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Srigyan M, Samad A, Singh A, Karan J, Chandra A, Sinha PG, Kumar V, Das S, Thomas A, Suyesh R. Vocal repertoire of Microhyla nilphamariensis from Delhi and comparison with closely related M. ornata populations from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16903. [PMID: 38562993 PMCID: PMC10984171 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Advertisement calls in frogs have evolved to be species-specific signals of recognition and are therefore considered an essential component of integrative taxonomic approaches to identify species and delineate their distribution range. The species rich genus Microhyla is a particularly challenging group for species identification, discovery and conservation management due to the small size, conserved morphology and wide distribution of its members, necessitating the need for a thorough description of their vocalization. In this study, we provide quantitative description of the vocal behaviour of Microhyla nilphamariensis, a widely distributed south Asian species, from Delhi, India, based on call recordings of 18 individuals and assessment of 21 call properties. Based on the properties measured acrossed 360 calls, we find that a typical advertisement call of M. nilphamariensis lasts for 393.5 ± 57.5 ms, has 17 pulses on average and produce pulses at rate of 39 pulses/s. The overall call dominant frequency was found to be 2.8 KHz and the call spectrum consisted of two dominant frequency peaks centered at 1.6 KHz and 3.6 KHz, ranging between 1.5-4.1 KHz. Apart from its typical advertisement call, our study also reveals the presence of three 'rare' call types, previously unreported in this species. We describe variability in call properties and discuss their relation to body size and temperature. We found that overall dominant frequency 1 (spectral property) was found to be correlated with body size, while first pulse period (temporal property) was found to be correlated with temperature. Further, we compare the vocal repertoire of M. nilphamariensis with that of the congener Microhyla ornata from the western coast of India and Sri Lanka and also compare the call properties of these two populations of M. ornata to investigate intra-specific call variation. We find statistically significant differentiation in their acoustic repertoire in both cases. Based on 18 call properties (out of 20), individuals of each locality clearly segregate on PCA factor plane forming separate groups. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) using PCA factors shows 100% classification success with individuals of each locality getting classified to a discrete group. This confirms significant acoustic differentiation between these species as well as between geographically distant conspecifics. The data generated in this study will be useful for comparative bioacoustic analysis of Microhyla species and can be utilized to monitor populations and devise conservation management plan for threatened species in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Srigyan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Department of Biochemistry, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Abdus Samad
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhishek Singh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Jyotsna Karan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Biological Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhishek Chandra
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Pooja Gokhale Sinha
- Department of Botany, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vineeth Kumar
- Department of Biology, Center for Advanced Learning, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Sandeep Das
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala, India
- Department of Zoology, St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, Kerala, India
| | - Ashish Thomas
- Department of Environmental Studies, SGND Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Robin Suyesh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India
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Leung YB. Assisted Enteral Feeding of Exotic Companion Animals. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract 2024; 27:115-134. [PMID: 37709602 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvex.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Malnutrition is a known concern during hospitalization for humans, dogs, and cats. The same nutrition principals to reduce the risk of malnutrition can be applied to exotic companion animal patients. However, it's important to understand that many nutritional requirements are ill defined for specific species and prudent clinical judgment is required.
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de Oliveira MM, Ferrando CPR, Gómez-Hernández C, de Oliveira KR, Araújo IAC, Ribeiro PVA, Mineo TWP, Leiner NO, Mineo JR, da Silva SM. Prevalence of Trypanosoma lainsoni and its effects of parasitism on the health of non-volant small mammals from the Brazilian Cerrado. Parasitol Res 2023:10.1007/s00436-023-07851-1. [PMID: 37129625 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07851-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Small mammals are important hosts and/or reservoirs of Trypanosoma spp. This study aimed to verify the prevalence of Trypanosoma spp. in non-volant small mammals from the Brazilian Cerrado and to test the effects of T. lainsoni on the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (N/L) and body condition in rodent and marsupial populations. For this, we collected blood samples of 293 individuals captured in five forest fragments between 2019 and 2020. Blood was used to prepare the blood smears and packed on filter paper for DNA extraction. Generalized linear models were performed to test the effects of T. lainsoni on host health. The DNA was submitted to nested PCR targeting the Trypanosoma spp. 18S rRNA gene. From blood smears analyzed by microscopy, we obtained a positivity rate of 7.2% for Trypanosoma spp. About 31.1% of Gracilinanus agilis, Didelphis albiventris, and Rhipidomys macrurus samples were positive in nested PCR. From the obtained sequences, 83.3% were genetically identical to T. lainsoni and about 11% to T. cruzi TcI. In addition, we reported the infection of T. lainsoni in Hylaeamys megacephalus. We suggest that T. lainsoni does not influence the body condition and N/L ratio for either G. agilis or R. macrurus. Overall, our results expand the host list of T. lainsoni and demonstrate the infection of small mammals by T. cruzi TcI in peri-urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Miguel de Oliveira
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Parasitology, Leishmania Bioassays Laboratory, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Claire Pauline Röpke Ferrando
- Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology, Mammal Ecology Laboratory, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - César Gómez-Hernández
- Immunology Laboratory, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Karine Rezende de Oliveira
- Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences of Pontal, Federal University of Uberlândia, Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Iasmin Aparecida Cunha Araújo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Parasitology, Leishmania Bioassays Laboratory, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paulo Vitor Alves Ribeiro
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Parasitology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tiago Wilson Patriarca Mineo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Immunology, Immunoparasitology Laboratory, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Natália Oliveira Leiner
- Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology, Mammal Ecology Laboratory, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Mineo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Immunology, Immunoparasitology Laboratory, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sydnei Magno da Silva
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Parasitology, Leishmania Bioassays Laboratory, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Miljević M, Čabrilo B, Budinski I, Rajičić M, Bajić B, Bjelić-Čabrilo O, Blagojević J. Host–Parasite Relationship—Nematode Communities in Populations of Small Mammals. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12192617. [PMID: 36230358 PMCID: PMC9559639 DOI: 10.3390/ani12192617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nematode burdens and variation in morphological characteristics were assessed in eighty-eight animals from three host species (Apodemus sylvaticus, Apodemus flavicollis, and Myodes glareolus) from eight localities in Serbia. In total, 15 species of nematodes were identified, and the overall mean parasite species richness (IndPSR) was 1.61 per animal (1.98 in A. flavicollis, 1.43 in M. glareolus, and 0.83 in A. sylvaticus). Furthermore, the studied host species significantly differed in individual parasite load (IndPL) and in the following morphological characters: spleen mass, body condition index (BCI), and body mass. We aimed to analyze the relationship between the burden of intestinal nematodes, on one hand, and the body conditions of the host and its capability to develop immune defends on the other. Spleen mass was considered as a measure of immune response. In all host species, larger animals with a better condition (higher BCI) were infected with more parasites species (IndPSR), while parasite load was not related to BCI. Only in A. flavicollis were males significantly larger, but females of the same sizes were infected with more parasite species. This female-biased parasitism is contrary to the theoretical expectation that males should be more parasitized, being larger, more active, with a wider home range. Although the spleen size was significantly correlated with body condition and body mass, IndPSR was not related to spleen mass in any studied species, but in M. galareolus, we found that a smaller spleen was related to higher infection intensity (IndPL).
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Miljević
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Borislav Čabrilo
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Ivana Budinski
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija Rajičić
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Branka Bajić
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Olivera Bjelić-Čabrilo
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Jelena Blagojević
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +381-112-078-331
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Kucharska K, Binkowski ŁJ, Zaguła G, Dudzik K. Spatial, temporal and environmental differences in concentrations of lead in the blood of Mute swans from summer and winter sites in Poland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 830:154698. [PMID: 35318064 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic pollutant and represents a serious threat to wildlife, affecting various systems in animal bodies. Especially prone to Pb poisoning are waterbirds, which may inadvertently ingest spent gunshot, fishing sinkers and contaminated sediments. This research thus focused on evaluating Pb concentrations in the blood of 170 Mute swans (Cygnus olor; a widespread species of waterbirds) at their summer (urban locations in Małopolskie and rural locations in Świętokrzyskie regions) and winter (the urban section of Wisła River in Krakow) sites in Poland (Europe). The study concentrated on comparing blood Pb concentrations according to sites and locations, verifying the influence of sex and age factors, examining the impact on hematocrit (Ht), glutathione (GSH) levels and body condition. Mean blood Pb concentrations (measured with ICP-OES) differed significantly between summer and winter sites (Regression by Maximum Likelihood Estimation (RML), p < 0.001) reaching higher values at winter sites. Concentrations did not differ from year to year (RML, p = 0.028). At summer sites, concentrations differed from location to location: swans from urban locations in Małopolskie had higher blood Pb concentrations (0.055 μg/g) than from rural Świętokrzyskie (0.008 μg/g; RML, p < 0.001). In summer and winter birds, neither sex nor age groups differed significantly the concentrations (RML, p > 0.231). Pb concentrations correlated weakly with Ht and GSH levels (Spearman test) and had no influence on body condition (proxied by scaled mass index; GLM, p = 0.246). We concluded that differences between summer and winter sites were dictated mainly by the type of habitat (rural vs. urban) that birds occupied in different seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kucharska
- Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Łukasz J Binkowski
- Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Grzegorz Zaguła
- Department of Bioenergy, Food Analysis and Microbiology, Institute of Food Technology and Nutrition, University of Rzeszow, Zelwerowicza 4, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Dudzik
- Eagle Conservation Committee, K. Jagiellończyka 4, 10-062 Olsztyn, Poland.
