Pub Date : 2021-08-30DOI: 10.1163/15707563-BJA10056
M. Zamora-Espinoza, J. C. López-Acosta, E. Mendoza
Studies of tropical mammal defaunation highlight the loss of species as well as their reduction in abundance and diversity; however, there is a complex series of effects associated with this anthropogenic disruption, including increases in the relative abundance of disturbance-tolerant mammals and the arrival of alien mammals whose effects on biotic interactions have been poorly studied. We compared the species richness, composition, interaction strength, and patterns of daily activity of mammals that consume the fruits of Pouteria sapota on the forest floor, both inside and outside of the Los Tuxtlas Field Station (LTFS) in Veracruz, southern Mexico. Using camera traps, we recorded eight mammal species interacting with the fruits inside the LTFS ( trees) and nine species interacting outside ( trees). Alien species such as Canis lupus familiaris were recorded both inside and outside of the LTFS, whereas Bos taurus was only recorded outside. Medium-sized generalist mammals were overrepresented both inside and outside of the LTFS, evidencing an impoverishment of the fauna, when compared to the mammal assemblage reported to interact with P. sapota fruits in a more intact forest. The daily activity patterns of the mammals that interacted strongly with P. sapota fruits were different inside and outside the LTFS, particularly in the case of Cuniculus paca. Our results show that the impact of human activity is highly pervasive, directly affecting the mammalian fauna at different levels and indirectly affecting the biotic interactions in which these animals are involved.
{"title":"Anthropogenic perturbation modifies interactions between mammals and fruits in a tropical forest of southern Mexico","authors":"M. Zamora-Espinoza, J. C. López-Acosta, E. Mendoza","doi":"10.1163/15707563-BJA10056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15707563-BJA10056","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Studies of tropical mammal defaunation highlight the loss of species as well as their reduction in abundance and diversity; however, there is a complex series of effects associated with this anthropogenic disruption, including increases in the relative abundance of disturbance-tolerant mammals and the arrival of alien mammals whose effects on biotic interactions have been poorly studied. We compared the species richness, composition, interaction strength, and patterns of daily activity of mammals that consume the fruits of Pouteria sapota on the forest floor, both inside and outside of the Los Tuxtlas Field Station (LTFS) in Veracruz, southern Mexico. Using camera traps, we recorded eight mammal species interacting with the fruits inside the LTFS ( trees) and nine species interacting outside ( trees). Alien species such as Canis lupus familiaris were recorded both inside and outside of the LTFS, whereas Bos taurus was only recorded outside. Medium-sized generalist mammals were overrepresented both inside and outside of the LTFS, evidencing an impoverishment of the fauna, when compared to the mammal assemblage reported to interact with P. sapota fruits in a more intact forest. The daily activity patterns of the mammals that interacted strongly with P. sapota fruits were different inside and outside the LTFS, particularly in the case of Cuniculus paca. Our results show that the impact of human activity is highly pervasive, directly affecting the mammalian fauna at different levels and indirectly affecting the biotic interactions in which these animals are involved.","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47472936","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 : 2021-08-30DOI: 10.1163/15707563-BJA10054
Ying Jiang, Long Jin, Yi Fu, W. Liao
Social group is associated with life-history traits and can predict brain size variation in cooperative primates and some other mammal groups, but such explicit relationships remain enigmatic in cooperatively breeding birds. Indeed, some compositions of social group in cooperative species (e.g., helper number and group size) would affect the fitness of breeders by providing alloparental care. Here, we conducted comparative tests of the relationship between the social group and both life-history traits and brain size across 197 species of cooperatively breeding birds using phylogenetically controlled comparative analyses. We did not find any correlations between helper numbers and both life-history traits and brain size. However, we found that maximum group size was positively associated with clutch size. Moreover, average group size has positive associations with body mass and relative brain size. Our findings suggest that helper numbers cannot promote variation in relative brain size, while larger groups may predict bigger brains in cooperatively breeding birds.
