社群学习对植食性鸟类和哺乳动物觅食行为的作用

社群学习是动物的一种可塑性行为表现型式。综述了社群学习对植食性鸟类和哺乳动物觅食行为的作用,并述评了其学习机制。社群同伴对动物个体觅食地点、时间和取食方式均有影响,母体摄食的食物信息可通过胎盘和乳汁显著影响幼体的食物选择。动物通过观察学习、嗅闻学习以及味觉厌恶学习,不仅能更快找到食物资源,提高觅食效率,而且能有效降低中毒与被捕食的风险,从而提高其适合度。     

Variability and size in mammals and birds

Body size, its variability, and their ecological correlates have long been important topics in evolutionary biology. Yet, the question of whether there is a general relationship between size and size-relative variability has not previously been addressed. Through an analysis of body-mass and length measurements from 65 074 individuals from 351 mammalian species, we show that size-relative variability increases significantly with mean species body size. Analysis of mean body mass and standard deviations for 237 species of birds revealed the same pattern. We present three plausible alternatives explanations and eliminate several others. Of these, the hypothesis that the increase in size-relative variability with mean body mass is related to the scaling of body mass components is most strongly supported. In effect, larger mammals and birds are more variable because their body mass is composed to greater relative degree of components with higher intrinsic variability (bone, fat, and muscle). In contrast, smaller mammals and birds have lower body mass variability because they are composed to a greater relative extent of components (viscera and nervous system) in which size variation is more highly constrained by energetic and functional factors.     

Seasonality of reproduction and production in farm fishes, birds and mammals

A very large majority of farm animals express seasonal variations in their production traits, thus inducing seasonal availability of fresh derived animal products (meat, milk, cheese and eggs). This pattern is in part the consequence of the farmer's objective to market his products in the most economically favourable period. It may also be imposed by the season-dependent access to feed resources, as in ruminants, or by the specific requirements derived from adaptation to environmental conditions such as water temperature in fish. But seasonal variations in animal products are also the consequence of constraints resulting from the occurrence of a more or less marked seasonal reproductive season in most farm animal species including fish, poultry and mammals. Like their wild counterparts, at mid and high latitudes, most farm animals normally give birth at the end of winter-early spring, the most favourable period for the progeny to survive and thus promote the next generation. As a consequence, most species show seasonal variations in their ovulation frequency (mammals and fish: presence or absence of ovulation; birds: variations or suppression of laying rates), spermatogenic activity (from moderate to complete absence of sperm production), gamete quality (variations in fertilisation rates and embryo survival), and also sexual behaviour. Among species of interest for animal production, fishes and birds are generally considered as more directly sensitive to external factors (mainly temperature in fish, photoperiod in birds). In all species, it is therefore advisable that artificial photoperiodic treatments consisting of extra-light during natural short days (in chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, sheep and goats) or melatonin during long days (in goats, sheep) be extensively used to either adjust the breeding season to animal producer needs and/or to completely overcome seasonal variations of sperm production in artificial insemination centres (mammals) and breeder flock operations (poultry, fish farming). Pure light treatments (without melatonin), especially when applied in open barns, could be considered as non invasive ones which fully respect animal welfare.     

广东云开山国家级自然保护区鸟兽红外相机调查初报

2017年1月至2019年9月, 我们在广东云开山国家级自然保护区3个观测样区布设61台红外相机, 对兽类和鸟类多样性进行调查。共记录到野生兽类4目7科9种, 鸟类6目14科34种, 其中广东省新记录1种, 为蓝绿鹊(Cissa chinensis), 记录国家II级重点保护动物2种, 为原鸡(Gallus gallus)和白鹇(Lophura nycthemera)。相对多度较高的5种兽类依次为赤腹松鼠(Callosciurus erythraeus)、赤麂(Muntiacus vaginalis)、鼬獾(Melogale moschata)、野猪(Sus scrofa)和果子狸(Paguma larvata), 相对多度较高的3种鸟类分别是紫啸鸫(Myiophoneus caeruleus)、虎斑地鸫(Zoothera dauma)和红嘴相思鸟(Leiothrix lutea)。通过对相对多度指数前三的鸟兽日活动节律观察分析, 共发现4种典型昼行性动物(赤腹松鼠、紫啸鸫、虎斑地鸫和红嘴相思鸟)和1种典型夜行性动物(鼬獾)。赤麂日活动呈现两个高峰时段, 分别为12:00-14:00和18:00-20:00。本研究评估了广东云开山国家级自然保护区部分兽类和鸟类资源现状, 为保护区野生动物保护与管理提供了数据支持。     