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Brum MDN, Melo GL, Cáceres NC. Ecological evidence of hierarchy and competition in Didelphis aurita females. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00269-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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7
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Shanebeck KM, Besson AA, Lagrue C, Green SJ. The energetic costs of sub-lethal helminth parasites in mammals: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1886-1907. [PMID: 35678252 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Parasites, by definition, have a negative effect on their host. However, in wild mammal health and conservation research, sub-lethal infections are commonly assumed to have negligible health effects unless parasites are present in overwhelming numbers. Here, we propose a definition for host health in mammals that includes sub-lethal effects of parasites on the host's capacity to adapt to the environment and maintain homeostasis. We synthesized the growing number of studies on helminth parasites in mammals to assess evidence for the relative magnitude of sub-lethal effects of infection across mammal taxa based on this expanded definition. Specifically, we develop and apply a framework for organizing disparate metrics of parasite effects on host health and body condition according to their impact on an animal's energetic condition, defined as the energetic burden of pathogens on host physiological and behavioural functions that relate directly to fitness. Applying this framework within a global meta-analysis of helminth parasites in wild, laboratory and domestic mammal hosts produced 142 peer-reviewed studies documenting 599 infection-condition effects. Analysing these data within a multiple working hypotheses framework allowed us to evaluate the relative weighted contribution of methodological (study design, sampling protocol, parasite quantification methods) and biological (phylogenetic relationships and host/parasite life history) moderators to variation in the magnitude of health effects. We found consistently strong negative effects of infection on host energetic condition across taxonomic groups, with unusually low heterogeneity in effect sizes when compared with other ecological meta-analyses. Observed effect size was significantly lower within cross-sectional studies (i.e. observational studies that investigated a sub-set of a population at a single point in time), the most prevalent methodology. Furthermore, opportunistic sampling led to a weaker negative effect compared to proactive sampling. In the model of host taxonomic group, the effect of infection on energetic condition in carnivores was not significant. However, when sampling method was included, it explained substantial inter-study variance; proactive sampling showing a strongly significant negative effect while opportunistic sampling detected only a weak, non-significant effect. This may partly underlie previous assumptions that sub-lethal parasites do not have significant effects on host health. We recommend future studies adopt energetic condition as the framework for assessing parasite effects on wildlife health and provide guidelines for the selection of research protocols, health proxies, and relating infection to fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Shanebeck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anne A Besson
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Clement Lagrue
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.,Department of Conservation, 265 Princes Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Stephanie J Green
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Suwal TL, Chi MJ, Tsai CF, Chan FT, Lin KH, Pei KJC. Morphometric Relationships, Growth and Condition Factors of Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin ( Manis pentadactyla). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12070910. [PMID: 35405898 PMCID: PMC8996938 DOI: 10.3390/ani12070910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphometric relationships and condition factors are crucial to quickly understanding the fitness and well-being of animals. Total length (cm) and bodyweight (g) of 282 (male = 167 and female = 115) pangolins were accounted for in this study which was received and rehabilitated in Pingtung Rescued Center, Pingtung and Endemic Species Research Institute, Nantou, Taiwan. The allometric equation; W = aLb was used to estimate the length-weight relationships where R2 = 0.70, a = 0.61, and b = 1.98. The ratio of total body length and tail length was between 1.1 and 2.7. Pangolins exhibited negative allometric growth (b < 3) as their length increased. The average relative condition factor (KR) was 1.04, indicating a state of good health for rescued individuals. However, Fulton condition factor (KF) and KR fluctuated in different months but was significantly heavier during the wet seasons. This study recommended to release healthy animals with KF of 0.8 or higher back into the wild in order to increase their survival rate. The study, thus will be helpful to promote standardized guidelines for conducting physical measurements and understanding health status. Additionally, it will support the recovery of this threatened species by husbandry and diet management in ex-situ and in-situ conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tulshi Laxmi Suwal
- Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
- Small Mammals Conservation Research Foundation, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
- IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group, C/o Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NR, UK
- Correspondence: (T.L.S.); (K.J.-C.P.); Tel.: +977-9841241458 (T.L.S.); +886-0921233949 (K.J.-C.P.)
| | - Meng-Jou Chi
- Pingtung Rescue Center for Endangered Wild Animals, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan;
| | - Chi-Feng Tsai
- Endemic Species Research Institute, 1 Minsheng East Road, Jiji Town, Nantou 226000, Taiwan; (C.-F.T.); (F.-T.C.); (K.-H.L.)
| | - Fang-Tse Chan
- Endemic Species Research Institute, 1 Minsheng East Road, Jiji Town, Nantou 226000, Taiwan; (C.-F.T.); (F.-T.C.); (K.-H.L.)
| | - Kuei-Hsien Lin
- Endemic Species Research Institute, 1 Minsheng East Road, Jiji Town, Nantou 226000, Taiwan; (C.-F.T.); (F.-T.C.); (K.-H.L.)
| | - Kurtis Jai-Chyi Pei
- Institute of Wildlife Conservation, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (T.L.S.); (K.J.-C.P.); Tel.: +977-9841241458 (T.L.S.); +886-0921233949 (K.J.-C.P.)
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Kucheravy CE, Waterman JM, Dos Anjos EAC, Hare JF, Enright C, Berkvens CN. Extreme climate event promotes phenological mismatch between sexes in hibernating ground squirrels. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21684. [PMID: 34737436 PMCID: PMC8568959 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01214-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hibernating ground squirrels rely on a short active period for breeding and mass accrual, and are thus vulnerable to extreme climate events that affect key periods in their annual cycle. Here, we document how a heatwave in March 2012 led to a phenological mismatch between sexes in Richardson’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii). Females emerged from hibernation and commenced breeding earlier in 2012 relative to average female emergence. Although males had descended testes and pigmented scrota, it appeared that not all males were physiologically prepared to breed since 58.6% of males had non-motile sperm when breeding commenced. Body condition, relative testes size, and the relative size of accessory glands were significant predictors of sperm motility. Males with non-motile sperm had smaller accessory glands than males with motile sperm. There was no decrease in the number of juveniles that emerged in 2012 or female yearlings recruited in 2013, nor did juveniles emerge later than other years. The impact of this heatwave on male ground squirrels emphasizes the importance of assessing the consequences of climate change on the breeding success of hibernating species in both sexes, since the different sensitivity to external cues for emergence led to a mismatch in timing under this event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caila E Kucheravy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Jane M Waterman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Elaine A C Dos Anjos
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - James F Hare
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Chris Enright
- Assiniboine Park Zoo, 2595 Roblin Boulevard, Winnipeg, MB, R3R 0B8, Canada
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Philson CS, Todorov SM, Blumstein DT. Marmot mass gain rates relate to their group’s social structure. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Mass gain is an important fitness correlate for survival in highly seasonal species. Although many physiological, genetic, life history, and environmental factors can influence mass gain, more recent work suggests the specific nature of an individual’s own social relationships also influences mass gain. However, less is known about consequences of social structure for individuals. We studied the association between social structure, quantified via social network analysis, and annual mass gain in yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer). Social networks were constructed from 31 738 social interactions between 671 individuals in 125 social groups from 2002 to 2018. Using a refined dataset of 1022 observations across 587 individuals in 81 social groups, we fitted linear mixed models to analyze the relationship between attributes of social structure and individual mass gain. We found that individuals residing in more connected and unbreakable social groups tended to gain proportionally less mass. However, these results were largely age-dependent. Adults, who form the core of marmot social groups, residing in more spread apart networks had greater mass gain than those in tighter networks. Yearlings, involved in a majority of social interactions, and those who resided in socially homogeneous and stable groups had greater mass gain. These results show how the structure of the social group an individual resides in may have consequences for a key fitness correlate. But, importantly, this relationship was age-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conner S Philson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095–1606, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Box 519, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - Sophia M Todorov
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095–1606, USA
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095–1606, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Box 519, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
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11
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Barbary ground squirrels do not have a sentinel system but instead synchronize vigilance. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03094-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Brila I, Lavrinienko A, Tukalenko E, Ecke F, Rodushkin I, Kallio ER, Mappes T, Watts PC. Low-level environmental metal pollution is associated with altered gut microbiota of a wild rodent, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 790:148224. [PMID: 34380250 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mining and related industries are a major source of metal pollution. In contrast to the well-studied effects of exposure to metals on animal physiology and health, the impacts of environmental metal pollution on the gut microbiota of wild animals are virtually unknown. As the gut microbiota is a key component of host health, it is important to understand whether metal pollution can alter wild animal gut microbiota composition. Using a combination of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and quantification of metal levels in kidneys, we assessed whether multi-metal exposure (the sum of normalized levels of fifteen metals) was associated with changes in gut microbiota of wild bank voles (Myodes glareolus) from two locations in Finland. Exposure to increased metal load was associated with higher gut microbiota species diversity (α-diversity) and altered community composition (β-diversity), but not dispersion. Multi-metal exposure and increased levels of several metals (Cd, Hg, Pb and Se) were associated with differences in the abundance of microbial taxa, especially those within the families Clostridiales vadinBB60 group, Desulfovibrionaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Muribaculaceae and Ruminococcaceae. Our data indicate that even low-level metal pollution can affect the diversity of microbiota and be associated with deterministic differences in composition of host gut microbiota in wild animal populations. These findings highlight the need to study a broader range of metals and their cocktails that are more representative of the types of environmental exposure experienced by wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilze Brila
- Ecology and Genetics Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland; Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland.