{"title":"Association of social group with both life-history traits and brain size in cooperatively breeding birds","authors":"Ying Jiang, Long Jin, Yi Fu, W. Liao","doi":"10.1163/15707563-BJA10054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15707563-BJA10054","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Social group is associated with life-history traits and can predict brain size variation in cooperative primates and some other mammal groups, but such explicit relationships remain enigmatic in cooperatively breeding birds. Indeed, some compositions of social group in cooperative species (e.g., helper number and group size) would affect the fitness of breeders by providing alloparental care. Here, we conducted comparative tests of the relationship between the social group and both life-history traits and brain size across 197 species of cooperatively breeding birds using phylogenetically controlled comparative analyses. We did not find any correlations between helper numbers and both life-history traits and brain size. However, we found that maximum group size was positively associated with clutch size. Moreover, average group size has positive associations with body mass and relative brain size. Our findings suggest that helper numbers cannot promote variation in relative brain size, while larger groups may predict bigger brains in cooperatively breeding birds.","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44952106","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 : 2021-04-01DOI: 10.15407/ANIMBIOL23.01.023
S. Коrnyat, M. Sharan, D. Ostapiv, A. Korbeckij, I. Jaremchuk, O. Andrushko
The purpose of this work was to compare effect of different doses of trace elements such as Cu2+, Zn2+ and Mn2+ that have been included as nano succinates into lactose-yolk-glycerol medium for cryopreservation of bull sperm and some physiological and biochemical sperm parameters assessment before and after cryopreservation. In this research each fresh ejaculate obtained from 4 bulls has been divided into parties consisting a control sample and its experimental counterparts. Control samples were diluted with industrial lactose-yolk-glycerin diluent only but their experimental counterparts were diluted and supplemented with nano acquacuccinates of Cu, Mn and Zn as solutions at concentration 2–5 g/l but different doses of 0.005, 0.01 and 0.05 mg/ml. When ejaculates were taken, the following physiological parametres of ejaculate quality were established: volume (ml), sperm concentration (billion/ml), live sperm count (%) and dynamic sperm count (CASA) and survival (h); content of total protein, respiratory activity of sperm, activity of enzyme markers of fertilizing ability — succinate dehydrogenase (SDH, units) and cytochrome oxidase (CHO, units) in diluted ejaculates with introduced minerals. After the ejaculates were diluted, semen was equilibrated for three hours at 4°C and frozen in a container (7 min over nitrogen vapor followed by immersion in liquid nitrogen). The semen was thawed in a water bath at 38°C for 20 seconds. The above physiological and biochemical parameters of the sperm of the bulls were redetermined immediately after thawing. Spermatozoa concentration in diluted bull sperm was 8.3% of the initial or ejaculate diluted 12-fold according to technological requirements (P<0.001). The number of live sperm decreased by 12.6% compared to fresh sperm (P<0.05), and the survival of sperm during incubation decreased by 6.8% for 7.4 hours. Total protein content in 100 ml of sperm decreased by 41.3% after dilution compared to fresh ejaculate (P<0.001). Respiratory activity decreased by 11.8% after the ejaculates was diluted. Succinate dehydrogenase activity decreased by 10.7% and cytochrome oxidase activity by 13.0%. In thawed bull sperm the respiratory sperm activity is higher in counterparts when 0.05 mg/l Zn2+, 0.05 mg/l Cu2+ and 0.05 mg/l Mn2+ are added to the medium. Enzyme activity at the same doses was higher. The highest activity among these groups of succinate dehydrogenase was at 0.05 mg/l Zn2+ (P<0.05) added to the cryopreservation medium, and the lowest at 0.01 mg/l Mn2+. Cytochrome oxidase activity was highest when 0.05 mg/l Cu2+ was added to the cryopreservation medium. The optimum concentrations of nanosuccinates that ensure the normalization of oxidation processes in the diluted bull sperm are: 0.05 mg/l Mn2+, 0.05 mg/l Cu2+ and 0.05 mg/l Zn2+. The higher concentration of metal nano succinates in the diluent inhibits the respiratory sperm activity and reduces the activity of succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase. Simi
