Pub Date : 2022-01-13DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.2017985
J. S. Cruz-Méndez, M. P. Herrera-Sánchez, Á. Céspedes-Rubio, I. Rondón-Barragán
ABSTRACT Oxidative stress may occur in the fish brain under several conditions, including tissue reoxygenation during anaesthesia, injury and toxic exposure. An imbalance in oxidative homeostasis can lead to oxidative stress, triggering several adaptive mechanisms at both the genetic and protein levels. The aim of this study was to assess the transcription levels of five oxidative stress-related genes in the Colombian native fish red-bellied pacu, Piaractus brachypomus, under anaesthesia with menthol (50 mg/L) and eugenol (40 mg/L), as well as in models of acute brain injury and organophosphate toxicity. Relative gene expression was assessed in the brain, gill and liver tissues of fish under anaesthesia and in the brain tissues of fish in the brain injury and toxicity experiments. It was found that glutathione reductase (GSR) mRNA levels in the brain were significantly higher in the eugenol group than in the menthol group, ATP synthase subunit 6 (ATP6) transcription was downregulated after brain injury, and the GSR, ATP6 and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) genes were upregulated in fish exposed to the organophosphate chlorpyrifos. This is the first evaluation of the relative gene expression of oxidative response biomarkers in P. brachypomus.
{"title":"Oxidative stress response biomarker gene expression in Piaractus brachypomus (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae)","authors":"J. S. Cruz-Méndez, M. P. Herrera-Sánchez, Á. Céspedes-Rubio, I. Rondón-Barragán","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.2017985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.2017985","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Oxidative stress may occur in the fish brain under several conditions, including tissue reoxygenation during anaesthesia, injury and toxic exposure. An imbalance in oxidative homeostasis can lead to oxidative stress, triggering several adaptive mechanisms at both the genetic and protein levels. The aim of this study was to assess the transcription levels of five oxidative stress-related genes in the Colombian native fish red-bellied pacu, Piaractus brachypomus, under anaesthesia with menthol (50 mg/L) and eugenol (40 mg/L), as well as in models of acute brain injury and organophosphate toxicity. Relative gene expression was assessed in the brain, gill and liver tissues of fish under anaesthesia and in the brain tissues of fish in the brain injury and toxicity experiments. It was found that glutathione reductase (GSR) mRNA levels in the brain were significantly higher in the eugenol group than in the menthol group, ATP synthase subunit 6 (ATP6) transcription was downregulated after brain injury, and the GSR, ATP6 and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) genes were upregulated in fish exposed to the organophosphate chlorpyrifos. This is the first evaluation of the relative gene expression of oxidative response biomarkers in P. brachypomus.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"355 - 367"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46621243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-08DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.2003410
C. King
ABSTRACT The history of the introduction of stoats (Mustela erminea) and weasels (M. nivalis) to New Zealand is a paradigm example of how the course of history can turn on a sequence of simple, unconnected events. When Victorian pastoralists were faced with the dilemma that rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were thriving better than their sheep, they sought to enlist the rabbits’ natural enemies to save them from crippling economic losses. An improbable series of circumstances linked four principal characters whose dramatic anti-rabbit policies seemed reasonable to them but have had catastrophic consequences. A Lincolnshire farmer, Samuel Grant, visiting New Zealand in 1880, met Francis Rich, a pastoralist suffering rabbit damage; Rich and Grant organised a trial shipment of stoats and weasels escorted by Lincolnshire trapper Walter Allbones in 1883. Supervising Rabbit Inspector Benjamin Bayly authorised thousands more over 1884–1889, until imports stopped in 1892. This paper describes why only the four principal players could have made each necessary link in the chain, and how easily it could have been broken. Legal attempts to stop the importations failed in 1876, but within another 25 years, the ‘natural enemies’ policy was recognised as a tragic mistake, and its proponents were widely discredited.
