EVALUATION OF SOYBEAN CULTIVARS AND LINES RESISTANCE TO Pratylenchus brachyurus AVALIAÇÃO DA RESISTÊNCIA DE CULTIVARES E LINHAGENS DE SOJA A Pratylenchus brachyurus

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Dilson da Cunha Costa

2007-09-01

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Pratylenchus brachyurus, a plant parasitic nematode which has wide distribution due to a broad range of hosts, causes damages to soybean all over the world. Chlorosis and dwarfing in soybean plants are very common symptoms associated with this nematode infestation. The present work had as objective to evaluate the resistance of soybean cultivars and lines to P. brachyurus. Seeds of all genotypes were treated with a mixture of alcohol, sodium hypochloride, water (1:2:7. Pre-germinated seedlings were inoculated with 450 nematodes and, after 50 days under greenhouse conditions, the plants were harvested, when nematode number per root system and reproduction factors were evaluated. All genotypes tested were found to be infested with the nematode. However, 18.52% of the genotypes showed high susceptibility, 45.68% were susceptible, while 34.57% showed slight resistance and 1.23% were moderate resistant to the attack of P. brachyurus.

KEY-WORDS: Glycine max; root-lesion; nematode.

Pratylenchus brackyurus, que tem larga distribuição geográfica devido ao grande número de hospedeiros, causa prejuízos à soja em todo o mundo. Clorose e nanismo em plantas de soja são sintomas muito comuns associados à infestação desse nematóide. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliara a resistência de cultivares e linhagens de soja a P. bhrachyurus. As sementes dos genótipos foram tratadas com uma mistura de álcool, hipoclorito de sódio e água (1:2:7 e pré-germinadas. Cada plântula foi inoculada com 450 juvenis e/ou adultos de P. brachyurus e, após 50 dias em casa de vegetação, as plantas foram colhidas, avaliando-se o número de nematóides por sistema radicular e os fatores de reprodução. A

Physiological constraints and latitudinal breeding season in the Canidae.

Science.gov (United States)

Valdespino, Carolina

2007-01-01

Physiological strategies that maximize reproductive success may be phylogenetically constrained or might have a plastic response to different environmental conditions. Among mammals, Canidae lend themselves to the study of these two influences on reproductive physiology because all the species studied to date have been characterized as monestrous (i.e., a single ovulatory event per breeding season), suggesting a phylogenetic effect. Greater flexibility could be associated with environments that are less seasonal, such as the tropics; however, little is known for many of the species from this region. To compensate for this lack of data, two regressions were done on the length of the reproductive season relative to the latitudinal distribution of a species: one with raw data and another with phylogenetically independent contrasts. There was a significant negative relationship, independent of phylogeny, with canids that have longer breeding seasons occurring at lower latitudes. In contrast, the pervasiveness of monestrus within Canidae appears to be phylogenetically constrained by their pairing/packing life and is most likely associated with monogamy. The persistence of the monestrous condition is supported by a captive study where a tropical canid, the fennec fox, Vulpes zerda, never exhibited polyestrous cycles despite a constant photoperiod (12L : 12D).

Occurrence and identification of Ancylostomatidae in Maned-wolf ( Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger, 1811 from the Triângulo Mineiro area, Minas Gerais, Brazil

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Maria José Santos Mundim

1991-06-01

Full Text Available An experiment involving nine Maned-wolf(Chrysocyon brachyurus, from the Triangulo Mineiro area,Minas Gerais, Brazil, was carried out to check the occurrence of hookworm eggs and their adult forms. Eggs of the referred helminths were identified in 77.77% of the studied animals. Among the adult forms founded in the small intestine, two species were identified: Uncinaria stenocephala (Railliet, 1884 and Ancylostoma caninum (Ercolani, 1859. The authors report of the first occurrence in the U. stenocephala and C.brachyurus Brazil.

Satellite DNA Sequences in Canidae and Their Chromosome Distribution in Dog and Red Fox.

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Vozdova, Miluse; Kubickova, Svatava; Cernohorska, Halina; Fröhlich, Jan; Rubes, Jiri

2016-01-01

Satellite DNA is a characteristic component of mammalian centromeric heterochromatin, and a comparative analysis of its evolutionary dynamics can be used for phylogenetic studies. We analysed satellite and satellite-like DNA sequences available in NCBI for 4 species of the family Canidae (red fox, Vulpes vulpes, VVU; domestic dog, Canis familiaris, CFA; arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus, VLA; raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides procyonoides, NPR) by comparative sequence analysis, which revealed 86-90% intraspecies and 76-79% interspecies similarity. Comparative fluorescence in situ hybridisation in the red fox and dog showed signals of the red fox satellite probe in canine and vulpine autosomal centromeres, on VVUY, B chromosomes, and in the distal parts of VVU9q and VVU10p which were shown to contain nucleolus organiser regions. The CFA satellite probe stained autosomal centromeres only in the dog. The CFA satellite-like DNA did not show any significant sequence similarity with the satellite DNA of any species analysed and was localised to the centromeres of 9 canine chromosome pairs. No significant heterochromatin block was detected on the B chromosomes of the red fox. Our results show extensive heterogeneity of satellite sequences among Canidae and prove close evolutionary relationships between the red and arctic fox. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A secondary nursery area for the copper shark Carcharhinus brachyurus from the late Miocene of Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Landini, Walter; Collareta, Alberto; Pesci, Fabio; Di Celma, Claudio; Urbina, Mario; Bianucci, Giovanni

2017-10-01

The life history strategies of sharks often include the use of protected nursery areas by young-of-the-year and juveniles. Nursery areas can be primary (i.e., grounds where the sharks are born and spend the very first part of their lives) or secondary (i.e., grounds inhabited by slightly older but not yet mature individuals). Criteria utilized to recognize these strategic habitats include: high concentration of young sharks, high food availability, and low predation risk. Since the fossil record of sharks consists mainly of isolated teeth, identification of paleonurseries involves a series of problems due to difficult application of actualistic criteria. A rich shark tooth-bearing level (ST-low1) has recently been discovered in the upper Miocene deposits of the Pisco Formation exposed at Cerro Colorado (southern coast of Peru). Most of the teeth collected from this level belong to the extant copper shark Carcharhinus brachyurus. These teeth are small and compatible with those of extant juveniles. This observation, coupled with other paleoenvironmental considerations, indicates that the ST-low1 horizon could have represented a nursery ground for juvenile individuals of C. brachyurus. The absence of very small-sized teeth (i.e., referable to young-of-the-year) suggests a secondary nursery ground inhabited by immature copper sharks. Observations on the tooth size of other Lamniformes, Carcharhiniformes, and Myliobatiformes occurring along with C. brachyurus point to a significantly juvenile structure of this elasmobranch assemblage, thus supporting the hypothesis of a communal use of the Cerro Colorado paleonursery.

Praomys degraaffi, a new species of Muridae (Mammalia) from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Praomys degraaffi, a new species of Muridae (Mammalia) from central Africa. Erik van der ... It occurs at high elevations in montane forests of the Albertine Rift. The new ... following museums and private cotlections: American Mu- seum of Natural ...... edge of the park and in rather dry dense bush and sometimes up to I meter ...

Extraosseous osteosarcoma in a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

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Reid, Heather L; Deem, Sharon L; Citino, Scott B

2005-09-01

A 6-yr-old maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) was diagnosed with an extraosseous osteosarcoma on the lateral aspect of the right thigh. Antemortem radiography revealed a calcified mass with no skeletal involvement. The mass was excised, but visible regrowth of the tumor was evident within 5 wk. Histologic examination and immunohistochemistry, including staining for p53 tumor suppression gene protein, were performed on the excised mass. The maned wolf was euthanized 13 wk after the initial diagnosis. The neoplasm was located in a site commonly used for the delivery of intramuscular injections, including vaccinations. Although no definitive association can be made, it is worth noting this relationship, as vaccine-site neoplasias have been observed in other species, most notably the domestic cat (Felis domesticus).

Granulomatous pneumonia due to Spirocerca lupi in two free-ranging maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) from central Brazil

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This case report describes the anatomic pathology findings in two free-ranging maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) from central-western region of Brazil presenting granulomatous pneumonia associated with intralesional infection by Spirocerca lupi. Both wolves had multiple, white, 1-1.5 cm in diamet...

MANDIBULAR MORPHOMETRY APPLIED TO ANESTHETIC BLOCKAGE IN THE MANED WOLF (CHRYSOCYON BRACHYURUS).

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de Souza Junior, Paulo; de Moraes, Flavio Machado; de Carvalho, Natan da Cruz; Canelo, Evandro Alves; Thiesen, Roberto; Santos, André Luiz Quagliatto

2016-03-01

Chrysocyon brachyurus (maned wolf) is the biggest South American canid and has a high frequency of dental injuries, both in the wild and in captivity. Thus, veterinary procedures are necessary to preserve the feeding capacity of hundreds of captive specimens worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the mandibular morphometry of the maned wolf with emphasis on the establishment of anatomic references for anesthetic block of the inferior alveolar and mental nerves. Therefore, 16 measurements in 22 mandibles of C. brachyurus adults were taken. For extraoral block of the inferior alveolar nerve at the level of the mandibular foramen, the needle should be advanced close to the medial face of the mandibular ramus for 11.4 mm perpendicular to the palpable concavity. In another extraoral approach, the needle may be introduced for 30.4 mm from the angular process at a 20-25° angle to the ventral margin. For blocking only the mental nerve, the needle should be inserted for 10 mm from ventral border, close to the labial surface of the mandibular body, at the level of the lower first premolar. The mandibular foramen showed similar position, size, and symmetry in the maned wolf specimens examined. Comparison of the data observed here with those available for other carnivores indicates the need to determine these anatomic references specifically for each species.

Ecomorphology of radii in Canidae: Application to fragmentary fossils from Plio-Pleistocene hominin assemblages

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Carlo Meloro

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Fragmentary long bone material from fossil Carnivora is rarely considered to support palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Here, we use morphometry of the radius in extant carnivorans of the dog family (Canidae to reconstruct the palaeobiology of extinct canids from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania (Bed I and II and Koobi Fora, Kenya. We use radius morphometrics to predict adaptation to prey size and introduce a new method for quantifying canid habitat adaptations based on the geographic distributions of the extant species sampled. Linear Discriminant Function Analyses (DFA and cluster neighbour-joining algorithms are employed to investigate radial morphometrics as described by 29 linear measurements. Results of our analyses suggest that a phylogenetic signal is present in radial morphometrics, even if it does not allow us to accurately discriminate among genera. A binary prey size categorisation of “small-medium” versus “large” prey can be more accurately predicted than a habitat categorisation scheme (Open, Mixed, Closed. The East African fossil specimens examined show morphometric affinities with the golden jackal (Canis aureus and coyote (Canis latrans and are likely attributable to the genus Canis. Fragmentary fossil specimens from Olduvai Gorge are predicted as habitat generalists (Open for Bed I and Mixed for Bed II adapted for hunting small-medium prey, whereas the specimen from Koobi Fora was predicted as inhabiting mixed habitats and adapted for killing large prey. This study supports the inclusion of fossil Canidae in palaeoecological analyses attempting to clarify the palaeoenvironment of early hominin fossil sites.

EFFICACY OF ENDOPHYTIC BACTERIA IN REDUCING PLANT PARASITIC NEMATODE Pratylenchus brachyurus

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Rita Harni

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Pratylenchus brachyurus is a major parasitic nematode on patchouli that reduces plant production up to 85%. The use of endophytic bacteria is promising for controlling nematode and promoting plant growth through production of phytohormones and enhancing the availability of soil nutrients. The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of endophytic bacteria to control P. brachyurus on patchouli plant and its influence on plant productions (plant fresh weight and patchouli oil. The study was conducted at Cimanggu Experimental Garden and Laboratory of the Indonesian Spice and Medicinal Crops Research Institute (ISMECRI, Bogor, West Java. The experi-ment was designed in a randomized block with seven treatments and eight replications; each replication consisted of 10 plants. The treatments evaluated were five isolates of endophytic bacteria (Achromobacter xylosoxidans TT2, Alcaligenes faecalis NJ16, Pseudomonas putida EH11, Bacillus cereus MSK and Bacillus subtilis NJ57, synthetic nematicide as a reference, and non-treated plant as a control.  Four-week old patchouli plants of cv. Sidikalang were treated by soaking the roots in suspension of endophytic bacteria (109 cfu  ml-1 for one hour before trans-planting to the field. At one month after planting, the plants were drenched with the bacterial suspension as much as 100 ml per plant. The results showed that applications of the endophytic bacteria could suppress the nematode populations (52.8-80% and increased plant weight (23.62-57.48% compared to the control. The isolate of endophytic bacterium Achromobacter xylosoxidans TT2 was the best and comparable with carbofuran.

Late Cenozoic History of the Genus Micromys (Mammalia, Rodentia) in Central Europe

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Horáček, I.; Knitlová, M.; Wagner, Jan; Kordos, L.; Nadachowski, A.

2013-01-01

Roč. 8, č. 5 (2013), e62498 E-ISSN 1932-6203 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA205/09/0184 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : Mammalia * Rodentia * Genus Micromys * Late Cenozoic Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 3.534, year: 2013

Spotted black snake (Pseudechis guttatus) envenomation in a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

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Portas, Timothy J; Montali, Richard J

2007-09-01

Envenomation by a spotted black snake (Pseudechis guttatus), following multiple bites on the buccal mucosa of a captive maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), caused the animal's collapse, hemolysis, rhabdomyolysis, local tissue necrosis, hepatic and renal failure, and subsequent death. The wolf died despite intensive supportive care including antivenom administration, fluid support, and a blood transfusion. Gross necropsy findings included myocardial and intestinal hemorrhage, pulmonary congestion, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly. Microscopic examination of formalin-fixed tissues demonstrated pulmonary and abdominal visceral hemorrhage, acute nephrosis with casts, multifocal hepatic necrosis, and splenic congestion.

Treatment of fibrosarcoma in a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) by rostral maxillectomy.

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McNulty, E E; Gilson, S D; Houser, B S; Ouse, A

2000-09-01

A 12-yr-old captive intact male maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) was diagnosed with a fibrosarcoma of the incisive bones. The mass was excised by rostral maxillectomy, and the wolf remained normal and on display with good function and cosmetics for 7 mo. Subsequently, it became weak, ataxic, and dyspneic and was euthanatized. At necropsy, there was a small regrowth of the maxillary tumor, a metastatic mediastinal mass, and multiple metastatic lung masses, suggesting that oral fibrosarcoma in maned wolves behaves similarly to oral fibrosarcoma in domestic canines. Aggressive surgical treatment of oral fibrosarcoma in this species can achieve good functional and cosmetic results.

GASTRIC DILATATION VOLVULUS IN ADULT MANED WOLVES (CHRYSOCYON BRACHYURUS).

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Hinton, Jenna D; Padilla, Luis R; Joyner, Priscilla H; Schnellbacher, Rodney; Walsh, Timothy F; Aitken-Palmer, Copper

2017-06-01

Gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) was identified in six adult maned wolves ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ) housed at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, and the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri. Four individuals were found dead in their enclosures, and GDV was diagnosed postmortem based on radiographic and necropsy findings. Two individuals were diagnosed with GDV antemortem, with one wolf surviving following surgical intervention and supportive management. A concurrent splenic torsion was identified in three of six cases. Although GDV has been well documented in domestic dogs and is known to occur in maned wolves, objective, detailed case descriptions have been limited in this species. This report represents the first description of a surviving case of GDV in the maned wolf. Thorough species-specific documentation of any acutely fatal condition, such as GDV, is imperative for proper case recognition and medical management, with profound implications for species recovery efforts.

Microbiota and anthropic interference on antimicrobial resistance profile of bacteria isolated from Brazilian maned-wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

OpenAIRE

Vieira-da-Motta, Olney; Eckhardt-de-Pontes, Luiz Antonio; Petrucci, Melissa Paes; dos Santos, Israel Pereira; da Cunha, Isabel Candia Nunes; Morato, Ronaldo Gonçalves

2014-01-01

Both the study of Brazilian wild mammal fauna and the conditions that foster the preservation of endangered species, such as Brazilian Maned-wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), in wild life are of extreme importance. In order to study the resistance profile of microbiota bacterial colonizing Brazilian Maned-wolf, this work investigated samples from eight male captive and free roaming animals originating from different Brazilian geographical regions. Samples for microbiological purposes were collect...

A simple ductal mammary papilloma in a male maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

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Cassali, Geovanni D; Bertagnolli, Angélica C; Ferreira, Enio; Malta, Marcelo C C

2009-01-01

A 1-cm-diameter nodule was identified in the left inguinal mammary gland of a 9-year-old male maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). The mass was surgically excised and examined histologically. Microscopically, the neoplasm consisted of papillary proliferations of epithelial cells on well-defined fibrovascular stalks. A myoepithelial layer was located between the single layer of epithelial cells and the fibrovascular stalk. This histologic appearance was compatible with a diagnosis of simple ductal mammary papilloma. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for p63, cytokeratins AE1/AE3, and estrogen receptors. The clinical and histologic observations in the present case indicate that male maned wolves may develop mammary tumors that are similar to those observed in domestic dogs and humans.

A new short-rostrum odontocete (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the middle Miocene of the Eastern Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bianucci, G.; Landini, W.

2002-01-01

An incomplete odontocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) skull from Middle Miocene Miste Bed (near Winterswijk in the eastern part of The Netherlands) is described as Vanbreenia trigonia, a new genus and species. The skull exhibits a short rostrum with only two maxillary teeth for each toothrow and with narrow

Molecular evolution of the leptin exon 3 in some species of the family Canidae

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Switonski Marek

2003-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The structure of the leptin gene seems to be well conserved. The polymorphism of this gene in four species belonging to the Canidae family (the dog (Canis familiaris – 16 different breeds, the Chinese racoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides procyonoides, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes and the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus were studied with the use of single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP and DNA sequencing techniques. For exon 2, all species presented the same SSCP pattern, while in exon 3 some differences were found. DNA sequencing of exon 3 revealed the presence of six nucleotide substitutions, differentiating the studied species. Three of them cause amino acid substitutions as well. For all dog breeds studied, SSCP patterns were identical.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata) and implications for the phylogeny of Canidae.

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Zhao, Chao; Zhang, Honghai; Liu, Guangshuai; Yang, Xiufeng; Zhang, Jin

2016-02-01

Canidae is a family of carnivores comprises about 36 extant species that have been defined as three distinct monophyletic groups based on multi-gene data sets. The Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata) is a member of the family Canidae that is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and has seldom been in the focus of phylogenetic analyses. To clarify the phylogenic relationship of V. ferrilata between other canids, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome and firstly attempted to clarify the relative phylogenetic position of V. ferrilata in canids using the complete mitochondrial genome data. The mitochondrial genome of the Tibetan fox was 16,667 bp, including 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA, and 22 tRNA) and a control region. A comparison analysis among the sequenced data of canids indicated that they shared a similar arrangement, codon usage, and other aspects. A phylogenetic analysis on the basis of the nearly complete mtDNA genomes of canids agreed with three monophyletic clades, and the Tibetan fox was highly supported as a sister group of the corsac fox within Vulpes. The estimation of the divergence time suggested a recent split between the Tibetan fox and the corsac fox and rapid evolution in canids. There was no genetic evidence for positive selection related to high-altitude adaption for the Tibetan fox in mtDNA and following studies should pay more attention to the detection of positive signals in nuclear genes involved in energy and oxygen metabolisms. Copyright © 2015 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Oslerus osleri (Cobbold, 1876) infection in maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, illiger, 1815).

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Dias, Rafael Grobério Souto; Legatti, Emerson; Rahal, Sheila Canevese; Teixeira, Carlos Roberto; Ruiz Júnior, Raul Lopes; Rocha, Noeme Sousa; dos Santos, Ivan Felismino Charas; Schmidt, Elizabeth Moreira dos Santos

2012-09-01

Oslerus osleri is a small nematode that infects the respiratory tract of domestic and wild canids and is responsible for causing chronic nodular tracheobronchitis. This paper aims to report a case of parasitism by O. osleri in a free-living maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) that was struck by a motor vehicle. Fecal samples were collected, and the presence of spiral larvae, with "S"-shaped tails, was observed on flotation. This characteristic was compatible with the Filaroididae Family larvae of O. osleri. Although the animal did not show clinical signs of respiratory system impairment, a tracheobronchoscopy was performed. Semitransparent nodules, 5 mm in diameter, containing adult parasites were observed in the third distal portion of the trachea, cranial to the carina. Larval morphological characteristics and the nodular locations were compatible with an O. osleri respiratory tract infection.

Severe anemia caused by babesiosis in a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

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Phair, Kristen A; Carpenter, James W; Smee, Nicole; Myers, Carl B; Pohlman, Lisa M

2012-03-01

An 8-yr-old, captive, spayed, female maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) developed progressive lethargy and weakness over a 24-hr period. Clinical signs included vomiting, recumbency, horizontal nystagmus, possible blindness, pale icteric mucus membranes, and port-wine colored urine. A complete blood cell count revealed severe anemia (packed cell volume [PCV], 6%) and intraerythrocytic piroplasms consistent with a Babesia species. Polymerase chain reaction testing later confirmed babesiosis. The wolf was treated with imidocarb dipropionate, antibiotics, and fluid therapy. A whole-blood transfusion from a sibling maned wolf also was performed. Despite aggressive treatment, the wolf failed to improve and was euthanized. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first documented case of babesiosis in a captive maned wolf in North America. Surveillance of infectious diseases in captive and wild maned wolf populations should be expanded to include screening for Babesia species. Tick control also should be implemented to prevent and decrease transmission of the disease to this endangered species.

Dental and Mandibular Morphologies of Arboroharamiya (Haramiyida, Mammalia: A Comparison with Other Haramiyidans and Megaconus and Implications for Mammalian Evolution.

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Jin Meng

Full Text Available Two recent studies published in the same issue of Nature reached conflicting conclusions regarding the phylogeny of early mammals: One places the clade containing haramiyidans and multituberculates within the Mammalia and the other separates haramiyidans from multituberculates and places the former outside of the Mammalia. These two contrasting results require that the minimally oldest divergence time of the Mammalia was within the Late Triassic or the Middle Jurassic, respectively. Morphological descriptions of the species named in the two papers were brief, and no comparisons between the newly named species were possible.Here we present a detailed description of the dentary bone, teeth, occlusal and wear patterns of the haramiyidan Arboroharamiya and compare it with other haramiyidans and Megaconus. Using this new information, we suggest that tooth identifications and orientations of several previously described haramiyidan species are incorrect, and that previous interpretations of haramiyidan occlusal pattern are problematic. We propose that the published upper tooth orientation of Megaconus was problematic and question the number of upper molars, the length of dentition and mandible, and presence of the mandibular middle ear in Megaconus.The additional morphological descriptions and comparisons presented here further support the view that Arboroharamiya, as a derived haramiyidan, shows similarity to multituberculates in tooth and mandible morphologies. Our comparison also suggests that Megaconus lacks many diagnostic features for the family Eleutherodontidae and that its close affinity with multituberculates cannot be ruled out. The detailed morphological data demonstrate that haramiyidans are more similar to multituberculates than to any other mammaliaforms.

Osteology and radiology of the Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) pelvic limb.

Science.gov (United States)

Siqueira, R C; Rahal, S C; Inamassu, L R; Mamprim, M J; Felix, M; Castilho, M S; Mesquita, L R; Ribeiro, V L; Teixeira, C R; Rassy, F B

2017-12-01

This study describes the osteology and radiology of the pelvic limb in maned wolves. Ten (five live and five dead) maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus), five males and five females, aged from 2 to 7 years old were used. Digital radiographs were taken and recorded for both pelvic limbs in all animals. Osteology was correlated with the radiographic images. The pelvis had a rectangular shape, and the obturator foramen (foramen obturatum) was oval. The femoral neck (collum femoris) was short and thick. The greater trochanter (trochanter major) extended proximally to near the dorsum of the femoral head (caput ossis femoris). The lateral femoral condyle (condylus lateralis) was larger than the medial condyle (condylus medialis), and the intercondylar fossa (fossa intercondylaris) had a slightly oblique orientation. The proximal tibia displayed medial and lateral condyles with the medial larger. The femur was slightly shorter than the tibia. Seven tarsal bones (ossa tarsi) were present, four long metatarsal bones (ossa metatarsalia II - V) and a short first metatarsal bone (os metatarsal I). © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Phenomenon in the Evolution of Voles (Mammalia, Rodentia, Arvicolidae

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Rekovets L. I.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents analytical results of the study of adaptatiogenesis within the family Arvicolidae (Mammalia, Rodentia based of morphological changes of the most functional characters of their masticatory apparatus — dental system — through time. The main directions of the morphological differentiation in parallel evolution of the arvicolid tooth type within the Cricetidae and Arvicolidae during late Miocene and Pliocene were identified and substantiated. It is shown that such unique morphological structure as the arvicolid tooth type has provided a relatively high rate of evolution of voles and a wide range of their adaptive radiation, as well as has determined their taxonomic and ecological diversity. The optimality of the current state of this group and evaluation of evolutionary prospects of Arvicolidae were presented and substantiated here as a phenomenon in their evolution.

Environmental Enrichment Effect on Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites and Captive Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) Behavior.

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Coelho, Carlyle Mendes; de Azevedo, Cristiano Schetini; Guimarães, Marcelo Alcino de Barros Vaz; Young, Robert John

2016-01-01

Environmental enrichment is a technique that may reduce the stress of nonhuman animals in captivity. Stress may interfere with normal behavioral expression and affect cognitive decision making. Noninvasive hormonal studies can provide important information about the stress statuses of animals. This study evaluated the effectiveness of different environmental enrichment treatments in the diminution of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (stress indicators) of three captive maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus). Correlations of the fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels with expressed behaviors were also determined. Results showed that environmental enrichment reduced fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels. Furthermore, interspecific and foraging enrichment items were most effective in reducing stress in two of the three wolves. No definite pattern was found between behavioral and physiological responses to stress. In conclusion, these behavioral and physiological data showed that maned wolves responded positively from an animal well being perspective to the enrichment items presented.

NOVEL RADIOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE FOR PREGNANCY DETECTION IN THE MANED WOLF (CHRYSOCYON BRACHYURUS) WITHOUT ANESTHESIA.

Science.gov (United States)

Aitken-Palmer, Copper; A C Z M, Dipl; Ware, Lisa H; Braun, Lacey; Lang, Kenneth; Joyner, Priscilla H

2017-03-01

Maned wolves ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ) maintained in ex situ populations challenge veterinarians and managers with high neonatal mortality and parental incompetence. These challenges led to the development of a novel diagnostic approach for pregnancy detection using radiographic imaging without anesthesia or sedation. To do this, a specialized crate was constructed to easily contain a single maned wolf, allowing the capture of lateral projection radiographic images of the abdomen prior to and throughout a 66-day pregnancy (days 20, 34, 48, and 55 of 66). Radiographs taken at days 48 and 55 postbreeding showed evidence of neonatal skeleton mineralization, confirming pregnancy with two pups. The dam gave birth at day 66 to two pups. This technical report describes a novel approach without anesthesia for successful radiographic pregnancy detection and determination of litter size in the maned wolf, a midsize carnivore, using a specially constructed crate.

Populational genetic structure of free-living maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus determined by proteic markers

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P. S. R. De Mattos

Full Text Available Electrophoretic analysis of presumptive twenty gene loci products was conducted in hemolisates and plasma samples of twenty-eight maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus from an area in northeastern São Paulo State, Brazil. The area sampled was divided into three sub-areas, with the Mogi-Guaçu and Pardo rivers regarded as barriers to the gene flow. The polymorphism degree and heterozygosity level (intralocus and average estimated in this study were similar to those detected by other authors for maned wolves and other species of wild free-living canids. The samples of each sub-area and the total sample exhibited genotype frequencies consistent with the genetic equilibrium model. The values of the F-statistics evidenced absence of inbreeding and population subdivision and, consequently, low genetic distances were found among the samples of each area.

The origin of the lower fourth molar in canids, inferred by individual variation

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Masakazu Asahara

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background An increase in tooth number is an exception during mammalian evolution. The acquisition of the lower fourth molar in the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis, Canidae, Carnivora, Mammalia is one example; however, its developmental origin is not clear. In some canids (Canidae, individual variation exist as supernumerary molar M4. This study focuses on the acquisition of the lower fourth molar in canids and proposes that the inhibitory cascade model can explain its origin. Methods Occlusal view projected area of lower molars was determined from 740 mandibles obtained from Canis latrans, Nyctereutes procyonoides, and Urocyon cinereoargenteus museum specimens. For each molar, relative sizes of molars (M2/M1 and M3/M1 scores affected by inhibition/activation dynamics during development, were compared between individuals with and without supernumerary molar (M4. Results Possession of a supernumerary molar was associated with significantly larger M2/M1 score in Canis latrans, M3/M1 score in Nyctereutes procyonoides, and M2/M1 and M3/M1 scores in Urocyon cinereoargenteus compared to individuals of these species that lacked supernumerary molars. Discussion We propose that, in canids, the supernumerary fourth molar is attributable to reduced inhibition and greater activation during molar development. In the bat-eared fox, altered inhibition and activation dynamics of dental development during omnivorous-insectivorous adaptation may be a contributing factor in the origin of the lower fourth molar.

First record of entodiniomorph ciliates in a carnivore, the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), from Brazil.

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Vynne, Carly; Kinsella, John M

2009-06-01

The entodiniomorph ciliates (Ciliophora: Entodiniomorphida) are endosymbiotes widely found in the intestines of herbivorous mammals. These commensals commonly occur in the Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla and have also been described in the Proboscidea, Primates, Rodentia, and Diprotodontia. This study reports the first finding of a ciliate in a member of order Carnivora, the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). Fecal samples from wild and captive maned wolves were screened using ethyl acetate sedimentation. Prevalence in fecal samples collected from free-ranging maned wolves in Brazil was 40% (6 of 15). Fecal samples from two of four captive individuals from the St. Louis Zoo also had the same species of ciliate. The largely frugivorous diet of the maned wolf likely explains the occurrence of these normally herbivore-associated endosymbiotes in a carnivore.

Differences in activities of antioxidant superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and prooxidant xanthine oxidoreductase/xanthine oxidase in the normal corneal epithelium of various mammalia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Andonova, Janetta; Pláteník, J.; Vejražka, M.; Štípek, S.; Ardan, Taras; Čejka, Čestmír; Midelfart, A.; Čejková, Jitka

2007-01-01

Roč. 56, č. 1 (2007), s. 105-112 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA304/06/1379 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390512 Keywords : Mammalia * Cornea * Epithelium Subject RIV: FF - HEENT, Dentistry Impact factor: 1.505, year: 2007

Clinical signs suggestive of mange infestation in a free-ranging maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in the Moxos Savannahs of Beni, Bolivia

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Díaz Luque, José A; Müller, Helen; González, Lyliam; Berkunsky, Igor

2014-01-01

La sarna sarcóptica es generalmente endémica de las poblaciones de cánidos silvestres. Algunos agentes de enfermedades infecciosas y parasitarias han sido reportados para el borochi (Chrysocyon brachyurus) en estado silvestre. Este trabajo documenta el avistaje de un borochi silvestre en el departamento del Beni, Bolivia, con signos clínicos que sugieren infestación por sarna sarcóptica. La amenaza constante de transmisión de sarna proveniente de perros domésticos así como de otras especies d...

Tubulopapillary carcinoma of the mammary gland in a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus: histopathological and immunophenotypical analysis

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C.O. Gamba

2011-12-01

Full Text Available A maned female wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus showed nodules in the inguinal and left abdominal cranial mammary glands. The mammary gland was surgically excised, and microscopic analysis revealed epithelial cell proliferation in a tubular and papillary pattern; delicate fibrovascular stalks presenting numerous layers of moderately pleomorfic epithelial cells were observed. This histologic appearance was compatible with a diagnosis of mammary tubulopapillary carcinoma. The immunohistochemical profile revealed nuclear positivity for estrogen (70% and progesterone (at least 90% of the neoplastic cells. The myoepithelium-associated with neoplastic cells lacked integrity, as evidenced by failed smooth muscle alpha actin reactivity in microinvasive areas. A low proliferation index was observed (3.4%. To the authors' knowledge, the present case represents the first finding of female tubulopapillary carcinoma in a mammary gland in this species.

Pathogens of wild maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in Brazil.

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de Almeida Curi, Nelson Henrique; Coelho, Carlyle Mendes; de Campos Cordeiro Malta, Marcelo; Magni, Elisa Maria Vaz; Sábato, Marco Aurelio Lima; Araújo, Amanda Soriano; Lobato, Zelia Inês Portela; Santos, Juliana Lúcia Costa; Santos, Hudson Andrade; Ragozo, Alessandra Alves Mara; de Souza, Silvio Luís Pereira

2012-10-01

The maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, is an endangered Neotropical canid that survives at low population densities. Diseases are a potential threat for its conservation but to date have been poorly studied. We performed clinical evaluations and investigated the presence of infectious diseases through serology and coprologic tests on maned wolves from Galheiro Natural Private Reserve, Perdizes City, Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. Fifteen wolves were captured between 2003 and 2008. We found high prevalences of antibody to canine distemper virus (CDV; 13/14), canine parvovirus (CPV; 4/14), canine adenovirus type 2 (13/14), canine coronavirus (5/11), canine parainfluenza virus (5/5), and Toxoplasma gondii (6/8), along with Ancylostomidae eggs in all feces samples. Antibodies against Leishmania sp. were found in one of 10 maned wolves, and all samples were negative for Neospora caninum. Evidence of high exposure to these viral agents was also observed in unvaccinated domestic dogs from neighboring farms. High prevalence of viral agents and parasites such as CDV, CPV, and Ancylostomidae indicates that this population faces considerable risk of outbreaks and chronic debilitating parasites. This is the first report of exposure to canine parainfluenza virus in Neotropical free-ranging wild canids. Our findings highlight that canine pathogens pose a serious hazard to the viability of maned wolves and other wild carnivore populations in the area and emphasize the need for monitoring and protecting wildlife health in remaining fragments of the Cerrado biome.

Immobilization of free-ranging maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) with tiletamine and zolazepam in central Brazil.

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Furtado, Mariana Malzoni; Kashivakura, Cynthia Kayo; Ferro, Claudia; de Almeida, Jácomo Anah Tereza; Silveira, Leandro; Astete, Samuel

2006-03-01

A tiletamine hydrochloride-zolazepam hydrochloride combination was used successfully to immobilize 27 free-ranging maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) at a mean dose of 2.77+/-0.56 (mean+/-SD) mg/kg. The induction time ranged from 3-15 min. Animals remained immobilized for periods of 48.56 +/-12.65 min. Compulsive licking, excessive salivation, muscle twitching, muscle tremors, tachypnea, and bradycardia were observed associated with the induction of the anesthesia in 13 of 27 maned wolves. Muscle twitching, pedal withdrawal reflex, muscle tremors, and ataxia were observed during recovery in three (11%) maned wolves. There were no significant differences in heart rates (P = 0.44), respiratory rates (P = 0.82), and rectal temperatures (P = 0.54) recorded at 5, 15, and 25 min after induction at these dosages. The tiletamine hydrochloride-zolazepam hydrochloride combination was shown to be an effective and safe immobilizing agent for free-ranging maned wolves.

A molecular phylogeny of the Canidae based on six nuclear loci.

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Bardeleben, Carolyne; Moore, Rachael L; Wayne, Robert K

2005-12-01

We have reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of 23 species in the dog family, Canidae, using DNA sequence data from six nuclear loci. Individual gene trees were generated with maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) analysis. In general, these individual gene trees were not well resolved, but several identical groupings were supported by more than one locus. Phylogenetic analysis with a data set combining the six nuclear loci using MP, ML, and Bayesian approaches produced a more resolved tree that agreed with previously published mitochondrial trees in finding three well-defined clades, including the red fox-like canids, the South American foxes, and the wolf-like canids. In addition, the nuclear data set provides novel indel support for several previously inferred clades. Differences between trees derived from the nuclear data and those from the mitochondrial data include the grouping of the bush dog and maned wolf into a clade with the South American foxes, the grouping of the side-striped jackal (Canis adustus) and black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and the grouping of the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) with the raccoon dog (Nycteruetes procyonoides). We also analyzed the combined nuclear+mitochondrial tree. Many nodes that were strongly supported in the nuclear tree or the mitochondrial tree remained strongly supported in the nuclear+mitochondrial tree. Relationships within the clades containing the red fox-like canids and South American canids are well resolved, whereas the relationships among the wolf-like canids remain largely undetermined. The lack of resolution within the wolf-like canids may be due to their recent divergence and insufficient time for the accumulation of phylogenetically informative signal.

Transmissibility of Leishmania infantum from maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and bush dogs (Speothos venaticus) to Lutzomyia longipalpis.

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Mol, Juliana P S; Soave, Semíramis A; Turchetti, Andréia P; Pinheiro, Guilherme R G; Pessanha, Angela T; Malta, Marcelo C C; Tinoco, Herlandes P; Figueiredo, Luiza A; Gontijo, Nelder F; Paixão, Tatiane A; Fujiwara, Ricardo T; Santos, Renato L

2015-09-15

Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum is the cause of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas. The disease is transmitted mostly through the bite of the invertebrate vector, the phlebotomine Lutzomyia longipalpis in the New World. Although the domestic dog is considered the most important reservoir of the disease, other mammalian, including wildlife, are susceptible to infection. The goal of this study was to perform xenodiagnosis to evaluate the capacity of naturally infected maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and bush dogs (Speothos venaticus) to transmit Leishmania infantum to female sand flies (L. longipalpis). Xenodiagnoses were performed in February and August, 2013, when 77.7% (three maned wolves and four bush dogs) or 100% of the animals were positive, respectively. However, parasite loads in the engorged sand flies was low (longipalpis, although the parasite loads in engorged phlebotomines exposed to these animals were very low. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rangelia vitalii in a free-ranging maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and co-infections.

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Silveira, Julia Angélica Gonçalves; D'Elia, Mirella Lauria; de Oliveira Avelar, Isabela; de Almeida, Lara Ribeiro; Dos Santos, Hudson Andrade; de Magalhães Soares, Danielle Ferreira; Ribeiro, Múcio Flávio Barbosa; Dos Santos Lima, Walter; Ecco, Roselene

2016-12-01

An adult free-ranged female maned wolf was rescued from a periurban area subject to anthropogenic disturbances in the Minas Gerais, Brazil. The animal presented poor body condition and anemia. The clinical condition rapidly deteriorated culminating in dead and a necropsy was performed. The main gross lesions were marked anemia and blood content in the intestines accompanied by many types of parasites. The protozoa Rangelia vitalii was identified by histopathological analysis predominantly within the cytoplasm of endothelial cells of capillaries of the small intestine. The lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, dermis, lungs and kidney had similar protozoal forms but with mild or moderate intensity. Rangelia vitalii was confirmed by molecular assays. Hepatozoon sp., Leishmania sp., and Entamoeba spp., apparently not related to the clinical signs were also detected. The myriad parasites found in the intestines included nematodes ( Ancylostoma caninum , A . braziliensis ,, Molineus sp., Pterygodermatites sp., and Trichuris sp.), cestodes ( Spirometra sp.) and (acanthocephalans. To our knowledge, R . vitalii was identified in C . brachyurus for the first time. These findings emphasize the fragility of Brazilian ecosystems, especially in disturbed areas, reinforcing the necessity of efforts to preserve these areas and wild carnivores, some of which are threatened with extinction, such as the maned wolf.

Rangelia vitalii in a free-ranging maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus and co-infections

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Julia Angélica Gonçalves Silveira

2016-12-01

Full Text Available An adult free-ranged female maned wolf was rescued from a periurban area subject to anthropogenic disturbances in the Minas Gerais, Brazil. The animal presented poor body condition and anemia. The clinical condition rapidly deteriorated culminating in dead and a necropsy was performed. The main gross lesions were marked anemia and blood content in the intestines accompanied by many types of parasites. The protozoa Rangelia vitalii was identified by histopathological analysis predominantly within the cytoplasm of endothelial cells of capillaries of the small intestine. The lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, dermis, lungs and kidney had similar protozoal forms but with mild or moderate intensity. Rangelia vitalii was confirmed by molecular assays. Hepatozoon sp., Leishmania sp., and Entamoeba spp., apparently not related to the clinical signs were also detected. The myriad parasites found in the intestines included nematodes (Ancylostoma caninum, A. braziliensis,, Molineus sp., Pterygodermatites sp., and Trichuris sp., cestodes (Spirometra sp. and (acanthocephalans. To our knowledge, R. vitalii was identified in C. brachyurus for the first time. These findings emphasize the fragility of Brazilian ecosystems, especially in disturbed areas, reinforcing the necessity of efforts to preserve these areas and wild carnivores, some of which are threatened with extinction, such as the maned wolf.

CANIS LUPUS (MAMMALIA, CANIDAE FROM THE LATE PLEISTOCENE DEPOSIT OF AVETRANA (TARANTO, SOUTHERN ITALY

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DAVIDE F.BERTÈ

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Here we described the remains of Canis lupus from the bed 8 of Avetrana karst filling (Late Pleistocene; Taranto, Southern Italy. The studied specimens are larger than those collected from the early Late Pleistocene Apulian localities and those referred to the recent Italian wolf. Moreover, the remains from Avetrana are morphometrically close to Canis lupus maximus from France and to C. lupus collected from Central and Northern Italian localities, chronologically related to MIS 2 and MIS 3. Morphologically, the studied specimens slightly differ from both C. l. maximus and other Pleistocene Apulian wolves. The dimensional differences between the Avetrana wolves and those collected from the other early Late Pleistocene Apulian localities could be explained through a spread of a large-sized morphotype from the Northern Italy.

Estado del zorro gris Lycalopex griseus (Gray, 1837 (Mammalia: Canidae en el Perú

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Elena Vivar

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Se sustenta la presencia del zorro gris Lycalopex griseus (Gray, 1837 en la costa sur del Perú en base a información morfológica externa y craneal. Esta especie es de similar tamaño a L. sechurae (Thomas, 1900 pero diferenciable en una mayor longitud del hocico y menor amplitud del cráneo; esta diferencia es respaldada en un Análisis de Componentes Principales. Se sugiere que la población del zorro gris en el Perú podría constituir una subespecie nueva de L. griseus por encontrarse más al norte de su distribución tradicionalmente conocida y separada de otras subespecies por el Desierto de Atacama en el norte de Chile, notable barrera biogeográfica.

Birth and mortality of maned wolves Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1811 in captivity

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O. B. MAIA

Full Text Available The aims of this study were to verify the distribution of births of captive maned wolves Chrysocyon brachyurus and the causes of their deaths during the period from 1980 to 1998, based on the registry of births and deaths in the International Studbook for Maned Wolves. To determine birth distribution and average litter size, 361 parturitions were analyzed for the 1989-98 period. To analyze causes of mortality, the animals were divided into four groups: 1. pups born in captivity that died prior to one year of age; 2. animals born in captivity that died at more than one year of age; 3. animals captured in the wild that died at any age; and 4. all animals that died during the 1980-98 period. In group 1, the main causes of mortality were parental incompetence (67%, infectious diseases, (9% and digestive system disorders (5%. The average mortality rate for pups was 56%. Parental incompetence was responsible for 95% of pup deaths during the first week of life. In group 2, the main causes were euthanasia (18% and disorders of the genitourinary (10% and digestive systems (8%. Euthanasia was implemented due to senility, congenital disorders, degenerative diseases, and trauma. In group 3, the main causes were digestive system disorders (12%, infectious diseases (10%, and lesions or accidents (10%. The main causes of mortality of maned wolves in captivity (group 4 were parental incompetence (38%, infectious diseases (9%, and digestive system disorders (7%.

Birth and mortality of maned wolves Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1811 in captivity

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MAIA O. B.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The aims of this study were to verify the distribution of births of captive maned wolves Chrysocyon brachyurus and the causes of their deaths during the period from 1980 to 1998, based on the registry of births and deaths in the International Studbook for Maned Wolves. To determine birth distribution and average litter size, 361 parturitions were analyzed for the 1989-98 period. To analyze causes of mortality, the animals were divided into four groups: 1. pups born in captivity that died prior to one year of age; 2. animals born in captivity that died at more than one year of age; 3. animals captured in the wild that died at any age; and 4. all animals that died during the 1980-98 period. In group 1, the main causes of mortality were parental incompetence (67%, infectious diseases, (9% and digestive system disorders (5%. The average mortality rate for pups was 56%. Parental incompetence was responsible for 95% of pup deaths during the first week of life. In group 2, the main causes were euthanasia (18% and disorders of the genitourinary (10% and digestive systems (8%. Euthanasia was implemented due to senility, congenital disorders, degenerative diseases, and trauma. In group 3, the main causes were digestive system disorders (12%, infectious diseases (10%, and lesions or accidents (10%. The main causes of mortality of maned wolves in captivity (group 4 were parental incompetence (38%, infectious diseases (9%, and digestive system disorders (7%.

Rediscovery of Meristaspis lateralis (Kolenati) (Acari: Mesostigmata: Spinturnicidae) parasitizing the Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus (Geoffroy) (Mammalia: Chiroptera), with a key to mites of bats in Egypt.

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Negm, Mohamed W; Fakeer, Mahmoud M

2014-04-01

Faunistic information about bat mites in Egypt is scarce. Collection records of parasitic mites, Meristaspis lateralis (Kolenati, 1856) (Mesostigmata: Spinturnicidae), are reported from the Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus (Geoffroy, 1810) (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Assiut Governorate, Egypt. Seven species of bat mites are recognized from Egypt to date. A host-parasite checklist and an identification key to these species are presented.

The seminiferous epithelium cycle and daily spermatic production in the adult maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger, 1811).

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Bitencourt, Viviane Lewicki; de Paula, Tarcízio Antônio Rego; da Matta, Sérgio Luis Pinto; Fonseca, Cláudio César; dos Anjos Benjamin, Laércio; Costa, Deiler Sampaio

2007-01-01

The duration of the seminiferous epithelium cycle was estimated in adult maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger, 1811), by applying intratesticular injections with tritiated thymidine. The total duration of the seminiferous epithelium cycle in this species was calculated in 8.99 days. So, taking into account that approximately 4.5 cycles of the seminiferous epithelium are necessary for the whole spermatogenesis process to complete, the production of spermatozoa from one spermatogonia will take about 40.45 days. The duration of the spermiogenesis was calculated to be 12.3 days. The eight stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle were described by the tubular morphology method, which is based either on the form and position of the spermatid nuclei and the occurrence of meiotic divisions. The values of the relative frequency for the pre-meiotic, meiotic and post-meiotic phases in this species were 3.5, 0.78 and 4.8 days, respectively. The maned wolf produces about 29 million spermatozoa a day for each testis gram, therefore being classified among the species provided with a high spermatogenetic efficiency.

Further characterisation of two Eimeria species (Eimeria quokka and Eimeria setonicis) in quokkas (Setonix brachyurus).

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Austen, J M; Friend, J A; Yang, R; Ryan, U M

2014-03-01

The identification and characterisation of novel Eimeria species has largely been based on sporulated oocyst and sporocyst morphology, the host species and the geographical range. Variation in the size and shape of Eimeria oocysts across their host range however, make the identification and characterisation of novel species using traditional methodologies alone problematic. The use of molecular markers and phylogenetic analysis has greatly advanced our ability to characterise Eimeria species and has recently been applied to understand evolutionary relationships among Eimeria species from Australian marsupials. In the present study, Eimeria species isolated from quokkas (Setonix brachyurus) captured from Two Peoples Bay, Bald Island and Rottnest Island, Western Australia, were morphologically identified as Eimeria quokka and Eimeria setonicis. Both Eimeria species were identified as being polymorphic in nature with regards to sporulated oocyst and sporocyst morphometrics. Phylogenetic analysis using 18S rRNA and COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) genes, grouped E. quokka and E. setonicis within the Eimeria marsupial clade together with Eimeria trichosuri from brushtail possums, Eimeria macropodis from tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) and several unidentified macropod Eimeria species from western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). This study is the first to characterise E. quokka and E. setonicis by molecular analysis, enabling more extensive resolution of evolutionary relationships among marsupial-derived Eimeria species. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Frequency of parasites and Salmonella infection in captive maned-wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, kept in Zoos at the State of São Paulo, Brazil

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Gilioli R.

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Thirty-one captive maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger 1815 from 11 Zoos at the State of São Paulo, Brazil, were screened to investigate the presence of parasites and Salmonella infection by parasitological diagnostic methods and fecal selective culture. The most frequent ecto and endoparasites found were Ctenocephalides felis (56.2%, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (12.5%, Ancylostoma caninum (45.1%, Strongyloides sp. (29.0%, Uncinaria stenocephala (3.2%, Capillaria sp. (3.2%, Entamoeba sp. (22.9%, Sarcocystis sp. (29.0%, Cryptosporidium sp. (19.3%, Eimeria sp. (19.3%, Giardia sp. (9.6% and Isospora sp. (3.2%. Four different serotypes of Salmonella were identified in six animals (25%. Only one infected animal showed clinical signs of diarrhea. The ability to harbor Salmonella spp. as normal nonpathogenic bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract may be a physiological adaptation of this specie.

Abdominal and pelvic ultrasound study of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus

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Luciana D. Guimarães

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was the ultrasound characterization of the abdominal and pelvic regions of five maned wolves kept in captivity at the Triage Center of Wild Animals of the Federal University of Viçosa (Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres, Universidade Federal de Viçosa. This characterization included descriptions of ultrasonographic aspects and measurements of various structures using B-mode ultrasound. Biometric data were collected to assess the existence of significant linear correlations between these measurements and the measurements obtained by ultrasound. Additionally, hematological and serum biochemistry evaluations of the animals were performed. The ultrasound findings were similar to those available in the literature on domestic dogs, which were used for comparison as a result of the lack of published data regarding maned wolves. The latter species showed characteristics closely resembling those of the former, differing in the spleen and left renal cortex echogenicities, in the appearance of the prostatic and testicular regions and in the hepatic portal vein morphology. In the current study, the biometric values were similar to those previously published; however, no data regarding thoracic perimeter, modified crown-rump length or thoracic depth were found in the literature for this Canidae species. Statistical analysis showed the existence of a strong negative correlation between the modified crown-rump length and left renal length, between the modified crown-rump length and the right renal volume, between the thoracic perimeter and the height at the cranial pole of the left adrenal gland and between the thoracic perimeter and the height at the caudal pole of the left adrenal gland. Laboratory findings, including segmented neutrophil, eosinophil, monocyte and lymphocyte counts and the serum levels of glucose, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, urea, total protein, globulin, creatine phosphokinase, triglyceride, sodium

Dieta e dispersão de sementes por Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus (Carnívora, Canidae, em um fragmento florestal no Paraná, Brasil Diet and seed dispersal by Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus in a forest fragment in Paraná (Carnivora, Canidae

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Vlamir J. Rocha

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Embora o cachorro-do-mato, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1706, seja um Canidae relativamente comum, não há muita informação sobre sua dieta e seu papel como dispersor de sementes nos diferentes habitats onde ocorre. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de reportar a dieta de C. thous e sua importância como dispersor e/ou predador de sementes, e ainda testar a taxa de germinação de sementes após passar pelo trato digestório do animal. O estudo foi realizado em um fragmento (680 ha de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, o Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy, localizado na cidade de Londrina, Paraná, sul do Brasil. A metodologia consistiu de coletas de fezes de C. thous, as quais foram analisadas em laboratório para identificar os itens consumidos. Nos testes de germinação, as sementes foram dispostas para germinar em placas de Petri com algodão umedecido em água. Noventa e três amostras fecais com 219 itens de origem vegetal e animal foram registradas, sendo 36,52% contendo restos de pequenos roedores, 24,19% de gramíneas, 13,24% de aves, 10,47% de insetos, 6,39% de Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham. Glassm., 4,6% de outros itens de origem animal e 4,54% de outros itens de origem vegetal. Ainda, C. thous dispersou nove espécies de plantas, com relevante importância para a germinação de algumas sementes que passaram pelo trato digestório do animal, exceto para S. romanzoffiana, cujas sementes não germinaram nas condições de laboratório. Conclui-se que, C. thous apresentou uma dieta generalista e oportunista, sobrevivendo em áreas degradadas e antrópicas, e agindo como dispersor de sementes nestes locais.Although the crab eating fox, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1706, is a relatively common Canidae, there isn't much information about its diet and its role as a seed disperser in the different habitats where it occurs. The aim of this work was to report the diet of the C. thous and its importance as a seed disperser and / or a seed predator and

Hemorrhagic and necrotizing hepatitis associated with administration of a modified live canine adenovirus-2 vaccine in a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

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Swenson, Julie; Orr, Kathryn; Bradley, Gregory A

2012-06-01

A 15-yr-old, female, maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) was euthanized after presenting semicomatose with severe, uncontrolled frank hemorrhage from her rectum 6 days following a routine physical examination and vaccination. Histopathology indicated severe hemorrhagic and necrotizing hepatitis with intranuclear basophilic inclusion bodies in the liver that were thought to be consistent with adenoviral infection. Further classification by polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical staining, virus isolation, and electron microscopy confirmed the etiologic agent to be canine adenovirus-2. A representative sample of the vaccine that had been used was submitted and sequenced along with the virus isolated from the maned wolf. The sequencing of the etiologic agent that had been isolated from the maned wolf was determined to be the same as the strain of virus used in the production of the modified live vaccine that had been administered 6 days prior to death. From this information, the diagnosis of vaccine-induced adenoviral hepatitis was made. This is the first confirmed case of vaccine-induced canine adenoviral hepatitis in a maned wolf.

Microbiota and anthropic interference on antimicrobial resistance profile of bacteria isolated from Brazilian maned-wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus

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Olney Vieira-da-Motta

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Both the study of Brazilian wild mammal fauna and the conditions that foster the preservation of endangered species, such as Brazilian Maned-wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, in wild life are of extreme importance. In order to study the resistance profile of microbiota bacterial colonizing Brazilian Maned-wolf, this work investigated samples from eight male captive and free roaming animals originating from different Brazilian geographical regions. Samples for microbiological purposes were collected with swabs and kept in appropriate transport medium. Using routine microbiological techniques, the isolated bacteria were tested toward antimicrobial drugs by the agar disk diffusion method. Results showed that all samples from wild animals were sensitive toward all drugs tested. Conversely, the resistance profile of bacteria isolated from captive animals varied among strains and animal body site location. Escherichia coli samples from prepuce, anus and ear showed multi-resistance toward at least four drugs, especially against erythromycin and tetracycline, followed by Proteus mirabilis and P. vulgaris strains isolated from anus and ear. Among Gram-positive bacteria, strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci showed multi-resistance mainly toward erythromycin and amoxicillin. The work discusses these findings and suggests that profile of multi-resistance bacteria from captive subjects may be attributed to direct contact with human or through lifestyle factors such as feeding, predation or contact of animals with urban animals such as birds, rodents, and insects from surrounding environments.

Microbiota and anthropic interference on antimicrobial resistance profile of bacteria isolated from Brazilian Maned-wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

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Vieira-da-Motta, Olney; Eckhardt-de-Pontes, Luiz Antonio; Petrucci, Melissa Paes; dos Santos, Israel Pereira; da Cunha, Isabel Candia Nunes; Morato, Ronaldo Gonçalves

2013-12-01

Both the study of Brazilian wild mammal fauna and the conditions that foster the preservation of endangered species, such as Brazilian Maned-wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), in wild life are of extreme importance. In order to study the resistance profile of microbiota bacterial colonizing Brazilian Maned-wolf, this work investigated samples from eight male captive and free roaming animals originating from different Brazilian geographical regions. Samples for microbiological purposes were collected with swabs and kept in appropriate transport medium. Using routine microbiological techniques, the isolated bacteria were tested toward antimicrobial drugs by the agar disk diffusion method. Results showed that all samples from wild animals were sensitive toward all drugs tested. Conversely, the resistance profile of bacteria isolated from captive animals varied among strains and animal body site location. Escherichia coli samples from prepuce, anus and ear showed multi-resistance toward at least four drugs, especially against erythromycin and tetracycline, followed by Proteus mirabilis and P. vulgaris strains isolated from anus and ear. Among Gram-positive bacteria, strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci showed multi-resistance mainly toward erythromycin and amoxicillin. The work discusses these findings and suggests that profile of multi-resistance bacteria from captive subjects may be attributed to direct contact with human or through lifestyle factors such as feeding, predation or contact of animals with urban animals such as birds, rodents, and insects from surrounding environments.

Detecção ultrassonográfica do ovário fetal em loba-guará (Chrysocyon brachyurus: relato de caso Ultrasonographic detection of fetal ovary in maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus: case report

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M.A.R. Feliciano

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Identificaram-se, por ultrassonografia, os ovários fetais e o sexo dos fetos em uma loba-guará. Ao exame ultrassonográfico, foi possível identificar estruturas fetais e realizar medidas (relação entre diâmetro cranial e abdominal dos fetos que indicavam idade fetal de 59 dias. Observaram-se: estruturas torácicas e abdominais formadas, diafragma, membros, estruturas do crânio definidas, coluna vertebral, medula, costelas, batimentos cardíacos normais, movimentação fetal, câmaras e valvas cardíacas, grandes vasos, rins, peristaltismo intestinal e ovários fetais. O exame ultrassonográfico foi eficaz nessa espécie, pois foi possível observar estruturas fetais para a avaliação da viabilidade fetal e, também, identificou-se a imagem ovariana em um dos fetos, mostrando-se importante para estudos de sexagem fetal.The ovaries and the gender of the fetuses in a female maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus were identified by ultrasound examination. It was possible to identify fetal structures and to determine measures, i.e., cranial and abdominal diameters and these elements indicated 59-day of fetal age. The main visualized structures were diaphragm, members, cranium, spine, marrow, ribs, cardiac chambers and valves, veins and arteries, kidneys, and fetal ovaries. Normal heartbeats and fetal and bowel movements were recorded. The ultrasound examination was an effective method in this species, since enabled the correct observation of the fetal structures as well as viability; in addition, proved to be an important method for fetal sexing determination.

Spermatozoa from the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) display typical canid hyper-sensitivity to osmotic and freezing-induced injury, but respond favorably to dimethyl sulfoxide.

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Johnson, Amy E M; Freeman, Elizabeth W; Wildt, David E; Songsasen, Nucharin

2014-06-01

We assessed the influences of medium osmolality, cryoprotectant and cooling and warming rate on maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) spermatozoa. Ejaculates were exposed to Ham's F10 medium (isotonic control) or to this medium plus NaCl (350-1000mOsm), sucrose (369 and 479mOsm), 1M glycerol (1086mOsm) or dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO, 1151mOsm) for 10 min. Each sample then was diluted back into Ham's medium and assessed for sperm motility and plasma membrane integrity. Although glycerol and Me2SO had no influence (P>0.05), NaCl and sucrose solutions affected sperm motility (P0.05) to the control. As osmolality of the NaCl solution increased, motility decreased to maned wolf spermatozoa are similar to domestic dog sperm in their sensitivity to osmotic-induced motility damage, the plasma membranes tolerate dehydration, and the cells respond favorably to Me2SO as a cryoprotectant. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Serologic survey of infectious diseases in populations of maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) from Aguas Emendadas Ecological Station, Brazil.

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Proença, Laila M; Silva, Jean C R; Galera, Paula D; Lion, Marília B; Marinho-Filho, Jader S; Ragozo, Alessandra Mara Alves; Gennari, Solange Maria; Dubey, J P; Vasconcellos, Silvio Arruda; Souza, Gisele Oliveira; Pinheiro, José Wilton; Santana, Vânia Lúcia de Assis; França, Gilvan L; Rodrigues, Flávio H G

2013-03-01

Domestic dogs are reservoirs for many infectious diseases and may represent a potential source of infection for wild canid populations. A serologic investigation of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Brucella abortus, and Leptospira spp. was conducted on three maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and seven crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous), all free-living, at the Aguas Emendadas Ecological Station (ESECAE), Federal District, Brazil, between February and October 2006. Out of the 10 samples analyzed, eight (80%) were seropositive for T. gondii: 3/3 (100%) of the maned wolves and 5/7 (71.4%) of the crab-eating foxes. None of the animals presented anti-N. caninum, B. abortus, and Leptospira spp. antibodies. This study demonstrated that the wild canid populations at ESECAE presented high exposure to T. gondii and indicated that there is high environmental contamination at the Station, which can be attributed to its proximity to urban zones, the presence of domestic cats in the study area, or the existence of other wild infected felines.

Hematology and blood chemistry parameters differ in free-ranging maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) living in the Serra da Canastra National Park versus adjacent farmlands, Brazil.

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May-Júnior, J A; Songsasen, N; Azevedo, F C; Santos, J P; Paula, R C; Rodrigues, F H G; Rodden, M D; Wildt, D E; Morato, R G

2009-01-01

There has been growing interest in the specific impacts of anthropogenic factors on the health of wildlife. This study examined hematology and serum chemistry status of a prominent carnivore, the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), living in, on the boundaries to, or on adjacent farmlands to the Serra da Canastra National Park, Brazil. Twenty-eighty wolves were captured, and values were compared 1) between subadults (n=8 animals) and adults (n=20 animals), 2) males (n=12 animals) and females (n=16 animals), and 3) among wolves living inside the park (n=11), near the park border (n=11 animals), and in neighboring farming areas (n=6 animals). Age, gender, and wolf locations influenced (Pmaned wolves. More importantly, certain traits indicative of health are potentially compromised in wolves living in areas under anthropogenic pressure. These data lay a foundation for examining the influence of farming and local domestic species on disease susceptibility and fitness in the maned wolf.

Historia natural del piche llorón Chaetophractus vellerosus (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Dasypodidae Natural history of the screaming hairy armadillo Chaetophractus vellerosus (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Dasypodidae

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AGUSTÍN M ABBA

2011-03-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se presentan nuevos aportes sobre la historia natural del piche llorón Chaetophractus vellerosus (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Dasypodidae. Los estudios de campo fueron llevados a cabo en 100 ha de un establecimiento ganadero de la localidad de Magdalena, provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Durante dos años (2006-2008 se realizó un muestreo estacional de armadillos por captura y recaptura. Se obtuvieron datos de hábitos alimentarios, uso del espacio y del tiempo, comportamiento, termorregulación, datos poblacionales y morfológicos. Se realizaron 237 capturas de un total de 136 individuos. En la dieta el ítem principal registrado fue insectos coleópteros, seguido por material vegetal y pequeños mamíferos; se observó una diferencia estacional en los hábitos alimentarios dada por una marcada caída de la ocurrencia de coleópteros durante la primavera. Durante las estaciones frías concentran su actividad al mediodía y primeras horas de la tarde y durante las estaciones cálidas el horario medio de actividad se da durante la tarde-noche. Seleccionan los suelos calcáreos arenosos y los pastizales de baja altura y alta cobertura de vegetación. El área de acción media registrada fue de 2670 m². Son individuos asociales, con comportamiento diferente entre las estaciones y seleccionan los montes de tala para refugiarse. La temperatura rectal mostró correlaciones positivas con la temperatura ambiente y el peso. La proporción de sexos fue cercana a uno y no se observó dimorfismo sexual. Los resultados obtenidos concuerdan con lo observado para la especie en otras áreas distantes y con diferentes condiciones ambientales. Este trabajo representa un aporte en varios aspectos poco estudiados de una población aislada y bajo importantes presiones de uso y modificación de hábitat que la pueden llevar a la extinción en un mediano plazo.This contribution presents new data about the natural history of the screaming hairy

Xenarthra (Mammalia) from a new late Neogene fossiliferous locality in Northwestern Argentina

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Zurita, Alfredo E.; Camacho, María; Miño-Boilini, Angel R.; Candela, Adriana M.; Cuadrelli, Francisco; Krmpotic, Cecilia M.; Solís, Natalia

2017-12-01

Northwestern Argentina contains one of the most complete continental late Neogene (ca. 9-2.58 Ma) fossiliferous sequences in South America, especially in the current territories of the Catamarca, Tucumán and Jujuy provinces. More precisely in Jujuy Province several localities bearing mainly fossil mammals have been reported at the Quebrada de Humahuaca in the Uquía, Maimará and Tilcara formations, in which the clade Xenarthra (Mammalia) is well-represented. In this scenario, the fossiliferous potential of other localities of Jujuy Province are less known, especially in those areas located at the northwest end of Argentina, bordering Bolivia in the Northern Puna. A new late Neogene fossiliferous locality near Calahoyo (3639 m.a.s.l), Jujuy Province, is here reported. The materials, belonging to Xenarthra, were exhumed from the base of the Tafna Formation which was deposited in a sedimentary basin by alluvial and/or fluvial currents, undergoing transitions of various lacustrine episodes. The taxa include the Tardigrada Pyramiodontherium bergi (Megatheriidae) and the Cingulata Eosclerocalyptus sp. (Glyptodontidae) and Macrochorobates chapalmalensis (Dasypodidae). From a biostratigraphic viewpoint, this assemblage suggests a Late Miocene-Pliocene age for the base of the Tafna Formation, and partially contradicts the supposed Plio-Pleistocene age of this unit. Finally, the new specimens here described indicate that Xenarthra were taxonomically and ecologically diverse during the late Neogene in the northwest end of Argentina, since they are represented by at least three main lineages (sloths, glyptodontids and armadillos).

Morphometric variation in the pusillus group of the genus Rhinolophus (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) in East Asia.

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Wu, Yi; Motokawa, Masaharu; Harada, Masashi; Thong, Vu Dinh; Lin, Liang-Kong; Li, Yu-Chun

2012-06-01

Based on 203 specimens belonging to the Rhinolophus "pusillus group" (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae), univariate and multivariate morphometric analyses using 19 characters were performed to assess the confused species taxonomy. The results indicated that R. pusillus (including calidus, parcus, and szechuanus) in the continental region and Hainan Island of China and "R. cornutus" in Japan are morphologically divergent species. Rhinolophus cornutus should be further split into R. cornutus (including orii, pumilus, and miyakonis) in the main islands of Japan, the Amami and Okinawa Group of the central Ryukyu Archipelago, and Miyako Group of the southern Ryukyus; and R. perditus and R. imaizumii from the Yaeyama Group in the southern Ryukyus. Rhinolophus monoceros from Taiwan is morphologically more similar to species in Japan than to R. pusillus. In addition to R. pusillus, another form that is morphologically similar to species in Japan was recognized from Langzhong in Sichuan Province; this may represent an undescribed species, and further examination is necessary to determine its taxonomic status. Specimens from Guang'an in Sichuan Province, China, are also different from the others, and are characterized by the smallest skull size. Although further studies are required, these specimens were tentatively identified as R. subbadius.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) on wild carnivores in Brazil.

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Labruna, Marcelo B; Jorge, Rodrigo S P; Sana, Dênis A; Jácomo, Anah Tereza A; Kashivakura, Cyntia K; Furtado, Mariana M; Ferro, Claudia; Perez, Samuel A; Silveira, Leandro; Santos, Tarcísio S; Marques, Samuel R; Morato, Ronaldo G; Nava, Alessandra; Adania, Cristina H; Teixeira, Rodrigo H F; Gomes, Albério A B; Conforti, Valéria A; Azevedo, Fernando C C; Prada, Cristiana S; Silva, Jean C R; Batista, Adriana F; Marvulo, Maria Fernanda V; Morato, Rose L G; Alho, Cleber J R; Pinter, Adriano; Ferreira, Patrícia M; Ferreira, Fernado; Barros-Battesti, Darci M

2005-01-01

The present study reports field data of ticks infesting wild carnivores captured from July 1998 to September 2004 in Brazil. Additional data were obtained from one tick collection and from previous published data of ticks on carnivores in Brazil. During field work, a total of 3437 ticks were collected from 89 Cerdocyon thous (crab-eating fox), 58 Chrysocyon brachyurus (maned wolf), 30 Puma concolor (puma), 26 Panthera onca (jaguar), 12 Procyon cancrivorus (crab-eating raccoon), 4 Speothos venaticus (bush dog), 6 Pseudalopex vetulus (hoary fox), 6 Nasua nasua (coati), 6 Leopardus pardalis (ocelot), 2 Leopardus tigrinus (oncilla), 1 Leopardus wiedii (margay), 1 Herpailurus yagouaroundi (jaguarundi), 1 Oncifelis colocolo (pampas cat), 1 Eira barbara (tayara), 1 Galictis vittata (grison), 1 Lontra longicaudis (neotropical otter), and 1 Potus flavus (kinkajou). Data obtained from the Acari Collection IBSP included a total of 381 tick specimens collected on 13 C. thous, 8 C. brachyurus, 3 P. concolor, 10 P. onca, 3 P. cancrivorus, 4 N. nasua, 1 L. pardalis, 1 L. wiedii, 4 H. yagouaroundi, 1 Galictis cuja (lesser grison), and 1 L. longicaudis. The only tick-infested carnivore species previously reported in Brazil, for which we do not present any field data are Pseudalopex gymnocercus (pampas fox), Conepatus chinga (Molina's hog-nosed skunk), and Conepatus semistriatus (striped hog-nosed skunk). We report the first tick records in Brazil on two Felidae species (O. colocolo, H. yagouaroundi), two Canidae species (P. vetulus, S. venaticus), one Procyonidae species (P. flavus) and one Mustelidae (E. barbara). Tick infestation remains unreported for 5 of the 26 Carnivora species native in Brazil: Oncifelis geoffroyi (Geoffroy's cat), Atelocynus microtis (short-eared dog), Pteronura brasiliensis (giant otter), Mustela africana (Amazon weasel), and Bassaricyon gabbii (olingo). Our field data comprise 16 tick species represented by the genera Amblyomma (12 species), Ixodes (1

Can they dig it? Functional morphology and semifossoriality among small-eared shrews, genus Cryptotis (Mammalia, Soricidae)

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Woodman, Neal; Gaffney, Sarah A.

2014-01-01

Small-eared shrews (Mammalia: Soricidae: Cryptotis), exhibit modifications of the forelimb skeleton that have been interpreted as adaptations for semifossoriality. Most species inhabit remote regions, however, and their locomotory and foraging behaviors remain mostly speculative. To better understand the morphological modifications in the absence of direct observations, we quantified variation in these species by measuring 151 individuals representing 18 species and populations of Cryptotis and two species of moles (Talpidae) for comparison. From our measurements, we calculated 22 indices, most of which have been used previously to characterize substrate use among rodents and other taxa. We analyzed the indices using 1) average percentile ranks, 2) principal components analysis, and 3) cluster analysis. From these analyses, we determined that three basic modes of substrate adaptation are present within Cryptotis: 1) a primarily terrestrial mode, with species that are capable of burrowing, but lack adaptations to increase digging efficiency, 2) a semifossorial mode, with species whose forelimbs bones show strong muscle attachment areas and increased mechanical advantage, and 3) an intermediate mode. In addition to identifying new morphological characters and contributing to our understanding of the functional morphology of soricids, these analyses provide additional insight into the ecology of the species of interest.

