地下啮齿动物栖息环境及其生存策略研究

地下啮齿动物一般生活在黑暗、低氧、高二氧化碳、高湿的环境中,这种独特的栖息环境以及地下啮齿动物与之相适应的形态、行为等特征已成为生态学研究的热点之一。由于地下啮齿动物长期营地下生活,增加了对其栖息环境和生存策略的研究难度,相关的文献报道较少。为全面了解当前地下啮齿动物栖息环境方面的研究进展,本文综述了国内外有关地下啮齿动物的生存环境和生存策略方面的研究,旨在为今后探索地下啮齿动物生存环境及其对环境的适应能力、控制地下啮齿动物危害及保护草地生物多样性提供参考依据。     

甘肃鼢鼠的震动通讯

听觉通讯是兽类一种重要的通讯方式 ,尤其是鼢鼠 ,因其营地下独居生活 ,视觉退化 ,个体间通讯主要依赖听觉和嗅觉。Ｈｅｔｈ和Ｒａｄｏ分别在室内人工模拟洞道和野外自然洞道中采集到了鼹形鼠(Ｓｐａｌａｘｅｈｒｅｎｂｅｒｇｉ)用头敲击洞壁产生的震动波信号 ,首先发现地下鼠的震动通讯方式[1,2 ] 。甘肃鼢鼠 (Ｍｙｏｓｐａｌａｘｃａｎｓｕｓ)生活在与鼹形鼠相似的地下环境中 ,是否也同样存在震动通讯方式 ?为此 ,作者在室内利用人工模拟洞道对甘肃鼢鼠震动通讯进行了初步研究。1　材料与方法　　实验用甘肃鼢鼠捕自陕西省富县 ,室内单笼…     

地下啮齿动物扩散研究的现状、挑战及展望

地下啮齿动物由于其独特的栖息环境,在农田、森林和草原生态系统中占有重要的位置。地下啮齿动物繁殖、选择栖息地以及危害环境与其扩散密切相关。扩散是动物扩大分布区域,进行基因交流和促进生物进化的重要机制。研究地下啮齿动物扩散对控制危害和保护生物多样性有着重要意义。但是,地下啮齿动物栖息于地下,对研究扩散增加了难度。本文根据目前国内外已有的部分地下啮齿动物扩散研究,评述了发生扩散的原因,扩散的群体,扩散的时间以及扩散的方式等内容,并展望了新技术和新方法对研究地下啮齿动物扩散的可能性,以期为研究高原鼢鼠扩散提供理论参考和技术借鉴。     

地下啮齿动物视觉系统的形态结构与机能进化

感觉系统的适应进化机制一直是动物行为学研究的焦点。生活在特殊环境中的动物,其感觉系统在进化过程中表现出的显著差异更是引人注目。由于适应地下黑暗生活环境,地下啮齿动物感觉系统在各个组织水平都表现出进化和退化镶嵌的形态特征,其视觉系统表现得最为突出：视觉器官退化,有关图象分析结构、由视觉诱导产生行为反应的脑区及视觉投射严重退化,有关感受光周期的“非成像” 视觉通路结构高度发达。本文综述了地下啮齿动物视觉系统的结构、功能、进化与发育等方面的研究进展,旨在阐明地下啮齿动物视觉系统的特点,有助于开展地下啮齿动物视觉系统适应进化机制的研究。     

啮齿动物的嗅觉通讯研究进展

通过对近40 年来啮齿动物嗅觉通讯的研究综述, 主要介绍嗅觉信号的来源、组成及其对啮齿动物行为生理所产生的作用。啮齿动物嗅觉通讯的信号来源主要是粪便、尿液和特化皮肤腺等, 对这些化学信号的成分分析主要集中在各种信息素(Pheromone) 的结构、来源及其引起的行为反应。目前, 在对啮齿动物嗅觉通讯神经通路的研究中, 对主嗅觉系统和犁鼻器系统在动物嗅觉通讯中的作用仍将是人们研究的重点; 而通过信息素作用所产生的各种行为反应的神经内分泌机制也是动物嗅觉通讯领域研究的热点之一。研究气味信号对动物行为和生理等方面所产生的作用, 将有助于揭示啮齿动物嗅觉通讯在其社会行为中的重要作用。     

