Home range size and distribution in a wild population of Cape pangolins, Manis temminckii, in north‐west Zimbabwe

The aim of this study was to estimate the size of the home range used by individual Cape pangolins ( Manis temminckii ). The study was conducted in 1991–95 at Sengwa Wildlife Research Institute, Gokwe, Zimbabwe. Radio‐telemetry was used to repeatedly locate study pangolins. Home range area was estimated from the location of the burrows used by each pangolin. It was established that pangolins must be tracked for 85+ days to generate a reliable estimate of home range. The size of home ranges, determined from 1141 tracking days of data for 10 pangolins (3·0–15·8 kg body mass) that were each tracked for at least 85 days, was from 0·17 to 11·07 km². Larger (older) pangolins used more burrows and had larger home ranges than smaller (younger) pangolins. The data indicate that large adult males had larger home ranges than large adult females. Within each sex, the home ranges were adjacent to each other with only slight overlap at the boundaries. There was clear overlap of home ranges between males and females.     

中国云南西部小哺乳动物革螨的性比及年龄结构(英文)

1990～ 1 996年对中国云南西部 1 3个县进行了调查 ,从所捕获的 38种、30 2 3只小哺乳动物体表采集到革螨 70种、7485只。绝大多数革螨的雌性个体比例 ( 80 %～ 1 0 0 % )高于其雄性个体比例 (P <0 .0 1 ) ,唯贡山血革螨Haemogamasusgongshanensis和格氏血厉螨Haemolaelapsglasgowi例外。贡山血革螨的雄性个体比例高于其雌性个体比例 (P <0 .0 1 ) ,格氏血厉螨的雌雄比例接近 (P >0 .0 5)。在现场采集中 ,绝大多数革螨种类未见幼虫阶段。除柏氏禽刺螨Ornithonyssusbacoti及格氏血厉螨Haemolaelapsglasgowi的若虫比例 (分别为 62 .84%和 49.48% )较高外 ,绝大多数革螨的未成熟期 (主要是前若虫和后若虫 )比例( 0～ 1 2 .84% )明显低于成虫期比例 (P <0 .0 1 )。采自小哺乳动物体表革螨雌雄性比的不同可能与雌雄螨的吸血习性及孤雌生殖有关。绝大多数革螨在其宿主体表缺乏幼虫阶段以及若虫比例很低提示 :这些革螨的幼虫或若虫阶段可能不取食或不吸血 ,主要生活在宿主的窝巢内。另一种可能原因是某些革螨的雌螨可能直接产前若虫或后若虫 ,因此难以从宿主体表发现幼虫。     

Sex-specific growth rates in zebra finch nestlings: a possible mechanism for sex ratio adjustment

Wild and captive zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata), like severalother species, produce a male-biased sex ratio at fledging whenfood is scarce. This is due to primary sex-ratio adjustmentand female-biased nestling mortality. Given that young femalesfledging at low body masses have been shown to have low fecundityas adults, lower returns to parents from producing female offspringin conditions of restricted food has been raised as a functionalexplanation (Trivers and Willard's hypothesis of adaptive sexualinvestment; 1973). However, an alternative, mechanistic hypothesisis that under restricted conditions female chicks are more costlyto produce. In consequence, lower returns to parents under theseconditions would happen earlier in the life of female offspringrather than later. To test this hypothesis, I hand-reared chickson a food gradient. In the absence of parent-offspring and sib-sibinteractions, final body mass and growth rates for females werelower in conditions of restricted food. For males, final bodymass and growth rates did not differ with food condition. Lowfemale growth rates in food-restricted conditions might be onepotential mechanism causing female-biased mortality in birds.More importantly, this result is the strongest evidence yetof female offspring experiencing higher marginal fitness benefitsfrom additional food than males and it has implications forprimary and secondary sex-ratio adjustment. Also, as this mechanismhas been shown in the absence of parent-offspring interactions,significant questions can now be raised as to how parental andoffspring behavior interact in their effects on secondary sex-ratioadjustment.     

