The diet and feeding behavior of the silver leaf monkey (Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus) in Indonesia

I describe the diet and feeding behavior of silver leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus) in the Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia, and compare a group living in old secondary rain forest with a group living in mixed plantation/secondary forest to determine intraspecific variation in feeding behavior and the importance of the plantation species in the diet of the monkeys. Young leaves and leaf buds made up slightly less than half of their diets, with both groups showing a preference for a few species when seasonally available. Fruits and flowers of a few species were also preferentially selected when available. These included sweet, fleshy fruits, which most other colobines tend to avoid. Young leaf intake was greatest in months when fruit intake was low. Mature leaves were rarely eaten. Both groups spent approximately 20% of feeding time foraging on Moraceae species. Differences in the diet of the two groups were related largely to differences in vegetational composition and the availability and abundance of food items for the species common to both sites. Teak (Tectona grandis) was the top food species of the group living in mixed plantation/secondary forest, with the midribs of young leaves preferentially selected. Young leaves ofT. grandis, available throughout the study, provided a staple food and were eaten when preferred foods were scarce. More favored food items were available to the group living in old secondary forest, though none was a staple food.     

Food selection by the silver leaf monkey,Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus,in relation to plant chemistry

Summary Samples of leaves and fruits exploited as food items byTrachypithecus auratus sondaicus were analysed for nitrogen content, acid detergent fibre (ADF), pepsin cellulase digestibility (CDIG), condensed tannins (CT), total phenolics (TP) and protein precipitation capacity (PP) and compared with fruits and leaves not eaten. Differences in chemical measures for items eaten and not eaten were not statistically significant but trends indicate that leaves may have been selected for their lower fibre content and greater digestibility. Fruits eaten also had a higher mean level of CDIG and lower mean level of ADF than fruits not eaten but these measures are not considered to be of major importance in fruit selection as CDIG was lower and ADF higher in fruits eaten than in leaves eaten. Levels of CT, TP and PP capacity were higher in fruits eaten than in fruits not eaten but lower in leaves eaten than in leaves not eaten. The role of tannins and phenolics in food selection is discussed. Leaves (and fruits) were not strongly selected on the basis of protein content. Approximately half the dietary intake ofT. auratus sondaicus was leaves, a protein-rich food source. Possibly, protein levels in foliage at Pangandaran were sufficient that selection for this nutrient was not required. A nutrient other than protein (for example, soluble carbohydrates) may have been maximised through food selection. The protein/ADF ratio may provide an indicator of the acceptability of foliage in a habitat as potential food for a colobine. However, this ratio did not govern food selection byT. auratus sondaicus at Pangandaran.     

Assessing Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Variation Within Steinernema (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae)

DNA sequence analysis was used to characterize the nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS1 region and a portion of the COII and 16S rDNA genes of the mitochondrial genome from Steinernema entomopathogenic nematodes. Nuclear ITS1 nucleotide divergence among seven Steinernema spp. ranged from 6 to 22%, and mtDNA divergence among five species ranged from 12 to 20%. No intraspecific variation was observed among three S. feltiae strains. Phylogenetic analysis of both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences confirms the existing morphological relationships of several Steinernema species. Both the rDNA ITS1 and mtDNA sequences were useful for resolving relationships among Steinernema taxa.     

High aquatic niche overlap in the newts Triturus cristatus and T. marmoratus (Amphibia,Urodela)

We studied spatial niche metrics of large-bodied newts (Triturus cristatus and T. marmoratus) in three breeding ponds in western France. Adults and larvae were sampled with underwater funnel traps. Larvae were identified to the species with diagnostic microsatellite DNA markers. The distribution of adult T. cristatus and T. marmoratus across pond regions differed in one out of six cases, no differences were observed between larvae (two ponds studied). Niche overlap and niche breadth indices across resource states defined as pond regions or individual traps were high (Schoener's C: pond regions 0.60–0.98, traps 0.35–0.71; Levins' B: pond regions 0.71–0.98, traps 0.35–0.76). Adults of large-bodied newts significantly differed in resource use from small-bodied newts (T. helveticus). The results are discussed in view of the occurrence of interspecific breeding attempts, and the unpredictable ecological characteristics of newt breeding ponds.     

