The paired symphyseal tooth whorls of the Carboniferous chondrichthyan Edestus are perhaps the most enigmatic dental structures of any known vertebrate. The tooth whorls have been compared to scissors or to saw blades. It is commonly held that the tooth whorls were used in opposition, to cut prey caught between them. However, the curvature of the whorls makes such a function inefficient and therefore implausible. A symphyseal tooth of Edestus minor from the Pennsylvanian of Texas provides the first new information bearing on the function of Edestus tooth whorls in over a century. The tooth is truncated apically, and the surface of the surviving portion is worn smooth. The orientation of the abraded surface, perpendicular to the axis of the crown, suggests that the tooth whorls were used to slash prey with a vertical motion of the anterior part of the body. Such a mode of predation apparently has not been reported in any other organism, extinct or extant. In contrast to Edestus, wear to the symphyseal teeth of Helicampodus is to the sides of the crowns, probably resulting from contact with the opposing dentition. Unpublished notes of W. Langston, Jr. (1921–2013) on the interpretation of the Edestus tooth from Texas are discussed.

The effects of biomanipulation through eradication of benthic omnivorous fish species on benthic macroinvertebrate fauna were investigated in three tributaries of Bowman-Haley Reservoir, North Dakota, USA. Fish were eradicated with rotenone from the lower sections of each tributary. Adult common carp (Cyprinus carpio L) constituted over 95% of the fish killed by weight. Barrier fences were installed to prevent adult fish from repopulating the fish-free stream sections during summer. Benthic macroinvertebrates were monitored from one month before to three months after each rotenone application both upstream and downstream of the fish barriers. Also, in the second year of the study, three 8 m × 8 m fish exclosures were constructed, one near the mouth of each stream. Benthic invertebrate samples were collected inside and outside of exclosures for approximately two months after their installation. After fish eradications in two successive years, chironomid densities increased up to 50-fold in the fish-free areas but remained low elsewhere. Chironomid length and taxa richness increased upstream of the fish barriers. In areas where submerged vegetation became established after carp removal, benthic community richness increased compared to non-vegetated, fish-free areas. Chironomid densities also increased within the exclosures but remained lower than upstream of barriers.

Modern ratfish (chimaeroids) are examples of a poorly documented lineage of cartilaginous fishes that extends back to Triassic time. Here we report on the discovery of abundant remains of the callorhynchid chimaeroid Ischyodus rayhaasi Hoganson and Erickson 2005 from a Campanian-Maastrichtian age locality in the Fox Hills Formation of northeastern Colorado. A second, distinct group of chimaeroid specimens, designated Ischyodus sp., occurs at the same locality and may represent a species separate from I. rayhaasi, an earlier ontogenetic stage, or sexual dimorphism within I. rayhaasi. The presence of chimaeroid fishes is discussed in regard to the paleoecology and paleogeography of the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway.

Saltcedar (Tamarix sp.) is a non-native woody invasive species that reduces groundwater supplies. Natural resource agencies and private landowners are seeking to eradicate this exotic species from watersheds in western Kansas, including from along the Cimarron River on the Cimarron National Grasslands. Our research studied the effects of saltcedar eradication on species richness and abundance of avian populations in riparian habitats. Nine, 500-m transects were established. Three were located in areas of dense saltcedar, three were in treated areas where saltcedar had been removed, and three were in areas dominated by cottonwood (Populus deltoides). For four consecutive years (2006–2009), each of the nine transects was walked twice during the typical avian breeding season (22 May to 5 July). The number of individuals for each bird species seen or heard within 50 m of the 500-m transect line was recorded. Twenty-seven bird species were found to be nesting in saltcedar. Saltcedar eradication efforts may negatively impact local populations of these species. Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens), Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla), and Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) were found only in saltcedar-encroached areas and therefore may be particularly negatively affected by saltcedar removal. The removal of the woody vegetation created more grassland habitat thereby potentially benefiting the seven species of grassland birds found exclusively in the treated areas. Riparian areas dominated by cottonwood had the highest species richness with 36 species found, including 14 species that were found only in these areas. If successful, the current efforts of the US Forest Service (USFS) to establish and maintain cottonwood forest along the Cimarron River likely will result in significantly increased avian species richness.

