Oxygen Transport in the Avian Egg at High Altitude

Oxygen transport to avian embryo tissues occurs by three steps,two of which are driven by diffusion. This results in a seriesof stepwise decrements in PO₂ between atmosphere and tissue.The PO₂ decrements for embryos of the domestic fowl incubatedat different altitudes are used here to examine potential adaptationsto hypobanc hypoxia. With exposure to moderate hypoxia embryosof the domestic fowl appear to maintain adequate tissue oxygenation.Adaptive adjustments in the shell, shell membranes and chorioallantoiscomplex were not observed. However, hemoglobin O₂ affinity wasincreased and preliminary evidence suggests a redistributionof blood flow to maintain adequate oxygenation in higher priorityareas of embryonic tissue. At severe hypoxia, embryos of thedomestic fowl show decreased O₂ consumption, embryo mass andlengthened incubition period. Thus at severe hypoxin the embryoof the domestic fowl does not appear to provide a realisticmodel. Evidence from avian embryos of species native to highaltitude suggest that they are able to maintain adequate tissueoxygenation even at severe hypoxia. Preliminary evidence suggeststhat some of the blood vascular system and tissue level adaptationspresent in the chicken embryo are also present in species nativeto high altitude. One of these, an increase in embryonic hemoglobin-O₂affinity which is physiologically mediated in the chicken embryois genetically-based in the embryo of the native high-altitudespecies.     

Treatment of Salmonella-Arizona-Infected Turtle Eggs with Terramycin and Chloromycetin by the Temperature Differential Egg Dip Method

Attempts to eliminate Salmonella and Arizona infection from newly hatched turtles were made by dipping fresh eggs in cold solutions of Terramycin and Chloromycetin at 1,000, 1,200, 1,500 and 2,000 mug per ml for either 10, 20, or 30 min. Control groups consisted of hatchings produced from nondipped eggs or eggs dipped in chilled water. In two of the four experiments 5 to 10 eggs were blended on days 15, 30, and 45 post antibiotic dip treatment. Twenty-five to 60 hatchlings from each control or experimental dip groups were held in containers and the water was tested (excretion method) for Salmonella and Arizona every 15 or 30 days for 180 to 210 days after hatching. Representative turtles were homogenized (blending method) to determine if systemic infections were present. All specimens tested were enriched in tetrathionate and selenite cystine broth. Nondipped eggs and water-dipped eggs routinely showed Salmonella and Arizona present in egg homogenate and hatchlings emerging from these eggs excreted these pathogens. Terramycin- and Chloromycetin-dipped eggs were uniformly negative for these pathogens, only if fresh eggs were dipped. Bacteriological assay of container water and whole turtle homogenate from hatchlings were negative for Salmonella and Arizona if eggs were dipped in 1,000 mug of Terramycin early in the egg laying season or if eggs were dipped in 1,500 or 2,000 mug of Terramycin per ml late in the egg laying season. The results of temperature-differential egg dip studies suggest that this is a feasible and promising method by which to eradicate Salmonella and Arizona from the turtle.     

Water in the Avian Egg Overall Budget of Incubation

The loss of mass in eggs during incubation was examined andevidence is presented to show that this is essentially due toloss of water. The mean fraction of water lost by diffusionthroughout incubation is 0.150 ± 0.025 S D per gram ofegg and 0.162 ± 0.026 S D per gram of egg content for81 species. The water fraction of fresh eggs and of hatchingeggs was examined in 32 species divided according to maturityat hatching, and found to be very similar within each category(83% in altricial 83% in semi-altricial 78% in semi-precocial72% in precocial eggs). The 11% difference between the altricialand precocial categories is statistically significant. Duringincubation, dry matter is metabolized increasing the water fractionwhich is further increased by metabolic water production. Hence,water loss during incubation is mandatory if the relative watercontent of an egg at the end of incubation is to remain essentiallythe same as at the beginning. Equations are developed whichallow one to estimate the difference between diffusive waterloss and the total water loss in altricial and piecocial eggscaused by additional water loss during pipping and hatching.     