鲫鱼遗传多样性的初步研究

用１７种限制性内切酶对鲫属普通鲫鱼低背型,高背型,异育银鲫,日本白鲫及华南鲤的变种红鲤共１２４个个体的线粒体ＤＮＡ进行了ＲＦＬＰ分析,１４种酶具多态,共计４３种限制性态型,１１种单倍型。     

The juxtaglomerular apparatus in the mesonephros of Newt (Triturus cristatus)

Summary 1)As in mammals, the juxtaglomerular apparatus of the Newt (Triturus cristatus) is composed by cells of the media of the afferent glomerular arteriole and by cells of the intermediary tubule. 2) The cells of the media of the glomerular arteriole are of two different types: granular and agranular cells. 3) The intermediary tubule is formed by dark and light cells. 4) Part of interrenal body is located close to glomerular arteriole and intermediary tubule.This work was supported by grant of Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche of Italy (C.N.R.) N. 115/815/04677.     

Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses reveal population differentiation in Brazilian Creole sheep

Using ND5 sequences from mtDNA and 10 nuclear markers, we investigated the genetic differentiation of two South American Creole sheep phenotypes that historically have been bred in different biomes in southern Brazil. In total, 18 unique mtDNA haplotypes were detected, none of which was shared between the two phenotypes. Bayesian analysis also indicated two different groups (k = 2). Thus, these varieties are supported as being genotypically distinct. This situation could have resulted either from geographical isolation, associated with differences in the cultural habits of sheep farmers and in the way that flocks were managed, or more likely, from the introduction of different stocks four centuries ago.     

Mitochondrial DNA of the blowflyPhormia regina: restriction analysis and gene localization

A study of an invertebrate mitochondrial genome, that of the blowflyPhormia regina, has been initiated to compare its structural and functional relatedness to other metazoan mitochondrial genomes. A restriction map of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) isolated from sucrose gradient-purified mitochondria has been established using a combination of single and double restriction endonuclease digestions and hybridizations with isolated mtDNA fragments, revealing a genome size of 17.5 kilobases (kb). A number of mitochondrial genes including those encoding the 12 S and 16 S ribosomal RNA, the cytochromec oxidase I subunit (COI) and an unidentified open reading frame (URF2) have been located on thePhormia mtDNA by Southern blot analysis using as probes both isolated mtDNA fragments and oligonucleotides derived from the sequences of previously characterized genes from rat andDrosophila yakuba mtDNAs. These data indicate that for those regions examined, the mitochondrial genome organization of blowfly mtDNA is the same as that ofDrosophila yakuba, the order being COI-URF2-12 S-16 S. These data also report the presence of an A + T-rich region, located as a 2.5-kb region between the URF2 and the 12 S rRNA genes, and its amplification by the polymerase chain reaction is described.     

Diversity of Boll Weevil Populations in South America: A Phylogeographic Approach

A phylogeographic approach was conducted to assess the geographic structure and genetic variation in populations of the boll weevil Anthonomus grandis, which is the most harmful insect pest of cotton in the Americas. COI and COII mitochondrial gene sequences were analyzed to test a former hypothesis on the origin of the boll weevil in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, using samples from Mexico and USA as putative source populations. The analysis of variability suggests that populations from South American cotton fields and nearby disturbed areas form a phylogroup with a central haplotype herein called A, which is the most common and widespread in USA and South America. The population from Texas has the A haplotype as the most frequent and gathers in the same group as the South American populations associated with cotton. The sample from Tecomán (México) shows high values of within-nucleotide divergence, shares no haplotype in common with the South American samples, and forms a phylogroup separated by several mutational steps. The sample from Iguazú National Park (Misiones Province, Argentina) has similar characteristics, with highly divergent haplotypes forming a phylogroup closer to the samples from cotton fields, than to the Mexican group. We propose that in South America there are: populations with characteristics of recent invaders, which would be remnants of “bottlenecks” that occurred after single or multiple colonization events, probably from the United States, and ancient populations associated with native forests, partially isolated by events of historical fragmentation.     

