The influence of seed apparency,nutrient content and chemical defenses on dietary preference in Dipodomys ordii

Summary Physical, nutritional and defensive qualities of seeds differ in the extent to which they influence granivore preference. In a study aimed to quantifying those differences, Ord's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ordii) were found to prefer the seeds of just three of twenty-nine species: Cryptantha crassisepala, Oryzopsis hymenoides and Salsola kali. Oryzopsis hymenoides was most preferred during the early plant growth season (April–July); preference for S. kali peaked during late (August–November) and dormant (December–March) seasons; and greatest preference for C. crassisepala occurred during dormant and early seasons. Regression of forage ratios, averaged across seasons, against seed length, mass, abundance, patchiness, percent nitrogen, energy content, and chemical defenses showed seed length to be the most important predictor of seed preference. Seed length combined with nitrogen (protein) content and levels of two defensive compounds, saponins and non-protein amino acids, to account for 68% of the variation in seed preference. The importance of seed length rather than biomass indicated that there are limits to the ability of D. ordii to detect small seeds and that small size facilitated escape of dispersed seeds. Seasonality in preference suggested, however, that seed escape was encountered by predispersal harvesting of newly maturing seeds still on plants. Maximization of protein intake contradicted previously published observations, but presumably reflected low nitrogen availability. In addition to small size, the presence of saponins or non-protein amino acids in seeds was sufficient to negate the positive influence of higher protein content.     

Fishing baboons at desert waterholes

Live fish capture by wild chacma baboons is described. Fish were captured from drying desert pools and then covered with sand to immobilize active fish or to facilitate handling. Possible reasons omnivorous primates elsewhere do not capture live fish are considered.     

Description of the digestive tract and feeding habits of the king angelfish and the Cortes angelfish

Morphologically, the digestive tracts of the king angelfish Holacunthus passer and the Cortes angelfish Pomacanthus zonipectus are similar, yet the king angelfish intestine is almost 30% longer than that of the Cortes angelfish. Both pomacanthids have a small mouth with villiform teeth, a short oesophagus, a well-defined stomach, and a terminal sac at the end of the digestive tract. The terminal sac, the acid pH in the stomach, and the long intestine may facilitate efficient use of seaweed nutrients. Stomach contents were analysed to determine diets and interspecific overlap. Seventy-one species were found in the stomachs of the king angelfish and 53 in the stomachs of the Cortes angelfish. Because of the wide range of species in their diets, both angelfish must be regarded as omnivorous. The most frequent foods were seaweed and sponges, but for the king angelfish, crustaceans were also important. A cluster analysis was done to determine whether the diets of these fish were similar by sex, size, or season. No similarities were found. Dietary overlap is high in relation to other pomacanthids.     

Trophic diversity of the otter (Lutra lutra L.) in temperate and Mediterranean freshwater habitats

Aim To analyse the geographical patterns in the composition and diversity of otter's (Lutra lutra L.) diet and their relationship with climatic characteristics. Location European freshwater habitats under Mediterranean and temperate climatic regimes. Methods Thirty‐seven otter diet studies were reviewed, twenty‐one from temperate and sixteen from Mediterranean areas. All studies were based on spraint analysis and their results expressed as relative frequency of occurrence of seven main prey categories. Principal Component Analysis was performed to extract the main gradients of diet composition. Pearson's correlation and t‐tests were used to assess the relationship between diet characteristics (composition, diversity and taxonomic richness) and geographical and climatic variables. Results A clear latitudinal gradient in diet composition was observed. Otter diet was more diverse and featured more prey classes in southern localities, while the species was more piscivorous towards the north, where it predated upon a higher number of fish families. This pattern was similar when temperate and Mediterranean localities of Europe were compared. Mediterranean otters behaved as more generalist predators than temperate ones, relying less on fish, and more on aquatic invertebrates and reptiles. Main conclusions Geographical differences in otter feeding ecology in Europe seem to be related with the two contrasted climatic conditions affecting prey populations. The otter can act as a highly specialized piscivorous predator in temperate freshwater ecosystems, which do not suffer a dry season and have a comparatively stable water regime compared to Mediterranean ones. However, the unpredictable prey availability in Mediterranean areas, affected by strong spatial and temporal water shortages, favours a diversification of the otter's diet.     