{"title":"Quality of deconserved bull sperm for the action of nanosuccinates Zn, Cu and Mn in the diluents","authors":"S. Коrnyat, M. Sharan, D. Ostapiv, A. Korbeckij, I. Jaremchuk, O. Andrushko","doi":"10.15407/ANIMBIOL23.01.023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/ANIMBIOL23.01.023","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this work was to compare effect of different doses of trace elements such as Cu2+, Zn2+ and Mn2+ that have been included as nano succinates into lactose-yolk-glycerol medium for cryopreservation of bull sperm and some physiological and biochemical sperm parameters assessment before and after cryopreservation. In this research each fresh ejaculate obtained from 4 bulls has been divided into parties consisting a control sample and its experimental counterparts. Control samples were diluted with industrial lactose-yolk-glycerin diluent only but their experimental counterparts were diluted and supplemented with nano acquacuccinates of Cu, Mn and Zn as solutions at concentration 2–5 g/l but different doses of 0.005, 0.01 and 0.05 mg/ml. When ejaculates were taken, the following physiological parametres of ejaculate quality were established: volume (ml), sperm concentration (billion/ml), live sperm count (%) and dynamic sperm count (CASA) and survival (h); content of total protein, respiratory activity of sperm, activity of enzyme markers of fertilizing ability — succinate dehydrogenase (SDH, units) and cytochrome oxidase (CHO, units) in diluted ejaculates with introduced minerals. After the ejaculates were diluted, semen was equilibrated for three hours at 4°C and frozen in a container (7 min over nitrogen vapor followed by immersion in liquid nitrogen). The semen was thawed in a water bath at 38°C for 20 seconds. The above physiological and biochemical parameters of the sperm of the bulls were redetermined immediately after thawing. Spermatozoa concentration in diluted bull sperm was 8.3% of the initial or ejaculate diluted 12-fold according to technological requirements (P<0.001). The number of live sperm decreased by 12.6% compared to fresh sperm (P<0.05), and the survival of sperm during incubation decreased by 6.8% for 7.4 hours. Total protein content in 100 ml of sperm decreased by 41.3% after dilution compared to fresh ejaculate (P<0.001). Respiratory activity decreased by 11.8% after the ejaculates was diluted. Succinate dehydrogenase activity decreased by 10.7% and cytochrome oxidase activity by 13.0%. In thawed bull sperm the respiratory sperm activity is higher in counterparts when 0.05 mg/l Zn2+, 0.05 mg/l Cu2+ and 0.05 mg/l Mn2+ are added to the medium. Enzyme activity at the same doses was higher. The highest activity among these groups of succinate dehydrogenase was at 0.05 mg/l Zn2+ (P<0.05) added to the cryopreservation medium, and the lowest at 0.01 mg/l Mn2+. Cytochrome oxidase activity was highest when 0.05 mg/l Cu2+ was added to the cryopreservation medium. The optimum concentrations of nanosuccinates that ensure the normalization of oxidation processes in the diluted bull sperm are: 0.05 mg/l Mn2+, 0.05 mg/l Cu2+ and 0.05 mg/l Zn2+. The higher concentration of metal nano succinates in the diluent inhibits the respiratory sperm activity and reduces the activity of succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase. Simi","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":"23 1","pages":"23-29"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45583848","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 : 2021-04-01DOI: 10.15407/ANIMBIOL23.01.038
P. V. Stapai, N. Stakhiv, V. Tkachuk, O. Smolianinova
The data on the peculiarities of the structural organization, chemical composition and physical parameters of sheep wool of different breeds depending on the type of their hair are presented. It has been found that the down fibers of ewes of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountain breed possess the lowest content of β-keratosis (10.2%) and the highest content of α-keratosis (64.4%). In the fine wool of Ascanian ewes and Prekos ewes, the content of β-keratosis is 12.9 and 11.5%, respectively, and the highest content of it (15.1%) is contained in the guard fibers of the Carpathian Mountain ewes. However, in the down fibers of these ewes and the Prekos breed ewes, there is the highest content of γ-keratosis ― 28.4 and 28.7%, the total sulfur and cystine (2.9 and 2.9 and 11.2 and 11.5%), respectively. Besides that, the guard fibers contain the lowest content of both γ-keratosis (58.2%) and sulfur and cystine (2.7 and 9.0%), respectively. It has been established that different categories of fibers contain different