Mitochondrial DNA polymorphism and phylogenetic relationships inHevea brasiliensis

Using fourteen random mitochondrial DNA probes, we have examined restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in wild and cultivatedHevea brasiliensis. A total of 395 accessions, including 345 from various prospectings collected in Brazil, Colombia and Peru and 50 cultivated clones, were analyzed. Two other species (H. benthamiana andH. pauciflora) were also included in the study for comparison. The high level of mitochondrial polymorphism allowed us to divide all the accessions analyzed into 212 distinct genotypes. The genetic variability of cultivated clones was limited to four genotypes forming two clusters. In contrast, considerable genetic variation was found in the wild collections. In almost all cases, accessions displaying the same RFLP profile were restricted to the same geographical area (same or neighbor administrative districts). In addition, accessions whose genetic closeness was predicted by RFLP profiles were also clustered according to geographical origin. In a few cases, however, similar RFLP profiles were found for accessions originating from geographically distant districts. This discrepancy can be explained either by seed dispersion (by river) or possibly by similar genetic events occurring independently in different geographical locations. Chloroplast DNA RFLP was also analyzed in 217 accessions, representative of 126 distinct mitochondrial genotypes. Very few differences were found, indicating that the chloroplast genome is more highly conserved than the mitochondrial genome.     

A Second Look at Mitochondrial DNA Variability in European Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus): Assessing Models of Population Structure and the Black Sea Isolation Hypothesis

Genetic architectures of marine fishes are generally shallow because of the large potential for gene flow in the sea. European anchovy, however, are unusual among small pelagic fishes in showing large differences among sub-basins and in harbouring two mtDNA phylogroups (‘A’ & ‘B’), representing 1.1–1.85 million years of separation. Here the mtDNA RFLP dataset of Magoulas et al. [1996, Mol. Biol. Evol. 13: 178–190] is re-examined to assess population models accounting for this subdivided population structure and to evaluate the zoogeographical origins of the two major phylogroups. Haplotype and nucleotide diversities are highest in the Ionian Sea and lowest in the Aegean and Black seas. However, this gradient is absent when ‘A’ and ‘B’ haplotypes are examined separately. Neither the self-sustaining nor the basin population models adequately describe anchovy population behaviour. Tests for neutrality, mismatch and nested clade analyses are concordant in depicting recent expansions of both phylogroups. Unimodel mismatch distributions and haplotype coalescences dating to the last (Eemian) interglacial (‘B’) and the Weichselian pleniglacial period (‘A’) indicate separate colonizations of the Mediterranean Basin. Phylogroup ‘A’ is unlikely to have arisen through continuous long-term isolation in the Black Sea because of climate extremes from displaced subpolar weather systems during the ice ages. Ancestors of both groups appear to have colonized the Mediterranean from the Atlantic in the late Pleistocene. Hence, zoogeographic models of anchovy in the Mediterranean must also include the eastern (and possibly southern) Atlantic.     

Segregation and Recombination of a Multipartite Mitochondrial DNA in Populations of the Potato Cyst Nematode <Emphasis Type="Italic">Globodera pallida</Emphasis>

The discovery that the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida has a multipartite mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) composed, at least in part, of six small circular mtDNAs (scmtDNAs) raised a number of questions concerning the population-level processes that might act on such a complex genome. Here we report our observations on the distribution of some scmtDNAs among a sample of European and South American G. pallida populations. The occurrence of sequence variants of scmtDNA IV in population P4A from South America, and that particular sequence variants are common to the individuals within a single cyst, is described. Evidence for recombination of sequence variants of scmtDNA IV in P4A is also reported. The mosaic structure of P4A scmtDNA IV sequences was revealed using several detection methods and recombination breakpoints were independently detected by maximum likelihood and Bayesian MCMC methods. Electronic Supplementary Material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. [Reviewing Editor: Dr. Rafael Zardoya]     

Development and retention of phenotypically specialized cells in pituitary allografts in the hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)

