白鱀豚的肾脏

研究了4头雄性和9头雌性白鱀豚肾脏的结构和各项指标。白鱀豚肾脏是由许多小肾组成。肾脏和小肾的各项指标随着个体体长的增加而增加。与其他3种淡水豚相比,白鱀豚成体肾脏的小肾数比恒河豚多,比哑河豚少,而与拉河豚相近。白鱀豚幼体的肾脏和小肾的各项指标与恒河豚和亚河豚相近,但成体肾脏和小肾的各项指标比上述2种淡水豚大得多。并证实鲸类动物肾脏的小肾并生群在幼体即已存在,随着个体的长大,小肾化加剧,而并不是次级融合的结果。白鱀豚小肾的髓旁肌肉带的排列并无规律,它并不构成白豚鱀所特有的排列结构。       

挽救白鱀豚

我是1997年认识“淇淇”的。“淇淇”是只白鱀豚,现住在中国科学院水生生物所——武汉“白公馆”里。全世界有4种淡水豚,除了生活在我国长江里的白鱀豚以外,还有生活在亚马逊河的亚马逊豚,生活在恒河和红河里的恒河豚和红河豚。在这4种淡水豚里,白鱀啄是最濒危的一种。它和大熊猫一样,是属于     

白鱀豚额隆油的研究——Ⅰ.额隆油的脂肪酸组成

世界珍稀水兽白豚(Lipotes vexillifer.)是我国名贵特产之一,属齿鲸亚目(Odontoceti),淡水豚总科(Platanistoidea),白鱀豚科(Lipotidae)。白鱀豚生活在长江中、下游。借回声定位系统以探知外界情况(荆显英等,1981)。通常认为,在声发射过程中,齿鲸类饱含油分的额隆组织起着声透镜的作用。额隆的这种特殊生理机能,与其所含脂质的脂肪酸组成密切相关。1980年陆佩洪等报道了白鱀豚额隆油的酸价、碘价、皂化价、不皂化物及甘油三酯(比色法)的含量。有关白鱀豚额隆油的脂肪酸组成,迄今尚未研究。目前我们才开始进行该项工作。     

白鱀豚和江豚眼的测量

白鱀豚是我国特有的一种淡水豚,日前存在的数量已很少,因此是世界上一种珍贵而稀有的动物。同时,白鱀豚和江豚都是具有回声定位功能的动物,一般说,具有回声定位功能的动物其视觉都有不同程度的退化。为了了解白鱀豚的视觉功能,我们曾对其视神经和视网膜进行了研究。而眼的一些光学参数对视觉灵敏度的影响也是很大的。因此,本实验对白鱀豚     

声驱网捕白鱀豚

为确保白鱀豚物种的繁衍,加快我国豚类生物学的研究步伐,为饲养在我所长达六年之久的“淇淇”寻找配偶,急需活捕白鱀豚。但是过去渔民偶然捕得的白鱀豚皆因钩伤严重,难以存活。1979年湖北省石首县渔民曾采用封堵江湾汊口的办法捕白鱀豚,由于不熟悉白鱀豚的生态习性,也未成功。       

白鱀豚某些血液生化指标的测定

关于海豚和几种淡水豚类的血液学和血液生化指标国外有过研究4-13。白鱀豚(Lipotes vexillifer)血液有形成份已有过报道2,3。本实验对白鱀豚血液生化指标进行了研究,以期建立白鱀豚血液正常生理生化指标,为白鱀豚的临床诊断,健康监测和保健措施提供血液学参数,并且为完善淡水豚类血液学比较研究提供基础资料。       

捕捞作业的误伤

<正>据不完全统计,由于捕捞作业误伤死亡的白鱀豚几乎达到死亡总数的一半。捕捞作业对白鱀豚的误伤事件时有发生。渔民的捕鱼区鱼类资源相对比较集中,也是白鱀豚捕食的最好去处。长江里渔民最常用的一种方法是滚钩,白鱀豚追吃滚钩上的鱼时极易被滚钩缠绕窒息而死。1990年3月,在长江下游靖江段罗家桥发现的一头死亡雌性成年豚的身     

白鱀豚饲养池水质状况的研究

白鱀豚是我国特有的稀珍水生哺乳动物。仅分布于长江的中、下游干流之中。关于如何饲养白鱀豚没有可借鉴的资料。在没有水净化装置和流水系统的条件下,为了既能节省人力和财力,又能保证豚体的健康,我们对白鱀豚饲养池的理化和微生物因子进行了系统、全面的测定和研究。       

白鱀豚研究的概况

白鱀豚的记载最早见于西汉时(约公元前200年)的辞书《尔雅》:“鱀,是”。晋代的郭璞(公元276-324年)对其形态及习性作了记述。这表明古代人们对白鱀豚的形貌已有一定的认识。1958年,白鱀豚开始受到我国动物学界的注意。目前这种水生哺乳动物的数量迅速减少,已成为接近灭绝的物种。 1.分布和分类位置白鱀豚是中国的特有种。美国的米勒(Miller)在1918年描记白鱀豚时,认为它分布在洞庭湖及其附近的长江中。至1958年,周开亚等首次证实白鱀豚不仅生活在     