amounts of total lipids. The smallest amounts of free lipids are found in the thin down of the Carpathian Mountain ewes (0.75%), the thin wool of the Prekos ewes (0.71%) and Ascanian ewes (0.83%), and the largest number of them is found in the semi-coarse guard fibers of the Carpathian Mountain sheep (1.39%). For bound lipids, a diametrically opposite difference was established: the largest amount of lipids was found in the thin down (1.85%), and the smallest amount — in the semi-coarse guard fibers (1.47%). In the guard fibers, the biggest amount of free lipids is accounted for the fraction of non-esterified cholesterol (64.9% versus 56.5% in the down, 57.7 in the wool of Ascanian ewes and 63.3% in the Prekos ewes), and the least of all they contain the fraction of non-esterified fatty acids (9.6%), and another sterol fraction (9.2%). The fibers of the Prekos breed sheep are noted with the lowest content of esterified cholesterol (8.9%) and the highest content of non-esterified fatty acids. But the fraction of polar lipids consists of almost 50% of ceramides and sulfolipids (more than 20%). At the same time, ceramides account for no more than 40% in the fraction of bound lipids. Physical indicators of wool to some extent reflect the peculiarities of its structure and chemical composition. Thus, the guard fibers have the highest strength (9.1 cN/tex) and fineness (48.8 μm), which is natural, because the guard has the highest content of β-keratose, i.e. cuticle, and the highest amount of lipids. Instead, the thinnest fibers are down fibers (16.9 μm) and they are the weakest (7.0 cN/tex) and these fibers contain the least β-keratose. Thus, there is a direct relationship between the content of the free lipid fraction and the fiber diameter (r = 0.996; 0.887; 0746 for down, fine and semi-coarse, respectively), and between the content of bound lipids — inverse (r = –0.993;–0.995; –0.694).
{"title":"The relationship between structural lipids of sheep wool with its individual macrostructural components, chemical composition and physical indicators","authors":"P. V. Stapai, N. Stakhiv, V. Tkachuk, O. Smolianinova","doi":"10.15407/ANIMBIOL23.01.038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/ANIMBIOL23.01.038","url":null,"abstract":"The data on the peculiarities of the structural organization, chemical composition and physical parameters of sheep wool of different breeds depending on the type of their hair are presented. It has been found that the down fibers of ewes of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountain breed possess the lowest content of β-keratosis (10.2%) and the highest content of α-keratosis (64.4%). In the fine wool of Ascanian ewes and Prekos ewes, the content of β-keratosis is 12.9 and 11.5%, respectively, and the highest content of it (15.1%) is contained in the guard fibers of the Carpathian Mountain ewes. However, in the down fibers of these ewes and the Prekos breed ewes, there is the highest content of γ-keratosis ― 28.4 and 28.7%, the total sulfur and cystine (2.9 and 2.9 and 11.2 and 11.5%), respectively. Besides that, the guard fibers contain the lowest content of both γ-keratosis (58.2%) and sulfur and cystine (2.7 and 9.0%), respectively. It has been established that different categories of fibers contain different amounts of total lipids. The smallest amounts of free lipids are found in the thin down of the Carpathian Mountain ewes (0.75%), the thin wool of the Prekos ewes (0.71%) and Ascanian ewes (0.83%), and the largest number of them is found in the semi-coarse guard fibers of the Carpathian Mountain sheep (1.39%). For bound lipids, a diametrically opposite difference was established: the largest amount of lipids was found in the thin down (1.85%), and the smallest amount — in the semi-coarse guard fibers (1.47%). In the guard fibers, the biggest amount of free lipids is accounted for the fraction of non-esterified cholesterol (64.9% versus 56.5% in the down, 57.7 in the wool of Ascanian ewes and 63.3% in the Prekos ewes), and the least of all they contain the fraction of non-esterified fatty acids (9.6%), and another sterol fraction (9.2%). The fibers of the Prekos breed sheep are noted with the lowest content of esterified cholesterol (8.9%) and the highest content of non-esterified fatty acids. But the fraction of polar lipids consists of almost 50% of ceramides and sulfolipids (more than 20%). At the same time, ceramides account for no more than 40% in the fraction of bound lipids. Physical indicators of wool to some extent reflect the peculiarities of its structure and chemical composition. Thus, the guard fibers have the highest