Dioctophyma renale in maned wolf in the geoeconomic region of Jatai, GO, Brazil - Case report

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Valcinir Aloisio Scalla Vulcani

2015-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT. Vulcani V.A.S., Franzo V.S., de Araújo D.P., Vicentin F.R., da Costa O.M., Rangel A.S. & Gomes L.A. [Dioctophyma renale in maned wolf in the geoeconomic region of Jatai, GO, Brazil - Case report.] Dioctophyma renale em Lobo-Guará na região geoeconômica de Jataí, GO, Brasil - Relato de caso. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 37(2:149-152, 2015. Laboratório de Anatomia, Curso de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus de Jataí, BR 364 Km 192, 3800, Setor Industrial, Jataí, GO 75801-615, Brasil. E-mail: aloisiosv@hotmail.com The maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815 is the largest animal that represents the canidae species at the South America. The Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782 known as the giant kidney-worm, because it is used to lodges mostly this organs, and it has been also responsible for the majority of captive animals deaths. A maned wolf necropsy was done at the animal anatomy laboratory of the Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG - Campus Jataí and showed a nematode in the right kidney of the wild dog. This is the second confirmed case report of maned wolf that have free life in the city of Jataí and in State of Goiás, that suggests that is a common parasitism in this region of the country.

Remarks on Correlations and Implications of the Mandibular Structure and Diet in Some Seals (Mammalia, Phocidae

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Koretsky I.A.

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Remarks on Correlations and Implications of the Mandibular Structure and Diet in Some Seals (Mammalia, Phocidae. Koretsky, I. A., Rahmat, S. J., Peters, N. — The diverse representatives of Recent seals within the three extant subfamilies (Cystophorinae, Phocinae, Monachinae of the family Phocidae exhibit dietary variations among species, feeding on invertebrates and a diversity of prey depending on the season and availability. To explain this variability, an introductory morphological examination of the mandibular structure of Recent seals from each subfamily was performed, focusing on: heights of the mandibular ramus and condyloid process; measurements of the masseteric fossa; and attachments of muscles of mastication. After measuring the condyloid angles (the inclination of the condyloid process in relation to the axis of the alveolar row among the examined species, a correlation between the size ofthe angle, function, and diet was recognized. Seals with a tall mandibular ramus and greater condyloid angle (Cystophorinae feed on larger-sized prey, while seals with a shorter ramus and lesser condyloid angle feed on small (Monachinae to medium-sized (Phocinae prey, regardless of the overall size of the seal. This study focused on the mandibular morphology of some living and fossil representatives of Phocidae, providing an association between functional and ecological interpretations of modern seals in general and extrapolating this knowledge for fossil dietary preference.

Population Viability and Vital Rate Sensitivity of an Endangered Avian Cooperative Breeder, the White-Breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus.

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Jennifer L Mortensen

Full Text Available Social behaviors can significantly affect population viability, and some behaviors might reduce extinction risk. We used population viability analysis to evaluate effects of past and proposed habitat loss on the White-breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus, a cooperatively breeding songbird with a global population size of <2000 individuals. We used an individual-based approach to build the first demographic population projection model for this endangered species, parameterizing the model with data from eight years of field study before and after habitat loss within the stronghold of the species' distribution. The recent habitat loss resulted in an approximately 18% predicted decline in population size; this estimate was mirrored by a separate assessment using occupancy data. When mortality rates remained close to the pre-habitat loss estimate, quasi-extinction probability was low under extant habitat area, but increased with habitat loss expected after current plans for resort construction are completed. Post-habitat loss mortality rate estimates were too high for projected populations to persist. Vital rate sensitivity analyses indicated that population growth rate and population persistence were most sensitive to juvenile mortality. However, observed values for adult mortality were closest to the threshold value above which populations would crash. Adult mortality, already relatively low, may have the least capacity to change compared to other vital rates, whereas juvenile mortality may have the most capacity for improvement. Results suggest that improving mortality estimates and determining the cause(s of juvenile mortality should be research priorities. Despite predictions that aspects of cooperative systems may result in variation in reproduction or juvenile mortality being the most sensitive vital rates, adult mortality was the most sensitive in half of the demographic models of other avian cooperative breeders. Interestingly, vital

Patterns of morphological variation amongst semifossorial shrews in the highlands of Guatemala, with the description of a new species (Mammalia, Soricomorpha, Soricidae)

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Woodman, Neal

2011-01-01

Members of the Cryptotis goldmani group of small-eared shrews (Mammalia, Soricomorpha, Soricidae) represent a clade within the genus that is characterized by modifications of the forelimb that include broadened forefeet, elongated and broadened foreclaws, and massive humeri with enlarged processes. These modifications are consistent with greater adaptation to their semifossorial habits than other members of the genus. The species in this group occur discontinuously in temperate highlands from southern Tamaulipas, Mexico, to Honduras. In Guatemala, there are three species: the relatively widespread Cryptotis goodwini and two species (Cryptotis lacertosus, Cryptotis mam) endemic to highland forests in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes of western Guatemala. Ongoing studies focusing on the relationships of variation in cranial and postcranial skeletal morphology have revealed a fourth species from remnant cloud forest in the Sierra de Yalijux, central Guatemala. In this paper, I describe this new species and characterize its morphology relative to other species in the C. goldmani group and to other species of Cryptotis in Guatemala. In addition, I summarize available details of its habitat and ecology.

Population Structure of mtDNA Variation due to Pleistocene Fluctuations in the South American Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger, 1815): Management Units for Conservation.

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González, Susana; Cosse, Mariana; Franco, María del Rosario; Emmons, Louise; Vynne, Carly; Duarte, José Maurício Barbanti; Beccacesi, Marcelo D; Maldonado, Jesús E

2015-01-01

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is one of the largest South American canids, and conservation across this charismatic carnivore's large range is presently hampered by a lack of knowledge about possible natural subdivisions which could influence the population's viability. To elucidate the phylogeographic patterns and demographic history of the species, we used 2 mtDNA markers (D-loop and cytochrome b) from 87 individuals collected throughout their range, in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay. We found moderate levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity, and the 14 D-loop haplotypes were closely related. Genetic structure results revealed 4 groups, and when coupled with model inferences from a coalescent analysis, suggested that maned wolves have undergone demographic fluctuations due to changes in climate and habitat during the Pleistocene glaciation period approximately 24000 years before present (YBP). This genetic signature points to an event that occurred within the timing estimated for the start of the contraction of the Cerrado around 50000 YBP. Our results reveal a genetic signature of population size expansion followed by contraction during Pleistocene interglaciations, which had similar impacts on other South American mammals. The 4 groups should for now be considered management units, within which future monitoring efforts should be conducted independently. © The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Occurrence of oral diseases in neotropical wild carnivores kept in captivity at the zoo from Federal University of Mato Grosso – Cuiabá

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Paula Márcia Marques de Campos Andrade

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Control of oral lesions contributes directly to the health, survival and welfare of captive animals. In order to investigate the occurrence of oral diseases in neotropical wild carnivores kept at the zoo at the Federal University of Mato Grosso – Cuiabá, we evaluated 31 oral cavities from three families of carnivores (Felidae, Canidae and Procyonidae between July 2012 and June 2013. Twelve coatis (Nasua nasua, three raccoons (Procyon cancrivorus, two maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus, six crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous, one hoary fox (Pseudalopex vetulus, three ocelots (Leopardus pardalis, one cougar (Puma concolor and three wild cats (Puma yagouaroundi, Leopardus wiedii and Leopardus colocolo were reviewed. The most frequent lesions were dental absences 21/31 (67.7%, dental fractures 20/31 (64.5% and tooth wear 19/31 (61.3%, which were suggestive of trauma caused from stress. Of lesser importance, we also observed occurrence of dental calculus grade I in 18/31 (58%, caries 1/31 (3.2%, foreign bodies 2/31 (6.4%, orofacial fistulas 1/31 (3.2%, hyperplasia in the oral mucosa 1/31 (3.2%, dental dimming 3/31 (9.7% and chafing of the soft tissue 5/31 (16.1%. Therefore, it was concluded that environmental enrichment strategies and oral routine evaluation must be implemented to ensure the welfare of these animals, reducing local and systemic adverse effects of oral lesions. The diet has been successful in preventing periodontal disease, suggesting that this diet for the captive animals in the institution should be maintained.

Nuevos aportes a la historia natural de la mulita pampeana Dasypus hybridus (Mammalia, Dasypodidae

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Agustín M. Abba

2011-12-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se presentan nuevos aportes sobre la historia natural de la mulita pampeana Dasypus hybridus (Desmarest, 1804 (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Dasypodidae. Los estudios de campo fueron llevados a cabo en 100 ha de cuatro establecimientos agropecuarios de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Durante tres años se realizó un muestreo estacional de armadillos por captura y liberación. Se obtuvieron datos de hábitos alimentarios, uso del espacio y del tiempo, comportamiento, termorregulación, datos poblacionales y morfológicos. Se realizaron 71 capturas. En la dieta el ítem principal registrado fue material vegetal, seguido por hormigas e insectos coleópteros; no se observó una diferencia estacional en los hábitos alimentarios. La actividad de las mulitas se concentra durante el día, existió una baja en la frecuencia de observación durante las estaciones frías (otoño e invierno. La mulita pampeana prefiere suelos húmicos, terrenos altos y pastizales densos y altos; asimismo seleccionan los montes para refugiarse. Son individuos asociales. La temperatura rectal mostró correlaciones positivas con la temperatura ambiente. La proporción de sexos fue cercana a uno y no se observó dimorfismo sexual. Los resultados obtenidos concuerdan parcialmente con lo observado para otras especies del género, destacando las tendencias observadas en los hábitos alimentarios y en la estrategia termorregulatoria. Este trabajo representa un aporte en varios aspectos de una especie poco estudiada en una zona bajo importantes presiones de uso y modificación de hábitat.

Potential pitfalls of reconstructing deep time evolutionary history with only extant data, a case study using the canidae (mammalia, carnivora).

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Finarelli, John A; Goswami, Anjali

2013-12-01

Reconstructing evolutionary patterns and their underlying processes is a central goal in biology. Yet many analyses of deep evolutionary histories assume that data from the fossil record is too incomplete to include, and rely solely on databases of extant taxa. Excluding fossil taxa assumes that character state distributions across living taxa are faithful representations of a clade's entire evolutionary history. Many factors can make this assumption problematic. Fossil taxa do not simply lead-up to extant taxa; they represent now-extinct lineages that can substantially impact interpretations of character evolution for extant groups. Here, we analyze body mass data for extant and fossil canids (dogs, foxes, and relatives) for changes in mean and variance through time. AIC-based model selection recovered distinct models for each of eight canid subgroups. We compared model fit of parameter estimates for (1) extant data alone and (2) extant and fossil data, demonstrating that the latter performs significantly better. Moreover, extant-only analyses result in unrealistically low estimates of ancestral mass. Although fossil data are not always available, reconstructions of deep-time organismal evolution in the absence of deep-time data can be highly inaccurate, and we argue that every effort should be made to include fossil data in macroevolutionary studies. © 2013 The Authors. Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Evaluation of homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates for the serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

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Silva, D A O; Vitaliano, S N; Mineo, T W P; Ferreira, R A; Bevilacqua, E; Mineo, J R

2005-10-01

Use of serological tests in the diagnosis of infectious diseases in wild animals has several limitations, primarily the difficulty of obtaining species-specific reagents. Wild canids, such as maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus), are highly predisposed to infection by Toxoplasma gondii and, to a lesser extent, to Neospora caninum. The aim of the present study was to evaluate homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFATs) for detecting immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum in maned wolves. Serum samples were obtained from 59 captive animals in Brazil and tested by ELISA for T. gondii serology and IFAT for N. caninum serology using 3 different enzymatic and fluorescent conjugates: homologous (guinea pig anti-maned wolf IgG-peroxidase and -fluorescein isothiocyanate [FITC]), heterologous (rabbit anti-dog IgG-peroxidase and -FITC), and affinity (protein A-peroxidase and -FITC). Seropositivity to T. gondii was comparable among the homologous (69.5%), heterologous (74.6%), and affinity (71.2%) enzymatic conjugates. A significant positive correlation was found between the antibody levels determined by the 3 enzymatic conjugates. The highest mean antibody levels (ELISA index = 4.5) were observed with the protein A-peroxidase conjugate. The same seropositivity to N. caninum (8.5%) was found with the homologous and heterologous fluorescent conjugates, but protein A-FITC was not able to detect or confirm any positive samples with homologous or heterologous conjugates. Our results demonstrate that homologous, heterologous, and affinity conjugates might be used in ELISA for serological assays of T. gondii in wild canids, whereas for N. caninum infection, only the homologous or heterologous fluorescent conjugates have been shown to be useful.

Population dynamics of plant nematodes in cultivated soil: length of rotation in newly cleared and old agricultural land.

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Good, J M; Murphy, W S; Brodie, B B

1973-04-01

During a 6-year study of 1-, 2-, and 3-year crop rotations, population densities of Pratylenchus brachyurus, Trichodorus christiei, and Meloidogyne incognita were significantly affected by the choice of crops but not by length of crop rotation. The density of P. brachyurus and T. christiei increased rapidly on milo (Sorghum vulgate). In addition, populations of P. brachyurus increased significantly in cropping systems that involved crotalaria (C. rnucronata), millet (Setaria italica), and sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense). Lowest numbers of P. brachyurus occurred where okra (Hibiscus esculentus) was grown or where land was fallow. The largest increase in populations of T. christiei occurred in cropping systems that involved millet, sudangrass, and okra whereas the smallest increase occurred in cropping systems that involved crotalaria or fallow. A winter cover of rye (Secale cereale) had no distinguishable effect on population densities of P. brachyurus or T. christiei. Meloidogyne incognita was detected during the fourth year in both newly cleared and old agricultural land when okra was included in the cropping system. Detectable populations of M. incognita did not develop in any of the other cropping systems. Yields of tomato transplants were higher on the newly cleared land than on the old land. Highest yields were obtained when crotalaria was included in the cropping system. Lowest yields were obtained when milo, or fallow were included in the cropping system. Length of rotation had no distinguishable effect on yields of tomato transplants.

The Tibetan Wolf Canis lupus chanco Gray (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae in northeastern India with a recent sighting from northern Sikkim, India

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Anwaruddin Choudhury

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The Tibetan Wolf Canis lupus chanco which is a relatively rarer subspecies of the wolf C. lupus occurs in Sikkim in North-east India with unconfirmed reports from Arunachal Pradesh. Its range in Sikkim is in the high elevation areas. There are very few sighting records from the state. This article reports an observation made recently between Thangu and Gyagong or Gogong in North Sikkim district at 4,250m elevation on 17 April 2014. Presence of feral dogs are threats to the Wolf as well as its prey base.  

Natural infection of Didelphis aurita (Mammalia: Marsupialia) with Leishmania infantum in Brazil.

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Carreira, João Carlos Araujo; da Silva, Alba Valéria Machado; de Pita Pereira, Daniela; Brazil, Reginaldo Peçanha

2012-06-07

-specific biotinylated probe. In the present paper we present the first report of amastigotes in the tissues of Didelphis aurita (Mammalia: Marsupialia) naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. We also attempt to claim the particular role of some opossum species as hosts of Leishmania infantum, contributing at least in part on the description of potential sylvatic reservoirs.

Biomic specialization and speciation rates in ruminants (Cetartiodactyla, Mammalia): a test of the resource-use hypothesis at the global scale.

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Cantalapiedra, Juan L; Hernández Fernández, Manuel; Morales, Jorge

2011-01-01

The resource-use hypothesis proposed by E.S. Vrba predicts that specialist species have higher speciation and extinction rates than generalists because they are more susceptible to environmental changes and vicariance. In this work, we test some of the predictions derived from this hypothesis on the 197 extant and recently extinct species of Ruminantia (Cetartiodactyla, Mammalia) using the biomic specialization index (BSI) of each species, which is based on its distribution within different biomes. We ran 10000 Monte Carlo simulations of our data in order to get a null distribution of BSI values against which to contrast the observed data. Additionally, we drew on a supertree of the ruminants and a phylogenetic likelihood-based method (QuaSSE) for testing whether the degree of biomic specialization affects speciation rates in ruminant lineages. Our results are consistent with the predictions of the resource-use hypothesis, which foretells a higher speciation rate of lineages restricted to a single biome (BSI = 1) and higher frequency of specialist species in biomes that underwent high degree of contraction and fragmentation during climatic cycles. Bovids and deer present differential specialization across biomes; cervids show higher specialization in biomes with a marked hydric seasonality (tropical deciduous woodlands and schlerophyllous woodlands), while bovids present higher specialization in a greater variety of biomes. This might be the result of divergent physiological constraints as well as a different biogeographic and evolutionary history.

Screening of B chromosomes for presence of two genes in yellow-necked mice, Apodemus flavicollis (Mammalia, Rodentia

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Rajičić Marija

2015-01-01

Full Text Available B chromosomes (Bs are a very heterogeneous group of extra chromosomes. In various species Bs occur with different nucleotide sequences ranging from repetitive to protein coding. In yellow-necked field mice, Apodemus flavicollis Bs are small euchromatic chromosomes and untill now, only few molecular analyses have been conducted. In this study we examined A. flavicollis individuals with different number of Bs for presence of two genes, C-KIT and 18S rRNA. The C-KIT proto-oncogene was found on Bs in three Canidae species and one Cervidae species. This gene is a coding receptor critical for proliferation and cell differentiation of hematopoietic, melanoblast and primordial germ cells, and is highly conserved within mammals. While using semiquantitative PCR, we did not notice any difference in the C-KIT band intensity among animals with different number of Bs (0-3. The presence of only one copy of C- KIT gene was confirmed using real time-PCR on genomic DNA of A. flavicollis specimens with different number of Bs. rRNA genes in eukaryotes’ genome are organized like units of tandem repeated sequences. The units form distinct clusters on one to several chromosome pairs. rRNA genes were found on Bs in different species including two species of genus Apodemus. One particular sample with 2 Bs showed the number of 18S rRNA gene about three times that of the calibrator 0 B sample. This result can indicate the presence of 18S rRNA gene on Bs, but its confirmation requires the implementation of other methods. Still, we can neither confirm nor deny the existence of pseudogen of tested target genes, or lose of exon 1 of C-KIT protooncogen in Bs of A. flavicollis. Our findings are further discussed. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173003

Food habits of two syntopic canids, the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus and the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous, in southeastern Brazil Hábitos alimentarios de dos cánidos sintópicos, el aguara guazú (Chrysocyon brachyurus y el zorro del monte (Cerdocyon thous, en el sudeste de Brasil

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ADRIANA DE ARRUDA BUENO

2004-03-01

Full Text Available The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus and the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous are two South American canids with large overlap in their geographic distribution. However, there are few data on the comparative ecology of these species. The aim of this research was to quantify the diet of these two canids living in syntopy at three levels: frequency of occurrence, minimum number of individuals preyed and estimated biomass ingested. Additionally, seasonality in the consumption of major groups of food items and aspects of prey size distribution were assessed. The study took place in the Experimental Station of Itapetininga, São Paulo State, Brazil. General results showed that both canids are omnivorous in accordance with other studies. By occurrences, the wolves consumed vegetal and animal food in similar proportions, whereas the foxes consumed more animals, mainly insects. In contrast, both canids ingested mainly animal food if biomass is considered. The maned wolf consumed more wolf's fruit (Solanum lycocarpum and small mammals in the dry season, and miscellaneous fruits during the wet season. The crab-eating fox also ingested more miscellaneous fruits in the wet season, but the insects were mostly consumed during dry months. The crab-eating fox is more generalist than the maned wolf, but the wolf seems better able to handle distinct prey types. The distribution of prey sizes suggested separate food niches: while the maned wolf consumed a larger spectrum of prey sizes, especially small vertebrates between 10.1 and 100.0 g, the crab-eating fox consumed smaller prey, mainly insects between 0.01 and 0.1 gEl aguara guazú (Chrysocyon brachyurus y el zorro del monte (Cerdocyon thous son dos cánidos sudamericanos cuyas distribuciones geográficas se sobreponen extensamente. Sin embargo, hay pocos datos sobre la ecología comparativa de estas especies. El objetivo de esta investigación fue cuantificar la dieta de estos dos cánidos en sintopia en

The effect of cat Felis catus predation on three breeding ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1987-05-08

May 8, 1987 ... Mammalia 40: 532-595. DERENNE, P.L. & MOUGIN, 1.C. 1976. Donnees ecologiques sur les Mammiferes introduits de L'i1e aux. Cochons, Archipel Crozet (46°06'S, 500 14'E). Mammalia 40: 21-53. DORRANCE, M.l. & BOURNE, 1. 1980. An evaluation of anti-coyote electric fencing. 1. Range Manage. 33:.

Use of the space by the opossum Didelphis aurita Wied-Newied (Mammalia, Marsupialia in a mixed forest fragment of southern Brazil

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Cáceres Nilton Carlos

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Use of the space by the opossum Didelphis aurita Wied-Newied, 1826 (Mammalia, Marsupialia in a mixed forest fragment of southern Brazil. The space use of the marsupial Didelphis aurita was studied in a forest fragment of southern Brazil from February 1995 to January 1996. The method used was the 'distribution utilization' in which each trap was set in 38 x 38 m quadrats. Captures of each marked individual in each point give information on its habitat use. Food availability was searched and compared to the habitat utilization and to the food consumption of opossums. Distribution patterns of captures (aggregated to random and spatial overlap between individuals were searched. Results showed aggregated distributions of individuals, particularly females, in the fragment. Females used exclusively the fragment during the drier season. Opossums tend to not choose the sites with highest food availability to establish home ranges. Spatial overlap was usually low between forest resident and neighbouring resident females, but much lower during the breeding season (only forest resident females in an apparently pattern of territoriality. Hence, core areas of females decreased in size during the breeding season. Males probably searched primarily for mates during the breeding season being less opportunistic than females in feeding habits, yet their space use did not correlate to food consumption.

Natural infection of Didelphis aurita (Mammalia: Marsupialia with Leishmania infantum in Brazil

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Carreira João Carlos

2012-06-01

through dot blot hybridization using a L. infantum-specific biotinylated probe. Conclusions In the present paper we present the first report of amastigotes in the tissues of Didelphis aurita (Mammalia: Marsupialia naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. We also attempt to claim the particular role of some opossum species as hosts of Leishmania infantum, contributing at least in part on the description of potential sylvatic reservoirs.

Incidental findings of Cysticercus tenuicollis metacestodes in five oryx species

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Stephen Chege

2016-01-01

Conclusions: This study shows that, Arabian oryx, beisa oryx, fringe-eared oryx, gemsbok and scimitar-horned oryx are susceptible to C. tenuicollis. Based on the epidemiology and the life cycle of this parasite, it is possible that these captive animals ingested the parasite through contaminated feed which could have happened in the pasture land or stray dogs and wild canidae (e.g. fox visited the zoo contaminating the oryx feed. Stray dogs and wild canidae should be prevented from visiting pasture land and a captive animal facility.

Abdominal and pelvic ultrasound study of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus Estudo ultrassonográfico abdominal e pélvico de lobo-guará (Chrysocyon brachyurus

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Luciana D. Guimarães

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was the ultrasound characterization of the abdominal and pelvic regions of five maned wolves kept in captivity at the Triage Center of Wild Animals of the Federal University of Viçosa (Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres, Universidade Federal de Viçosa. This characterization included descriptions of ultrasonographic aspects and measurements of various structures using B-mode ultrasound. Biometric data were collected to assess the existence of significant linear correlations between these measurements and the measurements obtained by ultrasound. Additionally, hematological and serum biochemistry evaluations of the animals were performed. The ultrasound findings were similar to those available in the literature on domestic dogs, which were used for comparison as a result of the lack of published data regarding maned wolves. The latter species showed characteristics closely resembling those of the former, differing in the spleen and left renal cortex echogenicities, in the appearance of the prostatic and testicular regions and in the hepatic portal vein morphology. In the current study, the biometric values were similar to those previously published; however, no data regarding thoracic perimeter, modified crown-rump length or thoracic depth were found in the literature for this Canidae species. Statistical analysis showed the existence of a strong negative correlation between the modified crown-rump length and left renal length, between the modified crown-rump length and the right renal volume, between the thoracic perimeter and the height at the cranial pole of the left adrenal gland and between the thoracic perimeter and the height at the caudal pole of the left adrenal gland. Laboratory findings, including segmented neutrophil, eosinophil, monocyte and lymphocyte counts and the serum levels of glucose, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, urea, total protein, globulin, creatine phosphokinase, triglyceride, sodium

Induction of ovarian activity and ovulation in an induced ovulator, the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), using GnRH agonist and recombinant LH.

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Johnson, Amy E M; Freeman, Elizabeth W; Colgin, Mark; McDonough, Caitlin; Songsasen, Nucharin

2014-07-01

Assisted reproductive techniques, such as ovarian manipulation and artificial insemination, are useful for enhancing genetic management of threatened wildlife maintained ex situ. In this study, we used noninvasive fecal hormone monitoring to investigate (1) the influence of pairing with a male on endocrine responses of female maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) to a GnRH agonist (deslorelin) and (2) the efficiency of recombinant LH (reLH) on ovulation induction in females housed alone. Deslorelin (2.1 mg Ovuplant) was given to females that were either paired with a male (n = 4) or housed alone (n = 7); the implant was removed 7 to 11 days postimplantation. Three of seven singleton females were injected with reLH (0.0375 mg) on the day of implant removal, whereas the remaining females (n = 4) did not receive the additional treatment. Fecal samples were collected 5 to 7 days/wk from all females starting 11 days prior to hormone insertion until at least 70 days post implant removal for a total of 11 hormone treatment cycles. Fecal estrogen and progestagen metabolites were extracted and analyzed by enzyme immunoassay. Evidence of ovulation, demonstrated by a surge of estrogen followed by a significant rise in progestagen, occurred in all paired females. Three of the four singleton females that did not receive reLH treatment exhibited no rise in progestagen after an estrogen surge. All singleton females treated with reLH exhibited a rise in fecal progestagen after injection, indicating ovulation. In conclusion, deslorelin is effective at inducing ovarian activity and ovulation in paired female maned wolves; however, exogenous reLH is needed to induce ovulation in females housed alone. The findings obtained from this study serve as a foundation for future application of artificial insemination to enhance genetic management of this threatened species ex situ. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii, -Neospora caninum, -Leishmania spp. and -Ehrlichia canis antibodies in free-ranging maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus in the northeastern region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil

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Solange Oliveira

2016-09-01

Full Text Available O lobo-guará (Chrysocyon brachyurus habita o ecossistema de Cerrado e é considerado o maior canídeo da América do Sul e uma espécie ameaçada de extinção pela "International Union for Conservation of Nature" (IUNC. O objetivo desse estudo foi investigar a presença de anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii, -Neospora caninum, -Leishmania spp. e -Ehrlichia canis em lobos-guará da região nordeste do estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Das 17 amostras de soro testadas por meio da reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI, 88,2% (15/17, 17,6% (3/17 e 52,9% (9/17 apresentaram anticorpos anti-T. gondii, -Leishmania spp. e -E. canis, respectivamente. Todos os animais testados foram soronegativos para N. caninum. Esses resultados indicam a exposição dos lobos-guará dessa região aos agentes pesquisados. A presença de um complexo industrial, agricultura extensiva e fragmentação de habitat na região nordeste do estado de São Paulo, favorece a proximidade desses animais silvestres a ambientes urbanos o que pode contribuir para a transmissão de doenças entre os animais silvestres, domésticos e o homem.

Capillariidae Eggs Found in the Urine of a Free Ranging Maned Wolf from Argentina

OpenAIRE

Martín Beldomenico,Pablo; Hunzicker,Daniel; Lopez Taverna,Julio; Rejf,Paula K

2002-01-01

The first finding of a Capillariid in the urinary tract of a free ranging maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is described. The individual was an adult male attacked by dogs in the locality of Cayastacito (Santa Fe, Argentina, 31º05' S, 60º 34' W). Eggs found in urine measured 64.6-66.9µm (mean 65.4µm) x 26.9-31µm (mean 29µm). Further studies are needed to determine whether this finding corresponds to a new Capillariid species, related to C. brachyurus, or it is an already described species th...

Densidade populacional de Pratylenchus spp. em pastagens de Brachiaria spp. e sua influência na disponibilidade e na qualidade da forragem

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Cassia de Carvalho

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Objetivando avaliar a densidade populacional de Pratylenchus brachyurus e Pratylenchus zeae, associados à Brachiaria brizantha, B. decumbens e B. humidicola, e sua influência na disponibilidade e na qualidade da forragem, realizou-se este trabalho. O experimento foi conduzido na Agropecuária Hisaeda, em Terenos, MS. Coletaram-se amostras de solo, raízes e parte aérea, em dez repetições ao acaso, de 1 m² cada, dos seguintes tratamentos: Bom, Intermediário e Ruim, caracterizados visualmente, considerando-se a percentagem de material verde das plantas. As densidades de P. brachyurus e P. zeae foram avaliadas nas amostras de solo e raízes. Na parte aérea, avaliou-se a disponibilidade de matéria seca dos materiais verde, morto e da rebrota, estado nutricional das plantas e qualidade da forragem. A fertilidade do solo foi determinada em todas as unidades amostrais. Ambos os nematoides foram identificados em todas as amostras, com maior número nas raízes (entre 87-311 P. brachyurus e 1-61 P. zeae.10 g-1 que no solo (de 0-8 P. brachyurus a 1-39 P. zeae.200 cm-3, no entanto, não houve diferenças significativas, na quantidade de espécimes, entre os tratamentos. Considerando-se que essas forrageiras são perenes e hospedam Pratylenchus spp., há tendência ao aumento da população desses patógenos, ao longo do tempo, podendo se tornar um sério problema fitossanitário.

Capillariidae Eggs Found in the Urine of a Free Ranging Maned Wolf from Argentina

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Martín Beldomenico Pablo

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The first finding of a Capillariid in the urinary tract of a free ranging maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus is described. The individual was an adult male attacked by dogs in the locality of Cayastacito (Santa Fe, Argentina, 31º05' S, 60º 34' W. Eggs found in urine measured 64.6-66.9µm (mean 65.4µm x 26.9-31µm (mean 29µm. Further studies are needed to determine whether this finding corresponds to a new Capillariid species, related to C. brachyurus, or it is an already described species that has been introduced by domestic dogs.

Capillariidae eggs found in the urine of a free ranging maned wolf from Argentina.

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Beldomenico, Pablo Martín; Hunzicker, Daniel; Lopez Taverna, Julio; Rejf, Paula K

2002-06-01

The first finding of a Capillariid in the urinary tract of a free ranging maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is described. The individual was an adult male attacked by dogs in the locality of Cayastacito (Santa Fe, Argentina, 31 degrees 05' S, 60 degrees 34' W). Eggs found in urine measured 64.6-66.9 micrometer (mean 65.4 micrometer) x 26.9-31 micrometer (mean 29 micrometer). Further studies are needed to determine whether this finding corresponds to a new Capillariid species, related to C. brachyurus, or it is an already described species that has been introduced by domestic dogs.

Rediscovery of the type series of the Acadian Masked Shrew, Sorex acadicus Gilpin, 1865 (Mammalia: Soricidae), with the designation of a neotype and a reevaluation of its taxonomic status

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Woodman, Neal

2018-01-01

The name Sorex acadicus Gilpin, 1865 is currently recognized as the valid name for the Nova Scotian subspecies of the masked shrew, S. cinereus Kerr, 1792 (Mammalia: Soricidae), but a holotype for the taxon was never designated, and the location of the type series has been a mystery. The authority for this species, John Bernard Gilpin, was associated with the Nova Scotia Museum, Halifax, NS, but that institution has no Gilpin specimens in its possession, and I could find no record of Gilpin shrews in any other Canadian Museum. I recently discovered a series of Gilpin specimens in the Mammal Collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC (USNM), some of which may have been part of the original type series of S. acadicus, and I show that these specimens best represent Gilpin's concept of the taxon. From this series, I designate a neotype for S. acadicus. I also evaluate the distinctiveness of Nova Scotian S. c. acadicus compared with S. c. cinereus from Maine, New Brunswick, and New Hampshire and determine that S. acadicus should be considered a junior synonym of S. c. cinereus.

New data on Amynodontidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from Eastern Europe: Phylogenetic and palaeobiogeographic implications around the Eocene-Oligocene transition.

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Tissier, Jérémy; Becker, Damien; Codrea, Vlad; Costeur, Loïc; Fărcaş, Cristina; Solomon, Alexandru; Venczel, Marton; Maridet, Olivier

2018-01-01

Amynodontidae is a family of Rhinocerotoidea (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) known from the late Early Eocene to the latest Oligocene, in North America and Eurasia. European Amynodontidae are very rare, and all remains belong almost exclusively to a single post-Grande Coupure genus from the Oligocene, Cadurcotherium. The "Grande Coupure" defines an extinctions and dispersal-generated originations event in Europe that is nearly contemporaneous with the Eocene-Oligocene transition. Perissodactyls are one of the major groups affected by this event: Palaeotheriidae went almost extinct during this crisis, whereas Rhinocerotidae appeared for the first time in Europe. Study of fossiliferous Eastern-European localities from this age is crucial for the understanding of this crisis. We report here three new localities of Amynodontidae in Eastern Europe. Two of them are dated from the Eocene (Morlaca, Romania; Dorog, Hungary), whereas the other is either Late Eocene or Early Oligocene (Dobârca, Romania). The skull from this latter locality belongs unexpectedly to the same individual as a previously described mandible attributed to "Cadurcodon" zimborensis. As a result, this specimen can be allocated to its proper locality, Dobârca, and is assigned to a new genus, Sellamynodon gen. nov. It is characterised by an extraordinary growth of the nuchal crest, a unique character among amynodontids. Along with this remarkable material from Dobârca, two specimens from another Romanian locality, Morlaca, have been recently discovered and are dated from the Late Eocene. They belong, as well as new material from Dorog (Middle Eocene, Hungary), to the genus Amynodontopsis, also found in North America. The new Hungarian material represents the earliest occurrence of Amynodontidae in Europe. New phylogenetic hypotheses of Rhinocerotoidea are proposed, including the new material presented here, and show that Amynodontidae may be closer to the polyphyletic family 'Hyracodontidae' than to

Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA reveals reticulate evolution in hares (Lepus spp., Lagomorpha, Mammalia from Ethiopia.

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Zelalem Tolesa

Full Text Available For hares (Lepus spp., Leporidae, Lagomorpha, Mammalia from Ethiopia no conclusive molecular phylogenetic data are available. To provide a first molecular phylogenetic model for the Abyssinian Hare (Lepus habessinicus, the Ethiopian Hare (L. fagani, and the Ethiopian Highland Hare (L. starcki and their evolutionary relationships to hares from Africa, Eurasia, and North America, we phylogenetically analysed mitochondrial ATPase subunit 6 (ATP6; n = 153 / 416bp and nuclear transferrin (TF; n = 155 / 434bp sequences of phenotypically determined individuals. For the hares from Ethiopia, genotype composition at twelve microsatellite loci (n = 107 was used to explore both interspecific gene pool separation and levels of current hybridization, as has been observed in some other Lepus species. For phylogenetic analyses ATP6 and TF sequences of Lepus species from South and North Africa (L. capensis, L. saxatilis, the Anatolian peninsula and Europe (L. europaeus, L. timidus were also produced and additional TF sequences of 18 Lepus species retrieved from GenBank were included as well. Median joining networks, neighbour joining, maximum likelihood analyses, as well as Bayesian inference resulted in similar models of evolution of the three species from Ethiopia for the ATP6 and TF sequences, respectively. The Ethiopian species are, however, not monophyletic, with signatures of contemporary uni- and bidirectional mitochondrial introgression and/ or shared ancestral polymorphism. Lepus habessinicus carries mtDNA distinct from South African L. capensis and North African L. capensis sensu lato; that finding is not in line with earlier suggestions of its conspecificity with L. capensis. Lepus starcki has mtDNA distinct from L. capensis and L. europaeus, which is not in line with earlier suggestions to include it either in L. capensis or L. europaeus. Lepus fagani shares mitochondrial haplotypes with the other two species from Ethiopia, despite its distinct

Teste de ELISA indireto para diagnóstico sorológico de leishmaniose visceral em canídeos silvestres Indirect ELISA for the serological diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in wild canids

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Paulo R.B. Ferreira

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Na América do Sul, alguns canídeos silvestres são considerados reservatórios naturais da Leishmania chagasi. A resposta imunológica desses animais à Leishmania é pouco conhecida, havendo a necessidade de métodos diagnósticos adequados para esse fim. No presente estudo, é descrita a padronização do ensaio imunoenzimático indireto (ELISA para o diagnóstico sorológico de leishmaniose visceral em canídeos silvestres brasileiros. Foram estudadas amostras de soro e plasma de 12 canídeos cativos: sete lobos-guará (Chrysocyon brachyurus, três raposinhas (Lycalopex vetulus e dois cachorros-do-mato (Cerdocyon thous. As amostras de um C. brachyurus e uma L. vetulus, cativos em área endêmica para LV, que apresentavam doença clínica e positividade em testes de Imunofluorescência Indireta e Reação em Cadeia de Polimerase, foram utilizadas como controles positivos. Foram comparados os conjugados anti-IgG de cão e proteína A, ambos ligados a peroxidase, cujos testes detectaram quatro (04/12 e três (03/12 C. brachyurus soropositivos para anticorpos anti-Leishmania sp., respectivamente. As médias das densidades ópticas (DOs das amostras negativas foram nitidamente mais baixas do que as médias das DOs dos positivos tanto no ELISA com anti-IgG de cão (4,8 vezes como com proteína A (15,5 vezes. Os soros de três C. brachyurus positivos no ELISA indireto foram avaliados por Western blotting e identificaram 22 bandas, sendo imunodominantes as de peso molecular de 19, 22, 24, 45 e 66 kDa. Os testes ELISA com a proteína A e o conjugado anti-IgG de cão apresentaram respectivamente concordância excelente (Kappa = 1; pIn South America, some wild canids are considered natural reservoirs of Leishmania chagasi. The immunological response of wild canids to Leishmania is not well understood, and the development of diagnostic methods is necessary for such purpose. In the present study, the standardization of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent

Densidade populacional de raposa-do-campo Lycalopex vetulus (Carnivora, Canidae em áreas de pastagem e campo sujo, Campinápolis, Mato Grosso, Brasil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ednaldo C. Rocha

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Diante da crescente descaracterização do Bioma Cerrado em função da expansão da fronteira agropecuária na região central do Brasil, torna-se importante avaliar a capacidade de adaptação das espécies ao ambiente antropizado. Neste sentido, este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de estimar e comparar a densidade populacional da raposa-do-campo Lycalopex vetulus (Lund, 1842 em duas áreas com diferentes graus de alteração, pastagem e campo sujo, em Campinápolis, Mato Grosso. Para tanto, no período entre agosto a novembro de 2005, foram efetuados censos noturnos ao longo de transectos lineares, totalizando percursos de 129,8 km na área de campo sujo e 62,08 km na área de pastagem. Estimativas de densidade populacional foram geradas utilizando o programa Distance 5.0, sendo que o modelo e ajuste mais adequados aos dados foram half-normal + hermite. Foram obtidas 23 e 52 detecções de raposas-do-campo nas áreas de campo sujo e pastagem, respectivamente. A densidade populacional de raposa-do-campo na área de pastagem (D=4,28 indivíduos/km²; IC=2,69 - 6,82 foi maior que na área de campo sujo (D=1,21 indivíduos/km²; IC=0,73 - 2,01, fato que deve estar relacionado, principalmente, com a disponibilidade de alimento e redução de potenciais predadores. Por apresentar uma dieta composta principalmente de cupins, especialmente os dos gêneros Syntermes e Cornitermes, a raposa-do-campo encontra na área de pastagem uma base alimentar abundante e estável. Além disto, a simplificação ambiental, em função da implantação de pastagens acaba por reduzir, ou até mesmo eliminar, animais que são potenciais predadores de raposas-do-campo, como Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815, favorecendo o aumento da densidade populacional da espécie neste tipo de ambiente. Por fim, características adaptativas apresentadas pela raposa-do-campo têm permitido que esta espécie sobreviva, inclusive apresentando elevada densidade

78 FR 7447 - Endangered Species; Receipt of Applications for Permit

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-01

... jubatus) Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) Spectacled bear.... Species: Leopard (Panthera pardus) Snow leopard (Uncia uncia) Applicant: Smoky Mountain Zoo, Pigeon Forge...

Host suitability of soybean and corn genotypes to the root lesion caused by nematode under natural infestation conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anderli Divina Ferreira Rios

2016-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Among the nematode management strategies, genetic resistance is one of the most appropriate and desirable. However, resistant soybean and corn genotypes resistant to Pratylenchus brachyurus are not available up to the moment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the host suitability of 50 soybean and 38 corn genotypes to P. brachyurus under natural infestation. Soybean genotypes BRSGO Chapadões, BRSGO Paraíso, M-Soy 7211 RR, M-Soy 8008 RR, Emgopa 313 RR, M-Soy 8411, BRSGO Juliana RR, Emgopa 316 RR, BRSGO Luziânia RR and TMG 103 RR, and corn genotype Agromem 30A06 reduced the nematode population during the evaluation period.

Infecciones parasitarias del coyote, Canis latrans (Carnivora: Canidae en un Parque Nacional y una zona agrícola en Costa Rica Parasitic infections of coyote, Canis latrans (Carnivora: Canidae in a Costa Rican National Park and a surrounding agricultural area

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Carmen Niehaus

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Conforme las poblaciones humanas se expanden hacia los hábitats silvestres con sus mascotas y ganado, el potencial de transmisión de enfermedades hacia los animales silvestres -y viceversa- aumenta, y hace necesario identificar interacciones zoonóticas potenciales. Los cánidos domésticos y silvestres pueden funcionar como reservorios o diseminadores de enfermedades infecciosas (se incluyen parásitos, por lo que el coyote (Canis latrans puede también servir como indicador de la salud ecológica. Asimismo, se estudiaron los parásitos de 209 muestras de heces de coyotes en una zona mixta de área silvestre protegida y campo agrícola del Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú (PNVI en Costa Rica. La recolección fue realizada mensualmente durante un año en tres sub-áreas denominadas: Irazú (la más cercana al volcán, papales (por el cultivo de papas, y Prusia (un sector del PNVI. Entonces, se empleó examen directo y concentración mecánica, se obtuvo 36.84% de muestras positivas por al menos un helminto. La presencia de parásitos fue muy similar para ambos sectores boscosos del PNVI (33.3% en Prusia y 37.4% en Irazú, pero contrastó con el 63.63% observado en los papales. También, se identificaron uncinarias (probablemente Ancylostoma caninum, estrongilidios (posiblemente Strongyloides sp., Toxocara canis, Trichuris sp. y Taenia pisiformis, así como Hymenolepis diminuta, probablemente un parásito espurio proveniente de roedores ingeridos por los coyotes. Se comenta la importancia de estos primeros hallazgos y se concluye que las estaciones seca y lluviosa influyen en la presencia de los parásitos.Parasitic infections of coyote, Canis latrans (Carnivora: Canidae in a Costa Rican National Park and a surrounding agricultural area. As human populations expand into wild habitats with their pets and livestock, the potential spread of disease to wildlife or vice versa increases. Because, wild and domestic canids may pose as reservoirs or

A critical survey of vestigial structures in the postcranial skeletons of extant mammals

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Phil Senter

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In the Mammalia, vestigial skeletal structures abound but have not previously been the focus of study, with a few exceptions (e.g., whale pelves. Here we use a phylogenetic bracketing approach to identify vestigial structures in mammalian postcranial skeletons and present a descriptive survey of such structures in the Mammalia. We also correct previous misidentifications, including the previous misidentification of vestigial caviid metatarsals as sesamoids. We also examine the phylogenetic distribution of vestigiality and loss. This distribution indicates multiple vestigialization and loss events in mammalian skeletal structures, especially in the hand and foot, and reveals no correlation in such events between mammalian fore and hind limbs.

The responses of a captive bontebok ram to faecal pellets from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ships is important for the reduction of agonistic en- counters. ... and the University of Natal Research Fund is gratefully ... Canidae: a developmental and comparative study. ... Also mutual anus. R eprod u ... However, bontebok are territorial all.

Dasyrhynchus pacificus Robinson, 1965 (Trypanorhyncha: Dasyrhynchidae description of the adult form Descrição da forma adulta de Dasyrhynchus pacificus Robinson, 1965 (Trypanorhyncha: Dasynrhynchidae

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Sergio Carmona de São Clemente

1989-03-01

Full Text Available One out of four specimens of sharks, Carcharhinus brachyurus (Günther, 1860, captured off the southern Brazilian Coast, harboured cestodes identified as Dasyrhynchus pacificus Robinson, 1965, of which the adult form is now described and referred as ocurring in Brazil.Um entre quatro espécimes de Carcharhinus brachyurus (Günther, 1860, coletados na costa sul brasileira, estava parasitado por cestóides pertencentes ao gênero Dasyrhynchus Pintner, 1928. Os espécimes foram identificados como D. pacificus Ribinson, 1965, sendo este o primeiro registo da ocorrência desta espécie no Brasil. Nesta oportunidade, é pela primeira vez apresentada a descrição da forma adulta, embora sem o proglotide grávido.

Serologic evidence of Leishmania infection in free-ranging wild and domestic canids around a Brazilian National Park

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Nelson Henrique de Almeida Curi

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Transmission of disease between wildlife, domestic animals, and humans is of great concern to conservation issues and public health. Here we report on the prevalence of anti-Leishmania sp. antibodies in 21 wild canids (7 Chrysocyon brachyurus, 12 Cerdocyon thous, and 2 Lycalopex vetulus and 74 free domestic dogs (Canis familiaris sampled around the Serra do Cipó National Park. In dogs, the apparent prevalence was 8.1% and in wild canids it was 19% (2 crab-eating foxes, C. thous, and 2 maned wolves, C. brachyurus. Management of the domestic dog population with evaluation of incidence changes in humans and wildlife, and enlightenment on the role of wild reservoirs are essential issues for future action and research.

Impact of commercial afforestation on bird populations in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa - Insights from bird-atlas data

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Allan, DG

1997-02-01

Full Text Available -tailed pipit Anthus brachyurus Yellow-breasted pipit Hemimacronyx chloris Orange-throated longclaw Macronyx capensis Fiscal shrike Lanius collaris Pied starling Spreo bicolor Gurney's sugarbird Promerops gurneyi Malachite sunbird...

76 FR 68205 - Endangered Species; Receipt of Applications for Permit

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-03

... be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period. Applicant: Honolulu Zoo, Honolulu, HI; PRT 699515... activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period. Families: Callithricidae, Canidae... include Aplonis pelzelni), Pelomedusidae, Testudinidae. Species: Asian elephant (Elephas maximus...

Extreme feeding behaviours in the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis siculus

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Massimo Capula

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In the present paper the occurrence of cannibalism, unusual predation on small reptiles [Hemidactylus turcicus (Reptilia, Gekkonidae], and foraging on small mammal carrion [Suncus etruscus (Mammalia, Soricidae] by P. siculus is reported.

78 FR 25296 - Endangered Species; Receipt of Applications for Permit

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-30

... requests a permit to re-import one live Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) born in captivity from Calgary Zoo... applicant over a 5-year period. Families Bovidae Cebidae Camelidae Cathartidae Cercopithecidae Cervidae... notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period. Families Bovidae Canidae...

Moving from measuring to predicting bycatch mortality: predicting the capture condition of a longline-caught pelagic shark

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Derek Richard Dapp

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Incidental fisheries capture has been identified as having a major effect on shark populations throughout the world. However, factors that contribute to the mortality of shark bycatch during fisheries capture are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the effects of capture duration, sea surface temperature, and shark total length (snout to the tip of the upper caudal lobe on the physiology and condition of longline-caught bronze whalers, Carcharhinus brachyurus. Plasma lactate and potassium concentration had a positive linear relationship with capture duration, indicating that this species experiences increasing physiological challenges while on fishing gear. Additionally, we used stereotype logistic regression models to determine variables that could predict the capture condition of sharks (categorized as healthy, sluggish, or moribund or dead. In these models, elevated plasma lactate concentration, plasma potassium concentration, and capture duration increased the likelihood of C. brachyurus being captured in a sluggish condition or in a moribund or dead condition. After plasma lactate concentration exceeded 27.4 mmol/L, plasma potassium concentration exceeded 8.3 mmol/L, or capture durations exceeded 293 minutes, the majority of captured sharks (>50% were predicted to be moribund or dead. We recommend that a reduction in the amount of time longlines are left fishing (soak time will reduce immediate and post-release mortality in C. brachyurus bycatch and that our methods could be applied to identify causes of fisheries-induced mortality in future studies. The identification of operational, environmental, and biological variables contributing to poor condition will be necessary to implement conservation strategies that reduce mortality during capture.

Genetic variant of canine distemper virus from clinical cases in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious viral pathogen of worldwide distribution that can cause lethal disease in domestic dogs and other members of the family Canidae. Genetic diversity is found among reference strains and isolates of CDV, mainly in the haemagglutinin (H) protein, and this may be ...

ectoparasites of the bush cep.a.pi, in the transvaal (rodentia: sciuridae)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

plague in Mrica and in some places it is probably the main vector. An additional record of the flea,. Xenopsylla sp., was also recorded from Naboom- spruit (July). The cat flea, CtenocepluJlidesfelis, is widespread over Mrica on Canidae, Felidae, Viver- ridae, Hyaenidae and Leporidae as well as on domestic animals and ...

Firming Up the Foundations: Reflections on Verifying the Quota ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

rbr

of reference work in which the vocabulary of a language is traced through time". ..... and, finding in me an attentive and admiring auditor, had cordially invited me to visit his ..... Mammalia 232 Another member of this family..is also a native.

Shining evolutionary light on human sleep and sleep disorders.

OpenAIRE

Krystal, Andrew; Nunn, CL; Samson, DR; Krystal, AD

2016-01-01

Sleep is essential to cognitive function and health in humans, yet the ultimate reasons for sleep-i.e. 'why' sleep evolved-remain mysterious. We integrate findings from human sleep studies, the ethnographic record, and the ecology and evolution of mammalia

Variabilidad genética en géneros de ciervos neotropicales (Mammalia: Cervidae según loci microsatelitales

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Manuel Ruiz-García

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Los programas de conservación de especies se apoyan fuertemente en estudios de genética poblacional. En el presente estudio, reportamos diversos análisis genéticopoblacionales en ocho especies de cérvidos neotropicales (Mazama americana, M. gouzaoubira, M. rufina, Odocoileus virginianus, Hippocamelus antisensis, Pudu mephistopholes, Ozotoceros bezoarticus y Blastoceros dichotomus y, adicionalmente, en varias especies de cérvidos europeos y asiáticos (Cervus elaphus, C. nippon, Capreolus capreolus, C. pygargus and Dama dama. Una de esas especies europeas, la población de Cervus elaphus en Escocia, fue tomada como una población con un grado muy elevado de diversidad genética ya que proviene del cruce de diferentes grupos de ciervos rojos procedentes de diversas subespecies de la Europa continental. Desde una perspectiva de una diversidad genética depauperada, se tomó el nivel encontrado en una población de ciervos sika (Cervus nippon en Escocia, que prácticamente no mostró variabilidad a nivel molecular. Respecto a esos dos casos que consideramos como de elevada y escasa variabilidad genética, encontramos que las poblaciones analizadas de Mazama americana, M. gouzaoubira y Odocoileus virginianus estuvieron cerca del límite máximo encontrado para el ciervo rojo escocés (H=0.64, 0.70 y 0.61, respectivamente, mientras que M. rufina mostró el más bajo grado de variabilidad genética de las especies neotropicales, cercano al extremo mínimo presentado por C. nippon. Algunas de las muestras de Mazama y de Odocoileus, tomadas a nivel macrogeográfico, mostraron un exceso de homocigotos debido, probablemente, a la existencia de efecto Wahlund (efecto de subdivisión. Ninguna de las especies analizadas parece haber atravesado un cuello de botella reciente.Genetic variability in Neotropical deer genera (Mammalia: Cervidae according to DNA microsatellite loci. Species conservation programs are highly based on analyses of population

The Mammals of Suriname

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Husson, A.M.

1978-01-01

The knowledge of the fauna of Suriname is of essential importance in the study of the neotropical Mammalia. The first publications containing information on mammals of Suriname appeared very early in the history of European exploration of South America. Such publications were relatively numerous in

Third cumulative index for Koedoe: volumes 35/2-44/1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.C. Rautenbach

2001-07-01

• 104 Mammalia • 104 Archaeology and History • 105 Bibliography • 106 Climate • 106 Geologyand Pedology • 106 Environmental impact on rivers & water quality • 106 Check list • 107 Issues in conservation • 107 Maps • 108 Social Science • 108 Parks

Hemiterpenoids and Pyrazines in the Odoriferous Urine of the Maned Wolf

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goodwin, T.E.; Songsasen, N.; Broederdorf, L.J.; Burkert, B.A.; Joi Chen, C.; Jackson, S.R.; Keplinger, K.B.; Rountree, M.E.; Waldrip, Z.J.; Wedell, M.E.; Desrochers, L.P.; Baker, W.K.; Helsper, J.P.F.G.

2013-01-01

Maned wolves ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ) are endemic to South America, monogamous, solitary, and threatened in the wild. Maned wolf urine has a pungent and powerful odour and is used for scent marking. There is evidence to suggest that the presence of a male may be required to initiate oestrus and/or

Mammalia: Lagomorpha

African Journals Online (AJOL)

identify species of unknown provenance where neither cranial nor pelage ... enamel fold was consistently shallow, always of simple configuration and .... Specimens in Column A were regarded by these authors a5 possessing a deep enamel.

Bear diet, seasonality and migration based on chemical multielemental teeth analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Nývltová Fišáková, Miriam; Galiová, M.; Kaiser, J.; Fortes, F. J.; Novotný, K.; Malina, R.; Prokeš, L.; Hrdlička, A.; Vaculovič, T.; Laserna, J. L.

2009-01-01

Roč. 50, 1-2 (2009), s. 27-34 ISSN 1211-7250 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB800010701 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z80010507 Keywords : Mammalia * Upper Palaeolithic * Migration * Diet * Seasonality * Multielemental analysis * LIBS * LA-ICP-MS Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

Lawsonia intracellularis in wild mammals in the Slovak Carpathians

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tomanová, K.; Literák, I.; Klimeš, J.; Pavlačík, L.; Mrlík, Vojtěch; Smola, J.

2003-01-01

Roč. 39, č. 2 (2003), s. 407-411 ISSN 0090-3558 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6093917 Keywords : Mammalia * Slovakia * Lawsonia intracellularis Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 0.793, year: 2003 http://www.jwildlifedis.org/cgi/reprint/39/2/407

Response of Pinus ponderosa Seedlings to Stylet-Bearing Nematodes

Science.gov (United States)

Viglierchio, D. R.

1979-01-01

Of 12 stylet-bearing nematodes used for inoculations, Pratylenchus penetrans, P. brachyurus, P. vulnus, Ditylenchus destructor, Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica, and M. hapla reproduced on Pinus ponderosa, while Xiphinema index, Aphelenchus avenae, Paratylenehus neoamblycephalus, Tylenchulus semipenetrans, and Macroposthonia xenoplax did not. P. vulnus, P. brachyurus, P. penetrans, A. avenae, D. destructor, T. semipenetrans, and P. neoamblycephalus significantly suppressed both the shoot and root wet weights of ponderosa pine seedlings obtained from stands in five different locations. X. index significantly suppressed root wet weights, M. xenoplax siguificantly suppressed shoot wet weight, and M. incognita, M. javanica, and M. hapla suppressed neither at the inoculation levels used. Injurious nematodes tended to suppress root growth more than shoot growth. Seedlings from two locations produced greater shoot growth wet weight than did seedlings from the other three locations. The more injurious nematodes tended to cause an increase in the water content of shoots. Frequency analyses of seedling population shoot-root ratios indicated that ponderosa pine seedlings could be selected for better shoot-root ratios as well as for resistance to several pathogenic nematodes. PMID:19300659

Comparison of apoptosis in canine transmissible veneral tumor (TVT pre and post chemotraoy with vincristine sulphate

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Y Doustar

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The canine transmissible veneral tumor (CTVT is a prevalent tumor in canidae. It is transmitted by coitus, forming multiple neoplastic masses on the external genitalia of both sexes within the family canidae. CTVT have an aberrant karyotype and the origin of the neoplastic cells is undetermined but immunophenotyping suggests that the tumor has a histocytic origin. In this study 10 dogs with canine transmissible veneral tumor were selected and received vincristine sulphate (0.025 mg/kg/b.w chemotrapy to induce apoptosis in neoplastic cells. Biopsy specimens were collected from tumors during the growth phase, before and again after chemotherapy from the same dogs. The specimens were fixed in 10% formalin and then prepared routinely for H&E and TUNEL assays. Histopathological study of tissue section of CTVT before chemotherapy revealed sheets of uniform neoplastic cells, round to oval in shape with defined cytoplasmic border. There were a few TUNEL positive cells and mitotic figures. In tumor specimens after chemotherapy increased TUNEL positive cells and depilation of neoplastic cells in stroma of tumor were observed. Mean deference of histopathological changes and TUNEL positive cells before and after chemotherapy were significant (p

Positive selection neighboring functionally essential sites and disease-implicated regions of mammalian reproductive proteins.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Morgan, Claire C

2010-01-01

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Reproductive proteins are central to the continuation of all mammalian species. The evolution of these proteins has been greatly influenced by environmental pressures induced by pathogens, rival sperm, sexual selection and sexual conflict. Positive selection has been demonstrated in many of these proteins with particular focus on primate lineages. However, the mammalia are a diverse group in terms of mating habits, population sizes and germ line generation times. We have examined the selective pressures at work on a number of novel reproductive proteins across a wide variety of mammalia. RESULTS: We show that selective pressures on reproductive proteins are highly varied. Of the 10 genes analyzed in detail, all contain signatures of positive selection either across specific sites or in specific lineages or a combination of both. Our analysis of SP56 and Col1a1 are entirely novel and the results show positively selected sites present in each gene. Our findings for the Col1a1 gene are suggestive of a link between positive selection and severe disease type. We find evidence in our dataset to suggest that interacting proteins are evolving in symphony: most likely to maintain interacting functionality. CONCLUSION: Our in silico analyses show positively selected sites are occurring near catalytically important regions suggesting selective pressure to maximize efficient fertilization. In those cases where a mechanism of protein function is not fully understood, the sites presented here represent ideal candidates for mutational study. This work has highlighted the widespread rate heterogeneity in mutational rates across the mammalia and specifically has shown that the evolution of reproductive proteins is highly varied depending on the species and interacting partners. We have shown that positive selection and disease are closely linked in the Col1a1 gene.

Diversity of small mammals communities in two semiartificial wooded habitats

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Suchomel, J.; Heroldová, Marta

2006-01-01

Roč. 17, č. 2 (2006), s. 179-182 ISSN 0394-1914 R&D Projects: GA ČR GP526/03/P051 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519 Keywords : diversity * Mammalia Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour http://www.italian-journal-of-mammalogy.it/include/getdoc.php?id=985&article=477&mode=pdf

Radiosensitivity of amphibia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muramatsu, S [National Inst. of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan)

1975-04-01

Radiosensitivity (semi-lethal dose) and the damages of radiation in the amphibia were studied by /sup 3/H-TdR from the standpoint of cellular kinetics. The cell mitosis cycle of the amphibia required a long time. The functional cell regeneration and the physiological function of the cell were slower than in mice. The reason for the low radiosensitivity of the amphibia was discussed relative to the environmental factor of temperature. Because the amphibia change body temperature according to environmental temperature, the danger of radiation damage, the actual lethal dose and the period of survival were influenced by the environmental temperature. Acute radiation danger to amphibia was essentially the same as the danger to mammalia, both young and old. LD/sub 50/ irradiation effects varied among the species. The cell regeneration, turn over, and the mitosis in the amphibia, were affected by environmental temperature, however, the courses proceeded slower than those of the mammalia. Therefore, the question remains, whether the comparison of the radiosensitivities of amphibia with other classes of animal by LDsub(50/30) irradiation was appropriate.

Genetic variability within the Polish population of red fox (Vulpes vulpes – preliminary results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Zatoń-Dobrowolska

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Red fox (Vulpes vulpes represents family Canidae and is a very common predator in Poland. Foxes are present throughout all the country in a different geographical regions and habitats. The analyzed dataset consisted of 130 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes. There were 24 microsatellite sequences studied. The observed (HO and expected (HS heterozygosities were comparable within respective loci. The low genetic diversity of the population was found.

On the dates of publication of the parts of Sir Andrew Smith’s illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jentink, F.A.

1893-01-01

Under the above title there has been published a very valuable paper in the P. Z. S. L. 1880, p. 489, written by Mr. F. H. Waterhouse. The author remarked: »As the copy here alluded to, did not contain plates XVIII and XXXVIII (Mammalia), I have examined three or four other copies; and as neither of

CANINE EHRLICHIOSIS

OpenAIRE

Gutierrez, Clara Nancy; Perez Yabarra, Luis; agrela, Irma Fatima

2016-01-01

La ehrlichiosis canina es una enfermedad infecciosa emergente transmitida por garrapatas, producida por Ehrlichia spp. (Proteobacteria: Ricketsiales), la cual afecta a miembros de la familia Canidae. Los agentes etiológicos son bacterias Gram negativas, intracelulares obligatorias, redondeadas y pleomórficas, esto último especialmente en cultivos celulares. Estas bacterias se localizan en vacuolas rodeadas de membranas (mórulas) en el citoplasma de células sanguíneas y dependiendo de la espec...

Multiplex Amplification Refractory Mutation System Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR) for diagnosis of natural infection with canine distemper virus

OpenAIRE

Wong Min-Liang; Hsu Tien-Huan; Lin Fong-Yuan; Lin Kuan-Hsun; Chiou Shyan-Song; Wang Chi-Young; Lee Min-Shiuh; Chulakasian Songkhla; Chang Tien-Jye; Hsu Wei-Li

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Canine distemper virus (CDV) is present worldwide and produces a lethal systemic infection of wild and domestic Canidae. Pre-existing antibodies acquired from vaccination or previous CDV infection might interfere the interpretation of a serologic diagnosis method. In addition, due to the high similarity of nucleic acid sequences between wild-type CDV and the new vaccine strain, current PCR derived methods cannot be applied for the definite confirmation of CD infection. Hen...

Morphological and molecular characteristics of Malayfilaria sofiani Uni, Mat Udin & Takaoka n. g., n. sp. (Nematoda: Filarioidea) from the common treeshrew Tupaia glis Diard & Duvaucel (Mammalia: Scandentia) in Peninsular Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Uni, Shigehiko; Mat Udin, Ahmad Syihan; Agatsuma, Takeshi; Saijuntha, Weerachai; Junker, Kerstin; Ramli, Rosli; Omar, Hasmahzaiti; Lim, Yvonne Ai-Lian; Sivanandam, Sinnadurai; Lefoulon, Emilie; Martin, Coralie; Belabut, Daicus Martin; Kasim, Saharul; Abdullah Halim, Muhammad Rasul; Zainuri, Nur Afiqah; Bhassu, Subha; Fukuda, Masako; Matsubayashi, Makoto; Harada, Masashi; Low, Van Lun; Chen, Chee Dhang; Suganuma, Narifumi; Hashim, Rosli; Takaoka, Hiroyuki; Azirun, Mohd Sofian

2017-04-20

The filarial nematodes Wuchereria bancrofti (Cobbold, 1877), Brugia malayi (Brug, 1927) and B. timori Partono, Purnomo, Dennis, Atmosoedjono, Oemijati & Cross, 1977 cause lymphatic diseases in humans in the tropics, while B. pahangi (Buckley & Edeson, 1956) infects carnivores and causes zoonotic diseases in humans in Malaysia. Wuchereria bancrofti, W. kalimantani Palmieri, Pulnomo, Dennis & Marwoto, 1980 and six out of ten Brugia spp. have been described from Australia, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and India. However, the origin and evolution of the species in the Wuchereria-Brugia clade remain unclear. While investigating the diversity of filarial parasites in Malaysia, we discovered an undescribed species in the common treeshrew Tupaia glis Diard & Duvaucel (Mammalia: Scandentia). We examined 81 common treeshrews from 14 areas in nine states and the Federal Territory of Peninsular Malaysia for filarial parasites. Once any filariae that were found had been isolated, we examined their morphological characteristics and determined the partial sequences of their mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and 12S rRNA genes. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region were then cloned into the pGEM-T vector, and the recombinant plasmids were used as templates for sequencing. Malayfilaria sofiani Uni, Mat Udin & Takaoka, n. g., n. sp. is described based on the morphological characteristics of adults and microfilariae found in common treeshrews from Jeram Pasu, Kelantan, Malaysia. The Kimura 2-parameter distance between the cox1 gene sequences of the new species and W. bancrofti was 11.8%. Based on the three gene sequences, the new species forms a monophyletic clade with W. bancrofti and Brugia spp. The adult parasites were found in tissues surrounding the lymph nodes of the neck of common treeshrews. The newly described species appears most closely related to Wuchereria spp. and Brugia spp., but differs from these in

Serological surveillance on South American wild canids for Neospora caninum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melo C.B.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Esse trabalho objetivou pesquisar anticorpos para Neospora caninum em amostras de soro de canídeos silvestres sul-americanos pela técnica de imunofluorescência indireta (IFI. As amostras foram coletadas de 48 lobos-guará (Chrysocyon brachyurus, provenientes de zoológicos e de vida livre e de dois cachorros-do-mato (Cerdocyon thous. Anticorpos para N. caninum não foram detectados nas amostras testadas.

Invasion of Ancestral Mammals into Dim-light Environments Inferred from Adaptive Evolution of the Phototransduction Genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yonghua; Wang, Haifeng; Hadly, Elizabeth A

2017-04-20

Nocturnality is a key evolutionary innovation of mammals that enables mammals to occupy relatively empty nocturnal niches. Invasion of ancestral mammals into nocturnality has long been inferred from the phylogenetic relationships of crown Mammalia, which is primarily nocturnal, and crown Reptilia, which is primarily diurnal, although molecular evidence for this is lacking. Here we used phylogenetic analyses of the vision genes involved in the phototransduction pathway to predict the diel activity patterns of ancestral mammals and reptiles. Our results demonstrated that the common ancestor of the extant Mammalia was dominated by positive selection for dim-light vision, supporting the predominate nocturnality of the ancestral mammals. Further analyses showed that the nocturnality of the ancestral mammals was probably derived from the predominate diurnality of the ancestral amniotes, which featured strong positive selection for bright-light vision. Like the ancestral amniotes, the common ancestor of the extant reptiles and various taxa in Squamata, one of the main competitors of the temporal niches of the ancestral mammals, were found to be predominate diurnality as well. Despite this relatively apparent temporal niche partitioning between ancestral mammals and the relevant reptiles, our results suggested partial overlap of their temporal niches during crepuscular periods.

Implications of teenagers' attitudes toward maned wolf conservation in Brazil

OpenAIRE

Consorte-McCrea, A.; Nigbur, D.; Bath, A.

2017-01-01

The relationships between people and wild canids are a widespread concern for the conservation of species and habitats. The maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus is a Near Threatened species inhabiting South America. Strategies to conserve this keystone species may benefit the also-declining Cerrado biome. The attitudes of teenagers toward wild carnivores are also of worldwide interest as these youth are the future decision makers. We investigated selected attitudes, beliefs and knowledge in relat...

Comparison of carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore mammalian genomes with a new leopard assembly

OpenAIRE

Kim, Soonok; Cho, Yun Sung; Kim, Hak-Min; Chung, Oksung; Kim, Hyunho; Jho, Sungwoong; Seomun, Hong; Kim, Jeongho; Bang, Woo Young; Kim, Changmu; An, Junghwa; Bae, Chang Hwan; Bhak, Youngjune; Jeon, Sungwon; Yoon, Hyejun

2016-01-01

Background: There are three main dietary groups in mammals: carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. Currently, there is limited comparative genomics insight into the evolution of dietary specializations in mammals. Due to recent advances in sequencing technologies, we were able to perform in-depth whole genome analyses of representatives of these three dietary groups. Results: We investigated the evolution of carnivory by comparing 18 representative genomes from across Mammalia with carnivorou...

Taxonomy Icon Data: aye-aye [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available aye-aye Daubentonia madagascariensis Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Primate Daubentonia_madaga...scariensis_L.png Daubentonia_madagascariensis_NL.png Daubentonia_madagascariensis_S.png Daubentonia_madagasc...ariensis_NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Daubentonia+madagascar...iensis&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Daubentonia+madagascar...iensis&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Daubentonia+madagascariensis&t=S http://bi

Radioprotective effect of catecholamines on the cultured Chinese hamster fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chirkov, Yu.Yu.; Malatsidze, M.A.; Sobolev, A.S.

1985-01-01

On cultivated in vitro Chinese hamster fibroblasts radioprotective properties of adrenaline, noradrenaline and isoproterenol in different concentrations are studied. Isoproterenol radiopreventive effect is clearly manifested with its concentration being 1x10 -8 M; adrenaline and noradrenaline are efficient in higher concentrations. Propranolol, blocking β-adrenergic receptors, completely presents radioprotective effect of catecholamines on the cells. β-adrenergic mechanism of catecholamine radioprotective effect on Mammalia cells is discussed

Vertical distribution of three namatode species in relation to certain soil properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Brodie, B B

1976-07-01

Population densities of Belonolaimus longicaudatus, Pratylenchus brachyurus, and Trichodorus christiei were determined from soil samples taken weekly in Tifton, Georgia during a 14-month period (except for April and May) at 15-cm increments to a depth of 105 cm. Belonolaimus longicaudatus predominately inhabited the top 30 cm of soil that was 87-88% sand, 6-7% silt, and 5-7% clay. No specimens were found below 60 cm where the soil was 76-79% sand, 5-6% silt, and 15-19% clay. Highest population densities occurred during June through September when temperature in the top 30 cm of soil was 22-25 C and soil moisture was from 9 to 20% by volume. Pratylenchus brachyurus was found at all depths, but population densities were greatest 45-75 cm deep where the soil was 78-79% sand, 6% silt, and 15-16% clay. In the months monitored, highest population densities occurred during March, June, and December when the soil temperature 45-75 cm deep was 14-17 C and soil moisture was 22-42%. Trichodorus christiei was found at all depths, but population densities were highest 30 cm deep where the soil was 83% sand, 5% silt, and 12% clay. Highest population densities occurred during December through March when the soil temperature 30 cm deep was 11-17 C and soil moisture was 18-23%.

Homo sapiens natriuretic peptide precursor type C (NPPC) mRNA,partial cds and 3' UTR.

OpenAIRE

Landi, Stefano; Melaiu, Ombretta; Cabiati, Manuela; Landi, Debora; Caselli, Chiara; Prescimone, Tommaso; Giannessi, Daniela; Gemignani, Federica; Del Ry, Silvia

2010-01-01

LOCUS HQ419060 318 bp mRNA linear PRI 24-NOV-2010 DEFINITION Homo sapiens natriuretic peptide precursor type C (NPPC) mRNA, partial cds and 3' UTR. ACCESSION HQ419060 VERSION HQ419060.1 GI:312261407 KEYWORDS . SOURCE Homo sapiens (human) ORGANISM Homo sapiens Eukaryota; Metazoa; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Euteleostomi; Mammalia; Eutheria; Euarchontoglires; Primates; Haplorrhini; Catarrhini; Hominidae; Homo. REFERENCE 1 (bases 1 to 318) AUTHORS Landi,S., Melaiu,O., Cabiati,M., Landi,D., C...