| | - Anton Lavrinienko
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
| | - Eugene Tukalenko
- Ecology and Genetics Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland; Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland; National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Science, Kyiv 04050, Ukraine
| | - Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ilia Rodushkin
- Division of Geosciences, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87 Luleå, Sweden; ALS Laboratory Group, ALS Scandinavia AB, Aurorum 10, 977 75 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Eva R Kallio
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland; School of Resource Wisdom, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
| | - Phillip C Watts
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
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13
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Benatti HR, Luz HR, Lima DM, Gonçalves VD, Costa FB, Ramos VN, Aguiar DM, Pacheco RC, Piovezan U, Szabó MPJ, Ferraz KMPMB, Labruna MB. Morphometric Patterns and Blood Biochemistry of Capybaras ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) from Human-Modified Landscapes and Natural Landscapes in Brazil. Vet Sci 2021; 8:vetsci8080165. [PMID: 34437487 PMCID: PMC8402786 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8080165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, is the largest extant rodent of the world. To better understand the correlation between size and body mass, and biochemical parameters of capybaras from areas with different degrees of anthropization (i.e., different food supplies), we sampled free-ranging capybaras from areas of natural landscapes (NLs) and human-modified landscapes (HMLs) in Brazil. Analyses of biometrical and biochemical parameters of capybaras showed that animals from HMLs were heavier (higher body mass) than those from NL, a condition possibly related to fat deposit rather than body length, as indicated by Body Condition Index (BCI) analyses. Biochemical parameters indicated higher serum levels of albumin, creatine kinase, cholesterol, fructosamine and total protein among capybaras from HMLs than from NLs; however, when all adult capybaras were analyzed together only cholesterol and triglycerides were positively correlated with body mass. We propose that the biochemical profile differences between HMLs and NLs are related to the obesity condition of capybaras among HMLs. Considering that heavier animals might live longer and reproduce more often, our results could have important implications in the population dynamics of capybaras among HMLs, where this rodent species is frequently represented by overgrowth populations that generate several levels of conflicts with human beings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector R. Benatti
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (H.R.B.); (H.R.L.); (D.M.L.); (V.D.G.); (F.B.C.); (V.N.R.)
| | - Hermes R. Luz
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (H.R.B.); (H.R.L.); (D.M.L.); (V.D.G.); (F.B.C.); (V.N.R.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia do Renorbio, Ponto Focal Maranhão, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil
| | - Daniel M. Lima
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (H.R.B.); (H.R.L.); (D.M.L.); (V.D.G.); (F.B.C.); (V.N.R.)
| | - Vinicius D. Gonçalves
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (H.R.B.); (H.R.L.); (D.M.L.); (V.D.G.); (F.B.C.); (V.N.R.)
| | - Francisco B. Costa
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (H.R.B.); (H.R.L.); (D.M.L.); (V.D.G.); (F.B.C.); (V.N.R.)
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís 65055-970, MA, Brazil
| | - Vanessa N. Ramos
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (H.R.B.); (H.R.L.); (D.M.L.); (V.D.G.); (F.B.C.); (V.N.R.)
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil;
| | - Daniel M. Aguiar
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá 78060-900, MT, Brazil; (D.M.A.); (R.C.P.)
| | - Richard C. Pacheco
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá 78060-900, MT, Brazil; (D.M.A.); (R.C.P.)
| | | | - Matias P. J. Szabó
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil;
| | - Katia Maria P. M. B. Ferraz
- Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Marcelo B. Labruna
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (H.R.B.); (H.R.L.); (D.M.L.); (V.D.G.); (F.B.C.); (V.N.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-11-3091-1394
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14
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Noren SR, Schwarz L, Robeck TR. Topographic Variations in Mobilization of Blubber in Relation to Changes in Body Mass in Short-Finned Pilot Whales ( Globicephala macrorhynchus). Physiol Biochem Zool 2021; 94:228-240. [PMID: 34010119 DOI: 10.1086/714637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractFat-level measurements used to indicate individual body condition and fitness are useful only when taken at a region along the body where fat responds to variations in caloric intake. Investigations to identify appropriate species-specific regions are limited, especially for cetaceans that have a specialized fat (blubber) that serves as an energy reserve and provides insulation. Over 18 mo, body mass of six pilot whales varied (range: 50-172 kg), and although caloric intake increased when water temperatures were lower, generally the best-fitting state-space model for length-adjusted mass was based on a single factor, caloric intake. After correcting for body length (range: 330-447 cm), the slope for blubber thickness and "blubber ring" thickness (average blubber thickness along a girth) in relation to body mass was positive and had a P value of <0.10 at six of 16 blubber measurement sites and one of five girth measurement sites, respectively. The slope for body girth (a reflection of changes in underlying blubber thickness) in relation to body mass was positive and had a lower P value ([Formula: see text]) at three of five girth measurement sites. Results indicate that blubber from the anterior insertion of the pectoral fins to the posterior insertion of the dorsal fin is the most metabolically active region. This region includes the midflank site, a location where blubber thickness measurements have historically been taken to monitor cetacean body condition. Conversely, blubber in the peduncle region was comparatively inert. These findings must be considered when measuring blubber thickness and body width (i.e., photogrammetry) to monitor the condition of free-ranging cetaceans.