strength (9.1 cN/tex) and fineness (48.8 μm), which is natural, because the guard has the highest content of β-keratose, i.e. cuticle, and the highest amount of lipids. Instead, the thinnest fibers are down fibers (16.9 μm) and they are the weakest (7.0 cN/tex) and these fibers contain the least β-keratose. Thus, there is a direct relationship between the content of the free lipid fraction and the fiber diameter (r = 0.996; 0.887; 0746 for down, fine and semi-coarse, respectively), and between the content of bound lipids — inverse (r = –0.993;–0.995; –0.694).","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":"23 1","pages":"38-43"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47442078","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 : 2021-04-01DOI: 10.15407/ANIMBIOL23.01.007
Y. Duda, Dnipro State Agrarian
The composition of blood proteins depends on the functional state of animals, as well as on various pathologies. The goal of the work was to establish the effect of cysticercosis invasion on the protein metabolism and cellular immunity of rabbits. Rabbits were divided into two groups after visual identification of the larval cysts presence: healthy (control) and diseased (experimental). Biochemical blood tests were performed using reagent sets produced by “Filisit-Diagnostika” (Ukraine). Spontaneous cysticercosis invasion of male rabbits caused changes in protein metabolism. The content of total protein in infected animals was higher by 8.79% (P<0.05) than in control. The increase in the total protein content was due to the globulin fraction, which was 1.50 times (P<0.05) higher in affected animals than in healthy rabbits. This rise occurred as a result of a high content of γ-globulins, both in absolute value by 1.69 times (P<0.05), and in percentage by 1.51 times (P<0.05). The albumins, which are completely synthesized by liver, were lower by 10.08% (P<0.05) in rabbits with cysticercosis. The protein coefficient of experimental animals was lower by 43.89% (P<0.05) compared with the control. The concentration of uric acid in diseased rabbits was lower by 34.09% (P<0.05) than in healthy ones. We have observed a high number of T-, B-lymphocytes and T-helper cells, especially the last two indicators, which increased respectively 1.54 times (P<0.01) and 1.36 times (P<0.05) against the background of a low number of T-suppressors and O-lymphocytes — almost 5 times (P<0.001) in affected animals than in healthy rabbits. In our opinion, such changes in the proteinogram and cellular immunity indicate the intensification of immune reactions in the body of rabbits infected with the Cysticercus pisiformis as a result of inflammatory processes that occur in the liver under the action of a mechanical, toxic effect of the helminths.
{"title":"The effect of cysticercosis invasion on the protein metabolism and cellular immunity of rabbits","authors":"Y. Duda, Dnipro State Agrarian","doi":"10.15407/ANIMBIOL23.01.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15407/ANIMBIOL23.01.007","url":null,"abstract":"The composition of blood proteins depends on the functional state of animals, as well as on various pathologies. The goal of the work was to establish the effect of cysticercosis invasion on the protein metabolism and cellular immunity of rabbits. Rabbits were divided into two groups after visual identification of the larval cysts presence: healthy (control) and diseased (experimental). Biochemical blood tests were performed using reagent sets produced by “Filisit-Diagnostika” (Ukraine). Spontaneous cysticercosis invasion of male rabbits caused changes in protein metabolism. The content of total protein in infected animals was higher by 8.79% (P<0.05) than in control. The increase in the total protein content was due to the globulin fraction, which was 1.50 times (P<0.05) higher in affected animals than in healthy rabbits. This rise occurred as a result of a high content of γ-globulins, both in absolute value by 1.69 times (P<0.05), and in percentage by 1.51 times (P<0.05). The albumins, which are completely synthesized by liver, were lower by 10.08% (P<0.05) in rabbits with cysticercosis. The protein coefficient of experimental animals was lower by 43.89% (P<0.05) compared with the control. The concentration of uric acid in diseased rabbits was lower by 34.09% (P<0.05) than in healthy ones. We have observed a high number of T-, B-lymphocytes and T-helper cells, especially the last two indicators, which increased respectively 1.54 times (P<0.01) and 1.36 times (P<0.05) against the background of a low number of T-suppressors and O-lymphocytes — almost 5 times (P<0.001) in affected animals than in healthy rabbits. In our opinion, such changes in the proteinogram and cellular immunity indicate the intensification of immune reactions in the body of rabbits infected with the Cysticercus pisiformis as a result of inflammatory processes that occur in the liver under the action of a mechanical, toxic effect of the helminths.","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":"23 1","pages":"7-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45904354","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 : 2021-03-22DOI: 10.1163/15707563-BJA10052
