Gregory A. Liggett. Department of Biological Sciences and Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University, 600 Park Street, Hays, Kansas 67601 (gliggett@fhsu.edu)
Although Kansas is best known for an abundance of marine fossils from the Late Cretaceous, there may be up to 16 dinosaur records from the state. These are (in order of discovery): 1) the Mudge tracks from the Dakota Formation of Clay County; 2) the hadrosaur, Claosaurus agilis, from the Niobrara Chalk of Logan County; 3) the Snow track from the Dakota of Ellsworth County; 4) the “fossil turtle” specimen from the Dakota of Cloud County, which appears to be an ankylosaurid sacrum; 5) a vertebra from the Pierre Shale of Logan County; 6) a partial vertebra from the Kiowa Formation or Cheyenne Sandstone of Clark County; 7) nodosaurid dermal scutes from the Niobrara of Lane County; 8) a partial skeleton of the nodosaurid, “Hierosaurus sternbergii,” from the Niobrara of Gove County; 9) a partial skeleton of the nodosaurid, Niobrarasaurus coleii, from the Niobrara of Gove County; 10) a large slab containing tracks and trackways from the Dakota of Lincoln County; 11) possible dinosaur gastroliths from the Dakota of Clay County; 12) a partial skeleton of the nodosaurid, Silvisaurus condrayi, from the Dakota of Ottawa County; 13) a partial skeleton of a nodosaurid from the Niobrara of Rooks County; 14) a natural mold of a Silvisaurus(?) sacrum from the Dakota of Russell County; 15) two associated limb bones of cf. Niobrarasaurus coleii from the Niobrara of Lane County; and 16) a dinosaur footprint from the Dakota of Ellsworth County. Of these 16 specimens, five (specimens 1, 3, 4, 6, and 11) are lost. The dinosaur record of Kansas spans the late Albian to the early Campanian, and includes diverse depositional settings that are not otherwise well represented in the dinosaur fossil record.
Michael J. Everhart1 and Shawn A. Hamm.2
Lance R. Thurlow and Eric T. Gillock. Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas 67601 (EGillock@fhsu.edu)
We used 16S ribosomal RNA gene analysis, fatty acid methyl ester analysis, and scanning electron microscopy to partially characterize two apparently unique bacteria isolated from the environment. Light microscopy revealed that the first organism was a Gram-positive spore-forming bacillus, while the second organism was Gram-negative. The second organism was determined to have a bacillus morphology based on the images obtained from scanning electron microscopy. The 16S rRNA sequence and fatty acid methyl ester analyses demonstrated that both organisms could be previously undescribed species within known genera. The Gram-positive organism was shown to be a close relative of Brevibacillus laterosporus; the Gram-negative organism was shown to be closely related to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Scanning electron microscopy also was used to determine the fine details of cellular morphology of both isolates.
Stephen G. Haslouer,1 Mark E. Eberle,2 David R. Edds,3 Keith B. Gido,4 Chris S. Mammoliti,5 James R. Triplett,6 Joseph T. Collins,7 Donald A. Distler,8 Donald G. Huggins7 and William J. Stark.2
Dave K. Chambers,1 Joseph A. Arruda2 and Ananda A. Jaywardhana.3
Michael S. Engel. Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1460 Jayhawk Boulevard, Snow Hall, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7523 (msengel@ku.edu)
A new species of kalligrammatid lacewing is described and figured as Meioneurites spectabilis Engel n. sp. from the Jurassic of Karatau, Kazakhstan. The species is distinguished from all other Meioneurites species on the basis of wing venation and is the most completely preserved specimen of its genus and perhaps for the family. Owing to the dramatically expanded costal space and forked costal veinlets the species is placed in a separate subgenus, Parameioneurites Engel, n. subgen.