A phenology of the evolution of endothermy in birds and mammals

Recent palaeontological data and novel physiological hypotheses now allow a timescaled reconstruction of the evolution of endothermy in birds and mammals. A three‐phase iterative model describing how endothermy evolved from Permian ectothermic ancestors is presented. In Phase One I propose that the elevation of endothermy – increased metabolism and body temperature (T_b) – complemented large‐body‐size homeothermy during the Permian and Triassic in response to the fitness benefits of enhanced embryo development (parental care) and the activity demands of conquering dry land. I propose that Phase Two commenced in the Late Triassic and Jurassic and was marked by extreme body‐size miniaturization, the evolution of enhanced body insulation (fur and feathers), increased brain size, thermoregulatory control, and increased ecomorphological diversity. I suggest that Phase Three occurred during the Cretaceous and Cenozoic and involved endothermic pulses associated with the evolution of muscle‐powered flapping flight in birds, terrestrial cursoriality in mammals, and climate adaptation in response to Late Cenozoic cooling in both birds and mammals. Although the triphasic model argues for an iterative evolution of endothermy in pulses throughout the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, it is also argued that endothermy was potentially abandoned at any time that a bird or mammal did not rely upon its thermal benefits for parental care or breeding success. The abandonment would have taken the form of either hibernation or daily torpor as observed in extant endotherms. Thus torpor and hibernation are argued to be as ancient as the origins of endothermy itself, a plesiomorphic characteristic observed today in many small birds and mammals.     

中国大陆鸟类和兽类物种多样性的空间变异

生物多样性科学的研究重心之一是大尺度生物多样性空间分布规律及其形成机制。中国是世界上物种特丰富国家之一,了解我国物种多样性在空间上的变异情况,对于进一步认识大尺度上的生物多样性有重要意义。我们收集了全国205个自然保护区的鸟类和兽类物种分布信息,以G-F指数作为物种多样性的测度指标,利用地统计学方法分析了大陆鸟类和兽类物种多样性的空间变异特征。G-F指数是一种基于香农-威纳指数的信息测度,测度了研究地区环境分化程度和实际利用这种生态环境分化的生物类群多样性, 是一种对共同起源,相似生境需求的物种类群多样性的标准化多样性测度。结果发现,在东部季风区、西北干旱区和青藏高寒区内我国大陆鸟类多样性变异大部分都是由随机因素所引起的。兽类多样性的分布,在东部季风区和西北干旱区内是由随机因素所产生的,而在青藏高寒区,兽类多样性的总变异中99.9%是由空间依赖性所引起的,主要表现在71,492~1,020,000m空间尺度上,其分布表现出了强空间相关性。据此,大尺度上的物种多样性空间分布具有特定的规律,在生物多样性的保护行动中应加以考虑。     

海南尖峰岭国家级自然保护区森林动态监测样地鸟类和兽类多样性

2016年8月至2019年2月,我们利用红外相机对海南尖峰岭60 ha森林动态监测样地的鸟类和兽类进行了调查.共在79个位点上布设了红外相机,累积27,848个相机日,获得可鉴定到物种的独立有效照片15,320张.经鉴定,共拍摄到46种野生动物,包括16种兽类(隶属于6目11科)和30种鸟类(隶属于8目16科).其中,...     