A. Hiemstra, Liselotte Rambonnet, B. Gravendeel, M. Schilthuizen
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is massively used, resulting in a new wave of litter: protective face masks and gloves. Here we present the first case of a fish entrapped in a medical glove, encountered during a canal clean-up in Leiden, The Netherlands. We also report the first cases of birds using medical face masks as nesting material, which were also found in the Dutch canals. To place these new findings in context, we collected online reported interactions of animals with PPE litter, since the start of the pandemic. This resulted in the first overview of cases of entanglement, entrapment and ingestion of COVID-19 litter by animals and the use of it as nesting material. We signal COVID-19 litter as a new threat to animal life as the materials designed to keep us safe are actually harming animals around us. To understand the full scale of this problem, we welcome anyone to contribute to our overview by submitting their observations online at www.covidlitter.com. To further prevent PPE litter, it is recommended that, when possible, reusable alternatives are used.
{"title":"The effects of COVID-19 litter on animal life","authors":"A. Hiemstra, Liselotte Rambonnet, B. Gravendeel, M. Schilthuizen","doi":"10.1163/15707563-BJA10052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15707563-BJA10052","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000During the COVID-19 pandemic, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is massively used, resulting in a new wave of litter: protective face masks and gloves. Here we present the first case of a fish entrapped in a medical glove, encountered during a canal clean-up in Leiden, The Netherlands. We also report the first cases of birds using medical face masks as nesting material, which were also found in the Dutch canals. To place these new findings in context, we collected online reported interactions of animals with PPE litter, since the start of the pandemic. This resulted in the first overview of cases of entanglement, entrapment and ingestion of COVID-19 litter by animals and the use of it as nesting material. We signal COVID-19 litter as a new threat to animal life as the materials designed to keep us safe are actually harming animals around us. To understand the full scale of this problem, we welcome anyone to contribute to our overview by submitting their observations online at www.covidlitter.com. To further prevent PPE litter, it is recommended that, when possible, reusable alternatives are used.","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43937029","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 : 2021-03-18DOI: 10.1163/15707563-BJA10037
S. Penny, Rachel L. White, D. Scott, Lynne M. MacTavish, A. Pernetta
Rhino species use their horns in social interactions but also when accessing resources, rubbing and in interspecific defence. The current poaching crisis has seen southern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum simum) increasingly dehorned as a conservation management practise, but few studies have evaluated whether the procedure has any behavioural effects. This study sought to document and describe horn-contingent behaviours during resource access, wallowing and rubbing in freeranging white rhinos and establish whether dehorning, also known as horn trimming, impacts on their frequency or function. Data were collected through camera trapping and field observations at two sites in South Africa. The results provide no evidence that dehorning disrupts digging behaviours during mineral consumption or wallowing and suggests that dehorning is unlikely to have a strong biological impact on resource access. Furthermore, the frequency of horn-rubbing behaviours did not appear to be influenced by levels of horn growth. This suggests the procedure has a limited impact on these aspects of the species’ ecology and provides support that dehorning can be employed as a management tool to reduce poaching in freeranging populations of white rhino.