James S. Aber,1 Debra Eberts2 and Susan W. Aber.1
Shawn Silliman1 and Alan D. Maccarone.2
Michael B. Heffron1a and John W. Parrish, Jr.1b
Jamel S. Sandidge and Jennifer L. Hopwood. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave., Lawrence KS 66045 (spidermn@mail.ku.edu)
Members of the spider genus Loxosceles (Araneae: Sicariidae) are found throughout the world. Their venom can cause severe open necrotic lesions in humans that can take several months to heal. Bite victims may also develop systemic reactions that can be life-threatening if medical attention is delayed or unavailable. Many Loxosceles species establish large populations in human habitats, creating a threat to human health and safety. Loxosceles reclusa, the brown recluse spider, is by far the most abundant spider species in many homes throughout the south-central United States. There has been an increase in awareness of brown recluse spiders, primarily due to negative media coverage of disfiguring bites and immense, slow-healing wounds. Although the bite of L. reclusa has been identified as a cause of necrotic lesions for nearly five decades, surprisingly few studies examine the biology of these spiders, and none have examined their association with humans. Few data have been published on the killing efficacy of pesticides on L. reclusa. Although millions of dollars are spent each year to control populations of L. reclusa in homes, no studies have been conducted to test newly developed chemicals or examine the benefits of integrated pest management practices. Here, we review historical accounts of pest management for L. reclusa populations and previous laboratory studies of biology and behavior. We then discuss how current studies of urban ecology, biological control, and urban pest management contribute to the management of L. reclusa populations in human habitats.
Michael J. Everhart. Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas 67601 (meverhar@fhsu.edu)
Rounded and polished igneous or metamorphic pebbles that occur in sedimentary deposits generally are considered to be true gastroliths only when associated with the remains of vertebrate animals. In the Kansas Cretaceous, with the exception of two unusual specimens, a shark and a mosasaur, gastroliths are known to be associated only with the remains of extinct marine reptiles called plesiosaurs (Sauropterygia; Plesiosauroidea). Examples of non-associated, gastrolith-like stones are rare in the fossil record of Kansas. The recent discovery of rounded and polished stones from two localities in the basal Kiowa Shale (Albian, Early Cretaceous) coincides with the documented presence of plesiosaur remains in that formation, including one specimen associated with over 200 gastroliths. Similar sized stones collected from the underlying Cheyenne Sandstone were composed predominately of quartz and are lithologically distinct from the probable gastroliths. The rounded, polished appearance of these stones, including chert pebbles with distinctive conchoidal fractures, strongly suggests that the stones from the basal Kiowa Shale are gastroliths.
Alan D. Maccarone1 and Pete Janzen2
Daniel F. Merriam. Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047 (dmerriam@kgs.ku.edu)
Topographic features, under certain circumstances, may reveal information about what is hidden beneath. By studying the configuration of the surface, information can be gained as to what might be below, and visa versa the configuration of subsurface features can give insight as to what may be expected on the surface. Thus, surficial topographic features may be indicators of buried folds, faults, igneous intrusives, and other subsurface geologic features. The Big Springs (Shawnee/Douglas counties) and Beagle (Miami County) anomalies in eastern Kansas are given as examples.
Sorkel A. Kadir. Horticulture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 (skadir@ksu.edu)
‘Jonathan’ apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) trees at three commercial orchards were sprayed one to eight times with calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution containing 3.2 g/L, starting when apple sizes were between 0.9 and 1.6 cm average diameters. Apples were stored for two and four months in regular atmosphere storage at 2°C (36°F). Fruit firmness, ratio of soluble solid concentrations to titratable acidity (SSC/TA), and fruit red skin color during the two storage periods and fruit weight after four-month storage were determined. Apples stored for two months had better quality than those stored for four months. Depending on the location, five to eight CaCl2 applications and two to seven applications were necessary to retain an average of 26% of fruit firmness and an average of 35% of the SSC/TA, respectively, in the two-month storage. At least seven applications were required to retain an average of 29% of fruit firmness of apples stored for four months. Six to seven applications of CaCl2 retained fruit weight by 22 to 33% more than the non-treated control apple. Fewer CaCl2 applications were required to sustain fruit skin color during storage than to maintain fruit firmness or fruit weight after two months of storage. Two-month stored apples from Topeka, Conway Springs, and Emporia that were treated with two applications of CaCl2 were 33, 27, and 17% redder than the control, respectively. In general, CaCl2 was beneficial for storage quality of ‘Jonathan’ apples in Kansas. Between six to seven preharvest applications of CaCl2 were necessary to retain quality of ‘Jonathan’ for a short-term regular storage, whereas, more than eight applications should be considered for long-term storage.