Lifestyle factors and sperm aneuploidy

Different environmental and lifestyle factors may interfere with the normal disjunction of sister chromatids/chromosomes during meiosis and may cause aneuploidy. The aim of the study was to examine the association between lifestyle factors and sperm aneuploidy. The study population consisted of 212 healthy men under 45 years of age attending an infertility clinic for diagnostic purposes and who had a normal semen concentration of 20–300 × 10⁶ mL or slight oligozoospermia (semen concentration of 15–20 × 10⁶/mL). All participants were interviewed and provided a semen sample. Sperm aneuploidy was assessed using multicolor FISH (DNA probes specific for chromosomes X, Y, 18, 13, 21). Results from the study suggest that lifestyle factors are related to sperm aneuploidy. A positive relationship was found between coffee drinking everyday and the lack of chromosome X or Y, as well as coffee drinking 1–6 times per week and additional chromosome 18. Wearing boxer shorts decrease the copy number changes in the whole chromosome 18, the number of additional chromosome 18 and the lack of chromosome 13. Additionally, obesity (BMI 30–40 kg/m²) was positively associated with additional chromosome 21 after being adjusted for potential confounders. These findings demonstrate that changing the men's lifestyle habits may contribute to reduction of the incidence of sperm aneuploidy. It is necessary that men continue to follow sensible health advice concerning excess weight, coffee drinking and wearing tight fitting underwear. As this is the first such study to examine different lifestyle factors and sperm aneuploidy, the results need to be confirmed on larger population.     

Social jetlag,academic achievement and cognitive performance: Understanding gender/sex differences

Adolescents in high school suffer from circadian misalignment, undersleeping on weekdays and oversleeping on weekends. Since high schools usually impose early schedules, adolescents suffer from permanent social jetlag (SJL) and thus are a suitable population to study the effects of SJL on both academic and cognitive performance. In this study, 796 adolescents aged 12–16 years reported information about their sleep habits, morningness–eveningness (M–E), cognitive abilities and grade point average (GPA). Time in bed on both weekdays and weekends was not related to cognitive abilities, and only time in bed on weekdays was related to academic achievement. SJL was negatively related to academic achievement, cognitive abilities (except for vocabulary and verbal fluency abilities) and general cognitive ability (g), whereas M–E was slightly positively related to academic achievement and marginally negatively related to inductive reasoning. Results separated by sex/gender indicated that SJL may be more detrimental to girls’ performance, as it was negatively related to a greater number of cognitive abilities and GPA.     

双斑恩蚜小蜂形态学特征、生活习性及其寄生行为

双斑恩蚜小蜂EncarsiabimaculataHeratyetPolaszek是烟粉虱Bemisiatabaci(Gennadius)的主要寄生性天敌之一。作者对双斑恩蚜小蜂的形态特征进行了描述。在实验室条件下,对双斑恩蚜小蜂的生活习性、寄生行为进行了观察。双斑恩蚜小蜂成蜂26℃时平均寿命约为7d,每雌产卵量273粒,雌蜂比例占据绝对优势,雌雄性比约为8∶1。双斑恩蚜小蜂的寄生过程大致分为寄主定位、寄主检查、穿刺、产卵、清扫、梳理和休憩等几个阶段。     