Murciélagos (Chiroptera: Mammalia del Parque Nacional Yurubí, Venezuela: listado taxonómico y estudio comunitario

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Delgado-Jaramillo

2011-12-01

virtud de su importancia como reservorio de la diversidad biológica que tipifica los ecosistemas boscosos de la Cordillera de la Costa, una bio-región altamente amenazada como consecuencia de un elevado crecimiento socio-económico.Bats (Chiroptera: Mammalia from Yurubí National Park, Venezuela: taxonomic list and community study. Bats represent a key component in the dynamics of many terrestrial ecosystems, and one of the groups of mammals with the highest levels of diversification in the Neotropics. Here we describe the results of a study of the bat fauna from Yurubí National Park (mountain area in Northern Venezuela, that includes a taxonomic list and the characterization of some community attributes in forested areas. Data was collected from zoological collections and diversified sampling methods from February to July of 2009 in an altitudinal gradient (100-1 500m, with three principal ecological units: semideciduous, evergreen and cloud forests. We recorded 64 species grouped in five families (63% of the bats known from La Cordillera de la Costa, of which Phyllostomidae was the dominant taxa (42 species; 66% of total, followed by Vespertilionidae, Molossidae, Emballonuridae and Mormoopidae. The community with the highest taxonomic diversification was found in the lowest elevation range, while the lowest number of species was found at the highest range. Eleven trophic guilds were identified; the insectivorous guild was the richest, whereas the frugivorous was the most abundant. Our results allow us to indicate these forest ecosystems have an appropriate conservation status, taking into account the presence of a relatively high proportion of species from the subfamily Phyllostominae, as well as the presence of other species with conservation priorities. All these aspects, and the fact that this represents a reservoir of the biological diversity of the forest ecosystems of La Cordillera de la Costa, make this protected area of an essential conservation value, in a

The Genus Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) in Mexico: Adult Identification Keys, Diagnoses, Hosts, and Distribution (El genero Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) en Mexico: claves de identificacion para adultos, diagnosis, huespedes y distribucion)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

also from Estado de México (Hoffmann, 1969). Hosts in Mexico. Cricetidae and Hominidae ( Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia) (Hoffmann, 1969...distribution El género Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) en México: claves de identifi cación para adultos, diagnosis, huéspedes y distribución Carmen Guzmán...postdoctoral scholarship under the Programa de Formación e Incorporación de Profesores de Carrera en Facultades y Escuelas para el Fortalecimiento de la

Taxonomy Icon Data: mandrill [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available mandrill Mandrillus sphinx Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Primate Mandrillus_sphinx..._L.png Mandrillus_sphinx_NL.png Mandrillus_sphinx_S.png Mandrillus_sphinx_NS.png http://biosci...encedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Mandrillus+sphinx&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Mandrillus+sphinx...&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Mandrillus+sphinx...&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Mandrillus+sphinx&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: Asiatic tapir [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Asiatic tapir Tapirus indicus Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/etc. Tapirus_indicus_L.png Tapi...rus_indicus_NL.png Tapirus_indicus_S.png Tapirus_indicus_NS.png http://biosciencedbc....jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Tapirus+indicus&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Tapirus+ind...icus&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Tapirus+indicus&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Tapirus+indicus&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: llama [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available llama Lama glama Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Artiodactyla Lama_glama_L.png Lama_glama_NL.png Lama_glama_S.png Lama_glama..._NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Lama+glam...a&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Lama+glama&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/t...axonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Lama+glama&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Lama+glama&t=NS ...

Ecogeographical Variation in Skull Shape of South-American Canids: Abiotic or Biotic Processes?

Science.gov (United States)

de Moura Bubadué, Jamile; Cáceres, Nilton; Dos Santos Carvalho, Renan; Meloro, Carlo

Species morphological changes can be mutually influenced by environmental or biotic factors, such as competition. South American canids represent a quite recent radiation of taxa that evolved forms very disparate in phenotype, ecology and behaviour. Today, in the central part of South America there is one dominant large species (the maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus ) that directly influence sympatric smaller taxa via interspecific killing. Further south, three species of similar sized foxes ( Lycalopex spp.) share the same habitats. Such unique combination of taxa and geographic distribution makes South American dogs an ideal group to test for the simultaneous impact of climate and competition on phenotypic variation. Using geometric morphometrics, we quantified skull size and shape of 431 specimens belonging to the eight extant South American canid species: Atelocynus microtis , Cerdocyon thous , Ch. brachyurus , Lycalopex culpaeus , L. griseus , L. gymnocercus , L. vetulus and Speothos venaticus . South American canids are significantly different in both skull size and shape. The hypercarnivorous bush dog is mostly distinct in shape from all the other taxa while a degree of overlap in shape-but not size-occurs between species of the genus Lycalopex . Both climate and competition impacts interspecific morphological variation. We identified climatic adaptations as the main driving force of diversification for the South American canids. Competition has a lower degree of impact on their skull morphology although it might have played a role in the past, when canid community was richer in morphotypes.

The Genus Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) in Mexico: Adult Identification Keys, Diagnoses, Hosts, and Distribution

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Cricetidae and Hominidae ( Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia) (Hoffmann, 1969). Note. The tick from Valle de Bravo, Estado de México, was...distribution El género Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) en México: claves de identifi cación para adultos, diagnosis, huéspedes y distribución Carmen Guzmán...Incorporación de Profesores de Carrera en Facultades y Escuelas para el Fortalecimiento de la Investigación (PROFIP). Tila María Pérez, Curator of CNAC

Taxonomy Icon Data: African savanna elephant [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available African savanna elephant Loxodonta africana Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/etc. Loxodonta_afri...cana_L.png Loxodonta_africana_NL.png Loxodonta_africana_S.png Loxodonta_africana_NS....png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Loxodonta+africana&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonom...y_icon/icon.cgi?i=Loxodonta+africana&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Loxodonta+afric...ana&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Loxodonta+africana&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: Javan tree shrew [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Javan tree shrew Tupaia javanica Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/etc. Tupaia_java...nica_L.png Tupaia_javanica_NL.png Tupaia_javanica_S.png Tupaia_javanica_NS.png http://bioscienced...bc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Tupaia+javanica&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Tupaia+java...nica&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Tupaia+javanica&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Tupaia+javanica&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: sperm whale [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Cetacea Physeter_macrocephal...us_L.png Physeter_macrocephalus_NL.png Physeter_macrocephalus_S.png Physeter_macrocephal...us_NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Physeter+macrocephalus&t=L http://bioscience...dbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Physeter+macrocephalus&t=NL http://biosciencedbc....jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Physeter+macrocephalus&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Physeter+macrocephalus&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: Asiatic elephant [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Asiatic elephant Elephas maximus Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/etc. Elephas_maxim...us_L.png Elephas_maximus_NL.png Elephas_maximus_S.png Elephas_maximus_NS.png http://bioscienced...bc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Elephas+maximus&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Elephas+maxim...us&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Elephas+maximus&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Elephas+maximus&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: Japanese serow [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Japanese serow Capricornis crispus Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Artiodactyla Capricorn...is_crispus_L.png Capricornis_crispus_NL.png Capricornis_crispus_S.png Capricornis_crispus..._NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Capricornis+crispus&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/tax...onomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Capricornis+crispus&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Capricorn...is+crispus&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Capricornis+crispus&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: Arabian camel [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Arabian camel Camelus dromedarius Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Artiodactyla Camel...us_dromedarius_L.png Camelus_dromedarius_NL.png Camelus_dromedarius_S.png Camelus_dromedarius_...NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Camelus+dromedarius&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxo...nomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Camelus+dromedarius&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Camel...us+dromedarius&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Camelus+dromedarius&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: wild Bactrian camel [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available wild Bactrian camel Camelus ferus Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Artiodactyla Camel...us_ferus_L.png Camelus_ferus_NL.png Camelus_ferus_S.png Camelus_ferus_NS.png http://bioscience...dbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Camelus+ferus&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Camelus+f...erus&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Camelus+ferus&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Camelus+ferus&t=NS ...

Database Description - DMPD | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available base Description General information of database Database name DMPD Alternative nam...e Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database DOI 10.18908/lsdba.nbdc00558-000 Creator Creator Name: Masao Naga...ty of Tokyo 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639 Tel: +81-3-5449-5615 FAX: +83-3-5449-5442 E-mail: Database...606 Taxonomy Name: Mammalia Taxonomy ID: 40674 Database description DMPD collects...e(s) Article title: Author name(s): Journal: External Links: Original website information Database maintenan

Taxonomy Icon Data: okapi [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available okapi Okapia johnstoni Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Artiodactyla Okapi...a_johnstoni_L.png Okapia_johnstoni_NL.png Okapia_johnstoni_S.png Okapia_johnstoni_NS.png http://bioscienc...edbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Okapia+johnstoni&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Okapi...a+johnstoni&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Okapia+johnston...i&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Okapia+johnstoni&t=NS ...

Highly derived eutherian mammals from the earliest Cretaceous of southern Britain

OpenAIRE

Steven C. Sweetman; Grant Smith; David M. Martill

2017-01-01

Eutherian mammals (Placentalia and all mammals phylogenetically closer to placentals than to marsupials) comprise the vast majority of extant Mammalia. Among these there is a phenomenal range of forms and sizes, but the origins of crown group placentals are obscure. They lie within the generally tiny mammals of the Mesozoic, represented for the most part by isolated teeth and jaws, and there is strongly conflicting evidence from phenomic and molecular data as to the date of origin of both Eut...

Taxonomy Icon Data: giant panda [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Carnivora Ailuropoda_mela...noleuca_L.png Ailuropoda_melanoleuca_NL.png Ailuropoda_melanoleuca_S.png Ailuropoda_mela...noleuca_NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Ailuropoda+melanoleuca&t=L http://bioscien...cedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Ailuropoda+melanoleuca&t=NL http://biosciencedb...c.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Ailuropoda+melanoleuca&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Ailuropoda+melanoleuca&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: Guinea baboon [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Guinea baboon Papio papio Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Primate Papio_papio_L.png Papio_papi...o_NL.png Papio_papio_S.png Papio_papio_NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Papio+papi...o&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Papio+papio&t=NL http://bioscien...cedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Papio+papio&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Papio+papio&t=NS ...

Taxonomy Icon Data: North Pacific right whale [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available North Pacific right whale Eubalaena japonica Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eu...theria/Cetacea Eubalaena_japonica_L.png Eubalaena_japonica_NL.png Eubalaena_japonica_S.png Eubalaena_japonic...a_NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Eubalaena+japonica&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/tax...onomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Eubalaena+japonica&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_ic...on/icon.cgi?i=Eubalaena+japonica&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Eubalaena+japonica&t=NS ...

Cystinuria in a maned wolf.

Science.gov (United States)

Bush, M; Bovee, K C

1978-11-01

A renal calculus composed principally of the amino acid, cystine, was found in an 8-year-old male maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). Cystine crystals were found in the urine sediment. The renal clearance of 10 amino acids was abnormal, whereas reabsorption of others was normal. The renal clearance of cystine, lysine, ornithine, and arginine exceeded the filtered load. The renal tubular handling of glucose, phosphate, sodium, potassium, and uric acid was identical to that for the clinically normal dog. These findings indicated an isolated renal tubular defect for cystine and other amino acids.

Canine distemper spillover in domestic dogs from urban wildlife.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapil, Sanjay; Yeary, Teresa J

2011-11-01

Canine distemper virus (CDV) causes a major disease of domestic dogs that develops as a serious systemic infection in unvaccinated or improperly vaccinated dogs. Domesticated dogs are the main reservoir of CDV, a multihost pathogen. This virus of the genus Morbillivirus in the family Paramyxoviridae occurs in other carnivorous species including all members of the Canidae and Mustelidae families and in some members of the Procyonidae, Hyaenidae, Ursidae, and Viverridae families. Canine distemper also has been reported in the Felidae family and marine mammals. The spread and incidences of CDV epidemics in dogs and wildlife here and worldwide are increasing.

[Topography of the organs of the pelvic cavity and macroscopic and histologic findings of the sex organs of a male giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) with regard to fertility].

Science.gov (United States)

Bartmann, C P; Beyer, C; Wissdorf, H

1991-02-01

A study was conducted on the reproductive organs of a male Giant Anteater. Discussed is the specific anatomy with its effect on fertility. The ovoid testicles are characterized by an intraabdominal position throughout life. Histologically documented is the active spermiogenesis. The accessory sexual glands consist of a glandula prostatica, glandula vesiculares and glandulae bulbourethrales. The short penis is situated immediately ventral to the anus. The existing anatomic individualities in comparison to other mammalia result in special reproductive aspects and should be taken into consideration for successful breeding.

Ornitina alfa-cetoglutarato na isquemia-reperfusÃo intestinal em ratos

OpenAIRE

Eduardo Silvio Gouveia GonÃalves

2009-01-01

Objetivo: Avaliar os efeito da ornitina α-cetoglutarato (OKG) no sangue e tecido intestinal de ratos submetidos à isquemia/reperfusÃo intestinal atravÃs da determinaÃÃo das concentraÃÃes in vivo no sangue e no tecido do intestino delgado, submetido a isquemia/reperfusÃo, de glicose, G 6 PDH, piruvato, acetoacetato, lactato, 3 HBDH, glutationa, T-Bars, mieloperoxidase, CPK e LDH. MÃtodo: Sessenta ratos (Rattus norvergicus albinus, Rodentia Mammalia) foram distribuÃdos aleatoriamente em ci...

Taxonomy Icon Data: dog [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available dog Canis lupus familiaris Chordata/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Theria/Eutheria/Carnivora Canis_lupus..._familiaris_L.png Canis_lupus_familiaris_NL.png Canis_lupus_familiaris_S.png Canis_lupus_familiari...s_NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Canis+lupus+familiaris&t=L http://biosciencedbc.jp.../taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Canis+lupus+familiaris&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/tax...onomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Canis+lupus+familiaris&t=S http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Canis+lupus+familiaris&t=NS ...

Comparative analyses of basal rate of metabolism in mammals: data selection does matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Genoud, Michel; Isler, Karin; Martin, Robert D

2018-02-01

Basal rate of metabolism (BMR) is a physiological parameter that should be measured under strictly defined experimental conditions. In comparative analyses among mammals BMR is widely used as an index of the intensity of the metabolic machinery or as a proxy for energy expenditure. Many databases with BMR values for mammals are available, but the criteria used to select metabolic data as BMR estimates have often varied and the potential effect of this variability has rarely been questioned. We provide a new, expanded BMR database reflecting compliance with standard criteria (resting, postabsorptive state; thermal neutrality; adult, non-reproductive status for females) and examine potential effects of differential selectivity on the results of comparative analyses. The database includes 1739 different entries for 817 species of mammals, compiled from the original sources. It provides information permitting assessment of the validity of each estimate and presents the value closest to a proper BMR for each entry. Using different selection criteria, several alternative data sets were extracted and used in comparative analyses of (i) the scaling of BMR to body mass and (ii) the relationship between brain mass and BMR. It was expected that results would be especially dependent on selection criteria with small sample sizes and with relatively weak relationships. Phylogenetically informed regression (phylogenetic generalized least squares, PGLS) was applied to the alternative data sets for several different clades (Mammalia, Eutheria, Metatheria, or individual orders). For Mammalia, a 'subsampling procedure' was also applied, in which random subsamples of different sample sizes were taken from each original data set and successively analysed. In each case, two data sets with identical sample size and species, but comprising BMR data with different degrees of reliability, were compared. Selection criteria had minor effects on scaling equations computed for large clades

Influence de la rotation culturale, de la fertilisation et du labour sur les populations de nématodes phytoparasites du sorgho (Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench

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Traoré, M.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Influence of crop rotation, fertilization and tillage on populations of plant parasitic nematodes of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench. The soil nematodes of three long-term trials (1960, 1980 and 1990 representing the production of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench under different agricultural practices (rotation, tillage and fertilization in the Center West of Burkina Faso, have been explored in the wake of the harvest during the agricultural season 2007/2008. The objective was to identify these nematodes and to study the influence of agricultural practices on this nematofauna. Nematodes were extracted by the method of Seinhorst elutriator. Plant-parasitic nematodes identified are Pratylenchus brachyurus, Tylenchorhynchus martini, Helicotylenchus multicinctus, Scutellonema Caveness, Criconemoides curvatum, Telotylenchus indicus and Xiphinema sp. The first three species represent approximately 98% of individuals surveyed. On the first site, the treatments involving mineral fertilizer and recycling of sorghum straw were favorable for the control of nematodes instead of treatments involving manure. As for rotations, monoculture of sorghum was more infested by nematodes than the rotations sorghum – cowpea and sorghum – cotton. On the second site, the nitrogen has increased of infestation by the two major nematodes in comparison to treatments without nitrogen, with the exception of treatment with anaerobic compost incorporation. On the third site, deep plowing has been unfavorable to the main nematode sorghum compared to shallow tillage. The nematofauna in fallow was more diversified than in cultivated sites and P. brachyurus, the main nematode related to sorghum has fallen sharply in fallow.

Infeccion natural de Speothos venaticus (Carnivora: Canidae por estadios adultos de Lagochilascaris sp. Natural infection of Speothos venaticus (Carnívora: Canidae by adult Lagochilascaris sp.

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Gregorio S. Volcán G.

1991-12-01

Full Text Available Un ejemplar adulto macho de Speothos venaticus Lund, 1842 fue muerto accidentalmente en una vía de penetración rural, situada en la región Noroeste del Estado Bolívar, Venezuela, en el Municipio donde desde hace 16 años vive una paciente con lagochilascariasis. El animal conservado durante un mes por congelación y desprovisto de su piel y cabeza fue autopsiado, hallándose en la tráquea dos especímenes adultos hembras y grávidos de Lagochilascaris sp., los cuales presentaban algunas características morfológicas de sus partes blandas diferentes a Lagochilascaris minor Leiper, 1909; entretanto, distintivos estables como son la forma de los interlabios, la localización de la vulva y particularmente el tamaño y número de las depresiones de la cáscara de los huevos, inclinan a pensar que se trata de aquel parásito, a pesar de no haberse hallado vermes machos que permitiesen el estudio de las espículas y su ducto eyaculador. Fueron localizadas en cortes histológicos de laringe y tráquea profundamente situadas, secciones de formas degeneradas con características atribuíbles a Lagochilascaris sp.An adult male Speothos venaticus Lund (bush dog was found killed on a rural road in the Northeast of Bolívar State, in a locality where a patient with lagochilascariasis has lived for the past 16 years. The animal was frozen for 1 month, and after removal of the head and skin, was autopsied. Two adult gravid females of Lagochilascaris sp. were found in the trachea. Certain morphological characteristics of the soft parts differed from the description given for Lagochilascaris minor Leiper, 1909; however, stable characters, such as the form of the interlabials, the location of the vulva, and particulary the size and number of depressions of the egg shell appear to indicate that the worms are of the above mentioned species. Unfortunately, no males were found for study of the spicules and ejaculatory duct. In histological sections of the larynx and the trachea from the deep tissues, parts of degenerated worms were found, with characteristics attributable to Lagochilascaris sp.

Divergent Sapovirus Strains and Infection Prevalence in Wild Carnivores in the Serengeti Ecosystem: A Long-Term Study.

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Ximena A Olarte-Castillo

Full Text Available The genus Sapovirus, in the family Caliciviridae, includes enteric viruses of humans and domestic animals. Information on sapovirus infection of wildlife is limited and is currently lacking for any free-ranging wildlife species in Africa. By screening a large number of predominantly fecal samples (n = 631 obtained from five carnivore species in the Serengeti ecosystem, East Africa, sapovirus RNA was detected in the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta, family Hyaenidae, African lion (Panthera leo, family Felidae, and bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis, family Canidae, but not in golden or silver-backed jackals (Canis aureus and C. mesomelas, respectively, family Canidae. A phylogenetic analysis based on partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp gene sequences placed the sapovirus strains from African carnivores in a monophyletic group. Within this monophyletic group, sapovirus strains from spotted hyenas formed one independent sub-group, and those from bat-eared fox and African lion a second sub-group. The percentage nucleotide similarity between sapoviruses from African carnivores and those from other species was low (< 70.4%. Long-term monitoring of sapovirus in a population of individually known spotted hyenas from 2001 to 2012 revealed: i a relatively high overall infection prevalence (34.8%; ii the circulation of several genetically diverse variants; iii large fluctuations in infection prevalence across years, indicative of outbreaks; iv no significant difference in the likelihood of infection between animals in different age categories. The likelihood of sapovirus infection decreased with increasing hyena group size, suggesting an encounter reduction effect, but was independent of socially mediated ano-genital contact, or the extent of the area over which an individual roamed.

Impactos de atropelamentos de animais silvestres no trecho da rodovia SP-215 confrontante ao Parque Estadual de Porto Ferreira – Porto Ferreira, SP (Nota Científica. Impacts roadkills mortality of wild animals in the area of SP-215 highway alongside Porto Ferreira State Park – Porto Ferreira, SP (Scientific Note.

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Sonia Aparecida de SOUZA

2010-12-01

Full Text Available No presente trabalho foi realizado o monitoramento dos atropelamentos de animais silvestres na rodovia SP–215 no trecho confrontante ao Parque Estadual de Porto Ferreira. Em seis anos foram registrados 72 indivíduos, sendo 17 espécies de mamíferos, 10 de aves, quatro de répteis, uma de anfíbio e três indivíduos não identificados. Dentre esses, lobo-guará Chrysocyon brachyurus, jaguatirica Leopardus pardalis e cuíca-lanosa Caluromys lanatus se encontram na lista das espécies ameaçadas de extinção do Estado de São Paulo. A partir do conhecimento das espécies atingidas, faz-se necessário o desenvolvimento de estudos e propostas de implantação de medidas mitigadoras à presença da rodovia SP–215 para a conservação da fauna.This paper presents the data collected through the monitoring of roadkills on SP–215 highway in the area alongside Porto Ferreira State Park. During six years, 72 roadkills were recorded, including 17 species of mammals, 10 of birds, five of reptiles, one of amphibians and three unidentified individuals. Among those species, maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus, ocelot Leopardus pardalis, and Western woolly opossum Caluromys lanatus are included in the threatened species list of the state of São Paulo. After finding out which species are affected, it is necessary to develop studies and proposals for implementing effective mitigation measures for the presence of SP–215 highway in the area in order to preserve the local fauna.

Regurgitations in a Lamb with Acute Coenurosis-A case Report.

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Evi Ioannidou

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Coenurosis is a disease of the central nervous system in sheep, caused by Coenurus cerebralis, the larval stage of Multiceps multiceps, which inhabits the small intestine of Canidae. A case of regurgitations in a 2.5 month old lamb with acute coenurosis is being reported. The lamb was presented with a sudden onset of ataxia and regurgitations for 10 days. The post-mortem examination revealed 4 immature C. cerebralis cysts between 0.5 and 1.5 cm in diameter located in the brainstem and cerebellum, and histopathological examination revealed multifocal pyogranulomatous meningoencephalitis, so a diagnosis of acute coenurosis was established. Thus, acute coenurosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of regurgitations in lambs.

Bat records from Malawi (Mammalia, Chiroptera)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergmans, Wim; Jachmann, Hugo

1983-01-01

Five species of bats are recorded from Kasungu National Park, Malawi: Eidolon helvum (Kerr, 1792); Epomophorus anurus Heuglin, 1864; Epomophorus minor Dobson, 1880; Epomops dobsonii (Bocage, 1889); and Scotoecus hindei Thomas, 1901. Some other Malawian records of these species, based on literature

Early Jurassic allotherians from South Wales (United Kingdom

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W. A. Clemens

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Fossils from two fissure fillings in Pant Quarry (designated Pant 4 and Pant 5, South Wales, United Kingdom, probably of Early Jurassic age document a taxonomically diverse vertebrate fauna, the Morganucodon-sphenodont fauna, composed of several kinds of reptiles, non-mammalian synapsids, and mammals. Six isolated molariform teeth from Pant 4 and 5 fissures clearly record the presence of Thomasia (Mammalia, Allotheria, Haramiyidae, a genus previously known only from purported Late Triassic faunas of southwestern England, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, and Switzerland. Small morphological differences from teeth in the larger English and continental European samples warrant identification of the Welsh material as Thomasia cf. moorei. The highly derived morphology of an isolated molariform tooth from Pant 5 fissure indicates the presence of another, possibly allotherian, taxon. Fossilien aus zwei wahrscheinlich unterjurassischen Spaltenfüllungen (Pant 4 und Pant 5 im Steinbruch Pant in Süd-Wales dokumentieren eine taxonomisch diverse Wirbeltierfauna. Diese Morganucodon-Sphenodontiden-Fauna besteht aus verschiedenen Formen von Reptilien, Synapsiden und Säugetieren. Sechs isolierte molariforme Zähne aus den Spaltenfüllungen Pant 4 und Pant 5 belegen eindeutig das Vorkommen von Thomasia (Mammalia, Allotheria, Haramiyidae, einer bisher nur aus vermutlich obertriassischen Faunen Südwest-Englands, Frankreichs, Belgiens, Luxemburgs, Deutschlands und der Schweiz bekannten Gattung. Geringe morphologische Unterschiede zu dem umfangreicheren Material aus England und Kontinental-Europa sprechen für die Identifikation des neuen Materials als Thomasia cf. moorei. Die stark abgeleitete Morphologie eines isolierten molariformen Zahnes aus der Spalte Pant 5 belegt das Vorkommen eines anderen Taxons, das möglicherweise auch den Allotheria zuzuordnen ist. doi:10.1002/mmng.200600018

Zoochoric and hydrochoric maritime dispersal of the Opuntia monacantha (Willd. Haw. (Cactaceae

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Angelo Martins Fraga

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Evolutionary adaptations in the morphology and physiology of cactus species have been associated to their mechanisms of dispersal and colonization. The dispersal mechanisms and modes of Opuntia monacantha (Willd. Haw. (Cactaceae were characterized in two beaches in Florianopolis, SC, Brazil. A marsupial from the genus Didelphis (Mammalia: Didelphidae was the only frugivorous and, thus, disperser of fruits, presenting specific eating places. The maritime hydrochory was due to the overwash on restinga vegetation, it is characterized by the dispersal of cladodes and fruits at various times of the year. It is here firstly described the sea action as a potential disperser for a cactus species.

Visceral leishmaniasis in captive wild canids in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Luppi, Marcela M; Malta, Marcelo C C; Silva, Teane M A; Silva, Fabiana L; Motta, Rafael O C; Miranda, Ildikó; Ecco, Roselene; Santos, Renato L

2008-08-01

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in Belo Horizonte (State of Minas Gerais, Brazil). Leishmania sp. can naturally infect several species of mammals, and the domestic dog is the most important reservoir of the disease in South America. This report describes five cases of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazilian canids. Among 15 animals kept in captivity in a zoo in Belo Horizonte (State of Minas Gerais, Brazil), two animals, a bush dog (Spheotos venaticos) and a hoary zorro (Lycalopex vetulus) were serologically positive and developed clinical signs of VL, whereas three other canids, including a crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), a maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), and a hoary zorro (Lycalopex vetulus) had positive serological results without clinical signs.

Quirópteros de Londrina, Paraná, Brasil (Mammalia, Chiroptera Chiropterus of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil (Mammalia, Chiroptera

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Nélio Roberto dos Reis

1993-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the lack of information concerning mammals in the North of Paraná State, Brazil. a preliminary survey of bat species of the region of Londrina is presented. Three hundred and thirty four individuais of 18 species belonging to Phyllostomidae, Desmodontidae, Vespertilionidae and Molossidae families were collected. Data were gathered related to threir feeding habits, reproduction and time of achvity.

Parasitological surveillance in a rat (Rattus norvegicus) colony in São Paulo Zoo animal house

Science.gov (United States)

Chagas, Carolina Romeiro Fernandes; Gonzalez, Irys Hany Lima; Favoretto, Samantha Mesquita; Ramos, Patrícia Locosque

Rattus norvegicus (Mammalia: Rodentia) is a widespread and synanthropic rodent, broadly used in medical experiments. It can also be used for feeding captive animals in zoos. Parasitological surveys are important to guarantee the health of both the animals and the staff responsible for their management. The aim of this study was to identify intestinal parasites of Rattus norvegicus offered as food to captive animals from São Paulo Zoo, and demonstrate the importance of sanitary hurdling, disease control and biosecurity. The identified protozoan parasites were Eimeria sp., Entamoeba sp., Spironucleus sp., Giardia sp., Tritrichomonas sp., Chilomastix sp., unidentified cysts and non-sporulated coccidians oocysts (Isospora/Eimeria). The following helminths were found: Syphacia muris, Rodentolepis nana and Aspiculuris tetraptera.

Le genre Sivanasua (Lophocyoninae, Hyaenodontidae, Creodonta, Mammalia

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Morales, J.

1999-08-01

Full Text Available Two upper teeth from the lower Miocene of Le Chêne de Navere (Gers, France are interpreted as MI and M2 of Sivanasua viverroides. The genus is known in Europe by two species. The origin of the Lophocyoninae is re-evaluated. We consider the group as rooted in some African Hyaenodontoid Creodonta.Dos dientes del yacimiento mioceno (MN4b de Chêne de Navere (Gers, Francia se interpretan como MI y M2 de Sivanasua viverroides. El género Sivanasua está representado en Europa por dos especies. El origen de los Lophocyoninae se reconsidera, primero atribuidos a los Ailuridae y después relacionados con los Viverridae, aquí son considerados como emparentados a los Creodontos Hyaenodontidae africanos.

Biodiversidad de Chordata (Mammalia) en México

OpenAIRE

Sánchez-Cordero, Víctor; Botello, Francisco; Flores-Martínez, José Juan; Gómez-Rodríguez, Ruth A.; Guevara, Lázaro; Gutiérrez-Granados, Gabriel; Rodríguez-Moreno, Ángel

2014-01-01

Los mamíferos son uno de los grupos más conspicuos de las comunidades terrestres de vertebrados y muestran una serie de características internas y externas que los han llevado a ser exitosos en casi todos los ecosistemas del mundo. El objetivo de esta revisión es actualizar el estado de conocimiento de los mamíferos de México. En México los mamíferos forman un grupo altamente diverso, ubicando al país en el tercer lugar mundial con 564 especies silvestres, alcanzando aproximadamente el 10% de...

The snout of Paulocnus petrifactus (Mammalia, Edentata)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hooijer, D.A.

1964-01-01

A specimen of the ground sloth discovered by Mr. P. Stuiver in Curaçao, Paulocnus petrifactus Hooijer (1962), recently dressed from the matrix by Mr. P. H. de Buisonjé, comprises the front part of the mandible and the left half of the rostrum of the skull. It holds the left upper and right lower

Toxocariasis in Carnivora from Argentinean Patagonia: Species molecular identification, hosts, and geographical distribution

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R.M. Vega

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Twenty four specimens of seven species belonging to the families Felidae, Mustelidae, and Canidae were obtained in Lanín and Nahuel Huapi National Parks from March 1996 to April 2016. Specimens were processed by necropsy in order to contribute to the knowledge of toxocariasis in wild carnivores of Argentinean Patagonia. The only Puma concolor and the seven Leopardus geoffroyi were positive for Toxocara cati. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP of the ITS-1 region from larval and adult DNA was carried out to confirm parasite species identification. This is the first molecular determination of T. cati from wild felids in Argentina and the study also fill gaps about the spatial distribution and hosts for Toxocara cati. Keywords: Toxocara cati, Puma concolor, Leopardus geoffroyi, Molecular identification, Argentina

Transferability of short tandem repeat markers for two wild Canid species inhabiting the Brazilian Cerrado.

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Rodrigues, F M; Telles, M P C; Resende, L V; Soares, T N; Diniz-Filho, J A F; Jácomo, A T A; Silveira, L

2006-12-13

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) are two wild-canid species found in the Brazilian Cerrado. We tested cross-amplification and transferability of 29 short tandem repeat primers originally developed for cattle and domestic dogs and cats on 38 individuals of each of these two species, collected in the Emas National Park, which is the largest national park in the Cerrado region. Six of these primers were successfully transferred (CSSM-038, PEZ-05, PEZ-12, LOCO-13, LOCO-15, and PEZ-20); five of which were found to be polymorphic. Genetic parameter values (number of alleles per locus, observed and expected heterozygosities, and fixation indices) were within the expected range reported for canid populations worldwide.

Home range differences by habitat type of raccoon dogs Nyctereutes procyonoides (Carnivora: Canidae

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Wooseog Jeong

2017-09-01

Full Text Available From July 2013 to November 2014, this research was conducted to secure baseline data to find long-term preventive measures against epidemics from the analysis of home range and movement characteristics of raccoon dogs, which are known as carriers of zoonosis. Researchers conducted a follow-up study with 12 raccoon dogs, each attached with a Global Positioning System mobile transmitter. Analysis of home range used the minimum convex polygon (MCP method and kernel density estimation (KDE with accumulating data of time-based locations. Except for three animals that showed unique behavior, the researchers analyzed nine animals and calculated their average home range. As a result, average home range was 0.48±0.35 km2 (MCP method, and KDE result analysis was verified as 0.65±0.66 km2 (95%, 0.31±0.35 km2 (75%, and 0.23±0.28 km2 (50%. Based on the MCP method, acted in range of minimum 0.07 km2 and maximum 1.08 km2, and the core habitat, KDE 50% level showed activity range in 0.02 km2 to 0.37 km2. Three individuals of unique behavior were classified into two types. Two individuals moved 10–20 km and settled at a place different from the existing habitat, and one individual kept moving without a regular sphere of influence. Generally, raccoon dogs are not considered to move if they secure their area of influence; animals in urban areas have a wider area of influence than those living in areas with a rich source of food such as forest and agricultural land.

Intraocular pressure and Schirmer tear test values in maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus

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Cristiane S. Honsho

Full Text Available Abstract: The purpose of this study was to establish baseline data on lacrimal quantity (STT-1 and intraocular pressure (IOP in captive maned wolves. Ten healthy adult maned wolves were contained with a snare pole and muzzle and kept in decubitus of the left side. STT-1 measurement was performed on the lateral third of the lower conjunctival sac for one minute. The cornea was desensitized and intraocular pressure was measured with an tonopen. Average STT-1 in both eyes was 11±5mm.min-1, with no statistical difference between the left and right eye (p=0.960. Average IOP in both eyes was 20±6mmHg, with no statistical difference between the left and right eye (p=0.836. Average STT-1 was lower than, and IOP was the same as normal levels found in dogs. There was no statistical difference in the age of the animals, and STT-1 and IOP values. In the present paper, average maned wolf STT-1 levels were lower compared with those found in dogs, while the IOP was the same in maned wolves as in dogs. Due to the increased incidence in providing emergency care for maned wolf victims of road kill and fires, determination reference values of ocular parameters may improve the correct diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Extraction of Unerupted Maxillary Canine Teeth in a Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus

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Lourdes M. B. Pessoa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this case report is to describe the diagnosis and treatment of unerupted canine teeth in a maned wolf. After physical examination, complete blood count, and serum biochemical profile, the animal underwent general anesthesia and head radiography was performed to confirm the diagnosis. The treatment consisted of the extraction of both maxillary canine teeth and clinical and radiographic follow-up of the right mandibular canine tooth.

Patterns of fecal gonadal hormone metabolites in the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

Science.gov (United States)

Songsasen, N; Rodden, M; Brown, J L; Wildt, D E

2006-10-01

Ex situ populations of maned wolves are not viable due to low reproductive efficiency. The objective of this study was to increase knowledge regarding the reproductive physiology of maned wolves to improve captive management. Fecal samples were collected 3-5 d/wk from 12 females of various reproductive age classes (young, prime breeding and aged) and reproductive histories (conceived and raised pups, conceived but lost pups, pseudo-pregnant and unpaired). Ovarian steroids were extracted from feces and assessed by enzyme immunoassay. Concentrations of estrogen metabolites gradually increased, beginning 2-5 d before breeding, and declined to baseline on the day of lordosis and copulation. Fecal progestin metabolite concentrations increased steadily during the periovulatory period, when sexual receptivity was observed, and remained elevated during pregnancy and pseudo-pregnancy. During the luteal phase, young and prime breeding-age females excreted larger amounts of progestins than those of older age classes. Furthermore, progestin concentrations were higher during the luteal phase of pregnant versus pseudo-pregnant bitches. Profiles of fecal progestin metabolites for three singleton females were unchanged throughout the breeding season, suggesting ovulation is induced in this species. However, this finding could be confounded by age, as these females were either young or aged.

Extraction of Unerupted Maxillary Canine Teeth in a Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

OpenAIRE

Pessoa, Lourdes M. B.; Roza, Marcello; Farias, Anderson; Jesus, Pedro Henrique de; Campbell, Rita de Cassia; Pinho, Mariângela Pereira de

2016-01-01

The purpose of this case report is to describe the diagnosis and treatment of unerupted canine teeth in a maned wolf. After physical examination, complete blood count, and serum biochemical profile, the animal underwent general anesthesia and head radiography was performed to confirm the diagnosis. The treatment consisted of the extraction of both maxillary canine teeth and clinical and radiographic follow-up of the right mandibular canine tooth.

A New Stubby Species of Demodectic Mite (Acari: Demodicidae) From the Domestic Dog (Canidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Morita, Tatsushi; Ohmi, Aki; Kiwaki, Akihito; Ike, Kazunori; Nagata, Katsuyuki

2018-02-28

A new species of Demodex was detected in the earwax of a dog with otitis externa in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, in July 2010. The opisthosoma length of the mite was slightly shorter than 1/2 of its body length, which was different from the other species in domestic dogs, D. canis and D. injai, but was similar to the form of mites termed "short-bodied species", including D. cornei. However, the stubby external form was morphologically different from those of "short-bodied species", excluding a case without a species description reported from Greece. Among known species, the mite was similar to D. equi and D. acutipes.

Key to the South African Leporidae (Mammalia: Lagomorpha)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A taxonomic and autecological study of the genus Pronolagus in southern Africa. M.Sc. thesis, University of. Rhodesia, Salisbury. PETTER, F. 1972. Order Lagomorpha, Part 5. In: The mammals of. South Africa: an identification manual. Eds. Meester, J. &. Setzer, H. W. Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, D.C.. ROBERTS ...

Plio-Pleistocene aardvarks (Mammalia, Tubulidentata from East Africa

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T. Lehmann

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The Tubulidentata are unique among mammals for being the only order represented nowadays by a single living species, Orycteropus afer: the aardvark. Nevertheless, it is one of the least studied mammalian orders. Aardvarks are currently distributed all over sub-Saharan Africa, but the fossil record extends their spatial range to Europe and Asia. The earliest known Tubulidentata are ca. 20 million years old. About 14 species and three to four genera have been recognised so far, but since the late Pliocene, aardvarks have only been represented by a single genus and are restricted to Africa. The extant aardvark is the only species of Tubulidentata with a large distribution area, i.e. the African continent. There are three known Plio-Pleistocene African species of aardvark: Orycteropus afer (Pallas, 1766, O. crassidens MacInnes, 1956, and O. djourabensis Lehmann et al., 2004. Fossils of these species have been discovered in North-Africa, Kenya, and Chad respectively. The present study is focused on the aardvark material found in the Plio-Pleistocene of East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya. New specimens from Asa Issie (Ethiopia and East Turkana (Kenya are described, and published ones are re-examined in the light of the latest discoveries. This study demonstrates that Kenyan specimens identified as O. crassidens are in fact representatives of the Chadian O. djourabensis. Moreover, additional material from Ethiopia and Kenya shows a close relationship with the latter species too. The presence of specimens of O. djourabensis in Chad and in Kenya during the Plio-Pleistocene implies that this taxon is the oldest-known species of aardvark to have experienced a continental dispersal. It also shows that Tubulidentates were able to cross Africa from east-west during Plio-Pleistocene times, despite the presence of the Rift Valley. It is however not possible to infer the centre of origin of O. djourabensis. Finally, this study suggests that two species of aardvark might have co-existed in Kenya during the early Pleistocene. doi:10.1002/mmng.200800003

Comparative cranial ontogeny of Tapirus (Mammalia: Perissodactyla: Tapiridae).

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Moyano, S Rocio; Giannini, Norberto P

2017-11-01

Skull morphology in tapirs is particularly interesting due to the presence of a proboscis with important trophic, sensory and behavioral functions. Several studies have dealt with tapir skull osteology but chiefly in a comparative framework between fossil and recent species of tapirs. Only one study examined an aspect of cranial ontogeny, development of the sagittal crest (Holbrook. J Zool Soc Lond 2002; 256; 215). Our goal is to describe in detail the morphological changes that occur during the postnatal ontogeny of the skull in two representative tapir species, Tapirus terrestris and Tapirus indicus, and to explore possible functional consequences of their developmental trajectories. We compared qualitative features of the skull on a growth series of 46 specimens of T. terrestris ordered on the basis of the sequence of eruption and tooth wear, dividing the sample into three age classes: class Y (very young juvenile), class J (from young juvenile to young adult) and class A (full and old adult). The qualitative morphological analysis consisted of describing changes in the series in each skull bone and major skull structure, including the type and degree of transformation (e.g. appearance, fusion) of cranial features (e.g. processes, foramina) and articulations (sutures, synchondroses, and synovial joints). We then measured 23 cranial variables in 46 specimens of T. terrestris that included the entire ontogenetic series from newborn to old adults. We applied statistical multivariate techniques to describe allometric growth, and compared the results with the allometric trends calculated for a sample of 25 specimens of T. indicus. Results show that the skull structure was largely conserved throughout the postnatal ontogeny in T. terrestris, so class Y was remarkably similar to class A in overall shape, with the most significant changes localized in the masticatory apparatus, specifically the maxillary tuber as a support of the large-sized permanent postcanine dentition, and correlated changes in diastemata, mandibular body, and sagittal and nuchal crests. In the nasal region, ontogenetic remodeling affected the space for the meatal diverticulum and the surfaces for the origin of the proboscis musculature. Overall, ontogenetic trajectories exhibited more negative allometric components in T. indicus than in T. terrestris, and they shared 47.83% of allometric trends. Tapirus indicus differed most significantly from T. terrestris in the allometry of postcanine toothrows, diastemata and mandibular body. Thus, some allometric trends seem to be highly conserved among the species studied, and the changes observed showed a strong functional and likely adaptive basis in this lineage of ungulates. © 2017 Anatomical Society.

A reexamination of the Carnivora malleus (Mammalia, Placentalia.

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John R Wible

Full Text Available Authoritative anatomical references depict domestic dogs and cats as having a malleus with a short rostral (anterior process that is connected via a ligament to the ectotympanic of the auditory bulla. Similar mallei have been reported for representatives of each of the 15 extant families of Carnivora, the placental order containing dogs and cats. This morphology is in contrast to a malleus with a long rostral process anchored to the ectotympanic that is considered to be primitive for mammals. Our reexamination of extant carnivorans found representatives from 12 families that possess an elongate rostral process anchored to the ectotympanic. Consequently, the malleus also is a component of the bulla. In a subset of our carnivoran sample, we confirmed that the elongate rostral process on the ectotympanic is continuous with the rest of the malleus through a thin osseous lamina. This morphology is reconstructed as primitive for Carnivora. Prior inaccurate descriptions of the taxa in our sample having mallei continuous with the bulla were based on damaged mallei. In addition to coupling to the ectotympanic, the rostral process of the malleus was found to have a hook-like process that fits in a facet on the skull base in representatives from seven families (felids, nandiniids, viverrids, canids, ursids, procyonids, and mustelids; its occurrence in the remaining families could not be ascertained. This feature is named herein the mallear hook and is likewise reconstructed to be primitive for Carnivora. We also investigated mallei in one additional placental order reported to have mallei not connected to the ectotympanic, Pholidota (pangolins, the extant sister group of Carnivora. We found pholidotans to also have anchored mallei with long rostral processes, but lacking mallear hooks. In light of our results, other mammals previously reported to have short rostral processes should be reexamined.

A retrospective investigation of canine adenovirus (CAV infection in adult dogs in Turkey : article

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S. Gur

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Canine adenovirus (CAV type 1 and 2, respectively, cause infectious canine hepatitis and infectious canine laryngotracheitis in members of the families Canidae and Ursidae worldwide. Both of these infections are acute diseases, especially in young dogs. The aim of this study was to conduct a serological investigation of canine adenovirus infection. For this purpose, serumsamples were collected from native pure-bred Kangal (n = 11, and Akbash dogs (n = 17 and Turkish Greyhounds (n=15 in Eskisehir and Konya provinces. None ofthe dogs were previously vaccinated against CAV types. Indirect ELISA detected 88.2 %, 93.3 % and 100 % prevalences in Akbash, Greyhound and Kangal dogs, respectively. The remainder of the samples (n = 51 were collected at the Afyonkarahisar Municipality Shelter. Fourty-two of these dogs (82.3 % were detected as seropositive. In total, 82 of 94 dogs (87.2 % were found to be positive for CAV serum antibodies.

Serology for brucellosis in free-ranging crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous and brown-nosed coatis (Nasua nasua from Brazilian Pantanal

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Elaine Maria Seles Dorneles

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A serological survey in free-ranging crab-eating foxes (Canidae: Cerdocyon thous and brown-nosed coatis (Procyonidae: Nasua nasua was performed in the Nhecolândia sub-region of the Brazilian Pantanal to evaluate the presence of anti-smooth Brucella antibodies on those wild populations. The detection of anti-smooth Brucella antibodies was performed by the Rose Bengal Test (RBT as screening test and the Fluorescence Polarization Assay (FPA as a confirmatory test. The frequency of smooth Brucella seropositive animals were 13.2% (5/38, 95% CI: 4.4% - 28.1% for crab-eating foxes and 8.8% (3/34, 95% CI: 1.9% -23.7% for brown-nosed coatis. No association was found between seropositivity for brucellosis and gender or age. The results of this study suggest exposure to or infection of crab-eating fox and brown-nosed coati from the Brazilian Pantanal by Brucella spp

CLINICAL ASPECTS OF TRANSMISSIBLE VENEREAL TUMOR

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A. C. Sá

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The transmissible venereal tumor is among the main diseases that affect domestic animals of the Canidae family. Abandoned animals are the main transmitters of the disease, which is highly contagious; most of the injuries are commonly found on animals genital organs and faces. This is a tumor without any involvement with an infectious agent, tumor cells are transferred from a sick animal to a healthy animal through natural breeding or direct contact of the lesions with other body parts. The disease has no predisposition for breeding, sex and species, therefore possibly affecting all canids although there are more reports on stray animals.The TVT lesions have cauliflower appearance and may be pedunculated, papillary or multilobulated, with hemorrhagic and crumbly aspect. The tumor can have benign or malignant potential, being the second most frequently commonly reported, wherein according to its potential raise the difficulty of the treatment or not.

Methods for High-throughput Characterisation of Environmental DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Kenneth

This PhD thesis examines the potential of describing biodiversity of green plants (Viridiplantae), birds (Aves) and mammals (Mammalia), in the context of next-generation sequencing, from the DNA that all organisms segregate into the environment (eDNA). The research is based on case studies...... of species assemblages described by eDNA recovered from contemporary surface soil and Holocene sediment sequences, to assess the accuracy and limitations of the approach. Biodiversity incorporates two aspects of ecological communities, including both the taxonomic richness and abundance of individual taxa...... inhibition. In chapter four, alternative DNA extraction protocols and pipelines for characterising plant eDNA are tested on samples from contrasting environments including modern, Holocene and Pleistocene sediment samples. These results are compared to pollen and macrofossil records described from earlier...

Adult and offspring size in the ocean over 17 orders of magnitude follows two life history strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neuheimer, Anna; Hartvig, Martin; Heuschele, Jan

2015-01-01

is observed along with variability in physical and biological forcing factors in space and time. We compiled adult and offspring size for 407 pelagic marine species covering more than 17 orders of magnitude in body mass including Cephalopoda, Cnidaria, Crustaceans, Ctenophora, Elasmobranchii, Mammalia...... discuss where these two strategies occur and how these patterns (along with the relative size of the offspring) may be shaped by physical and biological constraints in the organism’s environment. This adaptive environment along with the evolutionary history of the different groups shape observed life......Explaining variability in offspring vs. adult size among groups is a necessary step to determine the evolutionary and environmental constraints shaping variability in life history strategies. This is of particular interest for life in the ocean where a diversity of offspring development strategies...

Molecular fundamentals of chromosomal mutagenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganassi, E.Eh.; Zaichkina, S.I.; Malakhova, L.V.

1987-01-01

Precise quantitative correlation between the yield of chromosome structure damages and the yield of DNA damages is shown when comparing data on molecular and cytogenetic investigations carried out in cultural Mammalia cells. As the chromosome structure damage is to be connected with the damage of its carcass structure, then it is natural that DNA damage in loop regions is not to affect considerably the structure, while DNA damage lying on the loop base and connected with the chromosome carcass is to play a determining role in chromosomal mutagenesis. This DNA constitutes 1-2% from the total quantity of nuclear DNA. If one accepts that damages of these regions of DNA are ''hot'' points of chromosomal mutagenesis, then it becomes clear why 1-2% of preparation damages in a cell are realized in chromosome structural damages

Etmopterus samadiae n. sp., a new lanternshark (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) from Papua New Guinea.

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White, William T; Ebert, David A; Mana, Ralph R; Corrigan, Shannon

2017-03-20

A new species of lanternshark, Etmopterus samadiae (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae), is described from off northern Papua New Guinea, in the western Central Pacific Ocean. The new species resembles other members of the "Etmopterus lucifer" clade in having linear rows of dermal denticles and most closely resembles E. brachyurus from the western North Pacific. The new species occurs along insular slopes between 340 and 785 m depth. The new species can be distinguished from other members of the E. lucifer clade by a combination of characteristics, including length of anterior flank branch markings being slightly shorter than its posterior branch, a longer caudal base marking, and irregular and variable number of black, horizontal, dash-like marks on sides of body. Molecular analysis based on the NADH2 marker further supports the distinction of E. samadiae from other members of the E. lucifer clade.

Phylogenetic analysis at deep timescales: unreliable gene trees, bypassed hidden support, and the coalescence/concatalescence conundrum.

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Gatesy, John; Springer, Mark S

2014-11-01

Large datasets are required to solve difficult phylogenetic problems that are deep in the Tree of Life. Currently, two divergent systematic methods are commonly applied to such datasets: the traditional supermatrix approach (= concatenation) and "shortcut" coalescence (= coalescence methods wherein gene trees and the species tree are not co-estimated). When applied to ancient clades, these contrasting frameworks often produce congruent results, but in recent phylogenetic analyses of Placentalia (placental mammals), this is not the case. A recent series of papers has alternatively disputed and defended the utility of shortcut coalescence methods at deep phylogenetic scales. Here, we examine this exchange in the context of published phylogenomic data from Mammalia; in particular we explore two critical issues - the delimitation of data partitions ("genes") in coalescence analysis and hidden support that emerges with the combination of such partitions in phylogenetic studies. Hidden support - increased support for a clade in combined analysis of all data partitions relative to the support evident in separate analyses of the various data partitions, is a hallmark of the supermatrix approach and a primary rationale for concatenating all characters into a single matrix. In the most extreme cases of hidden support, relationships that are contradicted by all gene trees are supported when all of the genes are analyzed together. A valid fear is that shortcut coalescence methods might bypass or distort character support that is hidden in individual loci because small gene fragments are analyzed in isolation. Given the extensive systematic database for Mammalia, the assumptions and applicability of shortcut coalescence methods can be assessed with rigor to complement a small but growing body of simulation work that has directly compared these methods to concatenation. We document several remarkable cases of hidden support in both supermatrix and coalescence paradigms and argue

Behavioral and physiologic responses to environmental enrichment in the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

Science.gov (United States)

Cummings, Dawn; Brown, Janine L; Rodden, Melissa D; Songsasen, Nucharin

2007-09-01

The ex situ population of maned wolves is not self-sustaining due to poor reproduction, caused primarily by parental incompetence. Studies have shown that environmental enrichment can promote natural parental behaviors in zoo animals. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of environmental enrichment on behavioral and physiological responses of maned wolves. During an 8-week experimental period, daily behavior observations and fecal sample collection were conducted on four adult wolves (2.2) individually housed in environments without enrichment. After 2 weeks, the wolves were chronologically provided with 2-week intervals of hiding dead mice around the exhibit, no enrichment, and introduction of boomer balls. Responses of the wolves to enrichment were assessed based on activity levels and exploratory rates, as well as the level of corticoid metabolites in fecal samples collected daily throughout the study period. Providing wolves with environmental enrichment significantly increased exploratory behaviors (Pmaned wolves. There is evidence suggesting that providing animals with ability to forage for food is a more effective enrichment strategy than introducing objects. There is need for a longer term study to determine the impact of environmental enrichment in this species. Zoo Biol 26:331-343, 2007. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Immunopathogenic and Neurological Mechanisms of Canine Distemper Virus

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Otávio Valério Carvalho

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Canine distemper is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV, which is a member of the Morbillivirus genus, Paramyxoviridae family. Animals that most commonly suffer from this disease belong to the Canidae family; however, the spectrum of natural hosts for CDV also includes several other families of the order Carnivora. The infectious disease presents worldwide distribution and maintains a high incidence and high levels of lethality, despite the availability of effective vaccines, and no specific treatment. CDV infection in dogs is characterized by the presentation of systemic and/or neurological courses, and viral persistence in some organs, including the central nervous system (CNS and lymphoid tissues. An elucidation of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in canine distemper disease will lead to a better understanding of the injuries and clinical manifestations caused by CDV. Ultimately, further insight about this disease will enable the improvement of diagnostic methods as well as therapeutic studies.

Immunopathogenic and Neurological Mechanisms of Canine Distemper Virus

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Otávio Valério; Botelho, Clarisse Vieira; Ferreira, Caroline Gracielle Torres; Scherer, Paulo Oldemar; Soares-Martins, Jamária Adriana Pinheiro; Almeida, Márcia Rogéria; Silva Júnior, Abelardo

2012-01-01

Canine distemper is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV), which is a member of the Morbillivirus genus, Paramyxoviridae family. Animals that most commonly suffer from this disease belong to the Canidae family; however, the spectrum of natural hosts for CDV also includes several other families of the order Carnivora. The infectious disease presents worldwide distribution and maintains a high incidence and high levels of lethality, despite the availability of effective vaccines, and no specific treatment. CDV infection in dogs is characterized by the presentation of systemic and/or neurological courses, and viral persistence in some organs, including the central nervous system (CNS) and lymphoid tissues. An elucidation of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in canine distemper disease will lead to a better understanding of the injuries and clinical manifestations caused by CDV. Ultimately, further insight about this disease will enable the improvement of diagnostic methods as well as therapeutic studies. PMID:23193403

Phylogenetic analysis of canine distemper virus in domestic dogs in Nanjing, China.

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Bi, Zhenwei; Wang, Yongshan; Wang, Xiaoli; Xia, Xingxia

2015-02-01

Canine distemper virus (CDV) infects a broad range of carnivores, including wild and domestic Canidae. The hemagglutinin gene, which encodes the attachment protein that determines viral tropism, has been widely used to determine the relationship between CDV strains of different lineages circulating worldwide. We determined the full-length H gene sequences of seven CDV field strains detected in domestic dogs in Nanjing, China. A phylogenetic analysis of the H gene sequences of CDV strains from different geographic regions and vaccine strains was performed. Four of the seven CDV strains were grouped in the same cluster of the Asia-1 lineage to which the vast majority of Chinese CDV strains belong, whereas the other three were clustered within the Asia-4 lineage, which has never been detected in China. This represents the first record of detection of strains of the Asia-4 lineage in China since this lineage was reported in Thailand in 2013.

Phylogenetic analysis of the haemagglutinin gene of canine distemper virus strains detected from giant panda and raccoon dogs in China

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Canine distemper virus (CDV) infects a variety of carnivores, including wild and domestic Canidae. In this study, we sequenced and phylogenetic analyses of the hemagglutinin (H) genes from eight canine distemper virus (CDV) isolates obtained from seven raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in China. Results Phylogenetic analysis of the partial hemagglutinin gene sequences showed close clustering for geographic lineages, clearly distinct from vaccine strains and other wild-type foreign CDV strains, all the CDV strains were characterized as Asia-1 genotype and were highly similar to each other (91.5-99.8% nt and 94.4-99.8% aa). The giant panda and raccoon dogs all were 549Y on the HA protein in this study, irrespective of the host species. Conclusions These findings enhance our knowledge of the genetic characteristics of Chinese CDV isolates, and may facilitate the development of effective strategies for monitoring and controlling CDV for wild canids and non-cainds in China. PMID:23566727

Mycobacterium spp. in wild game in Slovenia.

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Pate, Mateja; Zajc, Urška; Kušar, Darja; Žele, Diana; Vengušt, Gorazd; Pirš, Tina; Ocepek, Matjaž

2016-02-01

Wildlife species are an important reservoir of mycobacterial infections that may jeopardise efforts to control and eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Slovenia is officially free of bTB, but no data on the presence of mycobacteria in wild animals has been reported. In this study, samples of liver and lymph nodes were examined from 306 apparently healthy free-range wild animals of 13 species in Slovenia belonging to the families Cervidae, Suidae, Canidae, Mustelidae and Bovidae. Mycobacteria were isolated from 36/306 (11.8%) animals (red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, wild boar and jackal) and identified by PCR, commercial diagnostic kits and sequencing. Non-tuberculous mycobacteria identified in five species were Mycobacterium peregrinum, M. avium subsp. hominissuis, M. intracellulare, M. confluentis, M. fortuitum, M. terrae, M. avium subsp. avium, M. celatum, M. engbaekii, M. neoaurum, M. nonchromogenicum and M. vaccae. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptive evolution to a high purine and fat diet of carnivorans revealed by gut microbiomes and host genomes.

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Zhu, Lifeng; Wu, Qi; Deng, Cao; Zhang, Mengjie; Zhang, Chenglin; Chen, Hua; Lu, Guoqing; Wei, Fuwen

2018-05-01

Carnivorous members of the Carnivora reside at the apex of food chains and consume meat-only diets, rich in purine, fats and protein. Here, we aimed to identify potential adaptive evolutionary signatures compatible with high purine and fat metabolism based on analysis of host genomes and symbiotic gut microbial metagenomes. We found that the gut microbiomes of carnivorous Carnivora (e.g., Felidae, Canidae) clustered in the same clade, and other clades comprised omnivorous and herbivorous Carnivora (e.g., badgers, bears and pandas). The relative proportions of genes encoding enzymes involved in uric acid degradation were higher in the gut microbiomes of meat-eating carnivorans than plant-eating species. Adaptive amino acid substitutions in two enzymes, carnitine O-palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1A) and lipase F (LIPF), which play a role in fat digestion, were identified in Felidae-Candidae species. Carnivorous carnivorans appear to endure diets high in purines and fats via gut microbiomic and genomic adaptations. © 2018 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vertebrate fauna of the Roman period, migrations period and Medieval period in Vojvodina (Serbia

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Radmanović Darko P.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Based on current published and unpublished research results, a total of 16 vertebrate species members of mammal (Mammalia, bird (Aves and osteichthyes (Osteichthyes classes have been registered at 11 archaeological sites from the Roman Period in Vojvodina. Mammals dominate with 12 species and one genus, birds are present with 3 species, and osteichthyes with one. From the Migration Period, at 9 sites, 22 vertebrate species have been registered, of which 13 species and one genus of mammals, 4 species and one genus of birds, and 5 species from the Osteichthyes class. At 8 sites from the Medieval Period, 16 vertebrate species have been registered. Mammals are the most numerous class with 10 species and one genus, while birds are present with 4 species and one genus. Furthermore, two species of osteichthyes have also been registered.

Mammalia, Rodentia, Sigmodontinae, Holochilus brasiliensis (Desmarest, 1819: Distribution extention

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Formoso, A. E.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We report the southernmost record for the marsh rats Holochilus brasiliensis 20 km S of Pedro Luro on Hwy3, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina (39°41’31.13”S, 62°40’23.5”W extending the range of the species ca. 110 km S.This represents the first contemporaneous record of H. brasiliensis in Patagonia, and also the only species of sigmodontinerodent with amphibious habits reported in Patagonia.

Ticks infesting bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Brazilian Pantanal.

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Muñoz-Leal, Sebastián; Eriksson, Alan; Santos, Carolina Ferreira; Fischer, Erich; de Almeida, Juliana Cardoso; Luz, Hermes R; Labruna, Marcelo B

2016-05-01

Ticks associated with bats have been poorly documented in the Neotropical Zoogeographical Region. In this study, a total of 1028 bats were sampled for tick infestations in the southern portion of the Brazilian Pantanal. A total of 368 ticks, morphologically identified as Ornithodoros hasei (n = 364) and O. mimon (n = 4), were collected from the following bat species: Artibeus planirostris, Platyrrhinus lineatus, Phyllostomus hastatus, Mimon crenulatum and Noctilio albiventris. Morphological identification of O. hasei was confirmed by molecular analysis. Regarding the most abundant bat species, only 40 (6.2%) out of 650 A. planirostris were infested by O. hasei, with a mean intensity of 7.2 ticks per infested bat, or a mean abundance of 0.44 ticks per sampled bat. Noteworthy, one single P. hastatus was infested by 55 O. hasei larvae, in contrast to the 2.5-7.2 range of mean intensity values for the whole study. As a complement to the present study, a total of 8 museum bat specimens (6 Noctilio albiventris and 2 N. leporinus), collected in the northern region of Pantanal, were examined for tick infestations. These bats contained 176 ticks, which were all morphologically identified as O. hasei larvae. Mean intensity of infestation was 22, with a range of 1-46 ticks per infested bat. Our results suggest that A. planirostris might play an important role in the natural life cycle of O. hasei in the Pantanal.

Early Eocene rodents (Mammalia) from the Subathu Formation of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

1997a, b). Most of the rodents from this stratigraphic level have been referred to a rather diverse family Cha- pattimyidae ... Herein we describe a new early Eocene rodent assemblage .... thick zone of brownish red shales that occur as a ..... 1997b;. Plate 3, figure 31). ...... northwestern Pakistan and remarks on the collision.

Mammal (Mammalia Fauna of Kapıdağ Peninsula

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Erdem HIZAL

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The number of studies on mammals of Kapıdag Peninsula is insufficent. The present study is based on mammal species collected and observed in Kapıdag Peninsula. Kapıdag Peninsula was visited as a total of 226 days between 2001-2007. Field collections yielded 32 mammal species from 6 orders: Insectivora (5, Chiroptera (9,Lagomorpha (1, Rodentia (7, Carnivora (7, Artiodactyla (3. Of the species recorded in this study are rare for Kapıdag Peninsula: Lynx lynx and Felis silvestris.

A phylogenetic estimate for golden moles (Mammalia, Afrotheria, Chrysochloridae

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Bloomer Paulette

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Golden moles (Chrysochloridae are small, subterranean, afrotherian mammals from South Africa and neighboring regions. Of the 21 species now recognized, some (e.g., Chrysochloris asiatica, Amblysomus hottentotus are relatively common, whereas others (e.g., species of Chrysospalax, Cryptochloris, Neamblysomus are rare and endangered. Here, we use a combined analysis of partial sequences of the nuclear GHR gene and morphological characters to derive a phylogeny of species in the family Chrysochloridae. Results Although not all nodes of the combined analysis have high support values, the overall pattern of relationships obtained from different methods of phylogeny reconstruction allow us to make several recommendations regarding the current taxonomy of golden moles. We elevate Huetia to generic status to include the species leucorhinus and confirm the use of the Linnean binomial Carpitalpa arendsi, which belongs within Amblysominae along with Amblysomus and Neamblysomus. A second group, Chrysochlorinae, includes Chrysochloris, Cryptochloris, Huetia, Eremitalpa, Chrysospalax, and Calcochloris. Bayesian methods make chrysochlorines paraphyletic by placing the root within them, coinciding with root positions favored by a majority of randomly-generated outgroup taxa. Maximum Parsimony (MP places the root either between chrysochlorines and amblysomines (with Chlorotalpa as sister taxon to amblysomines, or at Chlorotalpa, with the former two groups reconstructed as monophyletic in all optimal MP trees. Conclusions The inclusion of additional genetic loci for this clade is important to confirm our taxonomic results and resolve the chrysochlorid root. Nevertheless, our optimal topologies support a division of chrysochlorids into amblysomines and chrysochlorines, with Chlorotalpa intermediate between the two. Furthermore, evolution of the chrysochlorid malleus exhibits homoplasy. The elongate malleus has evolved just once in the Cryptochloris-Chrysochloris group; other changes in shape have occurred at multiple nodes, regardless of how the root is resolved.

A phylogenetic estimate for golden moles (Mammalia, Afrotheria, Chrysochloridae).

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Asher, Robert J; Maree, Sarita; Bronner, Gary; Bennett, Nigel C; Bloomer, Paulette; Czechowski, Paul; Meyer, Matthias; Hofreiter, Michael

2010-03-09

Golden moles (Chrysochloridae) are small, subterranean, afrotherian mammals from South Africa and neighboring regions. Of the 21 species now recognized, some (e.g., Chrysochloris asiatica, Amblysomus hottentotus) are relatively common, whereas others (e.g., species of Chrysospalax, Cryptochloris, Neamblysomus) are rare and endangered. Here, we use a combined analysis of partial sequences of the nuclear GHR gene and morphological characters to derive a phylogeny of species in the family Chrysochloridae. Although not all nodes of the combined analysis have high support values, the overall pattern of relationships obtained from different methods of phylogeny reconstruction allow us to make several recommendations regarding the current taxonomy of golden moles. We elevate Huetia to generic status to include the species leucorhinus and confirm the use of the Linnean binomial Carpitalpa arendsi, which belongs within Amblysominae along with Amblysomus and Neamblysomus. A second group, Chrysochlorinae, includes Chrysochloris, Cryptochloris, Huetia, Eremitalpa, Chrysospalax, and Calcochloris. Bayesian methods make chrysochlorines paraphyletic by placing the root within them, coinciding with root positions favored by a majority of randomly-generated outgroup taxa. Maximum Parsimony (MP) places the root either between chrysochlorines and amblysomines (with Chlorotalpa as sister taxon to amblysomines), or at Chlorotalpa, with the former two groups reconstructed as monophyletic in all optimal MP trees. The inclusion of additional genetic loci for this clade is important to confirm our taxonomic results and resolve the chrysochlorid root. Nevertheless, our optimal topologies support a division of chrysochlorids into amblysomines and chrysochlorines, with Chlorotalpa intermediate between the two. Furthermore, evolution of the chrysochlorid malleus exhibits homoplasy. The elongate malleus has evolved just once in the Cryptochloris-Chrysochloris group; other changes in shape have occurred at multiple nodes, regardless of how the root is resolved.

The uranium content in the blood of some vertebrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, K.C.; Hanifa, A.; Goswami, T.D.

1986-01-01

The method of fission track analysis has been used to estimate the uranium concentration in the blood of some vertebrates like lata fish (Ophiocephalus punctatus - class Pisces), toad (Bufo melanostictus -class Amphibia) and man (Homo Sapiens - class Mammalia). The uranium content in the blood of these vertebrates has been found to range from 0.20 ± 0.016 to 0.94 ± 0.038 microgram/litre. However, the concentration in toad is found to be the lowest (0.20 ± 0.016 to 0.40 ± 0.022 microgram/litre) as compared to that in fish (0.50 ± 0.027 to 0.94 ± 0.038 microgram/litre) and man (0.33 ± 0.023 to 0.74 ± 0.034 microgram/litre). The intervariation among the different classes of vertebrates as regards uranium concentration has been found to be statistically significant. (author)

Development of the nervus terminalis in mammals including toothed whales and humans.

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Oelschläger, H A; Buhl, E H; Dann, J F

1987-01-01

The early ontogenesis and topography of the mammalian terminalis system was investigated in 43 microslide series of toothed whale and human embryos and fetuses. In early embryonal stages the development of the nasal pit, the olfacto-terminalis placode, and the olfactory bulb anlage is rather similar in toothed whales and humans. However, toothed whales do not show any trace of the vomeronasalis complex. In early fetal stages the olfactory bulb anlage in toothed whales is reduced and leaves the isolated future terminalis ganglion (ganglia) which contains the greatest number of cells within Mammalia. The ganglion is connected with the nasal mucosa via peripheral fiber bundles and with the telencephalon via central terminalis rootlets. The functional implications of the terminalis system in mammals and its evolution in toothed whales are discussed. Obviously, the autonomic component has been enlarged in the course of perfect adaptation to an aquatic environment.

Mammalian diversity: gametes, embryos and reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Behringer, Richard R; Eakin, Guy S; Renfree, Marilyn B

2006-01-01

The class Mammalia is composed of approximately 4800 extant species. These mammalian species are divided into three subclasses that include the monotremes, marsupials and eutherians. Monotremes are remarkable because these mammals are born from eggs laid outside of the mother's body. Marsupial mammals have relatively short gestation periods and give birth to highly altricial young that continue a significant amount of 'fetal' development after birth, supported by a highly sophisticated lactation. Less than 10% of mammalian species are monotremes or marsupials, so the great majority of mammals are grouped into the subclass Eutheria, including mouse and human. Mammals exhibit great variety in morphology, physiology and reproduction. In the present article, we highlight some of this remarkable diversity relative to the mouse, one of the most widely used mammalian model organisms, and human. This diversity creates challenges and opportunities for gamete and embryo collection, culture and transfer technologies.

Mammals, Volta Grande Environmental Unity, Triângulo Mineiro, states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil.

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Lessa, G.

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The Volta Grande Environmental Unity represents one of the few remnants of Cerrado protected by areserve in the Triângulo Mineiro region, municipalities of Conceição das Alagoas (19°55' S, 48°23' W andMiguelópolis (20°12' S, 48°03' W, in the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo, respectively. The mammalian fauna ofthis reserve was inventoried between 2003 and 2004 to generate estimates about taxonomic composition, richness, andabundance of species. A sampling effort of 832 trapping-nights resulted in 24 species recorded. Cumulative curvessuggest that the overall inventory is not complete and that more species are likely to be registered. The majority ofspecies recorded is widespread along the Cerrado, but include some noteworthy records of endangered species, such asthe Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla and the Manned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus. The record of thearboreal cricetid rodent Oecomys bicolor represents a slight extension of the southeastern limit of its distribution.

The origins of the enigmatic Falkland Islands wolf.

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Austin, Jeremy J; Soubrier, Julien; Prevosti, Francisco J; Prates, Luciano; Trejo, Valentina; Mena, Francisco; Cooper, Alan

2013-01-01

The origins of the extinct Falkland Islands wolf (FIW), Dusicyon australis, have remained a mystery since it was first recorded by Europeans in the seventeenth century. It is the only terrestrial mammal on the Falkland Islands (also known as the Malvinas Islands), which lie ~460 km from Argentina, leading to suggestions of either human-mediated transport or overwater dispersal. Previous studies used ancient DNA from museum specimens to suggest that the FIW diverged from its closest living relative, the South American maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) around 7 Ma, and colonized the islands ~330 ka by unknown means. Here we retrieve ancient DNA from subfossils of an extinct mainland relative, Dusicyon avus, and reveal the FIW lineage became isolated only 16 ka (8-31 ka), during the last glacial phase. Submarine terraces, formed on the Argentine coastal shelf by low sea-stands during this period, suggest that the FIW colonized via a narrow, shallow marine strait, potentially while it was frozen over.