Physical maturation and age estimates of yellow baboons,Papio cynocephalus,in Amboseli National Park,Kenya

In a longitudinal study of individually identified wild baboons in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, we collected data on physical development and reproductive maturation. Confirming and extending our earlier results, we demonstrated that the ratio of ages at which developmental milestones occur in the field as compared to those under extensive provisioning or in captivity were approximately 5:3. The age range for some developmental milestones was quite narrow and discrete, while for others there was considerable between-individual variability and more gradual changes. For infants, only the change from pink to gray of the paracallosal skin occurred within a brief age span. For older animals two important developmental events are readily identified and occur within a fairly narrow age range: Rapid enlargement of testes at 5 to 6 years for males and onset of menarche at 4 to 5 ½ years for females. In the present report, we considered some consequences of accelerated or delayed maturation. We further explored the need to employ different age-class criteria for different research problems.     

钱塘江桐庐段水域花渔业种群结构特征的初步研究

利用2012年2月至2013年1月在钱塘江桐庐段水域的渔获物中采集的样本,对该水域花（Hemibarbus maculatus Bleeker）种群的叉长和体质量组成,性别组成和性比、年龄组成等渔业种群结构特征进行了初步研究。结果表明,渔获群体的叉长范围为11.2~33.1 cm,平均叉长为（20.2±3.45）cm;体质量范围为26.0~540.8 g,平均体质量为（171.6±81.9）g。雌性个体大于雄性个体,雌性渔获群体的平均叉长为（23.5±3.58）cm,平均体质量为（183.2±79.87）g;雄性渔获群体的平均叉长为（22.7±3.77）cm,平均体质量为（168.8±78.99）g。雌性群体数量多于雄性群体数量,雌、雄性比约为1.47∶1。渔获群体由4个年龄组组成,以2龄为主。     

Decomposing variation in population growth into contributions from environment and phenotypes in an age-structured population

Evaluating the relative importance of ecological drivers responsible for natural population fluctuations in size is challenging. Longitudinal studies where most individuals are monitored from birth to death and where environmental conditions are known provide a valuable resource to characterize complex ecological interactions. We used a recently developed approach to decompose the observed fluctuation in population growth of the red deer population on the Isle of Rum into contributions from climate, density and their interaction and to quantify their relative importance. We also quantified the contribution of individual covariates, including phenotypic and life-history traits, to population growth. Fluctuations in composition in age and sex classes ((st)age structure) of the population contributed substantially to the population dynamics. Density, climate, birth weight and reproductive status contributed less and approximately equally to the population growth. Our results support the contention that fluctuations in the population's (st)age structure have important consequences for population dynamics and underline the importance of including information on population composition to understand the effect of human-driven changes on population performance of long-lived species.     

Exclusive core areas in overlapping ranges of the sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa

Where animal home ranges overlap extensively, objectively identifyingexclusive areas within individual ranges has been difficult,particularly in species lacking overt territorial behaviors.By analyzing the overlap between successively smaller core areasamong individuals in a population of the long-lived Australianskink, the sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa), we objectively determinedexclusive areas within animal ranges. Using 4-year radio trackingdata, we found that ranges consisted of relatively large sallyzones (mean 66–80% total range), around home ranges withmultinucleate cores strongly associated with key refuge sites.Total range and home range area varied significantly among years,being smaller in a drought year. Total ranges overlapped extensivelybetween and within sexes, but for both sexes, intrasexual overlapof inner range cores rapidly approached zero, suggesting intrasexualterritoriality. Intersexual inner core overlap reflected thisspecies socially monogamous mating system. But, male overlapof female ranges and inner cores was consistently higher thanfemale-male overlap. Refuges and/or mates may be defended resourceswithin these core areas, although aggressive behavioral interactionswere rarely observed. In the extensively overlapping sally zones,males shared space with females other than their principal partner.In productive years, with larger home ranges and more extensiveoverlap, some lizards associated with extra partners, suggestingthat males opportunistically use sally zones for polygyny. Consequently,we suggest that benefits to females from male association maychange with environmental quality, such that if food resourcesare low, monogamy may be favored if females increase foragingefficiency as a consequence of male vigilance during pairing.