{"title":"Conservation history hung on a thread: the unlikely chain of events deciding New Zealand’s importation of stoats and weasels, 1880–1892","authors":"C. King","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.2003410","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.2003410","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The history of the introduction of stoats (Mustela erminea) and weasels (M. nivalis) to New Zealand is a paradigm example of how the course of history can turn on a sequence of simple, unconnected events. When Victorian pastoralists were faced with the dilemma that rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were thriving better than their sheep, they sought to enlist the rabbits’ natural enemies to save them from crippling economic losses. An improbable series of circumstances linked four principal characters whose dramatic anti-rabbit policies seemed reasonable to them but have had catastrophic consequences. A Lincolnshire farmer, Samuel Grant, visiting New Zealand in 1880, met Francis Rich, a pastoralist suffering rabbit damage; Rich and Grant organised a trial shipment of stoats and weasels escorted by Lincolnshire trapper Walter Allbones in 1883. Supervising Rabbit Inspector Benjamin Bayly authorised thousands more over 1884–1889, until imports stopped in 1892. This paper describes why only the four principal players could have made each necessary link in the chain, and how easily it could have been broken. Legal attempts to stop the importations failed in 1876, but within another 25 years, the ‘natural enemies’ policy was recognised as a tragic mistake, and its proponents were widely discredited.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"175 - 198"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48046141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-11-03DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1994426
Simon D. Lamb, Joseph T. Altobelli, L. Easton, S. Godfrey, P. Bishop
ABSTRACT Hamilton’s frog (Leiopelma hamiltoni) is often found co-habiting retreat sites in the wild and in captivity, but whether co-habitation is a facet of sociality remains to be explored. We investigated the association patterns of retreat site sharing in four captive colonies of L. hamiltoni using a social networking framework. We tested whether the strength and heterogeneity of associations between individuals of each network varied from expected, or if frogs shared retreat sites randomly. We also investigated the temporal stability of pair-wise associations. In all tanks, we found that frogs shared retreat sites significantly more than would be expected if they displayed no degree of association. Further, we observed more preferred and avoided pairings than would be expected at random. Temporal stability between pairs of individuals within a tank were stable over short time periods (10–50 days) but decreased over time. High variation within and between tanks, however, prevented us from establishing a clear trend in temporal stability. Our results suggest that captive L. hamiltoni frogs, at least over the short-term, preferentially select retreat sites with specific individuals, and from this we infer that sociality in the form of retreat site sharing may form a key component of L. hamiltoni biology.
{"title":"Captive Hamilton’s frog (Leiopelma hamiltoni) associates non-randomly under retreat sites: preliminary insights into their social networks","authors":"Simon D. Lamb, Joseph T. Altobelli, L. Easton, S. Godfrey, P. Bishop","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1994426","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1994426","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Hamilton’s frog (Leiopelma hamiltoni) is often found co-habiting retreat sites in the wild and in captivity, but whether co-habitation is a facet of sociality remains to be explored. We investigated the association patterns of retreat site sharing in four captive colonies of L. hamiltoni using a social networking framework. We tested whether the strength and heterogeneity of associations between individuals of each network varied from expected, or if frogs shared retreat sites randomly. We also investigated the temporal stability of pair-wise associations. In all tanks, we found that frogs shared retreat sites significantly more than would be expected if they displayed no degree of association. Further, we observed more preferred and avoided pairings than would be expected at random. Temporal stability between pairs of individuals within a tank were stable over short time periods (10–50 days) but decreased over time. High variation within and between tanks, however, prevented us from establishing a clear trend in temporal stability. Our results suggest that captive L. hamiltoni frogs, at least over the short-term, preferentially select retreat sites with specific individuals, and from this we infer that sociality in the form of retreat site sharing may form a key component of L. hamiltoni biology.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"236 - 251"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48498833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-28DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1993939
M. J. A. Skirrow, Adam N. H. Smith, L. Ortiz-Catedral
ABSTRACT Determining the size of translocated populations of endemic New Zealand species is essential for assessing their management requirements; however generating estimates can be constrained by the accessibility of sites, particularly for cryptic or difficult to monitor species released on remote islands. In this study, we aimed to produce estimates of population size for three translocated populations of the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi), after a mean establishment period of 6.3 years. We also recorded natural history notes of the species. Using fixed-point distance sampling, we assessed the populations established on Te Kākahu-o-Tamatea / Chalky Island, Te Pākeka / Maud Island, and Oruawairua / Blumine Island. We confirmed the presence of orange-fronted parakeets on Te Kākahu-o-Tamatea / Chalky Island but could not produce density estimates due to a small number of detections. We did not detect orange-fronted parakeets on Te Pākeka / Maud Island. On Oruawairua / Blumine Island, based on 20 detections, we estimated a population of 193 ± 91 parakeets distributed through the mature forest of the 3.77 km2 island. Our findings indicate that Oruawairua / Blumine Island sustains a significant population of the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet. To assess the long-term trends of the species on offshore islands, further population assessments are needed.