Global Patterns and Drivers of Avian Extinctions at the Species and Subspecies Level

Birds have long fascinated scientists and travellers, so their distribution and abundance through time have been better documented than those of other organisms. Many bird species are known to have gone extinct, but information on subspecies extinctions has never been synthesised comprehensively. We reviewed the timing, spatial patterns, trends and causes of avian extinctions on a global scale, identifying 279 ultrataxa (141 monotypic species and 138 subspecies of polytypic species) that have gone extinct since 1500. Species extinctions peaked in the early 20^th century, then fell until the mid 20^th century, and have subsequently accelerated. However, extinctions of ultrataxa peaked in the second half of the 20^th century. This trend reflects a consistent decline in the rate of extinctions on islands since the beginning of the 20^th century, but an acceleration in the extinction rate on continents. Most losses (78.7% of species and 63.0% of subspecies) occurred on oceanic islands. Geographic foci of extinctions include the Hawaiian Islands (36 taxa), mainland Australia and islands (29 taxa), the Mascarene Islands (27 taxa), New Zealand (22 taxa) and French Polynesia (19 taxa). The major proximate drivers of extinction for both species and subspecies are invasive alien species (58.2% and 50.7% of species and subspecies, respectively), hunting (52.4% and 18.8%) and agriculture, including non-timber crops and livestock farming (14.9% and 31.9%). In general, the distribution and drivers of subspecific extinctions are similar to those for species extinctions. However, our finding that, when subspecies are considered, the extinction rate has accelerated in recent decades is both novel and alarming.     

Expression Patterns of Murine Antichymotrypsin-like Genes Reflect Evolutionary Divergence at the Serpina3 Locus

Members of the serpin (serine protease inhibitor) superfamily of genes are well represented in both human and murine genomes. In many cases it is possible to identify a definite ortholog on the basis of sequence similarity and by examining the surrounding genes at syntenic loci. We have recently examined the murine serpin locus at 12F1 and observed that the single human 1-antichymotrypsin gene is represented by 14 paralogs. It is also known that the single human 1-antitrypsin gene has five paralogs in the mouse. The forces driving this gene multiplication are unknown and there are no data describing the function of the various serpin gene products at the 1-antichymotrypsin multigene locus. Examination of the predicted amino acid sequences shows that the serpins are likely to be functional protease inhibitors but with differing target protease specificities. In order to begin to address the question of the problem presented by the murine 1-antichymotrypsins, we have used RT-PCR to examine the expression pattern of these serpin genes. Our data show that the divergent reactive center loop sequence, and predictably variable target protease specificity, is reflected in tissue-specific expression for many of the family members. These observations add weight to the hypothesis that the antichymotrypsin-like serpins have an evolutionary importance which has led to their expansion and diversification in multiple species.[Reviewing Editor: Dr. Peer Bork]     

Detection of Salmonella in Eggs and Egg Products With Fluorescent Antibody

Organisms of the genus Salmonella are detected in eggs and egg products within 24 hr in the presence of Pseudomonadaceae and other Enterobacteriaceae by combining selective cultural methods with fluorescent-antibody techniques. These techniques are specific for Salmonella when H antibodies are used. Absorption techniques are necessary before the O antibodies give specific reactions for Salmonella. No cross-reactions appear when H antiserum is used. Absorption and interference techniques indicate the test is specific for Salmonella.     

Influence of Low Temperature on Development of Meloidogyne incognita and M. hapla Eggs in Egg Masses

Egg masses of Meloidogyne incognita and M. hapla were placed in soil at 10, 12, 16, and 20 C. At regular intervals, eggs from samples of egg masses were released from the gelatinous matrices and their developmental stages recorded. The number of days necessary to complete each stage from gastrulation to hatch is given for each temperature. The minimal temperature threshold for the development of eggs was computed by linear regression to be 8.26 C for M. incognita and 6.74 C for M. hapla.     

Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors from Avian Retina and Heart Undergo Different Patterns of Molecular Maturation

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) from the avian CNS exist in two molecular weight forms whose concentrations change during development. Here, we have compared the development of mAChRs from embryonic hearts with those of the CNS. Analysis of [3H]-propylbenzilylcholine mustard (PrBCM)-labeled retina and heart mAChRs by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed two atropine-sensitive peaks for each tissue. Apparent molecular masses of retina mAChRs, 86 +/- 0.7 kilodaltons (kDa) and 72 +/- 0.7 kDa, were different from those of heart mAChRs, 77 +/- 1.0 kDa and 52 +/- 0.9 kDa. During retina development, the major receptor type changed from 86 kDa to 72 kDa. No such change occurred during heart development. Furthermore, the 52-kDa species appeared to be generated by endogenous proteolysis, as prolonged incubation of heart membranes at 37 degrees C increased the amount of 52-kDa peptide with a decrease of 77-kDa peptide. Protease inhibitors blocked this conversion. Incubation of retina membranes at 37 degrees C did not result in a conversion of the 86-kDa peptide into the 72-kDa peptide, but it did cause the appearance of a minor amount of 52-kDa peptide. The proteolysis of retina mAChRs was not enhanced by cohomogenizing them with heart tissue, arguing against the presence of releasable proteases in heart. Membrane-bound retina and heart mAChRs displayed similar sensitivity to exogenous (Staphylococcus aureus V8) protease, indicating that heart receptors were not unusually susceptible to proteolytic attack; analysis of the labeled polypeptides with the V8 protease showed different patterns of digestion for the retina and heart receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Patterns of Metabolism and Growth in Avian Embryos