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15
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Stahlschmidt ZR, Chang E. Body condition indices are better surrogates for lean mass and water content than for body fat content in an insect. J Zool (1987) 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - E. Chang
- University of the Pacific Stockton CA USA
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16
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Lavrinienko A, Hämäläinen A, Hindström R, Tukalenko E, Boratyński Z, Kivisaari K, Mousseau TA, Watts PC, Mappes T. Comparable response of wild rodent gut microbiome to anthropogenic habitat contamination. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:3485-3499. [PMID: 33955637 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Species identity is thought to dominate over environment in shaping wild rodent gut microbiota, but it remains unknown whether the responses of host gut microbiota to shared anthropogenic habitat impacts are species-specific or if the general gut microbiota response is similar across host species. Here, we compare the influence of exposure to radionuclide contamination on the gut microbiota of four wild mouse species: Apodemus flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. speciosus and A. argenteus. Building on the evidence that radiation impacts bank vole (Myodes glareolus) gut microbiota, we hypothesized that radiation exposure has a general impact on rodent gut microbiota. Because we sampled (n = 288) two species pairs of Apodemus mice that occur in sympatry in habitats affected by the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents, these comparisons provide an opportunity for a general assessment of the effects of exposure to environmental contamination (radionuclides) on gut microbiota across host phylogeny and geographical areas. In general agreement with our hypothesis, analyses of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that radiation exposure alters the gut microbiota composition and structure in three of the four species of Apodemus mice. The notable lack of an association between the gut microbiota and soil radionuclide contamination in one mouse species from Fukushima (A. argenteus) probably reflects host "radiation escape" through its unique tree-dwelling lifestyle. The finding that host ecology can modulate effects of radiation exposure offers an interesting counterpoint for future analyses into effects of radiation or any other toxic exposure on host and its associated microbiota. Our data show that exposure to radionuclide contamination is linked to comparable gut microbiota responses across multiple species of rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Lavrinienko
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Anni Hämäläinen
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.,Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Eugene Tukalenko
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Science, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- CIBIO-InBIO Associate Laboratory, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Kati Kivisaari
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Timothy A Mousseau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.,SURA/LASSO/NASA, ISS Utilization and Life Sciences Division, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
| | - Phillip C Watts
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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17
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Kelsey NA, Schmaljohann H, Bairlein F. The avian lightweights: Trans-Saharan migrants show lower lean body mass than short-/medium-distance migrants. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1010-1021. [PMID: 33813789 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Avian trans-Saharan migrants travelling long distances and crossing ecological barriers experience different constraints in terms of time, energy and safety than short-/medium-distance migrants without barrier-crossings. As such, natural selection shapes the aerodynamic properties of these groups differently. Yet, to the best of our knowledge, we lack information on whether natural selection has contributed to reducing energetic flight costs through generally lower body mass in trans-Saharan migrants. To fill parts of this gap, we investigated this eco-morphological pattern in 5,410 individuals of 22 Palearctic songbird species ranging from short-/medium-distance to trans-Saharan migrants. We used individual size-independent scaled lean body mass values based on wing length as a measure of body size and, for the first time, precisely determined lean body mass values by direct measurements via quantitative magnetic resonance technology. Scaled lean body mass for a given body size was significantly higher in short-/medium-distance migrants than in trans-Saharan migrants. Although scaled lean body mass significantly decreased with increasing migration distance in short-/medium-distance migrants, no such effect was found in trans-Saharan migrants. Our results thus show an eco-morphological pattern relating species' lean body mass not only to migration distance but also to migration group. This suggests that selective effects of the presence/absence of ecological barriers and/or of a threshold level for migration distance on migrant birds may be more important than the linear continuum of migration distance per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie A Kelsey
- Institute of Avian Research 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', Wilhelmshaven, Germany.,Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Franz Bairlein
- Institute of Avian Research 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', Wilhelmshaven, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
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18
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Kumar R, Mada SB, Reddi S, Kaur T, Kapila R, Kapila S. Comparative evaluation of the protective effects of cow, buffalo and goat milk in glucocorticoid‐induced bone alterations in mice. INT J DAIRY TECHNOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1471-0307.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Kumar
- Animal Biochemistry Division ICAR‐National Dairy Research Institute Karnal India
| | - Sanusi Bello Mada
- Animal Biochemistry Division ICAR‐National Dairy Research Institute Karnal India
- Department of Biochemistry Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Zaria Nigeria
| | - Srinu Reddi
- Animal Biochemistry Division ICAR‐National Dairy Research Institute Karnal India
| | - Taruneet Kaur
- Animal Biochemistry Division ICAR‐National Dairy Research Institute Karnal India
| | - Rajeev Kapila
- Animal Biochemistry Division ICAR‐National Dairy Research Institute Karnal India
| | - Suman Kapila
- Animal Biochemistry Division ICAR‐National Dairy Research Institute Karnal India
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19
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Ataídes AGD, Sousa HCD, Carmo JB, Malvasio A. Avaliação da influência de fatores hidroclimáticos sobre a estrutura populacional de Podocnemis expansa (Testudines: Podocnemididae) no Rio Formoso, sudeste da Amazônia brasileira. IHERINGIA. SERIE ZOOLOGIA 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4766e2021021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
RESUMO O aumento do conhecimento sobre a ecologia populacional das espécies de quelônios amazônicos é essencial para a recuperação e manutenção dos estoques naturais desses répteis. Neste estudo foi avaliada a influência de fatores hidroclimáticos sobre parâmetros populacionais e a condição corporal de Podocnemis expansa (Schweigger, 1812) em um trecho do Rio Formoso, sudeste da Amazônia brasileira, caracterizado pelo intenso uso das águas superficiais na irrigação de culturas agrícolas. O trabalho de campo ocorreu em três campanhas realizadas entre o final de julho e início de agosto dos anos de 2016, 2017 e 2018, totalizando um esforço amostral de 205 horas. Os indivíduos foram capturados por meio dos métodos de arrasto de rede, pesca com anzol e rede de espera; e os dados hidroclimáticos obtidos no site da Agência Nacional das Águas - ANA. Um total de 466 espécimes foi capturado e marcado, incluindo 47 machos adultos, 76 fêmeas adultas e 343 juvenis- revelando-se uma população composta predominantemente por juvenis (73,60%) e com razão sexual funcional desviada para as fêmeas (0,62:1). A redução no número de indivíduos das classes de tamanhos maiores e melhores condições corporais estiveram associadas, respectivamente, a uma maior vazão média do rio na estação seca e ao aumento da vazão no período chuvoso. Estudos futuros de longo prazo devem buscar aprofundar os conhecimentos sobre como fatores hidroclimáticos e as atividades agrícolas desenvolvidas na região afetam a demografia da espécie.
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20
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Eastick DL, Edwards AM, Griffiths SR, Spencer SJ, Robert KA. Validation of quantitative magnetic resonance as a non-invasive measure of body composition in an Australian microbat. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/am19060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Body composition (the total amount of fat mass, lean mass, minerals and water that constitute the body) is an important measure for understanding an animal’s physiology, ecology and behaviour. Traditional measures of body composition require the animal to either be placed under anaesthetic, which is invasive and can be high-risk, or be euthanised, preventing the ability to perform repeated measures on the same individual. We aimed to validate quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) as a non-invasive measure of body composition by comparing QMR scans with chemical carcass analysis (CCA) in Gould’s wattled bats (Chalinolobus gouldii). In addition, we compared a commonly used microbat body condition index (residuals of mass by forearm length) to CCA. We found that QMR is an accurate method of estimating body condition in Gould’s wattled bats after calibration with regression equations, and the condition index could accurately predict lean and water mass but was a poor predictor of fat mass. Using accurate, non-invasive, repeatable measures of body condition may have important implications for ecological research in the face of changing environments.