{"title":"Estimating the population size of orange-fronted parakeets (Cyanoramphus malherbi) on offshore islands of New Zealand","authors":"M. J. A. Skirrow, Adam N. H. Smith, L. Ortiz-Catedral","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1993939","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1993939","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Determining the size of translocated populations of endemic New Zealand species is essential for assessing their management requirements; however generating estimates can be constrained by the accessibility of sites, particularly for cryptic or difficult to monitor species released on remote islands. In this study, we aimed to produce estimates of population size for three translocated populations of the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi), after a mean establishment period of 6.3 years. We also recorded natural history notes of the species. Using fixed-point distance sampling, we assessed the populations established on Te Kākahu-o-Tamatea / Chalky Island, Te Pākeka / Maud Island, and Oruawairua / Blumine Island. We confirmed the presence of orange-fronted parakeets on Te Kākahu-o-Tamatea / Chalky Island but could not produce density estimates due to a small number of detections. We did not detect orange-fronted parakeets on Te Pākeka / Maud Island. On Oruawairua / Blumine Island, based on 20 detections, we estimated a population of 193 ± 91 parakeets distributed through the mature forest of the 3.77 km2 island. Our findings indicate that Oruawairua / Blumine Island sustains a significant population of the critically endangered orange-fronted parakeet. To assess the long-term trends of the species on offshore islands, further population assessments are needed.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"225 - 235"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49204848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-12DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1979053
L. Easton, A. Tennyson, Nicolas J. Rawlence
ABSTRACT The fossil record of Leiopelma frogs in New Zealand is patchy, with remains previously reported only from the early Miocene (16–19 Mya) and late Quaternary (past 20 Ka). Here we describe Leiopelma bishopi n. sp. from the late Pliocene (3.7–2.4 Ma) of the eastern South Island. The subsequent extinction of frogs in this region is likely due to increased aridity following uplift of the Southern Alps and cooling associated with the Pleistocene Ice Ages. Discoveries from this unique Pliocene terrestrial fossil locality provide new and significant insights into how the dynamic climatic and geological history of Zealandia has shaped the evolution of its recent biota, especially for groups with a poor pre-Quaternary fossil record. LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:457F4C99-A561-4C3B-802C-3412EA3D7D42 Abbreviations: SVL: snout-vent length; NMNZ: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand; WO: Waitomo Caves Museum, Waitomo, New Zealand
新西兰Leiopelma frog的化石记录是不完整的,以前报道的化石仅来自中新世早期(16-19 Mya)和第四纪晚期(过去20 Ka)。本文描述了南岛东部上新世晚期(3.7-2.4 Ma)的Leiopelma bishopi n. sp.。该地区蛙类的灭绝可能是由于南阿尔卑斯山的隆起和更新世冰河时期的降温导致的干旱加剧。这个独特的上新世陆生化石位置的发现为西兰迪亚的动态气候和地质历史如何塑造其最近生物群的进化提供了新的和重要的见解,特别是对于具有较差的前第四纪化石记录的群体。LSID: urn: LSID: zoobank.org:pub:457F4C99-A561-4C3B-802C-3412EA3D7D42缩写:SVL:鼻口长度;NMNZ:新西兰博物馆the Papa Tongarewa,惠灵顿,新西兰;怀托摩洞穴博物馆,怀托摩,新西兰
{"title":"A new species of Leiopelma frog (Amphibia: Anura: Leiopelmatidae) from the late Pliocene of New Zealand","authors":"L. Easton, A. Tennyson, Nicolas J. Rawlence","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1979053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1979053","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The fossil record of Leiopelma frogs in New Zealand is patchy, with remains previously reported only from the early Miocene (16–19 Mya) and late Quaternary (past 20 Ka). Here we describe Leiopelma bishopi n. sp. from the late Pliocene (3.7–2.4 Ma) of the eastern South Island. The subsequent extinction of frogs in this region is likely due to increased aridity following uplift of the Southern Alps and cooling associated with the Pleistocene Ice Ages. Discoveries from this unique Pliocene terrestrial fossil locality provide new and significant insights into how the dynamic climatic and geological history of Zealandia has shaped the evolution of its recent biota, especially for groups with a poor pre-Quaternary fossil record. LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:457F4C99-A561-4C3B-802C-3412EA3D7D42 Abbreviations: SVL: snout-vent length; NMNZ: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand; WO: Waitomo Caves Museum, Waitomo, New Zealand","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"215 - 224"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47911638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-04DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1978510