Metabolic rates of embryos of precocial birds increase rapidlyuntil about 80% through incubation, then increase slowly remainconstant or even decline. In altricial species, embryo metabolicrates increase continuously and at an accelerating rate throughout incubation. Total energy cost of development is higher inprecocial than in altricial species. Growth patterns of altricialand precocial embryos differ in the same way as does metabolicrate. Embryo growth rates decline late in incubation in precocialspecies, but increase continuously in altricial species. Embryometabolic rate in cal/hr (P) is related to embryo mass in grams(M) and growth rate in grams/day (GR) by the equation P = 12.17GR+ 1.66M + 1.81. The energy cost of growth in avian embryos is292 cal/g. The energy cost of maintenance is 1.66 cal/g hr andappeals to be independent of embryo mass. Differences in growthpatterns account for the observed differences in metabolic ratesand total energy costs of development. High energy costs ofmaintenance account for high total developmental costs in piecocialspecies and in species that have unusually long incubation periods.     

Rejection of Conspecific Eggs in Chaffinches: The Effect of Age and Clutch Characteristics

Previous experimental studies have found that the majority of chaffinches, Fringilla coelebs, are able to reject both non‐mimetic and mimetic cuckoo eggs and also non‐mimetic conspecific eggs. However, interestingly the frequency of rejecters of moderately mimetic conspecific eggs has been found to be only approx. 50%. We examined the possibility that acceptors of moderately mimetic conspecific eggs are first time breeders, because these individuals may lack the experience needed to reject eggs that deviate only slightly from their own eggs. Older individuals, with good knowledge of their own egg appearance, should therefore reject such eggs. We also examined the possibility that acceptors of moderately mimetic eggs have a higher intraclutch variation in egg appearance, which makes it more difficult to recognize such eggs when compared with rejecters. We obtained no support for any age‐specific pattern in rejection behaviour. Furthermore, there was no relationship between age and intraclutch variation, or intraclutch variation and rejection behaviour. As there is no evidence of intraspecific brood parasitism in this species, the rejection of any foreign eggs is most probably an adaptation to past cuckoo, Cuculus canorus, parasitism. Acceptance of good and moderately mimetic conspecific eggs is probably due to cognitive limitations, because evolution of a more fine‐tuned recognition ability is unnecessary in the absence of intraspecific brood parasitism.     

The First Occurrence in the Fossil Record of an Aquatic Avian Twig-Nest with Phoenicopteriformes Eggs: Evolutionary Implications

Background

We describe the first occurrence in the fossil record of an aquatic avian twig-nest with five eggs in situ (Early Miocene Tudela Formation, Ebro Basin, Spain). Extensive outcrops of this formation reveal autochthonous avian osteological and oological fossils that represent a single taxon identified as a basal phoenicopterid. Although the eggshell structure is definitively phoenicopterid, the characteristics of both the nest and the eggs are similar to those of modern grebes. These observations allow us to address the origin of the disparities between the sister taxa Podicipedidae and Phoenicopteridae crown clades, and traces the evolution of the nesting and reproductive environments for phoenicopteriforms.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Multi-disciplinary analyses performed on fossilized vegetation and eggshells from the eggs in the nest and its embedding sediments indicate that this new phoenicopterid thrived under a semi-arid climate in an oligohaline (seasonally mesohaline) shallow endorheic lacustine environment. High-end microcharacterizations including SEM, TEM, and EBSD techniques were pivotal to identifying these phoenicopterid eggshells. Anatomical comparisons of the fossil bones with those of Phoenicopteriformes and Podicipediformes crown clades and extinct palaelodids confirm that this avian fossil assemblage belongs to a new and basal phoenicopterid.