Comparison of serum hormone levels of captive and free-living maned wolves Chrysocyon brachyurus

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O.B. Maia

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Serum hormone levels were compared between captive and free-living maned wolves and seasonal variations of sex hormones were studied. Blood samples were collected from 16 male and 26 female adult animals from Brazilian zoos, and from 30 male and 24 female free-living adults to determine serum progesterone and testosterone by radioimmunoassay. Serum testosterone concentrations varied (P 0.05. Sixteen captive males showed higher testosterone concentration during winter and spring compared with 30 free-living animals (P < 0.05. Progesterone concentration varied among seasons in 26 captive females (P < 0.05, being higher in autumn (15.3 ± 3.1 ng/mL than in summer (6.6 ± 1.5 ng/mL, winter (5.3 ± 3.1 ng/mL and spring (4.3 ± 0.7 ng/mL. Progesterone concentration of 24 free-living females varied between autumn (17.1 ± 6.0 ng/mL and winter (1.7 ± 0.3 ng/mL (P < 0.05, but we could not obtain data for spring or summer. No difference in progesterone levels was observed between captive and free-living females in autumn and winter.

Demodex injai: a new species of hair follicle mite (Acari: Demodecidae) from the domestic dog (Canidae).

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Desch, Clifford E; Hillier, Andrew

2003-03-01

Demondex injai sp. nov. is described from the hair follicles of a domestic dog in Columbus, OH in October 1996. The mites occupy follicles from the orifice down to and into the sebaceous glands. The individual host may harbor both this new species and D. canis. A comparison of these two species is provided for identification purposes.

Frugivoria em morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera no Parque Estadual Intervales, sudeste do Brasil Frugivory in bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera at the Intervales State Park, Southeastern Brazil

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Fernando C. Passos

2003-09-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out at the Intervales State Park, an Atlantic Rain Forest area in Southeastern Brazil. Bats were monthly mist netted over a full year, and fecal samples were collected for dietary analysis. The seeds found in each sample were identified in the laboratory under a stereoscopic microscope by comparison with seeds taken from ripe fruits collected in the study area. Three hundred and seventy one bats were collected, of which 316 (85.2% were frugivorous. The total number of fecal samples with seeds and/or pulp was 121. Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810 was the most abundant species in the study area (n = 157 captures and Solanaceae fruits accounted for 78.5% of the fecal samples with seeds (n = 56. Artibeus fimbriatus Gray, 1838 (n = 21 samples fed mostly on Cecropiaceae (38% and Moraceae fruits (24%, and Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818 (n = 7 samples on Cecropiaceae (57% and Moraceae (29%. Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758 (n = 16 samples fed mostly on Piperaceae fruits (56,3%, but Solanaceae (31,3% and Rosaceae seeds (12,5% were also found in feces. Overall, seeds found in bat feces belong to eight plant families: Solanaceae (n = 67 samples; Cecropiaceae (n = 14; Piperaceae (n = 14; Moraceae (n = 8; Rosaceae (n = 3; Cucurbitaceae (n = 3; Cluseaceae (n = 1, and Araceae (n = 1. The close association of different bat species with fruits of certain plant families and genus may be related to a possible mechanism of resource partitioning that shapes the structure of the community.

Diet of crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus (Carnivora, Canidae, in a suburban area of southern Brazil Dieta de graxaim-do-mato, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus (Carnivora, Canidae, em uma região suburbana do sul do Brasil

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Ezequiel Pedó

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766, is a small canid with twilight and nocturnal habits from savannas and forests of South America. In this study, we seasonally determined and quantified the diet of C. thous in Lami Biological Reserve, a conservation unit with 179.78ha situated in a suburban area in the municipality of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. During the year 2000, we collected 80 fecal samples - 20 for each season - in two or three week sampling intervals, along trails inside the Reserve. Samples were dried in an oven for 24h at 60ºC, immersed in 70% alcohol, and prey items were identified using a stereomicroscope. The diet of the crab-eating fox was essentially carnivorous (87.62% composed by vertebrates, with seasonal variation (p = 0.0009 and absence of fruits. Small non-flying mammals and birds were the most frequent prey, being proportionally more preyed in autumn and summer, respectively. Arthropods were more preyed in winter and spring and bird/reptile eggs only in summer and spring, in the reproduction period of these groups.O graxaim-do-mato, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766, é um canídeo de pequeno porte de hábito crepuscular e noturno que ocorre nas savanas e florestas da América do Sul. Neste estudo foi avaliada a sazonalidade e a dieta de C. thous na Reserva Biológica do Lami, uma unidade de conservação com 179,78ha, situada na região suburbana do município de Porto Alegre, no sul do Brasil. Durante o ano de 2000 foram coletadas 80 amostras fecais - 20 por estação do ano - em coletas realizadas a cada duas ou três semanas, percorrendo as trilhas existentes na Reserva. As amostras foram desidratadas em estufa por 24h a 60ºC, imersas em álcool a 70%, e as presas foram identificadas com auxílio de estereomicroscópio. A dieta do graxaim-do-mato apresentou-se essencialmente carnívora (87,62% composta por vertebrados, com variação sazonal (p = 0,0009 e ausência de frutos. Pequenos mamíferos não-voadores e aves foram os itens mais freqüentes, sendo proporcionalmente mais predados no outono e no verão, respectivamente. Artrópodos foram mais predados no inverno e na primavera e ovos de aves e/ou répteis somente no verão e na primavera, período de reprodução nestes dois grupos.

Desarrollo morfológico y conductual de pollos del aguilucho chico Buteo albigula (Aves: Accipitridae en el noroeste de la Patagonia argentina Morphologic and behavioral development of white-throated hawk Buteo albigula (Aves: Accipitridae nestlings in northwestern Argentine Patagonia

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VALERIA OJEDA

2003-09-01

Full Text Available El desarrollo morfológico y conductual del aguilucho chico (Buteo albigula en el nido fue estudiado en cercanías de San Carlos de Bariloche, al noroeste de la Patagonia argentina. El estudio se basó en el seguimiento de dos pollos producidos en diferentes nidos en la temporada reproductiva 2001-2002, y se lo complementó con datos tomados ad libitum en otros nidos, esa misma y anteriores temporadas. Los pollos permanecieron en el nido por aproximadamente seis semanas. Durante su desarrollo morfológico se evidenciaron diversos cambios; notablemente, la aparición secuencial de dos plumones natales, que solo fue observada entre especies de Buteo neotropicales, para B. brachyurus. La conducta de los pollos se encuadró en los patrones comunes para otras especies de Buteo de tamaño corporal similar. Además, se caracterizó, por primera vez para la Argentina, un juvenil (muerto accidentalmente, y se tomaron medidas y peso (por primera vez para B. albigula de dos adultos anillados cerca de sus nidos. El juvenil fue relativamente similar al descrito en Chile. Los adultos, que serían los primeros aguiluchos chicos en ser anillados, se suman a los escasos ejemplares medidos en el área reproductiva conocida de la especie.The morphological and behavioral development of white-throated hawk (Buteo albigula nestlings was studied near San Carlos de Bariloche, in northwestern Argentine Patagonia. The study was mainly based on the monitoring of two nestlings produced at different nests during 2001-2002 breeding season, and was reinforced with data obtained at libitum in other nests the same and previous breeding seasons. The nestling period extended for approximately 6 weeks. Morphological development was characterized by several changing features, but the most surprising was the development of first and second natal down, which was only known, among Neotropical Buteo species, for B. brachyurus. Nestling behavioral development matched the general

Successful cloning of coyotes through interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer using domestic dog oocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Insung; Jeong, Yeon Woo; Kim, Joung Joo; Lee, Hyo Jeong; Kang, Mina; Park, Kang Bae; Park, Jung Hwan; Kim, Yeun Wook; Kim, Woo Tae; Shin, Taeyoung; Hyun, Sang Hwan; Jeung, Eui-Bae; Hwang, Woo Suk

2013-01-01

Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) is an emerging assisted reproductive technology (ART) for preserving Nature's diversity. The scarcity of oocytes from some species makes utilisation of readily available oocytes inevitable. In the present study, we describe the successful cloning of coyotes (Canis latrans) through iSCNT using oocytes from domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris or dingo). Transfer of 320 interspecies-reconstructed embryos into 22 domestic dog recipients resulted in six pregnancies, from which eight viable offspring were delivered. Fusion rate and cloning efficiency during iSCNT cloning of coyotes were not significantly different from those observed during intraspecies cloning of domestic dogs. Using neonatal fibroblasts as donor cells significantly improved the cloning efficiency compared with cloning using adult fibroblast donor cells (Pcloning of coyotes in the present study holds promise for cloning other endangered species in the Canidae family using similar techniques. However, there are still limitations of the iSCNT technology, as demonstrated by births of morphologically abnormal coyotes and the clones' inheritance of maternal domestic dog mitochondrial DNA.

Lycalopex culpaeus reissii, el segundo cánido más grande de Sudamérica

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Domenica Garzón

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Lycalopex culpaeus reissii es una subespecie del Lycalopex Culpaeus perteneciente a la familia Canidae. El culpaeus es el segundo cánido más grande de América del Sur. En Ecuador, se localiza principalmente en los páramos, estepas y bosques como los de la reserva Antisana y en el Bosque Jerusalén. Es un animal tímido y solitario que se distingue por su pelaje rojizo, y su cráneo prolongado. Suele mantener una pareja estable para la reproducción y cuidado de las crías. Su alimentación es muy variada pero principalmente se constituye de mamíferos más pequeños. Actualmente, sus principales amenazas son el ser humano, esencialmente porque se considera que este lobo es perjudicial para el ganado, y la depredación por perros domésticos y salvajes, así como su adquisición de enfermedades parasitarias. Además, las investigaciones centradas en esta subespecie son escasas en el país.

Macroscopic description of thoracic member musculature in Cuniculus paca (Linnaeus, 1766 (Rodentia, Cuniculidae

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Rodrigo Gomes de Souza

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Cuniculus paca (Mammalia: Cuniculidae, or ‘paca’ is a rodent species in great demand for its meat, which has led to domestication and development of paca farms in the Brazilian Amazon region, as well as in other states. Despite the growing consumption of paca meat, knowledge on muscle anatomy is still scarce. An anatomical description of paca forelimbs will form the basis for future zootechnical and veterinary studies, enabling the development of sustainable production in the Amazon region, as well as the preservation of the species. We studied forelimb anatomy in four (04 adult pacas from the Caboclinho Project of Catuaba Experimental Farm (UFAC under IBAMA authorization n°509309. Specimens were fixed in 10% formalin and thoracic limbs were dissected, after which anatomical descriptions and photographic records were generated. We found that paca forelimb musculature is similar to that of other groups of domestic animals with regard to the origin and muscle insertion.

Preparation of {sup 35}SO{sub 4}H{sub 2} and of some other {sup 35}S labeled mineral compounds; Preparation de {sup 35}SO{sub 4}H{sub 2} et de quelques autres composes mineraux simples marques a {sup 35}S

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De la Gueronniere, E; Henry, R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1958-07-01

Methods of preparation, from pile irradiated KCI, of the following labeled molecules are described: - carrier free H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} - SCd (100 m curies/milli mole) - solution of SNa{sub 2} (100 m curies/milli mole) - solution of SK{sub 2} (100 m curies/milli mole) - S metalloid (100 m curies/milli mole) - SO{sub 3}Na{sub 2} (90 m curies/milli mole) - S{sub 2}C{sub 3}Na{sub 2} (50 m curies/mammalia). (author) [French] On decrit les methodes de preparation, a partir de KCl irradie dans les piles, des molecules suivantes marquees au {sup 35}S: - SO{sub 4}H{sub 2} (sans entraineur) - SCd (100 mcuries/millimole) - solution de SNa{sub 2} (100 mcuries/millimole) - solution de SK{sub 2} (100 mcuries/millimole) - S metalloide (100 mcuries/millimole) - Na{sub 2}SO{sub 3} (90 mcuries/millimole) - Na{sub 2}S{sub 2}C{sub 3} (50 mcuries/milIimole). (auteur)

Sarcocystis inghami n. sp. (Sporozoa: Sarcocystidae) from the skeletal muscles of the Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana in Michigan.

Science.gov (United States)

Elsheikha, Hany M; Fitzgerald, Scott D; Mansfield, Linda S; Saeed, A Mahdi

2003-09-01

This report describes the newly identified Sarcocystis inghami n. sp. from the skeletal muscles of opossums (Mammalia: Didelphidae) that were collected from south central Michigan (42 degrees 43'-42 degrees 79'N, 84 degrees 18'-84 degrees 86'W), USA. The new species is distinguished from all species described from North and South American opossums by the distinctive morphology of the villar protrusions on the cyst wall. Sarcocysts of S. inghami are microscopic, up to 700 microm long and 110 microm wide. The sarcocyst wall is up to 7 microm thick, with long, stalked protrusions which average 5.5 x 1.2 microm. These are constricted at the base, expanded laterally, rounded off distally and occasionally bifid. The villar protrusions have numerous microtubules without electron-dense bodies that extend from the tips into the granular layer. Bradyzoites are 10.7 x 4.3 (8-12 x 4-5) microm. This is the second species of Sarcocystis sarcocyst described from the Virginia opossum in North America.

DNA barcoding in Mexico: an introduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Elías-Gutiérrez, M; León-Regagnon, V

2013-11-01

DNA barcoding has become an important current scientific trend to the understanding of the world biodiversity. In the case of mega-diverse hot spots like Mexico, this technique represents an important tool for taxonomists, allowing them to concentrate in highlighted species by the barcodes instead of analyzing entire sets of specimens. This tendency resulted in the creation of a national network named Mexican Barcode of Life (MEXBOL) which main goals are to train students, and to promote the interaction and collective work among researchers interested in this topic. As a result, the number of records in the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) for some groups, such as the Mammalia, Actinopterygii, Polychaeta, Branchiopoda, Ostracoda, Maxillopoda, Nematoda, Pinophyta, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota place Mexico among the top ten countries in the generation of these data. This special number presents only few of the many interesting findings in this region of the world, after the use of this technique and its integration with other methodologies. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dispersão zoocórica e hidrocórica marítima de Opuntia monacantha (Willd. Haw. (Cactaceae

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Maurício Lenzi

2011-12-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2012v25n1p47 Adaptações evolutivas na morfologia e fisiologia das cactáceas têm sido associadas aos seus mecanismos de dispersão e colonização. Os mecanismos e modos de dispersão de Opuntia monacantha (Willd. Haw. (Cactaceae foram caracterizados em duas praias de Florianópolis, SC, Brasil. Um marsupial do gênero Didelphis (Mammalia: Didelphidae foi o único frugívoro e, portanto, dispersor de frutos, apresentando locais específicos para alimentação. A hidrocoria marítima ocorreu após a invasão marinha sobre a vegetação de restinga, caracterizando-se pela dispersão de cladódios e frutos em várias épocas do ano. Descreve-se pela primeira vez a ação do mar como potencial dispersor para uma espécie de cactos.

Asociacion faunistica de vertebrados mesozoicos de la localidad de Galve (Teruel

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Sánchez Hemández, B.

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Sediments of Tithonian-Barremian of Iberian Basin in the surroundings of Galve (Teniel, Spain have a high content of vertebrate's remains. These ones have been studied since s. XX until today by different scientists. More than ninety taxons have been mentioned in these papers, distributed in Hybodontiformes, Squalomorpha, Batoidea, Rajiforms, Amphibia, Reptilia (Chelonia, Sauria, Crocodylia, Pterosauria, Ornithischia, Saurischia and Marnmalia.Los sedimentos del Tithónico-Barremiense de la Cuenca Ibérica aflorantes en los alrededores de la localidad de Galve (Teniel, son particularmente ricos en restos de vertebrados mesozoicos. Estos han sido estudiados por diferentes autores, desde principios del siglo xx hasta la actualidad. El objetivo del presente artículo es recopilar los distintos taxones que han sido citados para esta área, a lo largo del tiempo, recogiéndose más de noventa taxones distribuidos entre Hybodontiformes, Squalomorpha, Batoidea, Rajiformes, Amphibia, Reptilia (Testudines, Sauria, Crocodilia, Pterosauria, Ornithischia, Saurischia y Mammalia.

Constitutional basis of longevity in the cetacea: do the whales and the terrestrial mammals obey the same laws

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sacher, G.A.

1978-01-01

The maximum lifespans in captivity for terrestrial mammalian species can be estimated by means of a multiple linear regression of logarithm of lifespan (L) on the logarithm of adult brain weight (E) and body weight (S). This paper describes the application of regression formulas based on data from terrestrial mammals to the estimation of odontocete and mysticete lifespans. The regression formulas predict cetacean lifespans that are in accord with the data on maximum cetacean lifespans obtained in recent years by objective age determination procedures. More remarkable is the correct prediction by the regression formulas that the odontocete species have nearly constant lifespans, almost independent of body weight over a 300:1 body weight range. This prediction is a consequence of the fact, remarkable in itself, that over this body weight range the Odontoceti have a brain:body allometric slope of 1/3, as compared to a slope of 2/3 for the Mammalia as a whole.

Wild carnivores (Mammalia) as hosts for ticks (Ixodida) in Panama

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bermudez, S.E.; Esser, H.J.; Miranda, R.; Moreno, R.S.

2015-01-01

This study reports ticks collected from wild carnivores from different habitat types in Panama. We examined 94 individual wild carnivores and we found 87 parasitized by ticks: seven coyotes, six crab-eating foxes, 54 coatis, four raccoons, five ocelots, two pumas, two gray foxes, two skunks, and one

On three specimens of Lagenorhynchus albirostris Gray, 1846 (Mammalia, Cetacea)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bree, van P.J.H.; Nijssen, H.

1964-01-01

Recently the Zoological Museum in Amsterdam came into possession of three specimens of the White-beaked Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris. As data on this species are rather scarce, it may be useful to publish a few notes on these animals. The first dolphin, a female, was caught in the North Sea

Ticks parasitizing bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Caatinga Biome, Brazil.

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Luz, Hermes Ribeiro; Muñoz-Leal, Sebastián; Almeida, Juliana Cardoso de; Faccini, João Luiz Horacio; Labruna, Marcelo Bahia

2016-01-01

In this paper, the authors report ticks parasitizing bats from the Serra das Almas Natural Reserve (RPPN) located in the municipality of Crateús, state of Ceará, in the semiarid Caatinga biome of northeastern Brazil. The study was carried out during nine nights in the dry season (July 2012) and 10 nights in the rainy season (February 2013). Only bats of the Phyllostomidae and Mormoopidae families were parasitized by ticks. The species Artibeus planirostris and Carolia perspicillata were the most parasitized. A total of 409 larvae were collected and classified into three genera: Antricola (n = 1), Nothoaspis (n = 1) and Ornithodoros (n = 407). Four species were morphologically identified as Nothoaspis amazoniensis, Ornithodoros cavernicolous, Ornithodoros fonsecai, Ornithodoros hasei, and Ornithodoros marinkellei. Ornithodoros hasei was the most common tick associated with bats in the current study. The present study expand the distributional ranges of at least three soft ticks into the Caatinga biome, and highlight an unexpected richness of argasid ticks inhabiting this arid ecosystem.

Helminths of three species of opossums (Mammalia, Didelphidae) from Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Acosta-Virgen, Karla; López-Caballero, Jorge; García-Prieto, Luis; Mata-López, Rosario

2015-01-01

Abstract From August 2011 to November 2013, 68 opossums (8 Didelphis sp., 40 Didelphis virginiana, 15 Didelphis marsupialis, and 5 Philander opossum) were collected in 18 localities from 12 Mexican states. A total of 12,188 helminths representing 21 taxa were identified (6 trematodes, 2 cestodes, 3 acanthocephalans and 10 nematodes). Sixty-six new locality records, 9 new host records, and one species, the trematode Brachylaima didelphus, is added to the composition of the helminth fauna of the opossums in Mexico. These data, in conjunction with previous records, bring the number of taxa parasitizing the Mexican terrestrial marsupials to 41. Among these species, we recognized a group of helminths typical of didelphids in other parts of the Americas. This group is constituted by the trematode Rhopalias coronatus, the acanthocephalan Oligacanthorhynchus microcephalus and the nematodes Cruzia tentaculata, Gnathostoma turgidum, and Turgida turgida. In general, the helminth fauna of each didelphid species showed a stable taxonomic composition with respect to previously sampled sites. This situation suggests that the rate of accumulation of helminth species in the inventory of these 3 species of terrestrial marsupials in the Neotropical portion of Mexico is decreasing; however, new samplings in the Nearctic portion of this country will probably increase the richness of the helminthological inventory of this group of mammals. PMID:26257556

Helminths of Wild Predatory Mammals (Mammalia, Carnivora of Ukraine. Trematodes

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Korol E. N.

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The paper summarises information on 11 species of trematodes parasitic in 9 species of wild carnivorans of Ukraine. The largest number of trematode species (9 was found in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes. Alaria alata (Diplostomidae appeared to be the most common trematode parasite in the studied group; it was found in 4 host species from 9 administrative regions and Crimea.

Les ruminantia (Artiodactyla, Mammalia du miocene des bugti (Balouchistan, Pakistan

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Soria, D.

2001-08-01

Full Text Available The revision of the old material studied by Pilgrim (1908, 191 1, 1912, Forster Cooper, 1915 added to the study of the fossils recently yielded in the synclinal of Dera Bugti (Southem Pakistan by Welcome and its team (Welcomme et al., 1997 leads to consider the existence of five ruminats genera (Siarnotragulus, Dorcahune, Progiraffa, Bugtimeryx, Eotragus, belonging to eigth species.La revisión de los materiales descritos por Pilgrim (1908, 1911, 1912, Forster Cooper, 1915 junto al estudio de los hallazgos recientes realizados en el sinclinal de Dera Bugti (Sur de Paquistán por Welcomme et al. (1997, nos permite reconocer en esta área cinco géneros de ruminantes (Siamotragulus, Dorcahune, Progiraffa, Bugtimeryx, Eotragus con un total de ocho especies.

Sensory Hairs in the Bowhead Whale, Balaena mysticetus (Cetacea, Mammalia).

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Drake, Summer E; Crish, Samuel D; George, John C; Stimmelmayr, Raphaella; Thewissen, J G M

2015-07-01

We studied the histology and morphometrics of the hairs of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). These whales are hairless except for two patches of more than 300 hairs on the rostral tip of the lower lip and chin, the rostral tip of the upper lip, and a bilateral row of approximately ten hairs caudal to the blowhole. Histological data indicate that hairs in all three of these areas are vibrissae: they show an outermost connective tissue capsule, a circumferential blood sinus system surrounding the hair shaft, and dense innervation to the follicle. Morphometric data were collected on hair diameters, epidermal recess diameters, hair follicle length, and external hair lengths. The main difference between the hairs in the different regions is that blowhole hairs have larger diameters than the hairs in the chin and rostrum regions. We speculate that the hair shaft thickness patterns in bowheads reflect functional specializations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A checklist of the mammals (Mammalia) from Durango, western Mexico

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García-Mendoza, Diego; López-González, Celia

2013-01-01

An updated list of the mammals of Durango state, Mexico was built from literature records and Museum specimens. A total of 139 species have been recorded, representing 28.3 % of the Mexican terrestrial mammals, and 25.1 % species more compared to the previous account. Two species have been extirpated from the state, 23 are endemic to Mexico. Four major ecoregions have been previously defined for the state, Arid, Valleys, Sierra, and Quebradas. Species richness is highest at the Quebradas, a t...

Helminths of three species of opossums (Mammalia, Didelphidae from Mexico

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Karla Acosta-Virgen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available From August 2011 to November 2013, 68 opossums (8 Didelphis sp., 40 Didelphis virginiana, 15 Didelphis marsupialis, and 5 Philander opossum were collected in 18 localities from 12 Mexican states. A total of 12,188 helminths representing 21 taxa were identified (6 trematodes, 2 cestodes, 3 acanthocephalans and 10 nematodes. Sixty-six new locality records, 9 new host records, and one species, the trematode Brachylaima didelphus, is added to the composition of the helminth fauna of the opossums in Mexico. These data, in conjunction with previous records, bring the number of taxa parasitizing the Mexican terrestrial marsupials to 41. Among these species, we recognized a group of helminths typical of didelphids in other parts of the Americas. This group is constituted by the trematode Rhopalias coronatus, the acanthocephalan Oligacanthorhynchus microcephalus and the nematodes Cruzia tentaculata, Gnathostoma turgidum, and Turgida turgida. In general, the helminth fauna of each didelphid species showed a stable taxonomic composition with respect to previously sampled sites. This situation suggests that the rate of accumulation of helminth species in the inventory of these 3 species of terrestrial marsupials in the Neotropical portion of Mexico is decreasing; however, new samplings in the Nearctic portion of this country will probably increase the richness of the helminthological inventory of this group of mammals.

Ticks parasitizing bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera in the Caatinga Biome, Brazil

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Hermes Ribeiro Luz

Full Text Available Abstract In this paper, the authors report ticks parasitizing bats from the Serra das Almas Natural Reserve (RPPN located in the municipality of Crateús, state of Ceará, in the semiarid Caatinga biome of northeastern Brazil. The study was carried out during nine nights in the dry season (July 2012 and 10 nights in the rainy season (February 2013. Only bats of the Phyllostomidae and Mormoopidae families were parasitized by ticks. The species Artibeus planirostris and Carolia perspicillata were the most parasitized. A total of 409 larvae were collected and classified into three genera: Antricola (n = 1, Nothoaspis (n = 1 and Ornithodoros (n = 407. Four species were morphologically identified as Nothoaspis amazoniensis, Ornithodoros cavernicolous, Ornithodoros fonsecai, Ornithodoros hasei, and Ornithodoros marinkellei. Ornithodoros hasei was the most common tick associated with bats in the current study. The present study expand the distributional ranges of at least three soft ticks into the Caatinga biome, and highlight an unexpected richness of argasid ticks inhabiting this arid ecosystem.

Molecular systematics and biogeography of the Hemigalinae civets (Mammalia, Carnivora

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Géraldine Veron

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Due to the difficulty in obtaining samples, the systematics of the Hemigalinae civets has not been fully resolved. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships of the species and the intraspecific diversity within this subfamily, and to explore the environmental factors that might have affected its evolution. Using two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers, we confirmed that the Hemigalinae comprises Owston’s civet, the otter civet, Hose’s civet and the banded civet, but also the Sulawesi palm civet (formerly included in the Paradoxurinae. Our study showed that the banded and Owston’s civets are sister species, and suggested that Hose’s civet is sister to these two. Within the banded civet, we observed a high divergence between individuals from the Mentawai Islands and those from Sumatra and Borneo (while the latter two were not strongly divergent, likely due to the deep sea channel between the Mentawai Islands and Sumatra. Unexpectedly, the Sumatran and Peninsular Malaysian individuals were not closely related, despite the fact that these two regions have repeatedly been connected during the last glaciations. No high polymorphism was found within Owston’s civet, although three groups were obtained: southern China, northern Vietnam and central Vietnam, which might be related to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations.

Linajes fantasma y correlación con variables ecológicas: el caso de la Subfamilia Caprinae

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Morales, J.

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Integration between systematic phylogenetics and palaeontological data has been probed to be an effective methodology to value palaeodiversities because it identifies periods in the evolutionary history of the clade without fossil representation. These are called ghost lineages. In this work we explore the possible relationship of ghost lineages duration with biometric, biogeografic or ecological variables in the Subfamily Caprinae (Bovidae, Mammalia. Variables were codified as binary characters and their relationship was examined using the concentrated-changes test. Our results indicate that species appearing in rainforest, warm temperate forest, taiga and desert biomes are related with high proportion of ghost lineages, while those from steppe biome present lower proportions. Zones inhabited by species of Caprinae in rainforest, warm temperate forest, taiga and desert are usually associated with high altitudes and a steep topography. Thus, we interpret that proportions in ghost lineages would be determined by probabilities of sedimentation and fossil site development .La integración de la sistemática filogenética con datos paleontológicos ha demostrado ser una eficaz metodología a la hora de estimar paleodiversidades mediante la identificación de periodos en la historia evolutiva de los clados sin representantes fósiles, a los que se denominan linajes fantasma. En este trabajo pretendemos estudiar la posible correlación con variables biométricas, biogeográficas o ecológicas con el fin de averiguar si la duración de los linajes fantasma puede ser relacionada con este tipo de variables. Este estudio está basado en la Subfamilia Caprinae (Bovidae, Mammalia. Las variables estudiadas fueron traducidas a caracteres binarios y se analizó su correlación mediante análisis de cambios concentrados. Nuestros resultados indican que las especies que aparecen en los biomas pluvisilva, laurisilva, taiga y desierto están ligadas a altos

Phenotypic and molecular analysis of a pasteuria strain parasitic to the sting nematode.

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Bekal, S; Borneman, J; Springer, M S; Giblin-Davis, R M; Becker, J O

2001-06-01

Pasteuria strain S-1 was found to parasitize the sting nematode Belonolaimus longicaudatus. S-1 spores attached to several strains of B. longicaudatus from different geographical locations within the United States. However, they did not adhere to any of the following species: Heterodera schachtii, Longidorus africanus, Meloidogyne hapla, M. incognita, M. javanica, Pratylenchus brachyurus, P. scribneri, P. neglectus, P. penetrans, P. thornei, P. vulnus, and Xiphinema spp. The 16S rRNA genes from Pasteuria strain S-1 and P. penetrans strain Pp from Senegal were obtained by PCR amplification. A DNA sequence analysis showed that the S-1 16S rRNA had 96% or less similarity to the 16S rRNA genes from all previously reported Pasteuria species. Diverse phylogenetic methods all provided robust support for an association of Pasteuria strain S-1, Pasteuria strain NA parasitic to H. glycines, and P. penetrans strain Pp, to the exclusion of P. ramosa. In addition, our study showed intraspecific variation within P. penetrans as inferred by its 98% similarity to P. penetrans strain Pp.

SEROPREVALENCE OF NINE LEPTOSPIRA INTERROGANS SEROVARS IN WILD CARNIVORES, UNGULATES, AND PRIMATES FROM A ZOO POPULATION IN A METROPOLITAN REGION OF CHILE.

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Moreno-Beas, Eduardo; Abalos, Pedro; Hidalgo-Hermoso, Ezequiel

2015-12-01

Serum samples from 130 individuals representing 42 species of carnivores, ungulates, and primates from a population of captive mammals in Metropolitan Region in Chile were tested for antibodies against nine serovars of Leptospira interrogans using the microscopic agglutination test. Ten percent of the animals were seropositive to one or more serovars. Seroprevalence was significantly higher in ungulates (20.4%) compared to carnivores (3.8%) and primates (3.4%). There were no significant differences in seroprevalence among sex and age ranges. The most frequent serovar detected was Autumnalis, present in 53.4% of antibody-positive animals. Most positive animals had titers of ≤1 : 200, except for a maned wolf ( Chrysocyon brachyurus ) with titers of 1 : 400 against serovar Hardjo. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of Leptospira exposure detected in native endangered pudu ( Pudu puda ) and the first confirmation of exposure to L. interrogans in captive wild mammals in Chile. Leptospirosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in future disease presentation for hepatitis or abortions in captive mammals in Chile.

Genetic variability in maned wolf based on heterologous short-tandem repeat markers from domestic dog.

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Salim, D C; Akimoto, A A; Carvalho, C B; Oliveira, S F; Grisolia, C K; Moreira, J R; Klautau-Guimarães, M N

2007-06-20

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest South American canid. Habitat loss and fragmentation, due to agricultural expansion and predatory hunting, are the main threats to this species. It is included in the official list of threatened wildlife species in Brazil, and is also protected by IUCN and CITES. Highly variable genetic markers such as microsatellites have the potential to resolve genetic relationships at all levels of the population structure (among individuals, demes or metapopulations) and also to identify the evolutionary unit for strategies for the conservation of the species. Tests were carried out to verify whether a class of highly polymorphic tetranucleotide repeats described for the domestic dog effectively amplifies DNA in the maned wolf. All five loci studied were amplified; however, one of these, was shown to be monomorphic in 69 maned wolf samples. The average allele number and estimated heterozygosity per polymorphic locus were 4.3 and 67%, respectively. The genetic variability found for this species, which is considered threatened with extinction, showed similar results when compared to studies of other canids.

Meloidogyne and Pratylenchus species in sugarcane fields in the state of Alagoas, Brazil

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Marissônia de Araujo Noronha

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to accomplish a survey on populations of Meloidogyne and Pratylenchus species in sugarcane farming areas in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. Twenty samples of soil and roots were processed to extract and quantify nematodes; however, the identification of Meloidogyne species was performed using only 12 samples. Pratylenchus spp. were reported at moderate population levels of 68-1556 specimens 50g-1 of roots and 2-298 specimens 100cm-3 of soil in twenty analyzed samples. For Meloidogyne spp., these values were of 12-487 specimens 50g-1 of roots and 0-140 specimens 100cm-3 of soil. Based on electrophoresis of esterase isozymes, M. incognita was reported to be the most frequent species, followed by M. javanica and M. arenaria. Pratylenchus species identified through morphometrical and morphological characteristics were P. zeae and P. brachyurus , with predominance for the first species. No significant correlation (P≤0.05 were reported between nematode populations and sugarcane cropping systems.

Sexual dimorphism of the internal mandibular chamber in Fayum Pliohyracidae (Mammalia)

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de Blieux, D.D.; Baumrind, M.R.; Simons, E.L.; Chatrath, P.S.; Meyer, G.E.; Attia, Y.S.

2006-01-01

An internal mandibular fenestra and chamber are found in many fossil hyracoids. The internal mandibular fenestra is located on the lingual surface of the mandibular corpus and opens into a chamber within the mandible. The mandibular chamber is maximally developed in late Eocene Thyrohyrax meyeri and early Oligocene Thyrohyrax domorictus from the Fayum Province of Egypt. The function of this chamber is unknown as it is not found in extant hyraxes, nor is it known to occur in any other mammal. In Thyrohyrax, this feature appears to be sexually dimorphic because it is confined to roughly one half of the specimens that otherwise cannot be separated by dental characteristics or measurements. It has been suggested that the chamber is found in females based on the presumed distribution of this character in other fossil hyracoids. Fossils from Fayum Quarry L-41, preserving the sexually dimorphic anterior dentition, show that, in Thyrohyrax meyeri and Thyrohyrax domorictus, the internal mandibular chamber is found in males. In Thyrohyrax litholagus, an internal mandibular fenestra and inflated mandibular chamber occurs in males whereas females show the variable presence of an internal mandibular fossa or fenestra but lack an expanded chamber. Other genera show differing patterns of sexual variation in which some Fayum hyracoids have an internal mandibular fenestra in both sexes but with the greatest development of the mandibular chamber occurring in males. We review functions proposed for the internal mandibular chamber and suggest that it housed a laryngeal air sac that may have had a vocal function by acting as a resonating chamber. ?? 2006 by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Bone inner structure suggests increasing aquatic adaptations in Desmostylia (Mammalia, Afrotheria.

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Shoji Hayashi

Full Text Available The paleoecology of desmostylians has been discussed controversially with a general consensus that desmostylians were aquatic or semi-aquatic to some extent. Bone microanatomy can be used as a powerful tool to infer habitat preference of extinct animals. However, bone microanatomical studies of desmostylians are extremely scarce.We analyzed the histology and microanatomy of several desmostylians using thin-sections and CT scans of ribs, humeri, femora and vertebrae. Comparisons with extant mammals allowed us to better understand the mode of life and evolutionary history of these taxa. Desmostylian ribs and long bones generally lack a medullary cavity. This trait has been interpreted as an aquatic adaptation among amniotes. Behemotops and Paleoparadoxia show osteosclerosis (i.e. increase in bone compactness, and Ashoroa pachyosteosclerosis (i.e. combined increase in bone volume and compactness. Conversely, Desmostylus differs from these desmostylians in displaying an osteoporotic-like pattern.In living taxa, bone mass increase provides hydrostatic buoyancy and body trim control suitable for poorly efficient swimmers, while wholly spongy bones are associated with hydrodynamic buoyancy control in active swimmers. Our study suggests that all desmostylians had achieved an essentially, if not exclusively, aquatic lifestyle. Behemotops, Paleoparadoxia and Ashoroa are interpreted as shallow water swimmers, either hovering slowly at a preferred depth, or walking on the bottom, and Desmostylus as a more active swimmer with a peculiar habitat and feeding strategy within Desmostylia. Therefore, desmostylians are, with cetaceans, the second mammal group showing a shift from bone mass increase to a spongy inner organization of bones in their evolutionary history.

First isolation and genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii from bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera).

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Cabral, A D; Gama, A R; Sodré, M M; Savani, E S M M; Galvão-Dias, M A; Jordão, L R; Maeda, M M; Yai, L E O; Gennari, S M; Pena, H F J

2013-03-31

There are currently no reports on the isolation and molecular examination of Toxoplasma gondii from bats. Here, we report the isolation and genotypic characterisation of two T. gondii isolates from bats. A total of 369 bats from different municipalities in São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, were captured and euthanised, and collected tissues (heart and pectoral muscle) were processed for each bat or in pools of two or three bats and bioassayed in mice (a total of 283 bioassays). Eleven PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism) markers were used to genotype positive samples: SAG1, SAG2 (5'-3'SAG2 and alt. SAG2), SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, c22-8, c29-2, PK1, CS3 and Apico. The parasite was isolated from two bats from São Paulo city: an insectivorous bat, the velvety free-tailed bat Molossus molossus, and a hematophagous bat, the common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus. Isolates were designated TgBatBr1 and TgBatBr2, respectively. The genotype of the isolate from M. molossus (TgBatBr1) has been previously described in an isolate from a capybara from São Paulo state, and the genotype from the D. rotundus isolate (TgBatBr2) has already been identified in isolates from cats, chickens, capybaras, sheep, a rodent and a common rabbit from different Brazilian states, suggesting that this may be a common T. gondii lineage circulating in some Brazilian regions. Isolation of T. gondii from a hematophagous species is striking. This study reveals that bats can share the same isolates that are found in domesticated and wild terrestrial animals. This is the first report of the isolation and genotyping of T. gondii in chiropterans. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Helminths of the Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana (Mammalia: Didelphidae) in Mexico.

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Monet-Mendoza, Anne; Osorio-Sarabia, David; García-Prieto, Luis

2005-02-01

The goal of this study was to provide further information about helminth parasites of Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792 from Mexico. During routine faunal investigations between 1958 and 2001, 101 opossum were necropsied. Nineteen taxa of helminths were collected, representing 13 genera from hosts in 27 localities from Mexico. There are 58 new locality records, with 6 species recorded in Mexico for the first time: Brachylaima virginiana Dickerson, 1930; Cruzia americana Mapleston, 1930; Didelphonema longispiculata (Hill, 1939); Didelphostrongylus hayesi Prestwood, 1976; Viannaia didelphis Travassos, 1914; and Viannaia viannai Travassos, 1914. This increases the number of helminth taxa previously known for this host in Mexico to 28.

Mammalia, Chiroptera, Thyropteridae, Thyroptera tricolor Spix, 1823: Distribution extension in Ecuador

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Boada, C. E.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In Ecuador, Thyroptera tricolor is distributed on the northern coastal region, in Amazonia, and in the foothillsof the Andes between 50 to 1,800 m of altitude. We reported a capture of a non-breeding female at El Descanso, Los RíosProvince, in the central coastal region of Ecuador. With this record, we have extended the geographical distribution of T.tricolor in Ecuador 55 km further south. Using the available data for Ecuador, a predictive distribution model was generatedusing a Maximum Entropy approach.

On the correct name for some subfamilies of Mustelidae (Mammalia, Carnivora

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Fabio Oliveira do Nascimento

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Mustelids (Mustelidae exhibit a wide morphological and ecological diversity, ranging from aquatic to semi arboreal and fossorial forms. It is the most diversity family in Carnivora, and this has promoted a great number of taxonomic arrangements for subfamilies, which can range from two to 15 depending on the author. The relatively recent use of molecular data has helped to elucidate the classification of mustelids, and eight subfamilies are currently recognized: Mustelinae, Galictinae, Helictidinae, Martinae, Melinae, Mellivorinae, Taxidiinae and Lutrinae. However, some of these subfamilies have nomenclatural problems, not receiving the oldest available name. The subfamily that includes martens (Martes, Charronia and Pekania, tayra (Eira and wolverine (Gulo has received the name of Martinae Wagner, 1841, but the oldest available name is Guloninae Gray, 1825. This problem also occurs for the subfamily that includes the grisons (Galictis, Patagonian weasel (Lyncodon, marbled polecat (Vormela and striped weasels (Ictonyx and Poecilogale, which are known as Grisoninae Pocock, 1921, but the correct name for this group is Ictonychinae, Pocock, 1921. The subfamily that includes ferret badgers (Melogale retains the name Helictidinae Gray, 1865, because its validity is not affected when the type-genus of the subfamily becomes a junior synonym of another genus. Furthermore, a list of the extant subfamilies of Mustelidae and their respective synonyms and included genera is provided.

Antilopinae (Bovidae, Mammalia from the Lower Pliocene of Teruel Basin (Spain

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Morales, J.

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Two genera of Antilopinae are identified in the Lower Pliocene localities of the Teruel Basin: Hispanodorcas and Gazella. Hispanodorcas is represented at La Calera by a new species, Hispanodorcas heintzi nov. sp., which is characterised by the development of a strong anterior keel in the horn cores. Gazella is represented in La Calera and Villalba Alta localities by a new species, Gazella soriae nov. sp., which is defined by its small size and weak transversal compression of the horn cores. A species smaller than Gazella soriae, Gazella baturra nov. sp. is identified at La Gloria 4.En los yacimientos del Plioceno inferior de la Fosa de Teruel se han identificado dos géneros de Antilopinae: Hispanodorcas y Gazella. Hispanodorcas está representado en La Calera por una nueva especie: Hispanodorcas heintzi nov. sp., que está caracterizada por el desarrollo de una fuerte quilla anterior en sus núcleos óseos de cuerno. Gazella está representada en La Calera y Villalba Alta por una nueva especie, Gazella soriae nov. sp., que está definida por su pequeña talla y escasa compresión transversal de los núcleos óseos de cuerno. Una especie de menor talla todavía que Gazella soriae se clasifica como Gazella baturra nov. sp. en La Gloria 4.

A serological study of Leishmania infantum in dogs of Khorasan Razavi province, Iran.

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Sabzevari, S; Razmi, G R; Naghibi, A; Khoshnegah, J

2013-10-01

Leishmania infantum is the principal agent of visceral leishmaniosis (kala-azar) in all areas of Iran. The disease is endemic in Fars, Ardabil, East Azerbaijan and Bushehr provinces while it is sporadic in other parts of the country. Dog as a member of canidae family is the main animal reservoir host of kala-azar. The present study was carried out to determine the sero-prevalence of canine leishmaniosis in Mashhad, the capital city of Khorasan Razavi Province, in the north east of Iran. Two-hundred and nine dogs in two different classes including stray and sheepdogs were selected for this cross-sectional study. The blood samples were collected and tested by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test for detection of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies. The results showed that 16/209 (7.6 %) of blood samples were positive. The sero-prevalence rates in stray and sheepdogs were 11/94 (11.7 %) and 5/115 (4.3 %), respectively (p < 0.05). Based on the results obtained, it is concluded that visceral leishmaniosis is distributed among dogs of this area, also sero-prevalence of canine leishmaniosis in stray dogs higher than sheepdogs.

The status of Demodex cornei: description of the species and developmental stages, and data on demodecid mites in the domestic dog Canis lupus familiaris.

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Izdebska, J N; Rolbiecki, L

2018-03-30

Demodecosis canina is one of the most important dog parasitoses, but its aetiology is still not well known. There are currently two known species of demodecid mite specific to the domestic dog Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus, 1758 (Carnivora: Canidae). These are Demodex canis Leydig, 1859 (Acariformes: Demodecidae) and Demodex injai Desch & Hillier, 2003. There have also been many reports of the so-called 'short form', considered to be a separate species functioning under the name Demodex cornei nomen nudum, for which, however, no formal valid description has been documented. Taxonomic analysis of short forms of dog demodecid mites, associated with the stratum corneum, was performed, in line with the taxonomic criteria of Demodecidae systematics. This form was found to be a distinct species with features that differ from those of the other known species of this family. The species, including the adult and immature stages, is described. It is likely that different Demodex species parasitizing the domestic dog may be responsible for differentiated symptoms and different courses of demodecosis. However, the basis for clarifying this issue should be the correct, unambiguous identification of the species causing parasitosis. © 2018 The Royal Entomological Society.

Leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum in a FIV and FeIV positive cat with a squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed with histological, serological and isoenzymatic methods

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Grevot A.

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum is an endemic zoonosis present in the Mediterranean area. Canidae (dog and fox constitute the main reservoir hosts for the parasite, whilst wild rodents or the cat can be carriers of the protozoan and are considered as secondary potential reservoirs. This paper describes a case of disseminated feline leishmaniosis with cutaneous (ulcerative, visceral (spleen and lymph nodes and blood involvement in a FIV-FelV positive cat. The microscopic identification of the Leishmania infection was initially made on a skin biopsy of the temporal area, where a squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed. The diagnosis of the disease was achieved by several serological techniques (ELISA, IFAT and Western-blot. The strain was obtained by blood culture, characterized by electrophoresis of isoenzymes and identified as Leishmania infantum zymodeme MON-1. Since the infection due to L. infantum is a zoonosis, the potential feline reservoir should be more investigated. Serological analysis by Western blot on domestic cats provides a useful tool. In veterinary practice, feline leishmaniosis should be systematically included in the differential diagnosis when compatible cutaneous lesions are present, especially in the endemic areas of canine leishmaniosis.

Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Red Fox (Vuples vuples) and Phylogenetic Analysis with Other Canid Species.

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Zhong, Hua-Ming; Zhang, Hong-Hai; Sha, Wei-Lai; Zhang, Cheng-De; Chen, Yu-Cai

2010-04-01

The whole mitochondrial genome sequence of red fox (Vuples vuples) was determined. It had a total length of 16 723 bp. As in most mammal mitochondrial genome, it contained 13 protein coding genes, two ribosome RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and one control region. The base composition was 31.3% A, 26.1% C, 14.8% G and 27.8% T, respectively. The codon usage of red fox, arctic fox, gray wolf, domestic dog and coyote followed the same pattern except for an unusual ATT start codon, which initiates the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 3 gene in the red fox. A long tandem repeat rich in AC was found between conserved sequence block 1 and 2 in the control region. In order to confirm the phylogenetic relationships of red fox to other canids, phylogenetic trees were reconstructed by neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony methods using 12 concatenated heavy-strand protein-coding genes. The result indicated that arctic fox was the sister group of red fox and they both belong to the red fox-like clade in family Canidae, while gray wolf, domestic dog and coyote belong to wolf-like clade. The result was in accordance with existing phylogenetic results.

Missense polymorphisms in the MC1R gene of the dog, red fox, arctic fox and Chinese raccoon dog.

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Nowacka-Woszuk, J; Salamon, S; Gorna, A; Switonski, M

2013-04-01

Coat colour variation is determined by many genes, one of which is the melanocortin receptor type 1 (MC1R) gene. In this study, we examined the whole coding sequence of this gene in four species belonging to the Canidae family (dog, red fox, arctic fox and Chinese raccoon dog). Although the comparative analysis of the obtained nucleotide sequences revealed a high conservation, which varied between 97.9 and 99.1%, we altogether identified 22 SNPs (10 in dogs, six in farmed red foxes, two in wild red foxes, three in arctic foxes and one in Chinese raccoon dog). Among them, seven appeared to be novel: one silent in the dog, three missense and one silent in the red fox, one in the 3'-flanking region in the arctic fox and one silent in the Chinese raccoon dog. In dogs and red foxes, the SNPs segregated as 10 and four haplotypes, respectively. Taking into consideration the published reports and results of this study, the highest number of missense polymorphisms was until now found in the dog (9) and red fox (7). © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Occurrence and morphometrics of the brachioradialis muscle in wild carnivorans (Carnivora: Caniformia, Feliformia

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Paulo de Souza Junior

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The brachioradialis is an important muscle that acts in the external rotation of the forearm (supination. However, its occurrence is controversial and little studied in the order Carnivora. Thus, this study investigates the occurrence and anatomo-functional arrangement of this muscle in wild carnivorans species. Fifty-eight thoracic limbs of specimens from species of Canidae, Procyonidae, Mustelidae and Felidae were dissected. Measurements of the length of the muscle (ML, the length of the forearm (FL, latero-medial width of the muscle (MW and the lateral-medial diameter of the forearm (FD were obtained to establish the ratios MW/FD and ML/FL in order to investigate the relative proportion of the muscle in relation to the forearm of each species. The brachioradialis muscle was identified in all species, although it was unilaterally or bilaterally absent in some canid individuals. The ratios demonstrated significant differences in the anatomical proportions among the families, with greater functional importance in the mustelids, procyonids, and felids because of a set of elaborate movements in the thoracic limb of representatives of these families when compared to canids.

Metazoarios parásitos de Tlacuatzin canescens y Marmosa mexicana (Mammalia: Didelphimorphia de México Metazoan parasites of Tlacuatzin canescens and Marmosa mexicana (Mammalia: Didelphimorphia from Mexico

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Carmen Guzmán-Cornejo

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Como parte de un estudio sobre los metazoarios parásitos de mamíferos de México se recolectaron 4 ejemplares de ratones tlacuache: 2 de Tlacuatzin canescens (Allen, 1893 procedentes de Oaxaca y 2 de Marmosa mexicana Merriam, 1897 de Veracruz. Se presentan 5 registros nuevos de hospedero y localidad para ácaros de las especies Ixodes luciae Sénevet, 1940, Ixodes sinaloa Kohls y Clifford, 1966, las pulgas Plusaetis mathesoni (Traub 1950 y Polygenis martinezbaezi Vargas 1951, así como para el cestodo Hymenolepis sp. y por primera vez en México se registra el nematodo Hoineffia simplicispicula Navone, Suriano y Pujol, 1991.As a part of an ongoing project to inventory the metazoan parasites of Mexican mammals, 4 specimens of 2 species of mouse opossums (2 Tlacuatzin canescens [Allen, 1893] and 2 Marmosa mexicana Merriam, 1897, were collected from Oaxaca and Veracuz states, Mexico, respectively. Five new locality and host records are presented for the acari Ixodes luciae Sénevet, 1940, Ixodes sinaloa Kohls and Clifford, 1966, of fleas Plusaetis mathesoni (Traub 1950, and Polygenis martinezbaezi Vargas 1951, as well as the cestode Hymenolepis sp., while the nematode Hoineffia simplicispicula Navone, Suriano and Pujol, 1991, is recorded for the first time in Mexico.

Gastrointestinal parasites of maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger 1815 in a suburban area in southeastern Brazil

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RL Massara

Full Text Available AbstractWe examined 42 maned wolf scats in an unprotected and disturbed area of Cerrado in southeastern Brazil. We identified six helminth endoparasite taxa, being Phylum Acantocephala and Family Trichuridae the most prevalent. The high prevalence of the Family Ancylostomatidae indicates a possible transmission via domestic dogs, which are abundant in the study area. Nevertheless, our results indicate that the endoparasite species found are not different from those observed in protected or least disturbed areas, suggesting a high resilience of maned wolf and their parasites to human impacts, or a common scenario of disease transmission from domestic dogs to wild canid whether in protected or unprotected areas of southeastern Brazil.

Gastrointestinal parasites of maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger 1815) in a suburban area in southeastern Brazil.

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Massara, R L; Paschoal, A M O; Chiarello, A G

2015-08-01

We examined 42 maned wolf scats in an unprotected and disturbed area of Cerrado in southeastern Brazil. We identified six helminth endoparasite taxa, being Phylum Acantocephala and Family Trichuridae the most prevalent. The high prevalence of the Family Ancylostomatidae indicates a possible transmission via domestic dogs, which are abundant in the study area. Nevertheless, our results indicate that the endoparasite species found are not different from those observed in protected or least disturbed areas, suggesting a high resilience of maned wolf and their parasites to human impacts, or a common scenario of disease transmission from domestic dogs to wild canid whether in protected or unprotected areas of southeastern Brazil.

Macroscopic description of thoracic member musculature in Cuniculus paca (Linnaeus, 1766 (Rodentia, Cuniculidae

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Rodrigo Gomes de Souza

2017-05-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2017v30n2p43 Cuniculus paca (Mammalia: Cuniculidae, or ‘paca’ is a rodent species in great demand for its meat, which has led to domestication and development of paca farms in the Brazilian Amazon region, as well as in other states. Despite the growing consumption of paca meat, knowledge on muscle anatomy is still scarce. An anatomical description of paca forelimbs will form the basis for future zootechnical and veterinary studies, enabling the development of sustainable production in the Amazon region, as well as the preservation of the species. We studied forelimb anatomy in four (04 adult pacas from the Caboclinho Project of Catuaba Experimental Farm (UFAC under IBAMA authorization n°509309. Specimens were fixed in 10% formalin and thoracic limbs were dissected, after which anatomical descriptions and photographic records were generated. We found that paca forelimb musculature is similar to that of other groups of domestic animals with regard to the origin and muscle insertion.

The identity of the enigmatic "Black Shrew" (Sorex niger Ord, 1815)

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Woodman, Neal

2013-01-01

The scientific name Sorex niger Ord, 1815 (Mammalia, Soricidae) was originally applied to a North American species that George Ord called the “Black Shrew.” The origin of the name “Black Shrew,” however, was obscure, and Samuel Rhoads subsequently wrote that the species represented by this name could not be determined. The names Sorex niger Ord and Black Shrew have since been mostly forgotten. Two of Ord's contemporaries, however, noted that Ord's use of these names probably alluded to Benjamin Smith Barton's Black Shrew, whose discovery near Philadelphia was announced by Barton in 1806. Examination of two unpublished illustrations of the Black Shrew made by Barton indicates that the animal depicted is Blarina brevicauda (Say, 1822). Had the connection between Ord's and Barton's names been made more clearly, one of the most common mammals in eastern North America would bear a different scientific name today. This connection also would have affected the validity of Sorex niger Horsfield, 1851. While Sorex niger Ord remains a nomen nudum, the animal it referenced can now be identified.

Discrepancy variation of dinucleotide microsatellite repeats in eukaryotic genomes

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HUAN GAO

2009-01-01

Full Text Available To address whether there are differences of variation among repeat motif types and among taxonomic groups, we present here an analysis of variation and correlation of dinucleotide microsatellite repeats in eukaryotic genomes. Ten taxonomic groups were compared, those being primates, mammalia (excluding primates and rodentia, rodentia, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, insects, molluscs, plants and fungi, respectively. The data used in the analysis is from the literature published in the Journal of Molecular Ecology Notes. Analysis of variation reveals that there are no significant differences between AC and AG repeat motif types. Moreover, the number of alleles correlates positively with the copy number in both AG and AC repeats. Similar conclusions can be obtained from each taxonomic group. These results strongly suggest that the increase of SSR variation is almost linear with the increase of the copy number of each repeat motif. As well, the results suggest that the variability of SSR in the genomes of low-ranking species seem to be more than that of high-ranking species, excluding primates and fungi.

A review of bush dog Speothos venaticus (Lund, 1842 (Carnivora, Canidae occurrences in Paraná state, subtropical Brazil

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L. M. Tiepolo

Full Text Available Abstract We report six new occurrence records of the bush dog Speothos venaticus, a widely distributed South American carnivore that is threatened with extinction. These records are accompanied by notes on the places where the records were made, such as vegetation type, date and information about the protection of areas. The records, obtained over the last 17 years in Paraná state, southern Brazil, offer an improved understanding of the species geographic range and the threats it faces and can enable better assessments of the conservation status of the species in southern Brazil.

Roadkills of vertebrates in Venezuela Vertebrados mortos em estradas na Venezuela

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Jan Pinowski

2005-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an analysis of vertebrate roadkills in five different habitats of tropical South America. Observations of vertebrate roadkills were conducted in 1978, on a 572 km road between Caracas and Mantecal/Apure in Venezuela, during the rainy season (June-October. During five passages on this route, which includes five distinct habitats, 79 vertebrate carcasses - mammals and reptiles - were found. If we assume that the carcasses remain for two days on the road, vehicles can be expected to strike 350 spectacled caimans Caiman crocodilus Linnaeus, 1758 (Alligatoridae during the rainy season alone. Similar calculations for other species yield 313 snakes and lizards, 294 opossums Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 (Didelphidae, 220 crab-eating foxes Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1776 (Canidae, 129 tamanduas Tamandua tetradactyla (Linnaeus, 1758 (Myrmecophagidae, 55 capybaras Hydrochaerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766 (Hydrochaeridae and 37 eastern cottontails Sylvilagus floridanus Allen, 1890 (Leporidae. Numerous papers have been published on vertebrates killed by vehicles on roads in Europe, North America, and Australia, and several papers are available regarding vertebrate roadkills in Africa and Asia. From South America there are several papers on vertebrates, birds, and mammals, whereas from Venezuela only one and it deals with iguanas (Iguana iguana Linnaeus, 1758, Iguanidae.Este trabalho apresenta uma análise de vertebrados mortos em estrada em cinco habitats tropicais diferentes na América do Sul. As observações dos vertebrados mortos em estrada foram feitas em 1978, a 572 km da rodovia entre Caracas e Mantecal/Apure na Venezuela, durante a estação das chuvas (junho-outubro. Durante cinco passagens nesta rota, a qual inclui cinco habitats diferentes, foram encontradas 79 carcaças de vertebrados - répteis e mamíferos. Assumindo que as carcaças permaneçam por dois dias na estrada, é esperado que veículos matem 350

Bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera in the Ponta Grossa region, Campos Gerais, Paraná, Brazil Morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera na região de Ponta Grossa, Campos Gerais, Paraná, Brasil

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Cibele M. V. Zanon

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The diet, reproduction and activity time of bat species found in Ponta Grossa county, Campos Gerais region, were studied. Collections were conducted in four forest fragments, during 272 hours, on 48 m² of nets and roosting sites; the total capture effort was 1.52.10³ h.m². Eight species (247 individuals were registered: Artibeuslituratus (Olfers, 1818, Sturniralilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810, Desmodusrotundus (E. Geoffroy, 1810 (Phyllostomidae; Tadaridabrasiliensis (Desmarest, 1819, Eumopsauripendulus (Shaw, 1800 (Molossidae; Eptesicusbrasiliensis (Shaw, 1800, Myotisnigricans (Schinz, 1821, and Histiotusvelatus (I. Geoffroy, 1824 (Vespertilionidae. The Phyllostomidae family was the most frequently captured. Solanaceae, Moraceae, Piperaceae, and Rosaceae were found in the diet of frugivores; six orders of insects and the class Arachnida were found in the diets of insectivores. Pregnant females were found in September and October and lactating ones in November and December. The collection peak was reached in the second hour-and-a-half. Preservation of the regional forested and altered areas is required for survival of the local chiropterofauna.Estudou-se as espécies de morcegos presentes em Ponta Grossa, na região dos Campos Gerais, Paraná, com o objetivo de conhecer seus aspectos ecológicos básicos (dieta, reprodução e horário de atividade. Realizou-se coletas em quatro fragmentos florestais, onde foram empregadas 272 horas de esforço com 48 m² de redes, e em locais de repouso, totalizando um esforço de captura de 1,52.10³ h.m². Registrou-se 247 indivíduos, de oito espécies: Artibeuslituratus (Olfers, 1818, Sturniralilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810, Desmodusrotundus (E. Geoffroy, 1810 (Phyllostomidae; Tadaridabrasiliensis (Desmarest, 1819, Eumopsauripendulus (Shaw, 1800 (Molossidae; Eptesicusbrasiliensis(Shaw, 1800, Myotisnigricans (Schinz, 1821, Histiotusvelatus (I. Geoffroy, 1824 (Vespertilionidae. Phyllostomidae foi a família mais capturada. Solanaceae, Moraceae, Piperaceae e Rosaceae fizeram parte da dieta dos frugívoros; constatou-se seis ordens de insetos e a classe Arachnida na dieta dos insetívoros. Fêmeas grávidas foram encontradas nos meses de setembro e outubro; as lactantes, em novembro e dezembro. O maior pico de captura ocorreu na segunda hora e meia de coleta. Faz-se necessário preservar as áreas florestadas, mesmo as já alteradas, pois estas são importantes para a sobrevivência da quiropterofauna local.

Roadkill hotspots in a protected area of Cerrado in Brazil: planning actions to conservation

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Bruno H Saranholi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Objective. Here we aimed to identify the main points of animal death by roadkill in the view of helping mitigation plans and reducing the impact over the local fauna of a protected area. Materials and methods. We surveyed the roads around a protected area of Cerrado (São Paulo, Brazil from May 2012 to August 2013. We recorded the local of roadkills, biometric and morphologic data of the animals, and collected samples of tissue for molecular species confirmation. Results. Thirty-one roadkilled animals were registered, including threatened species: Leopardus pardalis; Cuniculus paca and Chrysocyon brachyurus. Most roadkills were represented by mammals (54.8% and reptiles (38.7%, and the mortality rate was 1.46 animals/km/year. Three roadkill hotspots were detected, suggesting that they were important points of animal crossing, probably because of the existence of natural remnant vegetation and intersection of roads by riparian vegetation. Conclusions. This work provided strong evidence of the most critical points where mitigation strategies should be immediately implemented and highlighted the importance of detecting roadkill hotspots and the species or taxonomic groups more affected, helping to elaborate effective actions that can improve fauna conservation.

COMPOSITION OF MEDIUM AND LARGE MAMMALS IN FOREST RESERVE IN THE CERRADO OF BRAZIL CENTRAL

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Rodrigo Jose Viana Leite

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Knowledge about fauna location and distribution is very important for animal biology understanding. Conservation Units are relevant to biodiversity when considering factors such as hunting, agricultural expansion and forest fires. The conservation of native vegetation fragments under more suitable management plans, recovery areas and surveys are essential to the mammals preservation. This study aimed to survey the mammals of medium and large size of the Brasilia National Forest Area 1. To carry out this study it was performed weekly rounds in search for direct and indirect mammals traces existing at forest reserve. It is reported the presence of 27 species in the study area. According to the IUCN Red List, four species are vulnerable to extinction: tapir (Tapirus terrestris, giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla, giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus and oncilla (Leopardus guttulus. Two species were recorded nearly threatened species: maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus and pampas deer (Ozotocerus bezoarticus. Also according to the same list, 48% (n=13 of species are declining in population trend and 26% (n=7 for this data is unknown. Differences in the area were observed, with mammal species presence associated to Cerrado vegetation types and in distribution of records over the period.

Karyology of eight species of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Hainan Island, China.

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Wu, Yi; Motokawa, Masaharu; Li, Yu-Chun; Harada, Masashi; Chen, Zhong; Lin, Liang-Kong

2009-10-20

Karyotypes and chromosomal data are presented for eight bat species representing two families (Rhinolophidae and Vespertilionidae) from Hainan Island, China. The species investigated were Rhinolophus lepidus (2n = 62, FN = 60), R. pusillus (2n = 62, FN = 60), R. affinis (2n = 62, FN = 60), R. sinicus (2n = 36, FN = 60), Myotis horsfieldi (2n = 44, FN = 52), Pipistrellus abramus (2n = 26, FN = 44), Miniopterus australis (2n = 46, FN = 50) and M. schreibersii (2n = 46, FN = 50). The karyotype of Rhinolophus lepidus is reported for the first time.

Trypanosoma sp. diversity in Amazonian bats (Chiroptera; Mammalia) from Acre State, Brazil.

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Dos Santos, Francisco C B; Lisboa, Cristiane V; Xavier, Samanta C C; Dario, Maria A; Verde, Rair de S; Calouro, Armando M; Roque, André Luiz R; Jansen, Ana M

2017-11-16

Bats are ancient hosts of Trypanosoma species and their flying ability, longevity and adaptability to distinct environments indicate that they are efficient dispersers of parasites. Bats from Acre state (Amazon Biome) were collected in four expeditions conducted in an urban forest (Parque Zoobotânico) and one relatively more preserved area (Seringal Cahoeira) in Rio Branco and Xapuri municipalities. Trypanosoma sp. infection was detected by hemoculture and fresh blood examination. Isolated parasite species were identified by the similarity of the obtained DNA sequence from 18S rDNA polymerase chain reaction and reference strains. Overall, 367 bats from 23 genera and 32 species were examined. Chiropterofauna composition was specific to each municipality, although Artibeus sp. and Carollia sp. prevailed throughout. Trypanosoma sp. infection was detected in 85 bats (23·2%). The most widely distributed and prevalent genotypes were (in order) Trypanosoma cruzi TcI, T. cruzi marinkellei, Trypanosoma dionisii, T. cruzi TcIV and Trypanosoma rangeli. At least one still-undescribed Trypanosoma species was also detected in this study. The detection of T. cruzi TcI and TcIV (the ones associated with Chagas disease in Amazon biome) demonstrates the putative importance of these mammal hosts in the epidemiology of the disease in the Acre State.

Molecular evolution of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA in Ungulata (mammalia).

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Douzery, E; Catzeflis, F M

1995-11-01

The complete 12S rRNA gene has been sequenced in 4 Ungulata (hoofed eutherians) and 1 marsupial and compared to 38 available mammalian sequences in order to investigate the molecular evolution of the mitochondrial small-subunit ribosomal RNA molecule. Ungulata were represented by one artiodactyl (the collared peccary, Tayassu tajacu, suborder Suiformes), two perissodactyls (the Grevy's zebra, Equus grevyi, suborder Hippomorpha; the white rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum, suborder Ceratomorpha), and one hyracoid (the tree hyrax, Dendrohyrax dorsalis). The fifth species was a marsupial, the eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). Several transition/transversion biases characterized the pattern of changes between mammalian 12S rRNA molecules. A bias toward transitions was found among 12S rRNA sequences of Ungulata, illustrating the general bias exhibited by ribosomal and protein-encoding genes of the mitochondrial genome. The derivation of a mammalian 12S rRNA secondary structure model from the comparison of 43 eutherian and marsupial sequences evidenced a pronounced bias against transversions in stems. Moreover, transversional compensatory changes were rare events within double-stranded regions of the ribosomal RNA. Evolutionary characteristics of the 12S rRNA were compared with those of the nuclear 18S and 28S rRNAs. From a phylogenetic point of view, transitions, transversions and indels in stems as well as transversional and indels events in loops gave congruent results for comparisons within orders. Some compensatory changes in double-stranded regions and some indels in single-stranded regions also constituted diagnostic events. The 12S rRNA molecule confirmed the monophyly of infraorder Pecora and order Cetacea and demonstrated the monophyly of the suborder Ruminantia was not supported and the branching pattern between Cetacea and the artiodacytyl suborders Ruminantia and Suiformes was not established. The monophyly of the order Perissodactyla was evidenced, but the relationships between Artiodactyla, Cetacea, and Perissodactyla remained unresolved. Nevertheless, we found no support for a Perissodactyla + Hyracoidea clade, neither with distance approach, nor with parsimony reconstruction. The 12S rRNA was useful to solve intraordinal relationships among Ungulata, but it seemed to harbor too few informative positions to decipher the bushlike radiation of some Ungulata orders, an event which has most probably occurred in a short span of time between 55 and 70 MYA.

Hibernation metabolism of mammalia (marmota menzeri kaschk) and reptiles (testudo horsfieldi gray)

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Gibarova, S.

2001-01-01

It has been revealed that, upon hypnosis resulting from the winter hibernation, the content of glucose in the blood of mammals (Marmota menzberi Kaschk.) and reptiles( Testudo horsfieldi Gray) has decreased whereas the components of the lipid exchange and the activity of the enzyme alanin and aspartate transaminase have increased, the changes observed being more pronounced in the tortoise than in marmote. On a level of the intact organism in vitro, over the 30 fold and 100 fold decrease of gas oxygen exchange takes place in marmots and tortoises, respectively upon the body temperature decreases as low as 4-5 degree Celsius as a result of winter hibernation. At a mitochondrial level, a decrease in the bio energetic parameters by 4-6 times with a prevailing inhibition of succinate oxidation was recorded in marmots and by 3 times in tortoises in the state of hypo biosis, which witnesses deep restructuring of the enzymatic metabolic characteristics of the tissue energetics under these conditions. More significant inhibition of the respiratory activity in the mitochondria of the liver, kidney and heart against the other organs was reported in ground squirrel when in the state of natural winter sleeping. Upon the temperature drop in vitro by 37,25,16 degree Celsius the respiratory activity of the liver mitochondria of active rodents was recorded to decrease to a significantly smaller degrees ( by 4 times ) than in those of the reptiles ( by 12 times ), thus witnessing a smaller temperature dependence of the subcellular energetics of the warm blooded animals and the necessity of functioning of special mechanism decreasing mitochondrial respiration in this group as compared with the cold blooded animals while in hypo biosis

Pelvic peritoneum in male armadillo and anteater (Xenarthra, Mammalia): a comparative survey.

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Rezende, Lorenna Cardoso; Ferreira, Jussara Rocha

2013-01-01

The literature supports the hypothesis that the pelvic excavation is the bottom of the abdominal cavity, which is covered by the peritoneal serous membrane in order to promote visceral dynamics. We studied the peritoneum in eight specimens of Xenarthra (Euphractus sexcinctus, Myrmecophaga tridactyla and Tamandua tetradactyla). The animals were fixed in formaldehyde (10%). For description and analyzes of the pelvic peritoneum, dissection and photo documentation were performed. We saw that the parietal serous membrane reflected, involving the pelvic viscera. The urorectal septum is the floor of the higher pelvis as a serosa reflection between the bladder and the rectum. The bladder and gonads are completely peritonized in adult armadillo. In anteaters and young armadillos, the testicles are in a position analogous to the uterus, joined by the conjunctive septum at the midline and along with the bladder, they partially project to the higher and lower pelvis. In Myrmecophagidae, vesicogenital, rectogenital and sacrorectal recesses were observed. In Dasypodidae, the recesses are similar to those of other recent vertebrates.

Preparação de Carodnia vieirai (Mammalia: Xenungulata Utilizando Luz Ultravioleta.

