Please click where indicated below to read a short, nontechnical summary of my published research projects.
11. Grant, JB, JJ Lawler, CR Nelson, JD Olden, B Silliman 2007. Academic institutions in the United States and Canada ranked according to performance in the field of Conservation Biology. Conservation Biology. In press.CLICK ME!
10.Grant, JB and JA Evans 2007. A technique to collect and assay adhesive-free skin secretions from Ambystomatid salamanders. Herpetological Review38(3):301-305. CLICK ME!
9. Grant, JB 2007. Ontogenetic colour change and the evolution of aposematism: a case study in panic moth caterpillars. Journal of Animal Ecology 76(3): 439-437. (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01216.x). CLICK ME!
8. Lawler, JJ, JE Aukema, JB Grant, B Halpern, P Kareiva, CR Nelson, K Ohleth, JD Olden, MA Schlaepfer, B Silliman, P Zaradic 2006. Conservation Science: A 20-Year Report Card. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment4(9):473-480. CLICK ME!
7. Schroeder, FC, ML del Campo, JB Grant, DB Weibel, SR Smedley, KL Bolton, J Meinwald, T Eisner. Pinoresinol: a lignol of plant origin serving for defense in a caterpillar. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA: 103(42):15497-15501 (doi:10.1073/pnas.0605921103). CLICK ME!
6. Grant, JB 2006. Diversification of gut morphology in caterpillars is associated with defensive behavior. Journal of Experimental Biology209(15):3018-3024 (doi:10.1242/jeb.02335). CLICK ME!
5.Grant, JB and S Bogdanowicz. 2006. Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from the panic moth, Saucrobotys futilalis L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Pyraustinae).Molecular Ecology Notes 6(2):353-355 (doi:10.1111/j.1471-8286.2005.01229.x). CLICK ME!
4. Grant, JB, DL Brown, and ES Dierenfeld. 2002. Essential fatty acid profiles differ across diets and browse of black rhinoceros. Journal of Wildlife Diseases.38(1):132-142. CLICK ME!
3. Grant, JB and BR Land. 2002. Transcutaneous Amphibian Stimulator (TAS): A device for the collection of amphibian skin secretions. Herpetological Review33:38-41. CLICK ME!
2. Grant, JB 2001. Rana palustris. Production of odor. Herpetological Review 32:183. CLICK ME!
1. Grant, JB (as Wright, JB) and DL Brown. 1997. Identification of 18:3(n-3) linolenic acid, 18:3(n-6) linolenic acid and 18:2(n-6) linoleic acid in Zimbabwean browses preferred by wild black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) determined by GC-MS analysis. Animal Feed Science and Technology69(1-3):195-199. CLICK ME!
1. Grant, JB (as Wright, JB) and DL Brown. 1997. Identification of 18:3(n-3) linolenic acid, 18:3(n-6) linolenic acid and 18:2(n-6) linoleic acid in Zimbabwean browses preferred by wild black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) determined by GC-MS analysis. Animal Feed Science and Technology69(1-3):195-199. return to publications list
Summary:
As a precursor to more in-depth research on the diets of black rhinos, we examined essential fatty acid composition in a group of plants that were known to be eaten by rhinos.
2. Grant, JB 2001. Rana palustris. Production of odor. Herpetological Review 32:183. return to publications list
Summary:
The pickerel frog (Rana palustris) looks much like the tasty northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens). However, pickerel frogs possess a brightly colored flank that may indicate its possession of chemical defenses. This natural history note documents the frog's production of an odor that may be linked to its defensive chemistry.
Rana palustris, the pickerel frog, shown here displaying its brightly colored flank.
3. Grant, JB and BR Land. 2002. Transcutaneous Amphibian Stimulator (TAS): A device for the collection of amphibian skin secretions. Herpetological Review33:38-41. return to publications list
Summary:
The TAS is a device that allows scientists to obtain chemicals from frog skin without killing the frog. It has been used on frogs all over the world
Mantellabaroni, a frog from Madagascar that was sampled using the TAS
Credit: Valerie Clark
TAS PC board as laid out in expresspcb.com software
4. Grant, JB, DL Brown, and ES Dierenfeld. 2002. Essential fatty acid profiles differ across diets and browse of black rhinoceros. Journal of Wildlife Diseases.38(1):132-142. return to publications list
Summary:
Captive black rhinoceros often develop nasty ulcerous sores. Eessential fatty acids are important to the maintenance of healthy skin. We examined the foods eaten by wild rhinos and food from zoo-raised rhinos to determine if essential fatty acids differed between the two types of rhino diet. Did they ever! Wild black rhinos eat twigs and stems (browse), but captive rhinos are fed a more grain-based diet that is better suited to horses and white rhinos.