Summary We used immunohistochemistry to identify cells present in pituitary allografts in the hamster. Hypophyses removed from neonatal hamsters or adenohypophyses removed from adult females were placed beneath renal capsules of hypophysectomized adult females. Serum PRL, LH, and GH concentrations were measured at two, five, and eight weeks after placement of allografts. Allografts were removed after eight weeks and stained for cells containing PRL, LH, FSH, GH, or ACTH. Allografts did not release LH or GH. Those of adult adenohypophyseal tissue released significantly more PRL. The morphology of allografts of neonatal hypophyseal tissue resembled that of the adult adenohypophysis in situ. Lactotrophs, corticotrophs, somatotrophs and LH-cells were observed; very few FSH-cells were present. Allografts of adult adenohypophyseal tissue contained pituitary cells, numerous cavities, often enclosing lymphoid cells, and fibrous tissue. Atypical lactotrophs were the numerically dominant cells in these allografts; all other cells were present. The LH-cells outnumbered FSH-cells. These observations suggest that: (a) development of normal adenohypophyseal morphology can occur in an ectopic position; (b) intracellular hormones are present in cells in an ectopic site; (c) development and retention of intracellular FSH is more dependent on occupation of the normal position of the adenohypophysis than is retention of intracellular LH; and (d) release of PRL occurs from atypical cells in allografts of adult adenohypophyseal tissue.     

Polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in cattle and buffaloes

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from two breeds of cattle, viz., [Hariana (Bos indicus), Holstein (Bos taurus)] and Indian water buffalo (Bubalis bubalus), was analyzed using 13 restriction endonucleases which recognized an average of about 40 six-base sites. Polymorphism among cattle was detected with six of these enzymes. The two Holstein differed at six sites, whereas the Hariana breed (Bos indicus) did not show any site polymorphism. Surprisingly, the Hariana type differed by only one site from one of the Holstein types. The total size of buffalo mtDNA was estimated to be 16.4 kb. Polymorphism within the Murrah buffalo breed was observed with respect to aBglI site. Scarcely any of the restriction fragments of buffalo mtDNA matched those of cattle mtDNA.     

Structure of the Cuticle of Metadasynemoides cristatus (Chromadorida: Ceramonematidae)

Structure of the cuticle of Metadasynemoides cristatus (Chromadorida: Ceramonematidae) is examined by light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. The nematode has more than 600 annuli, and each annulus has eight cuticular plates. Eight longitudinal ridges, beginning on the cephalic capsule, extend the whole length of the body. Where a ridge traverses an annulus, it forms a complicated articulating structure of overlapping vanes. Within the electron-dense cortical layer, from which the cuticular plates are formed, there are spaces crossed by fine fibrillae, forming what have been termed "vacuoles" by light microscopists. There is an epicuticle and a continuous lucent basal layer. There appears to be no median layer. The cuticle lining of the esophagus and that forming the circum-oral ridge is of much simpler construction.     

Mitochondrial DNA Diversity in two populations of Taiwanese macaque (Macaca cyclopis)

Current genetic composition of a population is influenced by site-specific demographic history. We compared genetic diversity in two populations of Taiwanese macaques (Macaca cyclopis) with different site characteristics. Mitochondrial DNA variation in 145 individuals from one central, continuous population (Yushan) and one peripheral, isolated population (Shoushan) was ascertained by sequencing and PCR–SSCP of the 5 end hypervariable segment of the control region amplified from hair and fecal samples. All the samples from Yushan were of the same haplotype whereas those from Shoushan fell into 13 haplotypes. The mtDNA homogeneity in Yushan may indicate a local concentration of troops status of the population or the result of population bottleneck in the recent past by severe hunting. The relatively higher genetic diversity in the Shoushan population was contributed by released or escaped captive macaques. In addition, a simple method for preserving fecal sample as a DNA source is also recommended in the study.     

