was removed singly to determine the short-term effects on the microhabitat preferences of the remaining species. We correctly predicted, based on differences in diet, that the removal of D. microps (a foliovore) would have no effect on D. merriami or P. longimembris (granivores). Using the dominance hierarchy theory, we correctly predicted that removal of a larger heteromyid, D. merriami, would have an effect on the microhabitat use of the smaller P. longimembris, but not vice versa. While our results offer strong evidence of competition for food and microhabitats, the short-term reactions were weak compared to the long-term reactions found in other studies of heteromyids.

This paper centers on the macroevolutionary problem surrounding the concept of the vertebrate genus. We have been fascinated by the apparent tendency of members of a genus to have the same shape in contrast to the great differences in shape among genera at the family level. If this is true, genera would be considered shape conservative groups. Our initial view of this contrast in shape variation within and among genera leads us to question whether the same evolutionary processes that produce genera can simply be extended to produce families. To approach this question two things need to be done. First, the morphology of genera must be quantified to yield a more exact idea of how the morphological variation of a family is partitioned into genera. And second, evolutionary models need to be built that make different assumptions about how evolution proceeds. Our quantification of the morphology of genera will involve looking at size and shape variation at the familial and generic levels with multivariate methods. The evolutionary models will be used to make predictions of size and shape variation in families and genera under different evolutionary assumptions. As will be presented below, our models make clearly different predictions of how species will come to fill morphological space. Based on a comparison with real data we can reject some types of evolutionary models as incompatible with real data.

Removal experiments with three species of heteromyid rodents were performed during two summers in the Great Basin of Nevada, USA. These experiments were designed to determine the importance of interference competition in these species by quantifying the short-term responses to the removal of one or more of the species. Our results indicate that the removal of a large species (Dipodomys merriami) does have a positive effect on a smaller species with a similar diet (Perognathus longimembris). These results and others presented are consistent with a hypothesis of interference competition. However, while there is short-term increase in number of rodents in response to removals, the increase is not commensurate with the number of animals removed. We conclude that interference competition was present but weak in the two summers we manipulated this community.