Effects of metabolic level on the body size scaling of metabolic rate in birds and mammals

Metabolic rate is traditionally assumed to scale with body mass to the 3/4-power, but significant deviations from the '3/4-power law' have been observed for several different taxa of animals and plants, and for different physiological states. The recently proposed 'metabolic-level boundaries hypothesis' represents one of the attempts to explain this variation. It predicts that the power (log-log slope) of metabolic scaling relationships should vary between 2/3 and 1, in a systematic way with metabolic level. Here, this hypothesis is tested using data from birds and mammals. As predicted, in both of these independently evolved endothermic taxa, the scaling slope approaches 1 at the lowest and highest metabolic levels (as observed during torpor and strenuous exercise, respectively), whereas it is near 2/3 at intermediate resting and cold-induced metabolic levels. Remarkably, both taxa show similar, approximately U-shaped relationships between the scaling slope and the metabolic (activity) level. These predictable patterns strongly support the view that variation of the scaling slope is not merely noise obscuring the signal of a universal scaling law, but rather is the result of multiple physical constraints whose relative influence depends on the metabolic state of the organisms being analysed.     

The role of small mammals and birds in transport of matter through the shore zone of lakes

An attempt was made to estimate the role of small mammals and birds in the cycling of nutrients in the littoral zone of lakes. We estimated the approximate amounts of food, organic matter and elements ingested and egested during the breeding season by waterfowl. Small mammal densities were estimated, and their movements studied between different patches of a mosaic landscape, including the lake's shore region. Studies on passerine birds were aimed at determining the territories of some species in alder forest. Special attention was paid to the range of penetration of the reed belts by forest species.     

贵州梵净山国家级自然保护区鸟兽红外相机监测

红外相机监测是了解野生动物多样性现状、动态变化和面临威胁的重要手段。本研究采用网格抽样调查法, 在贵州梵净山国家级自然保护区内选取2个监测样区共40个监测位点布设红外相机, 对区内兽类和鸟类物种进行监测调查。2017年4月至2018年12月间, 红外相机累积监测14,808个相机工作日, 共收集有效照片14,119张, 独立有效物种照片3,199张。共鉴定野生动物9目22科61种, 其中兽类26种, 隶属于4目12科; 鸟类35种, 隶属于5目10科。记录到国家I级重点保护野生动物2种: 黔金丝猴(Rhinopithecus brelichi)和白颈长尾雉(Syrmaticus ellioti), 国家II级重点保护野生动物9种; 被IUCN红色名录评估为濒危(EN)的1种、易危(VU)的5种、近危(NT)的8种。物种的相对多度指数(relative abundance index, RAI)分析结果显示, 藏酋猴(Macaca thibetana, RAI = 28.23)、毛冠鹿(Elaphodus cephalophus, RAI = 15.46)、野猪(Sus scrofa, RAI = 11.82)、小麂(Muntiacus reevesi, RAI = 9.05)、黔金丝猴(RAI = 7.70)为相对多度最高的5种兽类; 紫啸鸫(Myophonus insularis, RAI = 10.33)、红腹角雉(Tragopan temminckii, RAI = 9.59)、红腹锦鸡(Chrysolophus pictus, RAI = 6.96)、白颈长尾雉(RAI = 3.71)、勺鸡(Pucrasia macrolopha, RAI = 1.55)为相对多度最高的5种鸟类。另外, 红外相机还监测到较多的家畜活动(RAI = 11.14)和人为活动(RAI = 12.90), 保护区管理部门仍需采取相应管理措施, 进一步提高周边居民的保护意识, 促进保护区与社区的协调发展。     

利用红外相机调查四川雪宝顶国家级自然保护区鸟类和兽类多样性

2017年4月至2019年10月,利用红外相机在四川雪宝顶国家级自然保护区开展了野生动物调查工作.共在152个位点上布设了红外相机,累积30,792个相机日,共获得独立照片6,316张.共鉴定出野生动物105种,包括27种兽类(隶属于4目13科)和78种鸟类(隶属于5目20科).其中,属于国家Ⅰ级重点保护的野生动物有7...     