Kaylyn A. Pinney, J. Ross, A. Paterson
ABSTRACT A 2014 carcass search survey confirmed that Tiakina Ngā Manu aerial 1080 operations, undertaken to protect resident mohua (Mohoua ochrocephala) from increases to predator populations following substantial beech (Nothofagus sp.) mast events, cause mortality for Wakatipu white-tailed deer. Non-target by-kill of deer generates significant public opposition to predator control operations. We assessed if a current deer repellent (EDR) and a repellent in development (Pestex-DR) were effective at repelling captive white-tailed deer from consumption of nontoxic baits, commonly used in Tiakina Ngā Manu operations. Both repellents were found to significantly decrease bait consumption, and we observed clear displays of aversion to repellent baits by captive deer. Ten GPS collared wild white-tailed deer were then monitored following a Tiakina Ngā Manu operation using EDR in 2016. One collared deer was poisoned following the operation, confirming that EDR is not 100% effective. We recommend the most effective available deer repellent be used for future Tiakina Ngā Manu operations over the Wakatipu white-tailed deer habitat to minimise public opposition to these predator control operations. In addition, our results suggest that differences in the boundary size and shape of operations may account for some of the variability in non-target by-kill observed between studies.
{"title":"Assessing EDR and a novel deer repellent for reducing by-kill of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), during aerial 1080 operations","authors":"Kaylyn A. Pinney, J. Ross, A. Paterson","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1978510","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1978510","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT A 2014 carcass search survey confirmed that Tiakina Ngā Manu aerial 1080 operations, undertaken to protect resident mohua (Mohoua ochrocephala) from increases to predator populations following substantial beech (Nothofagus sp.) mast events, cause mortality for Wakatipu white-tailed deer. Non-target by-kill of deer generates significant public opposition to predator control operations. We assessed if a current deer repellent (EDR) and a repellent in development (Pestex-DR) were effective at repelling captive white-tailed deer from consumption of nontoxic baits, commonly used in Tiakina Ngā Manu operations. Both repellents were found to significantly decrease bait consumption, and we observed clear displays of aversion to repellent baits by captive deer. Ten GPS collared wild white-tailed deer were then monitored following a Tiakina Ngā Manu operation using EDR in 2016. One collared deer was poisoned following the operation, confirming that EDR is not 100% effective. We recommend the most effective available deer repellent be used for future Tiakina Ngā Manu operations over the Wakatipu white-tailed deer habitat to minimise public opposition to these predator control operations. In addition, our results suggest that differences in the boundary size and shape of operations may account for some of the variability in non-target by-kill observed between studies.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"199 - 214"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49431180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-04DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1977345
B. Warburton, C. Eason, P. Fisher, N. Hancox, B. Hopkins, G. Nugent, S. Ogilvie, T. Prowse, J. Ross, P. Cowan
ABSTRACT The ongoing use of 1080 toxin for the control of mammal pests in New Zealand remains highly contentious. Several reviews over the last 25 years identified information gaps and areas of concern, both social and scientific. In this paper these areas of concern are discussed and the extensive scientific and social research that has been undertaken to clarify and address them is reviewed. Although there has been a major national investment in research aimed at finding an alternative to 1080, that has not yet been fully achieved because of low or inconsistent efficacy and/or low cost-effectiveness of alternatives, regulatory difficulties in obtaining approval for aerial delivery of any alternative, and toxic residue concerns. Finding an alternative that has similar efficacy while satisfying the demands for species-selectivity, no residues, and humaneness is a continuing challenge. The most promising prospect appears to be through understanding the genome of the target animals and opportunities for genetic manipulation, either by developing species-specific designer lethal toxicants based on genome mining, or by gene editing to develop non-lethal technologies. Both will require considerable time and funding for research, and considerable effort and engagement to address social and regulatory hurdles.