Body temperature and behaviour of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) and ground squirrels (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) in a thermal gradient

Golden hamsters and thirteen-lined ground squirrels were maintained individually in a thermal gradient (14°C to 33°C) for several weeks under a 14L: 10D light-dark cycle. Animals of both species showed robust daily rhythms of body temperature and locomotor activity with acrophases consistent with the habits of the species (diurnal acrophases in the diurnal squirrels and nocturnal acrophases in the nocturnal hamsters). Hamsters showed a robust daily rhythm of temperature selection 180° out of phase with the rhythms of body temperature and locomotor activity. Squirrels did not show a daily rhythm of temperature selection. These results raise the hypothesis that a daily rhythm of temperature selection is exhibited by nocturnal but not by diurnal endotherms.     

Influence of two different diets on fluid and particle retention time Javan langur (Trachypithecus auratus auratus)

In captivity, langurs (foregut fermenting primates) often suffer from digestive disorders, and in particular display soft stools on diets with a high proportion of fruits, vegetables, and grain products. In this study, we tested whether the improvement in feces consistency expected after an omission of vegetables from a conventional diet was also accompanied by a change in the excretion pattern as measured by the mean retention time (MRT). Two adult Javan langurs were kept together and offered a conventional diet of pellets, browse, vegetables, or a diet consisting of pellets and browse only. MRT were measured with cobalt-EDTA as the fluid and chromium oxide as the particle marker before, during, and after the test diet, collecting the feces of both animals together. MRTs of fluids and particles were longer (47/49 h) on the test diet as compared to the usual diet (42/43 h). Feces consistency improved during the test period. The test period was marked by an increased fiber intake; however, on the conventional diet, dietary water intake exceeded the calculated water flux for these animals distinctively, due to the high proportion of vegetables. Therefore, it cannot be decided whether the increase of fiber level alone or also a reduction of the excessive water intake was responsible for the changes observed. Comparing the results of this study to other studies on ingesta retention in foregut fermenting primates, no correlation between the body mass of the animals and the MRTs measured is evident, which is in accordance with observations in other groups of foregut fermenters.     

Geographic Distribution of Mitochondrial DNA Variations among Grivet (Cercopithecus aethiops aethiops) Populations in Central Ethiopia

Since mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are maternally inherited without recombination, geographic distribution of mtDNA in semiterrestrial cercopithecines is considered to be influenced by female philopatry. I examined the effect of sex difference in migration patterns on geographic distribution in a habitat whose environment has changed frequently. I investigated ten groups (n = 77) of grivets (Cercopithecus aethiops aethiops) along a 600-km stretch of the Awash River, Ethiopia. I examined the mtDNA distribution among natural local populations whose nuclear variation was already shown to have a widely homogeneous distribution. RFLP analysis of whole mtDNA genome using 17 enzymes identified ten haplotypes in five clusters (haplogroups). Sequence divergence within haplogroups ranged from 0.17%–0.38%, while divergence between haplogroups ranged between 1.0%–2.5%. Haplogroups were distributed in blocks which ranged from 120–250 km along the Awash River. The haplotype distribution pattern of males indicated that they migrate between the boundaries of these blocks. Moreover, a clumped distribution pattern suggests the history of matrilineal distribution by group fission and geographic expansion.     

Mitochondrial DNA variation, effective female population size and population history of the endangered Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis

The anadromous Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis), mainly endemic to the Yangtze River in China, is an endangered fish species. The natural population has declined since the Gezhouba Dam blocked its migratory route to the spawning grounds in 1981. In the near future, the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric project, may further impact this species by altering the water flow of the Yangtze River. Little is currently known about the population genetic structure of the Chinese sturgeon. In this study, DNA sequence data were determined from the control region (D-loop) of the mitochondrial genome of adult sturgeons (n = 106) that were collected between 1995–2000. The molecular data were used to investigate genetic variation, effective female population size and population history of the Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze River. Our results indicate that the reduction in abundance did not change genetic variation of the Chinese sturgeon, and that the population underwent an expansion in the past. AMOVA analysis indicated that 98.7% of the genetic variability occurred within each year's spawning populations, the year of collection had little influence on the diversity of annual temporary samples. The relative large effective female population size (N _ef) indicates that good potential exists for the recovery of this species in the future. Strikingly, the ratio of N _ef to the census female population size (N _f) is unusually high (0.77–0.93). This may be the result of a current bottleneck in the population of the Chinese sturgeon that is likely caused by human intervention. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.