高原鼢鼠四肢骨的进化适应性分析

通过对比分析了高寒草甸生态系统的高原鼢鼠(Myospalax baileyi)、高原鼠兔(Ochotona curzoniae)及根田鼠(Microtus oeconomus)的四肢骨,结果表明,地下啮齿动物高原鼢鼠的四肢骨比地面种类高原鼠兔和根田鼠的对应骨骼粗壮,显示其较强的挖掘能力。与挖掘效率相关的尺骨挖掘动力臂系数,高原鼢鼠为0.3617,而高原鼠兔和根田鼠不到0.17。高原鼢鼠与其他两物种的四肢骨重量分布也明显不同:高原鼢鼠的前肢骨重量超过后肢骨,而高原鼠兔及根田鼠则正好相反;高原鼠兔及根田鼠的桡尺骨重量在四肢骨中最低,而高原鼢鼠的桡尺骨重量在四肢骨中则最高。这些特征反映了地下啮齿动物为了适应地下生活方式,其四肢骨骼系统已经发生了显著变化,这对于研究地下啮齿动物的进化适应性问题具有重要意义。     

《地下穴居哺乳动物通讯》介绍

由南非联邦纳塔耳大学动物系G.C.Hickman教授倡导并主持的国际上第一份关于地下兽信息的刊吻——地下穴居哺乳动物通讯(Subterranean Mammal Newsletter, SMN),第1期于1990年6月问世了。该通讯为不定期(信息充足即出版)、非正式刊物,其宗旨是使各国从事地下穴居哺乳动物研究的科学家消除远距离的隔阂,有机会相互交流信息、思想和研究成果。使一些新技术方法和新的发现及时得到沟通,互相取长补短,互相了解各研宄地区“趋同性”和“趋异性”。有关对哺乳动物某些特殊类群的组织国际上早就成立了,如蝙蝠和鲸类。而Hickman教授介寻主力的SMN可使各国对地下穴居兽感兴趣的研究者们携起手来,共同探讨这一特殊类群动物的适应机制问题。SMN可刊登短     

三种啮齿动物气体代谢的比较研究

环境温度是哺乳动物分布的一个重要的限制因子。哺乳动物能否适应各种环境又取决于动物本身的代谢和体温调节的能力。所以研究哺乳动物的代谢和体温调节,对于了解它们适应各种环境的能力是十分重要的。啮齿动物是哺乳动物中种类最多、分布最广、与人类关系也比较密切的一类恒温动物,所以采用啮齿动物作为比较研究的对象。 近年来国外对啮齿动物的代谢和体温调节的研究,报道颇多,以居住类型而言而:穴居、挖洞型啮齿动物的代谢和体温调节的研究有分布在热带、温带的种类,也有分布在山区、平原、沙漠干旱地带的种类;地上活动型啮齿动物的这方面研究有分布在平原、山区、沙漠干旱地带、沿海和中湿地区的种类。而同一地区不同居住类型的比较研究报道较少。     

动物尿液化学通讯的研究进展

动物通讯是动物个体通过不同的信息交流方式实现信息传递及共享的过程。尿液是动物化学通讯中传递和分享信息的重要信号来源,尿液化学通讯是动物种内乃至种间信息交流的重要途径之一。本文阐述了不同物种之间信息交流和相同物种不同个体之间的尿液化学通讯,对于了解动物个体尿液化学成分组成、繁殖、行为以及社会识别等具有重要的生物学意义。     

翼手目动物化学通讯研究进展

哺乳动物使用化学信息来判别周围环境状况或相互交流是普遍存在的现象,这种信息接受与交流方式与其他方式相比较具有很多的优点,与其他通讯方式的结合使用也可更大程度地提高信息接受与通讯的准确性。翼手目(Chiroptera)动物也存在着化学通讯这种信息交流的方式,化学信号在翼手目动物导航定位、探测和辨别食物资源、种内识别、母婴辨认等方面起着重要的作用。     

Seismic signal transmission between burrows of the Cape mole-rat,Georychus capensis

Summary Both seismic and auditory signals were tested for their propagation characteristics in a field study of the Cape mole-rat (Georychus capensis), a subterranean rodent in the family Bathyergidae. This solitary animal is entirely fossorial and apparently communicates with its conspecifics by alternately drumming its hind legs on the burrow floor. Signal production in this species is sexually dimorphic, and mate attraction is likely mediated primarily by seismic signalling between individuals in neighboring burrows. Measurements within, and at various distances away from, natural burrows suggest that seismic signals propagate at least an order of magnitude better than auditory signals. Moreover, using a mechanical thumper which could be triggered from a tape recording of the mole-rat's seismic signals, we established that the vertically-polarized surface wave (Rayleigh wave) propagates with less attenuation than either of the two horizontally-polarized waves. Thus, we tentatively hypothesize that Rayleigh waves subserve intraspecific communication in this species.Abbreviations PPM pulses per min - SB simulated burrow - SD standard deviation - SPL sound pressure level     

Incipient morphological specializations associated with fossorial life in the skull of ground squirrels (Sciuridae,Rodentia)

