赛加羚羊(Saiga tatarica)在我国原产地的引种驯养

从国内数次引种饲养实践及国外动物园饲养情况分析,赛加羚羊人工饲养成活率较低的主要原因为应激综合症。今后如能解决捕捉、运输、饲养等一些重要环节中存在的问题,饲养成活率将会逐渐提高。     

Paratuberculosis in saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) and experimental transmission to domestic sheep.

Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was isolated in low numbers from the small intestine and associated mesenteric lymph nodes of a saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) using routine culture techniques in spite of histologic evidence of high numbers of acid-fast bacteria in these tissues. Two newborn domestic sheep were fed the ground intestinal tissue containing acid-fast bacteria and the progression of the experimental disease was followed by fecal culture, immunodiffusion (AGID) and lymphocyte stimulation (LST) tests. One experimentally infected sheep developed progressive clinical illness 1 yr postinoculation. Few M. paratuberculosis were isolated from feces or tissues although an extensive granulomatous mycobacterial enteritis, lymphadenitis and lymphangitis were observed containing large numbers of typical acid-fast organisms. No clinical illness was observed in the second inoculated sheep after 18 mo of observation, although infection was demonstrated at necropsy. Both sheep developed AGID and LST reactions indicative of paratuberculosis. This study demonstrated that a difficult to culture isolate of M. paratuberculosis was responsible for paratuberculosis in captive wild ruminants and was transmissible to domestic sheep. Diagnosis of paratuberculosis in four of eight of the imported saiga antelope and in eleven of their 18 offspring indicates the importance of this disease in management of captive wild ruminants and the ease with which this organism can be transmitted.     

Individuality of distress and discomfort calls in neonates with bass voices: Wild‐living goitred gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa) and saiga antelopes (Saiga tatarica)

Neonate ruminants produce distress calls when captured by a predator and discomfort milk begging calls when hungry. In many neonate ruminants, the distress and discomfort calls are high‐frequency vocalizations, in which the fundamental frequency is the key variable for recognition of their emotional arousal by caregivers. In contrast, in this study, we examine the low‐frequency open‐mouth distress and discomfort calls in the neonates of two species of wild‐living ungulates, which clearly highlight vocal tract resonances (formants). In the goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), the distress calls were higher in fundamental frequency (f0) and in the first and third formants than the discomfort calls. The accuracy of classifying individuals by variables of distress calls with discriminant function analysis (67%) was significantly lower than that of discomfort calls (85%). In the saiga (Saiga tatarica), only the third formant was higher in the distress calls than in the discomfort calls. The accuracy of classifying individuals by variables of distress calls (89%) did not differ significantly from that of discomfort calls (94%). Thus, the use of acoustic cues to vocal identity and to the degree of arousal differs between the two species. Calls were significantly more individualistic in the saiga, probably because this species lives in large herds and neonates use a ‘following’ antipredatory strategy, in which vocal individuality is crucial for mother–offspring communication. In contrast, goitred gazelles live in smaller groups and neonates use a ‘hiding’ antipredatory strategy. Accordingly, mothers can rely on additional environmental cues for spotting their young and this may decrease the necessity for individualization of the calls of neonates.     

Involvement of the Saiga Liver in Carbohydrate Metabolism during Ontogeny

Histochemical investigation of the saiga liver during ontogeny was carried out. The dynamics of accumulation, consumption, and localization of glycogen as well as neutral and acid glycoproteins were studied. Maximum accumulation of glycogen and neutral glycoproteins was observed during late fetal development, while maximum consumption was specific for newborns. Acid glycoproteins proved to become involved in carbohydrate metabolism during postnatal development. Localization of glycogen and glycoproteins was described.     