利用红外相机对湖北后河自然保护区兽类和鸟类的初步调查

湖北后河国家级自然保护区,地处华中腹地,属武陵山东段余脉的一部分山地。该区域生物多样性高,但近15年来未对该地区的自然资源进行过全面调查。为深入了解该区域野生动物多样性现状及其变化,于2012年7月29日至2014年1月8日,在后河自然保护区设置红外相机监测位点53个,对保护区内的鸟类和兽类进行调查。红外相机共拍到鸟兽的独立有效照片1 963张。经鉴定,可以辨认的兽类共计4目12科19种;鸟类共计4目7科29种。在兽类中,野猪（Sus scrofa）,毛冠鹿（Elaphodus cephalophus）,中华斑羚（Naemorhedus griseus）的相对丰富度指数较高;在鸟类中,红腹锦鸡（Chrysolophus pictus）,红腹角雉（Tragopan temminckii）的相对丰富度指数较高。其中,黑熊（Ursus thibetanus）,猕猴（Macaca mulatta）,中华鬣羚（Capricornis milneedwardsii）,中华斑羚,红腹锦鸡,红腹角雉,松雀鹰（Accipiter virgatus）等为国家Ⅱ级重点保护动物;红腿长吻松鼠（Dremomys pyrrhomerus）,岩松鼠（Sciurotamias davidianus）,小麂（Muntiacus reevesi）,宝兴歌鸫（Turdus mupinensis）,棕噪鹛（Garrulax poecilorhynchus）,橙翅噪鹛（Garrulax elliotii）等为中国特有种。本文为今后后河自然保护区野生动物组成、种群动态、活动节律、生境利用、保育等长期监测工作以及后续的科学研究建立基础。     

Climatic refugia and reduced extinction correlate with underdispersion in mammals and birds in Africa

Macroevolutionary patterns, often inferred from metrics of community relatedness, are often used to ascertain major evolutionary processes shaping communities. These patterns have been shown to be informative of biogeographic barriers, of habitat suitability and invasibility (especially with regard to environmental filtering), and of regions that function as evolutionary cradles (i.e., sources of diversification) or museums (i.e., regions of reduced extinction). Here, we analyzed continental datasets of mammal and bird distributions to identify primary drivers of community evolution on the African continent for mostly endothermic vertebrates. We find that underdispersion (i.e., relatively low phylogenetic diversity compared to species richness) closely correlates with specific ecoregions that have been identified as climatic refugia in the literature, regardless of whether these specific regions have been touted as cradles or museums. Using theoretical models of identical communities that differ only with respect to extinction rates, we find that even small suppressions of extinction rates can result in underdispersed communities, supporting the hypothesis that climatic stability can lead to underdispersion. We posit that large‐scale patterns of under‐ and overdispersion between regions of similar species richness are more reflective of a particular region’s extinction potential, and that the very nature of refugia can lead to underdispersion via the steady accumulation of species richness through diversification within the same ecoregion during climatic cycles. Thus, patterns of environmental filtering can be obfuscated by environments that coincide with biogeographic refugia, and considerations of regional biogeographic history are paramount for inferring macroevolutionary processes.     

拟建川藏铁路(康定至巴塘段)沿线野生鸟兽的红外相机调查

野生动物调查是开展生物多样性研究和保护的基础。本研究以国家重大工程建设为契机, 于2019年3月至2020年3月, 利用红外相机技术对拟建川藏铁路(康定至巴塘段)沿线的兽类和鸟类进行了初步调查。共布设相机85台, 获得56台相机数据,累计获得20,440个相机工作日, 共获得独立有效照片3,656张, 其中野生兽类2,571张, 野生鸟类565张。记录到野生兽类与鸟类共57种, 其中兽类26种, 隶属5目12科, 鸟类31种, 隶属4目14科。国家I级重点保护野生动物有5种, 即金钱豹(Panthera pardus)、马麝(Moschus chrysogaster)、荒漠猫(Felis bieti)、黑颈鹤(Grus nigricollis)和黄喉雉鹑(Tetraophasis szechenyii), 国家II级重点保护野生动物有棕熊(Ursus arctos)、猕猴(Macaca mulatta)等18种。被IUCN评估为濒危(EN)的物种2种, 即马麝和矮岩羊(Pseudois schaeferi); 易危(VU)和近危(NT)的物种分别为7种和5种。被CITES纳入附录I、附录II和附录III的物种分别为7种、8种和4种。兽类中相对多度指数(relative abundance index, RAI)最高的为毛冠鹿(Elaphodus cephalophus, RAI = 8.366), 鸟类中相对多度指数最高的为血雉(Ithaginis cruentus, RAI = 0.861)。本研究利用红外相机对拟建川藏铁路沿线(康定至巴塘段)非保护区区域进行兽类和鸟类的调查研究, 确定了物种丰富度较高的4处区域, 为后续铁路建设中的保护措施提供了科学依据。     