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Rafael de Castro Medeiros Junger

2007-07-01

Full Text Available A utilização de luz ultravioleta (“luz negra” ouUV, na paleontologia, tem ampla aplicação. Seu êxitoestá nos fósseis calcários, cuja presença de fosfatode cálcio provoca fluorescência do fóssil, o quepermite delimitar, com maior precisão, a presença deestruturas completamente invisíveis ou pouco visíveisà luz natural. Através da fluorescência, em triagensrealizadas a noite, é possível encontrar um maiornúmero de pequenos vertebrados fósseis quandocomparado a triagens realizadas em iluminaçãonormal. A eficiência desse método também foiconstatada na análise um dinossauro Theropoda,revelando uma divisão da cavidade visceral emduas regiões (pleuropericardial anterior e abdominalposterior. O objetivo desse trabalho é reportar osucesso da utilização da luz ultravioleta na montagemdo esqueleto de Carodnia vieirai. Este mamífero,de idade paleocênica, foi encontrado em uma dasfendas que cortava o calcário que preenche a Baciade S. J. de Itaboraí, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Apesarde parcialmente preparado, para a reconstituição emontagem do esqueleto houve necessidade da totalremoção de qualquer sedimento antes da confecçãodos moldes. Devido à matriz óssea e o sedimentoapresentarem a mesma coloração e estaremfortemente unidos, a preparação sob luz naturalalgumas vezes provocou danos ao fóssil, devido àdificuldade na diferenciação de ambos. A principioutilizou-se água para aumentar a diferenciação (osedimento úmido fica ligeiramente acinzentado epara facilitar a remoção deste, entretanto, após longaexposição do fóssil à água, este se tornou mais frágile mais facilmente fragmentava-se. Para evitar estesdanos optou-se então pela utilização de luz negra napreparação. Utilizou-se uma lâmpada UV de 18”/15watt, de comprimento de onda entre 400 e 320nm(UVA, e classificada como UV próximo. Tratasede uma lâmpada fluorescente sem a proteçãodo componente (fósforo, que a faz emitir umaluz visível, deixando assim passar toda a radiaçãoultravioleta. Em ambiente completamente escuro,a lâmpada proporcionou a fluorescência do fóssile uma coloração roxo escuro no sedimento, a eleaderido. Na preparação da mandíbula a luz negra tevetambém uma outra aplicação importante, pois em C.vieirai ela apresenta um padrão distinto, encontradoatualmente apenas nos sirênios – o direcionamentoanterior do processo coronóide. Os dois ramos estãobem preservados e apresentam o mesmo ângulo decurvatura, entretanto, existe um pouco de gesso euma massa de tom alaranjado preenchendo algunsespaços, o que levantou dúvidas quanto à naturezadesse padrão: se seria original ou tafonomicamenteformado. Na exposição à luz UV, pode-se constatarque apesar de estar parcialmente preenchida, opadrão encontrado na mandíbula era natural. Napreparação de um fragmento de maxilar, recobertopor sedimento, foi possível identificar que noprocesso de fossilização ele sofreu uma deformação,pois fragmentos soltos floresciam, evidenciando umapossível fragmentação de um dos lados. A utilizaçãodessa iluminação também evidenciou um dente(coloração diferenciada de Crocodylia, aderido aum bloco de sedimento com fragmentos cranianose um M3 de C. vieirai. Concluímos então que alâmpada negra é muito útil para a paleontologia,proporcionando maior precisão na preparação dofóssil e auxiliando no reconhecimento de possíveisprocessos tafonômicos. Recomendamos umaampliação do seu uso nesta ciência.

The bats (Chiroptera; Mammalia of Mordovia: specific structure and features of distribution

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Oleg N. Artaev

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This article presents the specific structure and distribution of the bats made in the territory of the Republic of Mordovia (Central Russia from the first half of the 20th century to the present. Occurence, relative abundance and patterns of distribution are briefly assessed for rare species. On this base, recommendations for inclusion these bats in the regional Red Data Book are presented. .In Mordovia twelve species of bats have been observed. There are widespread and numerous species: Pipistrellus nathusii, Myotis daubentonii, M. dasycneme, Nyctalus noctula and Vespertilio murinus. Widespread but less numerous species are: Myotis brandtii and Plecotus auritus. Finally, rare species are: Myotis nattereri, Nyctalus lasiopterus, N. leisleri, Pipistrellus pygmaeus and P. kuhlii.

Icnitas de artiodactilos (Mammalia del Paleogeno de Olcoz (Depresion del Ebro, Navarra

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Murelaga, X.

1994-04-01

Full Text Available A group of fossil mammal ichnites from the proximity of the town of Olcoz (Navarra, Ebro Basin is described herein. The tracks occur on sandstone beds of the Mués Formation of Suevian (Early Oligocene age. Owing to their morphology these ichnites have been assigned to artiodactyl mammals and can be compared to Entelodontipus forms. Moreover, this represents the second known finding of this ichnogenus. Among the tracks of this deposit there is a significant heterogeneity which is due to the variable penetration and displacement of the autopodes on the substrate. On Olcoz the presence of abundant ichnites that follow subparallel tracks allows the establishment of the gregarious behaviour of the producers of such tracks.Se describe un conjunto de icnitas fósiles de mamíferos ubicado en los alrededores de la localidad navarra de Olcoz (Depresión del Ebro. Las huellas se localizan en niveles areniscosos de la «Formación de Mués», de posible edad Sueviense (Oligoceno inferior. Por su morfología pueden asignarse a mamíferos artiodáctilos y resultan comparables a Entelodontipus, constituyendo este hallazgo una segunda cita para dicho icnogénero. En este yacimiento se constata una notable variabilidad morfológica de las huellas, resultado de la distinta penetración y desplazamiento de los autópodos en el sustrato. La presencia en Olcoz de numerosas icnitas formando rastros subparalelos permite inferir el comportamiento gregario de sus productores.

Reconsideration of the systematics of the Early Pleistocene Cervavitus (Cervidae, Artiodactyla, Mammalia

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Dong, W.

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Cervavitus were usually found from the Late Miocene and Pliocene deposits in East Europe, Middle Asia and North China, but they were found recently in many Early Pleistocene localities in southern China. The latter resulted in the discussion of their systematic status between Cervavitus and Cervus. Here we show the Early Pleistocene forms from southern China are morphometrically more similar to northern China Cervavitus species, and the cladistic analysis shows that the southern China forms are closer to classic Cervavitus species than Cervus and that also proves their systematic status in Cervavitus rather than in Cervus. Cervavitus originated in Moldovan forests of East Europe in the late Vallesian (MN10 from a brachyodont and holometacarpal ancestor with two/three-tined antlers and Palaeomeryx fold and evolved into C. novorossiae. It dispersed into West Europe forests in the earliest Turolian and further west to France in the Ruscinian. It dispersed into northern China forests in the early Turolian and represented by C. shanxius. The great quantity of C. shanxius specimens with brachyodont teeth and complete lateral metacarpals implies the arid Loess Plateau of today was a humid forested region in the Late Miocene. C. shanxius migrated southwards in the Plio-Pleistocene probably due to the drying environment in northern China with uplifting of Himalayas and evolved into C. ultimus and C. fenqii, which survived in southern China until the Early Pleistocene (MNQ18.La revisión sistemática de Cervivatus sugiere que deriva del principal clado de los cérvidos posteriores a los muntiacinos, e implica que Procervulinae, Dicrocerinae y la primeras formas de Munticiacinae serían holometacarpales, como también lo es Cervivatus, originario en los bosques de Moldavia (Europa del Este durante el Vallesiense final (MN 10, a partir de un antecesor braquiodonto y holometacarpal, con astas con dos o tres candiles y pliegue paleomerícido, y que da lugar a C. novorossiae. Este se dispersó a Europa occidental durante el comienzo del Turoliense, y más al oeste a Francia durante el Rusciniense. Su dispersión en los bosques del norte de China se produjo también a comienzos del Turoliense, estando representado por C. shanxius. Existe una gran cantidad de ejemplares de C. shanxius con metápodos laterales completos, que debían ser útiles para equilibrar el cuerpo en las ramas de los árboles. Las áridas mesetas loésicas actuales fueron bosques húmedos durante el Mioceno final. C. shanxius emigró hacia el sur durante el Plio-Pleistoceno probablemente debido al ambiente más seco del norte de China, como consecuencia de la elevación de los Himalayas, dando lugar a C. ultimus y C. fenqii, que sobrevivieron en el sur de China hasta el Pleistoceno inicial (MNQ18.

Functional anatomy of the calcaneum and talus in Cercopithecinae (Mammalia, Primates, Cercopithecidae

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Pina, M.

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Among the species of the order Primates exist a huge variety of forms and habitats. This heterogeneity has encouraged the evolution and development of a great number of locomotor adaptations to different environments. Thus, nowadays there are both arboreal and terrestrial groups within the order. The subfamily Cercopithecinae present taxa with both kinds of locomotor behaviours, although the most of them are adapted to a ground life-style. This group probably has an arboreal ancestor and its radiation is relatively recent. Consequently, species belonged to this group present mixed features or sometimes not too much derived ones. Likewise, it is important the fact that the evolutionary history and phylogeny of the group could influence in some characteristics. Both the calcaneum and the talus are two of the largest bones of the foot and are good for inferring the kind of locomotion. For this reason, it has been used these two tarsal bones to study the morphology of eight species of cercopithecines and then deduce functional implications of the kind of locomotion.

Dentro del orden Primates existe una gran variedad de especies distribuidas a lo largo de hábitats muy diversos. Dicha heterogeneidad ha fomentado la evolución y desarrollo de un gran número de adaptaciones locomotoras a los diferentes ambientes en los que habitan. Así, existen en la actualidad tanto grupos arborícolas como terrestres. La subfamilia Cercopithecinae agrupa una serie de taxones que representan ambos comportamientos locomotores, aunque la mayoría de las especies están adaptadas a una vida en el suelo. Se supone que este grupo desciende de un ancestro arborícola y que su radiación es relativamente reciente. En consecuencia, las especies de este grupo presentan características mixtas o poco derivadas en algunas ocasiones. Asimismo, es importante tener en cuenta la influencia que la herencia filogenética puede tener sobre alguno de estos rasgos. El calcáneo y el astrágalo son dos de los huesos más grandes del pie y ambos son buenos indicadores del tipo de locomoción. Por este motivo, se han utilizado estos dos tarsales para llevar a cabo el estudio de la morfología de ocho especies de cercopitecoideos, de tal manera que luego se ha podido hacer una serie de inferencias funcionales en cuanto al tipo de locomocón de las mismas.

Systematics and Evolution of the Miocene Three-Horned Palaeomerycid Ruminants (Mammalia, Cetartiodactyla.

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Israel M Sánchez

Full Text Available Palaeomerycids were strange three-horned Eurasian Miocene ruminants known through fossils from Spain to China. We here study their systematics, offering the first cladistic phylogeny of the best-known species of the group, and also reassess their phylogenetic position among ruminants, which is currently disputed. The beautifully preserved remains of a new palaeomerycid from middle Miocene deposits of Spain, Xenokeryx amidalae gen. et sp. nov., helps us to better understand palaeomerycid anatomy, especially that of the nuchal region in the skull, significantly improving our current knowledge on these enigmatic ruminants. Our results show two main lineages of palaeomerycids, one containing the genus Ampelomeryx diagnosed by a characteristic type of cranium / cranial appendages and some dental derived traits, and another one that clusters those forms more closely related to Triceromeryx than to Ampelomeryx, characterized by a more derived dentition and a set of apomorphic cranial features. Xenokeryx branches as a basal offshoot of this clade. Also, we find that Eurasian palaeomerycids are not closely related to North American dromomerycids, thus rejecting the currently more accepted view of palaeomerycids as the Eurasian part of the dromomerycid lineage. Instead of this, palaeomerycids are nested with the African Miocene pecoran Propalaeoryx and with giraffoids. On the other hand, dromomerycids are closely related to cervids. We define a clade Giraffomorpha that includes palaeomerycids and giraffids, and propose an emended diagnosis of the Palaeomerycidae based on cranial and postcranial characters, including several features of the cranium not described so far. We also define the Palaeomerycidae as the least inclusive clade of pecorans containing Triceromeryx and Ampelomeryx. Finally, we reassess the taxonomy of several palaeomerycid taxa.

A new record of Equus (Mammalia: Equidae from the Late Pleistocene of central-south Chile Un nuevo registro de Equus (Mammalia: Equidae para el Pleistoceno Superior de Osorno, Chile

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OMAR P RECABARREN

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Fourteen dental and bone parts of a horse excavated from the Pilauco paleontological site, Osorno (40°39' S-73°07' W are analysed and interpreted. This site was formed in association with a peat bog located on the banks of the old Damas River and has conserved abundant late Pleistocene mammalian fauna and flora materials. A date of 11457 ± 140 14C yrs B.P. was obtained from a molar and agrees with our stratigraphic age model. We have identified the fossils as pertaining to the species Equus (Amerhippus andium, which confirms its presence in central-south Chile. Furthermore, the recorded geographic location indicate that the metapodial adaptations of the specimens previously described agree with the reconstructed late Pleistocene landscape of Pilauco, dominated by soft volcanic soils and isolated forest patches over large extensions of grasslands.Se analizan e interpretan 14 fósiles correspondientes a dientes y huesos de caballo registrados en el sitio Pilauco, Osorno (40°39' S-73°07' W. El sitio se formó asociado a un pantano en un borde del antiguo río Damas; en él se ha conservado abundante material de mastofauna y flora pleistocénica. Una fecha radiocarbónica de 11457 ± 140 A.P obtenida de un molar, es concordante con el modelo de edad del sitio. La identificación taxonómica permite asociar a los fósiles a la especie Equus (Amerhippus andium, lo que confirma la presencia de la especie en el centro-sur de Chile. Por otra parte, la posición geográfica de los hallazgos y la reconstrucción del paisaje indicarían que se trata de ejemplares cuyas adaptaciones en los metapodios son concordantes para el paisaje pleistocénico de Pilauco dominado por suelos volcánicos blandos, con presencia de bosquetes dispersos en grandes extensiones de praderas de gramíneas.

Hippidion saldiasi Roth, 1899 (Mammalia, Perissodactyla en el Pleistoceno tardío de Calama, norte de Chile Late Pleistocene Hippidion saldiasi Roth, 1899 (Mammalia, Perissodactyla from Calama, northern Chile

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MARÍA TERESA ALBERDI

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Se describen restos del género Hippidion procedentes de la zona del desierto de Atacama (Calama, Segunda Región de Chile. El conjunto analizado corresponde a un esqueleto bastante completo proveniente del yacimiento Betecsa 1, así como escasas unidades del yacimiento Kamac Mayu. En ambos sitios se identifica H. saldiasi. A partir de dos dataciones radiométricas por AMS del ejemplar estudiado, los restos se sitúan estratigráficamente en el Pleistoceno Superior (21.070 ± 100 AP y 21.380 ± 100 14C AP. Se infieren datos ambientales y de dieta a partir de análisis de isótopos estables en los restos de Hippidion saldiasi del sitio Betecsa 1 cuyo valor de δ13C en hueso fue de -15,45 y el valor en esmalte de dientes fue de -16,68, sugiriendo una alimentación con pastos C3. El cráneo recuperado es el primero conocido de esta especieThis paper describes the Hippidion bones recovered from the Atacama Desert (Calama, Second Region of Chile. The analyzed assemblage corresponds to a nearly complete skeleton from Betecsa 1 site and more poorly preserved remains from Kamac Mayu site. In both H. saldiasi is identified. Two 14C radiometric determinations indicate late Pleistocene age for these remains (21,070 ± 100 BP and 21,380 ± 100 BP. Environmental and diet inferences from stable isotope analysis are also presented. The δ13C value from Betecsa 1 horses (-15.45 from bone sample and -16.68 from enamel sample suggest a dietary adaptation exclusively C3 feeders. This is the first skull and associated skeleton recovered of this species

Occurrence of white-winged vampire bat, Diaemus youngi (Mammalia, Chiroptera, in the Cerrado of Distrito Federal, Brazil Ocorrência de Diaemus youngi (Mammalia, Chiroptera no Cerrado do Distrito Federal

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Ludmilla M. de S. Aguiar

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Authors cite Diaemus youngi (Jentik, 1893 as occurring in all the Brazilian territory. In spite of that, there are no reports of capture sites for D. youngi in the literature for Distrito Federal or Cerrado of Central Brazil. Here we report the first precise record of this species for Central Brazil, rural area of Distrito Federal, and provide information on its biology, conservation and distribution in Brazil, according to our data and information from the literature.A espécie Diaemus youngi (Jentik, 1893 é considerada por alguns autores como ocorrendo para todo o Brasil incluindo o bioma Cerrado e área rural do Distrito Federal. No entanto não há na literatura nenhum registro do local de coleta dessa espécie para essas regiões. Reportamos aqui o primeiro registro no Cerrado do Brasil Central, área rural do Distrito Federal, e alguns dados sobre a biologia, conservação e distribuição geográfica da espécie no Brasil, de acordo com dados desse trabalho e da literatura.

Analysis of ZP1 gene reveals differences in zona pellucida composition in carnivores.

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Moros-Nicolás, C; Leza, A; Chevret, P; Guillén-Martínez, A; González-Brusi, L; Boué, F; Lopez-Bejar, M; Ballesta, J; Avilés, M; Izquierdo-Rico, M J

2018-01-01

The zona pellucida (ZP) is an extracellular envelope that surrounds mammalian oocytes. This coat participates in the interaction between gametes, induction of the acrosome reaction, block of polyspermy and protection of the oviductal embryo. Previous studies suggested that carnivore ZP was formed by three glycoproteins (ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4), with ZP1 being a pseudogene. However, a recent study in the cat found that all four proteins were expressed. In the present study, in silico and molecular analyses were performed in several carnivores to clarify the ZP composition in this order of mammals. The in silico analysis demonstrated the presence of the ZP1 gene in five carnivores: cheetah, panda, polar bear, tiger and walrus, whereas in the Antarctic fur seal and the Weddell seal there was evidence of pseudogenisation. Molecular analysis showed the presence of four ZP transcripts in ferret ovaries (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4) and three in fox ovaries (ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4). Analysis of the fox ZP1 gene showed the presence of a stop codon. The results strongly suggest that all four ZP genes are expressed in most carnivores, whereas ZP1 pseudogenisation seems to have independently affected three families (Canidae, Otariidae and Phocidae) of the carnivore tree.

Three-dimensional positioning of B chromosomes in fibroblast nuclei of the red fox and the chinese raccoon dog.

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Kociucka, B; Sosnowski, J; Kubiak, A; Nowak, A; Pawlak, P; Szczerbal, I

2013-01-01

Great progress has been achieved over the last years in studies on chromosome arrangement in mammalian cell nuclei. Growing evidence indicates that the genome's spatial organization is of functional relevance. So far, no attention has been paid to the nuclear organization of B chromosomes (Bs). In this study we have examined nuclear positioning of Bs in 2 species from the Canidae family--the red fox and the Chinese raccoon dog. Using 2D and 3D fluorescence in situ hybridization and 2 gene-specific probes (C-KIT and PDGFRA), we analyzed the location of Bs in fibroblast nuclei. We found that small Bs of the red fox occupied mostly the interior of the nucleus, while medium-sized Bs of the Chinese raccoon dog were observed in the peripheral area of the nucleus as well as in intermediate and interior locations. The more uniform distribution of B chromosomes in the Chinese raccoon dog may be the result of differences in their size, since 3 morphological types of Bs are distinguished in this species. Our results indicate that 3D positioning of B chromosomes in fibroblast nuclei of the 2 canid species is in agreement with the chromosome size-dependent theory. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Morphological study of the muscles of the forearm of the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis and crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous

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Mônica Guedes Riehl Vaz

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Atelocynus microtis and Cerdocyon thous are mammals in the Canidae with different habits and geographical distributions. The fi rst species is found in the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, and probably lives a nocturnal and solitary life. The second species occurs in Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and northern Argentina, is also nocturnal, but forms couples that tend to stay together for a long time. There is a lot of interest in understanding more about these animals, which have a wide distribution in Brazil, and morphological studies are an important contribution towards their preservation and protection because reports of short-eared dogs in captivity are rare, whereas those of the crab-eating fox are more common. In this study we used an individual of each species from Paragominas (PA, under the authorization permits SEMA-PA No. 455/2009 and 522/2009, which were donated to UFRA after the animals died of natural causes. The animals were fixed in 10% formalin and dissected to make morphological descriptions of the flexor and extensor muscles. This study found the same muscle groups that occur in other carnivores previously described, and contributes to understanding the morphology, as well as an approach for possible orthopedic surgical procedures, of these species.

Echinococcus spp.: Tapeworms that Pose a Danger to Both Animals and Humans – a Review

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Brožová A.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Species of the genus Echinococcus (Cestoda; Taeniidae are minute tapeworms of carnivores. Their larvae are known as hydatids (metacestode, which proliferate asexually in various mammals. Like the majority of cestodes, Echinococcus spp. require two different host species to complete their life cycle. Definitive hosts harbouring the adult cestodes in the small intestine are exclusively carnivores of the Canidae and Felidae families. A wide range of mammal species including humans is susceptible to infection by the metacestode of Echinococcus spp., which develops in their viscera. The disease, caused by species of the genus Echinococcus, is called echinococcosis, and it is one of the most dangerous zoonoses in the world. The traditional species Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis are agents of significant diseases due to the high number of cases and the wide geographical species range. The taxonomy of the genus is controversial; in the current state of ongoing complex revisions, the agent of cystic echinococcosis E. granulosus sensu lato is divided into five species (E. granulosus sensu stricto, E. felidis, E. equinus, E. ortleppi, E. canadensis, in addition to the agents of alveolar echinococcosis (E. multilocularis, E. shiquicus and polycystic/unicystic echinococcosis (E. vogeli, E. oligarthrus. Here we provide an overview of the current situation, which continues to develop.

Parasites of domestic and wild canids in the region of Serra do Cipó National Park, Brazil Parasitos de canídeos domésticos e silvestres na região do Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó - Brasil

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Juliana Lúcia Costa Santos

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Over recent decades, diseases have been shown to be important causes of extinctions among wild species. Greater emphasis has been given to diseases transmitted by domestic animals, which have been increasing in numbers in natural areas, along with human populations. This study had the aim of investigating the presence of intestinal helminths in wild canids (maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, and crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous in the Serra do Cipó National Park (43-44º W and 19-20º S and endo and ectoparasites of domestic dogs in the Morro da Pedreira Environmental Protection Area (an area surrounding the National Park. The Serra do Cipó is located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Among the enteroparasites found in domestic and wild canids, the following taxons were identified: Ancylostomidae, Trichuridae, Toxocara sp., Spirocerca sp., Physaloptera sp., Strongyloides sp., Cestoda, Dipylidium caninum, Diphyllobothriidae, Hymenolepidae, Anoplocephalidae, Trematoda, Acanthocephala and Isospora sp. Domestic dogs were positive for leishmaniasis and Babesia canis in serological tests. Among the ectoparasites, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Amblyomma cajennense and Ctenocephalides felis felis were observed in domestic dogs. Variations in the chaetotaxy of the meta-episternum and posterior tibia were observed in some specimens of C. felis felis.Nas últimas décadas, as doenças têm sido apontadas como importantes causas de extinção de espécies silvestres. Maior ênfase tem sido dada às doenças transmitidas por animais domésticos que crescem em número, bem como as populações humanas, em áreas naturais. O presente estudo objetivou verificar a presença de helmintos intestinais de canídeos silvestres (lobo-guará - Chrysocyon brachyurus e cachorro-do-mato - Cerdocyon thous do Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó (43-44º W e 19-20º S e endo e ectoparasitos de cães domésticos da Área de Proteção Ambiental Morro da Pedreira (entorno do

Molecular and serological detection of Leishmania spp. in captive wild animals from Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil Detecção sorológica e molecular de Leishmania spp. em animais selvagens do zoológico de Ilha Solteira, SP, Brasil

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Márcia Mariza Gomes Jusi

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease that affects 12 million people worldwide. Several mammalian species can serve as a reservoir for this disease. Dogs are the main reservoir for visceral leishmaniasis in urban areas, which has become a serious public health concern in Brazil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of Leishmania spp. in captive wild animals from Ilha Solteira, São Paulo, Brazil. Blood and various tissues samples were collected from animals of five different species: Speothos venaticus, Chrysocyon brachyurus, Cerdocyon thous, Pseudalopex vetulus, and Procyon cancrivorus. Antibodies against Leishmania spp. were detected in three wild canids by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. PCR analyses of blood and bone marrow from all animals were negative, but Leishmania DNA was found in the tissues and skin of seropositive animals. Positive PCR samples were also positive for Leishmania donovani complex. Analysis of sequenced PCR products showed similarities with different regions of Leishmania (Leishmania infantum and Leishmania (Leishmania chagasi kinetoplastids. Measures to control visceral leishmaniasis in wild animals kept in Brazilian zoos should be established, as no disease control programs are currently available.Leishmaniose é uma doença zoonótica que afeta cerca de 12 milhões de pessoas no mundo todo. Várias espécies mamíferas podem servir de reservatório para a doença. Os cães são considerados os principais reservatórios para a leishmaniose visceral em áreas urbanas, o que tem se tornado um sério problema de saúde pública no Brasil. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a presença de Leishmania spp. em animais selvagens mantidos no zoológico de Ilha Solteira, São Paulo, Brasil. Foram coletados amostras de sangue e tecidos de cinco espécies diferentes: Speothos venaticus, Chrysocyon brachyurus, Cerdocyon thous, Pseudalopex vetulus, e Procyon

The evolution of asymmetric genitalia in Coleoptera.

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Schilthuizen, Menno; de Jong, Paulien; van Beek, Rick; Hoogenboom, Tamara; Schlochtern, Melanie Meijer Zu

2016-12-19

The evolution of asymmetry in male genitalia is a pervasive and recurrent phenomenon across almost the entire animal kingdom. Although in some taxa the asymmetry may be a response to the evolution of one-sided, male-above copulation from a more ancestral female-above condition, in other taxa, such as Mammalia and Coleoptera, this explanation appears insufficient. We carried out an informal assessment of genital asymmetry across the Coleoptera and found that male genital asymmetry is present in 43% of all beetle families, and at all within-family taxonomic levels. In the most diverse group, Cucujiformia, however, genital asymmetry is comparatively rare. We also reconstructed the phylogeny of the leiodid tribe Cholevini, and mapped aspects of genital asymmetry on the tree, revealing that endophallus sclerites, endophallus, median lobe and parameres are, in a nested fashion, increasingly unlikely to have evolved asymmetry. We interpret these results in the light of cryptic female choice versus sexually antagonistic coevolution and advocate further ways in which the phenomenon may be better understood.This article is part of the themed issue 'Provocative questions in left-right asymmetry'. © 2016 The Authors.

Interaction between Digestive Strategy and Niche Specialization Predicts Speciation Rates across Herbivorous Mammals.

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Tran, Lucy A P

2016-04-01

Biotic and abiotic factors often are treated as mutually exclusive drivers of diversification processes. In this framework, ecological specialists are expected to have higher speciation rates than generalists if abiotic factors are the primary controls on species diversity but lower rates if biotic interactions are more important. Speciation rate is therefore predicted to positively correlate with ecological specialization in the purely abiotic model but negatively correlate in the biotic model. In this study, I show that the positive relationship between ecological specialization and speciation expected from the purely abiotic model is recovered only when a species-specific trait, digestive strategy, is modeled in the terrestrial, herbivorous mammals (Mammalia). This result suggests a more nuanced model in which the response of specialized lineages to abiotic factors is dependent on a biological trait. I also demonstrate that the effect of digestive strategy on the ecological specialization-speciation rate relationship is not due to a difference in either the degree of ecological specialization or the speciation rate between foregut- and hindgut-fermenting mammals. Together, these findings suggest that a biological trait, alongside historical abiotic events, played an important role in shaping mammal speciation at long temporal and large geographic scales.

Diet of the White-Tailed Eagle During the Breeding Season in the Polesski State Radiation-Ecological Reserve, Belarus

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Valeri V. Yurko

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article presents data on the diet of the White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla collected during breeding seasons of 2006–2015 in the Polesski State Radiation-Ecological Reserve. The data included 127 records of prey remains belonging to 27 species of vertebrates collected in and under the nests. We discovered that the diet of the White-Tailed Eagle mainly consists of vertebrates of three classes: fishes (Pisces 48.1 %, birds (Aves 41.7 % and mammals (Mammalia 10.2 %. At the present, the main prey species in the diet of the White-Tailed Eagle in the breeding season are: Bream (Abramis brama – 22.0 %, Black Stork (Ciconia nigra – 12.6 %, Northern Pike (Esox lucius – 10.2 %, Wild Boar (Sus scrofa – 7.1 %, White Stork (Ciconia ciconia – 6.3 %, Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos – 5.5 % and Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra – 5.5 %. Together these species makes up 69.2 % or 2/3 of the diet of this raptor. We also established that cannibalism is a character feature of the local population of White-Tailed Eagle, and its proportion is 2.4 %.

Highly derived eutherian mammals from the earliest Cretaceous of southern Britain

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Steven C. Sweetman

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Eutherian mammals (Placentalia and all mammals phylogenetically closer to placentals than to marsupials comprise the vast majority of extant Mammalia. Among these there is a phenomenal range of forms and sizes, but the origins of crown group placentals are obscure. They lie within the generally tiny mammals of the Mesozoic, represented for the most part by isolated teeth and jaws, and there is strongly conflicting evidence from phenomic and molecular data as to the date of origin of both Eutheria and Placentalia. The oldest purported eutherians are Juramaia from the Upper Jurassic of China, and Eomaia and Acristatherium from the Lower Cretaceous, also of China. Based on dental characters and analyses of other morphological and molecular data, doubt has recently been cast on the eutherian affinities of the Chinese taxa and consequently on the date of emergence of Eutheria. Until now, the only tribosphenic mammal recorded from the earliest Cretaceous (Berriasian Purbeck Group of Britain was the stem tribosphenidan Tribactonodon. Here we document two new tribosphenic mammals from the Purbeck Group, Durlstotherium gen. nov. and Durlstodon gen. nov., showing highly derived eutherian molar characters that support the early emergence of this clade, prior to the Cretaceous.

The molecular origin and evolution of dim-light vision in mammals.

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Bickelmann, Constanze; Morrow, James M; Du, Jing; Schott, Ryan K; van Hazel, Ilke; Lim, Steve; Müller, Johannes; Chang, Belinda S W

2015-11-01

The nocturnal origin of mammals is a longstanding hypothesis that is considered instrumental for the evolution of endothermy, a potential key innovation in this successful clade. This hypothesis is primarily based on indirect anatomical inference from fossils. Here, we reconstruct the evolutionary history of rhodopsin--the vertebrate visual pigment mediating the first step in phototransduction at low-light levels--via codon-based model tests for selection, combined with gene resurrection methods that allow for the study of ancient proteins. Rhodopsin coding sequences were reconstructed for three key nodes: Amniota, Mammalia, and Theria. When expressed in vitro, all sequences generated stable visual pigments with λMAX values similar to the well-studied bovine rhodopsin. Retinal release rates of mammalian and therian ancestral rhodopsins, measured via fluorescence spectroscopy, were significantly slower than those of the amniote ancestor, indicating altered molecular function possibly related to nocturnality. Positive selection along the therian branch suggests adaptive evolution in rhodopsin concurrent with therian ecological diversification events during the Mesozoic that allowed for an exploration of the environment at varying light levels. © 2015 The Author(s). Evolution © 2015 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Morcegos cavernícolas da região do Distrito Federal, centro-oeste do Brasil (Mammalia, Chiroptera Cave bats from the Distrito Federal area in Mid-Western Brazil (Mammalia, Chiroptera

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Angelika Bredt

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Between 1989 and 1995, twenty caves in the Distrito Federal area in mid-western Brazil were assessed for bat species richness, frequency, spatial distribution, behavior, reproduction and inter-specific cohabitation. The general state of conservation of the caves was also assessed. Of the 20 caves studied, 12 were less than 100 m long, five between 100 m and 300 m, and three were longerthan 300 m. Twenty-two species of six different families were observed: 16 species belonged to Phyllostomidae, two to Vespertilionidae and Mormoopidae and one to Furipteridae and Emballonuridae. In this study, 17 species were characterized as Distrito Federal cave dwellers. The most prevalent were Desmodus rotundus, Glossophaga soricina and Carollia perspicillata. The least prevalent were Lonchorhina aurita, Pteronotus gymnonotus and Phylloderma stenops. Since some Anoura caudifer, Platyrrhinus lineatus, Myotis nigricans, Micronycteris minuta, and Eptesicus brasiliensis individuals were captured only while going into the caves early in the night, they were not considered cave dwellers. Even though, they probably use the caves as a daytime roosting place. Surprisingly, Lonchophylla dekeyseri, considered to be the only endemic bat species in the Cerrado ecosystem, was observed in three of the surveyed caves. Further biological studies are necessary to determine the biology of L. dekeyseri and the necessity of its conservation. The bat colonies observed were usually of a small size. Few colonies of D. rotundus and Anoura geoffroyi contained more than 300 individuals of both sexes. Only a inale group of L. aurita was observed in the Distrito Federal area. Twelve of the surveyed caves were hard to access and therefore well protected. Four of the caves received some public visitation, two were located near limestone mines, one was located near an urban area. and one had both public visitation and deforestation near its entrance. In this latter cave, no bats were observed after november 1994, probably due to the urbanization process. Special attention should be given to eight of the surveyed caves in any plan made for the conservation of cave bats in the Distrito Federal area. These caves host a high bat diversity (six or more species and also shelter two rare and one endemic bat species.

Spirocerca vulpis sp. nov. (Spiruridae: Spirocercidae): description of a new nematode species of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes (Carnivora: Canidae).

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Rojas, Alicia; Sanchis-Monsonís, Gloria; Alić, Amer; Hodžić, Adnan; Otranto, Domenico; Yasur-Landau, Daniel; Martínez-Carrasco, Carlos; Baneth, Gad

2018-05-21

Previous studies have reported nematodes of the Spirocercidae family in the stomach nodules of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) described as Spirocerca sp. or Spirocerca lupi (Rudolphi, 1819). We characterized spirurid worms collected from red foxes and compared them to S. lupi from domestic dogs by morphometric and phylogenetic analyses. Nematodes from red foxes differed from S. lupi by the presence of six triangular teeth-like buccal capsule structures, which are absent in the latter. Additionally, in female worms from red foxes, the distance of the vulva opening to the anterior end and the ratio of the glandular-to-muscular oesophagus lengths were larger than those of S. lupi (P red foxes spirurid represent monophyletic sister groups with pairwise nucleotide distances of 9.2 and 0.2% in the cytochrome oxidase 1 and 18S genes, respectively. Based on these comparisons, the nematodes from red foxes were considered to belong to a separate species, for which the name Spirocerca vulpis sp. nov. is proposed.

Dieta de graxaim-do-mato, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus) (Carnivora, Canidae), em uma região suburbana do sul do Brasil

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Pedó, Ezequiel; Tomazzoni, Ana C.; Hartz, Sandra M.; Christoff, Alexandre U.

2006-01-01

The crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766), is a small canid with twilight and nocturnal habits from savannas and forests of South America. In this study, we seasonally determined and quantified the diet of C. thous in Lami Biological Reserve, a conservation unit with 179.78ha situated in a suburban area in the municipality of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. During the year 2000, we collected 80 fecal samples - 20 for each season - in two or three week sampling intervals, along trai...

Diversity of medium and large sized mammals in a Cerrado fragment of central Brazil

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F.S. Campos

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Studies related to community ecology of medium and large mammals represent a priority in developing strategies for conservation of their habitats. Due to the significant ecological importance of these species, a concern in relation to anthropogenic pressures arises since their populations are vulnerable to hunting and fragmentation. In this study, we aimed to analyze the diversity of medium and large mammals in a representative area of the Cerrado biome, located in the National Forest of Silvânia, central Brazil, providing insights for future studies on the biodiversity and conservation of Cerrado mammals. Sampling was carried out by linear transects, search for traces, footprint traps and camera traps. We recorded 23 species, among which three are listed in threat categories (e.g., Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Chrysocyon brachyurus and Leopardus tigrinus. We registered 160 records in the study area, where the most frequently recorded species were Didelphis albiventris (30 records and Cerdocyon thous (28 records. Our results indicated that a small protected area of Cerrado can include a large and important percentage of the diversity of mammals in this biome, providing information about richness, abundance, spatial distribution and insights for future studies on the biodiversity and conservation of these biological communities.

Bartonella clarridgeiae and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii exposure in captive wild canids in Brazil.

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Fleischman, D A; Chomel, B B; Kasten, R W; André, M R; Gonçalves, L R; Machado, R Z

2015-02-01

SUMMARY Wild canids are potential hosts for numerous species of Bartonella, yet little research has been done to quantify their infection rates in South America. We sought to investigate Bartonella seroprevalence in captive wild canids from 19 zoos in São Paulo and Mato Grosso states, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 97 wild canids belonging to four different native species and three European wolves (Canis lupus). Indirect immunofluorescent antibody testing was performed to detect the presence of B. henselae, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, B. clarridgeiae, and B. rochalimae. Overall, Bartonella antibodies were detected in 11 of the canids, including five (12·8%) of 39 crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous), three (11·1%) of 27 bush dogs (Speothos venaticus), two (8·7%) of 23 maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and one (12·5%) of eight hoary foxes (Lycalopex vetulus), with titres ranging from 1:64 to 1:512. Knowing that many species of canids make excellent reservoir hosts for Bartonella, and that there is zoonotic potential for all Bartonella spp. tested for, it will be important to conduct further research in non-captive wild canids to gain an accurate understanding of Bartonella infection in free-ranging wild canids in South America.

Parasites of domestic and wild canids in the region of Serra do Cipó National Park, Brazil.

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Santos, Juliana Lúcia Costa; Magalhães, Noele Borges; Dos Santos, Hudson Andrade; Ribeiro, Raul Rio; Guimarães, Marcos Pezzi

2012-01-01

Over recent decades, diseases have been shown to be important causes of extinctions among wild species. Greater emphasis has been given to diseases transmitted by domestic animals, which have been increasing in numbers in natural areas, along with human populations. This study had the aim of investigating the presence of intestinal helminths in wild canids (maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, and crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous) in the Serra do Cipó National Park (43-44º W and 19-20º S) and endo and ectoparasites of domestic dogs in the Morro da Pedreira Environmental Protection Area (an area surrounding the National Park). The Serra do Cipó is located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Among the enteroparasites found in domestic and wild canids, the following taxons were identified: Ancylostomidae, Trichuridae, Toxocara sp., Spirocerca sp., Physaloptera sp., Strongyloides sp., Cestoda, Dipylidium caninum, Diphyllobothriidae, Hymenolepidae, Anoplocephalidae, Trematoda, Acanthocephala and Isospora sp. Domestic dogs were positive for leishmaniasis and Babesia canis in serological tests. Among the ectoparasites, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Amblyomma cajennense and Ctenocephalides felis felis were observed in domestic dogs. Variations in the chaetotaxy of the meta-episternum and posterior tibia were observed in some specimens of C. felis felis.

Serum concentrations of vitamin D metabolites, vitamins A and E, and carotenoids in six canid and four ursid species at four zoos.

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Crissey, S; Ange, K; Slifka, K; Bowen, P; Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis, M; Langman, C; Sadler, W; Ward, A

2001-01-01

Nutritional status for six captive canid species (n=34) and four captive ursid species (n=18) were analyzed. The species analyzed included: African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), gray wolf (Canis lupus), maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baleiyi), red wolf (Canis rufus), brown bear (Ursus arctos), polar bear (Ursus maritimus), spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), and sun bear (Ursus malayanus). Diet information was collected for these animals from each participating zoo (Brookfield Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens, and North Carolina Zoological Park). The nutritional composition of the diet for each species at each institution met probable dietary requirements. Blood samples were collected from each animal and analyzed for vitamin D metabolites 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)(2)D, vitamin A (retinol, retinyl stearate, retinyl palmitate), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol) and selected carotenoids. Family differences were found for 25(OH)D, retinol, retinyl stearate, retinyl palmitate and gamma-tocopherol. Species differences were found for all detectable measurements. Carotenoids were not detected in any species. The large number of animals contributing to these data, provides a substantial base for comparing the nutritional status of healthy animals and the differences among them.

Depletion of trophy large-sized sharks populations of the Argentinean coast, south-western Atlantic: insights from fishers' knowledge

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Alejo Irigoyen

Full Text Available Abstract Globally, sharks are impacted by a wide range of human activities, resulting in many populations being depleted. Trophy large-sized sharks of the Argentinean coast, the sand-tiger Carcharias taurus , the copper Carcharhinus brachyurus and the sevengill shark Notorynchus cepedianus are under intense sport and artisanal fishing since the 50's decade. However, the current and historical information for the assessment of its populations status is scarce. The aim of this work was to analyze the status of conservation of these species through the gathering of expert fishermen knowledge (FK on semi-structured interviews. Abundance variation perception between the beginning and the end of fishermen careers revealed a critical status for the species study (means variation between -77 and -90 %. Furthermore, a best day's catch analysis reinforce this result in the case of the sand tiger shark. The school shark Galeorhinus galeus was included on this work with the objective of contrast FK with formal information available of catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE time series. Both sources of information, despite are not comparable, shows declines ~ - 80%. The critical conservation situation of study species needs urgent management action, particularly for the san tiger shark which could became regionally extinct before the reaction of stakeholders occurs.

Los Rumiantes (Artiodactyla, Mammalia del Mioceno inferior de La Encinilla (Colmenar Viejo, Madrid

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Morales, J.

2006-12-01

Full Text Available This article is a preliminary study of the fossil ruminants found in the Early Miocene site of La Encinilla (Colmenar Viejo, Madrid. The morphological description of dentition and postcranial bones, along with the metrical and comparative study with material from localities of similar age in France and Spain has allowed us to confirm the presence of two Pecoran ruminants in La Encinilla: Andegameryx sp. and a larger species related to Teruelia Moyá-Solá, 1987. Although the identification in one of the cases should be confirmed with more material, the record in the Madrid Bassin would represent new information regarding the known biogeographical distribution of both taxa. The systematic position of Andegameryx and Teruelia is still under discussion, but both forms are clearly distinct from the Cervoidea ruminants found in Europe and the Iberian Peninsula at the same age, such as Amphitragulus, Oriomeryx, Bedenomeryx or Dremotherium.Este trabajo constituye un estudio preliminar de los restos de rumiantes fósiles hallados en el yacimiento del Mioceno inferior de La Encinilla (Colmenar Viejo, Madrid. La descripción morfológica de la dentición y del esqueleto postcraneal, así como el estudio métrico y comparativo con material procedente de localidades francesas y españolas de edad similar ha permitido constatar hasta el momento la presencia de dos formas de rumiantes Pecora en La Encinilla: Andegameryx sp. y un rumiante de mayor talla relacionado con Teruelia Moyá-Solá, 1987. Aunque la identificación en uno de los casos necesitaría confirmarse con más material, la presencia de estas dos formas en la Cuenca de Madrid ampliaría la distribución biogeográfica conocida para ambos taxones. La posición sistemática de Andegameryx y Teruelia permanece abierta a discusión, pero ambos géneros se diferencian de los Cervoidea del Mioceno inferior encontrados en Europa y la Península Ibérica, tales como Amphitragulus, Oriomeryx, Bedenomeryx o Dremotherium.

Mandible shape and dwarfism in squirrels (Mammalia, Rodentia): interaction of allometry and adaptation

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Hautier, Lionel; Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Michaux, Jacques

2009-06-01

Squirrels include several independent lineages of dwarf forms distributed into two ecological groups: the dwarf tree and flying squirrels. The mandible of dwarf tree squirrels share a highly reduced coronoid process and a condylar process drawn backwards. Dwarf flying squirrels on the other hand, have an elongated coronoid process and a well-differentiated condylar process. To interpret such a difference, Elliptic Fourier Transform was used to evaluate how mandible shape varies with dwarfism in sciurids. The results obtained show that this clear-cut difference cannot be explained by a simple allometric relationship in relation with size decrease. We concluded that the retention of anteriorly positioned eye sockets, in relation with distance estimation, allowed the conservation of a well-differentiated coronoid process in all flying species, despite the trend towards its reduction observed among sciurids as their size decreases.

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam

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Nguyen Truong Son

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Bat communities of mainland Southeast Asia can be highly diverse. Many are under threat. Despite this, regional faunal composition is not well documented for many areas, including regions of Vietnam.  We assessed the biodiversity of bats in a watershed protection forest in the southeastern Truong Son (Annamite Mountains, southwestern Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam in 2011–2013.  Twenty species of insectivorous bats were documented including a high diversity of Murina species Tube-nosed Bats.  Diversity and abundance indices were compared with that recorded previously in two nature reserves and one national park in Vietnam, and were higher or comparable in several measures despite the lack of a karst substrate for roosts.  Reproduction in the insectivorous bat fauna coincided with the early rainy season.  In the late dry season, pregnant females of several species were observed but volant juveniles were not present, whereas in the early wet season adult females were lactating or post-lactating and volant juveniles of nine species were detected.  We recorded echolocation calls of 14 bat species; for each species, we compared features of calls with those reported previously in other Asian localities.  For some species we found discrepancies in call metrics among studies, perhaps suggesting a greater hidden biodiversity of bats in Southeast Asia.

SIVALHIPPUS PTYCHODUS AND SIVALHIPPUS PLATYODUS (PERISSODACTYLA, MAMMALIA FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF CHINA

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BOYANG SUN

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Herein, the authors report on skulls, mandibles and postcranial specimens of two species of Chinese Sivalhippus, S. ptychodus and S. platyodus. We frame our description and analyses within the context of newly described characters of the cheek teeth of Hippotherium from the Pannonian C of the Vienna Basin, the oldest and most primitive Old World hipparions. Our report includes original skull, mandibular and limited postcranial material of Sivalhippus ptychodus and skulls and dentitions of Sivalhippus platyodus from the Paleontological Museum of Uppsala (PMU, Uppsala, Sweden, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH, New York, USA and the Licent Collection in Tianjin Natural History Museum (Tianjin, China. The skull, maxillary and mandibular material we attribute to Sivalhippus ptychodus and Sivalhippus platyodus exhibit some primitive features for Old World hipparions and synapamorphies of the face and dentition that unite it with the Sivalhippus clade. Our analysis shows that S. ptychodus and S. platyodus differ significantly from the Cormohipparion occidentale – Hippotherium primigenium clade. Species belonging to the Sivalhippus clade are found in IndoPakistan (S. nagriensis, S. theobaldi, S. perimensis and S. anwari, Libya and Kenya (S. turkanensis and Uganda (S. macrodon. We hypothesize that the Sivalhippus clade originated in South Asia where it is earliest represented by Sivalhipus nagriensis, ca. 10.4 Ma and underwent range extension into Africa and China circa 9-7 Ma.

Dental anomalies in Didelphis albiventris (Mammalia, Marsupialia, Didelphidae) from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay

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Chemisquy, M. Amelia; Martin, Gabriel M.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Dental anomalies have been investigated and reported for most orders of mammals, including marsupials. Previous works in Didelphis albiventris Lund, 1840 only described one kind of malformation or just a few observations from some collections, thus the type and presence of anomalies for this species was underestimated. The aim of this contribution is to describe and analyze several dental anomalies found in specimens of Didelphis albiventris from Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Dental...

Marking behavior of the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Mammalia: Myrmecophagidae in Southern Brazil

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Fernanda G. Braga

2010-02-01

Full Text Available This research presents novel data on tree marking by the giant anteater, a large Neotropical mammal threatened in the state of Paraná and other areas of Brazil, and nearly threatened worldwide. Field work was carried out in the municipality of Jaguariaíva, Paraná (Southern Brazil with the goal of evaluating the pine marking behavior of the giant anteater and ascertaining whether wildfires interfere with it. Anteater marks were searched for on the trunks of pine trees in stands as well as pine trees dispersed throughout the landscape. For each pine tree, the following features were recorded: height, diameter breast height (DBH, height of first branch, presence/absence of scratch marks, geographical location, substrate, and matrix. The total number of scratches, scratch directions, scratch length, and height of top mark were also recorded. The scratches were defined as horizontal or vertical. Tree scratching was directly observed in three instances. Ninety-one trees were measured in the study area. The differences between marked and non-marked pines were significant for DBH and height of first branch. All scratches were found on pines dispersed throughout the landscape. Trees with horizontal and vertical marks were significantly different in terms of DBH, first branch height, and top mark height. After a wildfire that affected part of the study area, 54% of the previously marked trees were marked anew. We suggest that the marking behavior is used for communication between conspecifics with overlapping home ranges, possibly during the mating season. Additionally, we advance the hypothesis that pine marking behavior becomes more frequent with increased population stress due to anthropic interference.

Marking behavior of the giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Mammalia: Myrmecophagidae) in Southern Brazil

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Braga, Fernanda G.; Santos, Raphael E. F.; Batista, Antonio C.

2010-01-01

This research presents novel data on tree marking by the giant anteater, a large Neotropical mammal threatened in the state of Paraná and other areas of Brazil, and nearly threatened worldwide. Field work was carried out in the municipality of Jaguariaíva, Paraná (Southern Brazil) with the goal of evaluating the pine marking behavior of the giant anteater and ascertaining whether wildfires interfere with it. Anteater marks were searched for on the trunks of pine trees in stands as well as pin...

Cave-dwelling bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) and conservation concerns in South central Mindanao, Philippines

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Krizler C. Tanalgo; John Aries G. Tabora

2015-01-01

The stable microclimate in caves provides a relatively constant habitat for many bat species in the Philippines, but human encroachment continues to disrupt this habitat and imperil many of the species roosting in the caves.  In South central Mindanao, the diversity and conservation status of cave bats remain undocumented and unexplored.  We employed mist-netting to capture bats from five different caves within the town of Kabacan, northern Cotabato, Philippines.  A total of 14 bat species we...

Cave-dwelling bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera and conservation concerns in South central Mindanao, Philippines

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Krizler C. Tanalgo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The stable microclimate in caves provides a relatively constant habitat for many bat species in the Philippines, but human encroachment continues to disrupt this habitat and imperil many of the species roosting in the caves.  In South central Mindanao, the diversity and conservation status of cave bats remain undocumented and unexplored.  We employed mist-netting to capture bats from five different caves within the town of Kabacan, northern Cotabato, Philippines.  A total of 14 bat species were identified including the Philippine endemics Hipposideros pygmaeus and Ptenochirus jagori and the threatened Megaerops wetmorei. However, despite the declining conservation status of the bats, local disturbance such as bat hunting for bush meat and unregulated tourism are currently taking place in the caves.  Large species such as Eonycteris spelaea and Rousettus amplexicaudatus are killed almost every day for food and trade.  Therefore, the high species richness, and the presence of endemic and threatened species coupled with the occurrence of anthropogenic disturbances in caves suggests the need for an urgent and effective conservation intervention involving the local government and public community. 

Methods and insights from the characterization of osteoprogenitor cells of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera

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H.C. Ball

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Osteoprogenitor cells contribute to the development and maintenance of skeletal tissues. Bats are unique model taxa whose cellular processes are poorly understood, especially in regards to skeletal biology. Forelimb bones of bats, unlike those of terrestrial mammals, bend during flight and function in controlled deformation. As a first step towards understanding the molecular processes governing deposition of this flexible bone matrix, we provide the first method for isolation and differentiation of cell populations derived from the bone marrow and cortical bone of bats, and compare results with those harvested from C57BL/6J mice. Osteogenic capacity of these cells was assessed via absolute quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR and through quantification of in vitro mineral deposition. Results indicate the differentiated bone cells of bats display significantly lower gene expression of known osteogenic markers (Runt-related transcription factor (RUNX2, osteocalcin (BGLAP and osterix (SP7, and deposit a less-mineralized matrix compared with murine controls. By characterizing the in vitro performance of osteoprogenitor cells throughout differentiation and matrix production, this study lays the ground work for in vitro manipulations of bat stem and osteoprogenitor cells and extends our understanding of the cellular diversity across mammals that occupy different habitats.

Protaceratherium platyodon (Rhinocerotidae, Mammalia del yacimiento Mioceno de Corcoles (Guadalajara, España

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Iñigo, C.

1994-08-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the aceratherine remains fram the Lower Miocene of Córcoles (Guadalajara classified as Protaceratherium platyodon. Their comparative study supports the synonymy between Protaceratherium and Plesiaceratherium and between «Plesiaceratherium» platyodon and «Plesiaceratherium» lumiarense.En este trabajo se estudian los restos de aceraterino del Mioceno Inferior de Córcoles, determinados como Protaceratherium platyodon. El estudio comparativo realizado confirma la sinonimia entre Protaceratherium y Plesiaceratherium, así como entre «Plesiaceratherium» platyodon y «Plesiaceratherium» lumiarense.

Leucism in Mexican small-eared shrew Cryptotis mexicana (Mammalia : Soricomorpha), endemic to Mexico

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guevara, Lazaro; Ramirez-Chaves, Hector E.; Cervantes, Fernando A.

Leucism is the partial or complete reduction of the fur pigmentation where eyes and skin maintain their normal coloration. In this paper, we report the record of an individual of the endemic Mexican shrew Cryptotis mexicana from Veracruz, Mexico, that displays leucism. This lack of pigmentation,

Chromosome banding pattern in fat dormouse and bank vole (Mammalia: Rodentia) from Turkey

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Arslan, A.; Zima, Jan; Yorulmaz, T.; Gözütok, S.; Toyran, K.

2013-01-01

Roč. 61, 1-2 (2013), s. 47-51 ISSN 0015-5497 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : AgNOR staining * Anatolia * C-banding * Glis glis * Myodes glareorus Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.478, year: 2013

A record from Surinam of the bat Chiroderma trinitatum Goodwin, 1958 (Mammalia, Chiroptera)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergmans, W.

1979-01-01

Re-examination of a collection of bats from Surinam in the Zoölogisch Museum, Amsterdam, uncovered a specimen representing the Phyllostomatid bat Chiroderma trinitatum Goodwin, 1958. This species does not appear in the monograph of the Chiroptera of Surinam by Husson (1962), nor in his more recent

Dental anomalies in Didelphis albiventris (Mammalia, Marsupialia, Didelphidae from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay

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M. Amelia Chemisquy

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Dental anomalies have been investigated and reported for most orders of mammals, including marsupials. Previous works in Didelphis albiventris Lund, 1840 only described one kind of malformation or just a few observations from some collections, thus the type and presence of anomalies for this species was underestimated. The aim of this contribution is to describe and analyze several dental anomalies found in specimens of Didelphis albiventris from Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Dental anomalies were classified in three categories: supernumerary or missing teeth, morphological anomalies in size and shape, and teeth in unusual positions. We found 32 individuals of D. albiventris with anomalies out of 393 analyzed specimens (8.14%, some specimens with more than one anomaly. A similar proportion of specimens from Argentina and Uruguay presented anomalies, while in specimens from Brazil anomalies were less common. Anomalies were more commonly found in the upper toothrow and in molars, being supernumerary teeth and molars with unusual crown-shape the most common ones. The percentage of specimens with anomalies found for D. albiventris is higher than previously reported for the species, and other Didelphimorphia. Inbreeding and limited gene flow do not appear as possible explanations for the elevated percentage of anomalies, especially due to the ecological characteristics of Didelphis albiventris. Developmental instability and fluctuating asymmetry could be some of the causes for the anomalies found in this species, mostly since the habitat used by D. albiventris tends to be unstable and disturbed. Dental anomalies were mostly found in areas of the toothrow where occlusion is relaxed or does not prevent teeth from interlocking during mastication, and consequently have no functional value.

Macroscopic study of the digestive tract of Gracilinanus microtarsus (Wagner, 1842 (Mammalia: Didelphidae

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Luis Miguel Lobo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Gracilinanus microtarsus is a small marsupial species belonging to the Didelphidae family. It has an omnivorous/frugivorous feeding habit and, therefore, it has a great ecological importance, because it is a seed-dispersing species. This article aims to describe the macroscopic morphology of the digestive tract in G. microtarsus. We used 4 animals fixed in 10% formaldehyde. The organs were dissected, measured, and photographed. The animals under study had the dental formula 2x I 5/4 C 1/1 P 3/3 M 4/4. This is the dental formula of the whole Didelphidae family. The dorsum of the tongue had vallate, fungiform, and filiform papillae. Tubular esophagus evidenced the cervical, thoracic, and abdominal portions. The unicavitary stomach consisted of glandular and aglandular region and gastric folds. Small intestine had 3 portions: duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Large intestine consisted of: cecum, colon, and rectum. Parotid salivary gland was the largest and it had a flattened shape. The sublingual salivary gland, whi h was the smallest, had a flattened and elongated shape. Mandibular salivary gland had an oval shape. Pancreas had a dispersed shape and lobulated aspect. Liver had a dome shape and it consisted of the lobes right medial, square, right side, left medial, left side, and caudate. The digestive tract of the animals under study is similar to the marsupial species described in the literature.

ANÁLISE MORFOMÉTRICA DA SÉRIE MOLAR INFERIOR EM DIDELFÍDEOS (MAMMALIA)

OpenAIRE

Luíza Zuchetto Magnus

2014-01-01

Os molares tribosfênicos são considerados grandes inovações dos mamíferos e se relacionam com diversas estruturas e variáveis as quais podem explicar a sua adaptação. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a importância da relação do tamanho corporal, da forma mandibular e da dieta, sob enfoque filogenético, no conjunto dos quatro molares inferiores dos marsupiais didelfídeos. Análises de morfometria geométrica da forma dos molares inferiores foram realizadas em 261 espécimes, 130 fêmeas e 131...

Aspectos morfológicos da tuba uterina de cutias (Dasyprocta aguti, Mammalia: Rodentia

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Eunice Anita de Moura Fortes

2005-04-01

Full Text Available It was analysed the uterine tube structure in Agouti. We have used three adult females, caming from Wild Animals Preservation and Study Nucleous of "Universidade Federal do Piauí". Soon after anaesthesia and euthanasia we got collected uterine tube fragments from cranial, medial and caudal regions. The cuts of 3 to 5m were stained with HE, and analysed and photographed with a light microscope. We could observed that the uterine tubes have three distincts stratums: mucous membrane, muscular and serous with histologicals differences that characterize the infundibulum, ampulla and isthmus regions. The uterine tube light is irregular, on cranial and medium portions. It is bigger and irregular than caudal portion. The mucous membrane is coat with simple columnar epithelium with ciliar and nonciliar cells. The own lamina, formed of slack conjunctive tissue, without glands, on ampulla region, become small and we can observe many cells. On isthmus mucous we observe ephithelial tissue with low cells. The muscular, constituted of smooth fibres, that is observed like a circular and longitudinal stratum, and the serous stratum full of vessels. Histologically, the uterine tube in Agouti is similar to the others domestic and wild animals.

Camera trapping the Palawan Pangolin Manis culionensis (Mammalia: Pholidota: Manidae in the wild

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Paris N. Marler

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The Palawan Pangolin Manis culionensis is restricted to the Palawan faunal region in the Philippines.  The species’ distribution and natural history are poorly known due, in part, to it only recently being recognized as a distinct species.  Pangolin species around the world are threatened due to habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade.  Understanding the conservation requirements of the Palawan Pangolin will inform efforts to avert its extinction.  Presently, information on the status, distribution, and natural history of pangolins is largely derived from interviews with local people, radio-telemetry, transect surveys for pangolin sign, and camera trapping.  Here we test the ability of fish oil- and pig blood-baited camera traps to document the presence of Palawan Pangolin.  We obtained three photos at two localities in Palawan in mangrove, lowland forest, and riverine forest.  

Diversidade de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera do Complexo Aporé-Sucuriú, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil Bat Diversity (Mammalia, Chiroptera from Aporé-Sucuriú's complex, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

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Marcelo O. Bordignon

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Realizou-se um inventário da fauna de morcegos entre abril e novembro de 2004 no norte de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil (Projeto Jauru/MMA. Oito pontos de coleta foram amostrados com redes-neblina em um ambiente de cerrado, sendo capturados 146 indivíduos de 28 espécies, distribuídos em seis famílias. O total de espécies neste estudo, representa apenas 30% da fauna de morcegos do cerrado. A família mais capturada foi a Phyllostomidae, representada por Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1766 e Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818. Algumas espécies raras foram capturadas: Lophostoma brasiliense (Peters, 1866, Lonchophylla mordax Thomas, 1903 e Lionycteris spurrelli Thomas, 1913. O local de maior abundância (0,032 indivíduos/m²/h mostrou um índice de Simpson de D = 3.86 e o de menor abundância (0,003 indivíduos/m²/h um índice de Simpson de D = 3.03. A preservação dos mananciais de água e a cobertura florestal nestes pontos são discutidas.From April to November 2004 was made a bat fauna inventory in Northern of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (Jauru's Project/MMA. Eight points was sampled with mist-nets in a cerrado's ecosystem and was caught 146 individuals de 28 species, distributed into six bat families. The total of species in this study just represents 30% of cerrado's bat fauna. The more caught family was Phyllostomidae represented by Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1766 and Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818. Some rare species were caught: Lophostoma brasiliense (Peters, 1866, Lonchophylla mordax Thomas, 1903 and Lionycteris spurrelli Thomas, 1913. The more abundant point sampled (0.032 bat/m²/h shown a Simpson index of D = 3.86 and the low abundant point sampled (0.003 bat/m²/h was D = 3.03. The preservation of water springs and forest cover in study sites are discussed.

Philodryas chamissonis (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae preys on the arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides (Mammalia: Microbiotheria: Microbiotheriidae Philodryas chamissonis (Reptilia: Squamata: Dipsadidae predando o marsupial arborícola Dromiciops gliroides (Mammalia: Microbiotheria: Microbiotheriidae

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S. Muñoz-Leal

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Philodryas chamissonis, the Chilean long-tailed snake, is a diurnal predator mainly of Liolaemus lizards, but also of amphibians, birds, rodents and juvenile rabbits. Dromiciops gliroides (Colocolo opossum is an arboreal marsupial endemic of temperate rainforest of southern South America. Little information is available about this marsupial's biology and ecology. Here we report the predation of one Colocolo opossum by an adult female P. chamissonis in a mixed Nothofagus forest, composed mainly by N. dombeyi, N. glauca and N. alpina trees, in the "Huemules de Niblinto" National Reserve, Nevados de Chillán, Chile. Since these two species have different activity and habitat use patterns, we discuss how this encounter may have occurred. Although it could just have been an opportunistic event, this finding provides insights into the different components of food chains in forest ecosystems of Chile.Philodryas chamissonis, cobra de cauda comprida ("Culebra de cola larga", é uma cobra diurna, predadora principalmente de lagartos do gênero Liolaemus, mas também de anfíbios, aves, roedores e coelhos jovens. Dromiciops gliroides (colocolo é um marsupial arborícola endêmico das florestas temperadas do sul da América do Sul. Há pouca informação disponível sobre a biologia e a ecologia deste marsulpial. É reportada, neste estudo, a predação de um colocolo por uma fêmea adulta de P. chamissonis, em uma floresta mista de Nothofagus, composta principalmente por árvores N. dombeyi, N. glauca e N. alpina, na Reserva Nacional de Huemules de Niblinto, Nevados de Chillán, Chile. Uma vez que estas duas espécies possuem diferentes padrões de atividade e de uso de habitat, discute-se como este evento poder ter ocorrido. Embora este possa ter sido apenas um evento oportunístico, o achado fornece novas informações sobre os diferentes componentes da cadeia alimentar nos ecossistemas florestais do Chile.

The use of ionizing radiation to reduce food spoilage by microorganisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosquera, Monica; Gomezjurado, Silvia; Munoz, Ricardo

1990-01-01

The contamination of Aspergillus flavus is studied in yellow maize, Zea mays, Peanuts, Arachis hipoguea, L.; Casabe, Yuca. Manhot esculenta, D.C. The contents of aflotoxines B 1 , B 2 , G 1 and G 2 is analized in food stuffs of popular consumption. The samples with higher contamination of A. flavus were irradiated with 1-3 KGy, and combined processes with gamma irradiation were assayed with previous and separate treatments with ammonia and hipochlorite. Thus, it was possible to lower the contamination of this fungus from 10 3 u.f.c/g to 10. Separate edible mushrooms of species Boletus edulis, were radurized with gamma irradiation dose of 2 KGy. It was possible to reduce the contamination of 10 7 microorganism/gram, to the value 10 3 - 10 2 microorganism/gram. The microbial contamination of 18 species and aromatic herbs is also studied. The contaminating fungi of these food products as well as of the edible mushrooms, were identified as Penicillum, Geortrichum, Mucor, Galdosporium and yeasts of Canida sp. The optimal irradiation doses of same species and tea herbs, are determined. At the same time de d10 irradiation doses for pure stubs of main microorganisms are determined. To reduce the microbial contamination of many foodstuffs to maximun permisible values it is proposed thesi technology eitherwith only irradiation, or with combined treatments with irradiation

Carnivoran remains from the Malapa hominin site, South Africa.

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Brian F Kuhn

Full Text Available Recent discoveries at the new hominin-bearing deposits of Malapa, South Africa, have yielded a rich faunal assemblage associated with the newly described hominin taxon Australopithecus sediba. Dating of this deposit using U-Pb and palaeomagnetic methods has provided an age of 1.977 Ma, being one of the most accurately dated, time constrained deposits in the Plio-Pleistocene of southern Africa. To date, 81 carnivoran specimens have been identified at this site including members of the families Canidae, Viverridae, Herpestidae, Hyaenidae and Felidae. Of note is the presence of the extinct taxon Dinofelis cf. D. barlowi that may represent the last appearance date for this species. Extant large carnivores are represented by specimens of leopard (Panthera pardus and brown hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea. Smaller carnivores are also represented, and include the genera Atilax and Genetta, as well as Vulpes cf. V. chama. Malapa may also represent the first appearance date for Felis nigripes (Black-footed cat. The geochronological age of Malapa and the associated hominin taxa and carnivoran remains provide a window of research into mammalian evolution during a relatively unknown period in South Africa and elsewhere. In particular, the fauna represented at Malapa has the potential to elucidate aspects of the evolution of Dinofelis and may help resolve competing hypotheses about faunal exchange between East and Southern Africa during the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene.

Checklist of mammals from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

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Walfrido Moraes Tomas

Full Text Available Abstract We updated the checklist of mammals from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil based on primary records only. One hundred and sixty-six mammal species were listed as occurring in the state, 47 of them being medium to large, 47 small mammal and 73 bat species. The listed species are distributed in 31 families: Didelphidae (17 spp., Dasypodidae (7 spp., Myrmecophagidae (2 spp., Cebidae (1 sp., Callithrichidae (2 spp., Aotidae (1 sp., Pitheciidae (1 sp., Atelidae (1 sp., Leporidae (1 sp., Felidae (7 spp., Canidae (4 spp., Mustelidae (5 spp., Mephitidae (2 spp., Procyonidae (2 spp., Tapiridae (1 sp., Tayassuidae (2 spp., Cervidae (4 spp., Sciuridae (1 sp., Cricetidae (22 spp., Erethizontidae (1 sp., Caviidae (3 spp., Dasyproctidae (1 sp., Cuniculidae (1 sp., Echimyidae (4 spp., Phyllostomidae (41 spp., Emballonuridae (2 spp., Molossidae (16 spp., Vespertilionidae (9 spp., Mormoopidae (1 sp., Noctilionidae (2 spp., and Natalidade (1 sp.. These numbers represent an increase of fourteen species with primary records for the state in comparison with the previously published checklist. However, it is evident the scarcity of information at several regions of the state, and the need of implementation of regional zoological collections. The state of Mato Grosso do Sul represent only 4.19% of the Brazilian territory, but the number of mammal species reach 24.13% of the known species occurring in the country.

Transition-transversion bias is not universal: a counter example from grasshopper pseudogenes.

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Irene Keller

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Comparisons of the DNA sequences of metazoa show an excess of transitional over transversional substitutions. Part of this bias is due to the relatively high rate of mutation of methylated cytosines to thymine. Postmutation processes also introduce a bias, particularly selection for codon-usage bias in coding regions. It is generally assumed, however, that there is a universal bias in favour of transitions over transversions, possibly as a result of the underlying chemistry of mutation. Surprisingly, this underlying trend has been evaluated only in two types of metazoan, namely Drosophila and the Mammalia. Here, we investigate a third group, and find no such bias. We characterize the point substitution spectrum in Podisma pedestris, a grasshopper species with a very large genome. The accumulation of mutations was surveyed in two pseudogene families, nuclear mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA sequences. The cytosine-guanine (CpG dinucleotides exhibit the high transition frequencies expected of methylated sites. The transition rate at other cytosine residues is significantly lower. After accounting for this methylation effect, there is no significant difference between transition and transversion rates. These results contrast with reports from other taxa and lead us to reject the hypothesis of a universal transition/transversion bias. Instead we suggest fundamental interspecific differences in point substitution processes.

Taxonomic, biogeographic, and taphonomic reassessment of a large extinct species of paca from the Quaternary of Brazil

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Elver Luiz Mayer

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The taxonomy of extinct species of Cuniculus (Caviomorpha, Rodentia, Mammalia is confusing and poorly studied. Here we provide a taxonomic review of extinct cuniculids, and discuss the taxonomic, biogeographic, taphonomic and chronologic aspects of new remains of an extinct large cuniculid from Brazilian Quaternary Gruta Cuvieri cave deposits. Our taxonomic review suggests that Cuniculus rugiceps (Lund, 1837 is the valid taxon to include all available occurrences of extinct cuniculids. The most evident features of this taxon are its larger size and the stronger and more densely distributed rugosities on the skull external surface when compared to the extant species. At present, the distribution of C. rugiceps is restricted to the tropical region of Brazil. Regarding the new remains, taphonomic analysis of the specimens from Cuvieri Cave suggests our sample is represented by at least seven individuals that accumulated within the cave deposit by pitfall entrapment. The biostratinomy of the specimens was characterized by prolonged surface exposure inside the pit with fragmentation and displacement caused mostly by falling and subsequent trampling by individuals of the same and/or other species. The stratigraphically controlled excavations and chronological data allowed the establishment of a Late Pleistocene minimum age for these specimens.

A novel association between Rhodnius neglectus and the Livistona australis palm tree in an urban center foreshadowing the risk of Chagas disease transmission by vectorial invasions in Monte Alto City, São Paulo, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Danila B; Almeida, Carlos E; Rocha, Cláudia S; Gardim, Sueli; Mendonça, Vagner J; Ribeiro, Aline R; Alves, Zulimar C P V T; Ruellas, Kellem T; Vedoveli, Alan; da Rosa, João A

2014-02-01

After several public notifications of domiciliary invasions, palm trees were investigated in downtown Monte Alto City, São Paulo State, Brazil, in proximity to the city hall building, the main church, condominiums and marketing establishments. One hundred seventy four palm trees of 10 species were investigated, in which 72 specimens of Rhodnius neglectus, a potential Chagas disease vector, were captured via manual methods. All insects were collected from dead leaves, organic debris and bird nests in the only three Livistona australis palm trees in the central park square. This was the first record of R. neglectus colonizing this palm species. Although no Trypanosoma cruzi was found by abdominal compression followed by light microscopy, the poor nutritional status of the bugs hampered the examination of gut contents for parasite detection. Furthermore, the central crowns of the trees, which shelter bats (Chiroptera: Mammalia), could not be carefully searched for insects due to difficult access. This new finding highlights the sudden alteration in insect behavior, probably as a result of man's interference. This report aims to warn those involved in the health system about this new threat, justifying detailed research of the area to evaluate the magnitude of this emerging public health issue. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

THE GARGANO TERRE ROSSE INSULAR FAUNAS: AN OVERVIEW

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FEDERICO MASINI

2010-11-01

Full Text Available After forty years from its discovery, the history of the field surveys and of the researches on the fossiliferous deposits on Gargano is briefly reported. The Gargano fauna belongs to the Abruzzo-Apulian Palaeobioprovince (including also Scontrone and Palena, Abruzzo. The fossil assemblage comprehends all the classes of terrestrial vertebrates: Reptilia, Amphibia, Aves and Mammalia. The faunal composition is unbalanced and presents the features of a typical insular endemic fauna. The bulk of the assemblage is composed of small mammals and birds. Based on literature, we report the most characteristic features, phylogenetic relationships, and evolutionary remarks on a list of mammals, focusing particularly on the adaptations of the most endemic taxa. Moreover, a biochronological scheme of the major faunal events is proposed and illustrated. Although still imperfect, the scheme is the first synopsis of all the biochronological and taxonomical information on mammals so far available. Eventually, the hypotheses on the origin and modes of colonisation are summarized and shortly discussed. From this overview the Gargano fauna is indeed of great interest for studies of evolution and biogeography. Nonetheless, there are persistent uncertainties on its age and origin, as well as on the age of infilling of the karstic fissure system of this unique fossiliferous locality. 