{"title":"No evidence that horn trimming affects white rhinoceros horn use during comfort behaviour and resource access","authors":"S. Penny, Rachel L. White, D. Scott, Lynne M. MacTavish, A. Pernetta","doi":"10.1163/15707563-BJA10037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15707563-BJA10037","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Rhino species use their horns in social interactions but also when accessing resources, rubbing and in interspecific defence. The current poaching crisis has seen southern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum simum) increasingly dehorned as a conservation management practise, but few studies have evaluated whether the procedure has any behavioural effects. This study sought to document and describe horn-contingent behaviours during resource access, wallowing and rubbing in freeranging white rhinos and establish whether dehorning, also known as horn trimming, impacts on their frequency or function. Data were collected through camera trapping and field observations at two sites in South Africa. The results provide no evidence that dehorning disrupts digging behaviours during mineral consumption or wallowing and suggests that dehorning is unlikely to have a strong biological impact on resource access. Furthermore, the frequency of horn-rubbing behaviours did not appear to be influenced by levels of horn growth. This suggests the procedure has a limited impact on these aspects of the species’ ecology and provides support that dehorning can be employed as a management tool to reduce poaching in freeranging populations of white rhino.","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43201656","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 : 2021-03-09DOI: 10.1163/15707563-BJA10015
Shashwat Singh, G. Mishra, Omkar
The mating status of organisms plays a crucial role in deciphering mating decision and reproductive success of any organisms. Odour or pheromones are known to be perceived by animals through olfaction to locate mates at a distance. In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the effect of the presence of unmated and mated conspecific adults on mating and reproductive parameters of the ladybird beetle, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius, 1781). To conduct this experiment, an arena was made with the help of two Petri dishes and in such a manner that the experimental adults were only able to perceive the presence of conspecific adults of different mating status in their close vicinity. The results of the study demonstrated an early onset of mating in the presence of males compared to females. Another male in the vicinity poses competition that may force the males to establish genital contact faster. In the absence of any potential rival, copulation duration was highest. Females laid more eggs in the presence of mated females. This may be to increase offspring fitness in the presence of potential competitors for the already mated female. Females laid fewer eggs in the presence of unmated females. Unmated females nearby can be another choice for a male and thus, the male possibly limits the size of the ejaculate containing oviposition stimulants. The current study advocates that mating and reproductive behaviour are modulated according to the perceived surroundings in the form of conspecific adults of different mating status.
{"title":"Mating status of coexisting conspecific individuals modulate reproduction in a ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus","authors":"Shashwat Singh, G. Mishra, Omkar","doi":"10.1163/15707563-BJA10015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15707563-BJA10015","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The mating status of organisms plays a crucial role in deciphering mating decision and reproductive success of any organisms. Odour or pheromones are known to be perceived by animals through olfaction to locate mates at a distance. In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the effect of the presence of unmated and mated conspecific adults on mating and reproductive parameters of the ladybird beetle, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius, 1781). To conduct this experiment, an arena was made with the help of two Petri dishes and in such a manner that the experimental adults were only able to perceive the presence of conspecific adults of different mating status in their close vicinity. The results of the study demonstrated an early onset of mating in the presence of males compared to females. Another male in the vicinity poses competition that may force the males to establish genital contact faster. In the absence of any potential rival, copulation duration was highest. Females laid more eggs in the presence of mated females. This may be to increase offspring fitness in the presence of potential competitors for the already mated female. Females laid fewer eggs in the presence of unmated females. Unmated females nearby can be another choice for a male and thus, the male possibly limits the size of the ejaculate containing oviposition stimulants. The current study advocates that mating and reproductive behaviour are modulated according to the perceived surroundings in the form of conspecific adults of different mating status.","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":"71 1","pages":"197-214"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48709832","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 : 2021-02-09DOI: 10.1163/15707563-BJA10051
D. Pincheira‐Donoso
Radiations of ectothermic vertebrates across cold climates depend on the coordinated evolution of multiple traits that compensate for the constraints imposed by limited and fluctuating resources, such as temperature, food and oxygen. One of nature’s most prolific such radiations, Liolaemus lizards, has diversified across the extreme cold climates of the Andes and Patagonia. Remarkably, the prevailing patterns of reptile herbivory are opposed by Liolaemus which, in contrast with lizards generally, have repeatedly evolved plant consumption across small-bodied species from cold climates. Herbivory is hypothesized to depend on the evolution of multiple traits that maximize absorption of nutrients from an intrinsically poor-quality diet, such as increases in gastrointestinal tract size and increases in the density of nematodes in the intestine that may assist with plant digestion. Here, a comparative phylogenetic approach across Liolaemus species is implemented to test these hypotheses, which have only been investigated nonphylogenetically. Results reveal that intestine length increases consistently with increasing herbivory, whereas stomach size or nematode load are not associated with plant consumption. Body size plays no role in herbivory either. Consequently, this evidence places emphasis on the enlargement of the intestine to facilitate the evolution of herbivory in cold climates.