Seed removal by small mammals, birds and ants in semi-arid Chile, and comparison with other systems

Aim This study aims to evaluate the relative importance of birds, small mammals, and ants as seed predators at a semi‐arid site in northern Chile. Location Northern Chile, in Parque Nacional Bosque Fray Jorge (30°41′ N, 71°40′ W, c. 80 m elevation). Methods We studied the relative abilities of birds, small mammals, and ants to find and remove millet seeds either singly (i.e. background seed removal) or in bulk. Single seeds were set in shallow depressions in Plexiglas trays which were established in long and arbitrary transects, and were available either to birds (diurnally) or small mammals (nocturnally) or were covered by hardware cloth and therefore available only to ants. Bulk removal was evaluated with seeds in Petri dishes that also were established in long and arbitrary transects, and trays were either open diurnally (birds) or nocturnally (small mammals); a third set of trays was covered with hardware cloth cages to excluded vertebrates, and ants were given access to Petri dishes with twigs that were arranged across the edge of the dishes. All experiments lasted four days and nights, and trays and dishes were checked and replenished as needed in the morning and evening. In the former study vertebrate consumption was determined as the mean number of seeds removed from trays (within a given transect) minus the number removed from ant‐only trays. Because ants were rarely seen in vertebrate access Petri dishes, however, we did not correct consumption there. Treatments were compared using repeated measures mixed model analysis of variance. In addition to evaluating patterns within this community, we compared our results against those obtained in similar studies in various arid regions. Results Diurnal seed consumption was significantly greater than nocturnal seed consumption, which in turn was significantly greater than consumption by ants. Diurnal consumption was highly seasonal, evidently corresponding to the seasonal arrival and departure of migratory birds. In general, South American sites exhibit much lower levels of seed predation than sites in the northern hemisphere, but removal at our site appears to be much greater and more strongly avian‐dominated than at other sites in South America. Our results are consistent with predictions based on a hypothesis relating precipitation to seed predictability. Main conclusions Both birds and small mammals were much more important seed consumers at our site than elsewhere in South America, whereas ants have been relatively unimportant at all South American sites studied to date. Although the dominant seed consumers differ across sites, overall levels of seed removal appear similar in South America and Australia, and substantially lower than reported from sites in the northern hemisphere and Africa.     

Fibroblasts from long‐lived species of mammals and birds show delayed,but prolonged,phosphorylation of ERK

Fibroblasts from long‐lived mutant mice show diminished phosphorylation of the stress‐activated protein kinases ERK1/2 after exposure to peroxide, cadmium, or paraquat. We have now evaluated the kinetics of ERK phosphorylation in fibroblasts from long‐lived and short‐lived species of mammals and birds in response to stress by cadmium or hydrogen peroxide. Fibroblasts from the shorter‐lived species of rodents and birds showed rapid induction of ERK phosphorylation, with a decline to basal level within 60 min. In contrast, cells from longer‐lived species showed slower and more prolonged activation of ERK phosphorylation. These results suggest that fibroblasts from long‐lived species may be less susceptible to the early phases of damage from cadmium or peroxide and suggest that altered kinetics of ERK activity may contribute to their stress resistance properties.     

Additions to the checklists of helminth and protozoan parasites of terrestrial mammals and birds in New Zealand

A combined list of additions to previously published checklists of helminth and protozoan parasites of terrestrial mammals and birds in New Zealand is provided. These additions include a total of 21 new host parasite records (11 helminth, 10 protozoan) from 12 mammalian hosts and 82 new records (26 helminth, 56 protozoan) from 43 birds.