scholarly journals Revised distribution of an Alaskan endemic, the Alaska Hare (Lepus othus), with implications for taxonomy, biogeography, and climate change

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle M. Cason ◽  
Andrew P. Baltensperger ◽  
Travis L. Booms ◽  
John J. Burns ◽  
Link E. Olson
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Current Distribution ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Range Shift ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Brooks Range ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
The North

The Alaska Hare (Lepus othus Merriam 1900) is the largest lagomorph in North America but remains one of the most poorly studied terrestrial mammals on the continent. Its current distribution is restricted to western Alaska south of the Brooks Range, but historical accounts from north of the Brooks Range (the North Slope) have led to confusion over its past, present, and predicted future distributions. To determine if L. othus occurs or historically occurred on the North Slope, we surveyed museum collections, vetted observational accounts, and produced a spatial distribution model based on the resulting georeferenced records. We located a historic specimen long presumed lost that suggests the occurrence of L. othus on the North Slope as recently as the late 1800s. We also uncovered evidence of L. othus and (or) Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus Linnaeus 1758) on several islands in the Bering Sea, raising the possibility of recurring gene flow between these closely related species across seasonal ice connecting Asia and North America. While our results paint a more complete picture of the current distribution of L. othus, persistent uncertainties surrounding its taxonomic status and potential northward range shift onto lands reserved for oil and gas development call for additional study.

scholarly journals Knowledge Co-production in Contested Spaces: An Evaluation of the North Slope Borough – Shell Baseline Studies Program

ARCTIC ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan P. Kettle
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Steering Committee ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
North Slope ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Boundary Organization ◽  
Contested Spaces ◽  
The North ◽  
Trade Offs

Supporting the development of trusted and usable science remains a key challenge in contested spaces. This paper evaluates a collaborative research agreement between the North Slope Borough of Alaska and Shell Exploration and Production Company—an agreement that was designed to improve collection of information and management of issues associated with the potential impacts of oil and gas development in the Arctic. The evaluation is based on six categories of knowledge co-production indicators: external factors, inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes, and impacts. Two sources of data were used to assess the indicators: interviews with steering committee members and external science managers (n = 16) and a review of steering committee minutes. Interpretation of the output and outcome indicators suggests that the Baseline Studies Program supported a broad range of research, though there were differences in how groups perceived the relevance and legitimacy of project outcomes. Several input, process, and external variables enabled the co-production of trusted science in an emergent boundary organization and contested space; these variables included governance arrangements, leveraged capacities, and the inclusion of traditional knowledge. Challenges to knowledge co-production on the North Slope include logistics, differences in cultures and decision contexts, and balancing trade-offs among perceived credibility, legitimacy, and relevance. Reinforced lessons learned included providing time to foster trust, developing adaptive governance approaches, and building capacity among scientists to translate community concerns into research questions.

Kinematic and subsidence modeling of the north-central Brooks Range and North Slope of Alaska

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances E. Cole ◽  
K.J. Bird ◽  
Jaime Toro ◽  
Francois Roure ◽  
D.G. Howell
Keyword(s):  
North Slope ◽  
Brooks Range ◽  
North Central ◽  
The North ◽  
North Slope Of Alaska

Beauty or brains? The braincase ofPachyrhinosaurus perotorumand its utility for species-level distinction in the centrosaurine ceratopsidPachyrhinosaurus

2012 ◽  
Vol 103 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 487-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald S. Tykoski ◽  
Anthony R. Fiorillo
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Cranial Nerve ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Phylogenetic Reconstruction ◽  
Species Level ◽  
The Other ◽  
North Slope ◽  
The North ◽  
North Slope Of Alaska ◽  
Larger Sample

ABSTRACTThe centrosaurine ceratopsid taxonPachyrhinosaurusis the most speciose of centrosaurines, being represented by at least three species (P. canadensis,P. lakustai, and the recently describedP. perotorum) from the late Campanian and early Maastrichtian of North America. The species are readily distinguished from one another by details of easily visible cranio-facial and frill ornamentation, features commonly used to differentiate ceratopsid taxa. Braincase material is also known for all three taxa. We describe the braincase ofP. perotorumbased on specimens from the Kikak–Tegoseak Quarry of the North Slope of Alaska. We then compare it to braincase and endocranial descriptions of the otherPachyrhinosaurustaxa to test whether there may be useful species-level differences present in these robust parts of the ceratopsid skull. Braincase morphology, including cranial nerve paths through the braincase walls inP. lakustaiandP. perotorum, were found to be very similar. Two potential diagnostic differences between taxa were found, although tests based on larger sample sizes will be necessary to verify them. This reinforces the importance of highly visual cranio-facial and frill ornamentation as the best tool for species recognition and phylogenetic reconstruction in ceratopsid dinosaurs.

Melaspilea demissa(Tuck.) Zahlbr. (lichenized Ascomycota) in eastern North America with a key to North American species ofMelaspileas. lat.

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary B. Perlmutter ◽  
Shirley C. Tucker ◽  
Eimy Rivas Plata ◽  
Philippe Clerc ◽  
Robert Lücking
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
North American Species ◽  
Eastern North America ◽  
Type Collection ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
The North ◽  
Eastern Usa ◽  
Original Treatment

AbstractRecently collected specimens of the crustose lichenMelaspilea demissafrom south-eastern USA have been compared with those ofMelaspileaspp. previously determined from North America. A review of both the historical and contemporary treatments of this species is provided. A lectotype was selected from the type collection ofM. demissain FH and is here proposed as it best matches incomplete citations in the original treatment. We also discuss the nomenclatural and taxonomic status of the nameOpegrapha cymbiformisvar.deformis(considered a synonym ofM. gibberulosa). North American specimens ofM. gibberulosawere found to be misidentifications, as were specimens attributed toM. lentiginosula,M. mesophlebiaandM. octomera. We therefore recommend that these species be removed from the North American lichen checklist. We also present a key to North AmericanMelaspilea.

scholarly journals First detection of a highly invasive freshwater amphipod (Crangonyx floridanus) in the United Kingdom

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quentin Mauvisseau ◽  
John Davy-Bowker ◽  
David Bryson ◽  
Graham R. Souch ◽  
Alfred Burian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
North America ◽  
Current Distribution ◽  
Inland Waters ◽  
Local Fauna ◽  
The North ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
West Midlands ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Channel Systems

AbstractThe freshwater gammarid, Crangonyx floridanus, originates from North America but has invaded and subsequently spread rapidly throughout Japan. We provide here the first genetic and microscopic evidence that C. floridanus has now also reached the United Kingdom. We found this species in two locations separated by more than 200 km (Lake Windermere in the North of the UK and Smestow Brook, West Midlands). The current distribution of C. floridanus is currently unknown, however both sites are well connected to other river and channel systems therefore the chance of further spread is high. Genetic analyses of C. floridanus indicate that British inland waters are colonised by the same linage, which also has invaded Japan. We recommend further work to assess the distribution of this species and its impact on the local fauna and flora.

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