Anatomical and biological specializations have been studied extensively in fossorial rodents, especially in subterranean species, such as mole-rats or pocket-gophers. Sciurids (i.e., squirrels) are mostly known for their diverse locomotory behaviors, and encompass many arboreal species. They also include less specialized fossorial species, such as ground squirrels that are mainly scratch diggers. The skull of ground squirrels remains poorly investigated in a fossorial context, while it may reflect incipient morphological specializations associated with fossorial life, especially due to the putative use of incisors for digging in some taxa. Here, we present the results of a comparative analysis of the skull of five fossorial sciurid species, and compare those to four arboreal sciurids, one arboreal/fossorial sciurid and one specialized fossorial aplodontiid. The quantification of both cranial and mandibular shapes, using three dimensional geometric morphometrics, reveals that fossorial species clearly depart from arboreal species. Fossorial species from the Marmotini tribe, and also Xerini to a lesser extent, show widened zygomatic arches and occipital plate on the cranium, and a wide mandible with reduced condyles. These shared characteristics, which are present in the aplodontiid species, likely represent fossorial specializations rather than relaxed selection on traits related to the ancestral arboreal condition of sciurids. Such cranial and mandibular configurations combined with proodont incisors might also be related to the frequent use of incisors for digging (added to forelimbs), especially in Marmotini evolving in soft to hard soil conditions. This study provides some clues to understand the evolutionary mechanisms shaping the skull of fossorial rodents, in relation to the time spent underground and to the nature of the soil.     

Seismic Signal Use by Fossorial Mammals

The subterranean environment is not favorable for the use ofvision or the audition of airborne sounds as means of long-distancesensory perception. However, seismic vibrations have been shownto propagate at least an order of magnitude better than airbornesound between the burrow systems of the mole-rat Georychus capensis.The use of the seismic channel for communication undergroundis well documented for other species of bathyergids, as wellas the spalacine mole-rat Nannospalax. It has recently beensuggested that the golden mole Eremitalpa granti namibensismay also be sensitive to ground vibrations, in this case usedin foraging in its desert habitat. In this paper, the use of seismic signals among these and otherfossorial mammals is reviewed from theoretical, behavioral andanatomical standpoints. The question of whether auditory orsomatosensory means are used to detect vibratory signals isexamined. Attempts to explain the distribution of seismic sensitivityand communication mechanisms among fossorial mammals are considered.The potential influences of different soil type and diggingmethods are discussed, and it is proposed that digging mechanismsinvolving the head might preadapt a fossorial mammal towardsthe development of seismic sensitivity.     

The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia)

Ceratogaulus, a member of the extinct fossorial rodent clade Mylagaulidae, is the only known rodent with horns and the smallest known horned mammal. The function of the large, dorsally projecting nasal horns on this burrowing animal has been the subject of wide speculation among palaeontologists; suggested uses range from sexual combat to burrowing. Mammals have evolved adaptations for digging repeatedly; horns and other cranial appendages have also evolved numerous times. These two adaptations co-occur in mammals extremely rarely: only two fossil genera (Ceratogaulus and the xenarthran Peltephilus) and no extant mammals are both horned and fossorial. Tracing the evolution of fossoriality in aplodontoid rodents (the larger clade to which Ceratogaulus belongs) reveals that Ceratogaulus descended from ancestors who dug by head-lifting. Whereas this suggests an obvious explanation for the horns of this rodent, evidence from functional morphology, anatomy, phylogeny and geologic context indicates that the horns in Ceratogaulus were used for defence, rather than digging, and evolved to offset increased predation costs associated with spending more time foraging above ground as body size increased.     

Comparative respiratory strategies of subterranean and fossorial octodontid rodents to cope with hypoxic and hypercapnic atmospheres

Subterranean rodents construct large and complex burrows and spend most of their lives underground, while fossorial species construct simpler burrows and are more active above ground. An important constraint faced by subterranean mammals is the chronic hypoxia and hypercapnia of the burrow atmosphere. The traits, regarded as “adaptations of rodents to hypoxia and hypercapnia”, have been evaluated in only a few subterranean species. In addition, well-studied subterranean taxa are very divergent to their sister groups, making it difficult to assess the adaptive path leading to subterranean life. The closely related sister genera Octodon and Spalacopus of Neotropical rodents offer a unique opportunity to trace the evolution of physiological mechanisms. We studied the ventilatory responses of selected octodontid rodents to selective pressures imposed by the subterranean niche under the working hypothesis that life underground, in hypoxic and hypercapnic conditions, promotes convergent physiological changes. To perform this study we used the following species: Spalacopus cyanus (the subterranean coruros) and Octodon degus (the fossorial degus) from central Chile. Ventilatory tidal volume and respiratory frequency were measured in non-anaesthetized spontaneously breathing animals. Acute hypoxic challenges (O₂ 1–15%) and hypercapnia (CO₂ 10%) were induced to study respiratory strategies using non-invasive whole body pletismography techniques. Our results show that coruros have a larger ventilatory response to acute hypoxia as than degus. On the other hand, hypercapnic respiratory responses in coruros seem to be attenuated when compared to those in degus. Our results suggest that coruros and degus have different respiratory strategies to survive in the hypoxic and hypercapnic atmospheres present in their burrows.     