Black rhinos prefer to eat browse such as this acacia tree more than grain or grass-heavy diets.
5.Grant, JB and S Bogdanowicz. 2006. Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from the panic moth, Saucrobotys futilalis L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Pyraustinae).Molecular Ecology Notes 6(2):353-355 (doi:10.1111/j.1471-8286.2005.01229.x). return to publications list
Summary:
Caterpillars of the panic moth work in harmony to build silken nests on their hostplant, dogbane. We developed genetic markers to assess how related caterpillars groups were. We expect that related caterpillars are more likely to cooperate in the altruistic activity of nest building.
6. Grant, JB 2006. Diversification of gut morphology in caterpillars is associated with defensive behavior. Journal of Experimental Biology209(15):3018-3024 (doi:10.1242/jeb.02335). return to publications list
Summary:
It is so well known that caterpillars vomit on their attackers that a PlayStation video game (Um Jammer Lammy) features a puking caterpillar as an obstacle. Having been trained by an astute observer of nature (Tom Eisner), I noticed that caterpillars are not all just crawling bags of vulnerable fat. May caterpillars possess gruesome defenses that make regurgitation seem pretty harmless. I examined the defensive behaviors and digestive tracts of many species of caterpillars. Caterpillars that puke have guts that allow them to be better pukers than caterpillars that do not.
Left, Saucrobotysfutilalis, a primary regurgitator. The arrow points to a droplet of regurgitant. Right, Utetheisaornatrix, a non-regurgitator.
7. Schroeder, FC, ML del Campo, JB Grant, DB Weibel, SR Smedley, KL Bolton, J Meinwald, T Eisner. Pinoresinol: a lignol of plant origin serving for defense in a caterpillar. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA: 103(42):15497-15501 (doi:10.1073/pnas.0605921103). return to publications list
Summary:
Here we examined chemical defenses of the cabbage white caterpillar (Pierisrapae). The caterpillar is quite hairy and each hair is tipped by a droplet of poison. We found that the the poison consists of chemicals produced by both the caterpillar and its host plant, in this case cabbage. Together, these chemicals deter predators effectively.
The cabbage white caterpillar showing its droplet-tipped hairs.
8. Lawler, JJ, JE Aukema, JB Grant, B Halpern, P Kareiva, CR Nelson, K Ohleth, JD Olden, MA Schlaepfer, B Silliman, P Zaradic 2006. Conservation Science: A 20-Year Report Card. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment4(9):473-480. return to publications list
Summary:
As conservation biologists, my Smith Fellows postdoctoral research group and I thought it would be intriguing to examine how well conservation biologists were researching the field's biggest issues. Long story short, we found that in some areas we do ok, but in others not as well.
Young and aspiring conservation biologists: Smith Fellows class of 2004.
9. Grant, JB 2007. Ontogenetic colour change and the evolution of aposematism: a case study in panic moth caterpillars. Journal of Animal Ecology 76(3): 439-437. (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2007.01216.x). return to publications list
Summary:
Aposematism is when an animal is very brightly colored and possesses potent defenses, such as poison, venom, sharp spines, etc. The evolutionary origins of aposematism cause scientists to argue. In this paper, I examined a model of how aposematism might evolve by way of a caterpillar that begins life well-camouflaged, but ends brightly colored.
10. Grant, JB and JA Evans 2007. A technique to collect and assay adhesive-free skin secretions from Ambystomatid salamanders. Herpetological Review38(3):301-305. return to publications list
Summary:
Many anecdotal accounts can be found regarding the alleged toxicity of salamanders. We developed a method to quantitatively determine how deterrent salamander skin secretions are. This work was coauthored by an undergraduate student in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University.
A generalized ambystomatid salamander illustration that depicts the location of secretion-producing glands.
11. Grant, JB, JJ Lawler, CR Nelson, JD Olden, B Silliman 2007. Academic institutions in the United States and Canada ranked according to performance in the field of Conservation Biology. Conservation Biology. In press.return to publications list
Summary:
My coauthors and I were all postdocs in the Smith Conservation Research Fellowship Program (Smith Fellows) from 2004-2006. We realized that no comprehensive ranking of Conservation Biology research existed in for the United States and Canada. This inspired us to set about compiling a database of academic institutions and used a transparent method to rank institutions based on their published research activity in the field of conservation biology.
Frequency distribution of scholarly productivity for 315 U.S. and Canadian institutions according to (A) publication frequency and (B) h index in leading conservation journals.