{"title":"Alternatives for mammal pest control in New Zealand in the context of concerns about 1080 toxicant (sodium fluoroacetate)","authors":"B. Warburton, C. Eason, P. Fisher, N. Hancox, B. Hopkins, G. Nugent, S. Ogilvie, T. Prowse, J. Ross, P. Cowan","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1977345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1977345","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The ongoing use of 1080 toxin for the control of mammal pests in New Zealand remains highly contentious. Several reviews over the last 25 years identified information gaps and areas of concern, both social and scientific. In this paper these areas of concern are discussed and the extensive scientific and social research that has been undertaken to clarify and address them is reviewed. Although there has been a major national investment in research aimed at finding an alternative to 1080, that has not yet been fully achieved because of low or inconsistent efficacy and/or low cost-effectiveness of alternatives, regulatory difficulties in obtaining approval for aerial delivery of any alternative, and toxic residue concerns. Finding an alternative that has similar efficacy while satisfying the demands for species-selectivity, no residues, and humaneness is a continuing challenge. The most promising prospect appears to be through understanding the genome of the target animals and opportunities for genetic manipulation, either by developing species-specific designer lethal toxicants based on genome mining, or by gene editing to develop non-lethal technologies. Both will require considerable time and funding for research, and considerable effort and engagement to address social and regulatory hurdles.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"79 - 121"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"59277939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1961562
D. Gleeson
Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring has revolutionised the way biodiversity is surveyed over the past decade. There is now a myriad of eDNA protocols and techniques developed to improve eDNA isolation from environmental samples, greatly diversifying eDNA applications in the types of species surveillance that can now be undertaken. As the breadth of those applications increase and more studies show the promise of these tools to inform environmental management, there is greater impetus in the uptake by end-use agencies as part of routine monitoring. Indeed, the question is no longer if these eDNA methods work, but rather if reproducibility can be achieved to inform management decisions. There is now an increasing tendency to use the technology, either alone or in tandem with conventional techniques, in biodiversity assessments and in detection of single species such as threatened or invasive species. However, due to eDNA being an indirect form of detection, there are still uncertainties associated with eDNA monitoring and managers still struggle with how to use eDNA results in confident decision-making and management. In order for eDNA to become a routine tool for legislative requirements such as national State of the Environment (SoE) Reporting, there is a need to bridge the gap between research and management. In particular, stringent and highly scrutinised workflows are needed to deliver consistent and repeatable molecular results that can reliably inform management. In New Zealand, a number of studies have highlighted the potential for eDNA to be applied to a variety of different environments for a range of purposes. New Zealand also faces the same environmental pressures seen globally such as invasive species, habitat fragmentation, climate change, declining water quality as just a few examples. There is a great benefit for agencies to be adopting these eDNA tools as they can be more cost-effective, be widely distributed and enable greater consistency in the data received if applied appropriately. This special issue is a significant step forward in providing the necessary data that can inform the appropriate methods to apply for a particular purpose and to also understand some of the limitations and gaps that still need to be addressed before these tools are widely adopted. Readers looking to design their own eDNA studies would be well advised to consult some review papers discussing such aspects of eDNA studies as: experimental design e.g., (Goldberg et al. 2016), recording metadata e.g., (Nicholson et al. 2020); choice of DNA extraction method e.g. (Lear et al. 2018; Jeunen et al. 2019); selection of genome regions appropriate for the research question being asked e.g., (Drummond et al. 2015; Jeunen et al. 2019); reporting requirements for qPCR studies e.g. (Bustin et al. 2009); the pros and cons of the different techniques used in eDNA studies (Zaiko et al. 2018); limitations of eDNA studies (Kelly et al. 2019); and the tools needed before