Nasal and oral calls in mother and young trunk-nosed saiga antelopes,Saiga tatarica

The trunk-like nose of the saiga antelope Saiga tatarica is a striking example of an exaggerated trait, assumed to having evolved as a dust filter for inhaled air. In addition, it functions to elongate the vocal tract in harem saiga males for producing low-formant calls that serve as a cue to body size for conspecifics. This study applies the source–filter theory to the acoustics of nasal, oral and nasal-and-oral calls that were recorded from a captive herd of 24 mother and 32 neonate saigas within the first 10 days postpartum. Anatomical measurements of the nasal and oral vocal tracts of two specimens (one per age class) helped to establish the settings for the analysis of formants. In both mother and young, the lower formants of nasal calls/call parts were in agreement with the source–filter theory, which suggests lower formants for the longer nasal vocal tract than for the shorter oral vocal tract. Similar fundamental frequencies of the nasal and oral parts of nasal-and-oral calls were also in agreement with the source–filter theory, which postulates the independence of source and filter. However, the fundamental frequency was higher in oral than in nasal calls, probably due to the higher emotional arousal during the production of oral calls. We discuss production mechanisms and the ontogeny of formant patterns of oral and nasal calls among bovid and cervid species with and without a trunk-like nose.     

Ancient DNA sequences point to a large loss of mitochondrial genetic diversity in the saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) since the Pleistocene

Prior to the Holocene, the range of the saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) spanned from France to the Northwest Territories of Canada. Although its distribution subsequently contracted to the steppes of Central Asia, historical records indicate that it remained extremely abundant until the end of the Soviet Union, after which its populations were reduced by over 95%. We have analysed the mitochondrial control region sequence variation of 27 ancient and 38 modern specimens, to assay how the species’ genetic diversity has changed since the Pleistocene. Phylogenetic analyses reveal the existence of two well‐supported, and clearly distinct, clades of saiga. The first, spanning a time range from >49 500 ¹⁴C ybp to the present, comprises all the modern specimens and ancient samples from the Northern Urals, Middle Urals and Northeast Yakutia. The second clade is exclusive to the Northern Urals and includes samples dating from between 40 400 to 10 250 ¹⁴C ybp. Current genetic diversity is much lower than that present during the Pleistocene, an observation that data modelling using serial coalescent indicates cannot be explained by genetic drift in a population of constant size. Approximate Bayesian Computation analyses show the observed data is more compatible with a drastic population size reduction (c. 66–77%) following either a demographic bottleneck in the course of the Holocene or late Pleistocene, or a geographic fragmentation (followed by local extinction of one subpopulation) at the Holocene/Pleistocene transition.     

Nursing behavior in dam-reared Russian saiga (Saiga tatarica tatarica) at the San Diego wild animal park

This study was designed to examine the nursing patterns and related behavior of young saiga raised by their dams. Four captive born lambs were observed at weekly intervals during continuous 14 h watches for the first 7 weeks of life. One-week-old lambs were found to nurse at an average rate of 1.1 bouts per hour and nursed for an average of 14.6 seconds per bout. This high nursing frequency and the average total daily nursing time of 242 seconds decreased rapidly with age. Saiga lambs sampled solid food as early as 4 days of age and were nearly dependent on solid food by the age of 7 weeks. Communal nursing, in which one or more lambs would nurse from an unrelated adult female while she nursed her own, was common. Grooming of the lamb by the dam was never seen except immediately following birth. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Molecular Support for the Placement of Saiga and Procapra in Antilopinae (Artiodactyla, Bovidae)

The evolutionary history of the bovid subfamily Antilopinae is unclear. Traditionally, this subfamily is subdivided into two tribes: Neotragini (dwarf antelopes) and Antilopini (gazelles and their relatives). Here, we report new sequences for the 12S and 16S rRNA genes in the enigmatic antilopine taxa Procapra gutturosa and Saiga tatarica and analyze the phylogenetic relationships of these taxa relative to other antilopines. Our study demonstrates the close affinity of the saiga antelope to Gazella despite the conventional systematic allocation of Saiga to the Caprinae subfamily. The second member of the Saigini tribe, Pantholops hodgsoni (Tibetan gazelle), falls within Caprinae. In all of our analyses, Procapra gutturosa occupied a basal position in the Antilopinae clade or was a sister-group to the dwarf antelope Madoqua. This suggests early separation of Procapra from other antelopes.     

