Date of Award
Spring 5-17-2025
Document Type
Honors Project
University Scholars Director
Dr. Joshua Tom
First Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Joshua Tom
Second Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Jenny Tenlen
Keywords
amelogenin, decalcification, extraction from bone, insular populations, population ecology, sex differentiation
Abstract
As an isolated landmass with no natural predators, Blakely Island serves as an effective study site for the study of evolutionary factors relating to insular populations of large mammals. A disparity in the adult sex ratio of local deer has been observed, but the demographics of juveniles must still be ascertained through genetic methods. This study aims to further research concerning the development of a replicable and non-toxic procedure through which undergraduate students can identify the sex of numerous juvenile deer crania. Specifically, differing decalcification lengths, DNA extraction kit methods, and amelogenin primer sets were evaluated for relative success in identifying deer sex.
Recommended Citation
Graves, Blair P., "Sex, Skulls, and Selection: An Exploration of Blakely Island's Deer Population and Their Ecology Through Genetic Sex Differentiation of Juvenile Crania" (2025). Honors Projects. 233.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/honorsprojects/233
Copyright Status
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Additional Rights Information
Copyright held by author.
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Comments
A project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Honors Liberal Arts.