Olfactory ultrastructure comparison of herbivorous and carnivorous terrestrial gastropods
The study of gastropod neuroanatomy and behavior has contributed greatly to the understanding of various subjects across a wide range of phyla and disciplines. Unfortunately, a vast number of these studies focus on only a few model organisms, which may not be representative of gastropods as a whole. One deficiency of the current research is the focus on herbivorous species while all but ignoring what data carnivorous species could yield. This study aimed to examine the ultrastructure of the three main chemosensory areas - the posterior and anterior tentacle tips along with the labial palps - in two herbivorous and two carnivorous species to see if the differences in structures could account for the differences in foraging behavior. Though several previously undescribed structures were noted and described - including a matrix layer, circular membrane structures and ciliated tufts - these structures did not appear to correlate with foraging behavior. Additional study is needed to discern the nature of these structures and to further describe the possible differences between herbivorous and carnivorous land snails.
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- In Collections
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Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Copyright Status
- In Copyright
- Material Type
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Theses
- Authors
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Albin, Amy Jo
- Thesis Advisors
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Atkinson, James W.
- Committee Members
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Eisthen, Heather L.
Li, Weiming
Pastor, Alicia
- Date
- 2011
- Program of Study
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Zoology
- Degree Level
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Masters
- Language
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English
- Pages
- viii, 54 pages
- ISBN
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9781124569888
112456988X
- Permalink
- https://doi.org/doi:10.25335/M5P45J