Conclusions/Significance

Although the Podicipediformes-Phoenicopteriformes sister group relationship is now well supported, flamingos and grebes exhibit feeding, reproductive, and nesting strategies that diverge significantly. Our multi-disciplinary study is the first to reveal that the phoenicopteriform reproductive behaviour, nesting ecology and nest characteristics derived from grebe-like type strategies to reach the extremely specialized conditions observed in modern flamingo crown groups. Furthermore, our study enables us to map ecological and reproductive characters on the Phoenicopteriformes evolutionary lineage. Our results demonstrate that the nesting paleoenvironments of flamingos were closely linked to the unique ecology of this locality, which is a direct result of special climatic (high evaporitic regime) and geological (fault system) conditions.     

Gas Exchange of the Avian Egg Time, Structure, and Function

Data are presented for oxygen consumption water loss duringincubation water vapor conductance of the shell and pore numberof avian eggs and the way in which these values relate not onlyto egg mass but also to incubation time. It is proposed thatall these functions are proportional to the product of egg massand rate of development where the latter is defined as the inverseof incubation time. These interrelationships account at theend of incubation for similar O₂ and CO₂ tensions in the airspace of eggs utilization of calories (0.5 kcal g^–1) andwater loss (15 g g^–1)     

Effect of Temperature on Embryonation of Ascaris suum Eggs in an Environmental Chamber

The influence of temperature on the development and embryonation of Ascaris suum eggs was studied using coarse sand medium in an environmental chamber with 50% humidity. The time required for development and embryonation of eggs was examined under 3 different temperature conditions, 5℃, 25℃, and 35℃. A. suum eggs did not develop over 1 month at the temperature of 5℃. However, other temperature conditions, 25℃ and 35℃, induced egg development to the 8-cell-stage at days 5-6 after incubation. All eggs examined developed to the 8-cell stage at day 6 after incubation in the sand medium at 25℃. The higher temperature, 35℃, slightly accelerated the A. suum egg development compared to 25℃, and the development to the 8-cell stage occurred within day 5 after incubation. The formation of larvae in A. suum eggs at temperatures of 35℃ and 25℃ appeared at days 17 and 19 after incubation, respectively. These findings show that 35℃ condition shortens the time for the development of A. suum eggs to the 8-cell-stage in comparison to 25℃, and suggest the possibility of accelerated transmission of this parasite, resulting from global warming and ecosystem changes.     

Selenium Concentrations in Tissues and Eggs of Growing and Laying Chickens Fed Sodium Selenite at Different Levels

Growing and laying chickens were fed graded levels of selenium in the form of sodium selenite. One day old Norwegian bred broiler chickens and 20 weeks old Norwegian bred White Leghorn chickens were divided into 5 groups each and fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.1, 1.0, 3.0 or 6.0 μg Se/g for 6 and 31 weeks, respectively. At the end of the experiments significantly higher concentrations of selenium were found in the groups fed 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 μg Se/g diet compared to the control group. Correspondingly higher concentrations of selenium were found in egg samples. The increase in egg yolk selenium was much higher than in egg white. Significant correlations were found between the amounts of selenium added to the ration and the selenium concentrations in liver, kidney, breast muscle, egg white, yolk and homogenized egg. There were no differences in body weight gain and egg production between the groups. A possible positive contribution to animal and human health of selenium supplementation of animals’ diet above the required level is discussed.     

Successes and Failures in Avian Egg and Nestling Recognition With Comments on the Utility of Optimality Reasoning

SYNOPSIS. Interactions between parasitic birds and their hostsprovide some of the best examples of recognition that has obviousand strong adaptive value. But these interactions also involvenumerous failures of recognition that result in enormous lossesin fitness. The failures are more significant than the successesbecause they are exceptions to basic evolutionary theory whichpredicts that organisms behave optimally. The egg recognitionbehavior of North American passerines separates species intotwo discrete groups. In "rejecter" species nearly all individualsare intolerant of nonmimetic parasitic eggs. In "accepters"nearly all individuals tolerate such eggs. Rejecters possessa true recognition of their own eggs, apparently learning thisin an imprinting-like process. No adaptive explanation accountsfor the lack of rejection in accepter species. Many of thesespecies are victimized heavily by parasitic cowbirds and haveeggs divergent from those of the cowbird. They readily acceptclutches containing only cowbird eggs. But accepters do showegg recognition in some contexts. They abandon clutches whosetotal volume of eggs falls below a critical value; they ejectand visually discriminate among eggs that are broken, thus showingthat they are capable of the critical behaviors needed to rejectparasitic eggs. Since most accepters occur in taxa that alsocontain rejecters, I propose that stochastic processes are largelyresponsible for their nonoptimal behavior. Even though manybirds reject parasitic eggs, all or nearly all accept nonmimeticparasitic nestlings, a situation for which there is no reasonableoptimality explanation. Although these recognition studies demonstratethe value of optimality reasoning because they are based onclearly defined predictions arising from the expectation ofadaptiveness, they also demonstrate some general problems inherentin optimization models. It is argued here that while optimalityreasoning is the best and most all-inclusive paradigm in biology,its value will be enhanced if its limitations are recognized.When warranted, conclusions of nonoptimality should be stressedand optimality itself should be tested and not employed onlyas an assumption used to formulate hypotheses.     

