| dc.contributor.advisor | leitch, mathew | |
| dc.contributor.author | towns, jakub | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-04-30t14:01:48z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-04-30t14:01:48z | |
| dc.date.created | 2021 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/4775 | |
| dc.description.abstract | as humans encroach more and more into wild spaces, we will continue to see an
increase in the negative impacts our lives have on those of the animals we share these
spaces with. one of these ways is through our food. in humans, this food is safe, but in
wildlife there are many harmful affects, whether it be through biological and health
problems or behavioural changes. specific impacts on wildlife can include a lack of
proper nutrition, toxic materials in the food making them sick, increase the spread of
disease if large groups are attracted to the same food source and injuring each other
during competitive fights over the food source. one of the most well-known species
attracted to man-made food sources is the american black bear (ursus americanus.)
this thesis will investigate the impacts of consuming unnatural food will have on the
health of wild black bears, more specifically on their hibernation patterns and ultimately
on the aging of their cells. studies conducted on this topic have analyzed the length of
telomeres, the structure that manages aging in cells, collected from adult female bears at
different times of the year. these tests determined that when bears consume large
quantities of unnatural food sources, the amount time spent hibernating decreases.
additionally, researchers have found links between a decrease in hibernation time and
an increase in cellular aging as the telomeres begin to waste away quicker when
hibernation is reduced. in conclusion, this research and others like it could help make
people more aware of the harm providing wildlife with access to human food can be and
assist in the development of methods to help mitigate these issues. | en_us |
| dc.language.iso | en_us | en_us |
| dc.subject | black bear hibernation | en_us |
| dc.subject | cellular aging & telomeres | en_us |
| dc.subject | gut microbiome (black bear) | en_us |
| dc.subject | wildlife & human food consumption (health effects) | en_us |
| dc.subject | human food consumption & hibernation | en_us |
| dc.title | the impacts unnatural foods have on hibernation and health in american black bears | en_us |
| dc.type | thesis | en_us |
| etd.degree.name | honours bachelor of environmental management | en_us |
| etd.degree.level | bachelor | en_us |
| etd.degree.discipline | natural resources management | en_us |
| etd.degree.grantor | 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜
| en_us |