Tracking greenery across a latitudinal gradient in central Asia – the migration of the saiga antelope

Aim Long‐distance migrations of terrestrial animals, driven by needs such as food, water and escaping predators and harsh climatic conditions, are widely known phenomena. The saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica tatarica) migrates over long distances in the semi‐arid rangelands of Central Asia. Both the saiga’s range and its populations have been severely affected by socio‐political and land use changes over the last century, related to the formation and dissolution of the Soviet Union. We identified ecological drivers of saiga migration, compared four populations in terms of differences in the geographical characteristics of their ranges and the factors affecting habitat selection within the seasonal ranges. Location Kazakhstan and pre‐Caspian Russia. Methods Using 40 years of direct observations, we tested for differences between the four saiga populations’ ranges in terms of precipitation, seasonal productivity and topographical variables using discriminant analyses. We tested hypotheses concerning the drivers of migration to their seasonal ranges and assessed the impact of peak and average values and the predictability of drivers of habitat use within the seasonal ranges using logistic regressions. Results Three of the four populations migrate in a similar way, following a latitudinal gradient driven by seasonal changes in productivity, which is closely related to broad‐scale differences in precipitation. Intermediate productivity and its low interannual variability determine habitat selection within the seasonal ranges of all the populations. Main conclusions Migration of all four populations is driven by productivity and precipitation. The migrations in Kazakhstan are still intact despite major recent disruption to the populations, whereas their status in the pre‐Caspian region is unknown. All four populations are under severe threat from habitat loss, poaching, lack of protection and gaps in ecological knowledge. A better understanding of the drivers of saiga migration at multiple scales is a key step towards addressing these threats.     

Breeding and life history patterns of saiga antelopes (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Saiga tatarica</Emphasis>) at Cologne Zoo,Germany

The saiga (Saiga tatarica, Bovidae, Cetartiodactyla) is facing a precarious situation in the wild and unfortunately also zoos have failed so far in establishing a stable captive population. Cologne Zoo was one of the most successful zoos in holding and breeding this endangered species. We analysed life history and breeding of the Cologne animals. We highlight differences between wild and captive saigas and potential trouble spots for captive breeding. Being seasonal breeders, oestrus length usually lasted 1–2 days with an average time of 19.85 days between oestrus periods if not pregnant. Gestation lengths lasted 133–151 days with gestations of twins 4.39 days shorter on average than for one lamb. Bearing twins was not a rule for the Cologne saigas. We found correlations between litter size and the age of the female or the number of births of the female, respectively. A disparity between the theoretically possible number of offspring and the actual number born emphasises the need to safeguard continuous breeding, to prevent the loss of the few years in a female’s breeding life. The information that emerged from our study will be valuable if future captive breeding of saigas is intended.     

Political Change and Factors Limiting Numbers of Wild and Domestic Ungulates in Kazakhstan

We examine factors regulating numbers of domestic livestock and saiga antelopes during the major periods of Kazakhstan's history. In the pre-Soviet period livestock migrations were relatively unrestricted and covered huge distances. Little winter feed or veterinary care was provided for domestic livestock and numbers were regulated largely by winter snow or ice cover. Drought affected fecundity but did not cause large-scale mortality. During the Soviet period the provision of winter feed shielded domestic livestock from winter mortality while hunting controls allowed saiga numbers to recover from overhunting. Livestock and saiga numbers during this period were high and there is evidence that productivity was affected. However, there were no crashes in livestock numbers linked to high densities, probably because rainfall variability is relatively low and catastrophic droughts are rare. Today livestock numbers in Kazakhstan have crashed because of the withdrawal of state support and the use of animals as currency. The collapse of the state also meant the end of hunting controls and increased poverty, which has lead to widespread saiga poaching and dramatic population declines.     

Comportements de subsistance au Paléolithique supérieur en Crimée : analyse archéozoologique des couches 6-2, 6-1 et 5-2 de Buran-Kaya III

The rockshelter of Buran-Kaya III (Crimea), found in 1990 by A. Yanevich, presents an exceptional stratigraphic sequence ranging from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Neolithic. The cultural layers yielded abundant assemblages of lithic and bone industries, personal adornments and mobiliary art, several ones made of mammoth ivory. We present here the results of zooarchaeological analyses of the large mammal remains from layers 6-2, 6-1 and 5-2, attributed to Gravettian sensu lato, and their interpretation in terms of subsistence behaviours, by comparing the three assemblages. The faunal composition of the three layers is rather homogeneous. The site settlements seem mainly related to the acquisition and treatment activities of small and middle-sized mammals, especially saiga antelope in summer, and large-sized mammals, in winter in 6-1 and maybe also in 5-2. During Gravettian, Buran-Kaya III was repeatedly used as a butchery or short-termed camp-site, probably in summer for hunts of saiga antelope.     