Evaporative water loss in seven species of fossorial rodents: Does effect of degree of fossoriality and sociality exist?

In terrestrial endotherms, evaporation is a significant mechanism of water loss in hot environments. Although water is passively lost by evaporation, individuals can regulate it at different levels. Inhabiting a relatively stable environment characterized by mild ambient temperature (T_a) and high humidity can ensure a balanced water budget. Many fossorial rodents are well adapted to live in such conditions. In this study, evaporative water loss (EWL) of fossorial rodent species with different degree of adaptations to underground life (from strictly subterranean to those with regular surface activity) was evaluated. By measuring EWL, the specific contribution of either evaporative or non-evaporative components of heat loss can be determined. With the exception of the silvery mole-rat (Heliophobius argenteocinereus), in all tested rodents EWL is relatively stable below and within the thermoneutral zone (TNZ). As T_as increase above TNZ, EWL increases as does total thermal conductance, but conductance increases several times more than EWL. In addition, non-evaporative routes seem to be more important than evaporative heat loss in the analyzed species. No clear pattern of EWL in relation to a species degree of fossoriality or sociality was detected. In this context, atmosphere of burrows could affect EWL, since the high humidity found inside tunnels can establish limits on evaporation to favor water rather than thermal balance.     

A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION IN URUGUAYAN CTENOMYS (RODENTIA,OCTODONTIDAE): BASIC SOUND TYPES

ABSTRACT

Subterranean rodents are interesting organisms for communication studies because of their fossorial way of life. Acoustic communication in the South American genus Ctenomys has not yet been studied even though this species is geographically widespread. This paper represents a preliminary survey of Ctenomys vocalizations. Three types of vocal signals were identified: S-, C- and G-signals. Using field, laboratory and literature data, we provide interpretations on the possible functions of these signals. S-signals are harsh and low-pitched putative spatial localization signals that may also encode for sexual identification. C-signals are relatively high-pitched and narrow-banded FM vocalizations that are sexual signals used by females in a copulatory context. Finally, G-signals are harsh and patternless sounds that are aggressive signals used in direct encounters with con- or hetero- specific individuals.     

Characterizing the vibratory and acoustic signals of the “purring” wolf spider,Gladicosa gulosa (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Both airborne acoustic signals and substrate-borne vibrations are prevalent modes of animal communication, particularly in arthropods. While a wide variety of animals utilize one or both of these modalities, the connection between them is still ambiguous in many species. Spiders as a group are not known for using, or even perceiving, acoustic signals, despite being well-adapted for vibratory communication. Males of the “purring” wolf spider Gladicosa gulosa are reported to produce audible signals during courtship, although the literature on this species is largely anecdotal. Using a laser Doppler vibrometer and an omnidirectional microphone in controlled conditions, we recorded and characterized the visual and mechanical (both substrate-borne and airborne) signals of this species in an attempt to provide a qualitative and quantitative overview of its signal properties. We found that the vibratory signal is composed of two primary repeating and alternating elements, consisting of pulses of stridulation and percussive strikes, as well as a less common, but repeatable, third element. We also characterized a measurable airborne component to the signal that is significantly correlated with the amplitude of the vibratory signal, which we suggest is a by-product of the strong vibration. Neither modality correlated significantly with male body size or condition. Although the exact role of the acoustic component is unclear, we speculate that the unique properties of signalling in this species may have value in answering new questions about animal communication.     

啮齿动物分子系统地理学研究进展

系统地理学是研究种间及种内不同种群的形成、现有分布格局的历史原因和演化过程的一门学科。基于分子水平,能够更准确地界定物种分布格局,促进分子系统地理学的形成和发展。近年来,分子系统地理研究的开展,促进了对啮齿动物物种分布格局形成机制的理解。对啮齿动物的种内及种上分类阶元的系统演化关系、起源中心与演化历程、影响系统地理格局的因素、鼠害防控和保护生物学等分子系统地理学方面的研究进行了综述。并提出了啮齿动物分子系统地理学未来发展的四点展望:1)综合性系统地理学研究;2)区域系统地理学研究;3)物种演化的全面系统研究;4)新型分子标记和分析方法的发展。