Jane P. Davidson. Department of Art, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV 89557 (jdhexen@unr.edu)
Casts of Waterhouse Hawkins’ Crystal Palace fossil restorations were offered for sale by Henry Ward in his 1866 catalogue. Herein Ward’s casts of Hawkins’ restorations are discussed and comparisons made between these and additional casts of fossil marine reptiles in the Ward catalogue. Ward and Hawkins had similar motives and methods in presenting fossil replicas and restorations to the public.
Michael J. Everhart. Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas 67601 (meverhar@fhsu.edu)
Fossil vertebrates are extremely rare in the Fort Hays Limestone member of the Niobrara Chalk in comparison to the rich variety of well-preserved fish, turtles, mosasaurs, pteranodons, and toothed birds collected from the overlying Smoky Hill Chalk, and to a lesser extent, the underlying Carlile Shale. Although mosasaurs are well documented from the Smoky Hill Chalk (Upper Coniacian – Lower Campanian), and occur rarely in the Carlile Shale (Middle Turonian), they had not been previously reported from the intervening Fort Hays Limestone (Lower Coniacian). Here we report the remains of a mosasaur (FHSM VP-2297) preserving 14 articulated vertebrae, the left coracoid, ribs, and fragments of sternal cartilage collected by M.V. Walker in 1967 from Ellis County, Kansas. Serrated bite marks on several of the ribs are attributable to the anacoracid shark, Squalicorax falcatus, and suggest post-mortem scavenging of the remains. The specimen is identified as Tylosaurus sp. on the basis of the characteristic shape of the coracoid and represents the earliest documented occurrence of that genus. It is also the first record of a mosasaur in the Fort Hays Limestone and preserves the earliest evidence of scavenging on mosasaur remains by Squalicorax.
Wayne A. Geyer1 and Frederick D. Deneke2
The right ulna and radius of a small nodosaur were recovered from the Smoky Hill Chalk Member (Upper Santonian) of the Niobrara Formation in October, 2000. Based on the similarity of the specimen in comparison with the holotype of Niobrarasaurus coleii, and the relatively small size of the remains, the bones are considered to be those of a juvenile N. coleii. The presence of two parallel scratch marks on the distal shaft of the radius, and the partially digested appearance of the proximal and distal ends of both bones, suggest that the lower limb had been detached from the carcass as the result of scavenging, most likely by the large lamniform shark, Cretoxyrhina mantelli. Although the remains of terrestrial vertebrates are not unknown from sediments deposited in the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Sea, additional discoveries are infrequent and valuable sources of information regarding the terrestrial fauna of the time.
A re-evaluation of the status of fishes in Kansas suggests that 54 of the 116 native species should be assigned special conservation status due to substantial declines in distribution or abundance and/or their rarity in the state. Nine species are recommended for retention in their existing status of endangered, threatened, or species in need of conservation. We recommend elevated conservation status for 44 additional species, and provide information on trends in distribution and abundance for these taxa. A single species, the Arkansas River Shiner, Notropis girardi, is considered to be extirpated recently from Kansas.
The Spring River in southwestern Missouri and southeastern Kansas is a high-value aquatic resource with a history of poor water quality. This study of the Spring River basin provides a high frequency synoptic evaluation of water quality in the Spring River between Waco, Missouri and Riverton, Kansas below Empire Lake as impacted by five tributary streams (Cow, Center, Turkey, Short, and Shoal creeks). Total reactive phosphorus (TRP), total phosphorus (TP), nitrate-N, total ammonia-N, and discharge were estimated 26 times from January to November 2001. Evaluation of mean nutrient concentrations at base flow and runoff conditions indicated that most nutrients entering the Spring River from its tributaries were due to agricultural runoff. The primary exception to this trend was Turkey Creek, where some mean nutrient concentrations were significantly lower during runoff compared to base flow (P <0.05 for TRP, TP, and nitrate-N), suggesting a greater importance of point sources. Instantaneous nutrient loads were calculated for each site. The largest hydrologic load was associated with Shoal Creek (32% of total sub-basin loads), followed by the Spring River at Waco (28%), Center Creek (21%) and Turkey Creek (10%). Shoal Creek had the greatest P-load (42% of combined sub-basin loads for TRP and 39% of TP), followed by Turkey Creek (27% of TRP and 24% of TP) with only 10% of the hydrologic load. Nitrate loads were more equitable (29% from the Spring River at Waco, 28% from Shoal Creek, and 23% from Center), but the Spring River at Waco dominated total ammonia loads with 41% of the total sub-basin load. A comparison of combined sub-basin loads to the load estimated downstream suggests that Empire Lake is a sink for TP and TRP, and relatively neutral to the nitrogen parameters.
