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Publications

This is a list of publications written by Patuxent employees since Patuxent opened in 1939.  To search for Patuxent's publications by author or title, please click below to go to the USGS Publication Warehouse.

Filter Total Items: 8128

Contaminants in wood stork eggs and their effects on reproduction, Florida, 1982 Contaminants in wood stork eggs and their effects on reproduction, Florida, 1982

One egg was removed from five Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) nests at each of eight colonies in central and northern Florida in 1982. DDE and mercury were present in all eggs with concentrations ranging up to 9.4 and 0.73 ppm wet weight, respectively. PCBs were detected in 25 eggs (63%) with a high value of 3.5 ppm. Other organochlorine compounds occurred in less than 30% of the eggs...
Authors
W. James Fleming, J.A. Rodgers, C. J. Stafford

Brain cholinesterase activity in fledgling starlings: Implications for monitoring exposure of songbirds to ChE inhibitors Brain cholinesterase activity in fledgling starlings: Implications for monitoring exposure of songbirds to ChE inhibitors

Exposure of songbirds to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides is often determined by comparing the brain cholinesterase (ChE) activity of individuals that have been exposed with that of unexposed birds of the same species (e.g., see Busby et al. 1981, 1982; Hamilton et al. 1981). Knowledge of the normal pattern of ChE development in the brains of nestling and fledgling passerines is...
Authors
C.E. Grue, C.C. Hunter

Optimal timing in biological processes Optimal timing in biological processes

A general approach for obtaining solutions to a class of biological optimization problems is provided. The general problem is one of determining the appropriate time to take some action, when the action can be taken only once during some finite time frame. The approach can also be extended to cover a number of other problems involving animal choice (e.g., mate selection, habitat...
Authors
Byron K. Williams, James D. Nichols

Chance-corrected classification for use in discriminant analysis: Ecological applications Chance-corrected classification for use in discriminant analysis: Ecological applications

A method for evaluating the classification table from a discriminant analysis is described. The statistic, kappa, is useful to ecologists in that it removes the effects of chance. It is useful even with equal group sample sizes although the need for a chance-corrected measure of prediction becomes greater with more dissimilar group sample sizes. Examples are presented.
Authors
Kimberly Titus, James A. Mosher, Byron K. Williams

Organophosphate residues in grasshoppers from sprayed rangelands Organophosphate residues in grasshoppers from sprayed rangelands

Grasshoppers (Orthoptera) were collected in pastures that had been sprayed with malathion and acephate to estimate the secondary exposure of insectivorous birds to those pesticides. Residues of malathion were below 3 ppm at 30 and 54 hours after spraying and no malaoxon was detected. In contrast, acephate was found at 8 and 9 ppm 4 hours after spray; 3–5 ppm of the toxic metabolite...
Authors
K. L. Stromborg, L. C. McEwen, Thair Lamont

Eggshell thickness and reproduction in American kestrels exposed to chronic dietary lead Eggshell thickness and reproduction in American kestrels exposed to chronic dietary lead

American kestrels (Falco sparverius) were randomly paired and fed 0, 10, or 50 ppm metallic lead in their diet from November 1979–May 1980. Lead levels were elevated in bones and livers of birds receiving the treated diets, particularly the 50 ppm treatment group. Differential deposition of lead was noted between males and females, with the highest levels in the females. No adverse...
Authors
Oliver H. Pattee

Presence and biomagnification of organochlorine chemical residues in oxbow lakes of northeastern Louisiana Presence and biomagnification of organochlorine chemical residues in oxbow lakes of northeastern Louisiana

Ninety-eight samples of 16 species of animals were collected at Lake Providence, 88 samples of 15 species at Lake Bruin, and 21 samples of 5 species at Lake St. John, Louisiana, between 15 July and 25 September 1980. Residues of 13 organochlorine compounds were identified in these samples. Substantial concentrations of many of these compounds throughout the food webs of all three lakes...
Authors
K. R. Niethammer, Donald H. White, Thomas S. Baskett, M. W. Sayre

Evaluation of potential embryotoxicity and teratogenicity of 42 herbicides, insecticides, and petroleum contaminants to mallard eggs Evaluation of potential embryotoxicity and teratogenicity of 42 herbicides, insecticides, and petroleum contaminants to mallard eggs

Results are reported for the embryotoxicity of 42 environmental contaminants applied externally to mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) eggs including crude and refined petroleum, and commercial formulations of herbicides and insecticides. Many of the petroleum pollutants were embryotoxic and moderately teratogenic and had LD50s of 0.3 to 5 μl per egg (∼6–90 μg/g egg). The most toxic was a...
Authors
David J. Hoffman, Peter H. Albers

Evolutionary divergence of giant tortoises in Galapagos Evolutionary divergence of giant tortoises in Galapagos

The giant tortoises in the Galapagos Archipelago diverge considerably in size, and in shape and other carapace characteristics. The saddleback morphotype is known only from insular faunas lacking large terrestrial predators (i.e. Galapagos and Mauritius) and in Galapagos is associated with xeric habitats where vertical feeding range and vertical reach in agonistic encounters are adaptive...
Authors
Thomas H. Fritts
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