Deep-sequencing to resolve complex diversity of apicomplexan parasites in platypuses and echidnas: Proof of principle for wildlife disease investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Šlapeta, Jan; Saverimuttu, Stefan; Vogelnest, Larry; Sangster, Cheryl; Hulst, Frances; Rose, Karrie; Thompson, Paul; Whittington, Richard

2017-11-01

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) and the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) are iconic egg-laying monotremes (Mammalia: Monotremata) from Australasia. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the utility of diversity profiles in disease investigations of monotremes. Using small subunit (18S) rDNA amplicon deep-sequencing we demonstrated the presence of apicomplexan parasites and confirmed by direct and cloned amplicon gene sequencing Theileria ornithorhynchi, Theileria tachyglossi, Eimeria echidnae and Cryptosporidium fayeri. Using a combination of samples from healthy and diseased animals, we show a close evolutionary relationship between species of coccidia (Eimeria) and piroplasms (Theileria) from the echidna and platypus. The presence of E. echidnae was demonstrated in faeces and tissues affected by disseminated coccidiosis. Moreover, the presence of E. echidnae DNA in the blood of echidnas was associated with atoxoplasma-like stages in white blood cells, suggesting Hepatozoon tachyglossi blood stages are disseminated E. echidnae stages. These next-generation DNA sequencing technologies are suited to material and organisms that have not been previously characterised and for which the material is scarce. The deep sequencing approach supports traditional diagnostic methods, including microscopy, clinical pathology and histopathology, to better define the status quo. This approach is particularly suitable for wildlife disease investigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phylogeny and adaptive evolution of the brain-development gene microcephalin (MCPH1 in cetaceans

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Montgomery Stephen H

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Representatives of Cetacea have the greatest absolute brain size among animals, and the largest relative brain size aside from humans. Despite this, genes implicated in the evolution of large brain size in primates have yet to be surveyed in cetaceans. Results We sequenced ~1240 basepairs of the brain development gene microcephalin (MCPH1 in 38 cetacean species. Alignments of these data and a published complete sequence from Tursiops truncatus with primate MCPH1 were utilized in phylogenetic analyses and to estimate ω (rate of nonsynonymous substitution/rate of synonymous substitution using site and branch models of molecular evolution. We also tested the hypothesis that selection on MCPH1 was correlated with brain size in cetaceans using a continuous regression analysis that accounted for phylogenetic history. Our analyses revealed widespread signals of adaptive evolution in the MCPH1 of Cetacea and in other subclades of Mammalia, however, there was not a significant positive association between ω and brain size within Cetacea. Conclusion In conjunction with a recent study of Primates, we find no evidence to support an association between MCPH1 evolution and the evolution of brain size in highly encephalized mammalian species. Our finding of significant positive selection in MCPH1 may be linked to other functions of the gene.

A Cretaceous eutriconodont and integument evolution in early mammals.

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Martin, Thomas; Marugán-Lobón, Jesús; Vullo, Romain; Martín-Abad, Hugo; Luo, Zhe-Xi; Buscalioni, Angela D

2015-10-15

The Mesozoic era (252-66 million years ago), known as the domain of dinosaurs, witnessed a remarkable ecomorphological diversity of early mammals. The key mammalian characteristics originated during this period and were prerequisite for their evolutionary success after extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Many ecomorphotypes familiar to modern mammal fauna evolved independently early in mammalian evolutionary history. Here we report a 125-million-year-old eutriconodontan mammal from Spain with extraordinary preservation of skin and pelage that extends the record of key mammalian integumentary features into the Mesozoic era. The new mammalian specimen exhibits such typical mammalian features as pelage, mane, pinna, and a variety of skin structures: keratinous dermal scutes, protospines composed of hair-like tubules, and compound follicles with primary and secondary hairs. The skin structures of this new Mesozoic mammal encompass the same combination of integumentary features as those evolved independently in other crown Mammalia, with similarly broad structural variations as in extant mammals. Soft tissues in the thorax and abdomen (alveolar lungs and liver) suggest the presence of a muscular diaphragm. The eutriconodont has molariform tooth replacement, ossified Meckel's cartilage of the middle ear, and specialized xenarthrous articulations of posterior dorsal vertebrae, convergent with extant xenarthran mammals, which strengthened the vertebral column for locomotion.

A bird-like skull in a Triassic diapsid reptile increases heterogeneity of the morphological and phylogenetic radiation of Diapsida

Science.gov (United States)

Pritchard, Adam C.; Nesbitt, Sterling J.

2017-10-01

The Triassic Period saw the first appearance of numerous amniote lineages (e.g. Lepidosauria, Archosauria, Mammalia) that defined Mesozoic ecosystems following the end Permian Mass Extinction, as well as the first major morphological diversification of crown-group reptiles. Unfortunately, much of our understanding of this event comes from the record of large-bodied reptiles (total body length > 1 m). Here we present a new species of drepanosaurid (small-bodied, chameleon-like diapsids) from the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation of New Mexico. Using reconstructions of micro-computed tomography data, we reveal the three-dimensional skull osteology of this clade for the first time. The skull presents many archaic anatomical traits unknown in Triassic crown-group reptiles (e.g. absence of bony support for the external ear), whereas other traits (e.g. toothless rostrum, anteriorly directed orbits, inflated endocranium) resemble derived avian theropods. A phylogenetic analysis of Permo-Triassic diapsids supports the hypothesis that drepanosaurs are an archaic lineage that originated in the Permian, far removed from crown-group Reptilia. The phylogenetic position of drepanosaurids indicates the presence of archaic Permian clades among Triassic small reptile assemblages and that morphological convergence produced a remarkably bird-like skull nearly 100 Myr before one is known to have emerged in Theropoda.

Leucismo en la musaraña de orejas cortas Cryptotis mexicana (Mammalia: Soricomorpha, endémica de México Leucism in Mexican small-eared shrew Cryptotis mexicana (Mammalia: Soricomorpha, endemic to Mexico

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Lázaro Guevara

2011-06-01

Full Text Available El leucismo es la reducción de la pigmentación parcial o total del pelaje, pero que mantiene la coloración normal de los ojos y la piel. Aquí se presenta el registro de un individuo de la musaraña endémica de México Cryptotis mexicana recolectado en Veracruz, México, que presenta esta condición. Esta coloración, considerada anormal en estado silvestre, puede incrementar la presión de selección sobre esos individuos. Además, es un reflejo indirecto de la baja variabilidad genética en las poblaciones naturales.Leucism is the partial or complete reduction of the fur pigmentation where eyes and skin maintain their normal coloration. In this paper, we report the record of an individual of the endemic Mexican shrew Cryptotis mexicana from Veracruz, México, that displays leucism. This lack of pigmentation, uncommon in the wild, may result in negative selective pressure on these mammals. Moreover, this genetic-based condition reflects on the low levels of genetic variability within natural populations.

Initial colonization of Long Island, New York by the eastern coyote, Canis latrans (Carnivora, Canidae), including first record of breeding

OpenAIRE

Nagy,Christopher; Weckel,Mark; Monzón,Javier; Duncan,Neil; Rosenthal,Michael R.

2017-01-01

Coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) have increased their range dramatically over the past century. Formerly restricted to western North America, they now roam across the continent, in many habitats including large cities. One of the last areas in North America without coyotes has been Long Island, NY, a 3629 km2 island in the New York metropolitan area. Here we summarize all verified accounts of coyotes on Long Island, including the first record of breeding. There are few coyotes on Long Islan...

Infecciones parasitarias del coyote, Canis latrans (Carnivora: Canidae en un Parque Nacional y una zona agrícola en Costa Rica

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Carmen Niehaus

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Conforme las poblaciones humanas se expanden hacia los hábitats silvestres con sus mascotas y ganado, el potencial de transmisión de enfermedades hacia los animales silvestres -y viceversa- aumenta, y hace necesario identificar interacciones zoonóticas potenciales. Los cánidos domésticos y silvestres pueden funcionar como reservorios o diseminadores de enfermedades infecciosas (se incluyen parásitos, por lo que el coyote (Canis latrans puede también servir como indicador de la salud ecológica. Asimismo, se estudiaron los parásitos de 209 muestras de heces de coyotes en una zona mixta de área silvestre protegida y campo agrícola del Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú (PNVI en Costa Rica. La recolección fue realizada mensualmente durante un año en tres sub-áreas denominadas: Irazú (la más cercana al volcán, papales (por el cultivo de papas, y Prusia (un sector del PNVI. Entonces, se empleó examen directo y concentración mecánica, se obtuvo 36.84% de muestras positivas por al menos un helminto. La presencia de parásitos fue muy similar para ambos sectores boscosos del PNVI (33.3% en Prusia y 37.4% en Irazú, pero contrastó con el 63.63% observado en los papales. También, se identificaron uncinarias (probablemente Ancylostoma caninum, estrongilidios (posiblemente Strongyloides sp., Toxocara canis, Trichuris sp. y Taenia pisiformis, así como Hymenolepis diminuta, probablemente un parásito espurio proveniente de roedores ingeridos por los coyotes. Se comenta la importancia de estos primeros hallazgos y se concluye que las estaciones seca y lluviosa influyen en la presencia de los parásitos.

Estudio geológico, estratigráfico y sedimentológico de la Cueva de Mamíferos del Pleistoceno de Santa Rosa (Perú: interpretación paleo-ambiental

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2002-01-01

Full Text Available ÉTUDE GÉOLOGIQUE, STRATIGRAPHIQUE ET SÉDIMENTOLOGIQUE DE LA GROTTE À MAMMIFÈRES PLÉISTOCÈNES DE SANTA ROSA (PÉROU : INTERPRÉTATION PALÉO-ENVIRONNEMENTALE. Les restes d’un spécimen de Megatheriinae (Mammalia: Xenarthra pléistocène (Lujanien viennent d’être mis à jour dans la grotte de Santa Rosa, située dans les Andes Nord-péruviennes. Cette découverte d’un squelette sub-complet de Gravigrade, fait exceptionnel dans les Andes, correspond à une nouvelle espèce du genre Megatherium. L’étude sédimentologique, pétrographique, stratigraphique et palynologique de la grotte montre que la cavité : - appartient à un système karstique (habituel dans cette région des Andes péruviennes creusée dans le calcaire de la formation Celendín (Coniacien - Santonien inférieur - a été soumise à des événements successifs : 1 le creusement de l’abri et le dépôt des sables calcaréo-argileux jaunes suite à la forte érosion du massif calcaire 2 le ravinement et l’érosion amenant des effondrements du toit de l’abri 3 le dépôt des sables calcaréo-argileux marrons où se trouvent les restes de mammifères (Megatheriidae, Camelidae, Cervidae et Muridae et de nombreux restes de flore et la présence locale de pollens. L’analyse pollinique semble indiquer l’existence d’une flore dominée par les fougères d’origine locale et parfois de spores coloniales indifférenciées d’origine vraisemblablement algaire. Ces observations suggèrent que les conditions climatiques étaient plus froides et humides que de nos jours. Restos de un espécimen de Megatheriinae (mammalia: Xenarthra del Pleistoceno superior [Lujanense] han sido descubiertos en la cueva de Santa Rosa, en el norte de los Andes del Perú. Este hallazgo de un esqueleto parcialmente completo de Gravigrado, hecho excepcional en los Andes, corresponde a una nueva especie del género Megatherium. El estudio sedimentológico, petrográfico, estratigráfico y palinol

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera in native and reforested areas in Rancho Alegre, Paraná, Brazil

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Patrícia Helena Gallo

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Generally, natural environments have been transformed into small forest remnants, with the consequent habitat loss and species extinction. The North Paraná State is not an exception, since only 2 to 4% of the original ecosystem occurs in small fragments of Stational Semidecidual Forest. We studied the species richness and abundance of bats in two forest fragments from the Fazenda Congonhas, in Rancho Alegre city, Paraná State, Brazil. Four samplings were undertaken in a legally protected native area (107.8ha and in a reforested area (11.8ha between April 2007 and March 2008. Samplings began at nightfall and lasted six hours, during two consecutive nights in each location. The individuals were captured using eight mist nets, with the same capture effort in both environments. A total of 397 individuals, 14 species and 10 genera were captured in the native area; while in the reforested area, 105 individuals, six species and four genera. Artibeus lituratus was the most common species in both fragments (n=328, 65.3%, followed by Artibeus fimbriatus (n=44, 8.8% and Artibeus jamaicensis (n=30, 6.0%. Other species including Platyrrhinus lineatus, Carollia perspicillata, Sturnira lilium, Chrotopterus auritus, Desmodus rotundus, Michronycteris megalotis, Phyllostomus hastatus, Phyllostomus discolor, Myoti levis, Myotis nigricans and Lasiurus blossevillii, accounted for 19.9% of the captures. The native area presented higher values of species richness (S=14 and diversity (H’=1.4802 in comparison to the reforested area (S=6, H’=0.57015. The t-test evidenced a significant difference between diversity among the sites (t=7.1075. Chao 1 index indicated that the sampling effort recorded approximately 78% from the total species richness for the native area and 75% for the reforested area. Therefore, the preservation of the forest fragment is essential since it provides habitat for a diverse community of bats. Forest management and reforestation actions may prevent drastic changes in the microclimate of neighboring areas within the forest fragment, and could allow the occupation of available niches in the area, by opportunistic and generalist species. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (4: 1311-1322. Epub 2010 December 01.Por lo general, los entornos naturales se han transformado en pequeños remanentes de bosque, con la consecuente pérdida de hábitat y la extinción de especies. El Norte del Estado de Paraná no es una excepción, ya que sólo 2 a 4% del ecosistema original se presenta en pequeños fragmentos de bosque estacional semideciduo. En este estudio observamos la riqueza de especies y abundancia de murciélagos en dos fragmentos de bosque de Fazenda Congonhas, en Rancho Alegre, de Paraná, Brasil. Se realizaron cuatro muestreos en cada área, una nativa legalmente protegida (107.8ha y una reforestada (11.8ha entre abril 2007 y marzo 2008. Al caer la noche en cada sitio se colocaron ocho redes de niebla por seis horas durante dos noches consecutivas. Se capturaron 397 individuos, 14 especies y 10 géneros en la zona nativa y 105 individuos, seis especies y cuatro géneros en la reforestada. Artibeus lituratus fue la especie más común en ambos fragmentos (n=328, 65.3%, seguido por Artibeus fimbriatus (n=44, 8.8% y Artibeus jamaicensis (n=30, 6.0%. Otras especies incluyendo Platyrrhinus lineatus, Carollia perspicillata, Sturnira lilium, Chrotopterus auritus, Desmodus rotundus, Michronycteris megalotis, Phyllostomus hastatus, Phyllostomus discolor, Myoti levis, Myotis nigricans and Lasiurus blossevillii, constituyeron el 19.9% de las capturas. El área nativa presentó mayores valores de riqueza de especies (S=14 y diversidad (H’=1.4802 en comparación con la reforestada (S=6, H’=0.57015. El t-test evidenció una diferencia significativa en la diversidad de los sitios (t=7.1075. El índice Chao 1 indicó que el esfuerzo de muestreo registró el 78% de la riqueza total de especies en la zona nativa y 75% en la reforestada. Por lo tanto, la preservación del fragmento de bosque es esencial, ya que proporciona un hábitat para una diversa comunidad de murciélagos. Las acciones de manejo forestal y la reforestación pueden evitar cambios drásticos en el microclima de las áreas vecinas al fragmento de bosque y podría permitir la ocupación de nichos disponibles en la zona, por especies generalistas y oportunistas.

PROPOTAMOCHOERUS SP. (SUIDAE, MAMMALIA FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF GRAVITELLI (MESSINA, SICILY, ITALY REDISCOVERED

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GIANNI GALLAI

2006-07-01

Full Text Available This paper describes two casts of a suid from the Late Miocene of Gravitelli (Messina, Sicily, originally described by Seguenza in 1902. The entire Gravitelli faunal collection was lost in the early 1900¡¦s. The recent rediscovery of two casts in the collections of the Museo di Storia Naturale of the University of Florence represent the only available material from this locality (in addition to the original description and illustration by Seguenza. The study of these casts allow a revision of the Gravitelli suid and its attribution to the genus Propotamochoerus. Although a specific determination is not possible, we suggest probable affinities with the species P. hysudricus or P. provincialis.

Palaeobiology of Hyaenodon exiguus (Hyaenodonta, Mammalia) based on morphometric analysis of the bony labyrinth.

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Pfaff, Cathrin; Nagel, Doris; Gunnell, Gregg; Weber, Gerhard W; Kriwet, Jürgen; Morlo, Michael; Bastl, Katharina

2017-02-01

Species of the extinct genus Hyaenodon were among the largest carnivorous mammals from the Late Eocene through Early Miocene in North America, Europe and Asia. The origin, phylogeny and palaeobiology of Hyaenodonta are still ambiguous. Most previous studies focused on teeth and dental function in these highly adapted species, which might be influenced by convergent morphologies. The anatomy of the bony labyrinth in vertebrates is generally quite conservative and, additionally, was used in functional-morphological studies. This study provides the first anatomical description of the bony labyrinth of the extinct European species Hyaenodon exiguus in comparison to selected extant carnivoran taxa discussed from a functional-morphological perspective. Hyaenodon exiguus may have occupied a hyaena-like dietary niche with a semi-arboreal lifestyle, based on the relative height, width and length of the semicircular canals of the inner ear. However, this contradicts previous functional-morphological studies focusing on the diameter of the canals, which presumably represent the signal of locomotion mode. © 2016 Anatomical Society.

A new chromosomal race (2n=44) of Nannospalax xanthodon from Turkey (Mammalia: Rodentia)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kankilic, T.; Arslan, A.; Seker, P. S.; Kankilic, T.; Toyran, K.; Zima, Jan

2017-01-01

Roč. 63, č. 3 (2017), s. 181-188 ISSN 0939-7140 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : Nannospalax * Pülümür race * karyotype * C-bands * Ag-NORs Subject RIV: EG - Zoology OBOR OECD: Zoology Impact factor: 0.525, year: 2016

Rule reversal: Ecogeographical patterns of body size variation in the common treeshrew (Mammalia, Scandentia)

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Sargis, Eric J.; Millien, Virginie; Woodman, Neal; Olson, Link E.

2018-01-01

There are a number of ecogeographical “rules” that describe patterns of geographical variation among organisms. The island rule predicts that populations of larger mammals on islands evolve smaller mean body size than their mainland counterparts, whereas smaller‐bodied mammals evolve larger size. Bergmann's rule predicts that populations of a species in colder climates (generally at higher latitudes) have larger mean body sizes than conspecifics in warmer climates (at lower latitudes). These two rules are rarely tested together and neither has been rigorously tested in treeshrews, a clade of small‐bodied mammals in their own order (Scandentia) broadly distributed in mainland Southeast Asia and on islands throughout much of the Sunda Shelf. The common treeshrew, Tupaia glis, is an excellent candidate for study and was used to test these two rules simultaneously for the first time in treeshrews. This species is distributed on the Malay Peninsula and several offshore islands east, west, and south of the mainland. Using craniodental dimensions as a proxy for body size, we investigated how island size, distance from the mainland, and maximum sea depth between the mainland and the islands relate to body size of 13 insular T. glis populations while also controlling for latitude and correlation among variables. We found a strong negative effect of latitude on body size in the common treeshrew, indicating the inverse of Bergmann's rule. We did not detect any overall difference in body size between the island and mainland populations. However, there was an effect of island area and maximum sea depth on body size among island populations. Although there is a strong latitudinal effect on body size, neither Bergmann's rule nor the island rule applies to the common treeshrew. The results of our analyses demonstrate the necessity of assessing multiple variables simultaneously in studies of ecogeographical rules.

Molecular evidence for a recent demographic expansion in the puma (Puma concolor) (Mammalia, Felidae)

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Matte, Eunice M.; Castilho, Camila S.; Miotto, Renata A.; Sana, Denis A.; Johnson, Warren E.; O’Brien, Stephen J.; de Freitas, Thales R. O.; Eizirik, Eduardo

2013-01-01

The puma is an iconic predator that ranges throughout the Americas, occupying diverse habitats. Previous phylogeographic analyses have revealed that it exhibits moderate levels of genetic structure across its range, with few of the classically recognized subspecies being supported as distinct demographic units. Moreover, most of the species’ molecular diversity was found to be in South America. To further investigate the phylogeographic structure and demographic history of pumas we analyzed mtDNA sequences from 186 individuals sampled throughout their range, with emphasis on South America. Our objectives were to refine the phylogeographic assessment within South America and to investigate the demographic history of pumas using a coalescent approach. Our results extend previous phylogeographic findings, reassessing the delimitation of historical population units in South America and demonstrating that this species experienced a considerable demographic expansion in the Holocene, ca. 8,000 years ago. Our analyses indicate that this expansion occurred in South America, prior to the hypothesized re-colonization of North America, which was therefore inferred to be even more recent. The estimated demographic history supports the interpretation that pumas suffered a severe demographic decline in the Late Pleistocene throughout their distribution, followed by population expansion and re-colonization of the range, initiating from South America. PMID:24385863

Molecular evidence for a recent demographic expansion in the puma (Puma concolor (Mammalia, Felidae

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Eunice M. Matte

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The puma is an iconic predator that ranges throughout the Americas, occupying diverse habitats. Previous phylogeographic analyses have revealed that it exhibits moderate levels of genetic structure across its range, with few of the classically recognized subspecies being supported as distinct demographic units. Moreover, most of the species' molecular diversity was found to be in South America. To further investigate the phylogeographic structure and demographic history of pumas we analyzed mtDNA sequences from 186 individuals sampled throughout their range, with emphasis on South America. Our objectives were to refine the phylogeographic assessment within South America and to investigate the demographic history of pumas using a coalescent approach. Our results extend previous phylogeographic findings, reassessing the delimitation of historical population units in South America and demonstrating that this species experienced a considerable demographic expansion in the Holocene, ca. 8,000 years ago. Our analyses indicate that this expansion occurred in South America, prior to the hypothesized re-colonization of North America, which was therefore inferred to be even more recent. The estimated demographic history supports the interpretation that pumas suffered a severe demographic decline in the Late Pleistocene throughout their distribution, followed by population expansion and re-colonization of the range, initiating from South America.

Detection of pathogenic Leptospira species associated with phyllostomid bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Veracruz, Mexico.

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Ballados-González, G G; Sánchez-Montes, S; Romero-Salas, D; Colunga Salas, P; Gutiérrez-Molina, R; León-Paniagua, L; Becker, I; Méndez-Ojeda, M L; Barrientos-Salcedo, C; Serna-Lagunes, R; Cruz-Romero, A

2018-06-01

The genus Leptospira encompass 22 species of spirochaetes, with ten pathogenic species that have been recorded in more than 160 mammals worldwide. In the last two decades, the numbers of records of these agents associated with bats have increased exponentially, particularly in America. Although order Chiroptera represents the second most diverse order of mammals in Mexico, and leptospirosis represents a human and veterinary problem in the country, few studies have been conducted to identify potential wildlife reservoirs. The aim of this study was to detect the presence and diversity of Leptospira sp. in communities of bats in an endemic state of leptospirosis in Mexico. During January to September 2016, 81 bats of ten species from three localities of Veracruz, Mexico, were collected with mist nets. Kidney samples were obtained from all specimens. For the detection of Leptospira sp., we amplified several genes using specific primers. Amplicons of the expected size were submitted to sequencing, and sequences recovered were compared with those of reference deposited in GenBank using the BLAST tool. To identify their phylogenetic position, we realized a reconstruction using maximum-likelihood (ML) method. Twenty-five samples from three bat species (Artibeus lituratus, Choeroniscus godmani and Desmodus rotundus) showed the presence of Leptospira DNA. Sequences recovered were close to Leptospira noguchii, Leptospira weilii and Leptospira interrogans. Our results include the first record of Leptospira in bats from Mexico and exhibit a high diversity of these pathogens circulating in the state. Due to the finding of a large number of positive wild animals, it is necessary to implement a surveillance system in populations of the positive bats as well as in related species, in order to understand their role as carriers of this bacterial genus. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Remarks on the biology and zoogeography of Solenodon (Atopogale) cubanus Peters, 1861 (Mammalia, Insectivora)

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Varona, Luis S.

1983-01-01

The biology of Solenodon cubanus Peters, 1861, is poorly known. Recently, a male and two females were studied in the Havana Zoo and observations on this species were made in the field as well. The animals were docile unless startled or handled roughly. Previously unpublished information on their

New occurrences and biological aspects to four species of rodents (Mammalia: Cricetidae from Brazil

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Felipe Santana Machado

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The most representative group among mammals are rodents for presenting high ratio to the total of species. However, rodents are considered a "taxonomic chaos" and some species such as Blarinomys breviceps, Bibimys labiosus, Akodon lindberghi and Pseudoryzomys simplex are little known. That can be explained because of low occurrence of small terrestrial mammals in wildlife inventories and/or reduced abundance. The objective is to describe the occurrence of these species and analyze these locations presenting descriptive comments about their biological aspects. Therefore, in addition to specimens collected in the field, some scientific collections were visited and reviews in relevant literature were conducted in order to obtain information about the locations and biological aspects. Akodon lindberghi was found in five sites, Bibimys labiosus was found in 15, Blarinomys breviceps in 39 and Pseudoryzomys simplex  in 13. Each species has specific information and they are included in two threatened areas, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. The occurrences are disconnected and related to taxonomic and methodological problems. Keywords: New records. Rodentia. Sigmodontinae. Occurence area.

Observations on the Reproductive Biology of Gerbillus dasyurus (Wagner, 1842) (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Turkey

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ÇOLAK, Ercüment; SÖZEN, Mustafa; YİĞİT, Nuri

1999-01-01

The reproductive data along with some ecological observations of Gerbillus dasyurus are reported based on field studies and investigations in captivity. The findings indicate that the favorable habitat of G. dasyurus is rocky areas with sparse vegetated soil and that the reproduction period extends from January to September. According to the reproductive data, the average weight at birth is 2.22 g., litter size ranges from 3 to 9, with an average of 5.66, a female gives three litters during a...

Morphometric variations of laelapine mite (Acari: Mesostigmata populations infesting small mammals (Mammalia in Brazil

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F. Martins-Hatano

Full Text Available The goal of this study was to evaluate the morphometric variation of laelapine populations (Acari, Mesostigmata associated with neotropical oryzomyine rodents at different geographic localities in Brazil. Three nominal mite species were selected for study, all infesting the pelage of small mammals at different localities in Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Bahia, and the Federal District, Brazil. To analyse morphometric characteristics, thirty-seven morphological characters distributed across the whole body of each specimen were measured. We use the Analysis of Principal Components, extracting the three first axes and projecting each mite in these axes. Major species level changes in the taxonomy of the host mammals allows an independent examination of morphometric variation of mites infesting a set of distinctly different host species at different geographic localities. Gigantolaelaps vitzthumi and Laelaps differens are associated with oryzomyine rodents of the genus Cerradomys, and consistently showed a tendency to cluster by host phylogeny. Laelaps manguinhosi associated with Nectomys rattus in central Brazil is morphometrically distinct from mites infesting N. squamipes in the coastal restingas of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo. The results obtained here indicate that laelapine mite populations can vary among geographic areas and among phylogenetically related host species. Clearly, the study of these mites at the population level can be an important tool for clarifying the taxonomy of both mites and hosts.

Morphometric variations of laelapine mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) populations infesting small mammals (Mammalia) in Brazil.

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Martins-Hatano, F; Gettinger, D; Manhães, M L; Bergallo, H G

2012-08-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the morphometric variation of laelapine populations (Acari, Mesostigmata) associated with neotropical oryzomyine rodents at different geographic localities in Brazil. Three nominal mite species were selected for study, all infesting the pelage of small mammals at different localities in Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Bahia, and the Federal District, Brazil. To analyse morphometric characteristics, thirty-seven morphological characters distributed across the whole body of each specimen were measured. We use the Analysis of Principal Components, extracting the three first axes and projecting each mite in these axes. Major species level changes in the taxonomy of the host mammals allows an independent examination of morphometric variation of mites infesting a set of distinctly different host species at different geographic localities. Gigantolaelaps vitzthumi and Laelaps differens are associated with oryzomyine rodents of the genus Cerradomys, and consistently showed a tendency to cluster by host phylogeny. Laelaps manguinhosi associated with Nectomys rattus in central Brazil is morphometrically distinct from mites infesting N. squamipes in the coastal restingas of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo. The results obtained here indicate that laelapine mite populations can vary among geographic areas and among phylogenetically related host species. Clearly, the study of these mites at the population level can be an important tool for clarifying the taxonomy of both mites and hosts.

MEMPELAJARI FISIOLOGI PENCEMARAN LINGKUNGAN DENGAN TEHNIK RADIOISOTOP (Study in the Physiology of Environment Pollution Using Radiotracer Method

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Razak Achmad Hamzah

2011-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui: 1. Perbedaan kemampuan daya serap tumbuhan air Hydrilla verticillata, Enceng gondok (Eichhomia crassipes dan Kangkung terhadap residu Malathion, menggunakan akuarium (diisi dengan air + Hydrilla Verticillata + Enceng Gondok + Kangkung + Malathion radioisotope 14C. 2. Perbandingan kadar malathion dalam jaringan ikan yang mendapat makanan Hydrilla verticilata dengan yang mendapat makanan kangkung, menggunakan: (akuarium pertama diisi air + Hydrilla Vericillata + ikan mas + Malathion radioisotope 14C; akuarium ke dua diisi air + kangkung + ikan mas + malathion radiisotop 14C. 3. Perbandingan ukuran penyerapan pada jaringan mammalia (tikus yang diberi makan jaringan ikan mas dengan yang diberi makan tumbuhan air (kangkung yang terkontaminasi. Jaringan ikan mas dan kangkung dilakukan pengabuan basah, lalu diberikan masing-masing kepada 30 ekor tikus. Kadar Malathion dari semua percobaan satu, dua dan tiga, diketahui dengan menggunakan alat pencacah Sintilator cair (Liquid Scintillation Spectrometer, LSC- 753 (ALOKA”. Hasil yang didapat dibandingkan dengan menggunakan uji-t Student. Hasil penelitian memperlihatkan bahwa: 1. Hydrilla Verticillata lebih efisien dari pada Enceng Gondok dan Kangkung dalam menyerap residu insektisida malathion dalam air. 2. Ikan yang diberi makan Hydrilla verticillata mengkonsentrasikan malathion lebih tinggi dari pada ikan yang diberi makan kangkung. 3. Mammalia (tikus yang mengkonsumsi daging ikan yang terkontaminasi akan mengkonsentrasikan malathion dalam tubuhnya lebih banyak dari pada tikus yang memakan sayuran (kangkung yang terkontaminasi. ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to determine: 1.The comparison of absorption by aquatic plants Hydrilla verticillata, water hyacinth and water spinach of Malathion insecticide residues in water, (aquarium filled with water + Hydrilla verticillata + water hyacinth + water spinach + 20 mci 14C malathion radioisotope; 2

Potencial atrator de tubarões costeiros em recife artificial no litoral norte do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Attractive potential of coastal sharks in artificial reef on the Northern Coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

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Vicente Vieira Faria

2001-09-01

Full Text Available Artificial reefs have been used in many countries to increase coastal fishery productivity. In order to increase fish attraction to the Northern Coast of Rio de Janeiro State, it was installed an artificial reef (1,500 m² 5 nautical miles off Manguinhos's Bay (São Francisco de ltabapoana, Rio de Janeiro. The artificial structures were made of tires, concrete and cement blocks. A gill net of 125 x 3 m was monthly used in the artificial reef (AR and in a control area (CA to determine the effect of the experimental structures on the stock and diversity of coastal sharks. Considering the complexity of a sustainable elasmobranch exploitation, sharks were focused in this study. During 24 months of investigation (April/96 to March/98, a total of 325 individuais distributed in four shark species were captured in the two areas (AR and CA: Mustelus higmani (Springer & Lowe, 1963 (AR = 70; CA = 82 individuals, Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Valenciennes, 1839 (AR = 86; CA = 56 individuals, R. porosus (Poey, 1861 (AR = 16; CA = 14 individuals and Carcharhinus brachyurus (Günther, 1870 (AR = 1 individual. The attractive potential of the artificial reef is suggested by the predominance of the shark R. lalandii in the reef complex after the first year of monitoring, with the increase of the structures.

Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from Brazilian wildlife revealed abundant new genotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vitaliano, S N; Soares, H S; Minervino, A H H; Santos, A L Q; Werther, K; Marvulo, M F V; Siqueira, D B; Pena, H F J; Soares, R M; Su, C; Gennari, S M

2014-12-01

This study aimed to isolate and genotype T. gondii from Brazilian wildlife. For this purpose, 226 samples were submitted to mice bioassay and screened by PCR based on 18S rRNA sequences. A total of 15 T. gondii isolates were obtained, including samples from four armadillos (three Dasypus novemcinctus, one Euphractus sexcinctus), three collared anteaters (Tamandua tetradactyla), three whited-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari), one spotted paca (Cuniculus paca), one oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus), one hoary fox (Pseudalopex vetulus), one lineated woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) and one maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). DNA from the isolates, originated from mice bioassay, and from the tissues of the wild animal, designated as "primary samples", were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR/RFLP), using 12 genetic markers (SAG1, SAG2, alt.SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L258, PK1, CS3 and Apico). A total of 17 genotypes were identified, with 13 identified for the first time and four already reported in published literature. Results herein obtained corroborate previous studies in Brazil, confirming high diversity and revealing unique genotypes in this region. Given most of genotypes here identified are different from previous studies in domestic animals, future studies on T. gondii from wildlife is of interest to understand population genetics and structure of this parasite.

Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from Brazilian wildlife revealed abundant new genotypes

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S.N. Vitaliano

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to isolate and genotype T. gondii from Brazilian wildlife. For this purpose, 226 samples were submitted to mice bioassay and screened by PCR based on 18S rRNA sequences. A total of 15 T. gondii isolates were obtained, including samples from four armadillos (three Dasypus novemcinctus, one Euphractus sexcinctus, three collared anteaters (Tamandua tetradactyla, three whited-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari, one spotted paca (Cuniculus paca, one oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus, one hoary fox (Pseudalopex vetulus, one lineated woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus and one maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus. DNA from the isolates, originated from mice bioassay, and from the tissues of the wild animal, designated as “primary samples”, were genotyped by PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR/RFLP, using 12 genetic markers (SAG1, SAG2, alt.SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L258, PK1, CS3 and Apico. A total of 17 genotypes were identified, with 13 identified for the first time and four already reported in published literature. Results herein obtained corroborate previous studies in Brazil, confirming high diversity and revealing unique genotypes in this region. Given most of genotypes here identified are different from previous studies in domestic animals, future studies on T. gondii from wildlife is of interest to understand population genetics and structure of this parasite.

Adrenal activity in maned wolves is higher on farmlands and park boundaries than within protected areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Spercoski, Katherinne M; Morais, Rosana N; Morato, Ronaldo G; de Paula, Rogério C; Azevedo, Fernanda C; May-Júnior, Joares A; Santos, Jean P; Reghelin, Angela L; Wildt, David E; Songsasen, Nucharin

2012-11-01

In this study we measured excreted fecal corticoid metabolites (FCM) in maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) living within a protected reserve, on farmlands or in a boundary zone between the two habitats, and determined the impacts of season and reproductive status on adrenal activity. Feces were collected within a national park (n=191 samples), a park boundary zone (n=39) and on nearby farmlands (n=27), processed and analyzed by enzyme immunoassay. FCM amounts from samples collected on farmlands were higher (Pwolf pairs were raising young. We then divided the samples collected during breeding season (March-August) into cycling females and male/non-cycling females based on fecal progesterone: fecal testosterone ratio. FCM concentrations of the former collected inside the park were higher than (P<0.05) than the latter group. However, there were no differences in FCM levels between the two groups for samples collected in the boundary zone and on farmlands. Furthermore, FCM concentrations of male/non-cycling females samples collected on farmlands were 2- to 5-fold higher (P<0.05) than in counterparts collected inside the park. The consistently high FCM concentrations in samples collected on farmlands indicate that, in addition to seasonality, gender and reproductive status, anthropogenic pressures also contribute to elevating adrenal steroid for individuals living in altered habitat. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exposure of Free-Ranging Wild Carnivores and Domestic Dogs to Canine Distemper Virus and Parvovirus in the Cerrado of Central Brazil.

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Furtado, Mariana Malzoni; Hayashi, Erika Midori Kida; Allendorf, Susan Dora; Coelho, Claudio José; de Almeida Jácomo, Anah Tereza; Megid, Jane; Ramos Filho, José Domingues; Silveira, Leandro; Tôrres, Natália Mundim; Ferreira Neto, José Soares

2016-09-01

Human population growth around protected areas increases the contact between wild and domestic animals, promoting disease transmission between them. This study investigates the exposure of free-ranging wild carnivores and domestic dogs to canine distemper virus (CDV) and parvovirus in Emas National Park (ENP) in the Cerrado savanna of central Brazil. Serum samples were collected from 169 wild carnivores, including the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), hoary fox (Pseudalopex vetulus), puma (Puma concolor), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), striped hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus semistriatus) and coati (Nasua nasua), and from 35 domestic dogs living on rural properties bordering ENP. Serological tests showed that 10.6% of wild carnivores (maned wolves, crab-eating foxes and ocelots) and 71.4% of domestic dogs were exposed to CDV, and 56.8% of wild carnivores, including all species sampled except coatis, and 57.1% of domestic dogs were exposed to parvovirus. This report is the first to indicate that the free-ranging pampas cat, jaguarundi and striped hog-nosed skunk are exposed to parvovirus. CDV and parvovirus deserve attention in ENP, and it is extremely important to monitor the health of carnivore populations and perform molecular diagnosis of the viruses to determine the possible involvement of the domestic dog in their transmission.

Conservation value of a native forest fragment in a region of extensive agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiarello

2000-05-01

A survey of mammals and birds was carried out in a semi-deciduous forest fragment of 150 ha located in a zone of intensive agriculture in Ribeirão Preto, State of São Paulo, south-eastern Brazil. Line transect sampling was used to census mammals and birds during six days, totalling 27.8 km of trails and 27.8 hours of observation. Twenty mammal species were confirmed in the area (except bats and small mammals), including rare or endangered species, such as the mountain lion (Puma concolor), the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), and the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). The brown capuchin monkey (Cebus apella) and the black-tufted-ear marmoset (Callithrix penicillata) were found frequently, suggesting high population density in the fragment. Regarding the avifauna, 49 bird species were recorded, most of them typical of open areas or forest edges. Some confirmed species, however, are becoming increasingly rare in the region, as for example the muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) and the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco). The results demonstrate that forest fragment of this size are refuges for native fauna in a region dominated almost exclusively by sugar-cane plantations. Besides faunal aspects, the conservation of these fragments is of great importance for the establishment of studies related to species preservation in the long term, including reintroduction and translocation projects, as well as studies related to genetic health of isolated populations.

A phylogenetic review of the African leaf chameleons: genus Rhampholeon (Chamaeleonidae): the role of vicariance and climate change in speciation.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthee, Conrad A; Tilbury, Colin R; Townsend, Ted

2004-09-22

The phylogenetic associations among 13 currently recognized African leaf chameleon species were investigated by making use of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data (44 taxa and 4145 characters). The gene tree indicates two divergent clades within Rhampholeon; this finding is congruent with previous morphological suggestions. The first clade (I) comprises three taxa (R. kerstenii, R. brevicaudatus and R. brachyurus) and is widely distributed in lowland forest and or non-forest biomes. The second clade (II) comprises the remaining Rhampholeon species and can be subdivided into three subclades. By contrast, most taxa belonging to clade II are confined to relict montane forest biotopes. Based on geographical, morphological and molecular evidence, it is suggested that the taxonomy of Rhampholeon be revised to include two genera (Rieppeleon and Rhampholeon) and three subgenera (Rhampholeon, Bicuspis and Rhinodigitum). There is a close correlation between geographical distribution and phylogenetic relatedness among Rhampholeon taxa, indicating that vicariance and climate change were possibly the most influential factors driving speciation in the group. A relaxed Bayesian clock suggests that speciation times coincided both with the northern movement of Africa, which caused the constriction of the pan African forest, and to rifting in east Africa ca. 20 Myr ago. Subsequent speciation among taxa was probably the result of gradual desiccation of forests between 20 and 5 Myr ago.

Physiological effects of stress related to helicopter travel in Federal Emergency Management Agency search-and-rescue canines.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, E; Gulson, N; Liu Cross, T-W; Swanson, K S

2017-01-01

Working canines are deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as part of a National Disaster Response Plan. Stress associated with helicopter flight and the resulting physical effects on the dog are unknown. Our objective was to test the hypotheses that (1) helicopter travel affects the physiology and faecal microbiota of working canines, but that (2) physiological consequences of helicopter travel will not negatively affect their work performance. A total of nine FEMA canines were loaded onto helicopters and flown for 30 min in July 2015. Rectal temperature, behavioural stress indicators and saliva swabs (for cortisol) were collected at baseline, loading, mid-flight and post-flight. After flight, canines completed a standardised search exercise to monitor work performance. Faecal samples were collected for microbial DNA extraction and Illumina sequencing. All canines were on a standardised diet (CANIDAE ® Grain Free PURE Land ® ) for 3 weeks prior to the study. Visible indicators of stress were observed at loading and at mid-flight and corresponded with an increase ( P  travel did not affect search performance ( P  > 0·05). We found that α- and β-diversity measures of faecal microbiota were not affected ( P  > 0·05). Our data suggest that although helicopter travel may cause physiological changes that have been associated with stress in working dogs, it does not make an impact on their search performance or the stability of faecal microbiota.

Mammals on the EDGE: conservation priorities based on threat and phylogeny.

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Nick J B Isaac

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Conservation priority setting based on phylogenetic diversity has frequently been proposed but rarely implemented. Here, we define a simple index that measures the contribution made by different species to phylogenetic diversity and show how the index might contribute towards species-based conservation priorities. We describe procedures to control for missing species, incomplete phylogenetic resolution and uncertainty in node ages that make it possible to apply the method in poorly known clades. We also show that the index is independent of clade size in phylogenies of more than 100 species, indicating that scores from unrelated taxonomic groups are likely to be comparable. Similar scores are returned under two different species concepts, suggesting that the index is robust to taxonomic changes. The approach is applied to a near-complete species-level phylogeny of the Mammalia to generate a global priority list incorporating both phylogenetic diversity and extinction risk. The 100 highest-ranking species represent a high proportion of total mammalian diversity and include many species not usually recognised as conservation priorities. Many species that are both evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE species do not benefit from existing conservation projects or protected areas. The results suggest that global conservation priorities may have to be reassessed in order to prevent a disproportionately large amount of mammalian evolutionary history becoming extinct in the near future.

Entomologic perception by teachers and students in the municipality of Santa Cruz do Xingu, Mato Grosso, Brazil

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Emanuel Maia

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to identify and interpret the entomologic perception of students and teachers living in the Santa Cruz do Xingu, Médio Araguaia region. Semistructured interviews were carried out in December 2006 with students and teachers of the basic and intermediate levels, as well as in Youth and Adult Education, in the municipality of Santa Cruz do Xingu, Mato Grosso. Of the living beings perceived as “insects” by all the interviewees, 82.75% belonged to the Insecta Class, but the rest belonged either to the Fungi Kingdom or to Classes of Animalia (Amphibia, Arachnida, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Gastropoda, Mammalia and Reptilia. The “insects” were defined by the interviewees as small bugs, which were disgusting and dangerous. When in contact with the “insects”, 76% of the interviewees admitted that they killed them, and the greatest reason given for this was the psychological damage caused by the presence of these animals (65%. To 78% of those interviewed, the “insects” were beings without positive importance. Due to the scarce knowledge about their positive aspects, the perception of the “insects” by the students and teachers living in the Santa Cruz do Xingu region is mainly related to their belief in the negative qualities of these animals, causing aggressive reactions against them as soon as they are perceived in the environment.

FY 1998 geothermal development promotion survey. Report on the environmental effect survey (No. A-4 Kunbetsu-dake area); 1998 nendo chinetsu kaihatsu sokushin chosa. Kankyo eikyo chosa hokokusho (No.A-4 Kunbetsudake chiiki)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-09-30

Of the FY 1998 geothermal development promotion survey, the primary environmental effect survey in the Kunbetsu-dake area was conducted, and the results were arranged. In the well drilling survey, etc., the survey was made aiming at extracting areas to be preserved from an environmental aspect. The results of the survey were summarized as follows: As to the mammalia, 12 families 46 species were confirmed in the area surveyed and the periphery by literature survey. Out of them, the noticeable species which are considered important from an academic viewpoint are 10 families 19 species. As to the aves, 55 families 340 species were confirmed, of which 29 families 79 species are noticeable species. About the amphibia/reptilia, 3 families 3 species in the amphibia and 4 families 6 species in the reptilia were confirmed by literature and hearing survey. The noticeable species is 1 family 1 species in the amphilia. Concerning the terrestrial insecta, 135 families 873 species were confirmed, and the noticeable species is 11 families 20 species. As to the flora, 115 families 1055 species were confirmed, and the noticeable species is 46 families 126 species. Relating to the living vegetation, the one higher than 9 in nature reserves shows a substantial rate, and the periphery of Kaibetsu-dake is designated as the specified flora colony. (NEDO)

Endocranial Morphology of the Extinct North American Lion (Panthera atrox).

Science.gov (United States)

Cuff, Andrew R; Stockey, Christopher; Goswami, Anjali

2016-01-01

The extinct North American lion (Panthera atrox) is one of the largest felids (Mammalia, Carnivora) to have ever lived, and it is known from a plethora of incredibly well-preserved remains. Despite this abundance of material, there has been little research into its endocranial anatomy. CT scans of a skull of P. atrox from the Pleistocene La Brea Tar pits were used to generate the first virtual endocranium for this species and to elucidate previously unknown details of its brain size and gross structure, cranial nerves, and inner-ear morphology. Results show that its gross brain anatomy is broadly similar to that of other pantherines, although P. atrox displays less cephalic flexure than either extant lions or tigers, instead showing a brain shape that is reminiscent of earlier felids. Despite this unusual reduction in flexure, the estimated absolute brain size for this specimen is one of the largest reported for any felid, living or extinct. Its encephalization quotient (brain size as a fraction of the expected brain mass for a given body mass) is also larger than that of extant lions but similar to that of the other pantherines. The advent of CT scans has allowed nondestructive sampling of anatomy that cannot otherwise be studied in these extinct lions, leading to a more accurate reconstruction of endocranial morphology and its evolution. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Once again about "Gregg paradox" and its solution].

Science.gov (United States)

Mavrodiev, E V

2002-01-01

"Gregg paradox" means that monotypical groups containing the same species (or groups of species) will be equal each other although systematics considers them as different taxa. Thus if the order of placental mammalia Tubilidentata includes one species aardvark Orycteropus after, the order itself, its single family Orycteropodiaceae, single genus of the family Orycteropus and the single species Orycteropus after can be considered as equal to each other. To solve this disagreement the author asserts that taxa of any level can be regarded as an individual according to the taxa of higher rank. Possibility of such interpretation was already suggested by Georg Cantor (1985). He supposed that a set (class) can be regarded as unity by itself. In this case connections between taxa of different levels can be realized by Peano ratio of intrasitive conformities. In this model a genus will consist of species but not individuals, a type--of classes, etc. Thus, if a taxon x as an individual is an element of taxon y, and taxon y as an individual is an element of taxon z, then z according to x will be not only logical class, but class of classes and, hence we could not consider x as an element of z, because the latter consists of indecomposable individual-class y or some similar classes. In this situation "Gregg paradox" does not arise.

The Réunion Fody and Sonnerat's Shrew and the validity of scientifically naming animals described without physical types.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheke, Anthony S; Hume, Julian P

2018-02-21

An essential requirement of the current edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999) is to designate a holotype or syntypes for a species or subspecies newly described after 1999. Where specimens exist this makes sense (and is indeed essential), but is meaningless when describing a species-group taxon from an old illustration or written account in which specimens were not preserved or even necessarily taken at all. The naming of two species which one or both of us described post-1999 from old accounts without designating types has been singled out as invalid on this basis. As the revisers of the ICZN apparently did not anticipate further naming of taxa from old accounts, and thus allowed a logical paradox to arise, we strongly recommend that, in respect of descriptions from old accounts with no specimens, this rule be waived by a retrospective amendment, as it is likely that other similar cases exist, and it serves no-ones' interest to strike down otherwise properly described names on a pointless technicality. Prior to our proposed change in the Code, in this note Foudia delloni Cheke Hume sp. nov. (Aves: Passeriformes: Ploceidae), from Réunion Island, and Diplomesodon sonnerati Cheke sp. nov. (Mammalia: Soricomorpha: Soricidae), from southern India, are named anew using the same names and the original diagnoses.

Differential expression of P-type ATPases in intestinal epithelial cells: Identification of putative new atp1a1 splice-variant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocafull, Miguel A.; Thomas, Luz E.; Barrera, Girolamo J.; Castillo, Jesus R. del

2010-01-01

P-type ATPases are membrane proteins that couple ATP hydrolysis with cation transport across the membrane. Ten different subtypes have been described. In mammalia, 15 genes of P-type ATPases from subtypes II-A, II-B and II-C, that transport low-atomic-weight cations (Ca 2+ , Na + , K + and H + ), have been reported. They include reticulum and plasma-membrane Ca 2+ -ATPases, Na + /K + -ATPase and H + /K + -ATPases. Enterocytes and colonocytes show functional differences, which seem to be partially due to the differential expression of P-type ATPases. These enzymes have 9 structural motifs, being the phosphorylation (E) and the Mg 2+ ATP-binding (H) motifs the most preserved. These structural characteristics permitted developing a Multiplex-Nested-PCR (MN-PCR) for the simultaneous identification of different P-type ATPases. Thus, using MN-PCR, seven different cDNAs were cloned from enterocytes and colonocytes, including SERCA3, SERCA2, Na + /K + -ATPase α1-isoform, H + /K + -ATPase α2-isoform, PMCA1, PMCA4 and a cDNA-fragment that seems to be a new cassette-type splice-variant of the atp1a1 gen. PMCA4 in enterocytes and H + /K + -ATPase α2-isoform in colonocytes were differentially expressed. This cell-specific expression pattern is related with the distinctive enterocyte and colonocyte functions.

La liebre europea, Lepus europaeus (Mammalia, Leporidae, especie invasora en el sur del Perú

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Daniel Cossíos

2013-06-01

Full Text Available La liebre europea fue introducida entre finales del siglo XIX y comienzos del siglo XX a Argentina y Chile, y desde entonces ha avanzado a través de América del Sur. En 1983 la liebre había alcanzado el sur de Brasil, el departamento de Tarija en el sur de Bolivia y el río Copiapó en Chile, encontrándose ausente en el Perú. En los años 2002 y 2004 se observó varios ejemplares de liebre en estado silvestre en los departamentos peruanos de Tacna y Arequipa, hasta una altitud de 4300 m. Según entrevistas hechas a pobladores de esas zonas, la liebre habría llegado al Perú entre los años 1995 y 1998, lo que significa una velocidad de dispersión mínima de 44,34 km/año partiendo de Tarija. Los entrevistados dijeron no dar uso a la liebre y que ésta les trae problemas al consumir la vegetación. La presente nota es una alerta sobre la llegada de la liebre europea al Perú y los posibles efectos de su presencia.

On the relationship between enamel band complexity and occlusal surface area in Equids (Mammalia, Perissodactyla

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Nicholas A. Famoso

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Enamel patterns on the occlusal surfaces of equid teeth are asserted to have tribal-level differences. The most notable example compares the Equini and Hipparionini, where Equini have higher crowned teeth with less enamel-band complexity and less total occlusal enamel than Hipparionini. Whereas previous work has successfully quantified differences in enamel band shape by dividing the length of enamel band by the square root of the occlusal surface area (Occlusal Enamel Index, OEI, it was clear that OEI only partially removes the effect of body size. Because enamel band length scales allometrically, body size still has an influence on OEI, with larger individuals having relatively longer enamel bands than smaller individuals. Fractal dimensionality (D can be scaled to any level, so we have used it to quantify occlusal enamel complexity in a way that allows us to get at an accurate representation of the relationship between complexity and body size. To test the hypothesis of tribal-level complexity differences between Equini and Hipparionini, we digitally traced a sample of 98 teeth, one tooth per individual; 31 Hipparionini and 67 Equini. We restricted our sampling to the P3-M2 to reduce the effect of tooth position. After calculating the D of these teeth with the fractal box method which uses the number of boxes of various sizes to calculate the D of a line, we performed a t-test on the individual values of D for each specimen, comparing the means between the two tribes, and a phylogenetically informed generalized least squares regression (PGLS for each tribe with occlusal surface area as the independent variable and D as the dependent variable. The slopes of both PGLS analyses were compared using a t-test to determine if the same linear relationship existed between the two tribes. The t-test between tribes was significant (p < 0.0001, suggesting different D populations for each lineage. The PGLS for Hipparionini was a positive but not significant (p = 0.4912 relationship between D and occlusal surface area, but the relationship for Equini was significantly negative (p = 0.0177. λ was 0 for both tests, indicating no important phylogenetic signal is present in the relationship between these two characters, thus the PGLS collapses down to a non-phylogenetic generalized least squares (GLS model. The t-test comparing the slopes of the regressions was not significant, indicating that the two lineages could have the same relationship between D and occlusal surface area. Our results suggest that the two tribes have the same negative relationship between D and occlusal surface area but the Hipparionini are offset to higher values than the Equini. This offset reflects the divergence between the two lineages since their last common ancestor and may have constrained their ability to respond to environmental change over the Neogene, leading to the differential survival of the Equini.

Presence of antibodies against Leptospira serovars in Chaetophractus villosus (Mammalia, Dasypodidae), La Pampa province, Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Kin, Marta S; Brihuega, Bibiana; Fort, Marcelo; Delgado, Fernando; Bedotti, Daniel; Casanave, Emma B

2015-01-01

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution. The aim of this study was to examine the presence of antibodies against 21 Leptospira reactive serovars in Chaetophractus villosus in La Pampa province, Argentina, using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Pathologic changes compatible with leptospirosis and in situ detection of the agent by immunohistochemistry were studied in 24 and 3 individuals respectively. Only 35/150 (23.3%) serum samples had antibodies against Leptospira sp. Six percent of the samples reacted with serovar Canicola, 4.7% with serovar Castellonis, 1.3% with serovar Icterohemorrhagieae and 0.7% with serovar Hardjo. Sixteen (10.6%) serum samples agglutinated with Castellonis-Icterohemorrhagiae and Canicola-Castellonis serovars, both with 4.7%, and Canicola-Hardjo and Castellonis-Canicola-Icterohemorrhagiae both with 0.6%. Fourteen animals had variable degrees of lesions, which were more severe in animals with higher serological titers (3200), and Leptospira sp. was detected in 3 animals by immunohistochemistry. These results represent the first record of the presence of Leptospira in C. villosus in La Pampa. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Distribución biocronológica de los Moschidae (Mammalia, Ruminantia en España

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Morales, J.

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The Moschidae are a group of hornless pecoran ruminants that showed a high specific diversity during the Middle and Upper Miocene in Spain. Moschids registered by the first time at the local zone Db with two species, Micromeryx flourensianus and Micromeryx sp. nov. 1. The latter species becomes extinct at local zone E, and it is substituted by Micromeryx sp. nov. 2, which shows a more derived dentition. From local zone G to local zone J and during a four million year period, the specific diversity of the Spanish Moschidae becomes higher, coinciding with the first record and diversification of the genus Hispanomeryx since local zone F times. During all this period (zones G to J a minimum number of three moschid species always exists, with a maximum peak of four species during the zones G3 and H; this time span of 2,5 million years can be considered the moschid diversity apogee in the Iberian Peninsula, and it is dominated by the species Micromeryx sp. nov. 3. At local zone H a new moschid association dominated by Micromeryx sp. nov. 4 appears. The Moschidae became totally extinct in Spain 8 million years ago at local zone K.Los Moschidae son un grupo de rumiantes Pecora inermes que presentó una alta diversidad específica durante el Mioceno medio y superior en España. Aparecen en la zona local Db, con dos especies, Micromeryx flourensianus y Micromeryx sp. nov. 1, siendo esta última la forma más común durante la zona D. En la zona E Micromeryx sp. nov. 1 ha desaparecido, siendo sustituida por Micromeryx sp. nov. 2, de dentición más derivada. A partir de la zona local G, y durante más de cuatro millones de años, hasta la zona local J inclusive, la diversidad específica de los mósquidos ibéricos se hace mayor, coincidiendo con la aparición y diversificación de Hispanomeryx en la zona F. Durante todo este tiempo, el número mínimo de especies de mósquido en la Península Ibérica es de tres, alcanzándose un máximo de diversidad específica durante las zonas G3 y H, en las que siempre hubo al mismo tiempo cuatro especies de mósquidos; es, por tanto, este período de 2,5 millones de años el del apogeo del grupo en la Península Ibérica, siendo Micromeryx sp. nov. 3 la especie dominante durante este lapso temporal. En la zona H se produce un evento de extinción. En la zona J aparece una nueva asociación de mósquidos dominada por Micromeryx sp. nov. 4. El grupo se extingue totalmente hace unos 8 Ma en la zona K.

Distribución biocronológica de los Moschidae (Mammalia, Ruminantia) en España

OpenAIRE

Morales, J.; Sánchez, I. M.

2006-01-01

The Moschidae are a group of hornless pecoran ruminants that showed a high specific diversity during the Middle and Upper Miocene in Spain. Moschids registered by the first time at the local zone Db with two species, Micromeryx flourensianus and Micromeryx sp. nov. 1. The latter species becomes extinct at local zone E, and it is substituted by Micromeryx sp. nov. 2, which shows a more derived dentition. From local zone G to local zone J and during a four million year period, the specific dive...

New craniodental material of Pronothodectes gaoi Fox (Mammalia, "Plesiadapiformes") and relationships among members of Plesiadapidae.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, Doug M; Scott, Craig S; Fox, Richard C

2012-04-01

Plesiadapidae are a family of Paleogene mammals thought to have phylogenetic affinities with modern Primates. We describe previously unpublished dentitions and the first skull and isolated petrosals of the plesiadapid Pronothodectes gaoi, collected from middle Tiffanian localities of the Paskapoo Formation in Alberta. Other species of Pronothodectes, traditionally considered the most basal members of the Plesiadapidae, occur at earlier, Torrejonian horizons in Montana, Wyoming, and Alberta. Classification of P. gaoi as a species of Pronothodectes has proved controversial; accordingly, we use the newly available samples and the more extensively preserved specimens to re-evaluate the generic affinities of this species. Included in our study are comparisons with craniodental material known for other plesiadapids and plesiadapiforms. Cladistic analysis of craniodental characters is used to assess the hypothesis that P. gaoi and other species in this genus are basal members of the Plesiadapidae. The new dental evidence confirms that P. gaoi lacks derived character states of other plesiadapids except for a variably present fissuring of the m3 hypoconulid. Moreover, several aspects of the cranium seem to be more primitive in P. gaoi (i.e., more like nonplesiadapid plesiadapiforms) than in later occurring plesiadapids, such as Plesiadapis tricuspidens and Plesiadapis cookei. Cladistic analysis of craniodental morphology supports a basal position of P. gaoi among species of Plesiadapidae, with the exception of other species of Pronothodectes. The basicranium of P. gaoi preserves a laterally placed bony canal for the internal carotid neurovascular system, suggesting that this was the ancestral condition for the family. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Hand of Cercopithecoides williamsi (Mammalia, Primates: Earliest Evidence for Thumb Reduction among Colobine Monkeys.

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Stephen R Frost

Full Text Available Thumb reduction is among the most important features distinguishing the African and Asian colobines from each other and from other Old World monkeys. In this study we demonstrate that the partial skeleton KNM-ER 4420 from Koobi Fora, Kenya, dated to 1.9 Ma and assigned to the Plio-Pleistocene colobine species Cercopithecoides williamsi, shows marked reduction of its first metacarpal relative to the medial metacarpals. Thus, KNM-ER 4420 is the first documented occurrence of cercopithecid pollical reduction in the fossil record. In the size of its first metacarpal relative to the medial metacarpals, C. williamsi is similar to extant African colobines, but different from cercopithecines, extant Asian colobines and the Late Miocene colobines Microcolobus and Mesopithecus. This feature clearly links the genus Cercopithecoides with the extant African colobine clade and makes it the first definitive African colobine in the fossil record. The postcranial adaptations to terrestriality in Cercopithecoides are most likely secondary, while ancestral colobinans (and colobines were arboreal. Finally, the absence of any evidence for pollical reduction in Mesopithecus implies either independent thumb reduction in African and Asian colobines or multiple colobine dispersal events out of Africa. Based on the available evidence, we consider the first scenario more likely.

The Hand of Cercopithecoides williamsi (Mammalia, Primates): Earliest Evidence for Thumb Reduction among Colobine Monkeys.

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Frost, Stephen R; Gilbert, Christopher C; Pugh, Kelsey D; Guthrie, Emily H; Delson, Eric

2015-01-01

Thumb reduction is among the most important features distinguishing the African and Asian colobines from each other and from other Old World monkeys. In this study we demonstrate that the partial skeleton KNM-ER 4420 from Koobi Fora, Kenya, dated to 1.9 Ma and assigned to the Plio-Pleistocene colobine species Cercopithecoides williamsi, shows marked reduction of its first metacarpal relative to the medial metacarpals. Thus, KNM-ER 4420 is the first documented occurrence of cercopithecid pollical reduction in the fossil record. In the size of its first metacarpal relative to the medial metacarpals, C. williamsi is similar to extant African colobines, but different from cercopithecines, extant Asian colobines and the Late Miocene colobines Microcolobus and Mesopithecus. This feature clearly links the genus Cercopithecoides with the extant African colobine clade and makes it the first definitive African colobine in the fossil record. The postcranial adaptations to terrestriality in Cercopithecoides are most likely secondary, while ancestral colobinans (and colobines) were arboreal. Finally, the absence of any evidence for pollical reduction in Mesopithecus implies either independent thumb reduction in African and Asian colobines or multiple colobine dispersal events out of Africa. Based on the available evidence, we consider the first scenario more likely.

A Study on the Long-eared hedgehog, Hemiechinus auritus(Gmelin, 1770) (Mammalia: Insectivora) in Turkey

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ÇOLAK, Ercüment; YİĞİT, Nuri; SÖZEN, Mustafa

1998-01-01

Thirteen specimens of Hemiechinus auritus collected in Turkey were examined for external, cranial, karyological and phallic characteristics along with postnatal development. The karyotype of H. auritus has 2n = 48 chromosomes, NFa = 92 and NF = 96. The X chromosome is a large metacentric and the Y chromosome is the smallest metacentric. There are two rows of spines on the dorsal of the glans penis. The pups were born with an average weight of 6.74 g, and they opened their eyes and ears 20 ...

Digital dissection of the masticatory muscles of the naked mole-rat, Heterocephalus glaber (Mammalia, Rodentia

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Philip G. Cox

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The naked mole-rat, Heterocephalus glaber, of the family Bathyergidae is a subterranean rodent that feeds on underground roots and tubers and digs extensive tunnel systems with its incisors. It is a highly unusual mammal with regard to its social structure, longevity, pain insensitivity and cancer resistance, all of which have made it the subject of a great deal of research in recent years. Yet, much of the basic anatomy of this species remains undocumented. In this paper, we describe the morphology of the jaw-closing musculature of the naked mole-rat, as revealed by contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography. This technique uses an iodine stain to enable the imaging of soft tissues with microCT. The iodine-enhanced scans were used to create 3D reconstructions of the naked mole-rat masticatory muscles from which muscle masses were calculated. The jaw-closing musculature of Heterocephalus glaber is relatively very large compared to other rodents and is dominated by the superficial masseter, the deep masseter and the temporalis. The temporalis in particular is large for a rodent, covering the entirety of the braincase and much of the rear part of the orbit. The morphology of the masseter complex described here differs from two other published descriptions of bathyergid masticatory muscles, but is more similar to the arrangement seen in other rodent families. The zygomaticomandibularis (ZM muscle does not protrude through the infraorbital foramen on to the rostrum and thus the naked mole-rat should be considered protrogomorphous rather than hystricomorphous, and the morphology is consistent with secondarily lost hystricomorphy as has been previously suggested for Bathyergidae. Overall, the morphology of the masticatory musculature indicates a species with a high bite force and a wide gape–both important adaptations for a life dominated by digging with the incisors.

Biology and impacts of Pacific island invasive species: Capra hircus, the feral goat, (Mammalia: Bovidae)

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Mark W. Chynoweth; Creighton M. Litton; Christopher A. Lepczyk; Steven C. Hess; Susan Cordell

2013-01-01

Domestic goats, Capra hircus, were intentionally introduced to numerous oceanic islands beginning in the sixteenth century. The remarkable ability of C. hircus to survive in a variety of conditions has enabled this animal to become feral and impact native ecosystems on islands throughout the world. Direct ecological impacts...

The effect of daytime rain on the Indian Flying Fox (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Pteropodidae Pteropus giganteus

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S. Baskaran

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Excessive water loss during the day due to heat stress in bats of the genus Pteropus appears to be inevitable, because these bats are exposed to direct sunlight.  Rain also affects the rest pattern of the Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus during the day.  When rain occurred during the day, most of the bats hung in a slanting position and did not exhibit any movements.  After rain, they licked both ventral and dorsal surfaces of the wing membrane and scratched their body with their thumb claws.  They also licked the water droplets that remained on the leaves and branches of the tree.  Even though their rest had been affected by the rain the bats utilized the water droplets to quench their thirst, cool their body and clean their fur.  The construction of water reservoirs near Pteropus roosts will help to assure their long-term conservation. 

Phylogeography and population genetics of the endangered Amazonian manatee, Trichechus inunguis Natterer, 1883 (Mammalia, Sirenia).

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Cantanhede, Andréa Martins; Da Silva, Vera Maria Ferreira; Farias, Izeni Pires; Hrbek, Tomas; Lazzarini, Stella Maris; Alves-Gomes, José

2005-02-01

We used mitochondrial DNA control region sequences to examine phylogeography and population differentiation of the endangered Amazonian manatee Trichechus inunguis. We observe lack of molecular differentiation among localities and we find weak association between geographical and genetic distances. However, nested clade analysis supports restricted gene flow and/or dispersal with some long-distance dispersal. Although this species has a history of extensive hunting, genetic diversity and effective population sizes are relatively high when compared to the West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus. Patterns of mtDNA haplotype diversity in T. inunguis suggest a genetic disequilibrium most likely explained by demographic expansion resulting from secession of hunting and enforcement of conservation and protective measures. Phylogenetic analysis of T. manatus and T. inunguis haplotypes suggests that T. inunguis is nested within T. manatus, effectively making T. manatus a paraphyletic entity. Paraphyly of T. manatus and recent divergence times of T. inunguis and the three main T. manatus lineages suggest a possible need for a taxonomic re-evaluation of the western Atlantic Trichechus.

Discovery of the fossil otter Enhydritherium terraenovae (Carnivora, Mammalia) in Mexico reconciles a palaeozoogeographic mystery.

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Tseng, Z Jack; Pacheco-Castro, Adolfo; Carranza-Castañeda, Oscar; Aranda-Gómez, José Jorge; Wang, Xiaoming; Troncoso, Hilda

2017-06-01

The North American fossil otter Enhydritherium terraenovae is thought to be partially convergent in ecological niche with the living sea otter Enhydra lutris , both having low-crowned crushing teeth and a close association with marine environments. Fossil records of Enhydritherium are found in mostly marginal marine deposits in California and Florida; despite presence of very rich records of fossil terrestrial mammals in contemporaneous localities inland, no Enhydritherium fossils are hitherto known in interior North America. Here we report the first occurrence of Enhydritherium outside of Florida and California, in a land-locked terrestrial mammal fauna of the upper Miocene deposits of Juchipila Basin, Zacatecas State, Mexico. This new occurrence of Enhydritherium is at least 200 km from the modern Pacific coastline, and nearly 600 km from the Gulf of Mexico. Besides providing further evidence that Enhydritherium was not dependent on coastal marine environments as originally interpreted, this discovery leads us to propose a new east-to-west dispersal route between the Florida and California Enhydritherium populations through central Mexico. The proximity of the fossil locality to nearby populations of modern neotropical otters Lontra longicaudis suggests that trans-Mexican freshwater corridors for vertebrate species in riparian habitats may have persisted for a prolonged period of time, pre-dating the Great American Biotic Interchange. © 2017 The Author(s).

Chromosome painting among Proboscidea, Hyracoidea and Sirenia: Support for Paenungulata (Afrotheria, Mammalia) but not Tethytheria

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Pardini, A.T.; O'Brien, P. C. M.; Fu, B.; Bonde, R.K.; Elder, F.F.B.; Ferguson-Smith, M. A.; Yang, F.; Robinson, T.J.

2007-01-01

Despite marked improvements in the interpretation of systematic relationships within Eutheria, particular nodes, including Paenungulata (Hyracoidea, Sirenia and Proboscidea), remain ambiguous. The combination of a rapid radiation, a deep divergence and an extensive morphological diversification has resulted in a limited phylogenetic signal confounding resolution within this clade both at the morphological and nucleotide levels. Cross-species chromosome painting was used to delineate regions of homology between Loxodonta africana (2n = 56), Procavia capensis (2n=54), Trichechus manatus latirostris (2n = 48) and an outgroup taxon, the aardvark (Orycteropus afer, 2n = 20). Changes specific to each lineage were identified and although the presence of a minimum of 11 synapomorphies confirmed the monophyly of Paenungulata, no change characterizing intrapaenungulate relationships was evident. The reconstruction of an ancestral paenungulate karyotype and the estimation of rates of chromosomal evolution indicate a reduced rate of genomic repatterning following the paenungulate radiation. In comparison to data available for other mammalian taxa, the paenungulate rate of chromosomal evolution is slow to moderate. As a consequence, the absence of a chromosomal character uniting two paenungulates (at the level of resolution characterized in this study) may be due to a reduced rate of chromosomal change relative to the length of time separating successive divergence events. ?? 2007 The Royal Society.

Comparative morphology of premolar foramen in lagomorphs (Mammalia: Glires and its functional and phylogenetic implications.

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Łucja Fostowicz-Frelik

Full Text Available Lagomorphs (a group that consists of pikas, hares, rabbits and allies are notable for their conservative morphology retained for most of their over 50 million years evolutionary history. On the other hand, their remarkable morphological uniformity partly stems from a considerable number of homoplasies in cranial and dental structures that hamper phylogenetic analyses. The premolar foramen, an opening in the palate of lagomorphs, has been characterized as an important synapomorphy of one clade, Ochotonidae (pikas. Within Lagomorpha, however, its phylogenetic distribution is much wider, the foramen being present not only in all ochotonids but also in leporids and stem taxa; its morphology and incidence also varies considerably across the order, even intraspecifically. In this study, we provide a broad survey of the taxonomic distribution of the premolar foramen in extant and fossil Lagomorpha and describe in detail the morphological variation of this character within the group. Micro-computed tomography was used to examine the hard palate and infraorbital groove morphology in Poelagus (Leporidae and Ochotona. Scans revealed the course and contacts of the canal behind the premolar foramen and structural differences between the two crown clades. We propose that the premolar foramen has evolved independently in several lineages of Lagomorpha, and we discuss development and function of this foramen in the lagomorph skull. This study shows the importance of comprehensive studies on phylogenetically informative non-dental characters in Lagomorpha.

