Impacts of natural history and exhibit factors on carnivore welfare

To improve the welfare of nonhuman animals under professional care, zoological institutions are continuously utilizing new methods to identify factors that lead to optimal welfare. Comparative methods have historically been used in the field of evolutionary biology but are increasingly being applied in the field of animal welfare. In the current study, data were obtained from direct behavioral observation and institutional records representing 80 individual animals from 34 different species of the order Carnivora. Data were examined to determine if a variety of natural history and animal management factors impacted the welfare of animals in zoological institutions. Output variables indicating welfare status included behavioral diversity, pacing, offspring production, and infant mortality. Results suggested that generalist species have higher behavioral diversity and offspring production in zoos compared with their specialist counterparts. In addition, increased minimum distance from the public decreased pacing and increased offspring production, while increased maximum distance from the public and large enclosure size decreased infant mortality. These results have implications for future exhibit design or renovation, as well as management practices and priorities for future research.     

Diversity and distribution of the bmp gene cluster and its Polybrominated products in the genus Pseudoalteromonas

The production of pentabromopseudilin and related brominated compounds by Pseudoalteromonas spp. has recently been linked to the bmp biosynthetic gene cluster. This study explored the distribution and evolutionary history of this gene cluster in the genus Pseudoalteromonas. A phylogeny of the genus revealed numerous clades that do not contain type strains, suggesting considerable species level diversity has yet to be described. Comparative genomics revealed four distinct versions of the gene cluster distributed among 19 of the 101 Pseudoalteromonas genomes examined. These were largely localized to the least inclusive clades containing the Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea and Pseudoalteromonas phenolica type strains and show clear evidence of gene and gene cluster loss in certain lineages. Bmp gene phylogeny is largely congruent with the Pseudoalteromonas species phylogeny, suggesting vertical inheritance within the genus. However, the gene cluster is found in three different genomic environments suggesting either chromosomal rearrangement or multiple acquisition events. Bmp conservation within certain lineages suggests the encoded products are highly relevant to the ecology of these bacteria.     

Body condition (Wr) and reproductive potential of bighead and silver carp hybrids: Postzygotic selection in the Mississippi River Basin

Invasive bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix) are reproductively isolated in their native range, but form a bimodal, multigenerational hybrid swarm within the Mississippi River Basin (MRB). Despite observed F₁ hybrid superiority in experimental settings, effects of postzygotic selection on bighead and silver carp hybrids have not been tested in a natural system. Individual parent and hybrid genotypes were resolved at 57 species‐specific loci and used to evaluate postzygotic selection for body condition (W_r) and female reproductive potential (presence of spawning stage gonads and gonadosomatic index [GSI]) in the MRB during 2009–2011. Body condition in the Marseilles Reach, Illinois River declined with a decrease in species‐specific allele frequency from 1.0 to 0.4 for each species and early generation hybrids (F₁, F₂, and first‐generation backcross) had lower mean W_r than late generation hybrids (2nd+ generation backcrosses) and parentals. Proportions of stage IV and stage V (spawning stage) female gonads differed between bighead and silver carp, but not among parentals and their early and late generation hybrids within the MRB. Mean GSI values did not differ between parentals and hybrids. Because reproductive potential did not differ between hybrids and parentals, our results suggest that early generation hybrids occur in low frequency either as a factor of poor condition (W_r) and postreproductive survival, infrequent reproductive encounters by parental bighead and silver carp, or selection pressures acting on juvenile or immature life stages. Our results suggest that a combination of genetic and environmental factors may contribute to the postzygotic success of bighead and silver carp hybrids in the Mississippi River Basin.     

Interactions among morphotype,nutrition, and temperature impact fitness of an invasive fly

Invasive animals depend on finding a balanced nutritional intake to colonize, survive, and reproduce in new environments. This can be especially challenging during situations of fluctuating cold temperatures and food scarcity, but phenotypic plasticity may offer an adaptive advantage during these periods. We examined how lifespan, fecundity, pre‐oviposition periods, and body nutrient contents were affected by dietary protein and carbohydrate (P:C) ratios at variable low temperatures in two morphs (winter morphs WM and summer morphs SM) of an invasive fly, Drosophila suzukii. The experimental conditions simulated early spring after overwintering and autumn, crucial periods for survival. At lower temperatures, post‐overwintering WM lived longer on carbohydrate‐only diets and had higher fecundity on low‐protein diets, but there was no difference in lifespan or fecundity among diets for SM. As temperatures increased, low‐protein diets resulted in higher fecundity without compromising lifespan, while high‐protein diets reduced lifespan and fecundity for both WM and SM. Both SM and WM receiving high‐protein diets had lower sugar, lipid, and glycogen (but similar protein) body contents compared to flies receiving low‐protein and carbohydrate‐only diets. This suggests that flies spend energy excreting excess dietary protein, thereby affecting lifespan and fecundity. Despite having to recover from nutrient depletion after an overwintering period, WM exhibited longer lifespan and higher fecundity than SM in favorable diets and temperatures. WM exposed to favorable low‐protein diet had higher body sugar, lipid, and protein body contents than SM, which is possibly linked to better performance. Although protein is essential for oogenesis, WM and SM flies receiving low‐protein diets did not have shorter pre‐oviposition periods compared to flies on carbohydrate‐only diets. Finding adequate carbohydrate sources to compensate protein intake is essential for the successful persistence of D. suzukii WM and SM populations during suboptimal temperatures.     

Simultaneous clustering of gene expression data with clinical chemistry and pathological evaluations reveals phenotypic prototypes

Background  

Commonly employed clustering methods for analysis of gene expression data do not directly incorporate phenotypic data about the samples. Furthermore, clustering of samples with known phenotypes is typically performed in an informal fashion. The inability of clustering algorithms to incorporate biological data in the grouping process can limit proper interpretation of the data and its underlying biology.     

An exploratory study of cardiac function and oxygen uptake during cycle ergometry in overweight children

Objective: Obesity has been proposed to negatively impact cardiac function in overweight (OW) individuals. The relationship between diastolic dysfunction and oxygen uptake (V?o ₂) kinetics is equivocal. This exploratory investigation evaluated the relationship between resting left ventricular function and V?o ₂ kinetics during cycle ergometry in OW and non‐overweight (NO) children and adolescents. Research Methods and Procedures: Fourteen OW (>85 percentile for BMI for age and gender) children, 10 boys and 4 girls (age, 11.7 ± 1.9 years; body mass, 80.6 ± 45.5 kg) and 10 NO children (4 boys, 6 girls) volunteered to participate in the study (age, 12.5 ± 2.1 years; body mass, 45.8 ± 13.8 kg). Resting cardiovascular structure and function were assessed using spectral Doppler echocardiography. All subjects underwent two sub‐maximal exercise stages on a cycle ergometer (3 minutes unloaded and 5 minutes at 50 W, both at a cadence of 50 rpm). Respiratory data were measured on a breath‐by‐breath basis at both workloads and the mean response time (MRT) was calculated. Results: Analysis of the MRT data demonstrated that there were no significant differences between OW and NO (OW, 52.6 ± 11.7 seconds vs. NO, 45.6 ± 7.4 seconds). Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were obtained between MRT V?o ₂ and echocardiographic‐derived mitral valve inflow pressure half‐time (r = 0.55) and between MRT V?o ₂, and mitral valve inflow deceleration time (r = 0.55). Discussion: The evidence from this research suggests a possible link between left ventricular diastolic function at rest and oxygen uptake kinetics during sub‐maximal exercise in OW and NO children and adolescents.