鸟类形态特征的同质性比较

鸟类作为脊椎动物中的主要类群之一,其内部演化关系一直是动物学研究的重点。形态特征及分子特征在推断鸟类内部类群间的系统发育关系时被广泛应用,但长久以来受制于同质性的影响,不同形态特征难以得到一致的系统发育关系。随着基因组测序技术及分析方法的快速发展,基于大量DNA序列数据所建的物种树成为领域内普遍认可的鸟类系统发育关系。在此基础之上,重新挖掘形态特征的研究价值成为可能。本研究基于Prum发表于2015年的鸟类科级水平系统发育树,比较了不同形态特征同质性水平的差异,讨论了形态特征对于提高分子特征系统发育信号及分子树支持率的作用。研究发现,不同种类形态特征的同质性水平存在显著的差异,以一致性指数为标准,杂项特征(包括神经、肌腱及肠道的特征)的得分显著高于骨学特征和肌学特征(P < 0.01),颅骨特征的得分显著高于非颅骨、躯干及腿部特征的得分(P < 0.05);加入形态特征能够显著提高分子特征的系统发育信号(P < 0.05),也提高了分子树的支持率。综上所述,不同的形态特征在同质性水平的得分上具有显著差异,在分子特征上加入形态特征既能够提高分子特征的系统发育信号,也能够提高分子树的支持率。     

The Assembly of an Island Fauna by Natural Invasion: Sources and Temporal Patterns in the Avian Colonization of Barbados

By virtue of their isolation and depauperate faunas, oceanic islands offer unique opportunities to characterize the historical development of ecological communities derived from both natural and anthropogenic invasions. Barbados, an outlying island in the Lesser Antilles, was formed approximately 700,000 YBP by tectonic uplift and was then colonized by birds via natural invasion from the much older volcanic islands in the main Lesser Antillean arc. We investigated the timing and sources of the avian invasion of Barbados by determining levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) divergence between populations of eight bird species from Barbados and those on the nearby putative source islands of St. Lucia and St. Vincent. Although all Barbados populations appeared to be young relative to the geological age of the island, we found differences among species in their inferred times of colonization and we identified at least two sources of immigrants to Barbados. In contrast to these historical differences across species and populations, our characterization of the mitochondrial genotypes of 231 individual birds suggests that each island population represents the descendants of a single founding maternal lineage. Considered in concert, the results of this molecular survey indicate that the Barbados bird community is composed of species with different invasion histories, which in turn suggests that the island's community composition has changed repeatedly over its 700,000 year history.     

Nitrogen Isotope Patterns in Alaskan Black Spruce Reflect Organic Nitrogen Sources and the Activity of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi

Global patterns in soil, plant, and fungal stable isotopes of N (δ¹⁵N) show promise as integrated metrics of N cycling, particularly the activity of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. At small spatial scales, however, it remains difficult to differentiate the underlying causes of plant δ¹⁵N variability and this limits the application of such measurements to better understand N cycling. We conducted a landscape-scale analysis of δ¹⁵N values from 31 putatively N-limited monospecific black spruce (Picea mariana) stands in central Alaska to assess the two main hypothesized sources of plant δ¹⁵N variation: differing sources and ECM fractionation. We found roughly 20% of the variability in black spruce foliar N and δ¹⁵N values to be correlated with the concentration and δ¹⁵N values of soil NH₄ ⁺ and dissolved organic N (DON) pools, respectively. However, ¹⁵N-based mixing models from 24 of the stands suggested that fractionation by ECM fungi obscures the ¹⁵N signature of soil N pools. Models, regressions, and N abundance data all suggested that increasing dependence on soil DON to meet black spruce growth demands predicates increasing reliance on ECM-derived N and that black spruce, on average, received 53% of its N from ECM fungi. Future research should partition the δ¹⁵N values within the soil DON pool to determine how choice of soil δ¹⁵N values influence modeled ECM activity. The C balance of boreal forests is tightly linked to N cycling and δ¹⁵N values may be useful metrics of changes to these connections.