Behavioural sampling techniques and activity pattern of Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata (Mammalia: Manidae in captivity

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R.K. Mohapatra

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The study presents data on six Indian Pangolins Manis crassicaudata observed in captivity at the Pangolin Conservation Breeding Centre, Nandankanan, Odisha, India over 1377 hours of video recordings for each pangolin between 1500hr and 0800hr on 81 consecutive observational days. Video recordings were made through digital systems assisted by infrared enabled CCTV cameras. The data highlights patterns relate to 12 different behaviour and enclosure utilization. Different interval periods for sampling of instantaneous behaviour from video recordings have been evaluated to develop optimal study methods for the future. The activity budgets of pangolins displayed natural patterns of nocturnal activity with a peak between 20:00-21:00 hr. When out of their burrow, they spent about 59% of the time walking in the enclosure, and 14% of the time feeding. The repeatability of the behaviours has a significant negative correlation with the mean time spent in that behaviour. Focal behavioural samples significantly correlated with instantaneous samples up to 15 minutes interval. The correlation values gradually decreased with the increase in sampling interval. The results indicate that results obtained from focal sampling and instantaneous sampling with relatively shorter intervals (=5 minutes are about equally reliable. The study suggests use of focal sampling, instead of instantaneous sampling to record behaviour relating to social interactions.

A structural intermediate between triisodontids and mesonychians (Mammalia, Acreodi) from the earliest Eocene of Portugal.

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Tabuce, Rodolphe; Clavel, Julien; Antunes, Miguel Telles

2011-02-01

A new mammal, Mondegodon eutrigonus gen. et sp. nov., is described from the earliest Eocene locality of Silveirinha, Portugal. This species shows dental adaptations indicative of a carnivorous diet. M. eutrigonus is referred to the order Acreodi and considered, along with the early Paleocene North American species Oxyclaenus cuspidatus, as a morphological intermediate between two groups of ungulate-like mammals, namely, the triisodontids and mesonychians. Considering that triisodontids are early to early-late Paleocene North American taxa, Mondegodon probably belongs to a group that migrated from North America towards Europe during the first part of the Paleocene. Mondegodon could represent thus a relict genus, belonging to the ante-Eocene European mammalian fauna. The occurrence of such a taxon in Southern Europe may reflect a period of isolation of this continental area during the Paleocene/Eocene transition. In this context, the non-occurrence of closely allied forms of Mondegodon in the Eocene North European mammalian faunas is significant. This strengthens the hypothesis that the mammalian fauna from Southern Europe is characterized by a certain degree of endemism during the earliest Eocene. Mondegodon also presents some striking similarities with an unnamed genus from the early Eocene of India which could represent the first Asian known transitional form between the triisodontids and mesonychians.

Bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera in restinga in the municipality of Jaguaruna, south of Santa Catarina, Brazil

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Fernando Carvalho

2009-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to elucidate the diversity of bats in two forest fragments in an area of restinga in the municipality of Jaguaruna, south of Santa Catarina. We performed 18 nights of sampling between November 2006 and September 2008, using in each night’s collection five mist nets installed at ground level, open for six hours after sunset. The Shannon index of diversity (H’ and the expected richness (Jackkinife first order were calculated for the total sampled area. We captured 135 individuals belonging to nine species and two families (Phyllostomidae = 5; Vespertilionidae = 4. Sturnira lilium was the most abundant species (40% of the sample. The diversity index was 1.75 and the estimated richness was 9.94. The observed richness represents 21.5% of the bat fauna recorded in the restinga area of Brazil. The diversity index recorded is close to that observed in other studies on areas of restinga. Studies that provide data on richness and abundance of species in restingas are very important, given the lack of studies on this ecosystem, especially regarding bats and the anthropogenic pressure that they are suffering.

Phylogenetic position of Mexican jackrabbits within the genus Lepus (Mammalia: Lagomorpha: a molecular perspective Posición filogenética de las liebres mexicanas dentro del género Lepus (Mammalia: Lagomorpha: una perspectiva molecular

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Juan Pablo Ramírez-Silva

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Although phylogenetic affinities of Mexican jackrabbits within the genus Lepus have been evaluated for a few species, no study has included all 5 species occurring in Mexico. In this study we assess the phylogenetic position of the Mexican species relative to other forms within the genus and evaluate evolutionary affinities among the Mexican forms. To do so, we analyzed 57 complete cytochrome b sequences belonging to the 5 Mexican jackrabbits and 18 species of Lepus distributed across Asia, Africa, Europe and America. We performed phylogenetic tree reconstruction with the neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood approaches. We also used a minimum spanning network to evaluate relationships among Mexican species. We found 5 main phylogenetic groups within Lepus, 4 of which corresponded to geographically well defined lineages. One group included L. americanus, 3 others corresponded to Mexican, African and European species, respectively. A fifth group included Asiatic, European and American forms. Our results suggest that Mexican species constitute a monophyletic entity that evolved independently of the other American species of Lepus. Within the Mexican forms, 2 main clades are apparent; 1 that includes L. alleni, L. callotis, and L. flavigularis, previously referred to as the white-sided jackrabbits, and a second one that groups together L. californicus and L. insularis, although L. californicus is a paraphyletic relative of L. insularis.Aunque la afinidad filogenética de las liebres mexicanas, dentro del género Lepus, ha sido evaluada para algunas especies, ningún estudio ha incluido las 5 especies que se presentan en México. En este trabajo estimamos la posición filogenética de las especies mexicanas de liebres en relación con otras formas dentro del género, y evaluamos las afinidades evolutivas entre ellas. Para ello analizamos 57 secuencias completas del citocromo b pertenecientes a las 5 especies mexicanas y 18 especies de Lepus distribuidas en Asia, África, Europa y América. La reconstrucción filogenética se realizó mediante los procedimientos de neighbor-joining, máxima parsimonia y máxima verosimilitud. También se empleó el enfoque de redes de haplotipos para evaluar las relaciones entre las especies mexicanas. Observamos 5 grupos filogenéticos principales dentro de Lepus, de los cuales 4 corresponden a grupos geográficamente bien definidos: 1 grupo está constituido por L. americanus, otros 3 están formados por especies mexicanas, africanas y europeas, respectivamente. Un quinto grupo incluyó de manera conjunta a especies asiáticas, europeas y americanas. Nuestros resultados sugieren que las especies de liebres mexicanas forman un grupo monofilético que evolucionó independientemente de otras formas americanas. Dentro de las formas mexicanas existen aparentemente 2 clados principales; 1 que incluye L. alleni, L. callotis y L. flavigularis, previamente reconocidas como liebres de costados blancos, y un segundo que agrupa a L. californicus y L. insularis, aunque L. californicus tiene una relación parafilética con L. insularis.

RELIEF JENIS-JENIS FAUNA DAN SETTING LINGKUNGANNYA PADA PAHATAN DINDING CANDI BOROBUDUR (Fauna and Environmental Setting Reliefs on Sculptured Wall of the Borobudur Temple

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Bambang Agus Suripto

2001-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRAK Dalam perkembangan kebudayaannya, manusia selalu akrab dengan fauna yang hidup di sekitar lingkungannya. Pada dinding gua yang pernah dihuni oleh manusia, bangunan candi, piramid, sphinx dsb. dijumpai gambaran tentang fauna. Pada dinding Candi Borobudur banyak dijumpai relief berbagai kelompok fauna tetapi belum diketahui apakah fauna itu semuanya berasal dari India atau terdapat pula kelompok yang ada atau pernah ada di Pulau Jawa. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui relief jenis-jenis fauna yang dipahat pada dinding candi Borobudur, dan mengetahui asal-usul jenis yang tergarnbar pada relief itu dari Pulau Jawa atau dari India. Informasi itu diharapkan dapat diungkapkan ada tidaknya gambaran setting lingkungan Pulau Jawa tercermin pada pahatan di dinding Candi itu. Relief fauna pada pahatan dinding langkan, dinding utama bagian atas-bawah di tingkatan Rupadhatu dipotret dan nama kelompok fauna diindentifikasi dengan buku-buku kunci identifikasi bergambar, kemudian penyebaran alami masing-masing kelompok fauna diketahui melalui kajian pustaka. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis secara deskriptif untuk mengungkap ada atau tidaknya gambaran setting lingkungan Pulau Jawa yang tercermin pada pahatan di dinding Candi Borsbudur. Pada dinding Candi Borobudur terdapat relief paling sedikit 25 jenis anggota Osteichthyes, Reptilia, Aves dan Mammalia yang dipahat secara natural, dan terdapat paling sedikit 5 jenis hewan yang dipahat secara setilir. Semua jenis fauna itu terdapat di Asia Selatan, dan beberapa di anlaranya secara alami tidak pernah hidup di Pulau Jawa, misalnya singa Pantera leo. Setting lingkungan India Abad VII tervisualisasi dengan baik pada relief pahatan dinding Candi Borobudur, tetapi setting lingkungan Pulau Jawa sampai sebelum masa penjajahan Belanda tidak tergambar dengan baik.   ABSTRACT In the cource of culture development, human was always close to fauna in their surrounding areas. Pictures of fauna are found in

Indigenous fish species in the modern ichthyofauna of the Balkhash basin

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Nadir Shamilevich Mamilov

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Indigenous fish fauna of the Balkhash basin was mostly formed in the postglacial period and consists of 10 species from Cyprinidae family, 5 from Balitoridae, and 1 from Percidae. More than 20 alien fish species were introduced here during XXth century that led to eradication of indigenous fishes from the Balkhash Lake and the Ili River. Our investigations of the fish fauna during last 25 years revealed permanent shortage of living area of indigenous fishes. Nowadays fish communities from only indigenous fish species exist in some remote and isolated water bodies. Areas of all indigenous fish species are become disconnected. Reduction of habitats goes relatively slow for naked osman Gymnodiptychus dybowskii (Kessler, 1874, spotted thicklip loach Triplophysa strauchii (Kessler, 1874, and gray loach Triplophysa dorsalis (Kessler, 1872. Drastic reductions of areas were revealed for Ili marinka Schizothorax pseudoaksaiensis Herzenstein 1889, Balkhash marinka Schizothorax argentatus Kessler 1874, Severtsov’s loach Triplophysa sewerzowii (G.Nikolskii, 1938, Seven River’s minnow Phoxinus brachyurus Berg 1912, Balkhsh minnow Rhynchocypris poljakowii Kessler 1879, and Balkhash perch Perca schrenkii Kessler 1874. Marinkas, osmans and perch often become victims of overfishing and poaching of local people. In that region water resources usually are used by wasteful way and loaded with pollutants. Many indigenous fish species are able to bear relatively high level of environment pollution. Hence, the main threats for indigenous fishes are introductions of trout and sander, habitats lose and unstable hydrological regimen.

Aspectos sobre a biologia de Tonatia bidens (Spix no estado do Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae Biological aspects of Tonatia bidens (Spix in Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae

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Carlos E. L. Esbérard

2004-06-01

Full Text Available A biologia de Tonatia bidens (Spix, 1823 foi estudada no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil. Um total de 76 morcegos foi capturado usando redes de neblina e redes manuais para insetos em refúgios diurnos. Algumas observações dos morcegos em cativeiro foram incluídas. Machos compreenderam 47% das capturas. Fêmeas prenhas foram observadas em novembro e maio, e fêmeas lactantes em janeiro, abril e maio. Animais subadultos foram registrados em dezembro, fevereiro, maio e julho. Os restos de presas observadas em refúgios de alimentação demonstram a dieta insetívora e carnívora deste morcego. O comportamento alimentar é similar a de outras espécies carnívoras de morcegos Phyllostomidae.The biology of Tonatia bidens (Spix, 1823 was studied at Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil. A total of 76 bats was captured using mist nets or using hand nets during sampling in diurnal roosts. Some observations of bats in captivity are also included. Males comprised 47% of the captures. Pregnant females were observed in November and May and lactant females in January, April and May. Subadult animals were recorded in December, February, May and July. The prey remains observed in feeding roosts demonstrates the insectivorous and carnivorous diet of this bats. The feeding behavior is similar to other carnivorous species of phyllostomid bats.

Diet of the fishing bat Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus (Mammalia, Chiroptera in a mangrove area of southern Brazil Dieta do morcego-pescador Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus (Mammalia, Chiroptera em uma área de manguezal do sul do Brasil

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Marcelo O. Bordignon

2006-03-01

Full Text Available From January to December 1999, the diet of Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus, 1758 was determined in a salt-water ecosystem, by analysing the feces of bats captured in mist nets. Of the 61 samples analyzed, most contained remains of fish (90.2%, followed by insects (70.5% and crustaceous (29.5%. The most frequent fishes species were: silversides Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825, anchovies Cetengraulis edentulus (Cuvier, 1829 and scaly sardines Ophisthonema oglinum (Lesueur, 1818. The most frequent insects were moths (Saturniidae and beetles (Cerambycidae, Scarabaeidae and Coccinellidae, as well as two species of bat ectoparasites (Streblidae. Among the crustaceous the shrimp (Palaemonidae and crabs (Gecarcinidae are was present. The consumption of fish, insects and crustaceans was different for the males and females throughout the year.De janeiro a dezembro de 1999, foi estudada a dieta de Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus, 1758 em um ecossistema de manguezal, através da análise das fezes de morcegos capturados com redes-neblina. Das 61 amostras analisadas, a maioria continha fragmentos de peixes (90.2%, seguido de insetos (70.5% e crustáceos (29,5%. As espécies de peixes mais freqüentes foram: peixe-rei Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825, manjuba Cetengraulis edentulus (Cuvier, 1829 e sardinha Ophisthonema oglinum (Lesueur, 1818. Os insetos mais freqüentes foram mariposas (Saturniidae e besouros (Cerambycidae, Scarabaeidae e Coccinellidae, além de duas espécies de ectoparasitas (Streblidae. Entre os crustáceos, houve a presença apenas de camarões (Palaemonidae e siris (Gecarcinidae. O consumo de peixes, insetos e crustáceos foi diferente para machos e fêmeas ao longo do ano.

Predação de morcegos por Chrotopterus auritus (Peters (Mammalia, Chiroptera no pantanal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil Bat predation by Chrotopterus auritus (Peters (Mammalia, Chiroptera in pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

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Marcelo Oscar Bordignon

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Foi registrada a predação de Carollia perspiscillata (Linnaeus, 1758 e Peropterix macrotis (Wagner, 1843 por Chrotopterus autitus (Peters, 1856 em uma caverna na morraria do Urucum em Corumbá, centro-oeste do Brasil. Os fragmentos de asas e um crânio encontrados sob o local de pouso de C. auritus junto às fezes, após comparados com material de coleção, mostraram que este morcego alimenta-se oportunamente de outras espécies de morcegos ocupantes do mesmo abrigo.The predation of Carollia perspiscillata (Linnaeus, 1758 and Peropterix macrotis (Wagner, 1843 by Chrotopterus auritus (Peters, 1856 was registered in a cave at Urucum's mountains of Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The wing fragments and cranium finded under feces deposites, in replace point of C. auritus, were comparated with colection reference material and revealed that C. auritus can eat occasionaly other bat species that inhabit in same roost.

Retrospective evaluation of thoracic computed tomography findings in dogs naturally infected by Angiostrongylus vasorum.

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Coia, Mark E; Hammond, Gawain; Chan, Daniel; Drees, Randi; Walker, David; Murtagh, Kevin; Stone, Janine; Bexfield, Nicholas; Reeve, Lizzie; Helm, Jenny

2017-09-01

Angiostrongylus vasorum (A. vasorum) is an important emerging disease of canidae. Cardiorespiratory signs are common in affected dogs, therefore thoracic imaging is critical for diagnosing and monitoring disease. Descriptions of thoracic computed tomography (CT) findings in dogs naturally infected with A. vasorum are currently lacking. Aims of this multicenter, retrospective study were to describe thoracic CT findings in a group of dogs with confirmed disease, determine whether any changes were consistent among dogs, and propose standardized terms for describing thoracic CT findings. Nine UK-based referral centers' clinical and imaging databases were searched for dogs that had a confirmed diagnosis of A. vasorum, and had undergone thoracic CT examination. Eighteen dogs, from seven of the centers, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The lung lobes were divided into the following three zones and the CT changes described in each: pleural (zone 1), subpleural (zone 2), and peribronchovascular (zone 3). The predominent abnormality was increased lung attenuation due to poorly defined ground-glass opacity or consolidation. There were regions of mosaic attenuation due to peripheral bronchiectasis. Nine/18 (50%) dogs showed hyperattenuating nodules of varying sizes with ill-defined margins. The distribution always affected zones 1 and 2 with varied involvement of zone 3; this resulted in clear delineation between zones 2 and 3. Tracheobronchial lymphadenomegaly was frequently noted. Findings were nonspecific and there was considerable overlap with other pulmonary conditions. However, authors recommend that A. vasorum be considered a likely differential diagnosis for dogs with a predominantly peripheral distribution of lung changes. © 2017 American College of Veterinary Radiology.

Beyond the sniffer: frontal sinuses in Carnivora.

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Curtis, Abigail A; Van Valkenburgh, Blaire

2014-11-01

Paranasal sinuses are some of the most poorly understood features of mammalian cranial anatomy. They are highly variable in presence and form among species, but their function is not well understood. The best-supported explanations for the function of sinuses is that they opportunistically fill mechanically unnecessary space, but that in some cases, sinuses in combination with the configuration of the frontal bone may improve skull performance by increasing skull strength and dissipating stresses more evenly. We used CT technology to investigate patterns in frontal sinus size and shape disparity among three families of carnivores: Canidae, Felidae, and Hyaenidae. We provide some of the first quantitative data on sinus morphology for these three families, and employ a novel method to quantify the relationship between three-dimensional sinus shape and skull shape. As expected, frontal sinus size and shape were more strongly correlated with frontal bone size and shape than with the morphology of the skull as a whole. However, sinus morphology was also related to allometric differences among families that are linked to biomechanical function. Our results support the hypothesis that frontal sinuses most often opportunistically fill space that is mechanically unnecessary, and they can facilitate cranial shape changes that reduce stress during feeding. Moreover, we suggest that the ability to form frontal sinuses allows species to modify skull function without compromising the performance of more functionally constrained regions such as the nasal chamber (heat/water conservation, olfaction), and braincase (housing the brain and sensory structures). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The 33.1 kDa Excretory/secretory Protein Produced by Toxo-cara canis Larvae Serves as a Potential Common Biomarker for Serodiagnosis of Toxocariasis in Paratenic Animals and Human

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Huu-Hung NGUYEN

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Toxocariasis is a prevalent zoonosis disease caused by the closely related nematode species Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati which parasitise Canidae and Felidae respectively. In paratenic hosts, larvae of these worms cause multiple organ damage. However, how these paratenic hosts response to these worms and whether any common biomarker can be applied for diagnosis are still unclear.Methods: Excreted/secreted (E/S antigens were prepared by culture of T. canis larvae in vitro. Using a western blot (WB assay the humoral IgG responses, induced by Toxocara spp. larvae to the worm’s E/S antigens in different infected hosts including mice, rabbits and human, were examined.Results: In a mouse model of toxocariasis, intraperitoneal injection of T. canis larvae induces inflammatory leukocyte accumulation in the liver and the lungs but not in the brain, although a remarkable number of larvae were detected in this organ. Mice and rabbits responded differently to Toxocara spp. resulting in distinct heterogenous WB band patterns. Mice and rabbits both responded to a 33.1 kDa E/S constituent that turned out to be the most sensitive protein for serodiagnosis. Sera from human toxocariasis patients showed heterogenous WB band patterns similar to those observed in rabbits and all responded to the 33.1 kDa band. Conclusion: 33.1 kDa E/S protein can be considered as a critical common biomarker for toxocariasis immuno-diagnosis in both paratenic animals and human and its specificity requires further investigation.

Feeding habits of the crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous (Carnivora: Canidae, in a mosaic area with native and exotic vegetation in Southern Brazil Hábito alimentar do cachorro-do-mato, Cerdocyon thous (Carnivora: Canidae, em área de mosaico de vegetação nativa e exótica no Sul do Brasil

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Vlamir J. Rocha

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766 is the most widespread neotropical canid, most commonly inhabiting forested areas. This animal is a generalist omnivore that is able to use environments disturbed by human activities. The aim of this study was to describe its diet through the stomach content analysis of 30 samples obtained from specimens that were run over in a mosaic composed by Araucaria Pine Forest, Semidecidual Seasonal Forest, natural grasslands, and exotic vegetation. The items were quantified by frequency of occurrence (F.O. and percentage of occurrence (P.O.. A total of 64 food items were found among 171 occurrences. According to F.O. method, plant items corresponded to 93.3% of the occurrences, followed by animal items (86.7% and human rejects (16.6%. Among plants, fruits accounted for 92.9% of the occurrences, followed by leaves (53.6% and flowers (10.7%. Syagrus romanzoffianum (Cham. Glassman, 1968 and the exotic Hovenia dulcis Thunberg were the most consumed fruits (30% each, and the most consumed leaves were Poaceae. Among preyed animals, the F.O. was 73.3% for invertebrates (mostly Orthoptera and Coleoptera, 36.7% each and 63.3% for vertebrates (mostly mammals, 33.3%. Regarding the P.O. method, there was an overestimation of invertebrates (98.1% due to the presence of ants and termites in the stomach of a single individual. In general, C. thous presented its usual diet. Its generalistic feeding habits can positively influence its survival in altered environments. This study also compares different methods for dietary analysis and discusses some opportunistic behaviors of C. thous, such as the consumption of exotic species and the use of silviculture areas as hunting sites.Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766 é o canídeo neotropical mais amplamente distribuído e habita principalmente ambientes florestados. Este animal possui hábito alimentar onívoro generalista e demonstra capacidade de utilizar ambientes perturbados pela ação do homem. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever sua dieta através da análise de 30 conteúdos estomacais de espécimes atropelados, provenientes de um mosaico constituído por Floresta Ombrófila Mista, Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Campos Naturais e vegetação exótica. Os itens foram quantificados em freqüência de ocorrência (F.O. e porcentagem de ocorrência (P.O.. No total foram identificados 64 itens, distribuídos em 171 ocorrências. De acordo com o método F.O., itens vegetais ocorreram em 93,3% das amostras, itens animais em 86,7% e rejeitos humanos em 16.6%. Entre os vegetais, os frutos apresentaram a maior F.O. (92,9%, seguido das folhas (53,6% e flores (10,7%. Syagrus romanzoffianum (Cham. Glassman, 1968 e a espécie exótica Hovenia dulcis Thunberg se destacaram entre os frutos consumidos (30% cada, e Poaceae entre as folhas consumidas. Dentre os animais, 73,3% foram invertebrados, com destaque para Orthoptera e Coleoptera (36,7% cada, e 63,3% foram vertebrados, destacando-se os mamíferos (33,3%. Em relação ao método P.O. houve a supervalorização de invertebrados (98,1% devido ao consumo de formigas e cupins observado no estômago de um indivíduo. Em geral, C. thous apresentou uma dieta conforme o esperado. Seus hábitos alimentares generalistas podem influenciar positivamente sua sobrevivência em ambientes alterados. Este trabalho ainda compara diferentes métodos de análises da dieta e discute alguns comportamentos oportunistas de C. thous, como o consumo de espécies exóticas e o uso do ambiente de silvicultura para a caça.

Bats, clocks, and rocks: diversification patterns in Chiroptera.

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Jones, Kate E; Bininda-Emonds, Olaf R P; Gittleman, John L

2005-10-01

Identifying nonrandom clade diversification is a critical first step toward understanding the evolutionary processes underlying any radiation and how best to preserve future phylogenetic diversity. However, differences in diversification rates have not been quantitatively assessed for the majority of groups because of the lack of necessary analytical tools (e.g., complete species-level phylogenies, estimates of divergence times, and robust statistics which incorporate phylogenetic uncertainty and test appropriate null models of clade growth). Here, for the first time, we investigate diversification rate heterogeneity in one of the largest groups studied thus far, the bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera). We use a recent, robust statistical approach (whole-tree likelihood-based relative rate tests) on complete dated species-level supertree phylogenies. As has been demonstrated previously for most other groups, among-lineage diversification rate within bats has not been constant. However, we show that bat diversification is more heterogeneous than in other mammalian clades thus far studied. The whole-tree likelihood-based relative rates tests suggest that clades within the families Phyllostomidae and Molossidae underwent a number of significant changes in relative diversification rate. There is also some evidence for rate shifts within Pteropodidae, Emballonuridae, Rhinolophidae, Hipposideridae, and Vespertilionidae, but the significance of these shifts depends on polytomy resolution within each family. Diversification rate in bats has also not been constant, with the largest diversification rate shifts occurring 30-50 million years ago, a time overlapping with the greatest number of shifts in flowering plant diversification rates.

FY 1998 geothermal development promotion survey. Report on the environmental effect survey (animals/plants, No. B-7 Kuwanosawa area); 1998 nendo chinetsu kaihatsu sokushin chosa. Kankyo eikyo chosa hokokusho (doshokubutsu, No.B-7 Kuwanosawa chiiki)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

This survey was conducted to estimate effects of drilling of geothermal exploration well on the environment, aiming at grasping the present state of environmental elements before the survey/development. As a result of the literature survey, the following distribution were confirmed in the fauna: 5 orders 10 families 19 species in the mammalia, 10 orders 25 families 73 species in the aves, 1 order 3 families 6 species in the reptilia, 2 orders 6 families 9 species in the amphibia, and 17 orders 179 families 719 species in the insecta. In the flora, a distribution of 132 families 670 species was confirmed. The results of studying the above indicated that in the fauna, there were 10 species such as antelope as valuable animal in the area surveyed and that it is necessary to pay much attention to the environmental preservation of the habitat for those animals in the well drilling associated with geothermal survey. In the flora, the 13 valuable animals selected as animal having a fear of extinction in the 'plant-version red list' were confirmed in the area surveyed and the periphery. Further, as to the plant colony, there are no important colonies in terms of preservation. In well drilling, important things are efforts exerted to restore to the original state of the area altered, prevention of the washed-away of mud water, etc., and efforts exerted to preserve the environment of vegetation. (NEDO)

Revising the recent evolutionary history of equids using ancient DNA.

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Orlando, Ludovic; Metcalf, Jessica L; Alberdi, Maria T; Telles-Antunes, Miguel; Bonjean, Dominique; Otte, Marcel; Martin, Fabiana; Eisenmann, Véra; Mashkour, Marjan; Morello, Flavia; Prado, Jose L; Salas-Gismondi, Rodolfo; Shockey, Bruce J; Wrinn, Patrick J; Vasil'ev, Sergei K; Ovodov, Nikolai D; Cherry, Michael I; Hopwood, Blair; Male, Dean; Austin, Jeremy J; Hänni, Catherine; Cooper, Alan

2009-12-22

The rich fossil record of the family Equidae (Mammalia: Perissodactyla) over the past 55 MY has made it an icon for the patterns and processes of macroevolution. Despite this, many aspects of equid phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy remain unresolved. Recent genetic analyses of extinct equids have revealed unexpected evolutionary patterns and a need for major revisions at the generic, subgeneric, and species levels. To investigate this issue we examine 35 ancient equid specimens from four geographic regions (South America, Europe, Southwest Asia, and South Africa), of which 22 delivered 87-688 bp of reproducible aDNA mitochondrial sequence. Phylogenetic analyses support a major revision of the recent evolutionary history of equids and reveal two new species, a South American hippidion and a descendant of a basal lineage potentially related to Middle Pleistocene equids. Sequences from specimens assigned to the giant extinct Cape zebra, Equus capensis, formed a separate clade within the modern plain zebra species, a phenotypicically plastic group that also included the extinct quagga. In addition, we revise the currently recognized extinction times for two hemione-related equid groups. However, it is apparent that the current dataset cannot solve all of the taxonomic and phylogenetic questions relevant to the evolution of Equus. In light of these findings, we propose a rapid DNA barcoding approach to evaluate the taxonomic status of the many Late Pleistocene fossil Equidae species that have been described from purely morphological analyses.

Diet of the Tawny Owl Strix aluco in the area of Slovenske gorice (NE Slovenia

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Janžekovič Franc

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The diet of Tawny Owl Strix aluco was studied in the area of Slovenske gorice - NE Slovenia. The analysis was carried out by examining pellets collected at ten locations in the period from 1984 to 2015. From the pellets, 2,121 prey units were isolated. The predominant prey were mammals (Mammalia, 84.8%, followed by birds (Aves, 8.3%, insects (Insecta, 4.7%, frogs (Anura, 1.6% and earthworms (Oligochaeta, 0.5%. Four orders of mammals were found: rodents (Rodentia, insectivores (Insectivora, bats (Chiroptera and carnivores (Carnivora. The most frequent prey in the owls’ diet were voles (Arvicolinae, 46.6% and mice (Murinae, 28.8%, while the number of shrews (Soricidae was low (4.5%. The obtained results are in concordance with the conclusions of other studies. In the area of Slovenske gorice, the Tawny Owl is an opportunistic predator of small mammals with an emphasis on voles and mice. Prey frequencies differ significantly among some localities. Variability in proportions of prey species among localities can also be the result of sampling carried out in different seasons and variability in the population dynamics of small mammals among years. Challenges for future research are to describe seasonal variability of the diet and to evaluate interspecific competition within the guild of night predators of small mammals: Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl Asio otus, and Barn Owl Tyto alba, which are sympatric in this area.

Vertebrate paleontological exploration of the Upper Cretaceous succession in the Dakhla and Kharga Oases, Western Desert, Egypt

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Sallam, Hesham M.; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Kora, Mahmoud; Sertich, Joseph J. W.; Seiffert, Erik R.; Faris, Mahmoud; Ouda, Khaled; El-Dawoudi, Iman; Saber, Sara; El-Sayed, Sanaa

2016-05-01

The Campanian and Maastrichtian stages are very poorly documented time intervals in Africa's record of terrestrial vertebrate evolution. Upper Cretaceous deposits exposed in southern Egypt, near the Dakhla and Kharga Oases in the Western Desert, preserve abundant vertebrate fossils in nearshore marine environments, but have not yet been the focus of intensive collection and description. Our recent paleontological work in these areas has resulted in the discovery of numerous new vertebrate fossil-bearing localities within the middle Campanian Qusier Formation and the upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian Duwi Formation. Fossil remains recovered from the Campanian-aged Quseir Formation include sharks, rays, actinopterygian and sarcopterygian fishes, turtles, and rare terrestrial archosaurians, including some of the only dinosaurs known from this interval on continental Africa. The upper Campanian/lower Maastrichtian Duwi Formation preserves sharks, sawfish, actinopterygians, and marine reptiles (mosasaurs and plesiosaurs). Notably absent from these collections are representatives of Mammalia and Avialae, both of which remain effectively undocumented in the Upper Cretaceous rocks of Africa and Arabia. New age constraints on the examined rock units is provided by 23 nannofossil taxa, some of which are reported from the Duwi Formation for the first time. Fossil discoveries from rock units of this age are essential for characterizing the degree of endemism that may have developed as the continent became increasingly tectonically isolated from the rest of Gondwana, not to mention for fully evaluating origin and diversification hypotheses of major modern groups of vertebrates (e.g., crown birds, placental mammals).

Sciuridae, Rapoport’s effect and the mismatch between range size, conservation needs, and scientific productivity: an approach at the genus level

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G. Amori

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Rapoport’s rule states that species at high latitudes have broader ranges than species at low latitudes. This rule has been strongly disputed over the years, and the majority of current scientists think that this is mostly a local phenomenon. However, if Rapoport’s rule applies, it should be a priori expected that taxa occurring in equatorial and tropical regions should be more threatened than those at temperate regions. In this paper, we test 1 whether Rapoport’s rule applies to Sciuridae genera (Mammalia, Rodentia and, if so, 2 whether the research efforts by scientists have been concentrated on those taxa that, because of their range size, may be predicted to be more threatened (i.e. equatorial and tropical taxa. Distribution data on Sciuridae came from literature and were transformed as maps according to World Map Program, and data about number of papers published by genus and by latitude were collected from the ISI Web of Knowledge. Our analysis verified the occurrence of a Rapoport’s effect in Sciuridae in both the hemispheres: mean range size increased significantly with latitude increases in both hemispheres. However, literature data inspection revealed that only a few genera accounted for the great majority of studies, and these genera were widely distributed and found at high latitudes. Thus, there is a potentially serious gap between current knowledge and threat expectations for Sciuridae worldwide. We therefore strongly urge scientists to give priority attention towards field studies of tropical Sciuridae genera.

A phylogenetic blueprint for a modern whale.

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Gatesy, John; Geisler, Jonathan H; Chang, Joseph; Buell, Carl; Berta, Annalisa; Meredith, Robert W; Springer, Mark S; McGowen, Michael R

2013-02-01

The emergence of Cetacea in the Paleogene represents one of the most profound macroevolutionary transitions within Mammalia. The move from a terrestrial habitat to a committed aquatic lifestyle engendered wholesale changes in anatomy, physiology, and behavior. The results of this remarkable transformation are extant whales that include the largest, biggest brained, fastest swimming, loudest, deepest diving mammals, some of which can detect prey with a sophisticated echolocation system (Odontoceti - toothed whales), and others that batch feed using racks of baleen (Mysticeti - baleen whales). A broad-scale reconstruction of the evolutionary remodeling that culminated in extant cetaceans has not yet been based on integration of genomic and paleontological information. Here, we first place Cetacea relative to extant mammalian diversity, and assess the distribution of support among molecular datasets for relationships within Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates, including Cetacea). We then merge trees derived from three large concatenations of molecular and fossil data to yield a composite hypothesis that encompasses many critical events in the evolutionary history of Cetacea. By combining diverse evidence, we infer a phylogenetic blueprint that outlines the stepwise evolutionary development of modern whales. This hypothesis represents a starting point for more detailed, comprehensive phylogenetic reconstructions in the future, and also highlights the synergistic interaction between modern (genomic) and traditional (morphological+paleontological) approaches that ultimately must be exploited to provide a rich understanding of evolutionary history across the entire tree of Life. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the biodiversity of vertebrate fauna on a farm in Caldas, Antioquia

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Lizeth E. Quintana Diosa

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The study analyzed the composition of the vertebrate fauna community in a very humid premontane forest area in the Santa Inés practice center, located in the municipality of Caldas (Antioquia, Colombia, with an area of 124,085 m2, of limey-clayish and limey-sandy soil, at an altitude between 1800-2000 meters a.s.l., and with an average rainfall of 2444 mm. Materials and methods: As a non-invasive technique, camera traps were used during a sampling period of fifteen weeks, with seven cameras, rotating them every three weeks, and using baits to facilitate observation. A final rotation was performed to determine relative abundance, which lasted three months. Results: During the entire sampling period, 23 species were recorded: 11 from the Mammalia class and 12 from the bird class; with a total effort of 1099 days/trap. The photos obtained in each sampling station allowed to analyze the relationship among the species found; five species of wild cats were also recorded. The 13.043 % of all recorded species are in a risk category according to international standards. Conclusions: As the basis of this study, there was observed, for the first time, the macrovertebrate wildlife living in the forest area of the Santa Inés practice center, where various mammals and birds were recorded; this shows the effectiveness of camera traps. The pattern of activity of the recorded species determined diurnal and nocturnal habits.

Molecular systematics and biodiversity of the Cryptotis mexicanus group (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae): two new species from Honduras supported

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Baird, Amy B.; McCarthy, Timothy J.; Trujillo, Robert G.; Kang, Yuan Yuan; Esmaeiliyan, Mehdi; Valdez, Joselyn; Woodman, Neal; Bickham, John W.

2018-01-01

Small-eared shrews of the genus Cryptotis (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) are widespread in the northern Neotropics. Systematic studies of these shrews over the past two decades have revealed previously undocumented morphological and species diversity, resulting in a quadrupling of the number of recognized species. Unfortunately, a small proportion of the species in the genus have been included in molecular phylogenetic studies, and evolutionary relationships within the genus are incompletely known. Traditionally, species have been assigned to four or five morphologically defined ‘species groups’, but tests of the monophyly of some of these groups show weak support and relationships amongst species groups remain somewhat speculative. The largest species group is the C. mexicanus group inhabiting Mexico and northern Central America. We studied sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome-b and 16S genes, as well as nuclear ApoB and BRCA1 genes from 22 species of Cryptotis, including 15 species in the C. mexicanus group. Our combined analysis shows that the C. goldmani subgroup is very weakly supported as monophyletic; however, the C. mexicanus group as a whole is not monophyletic. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses confirm the distinctiveness of two newly described species (C. celaque and C. mccarthyi) from isolated highlands of western Honduras and illustrate their relationship with other species formerly considered part of a widespread C. goodwini.

Differential expression of P-type ATPases in intestinal epithelial cells: Identification of putative new atp1a1 splice-variant

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Rocafull, Miguel A., E-mail: mrocaful@ivic.ve [Lab. Fisiologia Molecular, Centro de Biofisica y Bioquimica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC), Apartado 20632, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Thomas, Luz E.; Barrera, Girolamo J.; Castillo, Jesus R. del [Lab. Fisiologia Molecular, Centro de Biofisica y Bioquimica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC), Apartado 20632, Caracas 1020-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)

2010-01-01

P-type ATPases are membrane proteins that couple ATP hydrolysis with cation transport across the membrane. Ten different subtypes have been described. In mammalia, 15 genes of P-type ATPases from subtypes II-A, II-B and II-C, that transport low-atomic-weight cations (Ca{sup 2+}, Na{sup +}, K{sup +} and H{sup +}), have been reported. They include reticulum and plasma-membrane Ca{sup 2+}-ATPases, Na{sup +}/K{sup +}-ATPase and H{sup +}/K{sup +}-ATPases. Enterocytes and colonocytes show functional differences, which seem to be partially due to the differential expression of P-type ATPases. These enzymes have 9 structural motifs, being the phosphorylation (E) and the Mg{sup 2+}ATP-binding (H) motifs the most preserved. These structural characteristics permitted developing a Multiplex-Nested-PCR (MN-PCR) for the simultaneous identification of different P-type ATPases. Thus, using MN-PCR, seven different cDNAs were cloned from enterocytes and colonocytes, including SERCA3, SERCA2, Na{sup +}/K{sup +}-ATPase {alpha}1-isoform, H{sup +}/K{sup +}-ATPase {alpha}2-isoform, PMCA1, PMCA4 and a cDNA-fragment that seems to be a new cassette-type splice-variant of the atp1a1 gen. PMCA4 in enterocytes and H{sup +}/K{sup +}-ATPase {alpha}2-isoform in colonocytes were differentially expressed. This cell-specific expression pattern is related with the distinctive enterocyte and colonocyte functions.

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo diet in the Trøndelag region (Central Norway

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Obuch Ján

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Between 2008 and 2015 we collected pellets of the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo in the Trøndelag region of central Norway and identified the food remains in these samples. We collected material at 45 sites with samples from a total of 76 nests. Some of the samples were from older and already abandoned nests, but at several sites we also found and collected fresh B. bubo pellets. In total 40,766 items of prey were identified from the osteological material. The most dominant food components were mammals (Mammalia, 25 species, 63.5%. The species representation of birds was very diverse (Aves, more than 150 species, 19.4%. Of amphibians (Amphibia, 1 6.8%, the well-represented species were Rana temporaria. Fish (Pisces, 0.3% were represented rarely, while invertebrates were represented only sporadically (Invertebrata, 0.05%. A special composition was found in the diet spectra of the mammals and birds in the mountainous areas at altitudes between 220-780 m above sea level. The highest proportion of frogs was found in areas in the proximity of the mainland shore. On the northern islands located near the coast a significant proportion of the B. bubo diet consisted of rodents (Rodentia. On the more isolated southern islands of Frøya, Hitra and Storfosna the main prey was sea birds, and of the mammals there were also hedgehogs and rats.

Influence of estrogen replacement and aging on the expression of nerve growth factor in the urethra of female rats.

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Zucchi, Eliana V M; Jármy-Di Bella, Zsuzsanna I K; Castro, Rodrigo A; Takano, Claudia C; Simões, Manuel J; Girão, Manoel J B C; Sartori, Marair G F

2012-06-01

To evaluate the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the urethra of adult female rats in different hormonal status using immunohistochemical assay. Forty-eight rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus, Rodentia, Mammalia) from the CEDEME-UNIFESP laboratory animal facility were used in the study. Rats were divided into four groups: group A, 12 non-neutered rats; group B, 12 oophorectomized rats; group C, 12 castrated rats treated with 17β-estradiol for 30 days; and group D, 12 aging rats. Animals were killed by lethal injection and their urethra was removed. NGF expression was evaluated by means of immunohistochemistry using mouse monoclonal primary IgG antibody anti-NGF diluted 1:600, and read under 400× magnification. Digital analysis of the images was done by Imagelab software. The intensity of the dark brown color was used as a measure of NGF cytoplasmatic expression, and was used to quantify the percentage of epithelial and muscular layer cells showing this neurotrophin. After oophorectomy, rats showed a significant increase in NGF expression in the periurethral muscular layer. Compared with oophorectomized rats, NGF expression increased in the epithelial layer and diminished in the periurethral smooth muscle following estrogen administration. In 18-month-old rats, NGF expression was diminished in both epithelial and muscular layers. Hormonal status led to significant differences in NGF protein expression in urethral epithelium and periurethral smooth muscle. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Miíase por Lucilia eximia (Diptera: Calliphoridae em Didelphis albiventris (Mammalia: Didelphidae no Brasil Central

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Edison Cansi

2011-12-01

Abstract. In May 2009 were collected 18 larvae of Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann, a fly responsible for primary and secondary myiasis in livestock and humans. The larvae were taken from the myiasis on anal and auricular regions of an opossum Didelphis albiventris (Lund, in Brasília Zoo, and later identified in the laboratory. After 15 days, 15 adults emerged from L. eximia. This is the first record of this blowfly causing a primary myiasis in a marsupial species in the Brasília Cerrado.

Karyotypic evolution in family Hipposideridae (Chiroptera, Mammalia) revealed by comparative chromosome painting, G- and C-banding.

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Mao, Xiu-Guang; Wang, Jin-Huan; Su, Wei-Ting; Wang, Ying-Xiang; Yang, Feng-Tang; Nie, Wen-Hui

2010-10-01

Comparing to its sister-family (Rhinolophidae), Hipposideridae was less studied by cytogenetic approaches. Only a few high-resolution G-banded karyotypes have been reported so far, and most of the conclusions on the karyotypic evolution in Hipposideridae were based on conventional Giemsa-staining. In this study, we applied comparative chromosome painting, a method of choice for genome-wide comparison at the molecular level, and G- and C-banding to establish comparative map between five hipposiderid species from China, using a whole set of chromosome-specific painting probes from one of them (Aselliscus stoliczkanus). G-band and C-band comparisons between homologous segments defined by chromosome painting revealed that Robertsonian translocations, paracentric inversions and heterochromatin addition could be the main mechanism of chromosome evolution in Hipposideridae. Comparative analysis of the conserved chromosomal segments among five hipposiderid species and outgroup species suggests that bi-armed chromosomes should be included into the ancestral karyotype of Hipposideridae, which was previously believed to be exclusively composed of acrocentric chromosomes.

LATE PLEISTOCENE RODENTS (MAMMALIA: RODENTIA FROM THE BARANICA CAVE NEAR KNJAZEVAC (EASTERN SERBIA: SYSTEMATICS AND PALAEOECOLOGY

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KATARINA BOGICEVIC

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Baranica is a cave in the Balkan mountain range in the eastern part of Serbia. It contains four layers of sediments of Quaternary age. The Upper Pleistocene deposits (layers 2-4 have yielded a rich and diverse assemblage of vertebrate fauna, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small and large mammals. In this work, preliminary results of a study of the rodent fauna from the Upper Pleistocene deposits of the Baranica Cave (Knjazevac, eastern Serbia are presented. The fossil material comes from the 1995 archaeological excavation. The remains of 10 rodent species are described herein: Spermophilus cf. citelloides, Castor fiber, Sicista subtilis, Cricetulus migratorius, Cricetus cricetus, Mesocricetus newtoni, Apodemus ex gr. sylvaticus-flavicollis, Spalax leucodon, Dryomys nitedula, and Muscardinus avellanarius. Along with eight vole species, this makes altogether 18 species of rodents found in this locality. Both layers 2 and 4 (layer 3 is very poor in fossils have yielded a rodent fauna typical for the cold periods of the Late Pleistocene on the Balkan Peninsula, with a prevalence of open and steppe inhabitants, but some forest dwellers were also present. The assemblages from these layers are similar, but there are some differences in the composition of the fauna, which may indicate a slight shift towards drier conditions. They have also been compared to rodent associations from some Serbian and Bulgarian localities of the same age and their similarities and differences are discussed. SHORT NOTE-NOTA BREVE

Behavioral responses of three armadillo species (Mammalia: Xenarthra) to an environmental enrichment program in Villavicencio, Colombia.

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Cortés Duarte, Alexandra; Trujillo, Fernando; Superina, Mariella

2016-07-01

Enrichment is a powerful tool to improve the welfare of animals under human care. Stress-related health and behavioral problems, as well as reproductive failure, are frequent in armadillos (Xenarthra, Cingulata, Dasypodidae) under human care, which hinders the development of successful ex situ conservation programs. Nevertheless, scientific studies on the effect of enrichment programs on armadillos are virtually non-existent. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an enrichment program on the behavior of armadillos under human care. The behavior of 12 individuals of three species (Dasypus novemcinctus, D. sabanicola, and Cabassous unicinctus) maintained at Finca El Turpial, Villavicencio, Colombia, was recorded using scan sampling during three daily time blocks of 2 hr each before (4 weeks) and after (4 weeks) implementing an enrichment program. Enrichment did not stimulate the armadillos to change or extend their activity period. In general, activity levels were low during the entire study, and virtually no activity was recorded in the morning in any species, neither without nor with enrichment. The latter did, however, improve welfare by reducing abnormal and increasing natural foraging behaviors. All species were attracted by artificial termite mounds. Dasypus spp. showed special interest in cardboard boxes with food, while Cabassous was mainly attracted to hollow plastic balls filled with food. Our results suggest that separate enrichment programs need to be developed for different armadillo species, and that they should be applied during the time of day at which they are most active. Zoo Biol. 35:304-312, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hepatozoon apri n. sp. (Adeleorina: Hepatozoidae from the Japanese wild boar Sus scrofa leucomystax (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla

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Mizuki Yamamoto

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Hepatozoon apri n. sp. is described from Japanese wild boars Sus scrofa leucomystax in Japan. The gamonts in the peripheral blood leukocytes were 11.6 ± 1.4 × 6.7 ± 1.3 μm in size. The meronts in the muscle tissues were 35.0–47.5 μm in length and 26.5–30 μm in width. A high rate (53.0% of infection was found by nested PCR using muscle specimens from 181 wild boars captured in Tokushima, Japan. A phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA gene sequences revealed that H. apri n. sp. detected in wild boars is closely related to Hepatozoon spp. isolated from carnivores. This is the first description of a species belonging to the genus Hepatozoon detected in ungulates. Keywords: Sus scrofa leucomystax, Hepatozoonosis, Wild boar, Hepatozoon apri n. sp., 18S rRNA gene, Japan

Hepatozoon apri n. sp. (Adeleorina: Hepatozoidae) from the Japanese wild boar Sus scrofa leucomystax (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla).

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Yamamoto, Mizuki; Tokiwa, Toshihiro; Tobiume, Miki; Akamatsu, Shigeru; Matsuo, Kayoko; Moribe, Junji; Ike, Kazunori

2017-12-01

Hepatozoon apri n. sp. is described from Japanese wild boars Sus scrofa leucomystax in Japan. The gamonts in the peripheral blood leukocytes were 11.6 ± 1.4 × 6.7 ± 1.3 μm in size. The meronts in the muscle tissues were 35.0-47.5 μm in length and 26.5-30 μm in width. A high rate (53.0%) of infection was found by nested PCR using muscle specimens from 181 wild boars captured in Tokushima, Japan. A phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA gene sequences revealed that H. apri n. sp. detected in wild boars is closely related to Hepatozoon spp. isolated from carnivores. This is the first description of a species belonging to the genus Hepatozoon detected in ungulates.

A new species of small-eared shrew from Colombia and Venezuela (Mammalia: Soricomorpha: Soricidae: Genus Cryptotis)

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Woodman, N.

2002-01-01

Populations of small-eared shrews inhabiting the northern Cordillera Oriental of Colombia and adjoining Venezuelan highlands in the vicinity of Paramo de Tama have been referred alternatively to Cryptotis thomssi or Cryptotis meridensis. Morphological and morphometrical study of this population indicates that it belongs to neither taxon, but represents a distinct, previously unrecognized species. I describe this new species as Cryptotis tamensis and redescribe C. meridensis. Recognition of the population at Paramo de Tama as a separate taxon calls into question the identities of populations of shrews currently represented only by single specimens from Cerro Pintado in the Sierra de Perija, Colombia, and near El Junquito in the coastal highlands of Venezuela.

Prey selection by Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris tigris (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae of Chitwan National Park, Nepal

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Saneer Lamichhane

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Prey selection by tiger in Chitwan National Park, Nepal was studied from 77 tiger scats that contained the remains of principal prey species.  The scats were collected from January to March 2010.  Government reports on herbivore population in Chitwan provided the base data on density of principal prey species.  In order to understand prey selectivity, the observed proportion of prey species in the scats were compared with the expected proportion derived from density estimates.  The observed scat frequency of Sambar, Hog Deer and Wild Boar was found to be greater than the estimated frequency, and the reverse was true for Chital and Muntjac.  The average weight of the principal prey species killed was 84 kg. According to our results, Chital and Sambar constituted the bulk (82.07%, and Hog Deer, Wild Boar, and Muntjac constituted 17.93% of the tiger diet.  Sambar contributed the largest bulk (43.75% of prey composition, but Chital constituted the relatively most killed (50.36% prey species.  The present study makes a contribution to an understanding of the status of prey composition in tiger scat in Chitwan during the year 2010.  The study also highlights that both large and medium sized prey are important for the conservation of tiger in Chitwan National Park. 

Caracterização morfológica dos dentes de mocó Kerodon rupestris: Mammalia: Rodentia

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Juliana Montovani Thomaz

2006-10-01

Full Text Available O Kerodon rupestris, também conhecido como mocó, é um roedor herbívoro encontrado no Brasil. A dentição dos mamíferos apresenta-se variável de acordo com as espécies embora seja formada pelos mesmos componentes: esmalte, dentina, cemento e polpa. Neste estudo foram utilizadas sete cabeças de Kerodon rupestris, adultos, de ambos os sexos. Na cavidade oral do Kerodon rupestris, devido ao tamanho relativamente grande dos incisivos, estes se destacaram dos demais e foram encontrados um par em cada mandíbula. Dois pares de pré-molares e três pares de molares foram encontrados, sendo representados na fórmula 2x (I 1/1, C 0/0, P 1/1, M 3/3. Os molares apresentaram duas cúspides, conformação que conferia a estes dentes um aspecto serrilhado. Microscopicamente os dentes incisivos, pré-molares e molares foram classificados como hipsodontes, ou seja, dentes em constante erupção.

Taxonomy and geography of Rousettus amplexicaudatus (Geoffroy, 1810) with comparative notes on sympatric congeners (Mammalia, Megachiroptera)

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Rookmaaker, L.C.; Bergmans, W.

1981-01-01

Rousettus amplexicaudatus (Geoffroy, 1810) is divided into three subspecies according to size: R. a. amplexicaudatus, R. a. infumatus (Gray, 1870), and R. a. brachyotis (Dobson, 1877). Cynonycteris minor Dobsou, 1873 is synonymized with R. a. infumatus; Rousettus stresemanni Stein, 1933 with R. a.

Biology and impacts of Pacific island invasive species 9. Capra hircus, the feral goat, (Mammalia: Bovidae)

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Chynoweth, Mark W.; Litton, Creighton M.; Lepczyk, Christopher A.; Hess, Steve A.; Cordell, Susan

2013-01-01

Domestic goats, Capra hircus, were intentionally introduced to numerous oceanic islands beginning in the sixteenth century. The remarkable ability of C. hircus to survive in a variety of conditions has enabled this animal to become feral and impact native ecosystems on islands throughout the world. Direct ecological impacts include consumption and trampling of native plants, leading to plant community modification and transformation of ecosystem structure. While the negative impacts of feral goats are well-known and effective management strategies have been developed to control this invasive species, large populations persist on many islands. This review summarizes the impacts of feral goats on Pacific island ecosystems, and the management strategies available to control this invasive species.

O conhecimento sobre morcegos (Chiroptera: Mammalia do estado do Espírito Santo, sudeste do Brasil

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Poliana Mendes

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A Ordem Chiroptera apresenta importância relevante na dinâmica dos ecossistemas, sendo a ordem de mamíferos com maior diversidade de hábitos de vida. Dentre os estados da região Sudeste do Brasil, o Espírito Santo é um dos mais carentes em relação ao conhecimento de morcegos. Este estudo sintetizou o estado do conhecimento sobre quirópteros gerado no Espírito Santo. Para isso, foram catalogados os morcegos depositados no Museu de Biologia Prof. Mello Leitão (MBML, no Laboratório de Estudos de Quirópteros da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (LABEQ, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH e University of Michigan Museum Zoology (UMMZ. Além disso, foi realizada uma busca por artigos publicados sobre morcegos do Espírito Santo. Foram revistos 49 artigos científicos, realizadas três teses de mestrado e 11 monografias. Considerando as coleções amostradas e artigos publicados totalizam-se 63 espécies de morcegos para o estado, provenientes de 37 dos 78 municípios do Espírito Santo. A maior riqueza de espécies de morcegos foi encontrada nos municípios de Linhares e Santa Teresa, o que é provavelmente reflexo da maior parte dos espécimes depositados nos museus também serem desses municípios. O Espírito Santo apresenta um grande potencial para se encontrar novas ocorrências de espécies, enfatizando a importância da realização de futuros estudos sobre morcegos no estado.The Order Chiroptera plays a vital role in ecosystem dynamics. Among the states of Southeastern Brazil, Espírito Santo State is the one with the least known bat fauna. This study reports on the current state of knowledge on Espírito Santo bats generating this data bank. We have catalogued the bats deposited in the Biology Museum Prof. Mello Leitão (MBML, Laboratory of Bat Studies of the Federal University of Espírito Santo (LABEQ, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH, and University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ. In addition, we have investigated the literature seeking articles about bats exclusively for the State. About bats were published in the state 42 papers, three thesis and 11 monographs. There are recognized 63 bat species in the State, if considering the museum collections and published papers, from 37 of the 78 municipalities of Espírito Santo. The highest species richness was found in the municipalities of Linhares and Santa Teresa. This was probably occasioned by bias on sampling. The great potential for new bat occurrences in Espírito Santo is due to the lack of knowledge about bats in this State. This emphasizes the importance for new future studies about bats in that area.

Estudo macroscópico do aparelho digestório de Gracilinanus microtarsus (Wagner, 1842 (Mammalia: Didelphidae

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Luis Miguel Lobo

2013-12-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2014v27n1p109   Gracilinanus microtarsus é um pequeno marsupial pertencente à família Didelphidae. Possui hábito alimentar onívoro/frugívoro sendo, portanto, uma espécie de grande importância ecológica, por ser dispersora de sementes. O objetivo deste estudo é descrever a morfologia macroscópica do aparelho digestório do G. microtarsus. Foram utilizados quatro animais fixados em formaldeído 10%. Os órgãos foram dissecados, mensurados e fotografados. Os animais estudados apresentaram a fórmula dentária 2x I 5/4 C1/1 P 3/3 M 4/4. Esta é a fórmula dentária de toda a família Didelphidae. O dorso da língua apresentou papilas valadas, fungiformes e filiformes. O esôfago tubular revelou as porções cervical, torácica e abdominal. O estômago monocavitário era composto por região glandular e aglandular e pregas gástricas. O intestino delgado apresentou três porções: duodeno, jejuno e íleo. O intestino grosso era composto por: ceco, cólon e reto. A glândula salivar parótida era a maior e apresentava formato achatado. A glândula salivar sublingual, que era a menor, apresentava formato achatado e alongado. A glândula salivar mandibular apresentava formato ovalado. O pâncreas apresentou forma dispersa e aspecto lobulado. O fígado apresentava formato de cúpula e era composto pelos lobos medial direito, quadrado, lateral direito, medial esquerdo, lateral esquerdo e caudado. O aparelho digestório dos animais estudados é semelhante ao de marsupiais descritos na literatura.

Habitat use and seasonal activity of insectivorous bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera in the grasslands of southern Brazil

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Marília A. S. Barros

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In temperate zones, insectivorous bats use some types of habitat more frequently than others, and are more active in the warmest periods of the year. We assessed the spatial and seasonal activity patterns of bats in open areas of the southernmost region of Brazil. We tested the hypothesis that bat activity differs among habitat types, among seasons, and is influenced by weather variables. We monitored four 1,500-m transects monthly, from April 2009 to March 2010. Transects corresponded to the five habitat types that predominate in the region. In each sampling session, we detected and counted bat passes with an ultrasound detector (Pettersson D230 and measured climatic variables at the transects. We recorded 1,183 bat passes, and observed the highest activity at the edge of a eucalyptus stand (0.64 bat passes/min and along an irrigation channel (0.54 bat passes/min. The second highest activity values (0.31 and 0.20 bat passes/min, respectively were obtained at the edge of a riparian forest and at the margin of a wetland. The grasslands were used significantly less (0.05 bat passes/min. Bat activity was significantly lower in the winter (0.21 bat passes/min and showed similar values in the autumn (0.33 bat passes/min, spring (0.26 bat passes/min, and summer (0.29 bat passes/min. Bat activity was correlated with temperature, but it was not correlated with wind speed and relative humidity of the air. Our data suggest that, in the study area, insectivorous bats are active throughout the year, and use mostly forest and watercourses areas. These habitat types should be considered prioritary for the conservation of bats in the southernmost region of Brazil.

A new species of small-eared shrew (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Cryptotis) from the Lacandona rain forest, Mexico

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Guevara, Lázaro; Sánchez-Cordero, Víctor; León-Paniagua, Livia; Woodman, Neal

2014-01-01

The diversity and distribution of mammals in the American tropics remain incompletely known. We describe a new species of small-eared shrew (Soricidae, Cryptotis) from the Lacandona rain forest, Chiapas, southern Mexico. The new species is distinguished from other species of Cryptotis on the basis of a unique combination of pelage coloration, size, dental, cranial, postcranial, and external characters, and genetic distances. It appears most closely related to species in the Cryptotis nigrescens species group, which occurs from southern Mexico to montane regions of Colombia. This discovery is particularly remarkable because the new species is from a low-elevation habitat (approximately 90 m), whereas most shrews in the region are restricted to higher elevations, typically > 1,000 m. The only known locality for the new shrew is in one of the last areas in southern Mexico where relatively undisturbed tropical vegetation is still found. The type locality is protected by the Mexican government as part of the Yaxchilán Archaeological Site on the border between Mexico and Guatemala.

SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY STUDY OF THE DORSAL SURFACE OF THE TONGUE IN Chaetophractus vellerosus (MAMMALIA, DASYPODIDAE)

OpenAIRE

Estecondo, Silvia; Codón, Stella Maris; Casanave, Emma Beatriz

2001-01-01

The characteristics of the dorsal surface of Chaetophractus vellerosus tongue were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Simple or branched filiform, fungiform and vallate papillae are described. Simple conical filiform papillae appear in the apex, lateral edges and posterior third, caudally to the circumvallated ones. The branched papillae are densely distributed all over the dorsal surface of the lingual body. Fungiform ones are scattered among the branched filiform papillae. In the post...

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Part 10. Bat fauna of Iran

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Benda, P.; Faizolahi, K.; Andreas, M.; Obuch, J.; Reiter, A.; Ševčík, M.; Uhrin, M.; Vallo, Peter; Ashrafi, S.

2012-01-01

Roč. 76, 3-4 (2012), s. 163-562 ISSN 1211-376X Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : distribution * ecology * echolocation * ectoparasites * Chiroptera * Iran * Middle East * Palaearctic Subject RIV: EG - Zoology

C-banding and Ag-NOR distribution patterns in Euphrates jerboa, Allactaga euphratica (Mammalia: Rodentia), from Turkey

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Arslan, A.; Yorulmaz, T.; Toyran, K.; Albayrak, I.; Zima, Jan

2012-01-01

Roč. 76, č. 4 (2012), s. 435-439 ISSN 0025-1461 Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : AgNOR staining * C-banding * cytogenetic s * jerboas Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.809, year: 2012

Mammals from ‘down under’: a multi-gene species-level phylogeny of marsupial mammals (Mammalia, Metatheria

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Laura J. May-Collado

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Marsupials or metatherians are a group of mammals that are distinct in giving birth to young at early stages of development and in having a prolonged investment in lactation. The group consists of nearly 350 extant species, including kangaroos, koala, possums, and their relatives. Marsupials are an old lineage thought to have diverged from early therian mammals some 160 million years ago in the Jurassic, and have a remarkable evolutionary and biogeographical history, with extant species restricted to the Americas, mostly South America, and to Australasia. Although the group has been the subject of decades of phylogenetic research, the marsupial tree of life remains controversial, with most studies focusing on only a fraction of the species diversity within the infraclass. Here we present the first Methaterian species-level phylogeny to include 80% of the extant marsupial species and five nuclear and five mitochondrial markers obtained from Genbank and a recently published retroposon matrix. Our primary goal is to provide a summary phylogeny that will serve as a tool for comparative research. We evaluate the extent to which the phylogeny recovers current phylogenetic knowledge based on the recovery of “benchmark clades” from prior studies—unambiguously supported key clades and undisputed traditional taxonomic groups. The Bayesian phylogenetic analyses recovered nearly all benchmark clades but failed to find support for the suborder Phalagiformes. The most significant difference with previous published topologies is the support for Australidelphia as a group containing Microbiotheriidae, nested within American marsupials. However, a likelihood ratio test shows that alternative topologies with monophyletic Australidelphia and Ameridelphia are not significantly different than the preferred tree. Although further data are needed to solidify understanding of Methateria phylogeny, the new phylogenetic hypothesis provided here offers a well resolved and detailed tool for comparative analyses, covering the majority of the known species richness of the group.

Virtual endocranial cast of earliest Eocene Diacodexis (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) and morphological diversity of early artiodactyl brains

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Orliac, M. J.; Gilissen, E.

2012-01-01

The study of brain evolution, particularly that of the neocortex, is of primary interest because it directly relates to how behavioural variations arose both between and within mammalian groups. Artiodactyla is one of the most diverse mammalian clades. However, the first 10 Myr of their brain evolution has remained undocumented so far. Here, we used high-resolution X-ray computed tomography to investigate the endocranial cast of Diacodexis ilicis of earliest Eocene age. Its virtual reconstruction provides unprecedented access to both metric parameters and fine anatomy of the most complete endocast of the earliest artiodactyl. This picture is assessed in a broad comparative context by reconstructing endocasts of 14 other Early and Middle Eocene representatives of basal artiodactyls, allowing the tracking of the neocortical structure of artiodactyls back to its simplest pattern. We show that the earliest artiodactyls share a simple neocortical pattern, so far never observed in other ungulates, with an almond-shaped gyrus instead of parallel sulci as previously hypothesized. Our results demonstrate that artiodactyls experienced a tardy pulse of encephalization during the Late Neogene, well after the onset of cortical complexity increase. Comparisons with Eocene perissodactyls show that the latter reached a high level of cortical complexity earlier than the artiodactyls. PMID:22764165

Geographic distribution of ebony leaf monkey Trachypithecus auratus (E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812) (Mammalia: Primates: Cercopithecidae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijman, Vincent

2000-01-01

As one of the fundamental units of ecology and biogeography, the geographic distribution of the endemic and threatened ebony leaf monkey Trachypithecus auratus (E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812) on the islands of Java, Bali, and Lombok (Indonesia) has been assessed. All localities where the species

Geographic distribution of ebony leaf monkey Trachypithecus auratus (E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812) (Mammalia: Primates: Cercopithecidae)

OpenAIRE

Nijman, Vincent

2000-01-01

As one of the fundamental units of ecology and biogeography, the geographic distribution of the endemic and threatened ebony leaf monkey Trachypithecus auratus (E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812) on the islands of Java, Bali, and Lombok (Indonesia) has been assessed. All localities where the species has been collected are listed, and forty-two areas (each in itself consisting of numerous smaller sites) where the species has been recorded are discussed. The species occurs in a large variety of f...

Morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera em restinga no município de Jaguaruna, sul de Santa Catarina, Brasil

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Fernando Carvalho

2009-06-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2009v22n3p193 O estudo teve como objetivo conhecer a diversidade de morcegos em dois fragmentos florestais em área de restinga no município de Jaguaruna sul de Santa Catarina. Foram realizadas 18 noites de amostragem entre novembro de 2006 e setembro de 2008, sendo utilizadas em cada noite de coleta, cinco redes de neblina instaladas ao nível do solo, abertas por seis horas após pôr-do-sol. Foram calculados o índice de diversidade de Shannon (H’ e a riqueza esperada (Jackkinife de primeira ordem para a área como um todo. Foram capturados 135 indivíduos pertencentes a nove espécies de duas famílias (Phyllostomidae = 5; Vespertilionidae = 4. Sturnira lilium foi à espécie mais abundante (40% da amostra. O índice de diversidade foi de 1,75 e a riqueza estimada de 9,94 espécies. A riqueza observada representa 21,5% da fauna de morcegos registrada para a área de restinga no Brasil. O índice de diversidade obtido ficou próximo ao observado em outros estudos realizados em restingas brasileiras. Mesmo que pontuais, estudos que forneçam dados sobre a riqueza e abundância de espécies nas restingas são de grande importância, dada a carência de estudos neste ecossistema, principalmente sobre os morcegos, assim como, as pressões antrópicas que vem sofrendo.

Advances in reproductive science for wild carnivore conservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Comizzoli, P; Crosier, A E; Songsasen, N; Gunther, M Szykman; Howard, J G; Wildt, D E

2009-07-01

Knowledge about reproduction is critical for predicting the viability of wildlife populations in nature and for managing breeding programmes in captivity. Intensive species-based studies are the priority, because reproductive mechanisms are extraordinarily diverse, even within the same taxonomic family. Carnivores deserve more attention as such species are highly vulnerable to environmental change and human persecution. The present review provides contemporary illustrations of how reproductive science is contributing to understand unique reproductive mechanisms that are both of fundamental and applied interest. In the case of the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) free-living in South Africa, non-invasive faecal corticosteroid assessments have yielded new insights about the impact of animal relocation and reintroduction on adaptive responses, reproductive fitness and survival. For the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), advances have been made in characterizing and comparing reproductive traits in free-ranging vs captive individuals. For the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), recent studies have focused on the cryosensitivity of sperm and the ability to develop a field-friendly sperm cryo-method. The by-product has been a large-scale frozen repository of sperm from wild-caught cheetahs useful for infusing new genes into ex situ populations. Finally, rigorous, multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional reproductive studies of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), including the use of artificial insemination, have contributed to the remarkable recovery and restoration of this species, once on the brink of extinction. In summary, advances in reproductive science are not necessarily related to 'assisted breeding'. However, understanding the unique ways of carnivore reproduction greatly contributes to species management and conservation.

Seroprevalences of antibodies to Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in zoo animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedlák, K; Bártová, E

2006-03-31

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes neuromuscular disease in dogs and abortions in cattle. Little is known about the prevalence of antibodies to this parasite in zoo animals. Sera from 556 animals, from 13 Czech and Slovak zoos were tested for antibodies to N. caninum and Toxoplasma gondii by indirect fluorescent antibody test. Antibodies to N. caninum were found in 31 of 556 zoo animals (5.6%), representing 18 of 114 species tested: Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus lupus), Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), fennec (Vulpes zerda), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yaguarondi), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), Indian lion (Panthera leo goojratensis), fisher (Martes pennanti), blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), European bison (Bison bonasus), lechwe (Kobus leche), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer), eland (Taurotragus oryx), sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei gratus), Thorold's deer (Cervus albirostris), Eastern elk (C. elaphus canadensis), Vietnam sika deer (C. nippon pseudaxis) and Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus). Titres ranged from 1:40 to 1:2560. The highest prevalence 50% was found in family mustelidae of the order carnivora. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 193 of 556 zoo animals (34.7%) representing 72 of 114 species tested, with titres ranging from 1:40 to 1:40960. The highest prevalence 100% was found in families: hyaenidae, mustelidae, ursidae and viveridae of the order carnivora. The results of this study indicate that zoo animals have more exposure to T. gondii than to N. caninum. It is the first report of seroprevalence of antibodies to N. caninum in European zoo animals.

Identification of novel Babesia and Theileria genotypes in the endangered marsupials, the woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) and boodie (Bettongia lesueur).