Authentication of animal signatures in traditional Chinese medicine of Lingyang Qingfei Wan using routine molecular diagnostic assays

Lingyang Qingfei Wan produced by Beijing TongRenTang is a long-standing and popular medicine in China and international pharmaceutical markets. Concerns continue to be raised about the legality of usage of saiga antelope, which was defined as endangered species by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora legislation and internal legislation in China. Therefore, the alternative pill in which substitutes saiga antelope with goat in the formula of Lingyang Qingfei Wan was developed. In order to authenticate the origin of animal contents in Lingyang Qingfei Wan and its alternative pill, molecular diagnostic assay was utilized by mtDNA polymorphism analysis. Four universal primer pairs containing mtDNA 12SrRNA, 16SrRNA, cytochrome b gene and cytochrome oxidase I were employed to obtain species-specific sequences of saiga antelope and goat, and multiple species-specific primer pairs for saiga antelope and goat were used to identify the animal origin in patent pills according to nucleotide polymorphisms between the two species. In additions, alternative techniques were attempted surrounding dilemmas of low concentration of target DNAs and presence of PCR-inhibitory substances in organic ingredients within complex pill. Results revealed that all species-specific primers could be successfully used for authentication of animal origin within complex pill, and sample preprocessing was critical during experimental manipulation. Internal positive control was an efficient and cost-effective way to assist in monitoring the potential interference from inhibitory substances which existed in the highly processed pills.     

赛加羚羊头骨的三维重建研究及其精确度评价

为建立赛加羚羊（Saiga tatarica）头骨三维可视化模型,进一步研究赛加羚羊头骨的解剖特征,建立赛加羚羊头骨的“数字化标本”,以提高其疾病诊治的准确率和物种保护的有效性。本研究以国家林业局甘肃濒危动物保护中心的赛加羚羊为研究对象,经锥形束CT扫描获得影像数据,运用MIMICS 20.0软件对赛加羚羊头骨扫描数据进行处理和三维重建,以建立赛加羚羊的“数字化头骨”用于形态研究。运用MIMICS 20.0软件对数字化头骨的26项形态学指标（n = 8）进行三维测量,且与头骨标本游标卡尺的测量值（n = 8）进行配对样本t检验分析,经与真实测量值比较后评价数字化模型及其三维测量的准确性。结果显示,26项形态测量指标均与真实头骨无显著性差异（P > 0.05）,例如颅全长游标卡尺测量值为（227.147 ± 10.646）mm,三维测量值为（227.130 ± 10.638）mm,P = 0.635,表明三维重建后的数字化头骨和真实的头骨标本高度相似,且“数字标本”能够实现任意角度的旋转、剖切和测量。本研究可为赛加羚羊头部疾病如骨折等的治疗及骨骼系统的三维可视化研究提供基础依据和技术支撑,同时可为CT扫描和医学图像三维可视化技术在野生动物的临床应用和相关研究提供理论基础。     

Determination of the dietary habits of a Magdalenian woman from Saint-Germain-la-Rivière in southwestern France using stable isotopes

To obtain direct dietary information, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were measured from bone collagen acquired from the well-preserved skeleton of a Magdalenian woman from the site of Saint-Germain-la-Rivière in southwestern France. Comparison of delta13C and delta15N values of the human bone collagen to those of bone collagen from local herbivores and carnivores indicates that the woman's primary source of protein was the meat of large terrestrial herbivores. Application of a linear mixing model to the woman's isotopic signature indicates that (1) no significant marine-derived protein contributed to her average diet; (2) saiga antelope, which dominates the faunal remains at Saint-Germain-la-Rivière, was not the main source of terrestrial protein; and (3) her pattern of subsistence reflects a less opportunistic behavior than generally attributed to humans from this period. Dietary proportions of prey reflected by the number of identified specimens are revised using meat percentage estimates, which de-emphasize the importance of saiga antelope in human subsistence at Saint-Germain-la-Rivière during the middle Magdalenian.     