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21
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Lavrinienko A, Tukalenko E, Kesäniemi J, Kivisaari K, Masiuk S, Boratyński Z, Mousseau TA, Milinevsky G, Mappes T, Watts PC. Applying the Anna Karenina principle for wild animal gut microbiota: Temporal stability of the bank vole gut microbiota in a disturbed environment. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2617-2630. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Eugene Tukalenko
- Ecology and Genetics University of Oulu Oulu Finland
- National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Science Kyiv Ukraine
| | | | - Kati Kivisaari
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Sergii Masiuk
- National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Science Kyiv Ukraine
- Ukrainian Radiation Protection Institute Kyiv Ukraine
| | - Zbyszek Boratyński
- CIBIO‐InBIO Associate Laboratory Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesUniversity of Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Timothy A. Mousseau
- Department of Biological Sciences University of South Carolina Columbia SC USA
| | - Gennadi Milinevsky
- Space Physics Laboratory Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Kyiv Ukraine
- College of Physics International Center of Future Science Jilin University Changchun China
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Phillip C. Watts
- Ecology and Genetics University of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
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22
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Shirane Y, Mori F, Yamanaka M, Nakanishi M, Ishinazaka T, Mano T, Jimbo M, Sashika M, Tsubota T, Shimozuru M. Development of a noninvasive photograph-based method for the evaluation of body condition in free-ranging brown bears. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9982. [PMID: 32999770 PMCID: PMC7505064 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Body condition is an important determinant of health, and its evaluation has practical applications for the conservation and management of mammals. We developed a noninvasive method that uses photographs to assess the body condition of free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan. First, we weighed and measured 476 bears captured during 1998–2017 and calculated their body condition index (BCI) based on residuals from the regression of body mass against body length. BCI showed seasonal changes and was lower in spring and summer than in autumn. The torso height:body length ratio was strongly correlated with BCI, which suggests that it can be used as an indicator of body condition. Second, we examined the precision of photograph-based measurements using an identifiable bear in the Rusha area, a special wildlife protection area on the peninsula. A total of 220 lateral photographs of this bear were taken September 24–26, 2017, and classified according to bear posture. The torso height:body/torso length ratio was calculated with four measurement methods and compared among bear postures in the photographs. The results showed torso height:horizontal torso length (TH:HTL) to be the indicator that could be applied to photographs of the most diverse postures, and its coefficient of variation for measurements was <5%. In addition, when analyzing photographs of this bear taken from June to October during 2016–2018, TH:HTL was significantly higher in autumn than in spring/summer, which indicates that this ratio reflects seasonal changes in body condition in wild bears. Third, we calculated BCI from actual measurements of seven females captured in the Rusha area and TH:HTL from photographs of the same individuals. We found a significant positive relationship between TH:HTL and BCI, which suggests that the body condition of brown bears can be estimated with high accuracy based on photographs. Our simple and accurate method is useful for monitoring bear body condition repeatedly over the years and contributes to further investigation of the relationships among body condition, food habits, and reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Shirane
- Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Mori
- Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Tsutomu Mano
- Hokkaido Research Organization, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Mina Jimbo
- Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Mariko Sashika
- Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Toshio Tsubota
- Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Michito Shimozuru
- Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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23
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Rode KD, Atwood TC, Thiemann GW, St. Martin M, Wilson RR, Durner GM, Regehr EV, Talbot SL, Sage GK, Pagano AM, Simac KS. Identifying reliable indicators of fitness in polar bears. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237444. [PMID: 32813753 PMCID: PMC7437918 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal structural body size and condition are often measured to evaluate individual health, identify responses to environmental change and food availability, and relate food availability to effects on reproduction and survival. A variety of condition metrics have been developed but relationships between these metrics and vital rates are rarely validated. Identifying an optimal approach to estimate the body condition of polar bears is needed to improve monitoring of their response to decline in sea ice habitat. Therefore, we examined relationships between several commonly used condition indices (CI), body mass, and size with female reproductive success and cub survival among polar bears (Ursus maritimus) measured in two subpopulations over three decades. To improve measurement and application of morphometrics and CIs, we also examined whether CIs are independent of age and structural size–an important assumption for monitoring temporal trends—and factors affecting measurement precision and accuracy. Maternal CIs and mass measured the fall prior to denning were related to cub production. Similarly, maternal CIs, mass, and length were related to the mass of cubs or yearlings that accompanied her. However, maternal body mass, but not CIs, measured in the spring was related to cub production and only maternal mass and length were related to the probability of cub survival. These results suggest that CIs may not be better indicators of fitness than body mass in part because CIs remove variation associated with body size that is important in affecting fitness. Further, CIs exhibited variable relationships with age for growing bears and were lower for longer bears despite body length being related to cub survival and female reproductive success. These results are consistent with findings from other species indicating that body mass is a useful metric to link environmental conditions and population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn D. Rode
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Todd C. Atwood
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | | | - Michelle St. Martin
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Ryan R. Wilson
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - George M. Durner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Eric V. Regehr
- University of Washington, Polar Science Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Sandra L. Talbot
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - George K. Sage
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Anthony M. Pagano
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Kristin S. Simac
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
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Piers L, Samuels I, Masubelele M, Engelbrecht A. Implications of potential biome boundary shifts for small mammal assemblages in the arid zone of South Africa. AUSTRAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Piers
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Department; University of Western Cape; Cape Town South Africa
| | - Igshaan Samuels
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Department; University of Western Cape; Cape Town South Africa
- Agricultural Research Council; University of the Western Cape; Cape Town South Africa
| | - Mmoto Masubelele
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Department; University of Western Cape; Cape Town South Africa
- South African National Parks; PO Box 787 Pretoria 0001 South Africa
| | - Adriaan Engelbrecht
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Department; University of Western Cape; Cape Town South Africa
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Castrillon J, Bengtson Nash S. Evaluating cetacean body condition; a review of traditional approaches and new developments. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6144-6162. [PMID: 32607220 PMCID: PMC7319165 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to accurately gauge the body condition of free-swimming cetaceans is invaluable in population and conservation biology, due to the direct implications that this measure has on individual fitness, survival, and reproductive success. Furthermore, monitoring temporal change in body condition offers insight into foraging success over time, and therefore the health of the supporting ecosystem, as well as a species' resilience. These parameters are particularly relevant in the context of widespread and accelerated, climate-induced habitat change. There are, however, significant logistical challenges involved with research and monitoring of large cetaceans, which often preclude direct measure of body condition of live individuals. Consequently, a wide variety of indirect approaches, or proxies, for estimating energetic stores have been proposed over past decades. To date, no single, standardized, approach has been shown to serve as a robust estimation of body condition across species, age categories, and in both live and dead individuals. Nonetheless, it is clear that streamlining and advancing body condition measures would carry significant benefits for diverse areas of cetacean research and management. Here, we review traditional approaches and new applications for the evaluation of cetacean energetic reserves. Specific attention is given to the criteria of measure performance (sensitivity and accuracy), level of invasiveness, cost and effort required for implementation, as well as versatility e.g. applicability across different species, age groups, as well as living versus deceased animals. Measures have been benchmarked against these criteria in an effort to identify key candidates for further development, and key research priorities in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Castrillon
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants ProgramEnvironmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI)Griffith UniversityNathanQld.Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants ProgramEnvironmental Futures Research Institute (EFRI)Griffith UniversityNathanQld.Australia
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Fuentes‐Montemayor E, Ferryman M, Watts K, Macgregor NA, Hambly N, Brennan S, Coxon R, Langridge H, Park KJ. Small mammal responses to long-term large-scale woodland creation: the influence of local and landscape-level attributes. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02028. [PMID: 31670888 PMCID: PMC7079043 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation greatly affect biological diversity. Actions to counteract their negative effects include increasing the quality, amount and connectivity of seminatural habitats at the landscape scale. However, much of the scientific evidence underpinning landscape restoration comes from studies of habitat loss and fragmentation, and it is unclear whether the ecological principles derived from habitat removal investigations are applicable to habitat creation. In addition, the relative importance of local- (e.g., improving habitat quality) vs. landscape-level (e.g., increasing habitat connectivity) actions to restore species is largely unknown, partly because studying species responses over sufficiently large spatial and temporal scales is challenging. We studied small mammal responses to large-scale woodland creation spanning 150 yr, and assessed the influence of local- and landscape-level characteristics on three small mammal species of varying woodland affinity. Woodland specialists, generalists, and grassland specialists were present in woodlands across a range of ages from 10 to 160 yr, demonstrating that these species can quickly colonize newly created woodlands. However, we found evidence that woodlands become gradually better over time for some species. The responses of individual species corresponded to their habitat specificity. A grassland specialist (Microtus agrestis) was influenced only by landscape attributes; a woodland generalist (Apodemus sylvaticus) and specialist (Myodes glareolus) were primarily influenced by local habitat attributes, and partially by landscape characteristics. At the local scale, high structural heterogeneity, large amounts of deadwood, and a relatively open understory positively influenced woodland species (both generalists and specialists); livestock grazing had strong negative effects on woodland species abundance. Actions to enhance habitat quality at the patch scale focusing on these attributes would benefit these species. Woodland creation in agricultural landscapes is also likely to benefit larger mammals and birds of prey feeding on small mammals and increase ecosystem processes such as seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Fuentes‐Montemayor
- Biological and Environmental SciencesFaculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingFK9 4LAUnited Kingdom
| | - Mark Ferryman
- Forest ResearchAlice Holt LodgeFarnhamSurreyGU10 4LH United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Watts
- Biological and Environmental SciencesFaculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingFK9 4LAUnited Kingdom
- Forest ResearchAlice Holt LodgeFarnhamSurreyGU10 4LH United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas A. Macgregor
- Natural EnglandNobel House17 Smith SquareLondonSW1P 3JRUnited Kingdom
- Present address:
Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE)School of Anthropology and ConservationUniversity of KentCanterburyKent CT2 7NRUnited Kingdom
| | - Natasha Hambly
- Biological and Environmental SciencesFaculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingFK9 4LAUnited Kingdom
| | - Stephen Brennan
- Biological and Environmental SciencesFaculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingFK9 4LAUnited Kingdom
| | - Ruth Coxon
- Biological and Environmental SciencesFaculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingFK9 4LAUnited Kingdom
| | - Holly Langridge
- Biological and Environmental SciencesFaculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingFK9 4LAUnited Kingdom
| | - Kirsty J. Park
- Biological and Environmental SciencesFaculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingFK9 4LAUnited Kingdom
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Bergstrom ML, Kalbitzer U, Campos FA, Melin AD, Emery Thompson M, Fedigan LM. Non-invasive estimation of the costs of feeding competition in a neotropical primate. Horm Behav 2020; 118:104632. [PMID: 31759943 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
A key goal in behavioral ecology is to investigate the factors influencing the access to food resources and energetic condition of females, which are strong predictors of their reproductive success. We aimed to investigate how ecological factors, social factors, and reproductive state are associated with energetic condition in a wild neotropical primate using non-invasive measures. We first assessed and compared urinary C-peptide levels (uCP), the presence of urinary ketones (uKet), and behaviorally assessed energy balance (bEB) in female white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus imitator) living in Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. Then, we assessed how these measures were associated with feeding competition, dominance rank, and reproductive state. As predicted, uCP and bEB were positively associated with each other, and bEB was negatively associated with uKet. However, we did not find a relationship between uCP and uKet. Females showed lower uCP and bEB values during periods of intense feeding competition, but this relationship was not dependent on dominance rank. Furthermore, rank was not directly associated with uCP and bEB. Urinary ketones, on the other hand, were only produced in the most adverse conditions: by low-ranking, lactating females during periods of intense feeding competition. Behavioral strategies are assumed to maximize reproductive success and not energetic condition per se, which might explain why rank was not generally associated with energetic condition in our study population. This highlights the importance of considering potential differences between reproductive success and proxies of reproductive success, such as energetic condition or food intake, when investigating predictions of socioecological models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Bergstrom
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Urs Kalbitzer
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Fernando A Campos
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Linda M Fedigan
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Kesäniemi J, Lavrinienko A, Tukalenko E, Mappes T, Watts PC, Jurvansuu J. Infection Load and Prevalence of Novel Viruses Identified from the Bank Vole Do Not Associate with Exposure to Environmental Radioactivity. Viruses 2019; 12:E44. [PMID: 31905955 PMCID: PMC7019477 DOI: 10.3390/v12010044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are host to many zoonotic viruses. As bank voles inhabiting areas contaminated by radionuclides show signs of immunosuppression, resistance to apoptosis, and elevated DNA repair activity, we predicted an association between virome composition and exposure to radionuclides. To test this hypothesis, we studied the bank vole virome in samples of plasma derived from animals inhabiting areas of Ukraine (contaminated areas surrounding the former nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, and uncontaminated areas close to Kyiv) that differed in level of environmental radiation contamination. We discovered four strains of hepacivirus and four new virus sequences: two adeno-associated viruses, an arterivirus, and a mosavirus. However, viral prevalence and viral load, and the ability to cause a systemic infection, was not dependent on the level of environmental radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Kesäniemi
- Finland Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland;
| | - Anton Lavrinienko
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland; (A.L.); (T.M.); (P.C.W.)
