638 research outputs found
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Paleo-metagenomics of North American fossil packrat middens: Past biodiversity revealed by ancient DNA
No full text© 2020 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Fossil rodent middens are powerful tools in paleoecology. In arid parts of western North America, packrat (Neotoma spp.) middens preserve plant and animal remains for tens of thousands of years. Midden contents are so well preserved that fragments of endogenous ancient DNA (aDNA) can be extracted and analyzed across millennia. Here, we explore the use of shotgun metagenomics to study the aDNA obtained from packrat middens up to 32,000 C14 years old. Eleven Illumina HiSeq 2500 libraries were successfully sequenced, and between 0.11% and 6.7% of reads were classified using Centrifuge against the NCBI “nt” database. Eukaryotic taxa identified belonged primarily to vascular plants with smaller proportions mapping to ascomycete fungi, arthropods, chordates, and nematodes. Plant taxonomic diversity in the middens is shown to change through time and tracks changes in assemblages determined by morphological examination of the plant remains. Amplicon sequencing of ITS2 and rbcL provided minimal data for some middens, but failed at amplifying the highly fragmented DNA present in others. With repeated sampling and deep sequencing, analysis of packrat midden aDNA from well-preserved midden material can provide highly detailed characterizations of past communities of plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi present as trace DNA fossils. The prospects for gaining more paleoecological insights from aDNA for rodent middens will continue to improve with optimization of laboratory methods, decreasing sequencing costs, and increasing computational power
Donahue Hall in Watercolor
No full textDonahue Hall during Summer of 2020 while the quarantine was in effect. Photo edited with Brushstroke for a watercolor effect.https://soar.stonehill.edu/stonehillcampus_images/1007/thumbnail.jp
Dueling Chairs
No full textA view of the center front part of the third floor of the MacPhaidin Library withe red chairs and a statue in the middle.https://soar.stonehill.edu/stonehillcampus_images/1028/thumbnail.jp
A Tree Stands Along
No full textA tree that stands alone in the field that runs along route 138 on the Stonehill College Campus.https://soar.stonehill.edu/stonehillcampus_images/1026/thumbnail.jp
All in a Row
No full textBooks on a bookshelf in the Irish Studies Library in Donahue Hall.https://soar.stonehill.edu/stonehillcampus_images/1088/thumbnail.jp
Early Morning Light on the Library
No full textEarly morning sunlight on the front of the MacPhaidin Library.https://soar.stonehill.edu/stonehillcampus_images/1091/thumbnail.jp
A Look Out
No full textLooking out through the main front window of the MacPhaidin Library.https://soar.stonehill.edu/stonehillcampus_images/1090/thumbnail.jp
The CSI Effect and the impact of DNA evidence on mock jurors and jury deliberations
No full text© 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. The present research examined the CSI Effect and the impact of DNA evidence on mock jurors and jury deliberations using a 3 (Crime Drama Viewing: low, moderate, high) × 3 (Evidence: DNA innocent, DNA guilty, no DNA control) design. A sample of 178 jury-eligible college students read a case of breaking and entering. Pre-deliberation, some support for a CSI Effect was found with high viewers’ extent of guilt ratings significantly lower than moderate and low viewers’ in the no DNA control and the DNA innocent conditions. This effect was not present for verdicts. Contrary to a CSI Effect, crime drama viewing was not related to guilt judgments with incriminating DNA evidence. A content analysis of comments made during deliberations found little support for the CSI Effect entering the jury room. Specifically, CSI Effect predictions were not supported when examining the discussion of DNA evidence, expressing DNA opinions, or mentioning missing evidence. Overall, the limited CSI Effect found for individuals was attenuated during deliberation. The alarm raised over a possible CSI Effect influencing jury decision making may be unwarranted
Ames Pond in the Fall
No full textAmes Pond in the fall of 2020.https://soar.stonehill.edu/stonehillcampus_images/1110/thumbnail.jp
The Bridge
No full textA view of the footbridge over Ames Pond during the fall of 2020.https://soar.stonehill.edu/stonehillcampus_images/1129/thumbnail.jp