Science.gov (United States)

Paparini, Andrea; Ryan, Una M; Warren, Kris; McInnes, Linda M; de Tores, Paul; Irwin, Peter J

2012-05-01

Piroplasms, which include the genera Theileria and Babesia, are blood-borne parasites transmitted mainly by tick vectors. Relatively little is known about their prevalence and clinical impact in Australian marsupials. In the present study the occurrence and molecular phylogeny of these parasites were studied in both wild and captive marsupials from Western Australia (WA) and Queensland (QLD). Blood samples were screened by microscopy and molecular methods, using PCR and DNA sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene (18S rDNA). Overall, 7.1% of the blood samples (8/113) were positive for piroplasm 18S rDNA. Theileria and Babesia rDNA was detected in 0.9% (1/113) and 6.2% (7/113) of the animals, respectively. The single Theileria positive was identified in one of three boodies (Bettongia lesueur) screened from a wildlife rehabilitation centre in WA, while all seven Babesia positives were detected in WA in wild captured woylies (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi). Small intraerythrocytic inclusions were observed in blood films made from six of these individuals. This is the first report of a Babesia sp. in woylies, and Theileria sp. in boodies. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the woylie-derived Babesia was genetically distinct and most closely related to Babesia occultans, the causative agent of a benign form of cattle babesiosis (genetic similarity 98.4%). The Theileria identified was most closely related to the marsupial-derived species Theileria penicillata from the woylie, Theileria brachyuri from the quokka (Setonix brachyurus), and Theileria sp. from the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

TRANEXAMIC ACID ACTION ON LIVER REGENERATION AFTER PARTIAL HEPATECTOMY: EXPERIMENTAL MODEL IN RATS.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobral, Felipe Antonio; Daga, Henrique; Rasera, Henrique Nogueira; Pinheiro, Matheus da Rocha; Cella, Igor Furlan; Morais, Igor Henrique; Marques, Luciana de Oliveira; Collaço, Luiz Martins

2016-01-01

Different lesions may affect the liver resulting in harmful stimuli. Some therapeutic procedures to treat those injuries depend on liver regeneration to increase functional capacity of this organ. Evaluate the effects of tranexamic acid on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats. 40 rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus, Rodentia mammalia) of Wistar-UP lineage were randomly divided into two groups named control (CT) and tranexamic acid (ATX), with 20 rats in each. Both groups were subdivided, according to liver regeneration time of 32 h or seven days after the rats had been operated. The organ regeneration was evaluated through weight and histology, stained with HE and PCNA. The average animal weight of ATX and CT 7 days groups before surgery were 411.2 g and 432.7 g, and 371.3 g and 392.9 g after the regeneration time, respectively. The average number of mitotic cells stained with HE for the ATX and CT 7 days groups were 33.7 and 32.6 mitosis, and 14.5 and 14.9 for the ATX and CT 32 h groups, respectively. When stained with proliferating cell nuclear antigen, the numbers of mitotic cells counted were 849.7 for the ATX 7 days, 301.8 for the CT 7 days groups, 814.2 for the ATX 32 hand 848.1 for the CT 32 h groups. Tranexamic acid was effective in liver regeneration, but in longer period after partial hepatectomy. Muitas são as injúrias que acometem o fígado e levam a estímulo lesivo. Alguns procedimentos terapêuticos para tratamento dessas lesões dependem da regeneração hepática para aumentar a sua capacidade funcional. Avaliar o efeito do ácido tranexâmico na regeneração hepática após hepatectomia parcial em ratos. Foram utilizados 40 ratos (Rattus norvegicus albinus, Rodentia mammalia) convencionais da linhagem Wistar-UP. Foram divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos de 20: grupo controle (CT) e grupo ácido tranexâmico (ATX). Cada um deles foi divido em dois subgrupos para avaliar a regeneração hepática no tempo de 32 h e 7 dias do p

Canine distemper virus isolated from a monkey efficiently replicates on Vero cells expressing non-human primate SLAM receptors but not human SLAM receptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Na; Liu, Yuxiu; Wang, Jianzhong; Xu, Weiwei; Li, Tiansong; Wang, Tiecheng; Wang, Lei; Yu, Yicong; Wang, Hualei; Zhao, Yongkun; Yang, Songtao; Gao, Yuwei; Hu, Guixue; Xia, Xianzhu

2016-08-02

In 2008, an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection in monkeys was reported in China. We isolated CDV strain (subsequently named Monkey-BJ01-DV) from lung tissue obtained from a rhesus monkey that died in this outbreak. We evaluated the ability of this virus on Vero cells expressing SLAM receptors from dog, monkey and human origin, and analyzed the H gene of Monkey-BJ01-DV with other strains. The Monkey-BJ01-DV isolate replicated to the highest titer on Vero cells expressing dog-origin SLAM (10(5.2±0.2) TCID50/ml) and monkey-origin SLAM (10(5.4±0.1) TCID50/ml), but achieved markedly lower titers on human-origin SLAM cells (10(3.3±0.3) TCID50/ml). Phylogenetic analysis of the full-length H gene showed that Monkey-BJ01-DV was highly related to other CDV strains obtained during recent CDV epidemics among species of the Canidae family in China, and these Monkey strains CDV (Monkey-BJ01-DV, CYN07-dV, Monkey-KM-01) possessed a number of amino acid specific substitutions (E276V, Q392R, D435Y and I542F) compared to the H protein of CDV epidemic in other animals at the same period. Our results suggested that the monkey origin-CDV-H protein could possess specific substitutions to adapt to the new host. Monkey-BJ01-DV can efficiently use monkey- and dog-origin SLAM to infect and replicate in host cells, but further adaptation may be required for efficient replication in host cells expressing the human SLAM receptor.

The Role of Grunt Calls in the Social Dominance Hierarchy of the White-Lipped Peccary (Mammalia, Tayassuidae.

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Selene S C Nogueira

Full Text Available Grunt-like calls are present in the vocal repertoire of many group-living mammals and seem to facilitate social interactions between lower and higher-ranking members. The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari lives in stable hierarchical mixed-sex groups and like non-human primates, usually emits grunt-like calls following aggressive interactions, mainly during feeding contexts. We investigated the possible functions of peccaries' grunt-like calls and their relationship to the individuals' social rank, identity, and sexual dimorphism. We observed that low-ranking individuals emitted grunt-like calls more often than high-ranking ones, and that the alpha male never emitted this vocalization. Moreover, the mean minimum frequency of grunt-like calls decreased as the peccary's rank increased. The findings revealed differences among individual grunts, but the low accuracy of cross-validation (16% suggests that individual recognition in peccaries may be less important than an honest signal of individual social status. In addition, the absence of differences in the acoustic parameters of grunt-like calls between males and females points to the lack of sexual dimorphism in this species. We verified that after hearing grunt calls, dominant opponents were more likely to cease attacking a victim, or at least delay the continuation of conflict, probably decreasing the severity of agonistic interactions. Our findings are particularly important to improve the current understanding of the role of grunt-like calls in herd-living mammals with linear dominant hierarchies, and strongly suggest that they are involved in the maintenance of herd social stability and cohesion.

People’s attitudes toward Striped Hyaena (Hyaena hyaena Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Hyaenidae conservation in lowland Nepal

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Shivish Bhandari

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to explore people’s attitudes toward Striped Hyaena conservation in lowland Nepal.  Structured questionnaire sheets were used to collect information on major threats, human casualties, and people’s perception towards Hyaenas and other carnivores.  People’s perceptions toward Hyaenas and conservation were overall positive.  During the study, 400 people were interviewed and questionnaire sheets were filled.  It was discovered that 63% had a positive attitude toward the Hyaenas.  On the other hand, 37% of the people had a negative attitude regarding the species’ conservation.  It was found that local people had understood various aspects of Hyaena ecology.  Sixty-five percent of the people responded that the Hyaena entered human populated areas due to an absence of food in the natural forests and habitat degradation.  A total of 19% of the respondents reported killing carnivores including the Hyaena due to human-carnivore conflicts.  

Survey of Forest Elephants Loxodonta cyclotis (Matschie, 1900 (Mammalia: Proboscidea: Elephantidae in the Bia Conservation Area, Ghana

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Emmanuel Danquah

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Information on elephant ranges and numbers is vital for effective conservation and management, especially in western Africa where elephant populations are small and scattered.  The Bia Conservation Area (BCA in southwestern Ghana is a priority site for the conservation of Forest Elephants in western Africa.  A dung count was conducted using a systematic segmented track line design to determine the density and distribution of the BCA elephant population.  The mean density of dung-piles was 452.15 per sq.km. and mean dung survival time was estimated to be 54.64 days (SD 2 days, leading to an estimate of 146 elephants (95% confidence interval 98-172 with a density of 0.48/km2 for the BCA. This estimate probably makes the Bia forest elephant population the largest in Ghana.  Records of BCA elephant activities were also made.  This study augments the Regional African Elephant Database and should facilitate strategic planning and management programmes.

Molecules, morphometrics and new fossils provide an integrated view of the evolutionary history of Rhinopomatidae (Mammalia: Chiroptera).

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Hulva, Pavel; Horácek, Ivan; Benda, Petr

2007-09-14

The Rhinopomatidae, traditionally considered to be one of the most ancient chiropteran clades, remains one of the least known groups of Rhinolophoidea. No relevant fossil record is available for this family. Whereas there have been extensive radiations in related families Rhinolophidae and Hipposideridae, there are only a few species in the Rhinopomatidae and their phylogenetic relationship and status are not fully understood. Here we present (a) a phylogenetic analysis based on a partial cytochrome b sequence, (b) new fossils from the Upper Miocene site Elaiochoria 2 (Chalkidiki, Greece), which represents the first appearance datum of the family based on the fossil record, and (c) discussion of the phylogeographic patterns in both molecular and morphological traits. We found deep divergences in the Rhinopoma hardwickii lineage, suggesting that the allopatric populations in (i) Iran and (ii) North Africa and the Middle East should have separate species status. The latter species (R. cystops) exhibits a shallow pattern of isolation by distance (separating the Middle East and the African populations) that contrasts with the pattern of geographic variation in the morphometrical traits. A deep genetic gap was also found in Rhinopoma muscatellum (Iran vs. Yemen). We found only minute genetic distance between R. microphyllum from the Levant and India, which fails to support the sub/species distinctness of the Indian form (R. microphyllum kinneari). The mtDNA survey provided phylogenetic tree of the family Rhinopomatidae for the first time and revealed an unexpected diversification of the group both within R. hardwickii and R. muscatellum morphospecies. The paleobiogeographic scenario compiled in respect to molecular clock data suggests that the family originated in the region south of the Eocene Western Tethyan seaway or in India, and extended its range during the Early Miocene. The fossil record suggests a Miocene spread into the Mediterranean region, followed by a post-Miocene retreat. Morphological analysis compared with genetic data indicates considerable phenotypic plasticity in this group.

Molecules, morphometrics and new fossils provide an integrated view of the evolutionary history of Rhinopomatidae (Mammalia: Chiroptera

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Benda Petr

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Rhinopomatidae, traditionally considered to be one of the most ancient chiropteran clades, remains one of the least known groups of Rhinolophoidea. No relevant fossil record is available for this family. Whereas there have been extensive radiations in related families Rhinolophidae and Hipposideridae, there are only a few species in the Rhinopomatidae and their phylogenetic relationship and status are not fully understood. Results Here we present (a a phylogenetic analysis based on a partial cytochrome b sequence, (b new fossils from the Upper Miocene site Elaiochoria 2 (Chalkidiki, Greece, which represents the first appearance datum of the family based on the fossil record, and (c discussion of the phylogeographic patterns in both molecular and morphological traits. We found deep divergences in the Rhinopoma hardwickii lineage, suggesting that the allopatric populations in (i Iran and (ii North Africa and the Middle East should have separate species status. The latter species (R. cystops exhibits a shallow pattern of isolation by distance (separating the Middle East and the African populations that contrasts with the pattern of geographic variation in the morphometrical traits. A deep genetic gap was also found in Rhinopoma muscatellum (Iran vs. Yemen. We found only minute genetic distance between R. microphyllum from the Levant and India, which fails to support the sub/species distinctness of the Indian form (R. microphyllum kinneari. Conclusion The mtDNA survey provided phylogenetic tree of the family Rhinopomatidae for the first time and revealed an unexpected diversification of the group both within R. hardwickii and R. muscatellum morphospecies. The paleobiogeographic scenario compiled in respect to molecular clock data suggests that the family originated in the region south of the Eocene Western Tethyan seaway or in India, and extended its range during the Early Miocene. The fossil record suggests a Miocene spread into the Mediterranean region, followed by a post-Miocene retreat. Morphological analysis compared with genetic data indicates considerable phenotypic plasticity in this group.

Island history affects faunal composition: the treeshrews (Mammalia: Scandentia: Tupaiidae) from the Mentawai and Batu Islands, Indonesia

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Sargis, Eric J.; Woodman, Neal; Morningstar, Natalie C.; Reese, Aspen T.; Olson, Link E.

2014-01-01

The Mentawai and Batu Island groups off the west coast of Sumatra have a complicated geological and biogeographical history. The Batu Islands have shared a connection with the Sumatran ‘mainland’ during periods of lowered sea level, whereas the Mentawai Islands, despite being a similar distance from Sumatra, have remained isolated from Sumatra, and probably from the Batu Islands as well. These contrasting historical relationships to Sumatra have influenced the compositions of the respective mammalian faunas of these island groups. Treeshrews (Scandentia, Tupaiidae) from these islands have, at various times in their history, been recognized as geographically circumscribed populations of a broadly distributed Tupaia glis, subspecies, or distinct species. We used multivariate analyses of measurements from the skull and hands to compare the island populations from Siberut (Mentawai Islands) and Tanahbala (Batu Islands) with the geographically adjacent species from the southern Mentawai Islands (T. chrysogaster) and Sumatra (T. ferruginea). Results from both the skull and manus of the Siberut population show that it is most similar to T. chrysogaster, whereas the Tanahbala population is more similar to T. ferruginea, confirming predictions based on island history. These results are further corroborated by mammae counts. Based on these lines of evidence, we include the Siberut population in T. chrysogaster and the Tanahbala population in T. ferruginea. Our conclusions expand the known distributions of both the Mentawai and Sumatran species. The larger geographical range of the endangered T. chrysogaster has conservation implications for this Mentawai endemic, so populations and habitat should be re-evaluated on each of the islands it inhabits. However, until such a re-evaluation is conducted, we recommend that the IUCN Red List status of this species be changed from ‘Endangered’ to ‘Data Deficient’.

Didelphidae marsupials (Mammalia, Didelphimorphia from the Late Pleistocene deposit of the Gruta dos Moura Cave, northern Brazil

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Patricia Villa Nova

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The present study acknowledges the diversity of fossil marsupials from the Gruta dos Moura cave, as well as environmental and climatic aspects during the Quaternary. The results show that this is the largest diversity of Pleistocene marsupials recorded in a single cave: Didelphis albiventris, D. aurita, Gracilinanus agilis, G. microtarsus, Marmosa murina, Monodelphis brevicaudata, M. domesticaand Sairadelphys tocantinensis. Furthermore, the described specimens are also part of the only fossil assemblage unequivocally referable to the late Pleistocene. Paleontological studies suggest an intimate association with dry and open environments with high abundance of water sources. Since most of the identified taxa are characteristic of open forests and gallery forests, this could represent the actual environment around the Gruta dos Moura cave. Recent studies identified sympatric occurrences between species from open and dry environments and species from humid forests that were identified among our material and are characteristic of humid regions. Therefore, these species could inhabit gallery forests and capons, or even ecotones, inside a dry and open environment. Moreover, the extinction of Sairadelphyscould also indicate that the climatic and environmental conditions changed or that the past environment was more heterogeneous than the current environment of the region.

Taxonomic status and paleoecology of Rusingoryx atopocranion (Mammalia, Artiodactyla), an extinct Pleistocene bovid from Rusinga Island, Kenya

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Faith, J. Tyler; Choiniere, Jonah N.; Tryon, Christian A.; Peppe, Daniel J.; Fox, David L.

2011-05-01

Rusingoryx atopocranion is a poorly known extinct alcelaphine bovid, documented in Pleistocene deposits associated with Middle Stone Age artifacts on Rusinga Island, Kenya. Following its initial description, Rusingoryx was subsumed into Megalotragus, which includes the extinct giant wildebeests, on the basis of its cranial architecture. Renewed investigations of the Pleistocene deposits on Rusinga Island recovered a large sample of Rusingoryx specimens that provide new taxonomic and paleoecological insight. This study (1) reviews the morphological and phylogenetic evidence concerning the taxonomic status of Rusingoryx and (2) evaluates its paleoecology and dietary habits . The morphology and phylogenetic data indicate that Rusingoryx is distinct from Megalotragus; they likely shared a common ancestor in the late Pliocene. Ecomorphology and mesowear analysis point to a specialized grazing adaptation, and its association with arid-adapted ungulates suggests a preference for arid grasslands. The confirmation of Rusingoryx as a valid taxonomic entity, together with the presence of other extinct taxa (including Megalotragus) on Rusinga Island, suggests an increasingly complex pattern of ungulate biogeography and extinctions in the late Quaternary of East Africa. Rusingoryx appears to have been part of an arid-adapted faunal community that potentially persisted in East Africa until the onset of the Holocene.

Microgeographical distribution of shrews (Mammalia, Soricidae) in the Congo River basin (Kisangani, D.R. Congo)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gambalemoke, Mbalitini; Mukinzi, Itoka; Amundala, Drazo

2008-01-01

Research on the biodiversity of shrews was conducted in eight forest blocks at eight sampling localities: Djabir, Maiko, Masako, Yoko, Yelenge, Baliko, Bomane-1 and Bomane-2. We used pitfall traps combined with Sherman LFA traps placed on transects. We collected 724 shrews from primary forests, s...

The Role of Grunt Calls in the Social Dominance Hierarchy of the White-Lipped Peccary (Mammalia, Tayassuidae).

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Nogueira, Selene S C; Caselli, Christini B; Costa, Thaise S O; Moura, Leiliany N; Nogueira-Filho, Sérgio L G

2016-01-01

Grunt-like calls are present in the vocal repertoire of many group-living mammals and seem to facilitate social interactions between lower and higher-ranking members. The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) lives in stable hierarchical mixed-sex groups and like non-human primates, usually emits grunt-like calls following aggressive interactions, mainly during feeding contexts. We investigated the possible functions of peccaries' grunt-like calls and their relationship to the individuals' social rank, identity, and sexual dimorphism. We observed that low-ranking individuals emitted grunt-like calls more often than high-ranking ones, and that the alpha male never emitted this vocalization. Moreover, the mean minimum frequency of grunt-like calls decreased as the peccary's rank increased. The findings revealed differences among individual grunts, but the low accuracy of cross-validation (16%) suggests that individual recognition in peccaries may be less important than an honest signal of individual social status. In addition, the absence of differences in the acoustic parameters of grunt-like calls between males and females points to the lack of sexual dimorphism in this species. We verified that after hearing grunt calls, dominant opponents were more likely to cease attacking a victim, or at least delay the continuation of conflict, probably decreasing the severity of agonistic interactions. Our findings are particularly important to improve the current understanding of the role of grunt-like calls in herd-living mammals with linear dominant hierarchies, and strongly suggest that they are involved in the maintenance of herd social stability and cohesion.

Genetic variability of Herpailurus yagouaroundi, Puma concolor and Panthera onca (Mammalia, Felidae studied using Felis catus microsatellites

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Vanessa Roma Moreno

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We used four microsatellite loci (Fca08, Fca45, Fca77 and Fca96 from the domestic cat, Felis catus, to investigate genetic variability in specimens of Herpailurus yagouaroundi (jaguarundi, otter cat, eyra, Puma concolor (cougar, mountain lion, puma and Panthera onca (jaguar held in various Brazilian zoos. Samples of DNA from the cats were PCR amplified and then sequenced before being analyzed using the CERVUS program. Our results show a mean polymorphic information content (PIC of 0.83 for H. yagouaroundi, 0.66 for P. concolor and 0.69 for P. onca and a mean of 10.3 alleles for the Fca08 locus, 5.3 for Fca 45, 9 for Fca 77 and 14 for Fca 96. These results indicate a relatively high level of genetic diversity for the specimens studied.

Homeotic evolution in the mammalia: diversification of therian axial seriation and the morphogenetic basis of human origins.

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Aaron G Filler

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Despite the rising interest in homeotic genes, little has been known about the course and pattern of evolution of homeotic traits across the mammalian radiation. An array of emerging and diversifying homeotic gradients revealed by this study appear to generate new body plans and drive evolution at a large scale.This study identifies and evaluates a set of homeotic gradients across 250 extant and fossil mammalian species and their antecedents over a period of 220 million years. These traits are generally expressed as co-linear gradients along the body axis rather than as distinct segmental identities. Relative position or occurrence sequence vary independently and are subject to polarity reversal and mirroring. Five major gradient modification sets are identified: (1--quantitative changes of primary segmental identity pattern that appeared at the origin of the tetrapods ; (2--frame shift relation of costal and vertebral identity which diversifies from the time of amniote origins; (3--duplication, mirroring, splitting and diversification of the neomorphic laminar process first commencing at the dawn of mammals; (4--emergence of homologically variable lumbar lateral processes upon commencement of the radiation of therian mammals and ; (5--inflexions and transpositions of the relative position of the horizontal septum of the body and the neuraxis at the emergence of various orders of therian mammals. Convergent functional changes under homeotic control include laminar articular engagement with septo-neural transposition and ventrally arrayed lumbar transverse process support systems.Clusters of homeotic transformations mark the emergence point of mammals in the Triassic and the radiation of therians in the Cretaceous. A cluster of homeotic changes in the Miocene hominoid Morotopithecus that are still seen in humans supports establishment of a new "hominiform" clade and suggests a homeotic origin for the human upright body plan.

Mammalia, Rodentia, Cricetidae, Neusticomys monticolus (Anthony, 1921): noteworthy records of the Montane Fish- Eating Rat in Colombia

OpenAIRE

Velandia-Perilla, Jorge; Saavedra-Rodríguez, Carlos

2013-01-01

We document the presence of the Montane Fish-eating Rat, Neusticomys monticolus, in two páramo ecosystems of the Colombian Andes, in the departments of Valle del Cauca and Cauca at 3558 and 3300 m respectively. For small mammals, páramo ecosystems are underexplored zones in a biogeographic context.

Nuevos datos sobre Andegameryx (Mammalia, Ruminantia del Mioceno Inferior de las Bardenas Reales (Navarra, España

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Morales, J.

2011-12-01

Full Text Available New fossil remains of ruminants from the Lower Miocene (Ramblian, MN3 of the Bardenas Reales (Navarre are studied in this paper. The material, which comprises dentition, is assigned to Andegameryx aff. andegaviensis Ginsburg, 1971. Morphological and metrical similarities exist between these remains and the Spanish population of Andegameryx andegaviensis from Cetina de Aragón (Zaragoza, which is somewhat larger than the French material of this species. However, there are also some affinities with Andegameryx fossils from other Spanish localities as Loranca del Campo (Cuenca. The new material from the Bardenas Reales allows us to confirm certainly the presence of Andegameryx in the area and to provide the evidence that it was a widespread genus of ruminant in Spain during the early Miocene.En este trabajo se describen los nuevos hallazgos de rumiantes fósiles del Mioceno inferior (Rambliense, MN3 de las Bardenas Reales (Navarra. Este material está compuesto por dentición y ha sido clasificado como Andegameryx aff. andegaviensis Ginsburg, 1971. El estudio morfológico y métrico muestra que los restos de las Bardenas son muy semejantes a los de la población española de Andegameryx andegaviensis de Cetina de Aragón (Zaragoza, de talla algo mayor que las poblaciones francesas de esta especie. Sin embargo, también tiene afinidades con material de Andegameryx procedente de otras localidades españolas como Loranca del Campo (Cuenca. Los nuevos hallazgos permiten confirmar sin dudas la presencia de Andegameryx en las Bardenas Reales (Cuenca del Ebro, poniendo de manifiesto que este género de rumiante estuvo ampliamente extendido en las cuencas interiores de España durante el Mioceno inferior.

Activity pattern of the orphaned Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Ursidae cubs during rehabilitation processes.

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S. Dasgupta

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Five Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus cubs aged between 6.5-15 months were studied for five months using instantaneous scan sampling (n=3049 scans while they were undergoing acclimatization in the rehabilitation areas in Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India. During the course of the study, feeding, moving, climbing, resting and playing activities were recorded in three consecutive time periods, representing three phases of acclimatization. The frequency of climbing and moving increased considerably towards the third phase, while feeding decreased. These changes can be attributed to a learning process during acclimatization. Time spent on moving and playing differed significantly among the bears, but not climbing or feeding.

Preliminary inventory of bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera in three Protected Areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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André B. Malekani

2018-02-01

Full Text Available As part of biodiversity monitoring in the Kisangani Forest Region, a survey of bats was conducted in three protected areas, specifically Lomami, Yangambi and Epulu. In this pilot study, a total of 201 specimens were collected using Japanese nets of different lengths (6, 9 and 12 m long and a height of 2 m with a mesh size of 2 × 2 cm to capture bats. Captured specimens were identified using determination keys appropriate for the study area. The results of inventories in the three sites revealed that 201 specimens of captured bats belong to 2 sub-orders, 4 families, 9 genera and 12 species. The most abundant species were Epomops franqueti, Megaloglossus woermannii and Myotis bocagii. The following species, Epomops franqueti, Megaloglossus woermanii, Casinycteris argynnis, and Hipposideros caffer were found at all three sites. Based on the Shannon Index, it was observed that the Lomami site has a higher specific diversity than the two other areas (Yangambi and Epulu 1.74 against 1.51 and 1.42 respectively.

Levantamento da quiropterofauna (Mammalia : Chiroptera) da Ilha de Cotijuba - PA, com observações sobre sua ecologia

OpenAIRE

ROCHA, Mônica Monteiro Barros da

1999-01-01

Investigações sobre a quiropterofauna da Amazônia revelam a ocorrência de no mínimo 135 espécies regionais, de hábitos alimentares variados- insetívoras, frugívoras, polinívoras, carnívoras e hematófagas. Os morcegos contribuem ao equilíbrio da biota amazônica por diferentes meios, por exemplo, controle populacional de insetos, dispersão de sementes e polinização. Potencialmente perigosos à saúde humana são os hematófagos portadores do vírus rábico. Os objetivos do estudo foram assim definido...

An ecological assessment of Hispid Hare Caprolagus hispidus (Mammalia: Lagomorpha: Leporidae in Manas National Park, Assam, India

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Naba K. Nath

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study of the Hispid Hare Caprolagus hispidus in the tall grassland habitat of Manas National Park, Assam during 2009–2010 is the first detailed assessment in northeastern India.  We assessed the status, distribution, habitat use and key threats to this rare and little studied lagomorph species.  After interviewing local forest staff, 20 grassland patches within a survey area of 2.65ha were selected and transects (50x2 m laid randomly to determine the presence/absence of Hispid Hare by recording pellets and other indirect evidence.  Hare presence was recorded in 17 grassland patches within transects dominated by Imperata cylindrica and Saccharum narenga.  Hispid Hare preferred dry savannah grasslands to wet alluvial grasslands during winter and avoided recently burned patches due to lack of cover and food.  The distribution pattern observed was clumped (s2/a = 6.2, with more evidence of Hispid Hare presence in areas where ground cover was dense, dry and away from water sources. Population density was estimated at 381.55 individuals/km2, which in comparison with other studies indicates that Manas National Park currently holds the highest density of Hispid Hare.  Habitat loss due to overgrazing, unsustainable thatch harvesting, burning of grassland, weed invasion, encroachment and hunting were identified as key threats which must be addressed to ensure survival of this threatened species in the Park.  

Evolutionary Patterns in the Dentition of Duplicidentata (Mammalia) and a Novel Trend in the Molarization of Premolars

OpenAIRE

Kraatz, Brian P.; Meng, Jin; Weksler, Marcelo; Li, Chuankui

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: The cusp homology of Lagomorpha has long been problematic largely because their teeth are highly derived relative to their more typically tribosphenic ancestors. Within this context, the lagomorph central cusp has been particularly difficult to homologize with other tribosphenic cusps; authors have previously considered it the paracone, protocone, metacone, amphicone, or an entirely new cusp. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we present newly described fossil duplicidentates (L...

Evolutionary patterns in the dentition of duplicidentata (mammalia) and a novel trend in the molarization of premolars.

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Kraatz, Brian P; Meng, Jin; Weksler, Marcelo; Li, Chuankui

2010-09-20

The cusp homology of Lagomorpha has long been problematic largely because their teeth are highly derived relative to their more typically tribosphenic ancestors. Within this context, the lagomorph central cusp has been particularly difficult to homologize with other tribosphenic cusps; authors have previously considered it the paracone, protocone, metacone, amphicone, or an entirely new cusp. Here we present newly described fossil duplicidentates (Lagomorpha and Mimotonidae) in the context of a well-constrained phylogeny to establish a nomenclatural system for cusps based on the tribosphenic pattern. We show that the central cusp of lagomorphs is homologous with the metaconule of other mammals. We also show that the buccal acquisition of a second cusp on the premolars (molarization) within duplicidentates is atypical with respect to other mammalian lineages; within the earliest lagomorphs, a second buccal cusp is added mesially to an isolated buccal cusp. The distal shift of the 'ancestral' paracone within early duplicidentates amounts to the changing of a paracone into a metacone in these lineages. For this reason, we support a strictly topological approach to cusp names, and suggest a discontinuity in nomenclature to capture the complexity of the interplay between evolutionary history and the developmental process that have produced cusp patterns in duplicidentates.

Evolutionary patterns in the dentition of duplicidentata (mammalia and a novel trend in the molarization of premolars.

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Brian P Kraatz

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The cusp homology of Lagomorpha has long been problematic largely because their teeth are highly derived relative to their more typically tribosphenic ancestors. Within this context, the lagomorph central cusp has been particularly difficult to homologize with other tribosphenic cusps; authors have previously considered it the paracone, protocone, metacone, amphicone, or an entirely new cusp. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we present newly described fossil duplicidentates (Lagomorpha and Mimotonidae in the context of a well-constrained phylogeny to establish a nomenclatural system for cusps based on the tribosphenic pattern. We show that the central cusp of lagomorphs is homologous with the metaconule of other mammals. We also show that the buccal acquisition of a second cusp on the premolars (molarization within duplicidentates is atypical with respect to other mammalian lineages; within the earliest lagomorphs, a second buccal cusp is added mesially to an isolated buccal cusp. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The distal shift of the 'ancestral' paracone within early duplicidentates amounts to the changing of a paracone into a metacone in these lineages. For this reason, we support a strictly topological approach to cusp names, and suggest a discontinuity in nomenclature to capture the complexity of the interplay between evolutionary history and the developmental process that have produced cusp patterns in duplicidentates.

Structure of a bat assemblage (Mammalia, Chiroptera in Serra do Caraça Reserve, South-east Brazil

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Falcão Fábio de C.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The Serra do Caraça Reserve is situated in the southern portion of the Espinhaço Mountain Range, and contains areas of "campos de altitude", "cerrado" and atlantic forest. This study had as its objective the registering of the bats species that occur in the reserve. The data collection was carried out in one year through monthly samplings, using mist nets set on trails, and also through hand capture. A total of 246 individuals were collected (0.72 bats/net-hour, distributed across 15 species, belonging to the families Phyllostomidae (83.0%; nine species, Vespertilionidae (12.5%; three species and Molossidae (4.5%; three species. The most abundant species were Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810 (n = 121, 60.5%, Myotis nigricans (Schinz, 1821 (n = 21, 10.5% and Platyrrhinus lineatus (E. Geoffroy, 1810 (n = 10, 5.0%, and less represented were Lasiurus blossevilli (Lesson y Garnot, 1826 (n = 2, 1.0%, Eumops perotis (Schinz, 1821 (n = 2, 1.0% e Vampyressa pusilla (Wagner, 1843 (n = 1, 0.5%. The richness of species found and the non-occurrence of phyllostomines in the reserve could be indicative of some level of forest disturbance.

Sexual dimorphism in body parameters of the golden jackal Canis Aureus L., 1758 ( Carnivora, Canidae in the Sarnena Sredna gora mountain and Thracian plain ( Bulgaria

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E. Raichev

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted in the area of the Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain and the Thracian Plain in period 1996-2014. On a total of 262 golden jackals (Canis aureus L., 1758 (119 males and 143 females thirteen somatometric parameters were measured. The comparison of the linear body parameters and the weights between males and females showed apparent sexual dimorphism in the jackals with a high level of reliability, with an exception of the length of the tail. The index of body compactness and the weight index were calculated and compared. The index of body compactness did not differ between sexes. The body weight (10,994.24 g for males and 9,776.02 g for females in average showed clear sexual dimorphism – male-female ratio was 11.08%. Our findings indicated that the sexual size dimorphism in golden jackal was weaker and lower than those in red fox and wolf.

Descripción de la dieta del zorro gris, Pseudalopex griseus (Canidae) (Gray, 1869), en el Parque Nacional Sierra de las quijadas, San Luis, Argentina

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Núñez, María Beatriz; Bozzolo, Liliana

2006-01-01

La dieta de Pseudalopex griseus (Gray, 1869) fue estudiada mediante el análisis de heces recolectadas en el Parque Nacional Sierra de las Quijadas. El parque representa un ambiente semiárido, con regímenes hídricos estacionalmente marcados. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el ítem más abundante durante todo el año es el Orden Coleoptera (estación seca 26%; estación húmeda 31%). En la estación seca, el ítem más abundante fueron las cactáceas (12%) y en la húmeda las leguminosas (25%). Otr...

Phenotypic integration of neurocranium and brain.

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Richtsmeier, Joan T; Aldridge, Kristina; DeLeon, Valerie B; Panchal, Jayesh; Kane, Alex A; Marsh, Jeffrey L; Yan, Peng; Cole, Theodore M

2006-07-15

Evolutionary history of Mammalia provides strong evidence that the morphology of skull and brain change jointly in evolution. Formation and development of brain and skull co-occur and are dependent upon a series of morphogenetic and patterning processes driven by genes and their regulatory programs. Our current concept of skull and brain as separate tissues results in distinct analyses of these tissues by most researchers. In this study, we use 3D computed tomography and magnetic resonance images of pediatric individuals diagnosed with premature closure of cranial sutures (craniosynostosis) to investigate phenotypic relationships between the brain and skull. It has been demonstrated previously that the skull and brain acquire characteristic dysmorphologies in isolated craniosynostosis, but relatively little is known of the developmental interactions that produce these anomalies. Our comparative analysis of phenotypic integration of brain and skull in premature closure of the sagittal and the right coronal sutures demonstrates that brain and skull are strongly integrated and that the significant differences in patterns of association do not occur local to the prematurely closed suture. We posit that the current focus on the suture as the basis for this condition may identify a proximate, but not the ultimate cause for these conditions. Given that premature suture closure reduces the number of cranial bones, and that a persistent loss of skull bones is demonstrated over the approximately 150 million years of synapsid evolution, craniosynostosis may serve as an informative model for evolution of the mammalian skull. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Phylogeography of the dark fruit-eating bat Artibeus obscurus in the Brazilian Amazon.

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Ferreira, Wallax Augusto Silva; Borges, Bárbara do Nascimento; Rodrigues-Antunes, Symara; de Andrade, Fernanda Atanaena Gonçalves; Aguiar, Gilberto Ferreira de Souza; de Sousa e Silva-Junior, José; Marques-Aguiar, Suely Aparecida; Harada, Maria Lúcia

2014-01-01

Artibeus obscurus (Mammalia: Chiroptera) is endemic to South America, being found in at least 18 Brazilian states. Recent studies revealed that different populations of this genus present distinct phylogeographic patterns; however, very little is known on the population genetics structure of A. obscurus in the Amazon rainforest. Here, using a fragment (1010bp) of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b from 87 samples, we investigated patterns of genetic divergence among populations of A. obscurus from different locations in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest and compared them with other Brazilian and South American regions. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), fixation index (Fst) analysis, and phylogeographic patterns showed divergence between two major monophyletic groups, each one corresponding to a geographic region associated with the Atlantic and Amazon forest biomes. The Atlantic forest clusters formed a monophyletic group with a high bootstrap support and a fragmented distribution that follows the pattern predicted by the Refuge Theory. On the other hand, a different scenario was observed for the Amazon forest, where no fragmentation was identified. The AMOVA results revealed a significant geographic heterogeneity in the distribution of genetic variation, with 70% found within populations across the studied populations (Fst values ranging from 0.05864 to 0.09673; φST = 0.55). The intrapopulational analysis revealed that one population (Bragança) showed significant evidence of population expansion, with the formation of 2 distinct phylogroups, suggesting the occurrence of a subspecies or at least a different population in this region. These results also suggest considerable heterogeneity for A. obscurus in the Amazon region.

The Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus Duméril and Duméril 1851): A Model for Studying Reptile Body Plan Development and Evolution.

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Diaz, Raul E; Anderson, Christopher V; Baumann, Diana P; Kupronis, Richard; Jewell, David; Piraquive, Christina; Kupronis, Jill; Winter, Kristy; Bertocchini, Federica; Trainor, Paul A

2015-08-26

Vertebrate model organisms have facilitated the discovery and exploration of morphogenetic events and developmental pathways that underpin normal and pathological embryological events. In contrast to amniotes such as Mus musculus (Mammalia) and Gallus gallus (Aves), our understanding of early patterning and developmental events in reptiles (particularly nonavians) remains weak. Squamate reptiles (lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians) comprise approximately one-third of all living amniotes. But studies of early squamate development have been limited because, in most members of this lineage, embryo development at the time of oviposition is very advanced (limb bud stages and older). In many cases, squamates give birth to fully developed offspring. However, in the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), embryos have progressed only to a primitive pregastrula stage at the time of oviposition. Furthermore, the body plan of the veiled chameleon is highly specialized for climbing in an arboreal environment. It possesses an entire suite of skeletal and soft anatomical modifications, including cranioskeletal ornamentation, lingual anatomy and biomechanics for projection, autopodial clefting for grasping, adaptations for rapid integumental color changes, a prehensile tail with a lack of caudal autotomy, the loss of the tympanum in the middle ear, and the acquisition of turreted eyes. Thus, C. calyptratus is an important model organism for studying the role of ecological niche specialization, as well as genetic and morphological evolution within an adaptive framework. More importantly, this species is easily bred in captivity, with only a small colony (<10 individuals) needed to obtain hundreds of embryos every year. © 2015 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Pigs in sequence space: A 0.66X coverage pig genome survey based on shotgun sequencing

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Li Wei

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Comparative whole genome analysis of Mammalia can benefit from the addition of more species. The pig is an obvious choice due to its economic and medical importance as well as its evolutionary position in the artiodactyls. Results We have generated ~3.84 million shotgun sequences (0.66X coverage from the pig genome. The data are hereby released (NCBI Trace repository with center name "SDJVP", and project name "Sino-Danish Pig Genome Project" together with an initial evolutionary analysis. The non-repetitive fraction of the sequences was aligned to the UCSC human-mouse alignment and the resulting three-species alignments were annotated using the human genome annotation. Ultra-conserved elements and miRNAs were identified. The results show that for each of these types of orthologous data, pig is much closer to human than mouse is. Purifying selection has been more efficient in pig compared to human, but not as efficient as in mouse, and pig seems to have an isochore structure most similar to the structure in human. Conclusion The addition of the pig to the set of species sequenced at low coverage adds to the understanding of selective pressures that have acted on the human genome by bisecting the evolutionary branch between human and mouse with the mouse branch being approximately 3 times as long as the human branch. Additionally, the joint alignment of the shot-gun sequences to the human-mouse alignment offers the investigator a rapid way to defining specific regions for analysis and resequencing.

Comparison of carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore mammalian genomes with a new leopard assembly.

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Kim, Soonok; Cho, Yun Sung; Kim, Hak-Min; Chung, Oksung; Kim, Hyunho; Jho, Sungwoong; Seomun, Hong; Kim, Jeongho; Bang, Woo Young; Kim, Changmu; An, Junghwa; Bae, Chang Hwan; Bhak, Youngjune; Jeon, Sungwon; Yoon, Hyejun; Kim, Yumi; Jun, JeHoon; Lee, HyeJin; Cho, Suan; Uphyrkina, Olga; Kostyria, Aleksey; Goodrich, John; Miquelle, Dale; Roelke, Melody; Lewis, John; Yurchenko, Andrey; Bankevich, Anton; Cho, Juok; Lee, Semin; Edwards, Jeremy S; Weber, Jessica A; Cook, Jo; Kim, Sangsoo; Lee, Hang; Manica, Andrea; Lee, Ilbeum; O'Brien, Stephen J; Bhak, Jong; Yeo, Joo-Hong

2016-10-11

There are three main dietary groups in mammals: carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. Currently, there is limited comparative genomics insight into the evolution of dietary specializations in mammals. Due to recent advances in sequencing technologies, we were able to perform in-depth whole genome analyses of representatives of these three dietary groups. We investigated the evolution of carnivory by comparing 18 representative genomes from across Mammalia with carnivorous, omnivorous, and herbivorous dietary specializations, focusing on Felidae (domestic cat, tiger, lion, cheetah, and leopard), Hominidae, and Bovidae genomes. We generated a new high-quality leopard genome assembly, as well as two wild Amur leopard whole genomes. In addition to a clear contraction in gene families for starch and sucrose metabolism, the carnivore genomes showed evidence of shared evolutionary adaptations in genes associated with diet, muscle strength, agility, and other traits responsible for successful hunting and meat consumption. Additionally, an analysis of highly conserved regions at the family level revealed molecular signatures of dietary adaptation in each of Felidae, Hominidae, and Bovidae. However, unlike carnivores, omnivores and herbivores showed fewer shared adaptive signatures, indicating that carnivores are under strong selective pressure related to diet. Finally, felids showed recent reductions in genetic diversity associated with decreased population sizes, which may be due to the inflexible nature of their strict diet, highlighting their vulnerability and critical conservation status. Our study provides a large-scale family level comparative genomic analysis to address genomic changes associated with dietary specialization. Our genomic analyses also provide useful resources for diet-related genetic and health research.

The evolutionary host switches of Polychromophilus: a multi-gene phylogeny of the bat malaria genus suggests a second invasion of mammals by a haemosporidian parasite

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Witsenburg Fardo

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The majority of Haemosporida species infect birds or reptiles, but many important genera, including Plasmodium, infect mammals. Dipteran vectors shared by avian, reptilian and mammalian Haemosporida, suggest multiple invasions of Mammalia during haemosporidian evolution; yet, phylogenetic analyses have detected only a single invasion event. Until now, several important mammal-infecting genera have been absent in these analyses. This study focuses on the evolutionary origin of Polychromophilus, a unique malaria genus that only infects bats (Microchiroptera and is transmitted by bat flies (Nycteribiidae. Methods Two species of Polychromophilus were obtained from wild bats caught in Switzerland. These were molecularly characterized using four genes (asl, clpc, coI, cytb from the three different genomes (nucleus, apicoplast, mitochondrion. These data were then combined with data of 60 taxa of Haemosporida available in GenBank. Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and a range of rooting methods were used to test specific hypotheses concerning the phylogenetic relationships between Polychromophilus and the other haemosporidian genera. Results The Polychromophilus melanipherus and Polychromophilus murinus samples show genetically distinct patterns and group according to species. The Bayesian tree topology suggests that the monophyletic clade of Polychromophilus falls within the avian/saurian clade of Plasmodium and directed hypothesis testing confirms the Plasmodium origin. Conclusion Polychromophilus' ancestor was most likely a bird- or reptile-infecting Plasmodium before it switched to bats. The invasion of mammals as hosts has, therefore, not been a unique event in the evolutionary history of Haemosporida, despite the suspected costs of adapting to a new host. This was, moreover, accompanied by a switch in dipteran host.

Percepção entomológica por docentes e discentes do município de Santa Cruz do Xingu, Mato Grosso, Brasil

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Anna Frida Hatsue Modro

2009-08-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2009v22n2p153 Este trabalho objetivou identificar e interpretar a percepção entomológica de alunos e professores residentes em Santa Cruz do Xingu, região do Médio Araguaia. Entrevistas semi-estruturadas foram realizadas em dezembro de 2006 com alunos e professores dos ensinos fundamental, médio e Educação de Jovens e Adultos em dezembro de 2006, no Município de Santa Cruz do Xingu, Mato Grosso. Dos seres vivos percebidos como “insetos” por todos os entrevistados, 82,75% pertenceram à Classe Insecta, as demais citações foram pertencentes ao Reino Fungi e a outras Classes do Reino Animalia (Amphibia, Arachnida, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Gastropoda, Mammalia e Reptilia. Os “insetos” foram definidos, como bichos pequenos, nojentos ou perigosos. Em contato com os “insetos”, 76% dos entrevistados admitiram matá-los e a maior razão para tal reação foi o dano psicológico causado pela presença destes animais (65%. Para 78% dos entrevistados, os “insetos” foram seres sem importância positiva. Devido ao pouco conhecimento sobre os seus aspectos positivos, a percepção dos “insetos” por alunos e professores residentes da região de Santa Cruz do Xingu está relacionada, principalmente, à atribuição de qualidades negativas a estes animais, provocando reações de agressividade contra os “insetos” assim que percebidos no ambiente.

Elemental and chemical characterization of dolphin enamel and dentine using X-ray and Raman microanalyzes (Cetacea: Delphinoidea and Inioidea).

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Loch, Carolina; Swain, Michael V; Fraser, Sara J; Gordon, Keith C; Kieser, Jules A; Fordyce, R Ewan

2014-01-01

Dolphins show increased tooth number and simplified tooth shape compared to most mammals, together with a simpler ultrastructural organization and less demanding biomechanical function. However, it is unknown if these factors are also reflected in the chemical composition of their teeth. Here, the bulk chemical composition and elemental distribution in enamel and dentine of extant dolphins were characterized and interpreted using X-ray and spectroscopy techniques. Teeth of 10 species of Delphinida were analyzed by WDX, EDX and Raman spectroscopy. For most of the species sampled, the mineral content was higher in enamel than in dentine, increasing from inner towards outer enamel. The transition from dentine to enamel was marked by an increase in concentration of the major components Ca and P, but also in Na and Cl. Mg decreased from dentine to enamel. Concentrations of Sr and F were often low and below detection limits, but F peaked at the outer enamel region for some species. Raman spectroscopy analyzes showed characteristics similar to carbonated hydroxyapatite, with the strongest peak for the phosphate PO4(3-) stretching mode at 960-961cm(-1). Dentine samples revealed a higher diversity of peaks representative of organic components and proteins than enamel. The similar distribution pattern and small variation in average concentration of major and minor elements in dentine and enamel of dolphins suggest that they are subject to strong physiological control. A clear trend of the elemental variations for all dolphin species sampled suggests that the general pattern of tooth chemistry is conserved among the Mammalia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trichospirura aethiopica n. sp. (Nematoda: Rhabdochonidae from Malacomys longipes (Rodentia: Muridae in Gabon, first record of the genus in the Ethiopian Realm

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Bain Odile

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Trichospirura aethiopica n. sp. is described from unidentified tubular structures (pancreatic ducts? near the stomach of the murid Malacomys longipes Milne-Edwards, 1877 in Gabon. The extremely long and narrow buccal capsule, posterior position of the vulva, unequal spicules and absence of caudal alae readily identified the specimens as belonging to Trichospirura Smith & Chitwood, 1967, but a combination of several characters distinguished them from the described species in this genus. Males of the new species are characterized by the absence of precloacal papillae, the presence of four pairs of postcloacal papillae and a left spicule length of 165–200 μm. With only five nominal and one unnamed species, the host range of Trichospirura extends into the Neotropical, Indo-Malayan and Ethiopian Realms and comprises three classes of vertebrates, Amphibia, Reptilia and Mammalia, suggesting a larger species diversity than that currently recorded. Detection is difficult as predilection sites are often outside the gut lumen. It was noted that, irrespective of their geographic origin, species from mammals share certain characters (shorter left spicule and absence of precloacal papillae that oppose them to those from amphibians and reptiles. A hypothesis for the origin of Trichospirura in mammals through a remote host-switching event in tupaiids in southern Asia, likely facilitated by the intermediate hosts, and for their subsequent migration to the Ethiopian and finally Neotropical Realm is proposed. Regarding the two species from anurans and saurians in the Antilles, one or two host-switching events are considered equally possible, based on morphological characters.

Mamíferos carnívoros e sua relação com a diversidade de hábitats no Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra, sul do Brasil Carnivore mammals and their relation with habitat diversity in Aparados da Serra National Park, southern Brazil

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Maria de Fátima M. dos Santos

2004-09-01

Full Text Available A survey of carnivore mammals was accomplished in Aparados da Serra National Park from February 1998 to March 2000. The park has 10,250 ha and is considered a biodiversity core area of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The landscape is characterized by relatively well preserved relicts of Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze forest, grasslands and Atlantic Forest, which have contributed for the survival of endangered carnivore mammals. The National Park was divided in a grid of 16 km² cells using a 1:50,000 scale map. The animals were recorded using indirect methods, by identifying signs (scats, tracks and direct observation in 2.5 km long and 5 m wide transects, with 10 replicates in each grid cell. Interviews with local people were also used to confirm the animal presence. A total of 13 species was recorded: Procyon cancrivorus (Cuvier, 1798, Pseudalopex gymnocercus (G. Fischer, 1814, Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758 and Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766 were the most frequent species registered. Nasua nasua (Linnaeus 1766, Herpailurus yaguarondi (Lacépède, 1809, Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815, Eira barbara (Linnaeus, 1758, Leopardus sp., Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771, Galictis cuja (Molina, 1782, Conepatus chinga (Molina, 1892 and Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818 showed lower frequencies. The Park presented areas with significant differences (Mantel Test, P< 0.05 in species richness and composition related to habitat classes. Areas with high habitat richness presented high species richness. The Araucaria forest was the habitat that presented the higher carnivore richness. The border areas of the Park are influenced by several environmental degradation factors that could be affecting the distribution of carnivores.

A importância das plantações de eucalipto na conservação da biodiversidade

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Vagner de Araujo Gabriel

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Nas últimas décadas a expansão de plantações de Eucalyptus sp. foi notável no Brasil, destacando-se no cenário mundial. Diversos estudos revelam que tais plantações, especialmente aquelas respaldadas por instrumentos de certificação, podem trazer benefícios de cunho social e ambiental. Este trabalho apresenta dados coletados no período de 2002 a 2011 sobre a riqueza de plantas, aves e mamíferos em fazendas de plantação de eucalipto no Brasil. Discute-se sobre a importância dessas fazendas na conservação da biodiversidade, em que já foram registradas diversas espécies de plantas arbustivo-arbóreas, aves e mamíferos de médio e grande porte, respectivamente. Foi registrada a ocorrência de regeneração de plantas ameaçadas de extinção nos talhões de eucalipto: Araucaria angustifolia, Couratari asterotricha, Buchenavia hoehneana, Dalbergia nigra, Ocotea catharinensis e Ocotea porosa. Quanto às espécies da fauna ameaçadas de extinção, a águia-cinzenta (Urubitinga coronata, o chauá (Amazona rhodochorytha, o lobo-guará (Chrysocyon brachyurus, o tamanduá (Myrmecophaga tridactyla e a anta (Tapirus terrestris já foram observados. Plantações florestais e fragmentos compostos por vegetação secundária figurarão entre os principais elementos das paisagens tropicais futuras. Desta forma, não se pode negligenciar a contribuição das plantações de eucalipto na conservação da biodiversidade.

Effects of change in primary forest cover on armadillo (Cingulata, Mammalia burrow use in the Central Amazon Efectos del cambio en la cobertura de bosque primario sobre el uso de las madrigueras por los armadillos (Cingulata, Mammalia en la Amazonia Central

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María Clara Arteaga

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Transformation of primary forest to other vegetation types alters the availability and distribution of resources, and thus affects their use by species that inhabit the forest. Although armadillos are important earthmover mammals in the Amazon forest, and their burrows play an important physical and ecological role in the ecosystem, the impact of loss of primary forest cover on these organisms has been poorly understood. In order to evaluate the effects of change in the primary forest cover on burrow use by armadillos, we performed 2 censuses in 33 plots within 12 sites of different vegetation cover characteristics, and recorded burrow density and current use. A total of 109 armadillo burrows were found; the sites with higher percentages of primary forest cover showed a larger number of active burrows, although burrow density and the probability of establishing new burrows remained unaffected by this variable. Our results show that areas with higher quantities of primary forest habitat show more intense use by armadillos, probably due to the permanence time of individuals. These findings suggest that the viability of armadillo populations, as well as the role that these animals play within the ecosystem, may be affected in disturbed areas.La transformación del bosque primario a otro tipo de vegetación cambia la disponibilidad y distribución de los recursos, afectando su uso por especies que habitan el bosque. Los armadillos son el principal grupo de mamíferos escavadores del Amazonas y sus madrigueras cumplen un papel físico y ecológico en el ecosistema. Sin embargo, no se conoce el impacto de la pérdida del bosque sobre estos organismos. Con el fin de evaluar el efecto de los cambios en la cobertura de bosque primario sobre el uso de sus madrigueras, realizamos 2 censos en 33 parcelas dentro de 12 localidades con diferentes coberturas vegetales y reportamos la densidad y el estado de uso de las madrigueras. Encontramos 109 madrigueras y observamos un mayor número de éstas activas en áreas con mayor cobertura de bosque primario. Entre tanto, la densidad y la probabilidad de fundar nuevas madrigueras no se vio afectada por el tipo de cobertura forestal. Nuestros resultados indican que áreas con mayor cobertura de bosque primario exhiben un uso más intenso por armadillos, probablemente por una mayor permanencia de los individuos. Esto sugiere que la viabilidad de las poblaciones de armadillos y el papel que desempeñan en el ecosistema, puede verse afectado en áreas con hábitat modificado.

Un nuevo mamífero introducido en la Tierra del Fuego: el "peludo" Chaetophractus villosus (Mammalia, Dasypodidae en Isla Grande A new introduced mammal in Tierra del Fuego: the "large hairy armadillo" Chaetophractus villosus (Mammalia, Dasypodidae in the Isla Grande island

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SEBASTIÁN POLJAK

2007-09-01

Full Text Available El 66 % de la mastofauna de la Tierra del Fuego está compuesta por especies introducidas deliberadamente por cuestiones de índole económica, estética y caza deportiva. Entre ellas, el armadillo Chaetophractus villosus conocido vulgarmente como "peludo", que habita desde el Chaco de Bolivia y Paraguay hasta el sur de la provincia de Santa Cruz en Argentina, ha sido introducida en la Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego hace unos 20 años. Las cuevas y hoyos son las evidencias indirectas más conspicuas de la actividad de esta especie y son utilizados en este trabajo para determinar la distribución y estimar la abundancia relativa de la población de armadillos en el sector argentino de la Isla Grande. Se clasificó a las cuevas en "cortas" para refugio temporario y/o forrajeo y "largas", de uso como madriguera o semipermanente. Chaetophractus villosus es una especie establecida en la isla donde ocupa un área de unos 484 km² y su distribución se encuentra asociada a la red de tuberías soterradas para extracción y transporte de hidrocarburos, debido a las modificaciones físicas que esta actividad causa en el suelo. Aunque la población es aún pequeña, se considera que dada la distribución alcanzada por C. villosus a partir de la introducción de pocos individuos y teniendo en cuenta las condiciones climáticas de la región, es posible que no sea el clima un factor determinante en la distribución de esta especie sino las barreras geográficas como el Estrecho de Magallanes al sur y el Río de La Plata hacia el esteSixty-six percent of the mammal fauna of Tierra del Fuego consists of introduced species with economical or sport hunting importance. The large hairy armadillo, Chaetophractus villosus, is distributed from the Chaco of Bolivia and Paraguay to the South of Santa Cruz province in Argentina and was introduced to Isla Grande about 20 years ago. Since the holes and subterranean excavations are the most conspicuous indications of activity of this species, we studied the density and distribution of burrows made by C. villosus in the argentine side of Isla Grande island in order to estimate the relative abundance of the population. We classified the burrows as "short tunnels", for foraging activity and/or temporal shelter, and "long tunnels", used as dens or in a semi-permanent manner. We found that the armadillo can be considered an established species in an area of approximately 484 km². We show that the range of distribution of the species is tightly associated to the underground oil pipes net, likely favored by the massive ground alterations due to the construction of subterranean nets of oil distribution. Considering the geographical distribution reached by this species since its introduction to the island coping with the environmental conditions, we propose that climate is not a determining factor for the distribution of C. villosus, but the natural geographic barriers such as the Magellan's Strait to the south and La Plata River to the east

EHRLICHIOSIS CANINA | CANINE EHRLICHIOSIS

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Clara Nancy Gutiérrez

2016-10-01

Full Text Available La ehrlichiosis canina es una enfermedad infecciosa emergente transmitida por garrapatas, producida por Ehrlichia spp. (Proteobacteria: Ricketsiales, la cual afecta a miembros de la familia Canidae. Los agentes etiológicos son bacterias Gram negativas, intracelulares obligatorias, redondeadas y pleomórficas, esto último especialmente en cultivos celulares. Estas bacterias se localizan en vacuolas rodeadas de membranas (mórulas en el citoplasma de células sanguíneas y dependiendo de la especie, tienen tropismo por linfocitos, monocitos y granulocitos. Históricamente la enfermedad es endémica en regiones tropicales y subtropicales, pero se reporta cada vez más en regiones de clima templado. Ello puede atribuirse a varios factores, los cuales incluyen el mejoramiento en las herramientas de diagnóstico, los cambios ambientales y climáticos (calentamiento global que influyen directamente en la distribución de las garrapatas y la gran cantidad de viajes con mascotas de un lugar a otro del planeta, lo cual ha contribuido al establecimiento de esta enfermedad en áreas no endémicas. Es común la presencia de coinfección con otros patógenos transmitidos por garrapatas y esto complica la patogénesis, las manifestaciones clínicas, el diagnóstico y el tratamiento. Frecuentemente, el patógeno no puede ser eliminado por completo a pesar de la terapia con antibióticos y la resolución de los signos clínicos. Actualmente, no se dispone de una vacuna, por lo que el uso de ectoparasiticidas resulta ser una buena opción para la prevención de la enfermedad. Esta enfermedad constituye un problema en medicina veterinaria y el potencial zoonótico de estos agentes es una consideración de gran relevancia para la salud humana.

Middle Miocene carnivorans from the Monarch Mill Formation, Nevada

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Kent Smith

2016-02-01

Full Text Available he lowest part of the Monarch Mill Formation in the Middlegate basin, west-central Nevada, has yielded a middle Miocene (Barstovian Land Mammal Age vertebrate assemblage, the Eastgate local fauna. Paleobotanical evidence from nearby, nearly contemporaneous fossil leaf assemblages indicates that the Middle Miocene vegetation in the area was mixed coniferous and hardwood forest and chaparral-sclerophyllous shrubland, and suggests that the area had been uplifted to 2700–2800 m paleoaltitude before dropping later to near its present elevation of 1600 m. Thus, the local fauna provides a rare glimpse at a medium- to high-altitude vertebrate community in the intermountain western interior of North America. The local fauna includes the remains of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and 25 families of mammals. Carnivorans, the focus of this study, include six taxa (three of which are new belonging to four families. Canidae are represented by the borophagine Tomarctus brevirostris and the canine Leptocyon sp. indet. The earliest record and second North American occurrence of the simocyonine ailurid Actiocyon is represented by A. parverratis sp. nov. Two new mustelids, Brevimalictis chikasha gen. et sp. nov. and Negodiaetictis rugatrulleum gen. et sp. nov., may represent Galictinae but are of uncertain subfamilial and tribal affinity. The fourth family is represented by the felid Pseudaelurus sp. indet. Tomarctus brevirostris is limited biochronologically to the Barstovian land mammal age and thus is consistent with the age indicated by other members of the Eastgate local fauna as well as by indirect tephrochronological dates previously associated with the Monarch Mill Formation. Actiocyon parverratis sp. nov. extends the temporal range of the genus Actiocyon from late Clarendonian back to the Barstovian. The Eastgate local fauna improves our understanding of mammalian successions and evolution, during and subsequent to the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum

Comparative locomotor costs of domestic dogs reveal energetic economy of wolf-like breeds.

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Bryce, Caleb M; Williams, Terrie M

2017-01-15

The broad diversity in morphology and geographic distribution of the 35 free-ranging members of the family Canidae is only rivaled by that of the domesticated dog, Canis lupus familiaris. Considered to be among nature's most elite endurance athletes, both domestic and wild canids provide a unique opportunity to examine the variability in mammalian aerobic exercise performance and energy expenditure. To determine the potential effects of domestication and selective breeding on locomotor gait and economy in canids, we measured the kinematics and mass-specific metabolism of three large (>20 kg) dog breed groups (northern breeds, retrievers and hounds) of varying morphological and genomic relatedness to their shared progenitor, the gray wolf. By measuring all individuals moving in preferred steady-state gaits along a level transect and on a treadmill, we found distinct biomechanical, kinematic and energetic patterns for each breed group. While all groups exhibited reduced total cost of transport (COT) at faster speeds, the total COT and net COT during trotting and galloping were significantly lower for northern breed dogs (3.0 and 2.1 J kg -1  m -1 , respectively) relative to hound (4.2 and 3.4 J kg -1  m -1 , respectively) and retriever dogs (3.8 and 3.0 J kg -1  m -1 , respectively) of comparable mass. Similarly, northern breeds expended less energy per stride (3.5 J kg -1  stride -1 ) than hounds or retrievers (5.0 and 4.0 J kg -1  stride -1 , respectively). These results suggest that, in addition to their close genetic and morphological ties to gray wolves, northern breed dogs have retained highly cursorial kinematic and physiological traits that promote economical movement across the landscape. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Teste do efeito de borda na predação de ninhos naturais e artificiais no Cerrado A test of the edge effect on predation of natural and artificial bird nests in the Cerrado

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Letice C. França

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The Cerrado is still one of the most important ecosystems in Brazil, even though more than 50% of its area has been altered or converted to pastureland and plantations. Despite its intense degradation, few ecological processes that might affect its biodiversity have been evaluated. The goal of this study was to test the edge effect on the predation rates at natural and artificial nests, at the Ecological Station of Águas Emendadas, Federal District, Brazil. Natural nests were found and monitored every three to four days from September to December of 2004 in the interior and at the edge of the reserve. Artificial nests were placed at four distances from the edge (0, 500, 1000 and 2000 m in three spatial replicates in September and again in December of 2004. Each nest received one Japanese Quail and one plasticine egg and was monitored every five days, for 15 days. There was no difference between the rates of predation either in the natural nests or in the artificial nests between treatments. For one bird species, Elaenia chiriquensis (Lawrence, 1865, Tyrannidae, daily survival rates in the incubation and in the hatchling period had opposite values between the edge and the interior. Marks on plasticine eggs suggest that birds are the main predators. Estimates of the abundance of two potential nest predators, Cyanocorax cristatellus (Temminck, 1823, Corvidae and Canis familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758, Canidae, revealed no relationship with distance to the edge, nor with predation rates. Brood parasitism of natural nests was similar between the interior (0% and the edge (3.8% of the nests. The results described here do not support the edge effect hypothesis for nest predation rates on either natural or artificial nests, nor for brood parasitism rates.

Coexistence of two different genotypes of Sarcoptes scabiei derived from companion dogs and wild raccoon dogs in Gifu, Japan: The genetic evidence for transmission between domestic and wild canids.

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Matsuyama, Ryota; Yabusaki, Toshihiro; Kuninaga, Naotoshi; Morimoto, Tomoya; Okano, Tsukasa; Suzuki, Masatsugu; Asano, Makoto

2015-09-15

Sarcoptes scabiei is the causal agent of sarcoptic mange in domestic/companion dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides). Although there have been successful cases of experimental transmission of S. scabiei from mangy wild Canidae hosts to healthy dogs, and suspected cases of transmission between raccoon dogs and companion dogs, no clear-cut evidence has been obtained. In the present study, the genetic relationships between Sarcoptes mites from raccoon dogs and companion dogs living in the same region were elucidated.One hundred and thirty Sarcoptes mites from 22 raccoon dogs and 5 companion dogs were collected from the Gifu area in Japan. Using 9 microsatellite markers, the genotypes were compared, and the genetic structure of these mites was analyzed. In 6 pairs of companion dog- and raccoon dog-derived mites, 17 out of the 18 alleles analyzed were identical. Using a Bayesian approach, these 130 mites were separated into at least two groups, and companion dog- and raccoon dog-derived mites were segregated into both groups. In addition, comparatively large numbers of alleles at these loci were revealed by comparison with data from past studies. These results demonstrated that the host specificity at the 9 microsatellite-level could not be confirmed, strongly suggesting the transmission of Sarcoptes mites between raccoon dogs and companion dogs. This is the first report to provide a genetic evidence of Sarcoptes transmission between domestic and wild mammals in the natural environment. The possibility of a prior introduction of mites with novel genotypes (e.g., spillover of sarcoptic mange from domestic/companion dogs to raccoon dogs) could not be eliminated when considering the cause of the large number of alleles, and the coexistence of 2 mite groups in sympatric raccoon dogs and companion dogs in this local area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phylogenetic analysis of the haemagglutinin gene of canine distemper virus strains detected from breeding foxes, raccoon dogs and minks in China.

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Zhao, Jian-Jun; Yan, Xi-Jun; Chai, Xiu-Li; Martella, Vito; Luo, Guo-Liang; Zhang, Hai-Ling; Gao, Han; Liu, Ying-Xue; Bai, Xue; Zhang, Lei; Chen, Tao; Xu, Lei; Zhao, Chun-Fei; Wang, Feng-Xue; Shao, Xi-Qun; Wu, Wei; Cheng, Shi-Peng

2010-01-06

Canine distemper virus (CDV) infects a variety of carnivores, including wild and domestic Canidae. Genetic/antigenic heterogeneity has been observed among the various CDV strains, notably in the haemagglutinin (H) gene, that appears as a good target to gather epidemiological information. Based on sequence analysis of the H gene, wild-type CDV strains cluster into distinct geographic lineages (genotypes), irrespective of the species of isolation. The sequence of the H gene of 28 CDV strains detected from both vaccinated and non-vaccinated breeding foxes, raccoon dogs and minks from different geographical areas of China during the years 2004-2008 was determined. All the CDV strains but two (strains HL and HLJ2) were characterized as Asia-1 genotype and were highly similar to each other (96.2-99.7% at the amino acid [aa] level) and to other Asia-1 strains (96.1-99.5% aa) previously detected in China. The CDV strains HL and HLJ2 were both collected from foxes in Heilongjiang province in 2005. Strain HL resembled CDVs of the Arctic genotype (GR88-like) and displayed high aa identity (98.0%) to the Chinese canine strain Liu. By converse, strain HLJ2 was barely related to CDVs of the Asia-2 genotype (88.7-90.3% aa identity), and could represent a novel CDV genotype, tentatively proposed as Asia-3. These results suggest that at least three different CDV genotypes, distantly related (81.8-91.6% aa identity) to the vaccine strains, Onderstepoort-like (America-1 genotype), are currently circulating in breeding foxes, raccoon dogs and minks in China, and that the genotype Asia-1 is predominant. Whether the diversity between wild-type CDVs and the vaccine strains may affect, to some extent, the efficacy of the vaccines deserves further investigations.

Multiplex Amplification Refractory Mutation System Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR for diagnosis of natural infection with canine distemper virus

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Wong Min-Liang

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Canine distemper virus (CDV is present worldwide and produces a lethal systemic infection of wild and domestic Canidae. Pre-existing antibodies acquired from vaccination or previous CDV infection might interfere the interpretation of a serologic diagnosis method. In addition, due to the high similarity of nucleic acid sequences between wild-type CDV and the new vaccine strain, current PCR derived methods cannot be applied for the definite confirmation of CD infection. Hence, it is worthy of developing a simple and rapid nucleotide-based assay for differentiation of wild-type CDV which is a cause of disease from attenuated CDVs after vaccination. High frequency variations have been found in the region spanning from the 3'-untranslated region (UTR of the matrix (M gene to the fusion (F gene (designated M-F UTR in a few CDV strains. To establish a differential diagnosis assay, an amplification refractory mutation analysis was established based on the highly variable region on M-F UTR and F regions. Results Sequences of frequent polymorphisms were found scattered throughout the M-F UTR region; the identity of nucleic acid between local strains and vaccine strains ranged from 82.5% to 93.8%. A track of AAA residue located 35 nucleotides downstream from F gene start codon highly conserved in three vaccine strains were replaced with TGC in the local strains; that severed as target sequences for deign of discrimination primers. The method established in the present study successfully differentiated seven Taiwanese CDV field isolates, all belonging to the Asia-1 lineage, from vaccine strains. Conclusions The method described herein would be useful for several clinical applications, such as confirmation of nature CDV infection, evaluation of vaccination status and verification of the circulating viral genotypes.

Multiplex Amplification Refractory Mutation System Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR) for diagnosis of natural infection with canine distemper virus.

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Chulakasian, Songkhla; Lee, Min-Shiuh; Wang, Chi-Young; Chiou, Shyan-Song; Lin, Kuan-Hsun; Lin, Fong-Yuan; Hsu, Tien-Huan; Wong, Min-Liang; Chang, Tien-Jye; Hsu, Wei-Li

2010-06-10

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is present worldwide and produces a lethal systemic infection of wild and domestic Canidae. Pre-existing antibodies acquired from vaccination or previous CDV infection might interfere the interpretation of a serologic diagnosis method. In addition, due to the high similarity of nucleic acid sequences between wild-type CDV and the new vaccine strain, current PCR derived methods cannot be applied for the definite confirmation of CD infection. Hence, it is worthy of developing a simple and rapid nucleotide-based assay for differentiation of wild-type CDV which is a cause of disease from attenuated CDVs after vaccination. High frequency variations have been found in the region spanning from the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of the matrix (M) gene to the fusion (F) gene (designated M-F UTR) in a few CDV strains. To establish a differential diagnosis assay, an amplification refractory mutation analysis was established based on the highly variable region on M-F UTR and F regions. Sequences of frequent polymorphisms were found scattered throughout the M-F UTR region; the identity of nucleic acid between local strains and vaccine strains ranged from 82.5% to 93.8%. A track of AAA residue located 35 nucleotides downstream from F gene start codon highly conserved in three vaccine strains were replaced with TGC in the local strains; that severed as target sequences for deign of discrimination primers. The method established in the present study successfully differentiated seven Taiwanese CDV field isolates, all belonging to the Asia-1 lineage, from vaccine strains. The method described herein would be useful for several clinical applications, such as confirmation of nature CDV infection, evaluation of vaccination status and verification of the circulating viral genotypes.

Mitochondrial Analysis of the Most Basal Canid Reveals Deep Divergence between Eastern and Western North American Gray Foxes (Urocyon spp.) and Ancient Roots in Pleistocene California.

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Goddard, Natalie S; Statham, Mark J; Sacks, Benjamin N

2015-01-01

Pleistocene aridification in central North America caused many temperate forest-associated vertebrates to split into eastern and western lineages. Such divisions can be cryptic when Holocene expansions have closed the gaps between once-disjunct ranges or when local morphological variation obscures deeper regional divergences. We investigated such cryptic divergence in the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), the most basal extant canid in the world. We also investigated the phylogeography of this species and its diminutive relative, the island fox (U. littoralis), in California. The California Floristic Province was a significant source of Pleistocene diversification for a wide range of taxa and, we hypothesized, for the gray fox as well. Alternatively, gray foxes in California potentially reflected a recent Holocene expansion from further south. We sequenced mitochondrial DNA from 169 gray foxes from the southeastern and southwestern United States and 11 island foxes from three of the Channel Islands. We estimated a 1.3% sequence divergence in the cytochrome b gene between eastern and western foxes and used coalescent simulations to date the divergence to approximately 500,000 years before present (YBP), which is comparable to that between recognized sister species within the Canidae. Gray fox samples collected from throughout California exhibited high haplotype diversity, phylogeographic structure, and genetic signatures of a late-Holocene population decline. Bayesian skyline analysis also indicated an earlier population increase dating to the early Wisconsin glaciation (~70,000 YBP) and a root height extending back to the previous interglacial (~100,000 YBP). Together these findings support California's role as a long-term Pleistocene refugium for western Urocyon. Lastly, based both on our results and re-interpretation of those of another study, we conclude that island foxes of the Channel Islands trace their origins to at least 3 distinct female founders from

Dynamic occupancy modelling reveals a hierarchy of competition among fishers, grey foxes and ringtails.

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Green, David S; Matthews, Sean M; Swiers, Robert C; Callas, Richard L; Scott Yaeger, J; Farber, Stuart L; Schwartz, Michael K; Powell, Roger A

2018-05-01

Determining how species coexist is critical for understanding functional diversity, niche partitioning and interspecific interactions. Identifying the direct and indirect interactions among sympatric carnivores that enable their coexistence is particularly important to elucidate because they are integral for maintaining ecosystem function. We studied the effects of removing nine fishers (Pekania pennanti) on their population dynamics and used this perturbation to elucidate the interspecific interactions among fishers, grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and ringtails (Bassariscus astutus). Grey foxes (family: Canidae) are likely to compete with fishers due to their similar body sizes and dietary overlap, and ringtails (family: Procyonidae), like fishers, are semi-arboreal species of conservation concern. We used spatial capture-recapture to investigate fisher population numbers and dynamic occupancy models that incorporated interspecific interactions to investigate the effects members of these species had on the colonization and persistence of each other's site occupancy. The fisher population showed no change in density for up to 3 years following the removals of fishers for translocations. In contrast, fisher site occupancy decreased in the years immediately following the translocations. During this same time period, site occupancy by grey foxes increased and remained elevated through the end of the study. We found a complicated hierarchy among fishers, foxes and ringtails. Fishers affected grey fox site persistence negatively but had a positive effect on their colonization. Foxes had a positive effect on ringtail site colonization. Thus, fishers were the dominant small carnivore where present and negatively affected foxes directly and ringtails indirectly. Coexistence among the small carnivores we studied appears to reflect dynamic spatial partitioning. Conservation and management efforts should investigate how intraguild interactions may influence the