| | - Eugene Tukalenko
- National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Science, 02000 Kyiv, Ukraine;
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland; (A.L.); (T.M.); (P.C.W.)
| | - Phillip C. Watts
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland; (A.L.); (T.M.); (P.C.W.)
| | - Jaana Jurvansuu
- Finland Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland;
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Walkowski WG, Crother BI, Valverde RA. Testosterone and Corticosterone Profiles and Body Condition of Calling and Non-calling Lithobates grylio. COPEIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1643/cp-18-134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Whitney G. Walkowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana 70402; (WGW) . Send reprint requests to WGW
| | - Brian I. Crother
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana 70402; (WGW) . Send reprint requests to WGW
| | - Roldán A. Valverde
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana 70402; (WGW) . Send reprint requests to WGW
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Taylor CH, Young S, Fenn J, Lamb AL, Lowe AE, Poulin B, MacColl ADC, Bradley JE. Immune state is associated with natural dietary variation in wild mice Mus musculus domesticus. Funct Ecol 2019; 33:1425-1435. [PMID: 31588159 PMCID: PMC6767599 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The ability, propensity and need to mount an immune response vary both among individuals and within a single individual over time.A wide array of parameters has been found to influence immune state in carefully controlled experiments, but we understand much less about which of these parameters are important in determining immune state in wild populations.Diet can influence immune responses, for example when nutrient availability is limited. We therefore predict that natural dietary variation will play a role in modulating immune state, but this has never been tested.We measured carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in an island population of house mice Mus musculus domesticus as an indication of dietary variation, and the expression of a range of immune-related genes to represent immune state.After accounting for potential confounding influences such as age, sex and helminth load, we found a significant association between carbon isotope ratio and levels of immune activity in the mesenteric lymph nodes, particularly in relation to the inflammatory response.This association demonstrates the important interplay between diet and an animal's response to immune challenges, and therefore potentially its susceptibility to disease. A plain language summary is available for this article.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stuart Young
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
- IUCN SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist GroupChesterUK
| | - Jonathan Fenn
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Angela L. Lamb
- Environmental Science CentreBritish Geological SurveyKeyworthUK
| | - Ann E. Lowe
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Benoit Poulin
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
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31
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Castaño MI, Cadena CD, Avendaño JE. Home‐range size of an Andean bird: Assessing the role of physical condition. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Isabel Castaño
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de Vertebrados Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de los Andes Bogotá Colombia
| | - Carlos Daniel Cadena
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de Vertebrados Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de los Andes Bogotá Colombia
| | - Jorge Enrique Avendaño
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de Vertebrados Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de los Andes Bogotá Colombia
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32
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The impact of botfly parasitism on the health of the gracile mouse opossum (Gracilinanus agilis). Parasitology 2019; 146:1013-1021. [PMID: 30915931 DOI: 10.1017/s003118201900026x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Fragmented habitats generally harbour small populations that are potentially more prone to local extinctions caused by biotic factors such as parasites. We evaluated the effects of botflies (Cuterebra apicalis) on naturally fragmented populations of the gracile mouse opossum (Gracilinanus agilis). We examined how sex, food supplementation experiment, season and daily climatic variables affected body condition and haemoglobin concentration in animals that were parasitized or not by botflies. Although parasitism did not affect body condition, haemoglobin concentrations were lower in parasitized animals. Among the non-parasitized individuals, haemoglobin concentration increased with the increase of maximum temperature and the decrease of relative humidity, a climatic pattern found at the peak of the dry season. However, among parasitized animals, the opposite relationship between haemoglobin concentration and relative humidity occurred, as a consequence of parasite-induced anaemia interacting with dehydration as an additional stressor. We conclude that it is critical to assess how climate affects animal health (through blood parameters) to understand the population consequences of parasitism on the survival of individuals and hence of small population viability.
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Abstract
Condition indices correlating body lipid content with mass and morphometric measurements have been developed for a variety of taxa. However, for many large species, the capture and handling of enough animals to obtain representative population estimates is not logistically feasible. The relatively low cost and reduced disturbance effects of UAVs make them ideal for the rapid acquisition of high volume data for monitoring large species. This study examined the imagery collected from two different UAVs, flown at 25 m altitude, and the subsequent georeferenced orthomosaics as a method for measuring length and axillary girth of Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) to derive an index of body condition. Up to 26% of individuals were orientated correctly (prostrate/sternal recumbent) to allow for body measurements. The UAV-obtained images over-estimated axillary girth diameter due to postural sag on the lateral sides of the thorax while the animals are lying flat in the sternal recumbent position on granite rocks. However, the relationship between axillary girth and standard length was similarly positive for the remotely- and physically-obtained measurements. This indicates that residual values from the remotely-obtained measurements can be used as a relative index of body condition.