在过去的十年中,环境DNA (eDNA)监测已经彻底改变了生物多样性的调查方式。现在有无数的eDNA协议和技术开发,以提高eDNA从环境样本中分离,大大多样化了eDNA在物种监测类型中的应用,现在可以进行。随着这些应用范围的扩大和更多的研究表明这些工具有希望为环境管理提供信息,最终用途机构更有可能将其作为日常监测的一部分加以采用。事实上,问题不再是这些eDNA方法是否有效,而是能否实现可重复性,从而为管理决策提供信息。现在越来越多的趋势是单独或与传统技术结合使用这项技术来评估生物多样性和探测单一物种,如受威胁物种或入侵物种。然而,由于eDNA是一种间接的检测形式,因此与eDNA监测相关的不确定性仍然存在,管理人员仍在努力解决如何使用eDNA结果来进行自信的决策和管理的问题。为了使eDNA成为诸如国家环境状况(SoE)报告等立法要求的常规工具,有必要弥合研究和管理之间的差距。特别是,需要严格和高度审查的工作流程来提供一致和可重复的分子结果,从而可靠地告知管理层。在新西兰,一些研究强调了将eDNA应用于各种不同环境以实现一系列目的的潜力。新西兰也面临着与全球相同的环境压力,例如物种入侵、栖息地破碎、气候变化、水质下降等等。各机构采用这些eDNA工具有很大的好处,因为如果应用得当,它们可以更具成本效益,广泛分发,并使收到的数据更加一致。这一特殊问题是向前迈出的重要一步,提供了必要的数据,可以为适用于特定目的的适当方法提供信息,并了解在广泛采用这些工具之前仍需要解决的一些限制和差距。希望设计自己的eDNA研究的读者最好参考一些讨论eDNA研究方面的综述论文,如:实验设计,例如(Goldberg et al. 2016),记录元数据,例如(Nicholson et al. 2020);DNA提取方法的选择,例如(Lear et al. 2018;Jeunen et al. 2019);选择适合研究问题的基因组区域,例如(Drummond et al. 2015;Jeunen et al. 2019);qPCR研究的报告要求,例如(Bustin et al. 2009);eDNA研究中使用的不同技术的利弊(Zaiko et al. 2018);eDNA研究的局限性(Kelly et al. 2019);并且可以将eDNA监测所需的工具嵌入管理计划(Sepulveda et al. 2020)。利用直接来自环境的DNA作为通过宏基因组学了解微生物多样性的手段是一项历史最悠久的技术。
{"title":"Zoological applications for environmental DNA: detection, diversity, and health","authors":"D. Gleeson","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1961562","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1961562","url":null,"abstract":"Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring has revolutionised the way biodiversity is surveyed over the past decade. There is now a myriad of eDNA protocols and techniques developed to improve eDNA isolation from environmental samples, greatly diversifying eDNA applications in the types of species surveillance that can now be undertaken. As the breadth of those applications increase and more studies show the promise of these tools to inform environmental management, there is greater impetus in the uptake by end-use agencies as part of routine monitoring. Indeed, the question is no longer if these eDNA methods work, but rather if reproducibility can be achieved to inform management decisions. There is now an increasing tendency to use the technology, either alone or in tandem with conventional techniques, in biodiversity assessments and in detection of single species such as threatened or invasive species. However, due to eDNA being an indirect form of detection, there are still uncertainties associated with eDNA monitoring and managers still struggle with how to use eDNA results in confident decision-making and management. In order for eDNA to become a routine tool for legislative requirements such as national State of the Environment (SoE) Reporting, there is a need to bridge the gap between research and management. In particular, stringent and highly scrutinised workflows are needed to deliver consistent and repeatable molecular results that can reliably inform management. In New Zealand, a number of studies have highlighted the potential for eDNA to be applied to a variety of different environments for a range of purposes. New Zealand also faces the same environmental pressures seen globally such as invasive species, habitat fragmentation, climate change, declining water quality as just a few examples. There is a great benefit for agencies to be adopting these eDNA tools as they can be more cost-effective, be widely distributed and enable greater consistency in the data received if applied appropriately. This special issue is a significant step forward in providing the necessary data that can inform the appropriate methods to apply for a particular purpose and to also understand some of the limitations and gaps that still need to be addressed before these tools are widely adopted. Readers looking to design their own eDNA studies would be well advised to consult some review papers discussing such aspects of eDNA studies as: experimental design e.g., (Goldberg et al. 2016), recording metadata e.g., (Nicholson et al. 2020); choice of DNA extraction method e.g. (Lear et al. 2018; Jeunen et al. 2019); selection of genome regions appropriate for the research question being asked e.g., (Drummond et al. 2015; Jeunen et al. 2019); reporting requirements for qPCR studies e.g. (Bustin et al. 2009); the pros and cons of the different techniques used in eDNA studies (Zaiko et al. 2018); limitations of eDNA studies (Kelly et al. 2019); and the tools needed before ","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"48 1","pages":"185 - 187"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45699435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-06DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1967415
Ruth J. A. van Heerbeek, B. W. Brox, Anne C. Macaskill
ABSTRACT Many zoos provide the opportunity for visitors to interact with ambassador animals in their collections, but little is known about how these interactions impact on the animals themselves. The current study was the first to examine the effect of visitor interactions on the reptile species, tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). This pilot project also developed the first complete ethogram describing tuatara behaviour (a permanent research resource). The ethogram was customised for individually housed tuatara. We used the ethogram to describe behaviour of three tuatara before (8:30–10:30), during (10:30–11:30) and after (11:30–15:30) visitor contact sessions (where visitors could interact with a tuatara and handler in a controlled environment), and on control days (at the same times but with no visitor contact). Tuatara demonstrated increased time out of sight or time inactive following visitor contact (compared to days with no visitor contact). The current study provides insight into individual variation between animals that participate in visitor contact sessions and can inform how zoos approach ambassador-animal programmes to support animal welfare.