The geographic distribution of tardigrade species across the planet is poorly known, and certainly incomplete. While some species appear to be cosmopolitan, published data still shows most species with spotty and disjointed distributions, due to the lack of detailed, expansive diversity studies. This report adds to the biogeography and habitat of Doryphoribius gibber Beasley and Pilato, 1987. Known previously only from ground level moss in Arkansas, U.S.A. and Chiapas, Mexico this species has now been found 290 km further north, in both moss and lichen habitats in the canopy of the deciduous forest of northeastern Kansas, U.S.A

Various late nineteenth and early twentieth-century publications contained discussions and images of extinct marine reptiles. Articles about paleontology appeared in popular books and magazines, children's books and scientific publications. Some restorations of fossil marine reptiles were quite accurate in the context of contemporary scientific knowledge while others were not. This dichotomy might be expected in popular literature. But it also appears in publications written by and in consultation with paleontologists.

During field and laboratory investigation of the phosphate nodules that are eroding from the Excello Shale of the Senora Formation, Cabaniss Group, Desmoinesian, of Middle Pennsylvanian age of Rogers County in northeastern Oklahoma has produced numerous vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant fossils. The vertebrate material recovered include the dermal denticles of Petrodus patelliformis and Listracanthus hystrix, along with teeth of Cladodus occidentals, Caseodus eatoni, Edestus sp, Lisgodus serratus, and a spine from the spine-brush complex of Stethacanthus sp. Previously, the only known vertebrates reported from the Excello Shale of Oklahoma were Edestus and Petrodus. This report thus increases the number of known vertebrates from the Excello Shale of northeastern Oklahoma.

The plains harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys montanus) is an uncommon small mammal that primarily occurs in herbaceous habitats in the Great Plains. To better understand its ecology and natural history in north-central Kansas, we examined observations of this small prairie mouse in a variety of native and anthropogenic habitats over a geographically widespread area (>200 sites) in the Smoky Hills region of Russell and Lincoln counties during 1976–2003 [total trap nights (TN) was ca. 100,000]. Habitats sampled by snap traps or live traps included native upland prairie and limestone breaks prairie, planted grasslands, old fields, crop fields (primarily wheat fields), fallow fields, fencerows, hay fields and roadside ditches. Sampling schemes generally included 4 nights of trapping along standard traplines at specific sites that were sampled only once as well as multipleyear designs that used live traps and standard traplines or a 10.8 ha grid at specific sites for 2–5 year duration. Plains harvest mice (n = 50) were captured at only 20 sites (<10% of all sites sampled); overall, we captured ca. 0.5 individuals/1,000 TN. Plains harvest mice were captured in four general habitats: native prairie, grasslands planted with native seeds, fallow fields and wheat stubble. These mice selected arid soils where sparse vegetation and mulch occurred, more specifically grazed upland prairie, but not grazed limestone break sites. Overall, sex ratio neither differed from a 1:1 ratio (23 males and 27 females) nor among seasons. Also, sampling of males and females was not affected by trap type (live versus snap); however, males exhibited a greater initial neophobic response to traps than did females. Body mass of plains harvest mice ranged from 6.5 g to 13.5 g; non-pregnant females (10.2 g) were significantly larger than males (8.3 g; males were only about 80% of female size). In contrast, skeletal size based on body length was similar between males and females; males were 98% of the body length of non-pregnant females. Reproductive females were captured between mid-April and late November. Furthermore, summer months (June–August) appeared to be a major reproductive period as ∼70% of captured females were pregnant and lactating. The mean litter size was 4.2 ± 0.34 (range 3–5); litter size increased with an increase in body length of females.

Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) feed primarily at night throughout the year but have been reported to also feed diurnally during the breeding season. Little previous research has compared daytime and nighttime foraging activity in this species. To better understand how light level affects foraging behavior, a pilot study was conducted in 2013 at an artificial weir located in Wichita, Kansas, used by Black-crowned Night-Herons and other wading birds. Based on 24 h of observation (14 h day, 10 h night), it was determined that many activities (strike rates, capture rates, capture efficiencies, relocation rates) did not differ between day and nighttime, but birds captured significantly larger fish during the day and also experienced significantly higher rates of aggression. That study was expanded in 2014, during which water levels at the weir differed significantly from 2013. An additional 63 h of observations recorded almost four times as many birds per hour in 2014 than in 2013, both during day and night. Strike rates and capture rates both were significantly lower in 2014 than in 2013, but the aggression rate was significantly higher. Neither capture efficiency (successful strikes/total strikes) nor prey size differed between 2013 and 2014. Since many measures of foraging behavior and social interactions differed between years, it is likely that water level influenced prey detection and availability, and high levels of aggression further limited prey capture. Despite lower rates of energy intake in 2014, diurnal foraging by Black-crowned Night-Herons appears to be important in meeting increased demands of reproduction.