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Kraft FLOH, Driscoll SC, Buchanan KL, Crino OL. Developmental stress reduces body condition across avian life-history stages: A comparison of quantitative magnetic resonance data and condition indices. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 272:33-41. [PMID: 30452902 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Animals exposed to stressful developmental conditions can experience sustained physiological, behavioral, and fitness effects. While extensive research shows how developmental stress affects development, few studies have examined the effects on body composition. To test the effects of developmental stress on nestling and adult body composition, we dosed nestling zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) with either a corticosterone (CORT) or control treatment. We calculated condition indices (scaled mass, residual mass, and ratio indices) from morphometric measurements and used quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) to assess body composition during early development and adulthood. We compared these three traditionally-used condition indices to QMR-derived body composition measurements, to test how well they predict relative fat mass. Our results show that developmental stress decreases body mass, and has a dose-dependent effect on tarsus length in nestling birds. Furthermore, stress treatment during the nestling period had long-lasting effects on adult body mass, lean mass and tarsus length. None of the three condition indices were good indicators of relative fat mass in nestlings, but all indices were closely associated with relative fat mass in adults. The scaled mass index was more closely associated with relative fat mass than the other condition indices, when calculated from wing chord length in nestlings. In adults however, the residual mass index and the ratio index were better indicators of relative body fat than the scaled mass index, when calculated from tarsus length. Our data demonstrate the short and long-term impact of developmental stress on birds, and highlight important age-related factors to consider when using condition indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny-Linn O H Kraft
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Stephanie C Driscoll
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katherine L Buchanan
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ondi L Crino
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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35
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Eads DA. Parasitism of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs by Linognathoides cynomyis (Phthiraptera: Polyplacidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 56:280-283. [PMID: 30239780 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The following study investigates louse parasitism of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, Rodentia: Sciuridae)) on 20 plots at 13 colonies in the short-grass prairie of New Mexico, USA, June-August, 2011-2012. Among 124 lice collected from 537 prairie dogs during 1,207 sampling events in which anesthetized animals were combed for ectoparasites, all of the lice were identified as Linognathoides cynomyis (Kim, Phthiraptera: Polyplacidae). Data were analyzed under an information-theoretic approach to identify factors predicting louse parasitism. Lice were most prevalent on plots with high densities of prairie dogs. At the scale of hosts, lice were most abundant on prairie dogs in poor body condition (with low mass:foot ratios) and prairie dogs harboring large numbers of fleas (Siphonaptera, mostly Oropsylla hirsuta (Baker, Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae) and Pulex simulans (Baker,Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)). Lice have been implicated as supplemental vectors of the primarily flea-borne bacterium Yersinia pestis (Yersin, Enterobacteriales: Yersiniaceae), a re-emerging pathogen that causes sylvatic plague in prairie dog populations. Coparasitism by lice and fleas, as found herein, might enhance plague transmission. L. cynomyis deserves attention in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Eads
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
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36
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Beaugeard E, Brischoux F, Henry P, Parenteau C, Trouvé C, Angelier F. Does urbanization cause stress in wild birds during development? Insights from feather corticosterone levels in juvenile house sparrows ( Passer domesticus). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:640-652. [PMID: 30680144 PMCID: PMC6342122 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Urban landscapes are associated with abiotic and biotic environmental changes that may result in potential stressors for wild vertebrates. Urban exploiters have physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptations to live in cities. However, there is increasing evidence that urban exploiters themselves can suffer from urban conditions, especially during specific life-history stages. We looked for a link between the degree of urbanization and the level of developmental stress in an urban exploiter (the house sparrow, Passer domesticus), which has recently been declining in multiple European cities (e.g., London, UK). Specifically, we conducted a large-scale study and sampled juvenile sparrows in 11 urban and rural sites to evaluate their feather corticosterone (CORT) levels. We found that juvenile feather CORT levels were positively correlated with the degree of urbanization, supporting the idea that developing house sparrows may suffer from urban environmental conditions. However, we did not find any correlation between juvenile feather CORT levels and body size, mass, or body condition. This suggests either that the growth and condition of urban sparrows are not impacted by elevated developmental CORT levels, or that urban sparrows may compensate for developmental constraints once they have left the nest. Although feather CORT levels were not correlated with baseline CORT levels, we found that feather CORT levels were slightly and positively correlated with the CORT stress response in juveniles. This suggests that urban developmental conditions may potentially have long-lasting effects on stress physiology and stress sensitivity in this urban exploiter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Beaugeard
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Pierre‐Yves Henry
- Centre de Recherches sur la Biologie des Populations d’Oiseaux (CRBPO)CESCO UMR 7204 Sorbonne Universités‐MNHN‐CNRS‐UPMCParisFrance
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Colette Trouvé
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC)UMR 7372 CNRS‐Université de La RochelleVilliers‐en‐BoisFrance
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie C Tanner
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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38
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Majdi N, Hette-Tronquart N, Auclair E, Bec A, Chouvelon T, Cognie B, Danger M, Decottignies P, Dessier A, Desvilettes C, Dubois S, Dupuy C, Fritsch C, Gaucherel C, Hedde M, Jabot F, Lefebvre S, Marzloff MP, Pey B, Peyrard N, Powolny T, Sabbadin R, Thébault E, Perga ME. There's no harm in having too much: A comprehensive toolbox of methods in trophic ecology. FOOD WEBS 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2018.e00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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39
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Pero EM, Hare JF. Costs of Franklin’s ground squirrel (Poliocitellus franklinii) ectoparasitism reveal adaptive sex allocation. CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Parasite infestation may impose direct costs of blood, nutrient, and energy depletion, along with indirect costs of increased immune response upon hosts. We investigated how ectoparasitism influences body mass and reproduction in a free-living population of Franklin’s ground squirrels (Poliocitellus franklinii (Sabine, 1822)) located near Delta Marsh, Manitoba, Canada. We experimentally reduced ectoparasite burden by treating seven reproductive females with an insecticide following breeding and contrasted body mass and reproductive performance of those individuals to seven sham-treated control females. Insecticide-treated dams did not differ from sham-treated dams in body mass, litter size, or juvenile mass, and thus, dam growth and reproduction were not compromised by ectoparasite defense at the infestation levels experienced in this study. However, litter sex ratio differed significantly between insecticide-treated and control females, with a higher proportion of male offspring produced among females with reduced ectoparasite load. Our findings are thus consistent with the Trivers–Willard model for adaptive sex allocation, yet they provide novel comparative insight into how sociality may modulate the expression of adaptive sex allocation among small mammals given the differential payoff associated with the production of high-quality female versus male offspring in more social versus less social species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen M. Pero
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - James F. Hare
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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40
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Burkhard TT, Westwick RR, Phelps SM. Adiposity signals predict vocal effort in Alston's singing mice. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180090. [PMID: 29695445 PMCID: PMC5936728 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Advertisement displays often seem extravagant and expensive, and are thought to depend on the body condition of a signaller. Nevertheless, we know little about how signallers adjust effort based on condition, and few studies find a strong relationship between natural variation in condition and display. To examine the relationship between body condition and signal elaboration more fully, we characterized physiological condition and acoustic displays in a wild rodent with elaborate vocalizations, Alston's singing mouse, Scotinomys teguina We found two major axes of variation in condition-one defined by short-term fluctuations in caloric nutrients, and a second by longer-term variation in adiposity. Among acoustic parameters, song effort was characterized by high rates of display and longer songs. Song effort was highly correlated with measures of adiposity. We found that leptin was a particularly strong predictor of display effort. Leptin is known to influence investment in other costly traits, such as immune function and reproduction. Plasma hormone levels convey somatic state to a variety of tissues, and may govern trait investment across vertebrates. Such measures offer new insights into how animals translate body condition into behavioural and life-history decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy T Burkhard
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Rebecca R Westwick
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Steven M Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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41
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Bandeira V, Virgós E, Azevedo A, Carvalho J, Cunha MV, Fonseca C. Sex and season explain spleen weight variation in the Egyptian mongoose. Curr Zool 2018; 65:11-20. [PMID: 30697234 PMCID: PMC6347055 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758) is a medium-sized carnivore that experienced remarkable geographic expansion over the last 3 decades in the Iberian Peninsula. In this study, we investigated the association of species-related and abiotic factors with spleen weight (as a proxy for immunocompetence) in the species. We assessed the relationship of body condition, sex, age, season, and environmental conditions with spleen weight established for 508 hunted specimens. Our results indicate that the effects of sex and season outweigh those of all other variables, including body condition. Spleen weight is higher in males than in females, and heavier spleens are more likely to be found in spring, coinciding with the highest period of investment in reproduction due to mating, gestation, birth, and lactation. Coupled with the absence of an effect of body condition, our findings suggest that spleen weight variation in this species is mostly influenced by life-history traits linked to reproduction, rather than overall energy availability, winter immunoenhancement, or energy partitioning effects, and prompt further research focusing on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Bandeira
- Department of Biology & Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Emilio Virgós
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Área Biodiversidad y Conservación, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología (ESCET), Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán, s/n, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alexandre Azevedo
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, Berlin, Germany.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, R. Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Portugal
| | - João Carvalho
- Department of Biology & Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal.,Wildlife Ecology & Health group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica V Cunha
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV), IP-National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, Rua dos Lagidos, Lugar da Madalena, Vairão, Portugal.,cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos Fonseca
- Department of Biology & Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
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42