Monitoring population productivity in the saiga antelope

Effective conservation requires a good understanding of factors causing variation in population growth rate. We here analyse the relationship between female age and fecundity in the saiga antelope Saiga tatarica tatarica , a critically endangered ungulate of the Eurasian steppes and semideserts, at both individual and population levels. Annual variation in age structure and twinning rates was investigated using long-term datasets, sampling a total of 3308 females in four populations over more than 40 years. Further, a new non-invasive method is presented, estimating twinning rates from both calves and placentas encountered during calving aggregation transects. At an individual level, the most parsimonious model for twinning rates included three age classes (1, 2 and ≥3 years); however, the model with only two classes (1 and ≥2 years) was competitive and particularly useful for monitoring because these two age classes can reliably be determined by direct observation in the field. Among yearlings, 77.4% were fecund and 11.7% twinned, whereas among older females 94.6% were fecund and 72.6% twinned. At a population level, annual variation in age structure (proportion ≥2 years) correlated well with annual variation in twinning rate except in the north-west Pre-Caspian population. Our results suggest that the recent poaching-driven collapse in saiga numbers has potentially resulted in reductions in fecundity, which will have an impact on population growth rate. Our results highlight the potential for monitoring of twinning rate using non-invasive calving aggregation transects as a cost-effective additional tool to population counts for monitoring the status of this critically endangered species. These monitoring methods are also potentially transferable to other ungulate species.     

The 'big spenders' of the steppe: sex-specific maternal allocation and twinning in the saiga antelope

In polygynous mammals, males generally benefit more from extra allocation of maternal resources than females. However, limitations to sex-specific allocation are usually ignored. We propose the 'allocation constraint' hypothesis, whereby maternal resource allocation is more likely to follow life-history predictions in single sex litters than in mixed sex litters, due to limitations in prenatal resource targeting. Consequently, for polygynous species, males in mixed litters are likely to receive suboptimal maternal investment, which may have a negative effect on lifetime reproductive success. We test this hypothesis for the saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica), a highly polygynous species with the highest level of maternal allocation reported among ungulates. At such high reproductive output levels, the limitations on additional investment in males are likely to be particularly acute. However, we demonstrate high levels of sexual dimorphism in both late-stage foetuses and newborn calves, including within the same litter. Male twins with a brother tended to be heavier than those with a sister. This may be due to allocation constraints or differences in maternal quality. We conclude that an explicit focus on potential constraints can enhance the progress in the field of sex-specific maternal allocation in polytocous species.     

Reservoirs of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brucella</Emphasis> infection in nature

Brucellosis is a zoonosis caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, which includes nine species: B. melitensis (goats and sheep as the main reservoir hosts), B. abortus (cattle), B. suis (pigs), B. neotomae (desert woodrats), B. ovis (sheep), B. canis (dogs), B. ceti (whales), B. pinnipedialis (pinnipeds), and B. microti (Microtus voles). The epidemic and epizootic situation with brucellosis is accounted for by farm animals, which are the carriers of three main pathogens (B. melitensis, B. abortus, and B. suis). Their ubiquitous distribution is the factor determining global prevalence of the above Brucella species on all continents and in the overwhelming majority of countries. Consistent with the expansion of the pathogen ecological range are the 1990s findings of new Brucella species in marine mammals (whales and pinnipeds) and in some rodents. These bacteria proved to be also pathogenic for terrestrial mammals and humans. All Brucella-infected animals considered in the paper are tentatively divided into two groups. The first includes most of the wild and domestic animal species, birds, and ticks that acquire the infection farm animals, the main hosts of Brucella. The second group includes animals (wild reindeer, hares, bison, and probably saiga antelopes, dogs, and marine mammals) which may carry Brucella regardless of infection prevalence in the main hosts.