白暨豚肾上腺的研究

白鱀豚肾上腺重与体重的平均比值为0.25克/公斤,皮质体积与髓质体积的比值为6.59。白鱀豚肾上腺的组织结构与其它海豚相似,它有比较发达的球状带。讨论了白鱀豚肾上腺形态变化在年龄生长、授乳等生理过程和在自然环境、豢养环境生态适应上的意义。并报道了一例罕见的白鱀豚肾上腺先天性表皮样囊肿。       

Evolution of river dolphins

The world's river dolphins (Inia, Pontoporia, Lipotes and Platanista) are among the least known and most endangered of all cetaceans. The four extant genera inhabit geographically disjunct river systems and exhibit highly modified morphologies, leading many cetologists to regard river dolphins as an unnatural group. Numerous arrangements have been proposed for their phylogenetic relationships to one another and to other odontocete cetaceans. These alternative views strongly affect the biogeographical and evolutionary implications raised by the important, although limited, fossil record of river dolphins. We present a hypothesis of river dolphin relationships based on phylogenetic analysis of three mitochondrial genes for 29 cetacean species, concluding that the four genera represent three separate, ancient branches in odontocete evolution. Our molecular phylogeny corresponds well with the first fossil appearances of the primary lineages of modern odontocetes. Integrating relevant events in Tertiary palaeoceanography, we develop a scenario for river dolphin evolution during the globally high sea levels of the Middle Miocene. We suggest that ancestors of the four extant river dolphin lineages colonized the shallow epicontintental seas that inundated the Amazon, Paraná, Yangtze and Indo-Gangetic river basins, subsequently remaining in these extensive waterways during their transition to freshwater with the Late Neogene trend of sea-level lowering.     

First report of major histocompatibility complex class II loci from the Amazon pink river dolphin (genus Inia)

We report the first major histocompatibility complex (MHC) DQB1 sequences for the two species of pink river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis and Inia boliviensis) inhabiting the Amazon and Orinoco River basins. These sequences were found to be polymorphic within the Inia genus and showed shared homology with cetacean DQB-1 sequences, especially, those of the Monodontidae and Phocoenidae. On the other hand, these sequences were shown to be divergent from those described for other riverine dolphin species, such as Lipotes vexillifer, the Chinese river dolphin. Two main conclusions can be drawn from our results: 1) the Mhc DQB1 sequences seem to evolve more rapidly than other nuclear sequences in cetaceans, and 2) differential positive selective pressures acting on these genes cause concomitant divergent evolutionary histories that derive phylogenetic reconstructions that could be inconsistent with widely accepted intertaxa evolutionary relationships elucidated with other molecular markers subjected to a neutral dynamics.     

DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF THE AMAZON RIVER DOLPHIN (INIA GEOFFRENSIS) AND THE TUCUXI (SOTALIA FLUVIATILIS) IN THE UPPER AMAZON RIVER

A boat survey was conducted from 5 to 26 June 1993 to estimate the abundance of the Amazon river dolphin ( Inia geoffrensis ) and the tucuxi ( Sotalia fluviatilis ) along ca . 120 km of the Amazon River bordering Colombia, Peru, and Brazil. Two survey methods were used: line transects during 5 d and strip transects during 15 d. The line transects were used to estimate the abundance of both species in the main channels of the Amazon at distances greater than 200 m from river banks and islands, and strip transects were used to estimate abundance in the remainder of the habitat. A total of 29 sightings was obtained using line transects, including 8 of Inia , 15 of Sotalia , and 6 with both species present. The total number of sightings made while using strip transects was 143, including 78 of Inia , 51 of Sotalia , and 14 with both species present. The distributions of sightings with respect to distance from the nearest bank were not significantly different between the two species. Based on the results from the two methods, we estimate that there are 346 (CV = 0.12) Inia and 409 (CV = 0.13) Sotalia in the study area. Overall, the mean group size for Inia was 2.9 individuals and for Sotalia was 3.9 individuals. Inia density (dolphin/km²) was highest in tributaries (4.8), followed by areas around islands (2.7) and along main banks (2.0); while Sotalia density was highest in lakes (8.6), followed by areas along main banks (2.8) and around islands (2.0). These are among the highest densities measured to date for any cetacean.     

MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS OF RIVER DOLPHINS INFERRED FROM COMPLETE MITOCHONDRIAL CYTOCHROME-B GENE SEQUENCES

1,140 bp of the complete mitochondrial cytochrome- b gene sequences of baiji ( Lipotes vexillifer ), franciscana ( Pontoporia blainvillei ), and Ganges river dolphin ( Platanista gangetica gangetica ) were determined to address the systematic position and phylogeny of extant river dolphins with combination of homologous sequences of other cetaceans. The neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), and maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analyses all identified the river dolphins into three lineages, i. e., Platanista, Lipotes , and Inia + Pontoporia . The Lipotes did not have sister relationship with either Platanista or Inia + Pontoporia , which strongly supported the referral of Lipotes to a separate family, i. e. , Lipotidae. There were very high sequence divergences between all river dolphin genera, suggesting a relatively longer period of separation time than those among other odontocete families.     