{"title":"Using a novel ethogram of tuatara behaviour to evaluate the impact of interactions with zoo visitors","authors":"Ruth J. A. van Heerbeek, B. W. Brox, Anne C. Macaskill","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1967415","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1967415","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Many zoos provide the opportunity for visitors to interact with ambassador animals in their collections, but little is known about how these interactions impact on the animals themselves. The current study was the first to examine the effect of visitor interactions on the reptile species, tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). This pilot project also developed the first complete ethogram describing tuatara behaviour (a permanent research resource). The ethogram was customised for individually housed tuatara. We used the ethogram to describe behaviour of three tuatara before (8:30–10:30), during (10:30–11:30) and after (11:30–15:30) visitor contact sessions (where visitors could interact with a tuatara and handler in a controlled environment), and on control days (at the same times but with no visitor contact). Tuatara demonstrated increased time out of sight or time inactive following visitor contact (compared to days with no visitor contact). The current study provides insight into individual variation between animals that participate in visitor contact sessions and can inform how zoos approach ambassador-animal programmes to support animal welfare.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"252 - 262"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48833059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-09-02DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2021.1970585
B. Gill
ABSTRACT Moa eggshell fragments from 13 North Island sites (New Zealand), were 0.54–1.74 mm thick (n = 6036). Thicknesses with published DNA-identifications overlapped greatly between the four North Island species, but median thicknesses were separate: Pachyornis geranoides thinnest, Dinornis novaezealandiae thickest, and Euryapteryx curtus and Anomalopteryx didiformis in the middle, but with the former slightly thinner. Thickness histograms for regional samples of unidentified moa eggshell fragments, each had one of four thickness patterns: Type A (thin eggshell only), Type B (thick eggshell only), Type C (medium-thickness eggshell only), and Type D (all thicknesses present). The Gisborne site, poorly-known from moa bones, had a similar thickness profile (Type D, skewed towards thin shell) to North Cape and Tokerau Beach implying a similar moa fauna. Eggshell thicknesses suggested that D. novaezealandiae was absent at Port Jackson (Type A histogram) and that P. geranoides was absent at Whananaki (Type B pattern) and rare at Herbertville (Type D, skewed towards thick shell). Thickness analysis for eggshell from a Lake Taupo archaeological site suggested that few eggs of just one species were involved, whereas a wide spread of shell thicknesses for a Great Mercury Island site implied a contribution from several species.
{"title":"Thickness histograms of Holocene fossil eggshell fragments indicate diversity and relative abundance of moas (Aves: Dinornithiformes) at North Island sites","authors":"B. Gill","doi":"10.1080/03014223.2021.1970585","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2021.1970585","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Moa eggshell fragments from 13 North Island sites (New Zealand), were 0.54–1.74 mm thick (n = 6036). Thicknesses with published DNA-identifications overlapped greatly between the four North Island species, but median thicknesses were separate: Pachyornis geranoides thinnest, Dinornis novaezealandiae thickest, and Euryapteryx curtus and Anomalopteryx didiformis in the middle, but with the former slightly thinner. Thickness histograms for regional samples of unidentified moa eggshell fragments, each had one of four thickness patterns: Type A (thin eggshell only), Type B (thick eggshell only), Type C (medium-thickness eggshell only), and Type D (all thicknesses present). The Gisborne site, poorly-known from moa bones, had a similar thickness profile (Type D, skewed towards thin shell) to North Cape and Tokerau Beach implying a similar moa fauna. Eggshell thicknesses suggested that D. novaezealandiae was absent at Port Jackson (Type A histogram) and that P. geranoides was absent at Whananaki (Type B pattern) and rare at Herbertville (Type D, skewed towards thick shell). Thickness analysis for eggshell from a Lake Taupo archaeological site suggested that few eggs of just one species were involved, whereas a wide spread of shell thicknesses for a Great Mercury Island site implied a contribution from several species.","PeriodicalId":19208,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand Journal of Zoology","volume":"49 1","pages":"143 - 165"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47585515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}