Salt cedar (Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.) is a small shrubby tree that is taking over wetland and riparian habitats in the western United States. Biocontrol experiments are underway based on the Chinese leaf-eating beetle, Diorhabda elongata deserticola, as a means for controlling salt cedar. Kite aerial photography and ground observations were conducted in 2003 to document the effects of beetle biocontrol on salt cedar at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation study site near Pueblo, Colorado. High-resolution August images provided clear visual evidence of salt cedar defoliation by beetles, and the images were suitable for quantitative analysis. This approach could be employed successfully to monitor other types of biocontrol study sites.
Sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont) G. Don] is a non-native invasive plant that threatens the health of prairie and rangeland. A survey of rangeland in Cowley County, Kansas, was conducted to determine the spatial distribution, level of infestation, and estimated treatment cost. In addition, patterns of water distribution, soil type and forest cover were examined to determine if some areas were at a higher risk of invasion by sericea lespedeza. Sixty-six randomly determined quarter-sections were surveyed in the county by running two 800-meter transects at each location. Each transect was 2 m wide and consisted of 8 subsections. From these samples, it was determined that approximately 26,000 hectares (17%) of rangeland in the survey area contained sericea lespedeza. The levels of infestation ranged from sparse to severe. Sparse and scattered were the most frequent levels, and when combined, were found in 50% of the infested survey sites. The estimated cost for a one-year treatment is $186,486. Aerial photographs and Cowley County soil maps were used to identify the locations of bodies of water, forest cover, and soil type. Sericea lespedeza was found more often than expected at sites that contained ponds and streams, or which contained >1% forest cover. An association between the different soil types and sericea lespedeza was not found in this study. Based on these findings, sites where water is present or, which have forest cover are at a higher risk for infestation by sericea lespedeza.
The apparent metabolizable energy (AME) of ten different seeds, and three commercial feeds was determined for greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) under simulated winter conditions. Seeds rated extremely poor potential energy sources for wintering greater prairie-chickens included buckbrush and Blackwell switchgrass (AME < 2055 kcal/kg DM), whereas Korean lespedeza, soybean, pearlmillet, corn, sorghum, and sunflower were rated excellent, in that order (AME > 3002 kcal/kg DM). The birds exhibited excellent AME’s on several commercial diets (AME >2800 kcal/kg DM), but did not eat wheat grass-cuttings (Triticum sp.).
a) Department of Biology, Butler County Community College, El Dorado, KS 67042
b) Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8042 (jparrish@georgiasouthern.edu)
In February 2004, we collected 104 long-eared owl (Asio otus) pellets from beneath a large pine tree in northern Wichita, Kansas that served as a winter roost for approximately four individuals. A detailed analysis of this collection provided basic information on pellet morphology (length, width, total weight, and weight of skeletal remains), as well as gross (% mammal, % bird) and fine (mammalian species composition) determinations of the long-eared owl’s winter diet in this urban location. Long-eared owl urban roosts are somewhat uncommon, and this information might be valuable to owl researchers and other ecologists interested in urban wildlife.
Reliability and cost of different types of planting stock under various climatic and site conditions are important. We tested three types of planting stock for survival and growth: bare-root seedlings, nuts, and container stock of black walnut. In this study, in which we had good soil fertility, weed control, and moisture, we found no difference in the success between the three types of plantings. If seed predation problems may exist, using bare-root, dormant seedlings in the spring for establishing typical forestry plantings is encouraged; otherwise seeds may be used if in an open field site.