Isolation and characterization of twelve polymorphic microsatellite markers in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

We developed polymerase chain reaction primers for 12 dinucleotide microsatellite loci in the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. Seven markers were obtained after hybridization screening, and five following random genome sequencing. Orthologous positions were computed for nine markers on the bovine genome and for seven on the human genome. The markers are distributed across chromosomes and found in different types of DNA regions. All 12 loci are polymorphic for Tursiops. Five loci were also polymorphic in the related species Stenella frontalis and the more distantly related river dolphin, Inia geoffrensis, indicating these markers will be informative across the Delphinidae and other cetacean taxa.     

Potentially infanticidal behavior in the Amazon river dolphin (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Inia geoffrensis</Emphasis>)

Infanticide by males is a phenomenon common in species in which the reproductive output of large numbers of females can be monopolized by a small number of males. It is thought to increase a male’s fitness, at the expense of the fitness of the infant’s parents, by bringing females into season more quickly. Infanticide by males has been recorded in just three cetacean species. We report aggressive behavior suggestive of infanticide in a fourth, the Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis). We observed and photographed a series of attacks on a neonate Amazon river dolphin by a large male, with apparent protective behavior by the mother. Although infanticide was not confirmed, the forceful, aggressive behaviors were highly suggestive of infanticidal behavior and represent another important data point for comparative studies of infanticide in mammals. Amazon river dolphins may have a polygynous, polyandrous, or promiscuous mating system, the latter two of which are not the norm in species in which the reproductive output of large numbers of females are monopolized by a small number of males. However, sexual dimorphism, high rates of aggression by males, socio-sexual object-carrying displays by males, and a long interbirth interval suggest that successful male Amazon river dolphins may be able to monopolize a large proportion of mating opportunities, and it is plausible that male dolphins can improve their reproductive success by bringing females into estrous sooner by killing the offspring of other males.     

Molecular identification of evolutionarily significant units in the Amazon River dolphin Inia sp. (Cetacea: Iniidae)

The Amazon river dolphin, genus Inia, is endemic to the major river basins of northern South America. No previous studies have focused on the genetic structure of this genus. In this work, 96 DNA samples from specimens of this genus were collected in the Orinoco basin (four rivers), the Putumayo River, a tributary of the Colombian Amazon and the Mamoré, and the Tijamuchí and Ipurupuru rivers in theBolivian Amazon. These samples were used to amplify a fragment of 400 bp of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. In addition, 38 of these samples were also used to sequence 600 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The analysis of the population structure subdivision with an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed important aspects about the genetic structure of Inia groups fromthese three geographically separate regions. By comparing the control region DNA and cytochrome b sequences, distinct types of nonshared haplotypes were observed. The net genetic divergence of control region sequences was 6.53% between the Orinoco and Bolivian rivers, 5.32% between the Putumayo and Bolivian rivers, and 2.50% between the Orinoco and Putumayo rivers. For the cytochrome b gene, these values were 2.48%, 2.98%, and 0.06%, respectively. The nucleotide sequences were analyzed phylogenetically using several genetic distance matrices and applying neighbor-joining, maximum likelihood, and maximum parsimony procedures. The results support the proposal to subdivide the Inia genus into at least two evolutionarily significant units: one confined to the Bolivian river basin and the other widely distributed across the Amazon and Orinoco basins.     

白鱀豚的声训练

1982年4月—1983年4月对一头白暨豚进行了训练,目标识别实验的结果表明,白暨豚愿意满足训练员的要求,且记忆力较强。     

Population,density estimates,and conservation of river dolphins (Inia and Sotalia) in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins

This study is part of an on‐going effort to evaluate and monitor river dolphin populations in South America. It comprises the largest initiative to estimate population size and densities of Inia and Sotalia dolphins using statistically robust and standardized methods. From May 2006 to August 2007, seven visual surveys were conducted in selected large rivers of Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Population sizes of Inia and Sotalia were estimated for different habitats (main river, tributary, lake, island, confluence, and channel). A total of 291 line and 890 strip transects were conducted, covering a distance of 2,704 linear kilometers. We observed 778 Inia geoffrensis, 1,323 Inia boliviensis, and 764 Sotalia fluviatilis. High‐density areas were identified (within 200 m from the river banks, confluences, and lakes) and we propose that these constitute critical habitat for river dolphins. High densities of river dolphins seem to coincide with well‐managed freshwater protected areas and should be considered as hot spots for river dolphins in South America.     

Microsatellite loci for population and parentage analysis in the Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis de Blainville, 1817)

We developed specific primers for microsatellite DNA regions for the Amazon River dolphin or boto Inia geoffrensis, for use in population and conservation genetic studies. We also tested their transferability for two other species, Pontoporia blainvillei (sister taxon of I. geoffrensis) and Sotalia guianensis. A total of 12 microsatellite loci were polymorphic for the boto. An additional 25 microsatellite loci previously isolated from other cetacean species were also tested in the boto. The 26 polymorphic microsatellite loci indicate they will be excellent markers for studies of population structure and kinship relations of the boto.