黑龙江省通河乌龙狩猎场野猪冬季食性的初步研究

野生动物食性的研究,在野生动物保护和管理方面具有重要的基础理论意义。野猪（Sus scrofa）是一种经济价值较高的有蹄类动物。国内对野猪食性的报道,仅见综述性献（巫露平,1980;李振营和罗泽殉,1983;杨伯然,1984）,野猪食性方面的研究尚未多见;国外对野猪食性的研究主要集中在食物组成的定量分析和食物营养质量的评价（Eriksson and Petrov,1995;Foumier-chambrillon et al．,1995;朝日念,1985）。因此,作从2000～2001年,分别在黑龙江省通河乌龙狩猎场收集粪样,利用粪便显微组织学分析方法并结合野外掘食痕迹对野猪冬季食性进行了初步研究。     

铅色水蛇Enhydris plumbea(Boie, 1827) 的生物学初探(蛇亚目:游蛇科:仰鼻蛇亚科)

根据野外观察和解剖标本, 本文报道蛇亚目、游蛇科、水游蛇亚科中国南方常见优势种铅色水蛇的生物学研究初步结果.1.长度112号雄蛇全长范围286 ～466 mm,151号雌蛇全长范围306～504 mm.海南陵水103号雄蛇最大全长358+54=412 mm,137号雌蛇最大全长443+61=504 mm.2.鳞片的变异根据299号标本观察,数量恒定无变异的鳞片有吻鳞(1), 鼻间鳞 (1), 前额鳞 (2), 额鳞 (1), 顶鳞 (2), 鼻鳞 (每侧1), 颊鳞 (每侧1), 眶上鳞(每侧1), 前颞鳞 (每侧1), 颏鳞 (1), 颔片 (2 对), 背鳞 (19-19-17 行), 肛前鳞 (完整);根据鳞片有变异的67号标本观察, 可出现变异鳞片的变异范围及其频率眶前鳞1(1→2,4.5%),眶后鳞2(2→1,3.0%),后颞鳞2(2→1,1.5%),上唇鳞3-2-3(3-1-4,0.75%),下唇鳞10(9,0.75%;11,2.25%);腹鳞与尾下鳞则绝对有变异腹鳞雄性112号变异幅度124～136 (平均 128.2), 雌性151号变异幅度123～132 (平均 126.1),尾下鳞雄性107号变异幅度36～41 (平均 39.7)对,雌性149号变异幅度31～36 (平均 33.7)对.3.两代之间变异的消失和出现两例母蛇的右侧眶前鳞均变异为2,她们的全部仔蛇21号均正常为1;一例母蛇的下唇鳞为正常的10枚,而她的仔蛇6号中有两号分别有一侧或两侧变异为9.4.垂直分布范围沿海低地到海拔985 m.5.栖息环境各种水域,以静水水域为主,在海南陵水县吊罗山大里乡以灌水后的稻田为主,极少数发现在静水水域或流动缓慢的灌溉渠内.6.摄食和食性每年4月开始摄食,6月为摄食高峰,9月停止;食物以小形蛙类和蝌蚪为主,其次为小鱼.7.繁殖习性二级性征主要反映在雄性尾的比例较长,尾下鳞的数目相应较多;二级性比(出生时的性比)接近11,三级性比在居群较大的情况下也约为11,而在居群较小的情况下统计约为0.51;雌性性成熟期(以开始产仔为依据)全长都在350 mm以上;解剖28号孕雌得知输卵管卵数3～12(平均6.3)枚;卵在母体内发育进程解剖41号成熟雌性得知4月卵尚未发育,5月及6月处于发育中或晚期、产仔或已产出,7月基本都已产毕;统计两窝21仔得知初产出仔蛇全长127～139 mm,母蛇体长大者其仔蛇亦较长;统计同窝9仔得知初生仔蛇重量2.4～2.5 g,平均2.47 g.本文是作者早期未发表的工作,现整理供对蛇类有兴趣的青年同行参考.本研究所用全部标本(包括3号雌蛇及其刚产出的仔蛇) 均保存在中国科学院成都生物研究所两栖爬行动物标本馆.