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Flores-Saavedra W, Espunyes J, Fernández-Aguilar X, Colom-Cadena A, Velarde R, Mentaberre G, Lavín S, López-Olvera JR, Serrano E. Fat reserve assessment in Pyrenean chamois using body measurements. Mamm Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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43
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Ferreira M, Soldati A, Rodrigues SSS, Benjamin LDA. Implications of body condition and seasonality on morphological and functional parameters of testes of Myotis nigricans (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Reprod Fertil Dev 2018; 30:1029-1037. [PMID: 29325604 DOI: 10.1071/rd17316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The insectivorous bat Myotis nigricans is widely distributed throughout the Neotropics, including Brazil, and has a reproductive biology that is affected by climate and food availability. To evaluate the reproductive capacity of this species, morphofunctional parameters of the testes were correlated with environmental variables and the body condition of individuals captured. After bats had been killed, their testes were removed, fixed in Karnovsky's fluid for 24h and embedded in resin for evaluation by light microscopy. The mean annual tubulosomatic index (0.58%) and the percentage of seminiferous tubules in the testes (88.96%) were the highest ever recorded for the Order Chiroptera. The percentage of Leydig cells and volume of the cytoplasm of Leydig cells were higher in the rainy than dry season (80.62±3.19% and 573.57±166.95μm, respectively; mean±s.d.). Conversely, the percentage of nuclei of the Leydig cells in the dry season (26.17±3.70%; mean±s.d.) and the total number of Leydig cells (6.38±1.84×109; mean±s.d.) were higher in the dry season. The results of the present study could help in future conservation of these bats because they provide a better understanding of the bats' reproductive strategies and how the species can adapt to changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Ferreira
- Department of Veterinary, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Aline Soldati
- Department of Veterinary, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Sirlene S S Rodrigues
- Department of Animal Biology, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Laércio Dos Anjos Benjamin
- Department of Veterinary, Center of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
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44
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Lyons J, Mastromonaco G, Edwards DB, Schulte-Hostedde AI. Fat and happy in the city: Eastern chipmunks in urban environments. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
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45
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Yin S, Kleijn D, Müskens GJDM, Fouchier RAM, Verhagen JH, Glazov PM, Si Y, Prins HHT, de Boer WF. No evidence that migratory geese disperse avian influenza viruses from breeding to wintering ground. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177790. [PMID: 28542340 PMCID: PMC5436700 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Low pathogenic avian influenza virus can mutate to a highly pathogenic strain that causes severe clinical signs in birds and humans. Migratory waterfowl, especially ducks, are considered the main hosts of low pathogenic avian influenza virus, but the role of geese in dispersing the virus over long-distances is still unclear. We collected throat and cloaca samples from three goose species, Bean goose (Anser fabalis), Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) and Greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons), from their breeding grounds, spring stopover sites, and wintering grounds. We tested if the geese were infected with low pathogenic avian influenza virus outside of their wintering grounds, and analysed the spatial and temporal patterns of infection prevalence on their wintering grounds. Our results show that geese were not infected before their arrival on wintering grounds. Barnacle geese and Greater white-fronted geese had low prevalence of infection just after their arrival on wintering grounds in the Netherlands, but the prevalence increased in successive months, and peaked after December. This suggests that migratory geese are exposed to the virus after their arrival on wintering grounds, indicating that migratory geese might not disperse low pathogenic avian influenza virus during autumn migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenglai Yin
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (SY); (WFdB)
| | - David Kleijn
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard J. D. M. Müskens
- Alterra, Centre for Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Josanne H. Verhagen
- Department Biology and Environmental Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Petr M. Glazov
- Laboratory of Biogeography, Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yali Si
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modelling, and Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Herbert H. T. Prins
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Frederik de Boer
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (SY); (WFdB)
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46
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Pettis HM, Rolland RM, Hamilton PK, Knowlton AR, Burgess EA, Kraus SD. Body condition changes arising from natural factors and fishing gear entanglements in North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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47
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Warner DA, Johnson MS, Nagy TR. Validation of Body Condition Indices and Quantitative Magnetic Resonance in Estimating Body Composition in a Small Lizard. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 325:588-597. [PMID: 28035770 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Measurements of body condition are typically used to assess an individual's quality, health, or energetic state. Most indices of body condition are based on linear relationships between body length and mass. Although these indices are simple to obtain, nonlethal, and useful indications of energetic state, their accuracy at predicting constituents of body condition (e.g., fat and lean mass) are often unknown. The objectives of this research were to (1) validate the accuracy of another simple and noninvasive method, quantitative magnetic resonance (QMR), at estimating body composition in a small-bodied lizard, Anolis sagrei, and (2) evaluate the accuracy of two indices of body condition (based on length-mass relationships) at predicting body fat, lean, and water mass. Comparisons of results from QMR scans to those from chemical carcass analysis reveal that QMR measures body fat, lean, and water mass with excellent accuracy in male and female lizards. With minor calibration from regression equations, QMR will be a reliable method of estimating body composition of A. sagrei. Body condition indices were positively related to absolute estimates of each constituent of body composition, but these relationships showed considerable variation around regression lines. In addition, condition indices did not predict fat, lean, or water mass when adjusted for body mass. Thus, our results emphasize the need for caution when interpreting body condition based upon linear measurements of animals. Overall, QMR provides an alternative noninvasive method for accurately measuring fat, lean, and water mass in these small-bodied animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Warner
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.,Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Maria S Johnson
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Tim R Nagy
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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48
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Forbes KM, Henttonen H, Hirvelä-Koski V, Kipar A, Mappes T, Stuart P, Huitu O. Food provisioning alters infection dynamics in populations of a wild rodent. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20151939. [PMID: 26446813 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While pathogens are often assumed to limit the growth of wildlife populations, experimental evidence for their effects is rare. A lack of food resources has been suggested to enhance the negative effects of pathogen infection on host populations, but this theory has received little investigation. We conducted a replicated two-factor enclosure experiment, with introduction of the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica and food supplementation, to evaluate the individual and interactive effects of pathogen infection and food availability on vole populations during a boreal winter. We show that prior to bacteria introduction, vole populations were limited by food availability. Bordetella bronchiseptica introduction then reduced population growth and abundance, but contrary to predictions, primarily in food supplemented populations. Infection prevalence and pathological changes in vole lungs were most common in food supplemented populations, and are likely to have resulted from increased congregation and bacteria transmission around feeding stations. Bordetella bronchiseptica-infected lungs often showed protozoan co-infection (consistent with Hepatozoon erhardovae), together with more severe inflammatory changes. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this study demonstrates a complex picture of interactions and underlying mechanisms, leading to population-level effects. Our results highlight the potential for food provisioning to markedly influence disease processes in wildlife mammal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian M Forbes
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Suonenjoki, Finland Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Varpu Hirvelä-Koski
- Production Animal and Wildlife Health Research Unit, Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Oulu, Finland
| | - Anja Kipar
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Peter Stuart
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Suonenjoki, Finland Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Otso Huitu
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Suonenjoki, Finland
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49
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Zhang L, Jiang W, Wang QJ, Zhao H, Zhang HX, Marcec RM, Willard ST, Kouba AJ. Reintroduction and Post-Release Survival of a Living Fossil: The Chinese Giant Salamander. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156715. [PMID: 27258650 PMCID: PMC4892505 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Captive rearing and reintroduction / translocation are increasingly used as tools to supplement wild populations of threatened species. Reintroducing captive-reared Chinese giant salamanders may help to augment the declining wild populations and conserve this critically endangered amphibian. We released 31 captive-reared juvenile giant salamanders implanted with VHF radio transmitters at the Heihe River (n = 15) and the Donghe River (n = 16) in the Qinling Mountains of central China. Salamanders were monitored every day for survival from April 28th 2013 to September 3rd 2014. We attempted to recapture all living individuals by the end of the study, measured their body mass and total body length, and checked for abnormalities and presence of external parasites. Two salamanders at the Heihe River and 10 animals at the Donghe River survived through the project timeline. Nine salamanders were confirmed dead, while the status of the other 10 animals was undetermined. The annual survival rate of giant salamanders at the Donghe River (0.702) was 1.7-fold higher than that at the Heihe River (0.405). Survival increased as individuals were held longer following surgery, whereas body mass did not have a significant impact on survival rate. All salamanders recaptured from the Donghe River (n = 8) increased in mass (0.50 ± 0.13 kg) and length (5.5 ± 1.5 cm) after approximately 11 months in the wild, and they were only 7% lighter than wild animals of the same length (mean residual = -0.033 ± 0.025). Our results indicate that captive-reared Chinese giant salamanders can survive in the wild one year after release and adequate surgical recovery time is extremely important to post-release survival. Future projects may reintroduce older juveniles to achieve better survival and longer monitoring duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology Department, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States of America
- Conservation and Research Department, Memphis Zoological Society, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Wei Jiang
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qi-Jun Wang
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hu Zhao
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | | | - Ruth M. Marcec
- Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology Department, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Scott T. Willard
- Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology Department, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Andrew J. Kouba
- Conservation and Research Department, Memphis Zoological Society, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Sciullo L, Thiemann GW, Lunn NJ. Comparative assessment of metrics for monitoring the body condition of polar bears in western Hudson Bay. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Sciullo
- Department of Biology; York University; Toronto Ontario M3J 1P3 Canada
| | - G. W. Thiemann
- Faculty of Environmental Studies; York University; Toronto Ontario M3J 1P3 Canada
| | - N. J. Lunn
- Wildlife Research Division; Science and Technology Branch; Environment and Climate Change Canada; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E9 Canada
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