Phenytoin (PHT) is an efficacious anticonvulsant agent that is commonly used in the treatment of epileptic seizures. However, the use of phenytoin during pregnancy is associated with a group of birth defects known as Fetal Hydantoin Syndrome (FHS), which include cleft palate and retarded growth. Phenytoin may cause its adverse effects through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Green tea extract (GTE) contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which exhibits free radical scavenging activity and may attenuate the effects of ROS. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of administration of GTE to attenuate teratogenic effects induced by phenytoin. Phenytoin sodium salt (in DI water adjusted to pH 11) was administered via gavage on gestation days (GD) 12 and 13, and its controls were dosed with pH-adjusted water on GD 12 and 13. GTE or DI water was administered from GD 8–16 to mated CD-1 mice. Controls received both vehicles (DI water and pH-adjusted water). Mated females were assigned to one of the following treatment groups: 400 mg/kg/d GTE only, 85 mg/kg/d PHT only, 200 mg/ kg/d GTE 85 mg/kg/d PHT, or 400 mg/kg/d GTE 85 mg/kg/d PHT. Fetuses were removed on GD 17, weighed, measured, and examined for malformations. Fetuses exposed to PHT alone showed a significant increase in the incidence of cleft palate (p ≤ 0.05) The incidence of cleft palate was lower in fetuses exposed to 200 or 400 mg/kg/d GTE, compared to fetuses exposed to PHT alone; however, the reduction was not statistically significant. Fetal weight, maternal weight gain, and the incidence of fetal resorptions did not differ significantly among treatment groups. Prior and concurrent exposure to GTE may have reduced the incidence of cleft palate in fetuses exposed to PHT, but any reduction appears to have been modest under the current experimental conditions.

Nesting territories of great-horned owls (Bubo virginianus) and red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) frequently overlap, with the owls using nests of other raptors. Records of use over a 22-year period in one locality were used to distinguish nesting sites used exclusively by great-horned owls, exclusively by red-tailed hawks, and those used by both. To determine the occurrence of various landscape characteristics within the proximity of a nest structure, I measured the total area of various land use types, total perimeter length, and the size of patches across six different land use types i.e., agriculture, pasture, residential, tree, pond, and roadside within circular plots around nests used by breeding pairs. The landscape features surrounding nests of great-horned owls differed from those surrounding red-tailed hawk nests in total perimeter length and size of patch. These differences are consistent with the fact that great-horned owls hunt from perches primarily at night using sensory modalities different than diurnal hunting red-tailed hawks.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a native, warm season perennial that may be suitable for advanced renewable bioenergy feedstock production in semi-arid regions, where year-round soil cover is desirable as the primary environmental concern related to vegetation harvest is wind erosion. One objective of this project was to explore potential effects of two switchgrass varieties, Blackwell and Kanlow, on both abiotic and biotic soil quality indicators. No significant differences were detected in soil erodibility parameters, but numerically the cultivar with the lesser biomass and fewer plants per unit area had soil properties that had greater potential for wind erosion. Regardless of cultivar, soil P was enriched in the wind-erodible fraction compared with the bulk soil samples. Biological properties did not differ for the two switchgrass varieties, but microbial biomass and dehydrogenase enzyme activity was greater for samples collected <15 cm from the base of a plant than for samples >15 cm from the nearest switchgrass plant. No significant differences were detected between the two switchgrass varieties in this study, despite differences in the density of plants within the stand. Enrichment of soil P in the wind-erodible fraction and decreased microbial life in bare areas between plants highlight the importance of dense soil cover in a perennial switchgrass stand if it is to be considered as a feedstock for advanced bioenergy production.

Do highly productive coalbed methane (CBM) wells decline differently than poorly productive CBM wells? Analysis of natural-gas production data for southeastern Kansas CBM wells indicates there is no significant difference in annual decline rates of prolific wells compared to less productive wells for most of their lifetime, except for two years after the wells achieve peak production. Although annual production-decline rates are substantial for the first year of production after the peak month of production (∼35%) these decline rates lessen with increasing age of the wells. Production declines stabilize to 12 to 13% per annum after about 5 years of production. Year-to-year production data are more variable for less-productive wells because slight changes in production in poorly productive wells can markedly affect their decline calculations. Approximately one year is necessary for a CBM well to reach peak production. After peak production is achieved, the more prolific CBM wells decline at rates faster than their less-prolific counterparts for two years, but then in subsequent years the average declines rates for all CBM wells do not vary significantly with well productivity. Production of a CBM well after it reaches peak production is best predicted by a harmonic decline model. This type of decline is not common in conventional oil and gas production, but it is consistent with unconventional oil and gas plays.