{"title":"Correlated evolution between herbivory and gastrointestinal tract in a prolific lizard adaptive radiation","authors":"D. Pincheira‐Donoso","doi":"10.1163/15707563-BJA10051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15707563-BJA10051","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Radiations of ectothermic vertebrates across cold climates depend on the coordinated evolution of multiple traits that compensate for the constraints imposed by limited and fluctuating resources, such as temperature, food and oxygen. One of nature’s most prolific such radiations, Liolaemus lizards, has diversified across the extreme cold climates of the Andes and Patagonia. Remarkably, the prevailing patterns of reptile herbivory are opposed by Liolaemus which, in contrast with lizards generally, have repeatedly evolved plant consumption across small-bodied species from cold climates. Herbivory is hypothesized to depend on the evolution of multiple traits that maximize absorption of nutrients from an intrinsically poor-quality diet, such as increases in gastrointestinal tract size and increases in the density of nematodes in the intestine that may assist with plant digestion. Here, a comparative phylogenetic approach across Liolaemus species is implemented to test these hypotheses, which have only been investigated nonphylogenetically. Results reveal that intestine length increases consistently with increasing herbivory, whereas stomach size or nematode load are not associated with plant consumption. Body size plays no role in herbivory either. Consequently, this evidence places emphasis on the enlargement of the intestine to facilitate the evolution of herbivory in cold climates.","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46892858","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}
Exploring the mechanisms that affect mating pattern with respect to body size has implications for understanding the evolution of sexual selection. Theory predicts that the absence of a relationship between female body size and fecundity, unbiased operational sex ratio, and a short breeding season will lead to random mating by body size in anuran amphibians. We tested these predictions in the Himalayan toad Duttaphrynus himalayanus inhabiting southeastern Tibet. Our study did not detect any correlation between female body size and number of eggs laid, nor was there a significant difference in the sex ratio of toads captured from the breeding site. In addition, the toads were reproductive for only a short period, from late April to early May (typical of an explosively breeding species). As expected, we detected a weak but not significant relationship between body size of amplexing males and females. Our results revealed no apparent size-assortative pairing in the study population of the Himalayan toad and may contribute to an increasing body of literature on mating patterns in relation to body size in animals with indeterminate growth.
{"title":"Proximate mechanisms responsible for random mating by size in the Himalayan toad Duttaphrynus himalayanus","authors":"Lixia Zhang, Yongsun Sheng, Xiangyu Yuan, Fei Yu, Xueting Zhong, J. Liao, Zhenhao Liu, Wei Chen","doi":"10.1163/15707563-bja10035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15707563-bja10035","url":null,"abstract":"Exploring the mechanisms that affect mating pattern with respect to body size has implications for understanding the evolution of sexual selection. Theory predicts that the absence of a relationship between female body size and fecundity, unbiased operational sex ratio, and a short breeding season will lead to random mating by body size in anuran amphibians. We tested these predictions in the Himalayan toad Duttaphrynus himalayanus inhabiting southeastern Tibet. Our study did not detect any correlation between female body size and number of eggs laid, nor was there a significant difference in the sex ratio of toads captured from the breeding site. In addition, the toads were reproductive for only a short period, from late April to early May (typical of an explosively breeding species). As expected, we detected a weak but not significant relationship between body size of amplexing males and females. Our results revealed no apparent size-assortative pairing in the study population of the Himalayan toad and may contribute to an increasing body of literature on mating patterns in relation to body size in animals with indeterminate growth.","PeriodicalId":7876,"journal":{"name":"Animal Biology","volume":"1 1","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2020-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1163/15707563-bja10035","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47842481","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}
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