Responses of small mammals to Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) odour

This paper describes the responses of three species of rodents (Apodemus sylvaticus, Microtus agrestis and Clethrionomys glareolus) and a shrew (Sore.x araneus) to traps tainted with the faecal odour of a predator, the Red fox. The rodents generally avoided traps bearing fox odour, but readily entered traps marked with rodent odour, whereas shrews entered all traps equally. Among the rodents, avoidance of fox odour was strongest in male A. sylvaticus and C. glareolus and least in M. agrestis and female A. sylvaticus . Fox droppings were found principally along paths and in open habitats where, of the rodents mentioned, they were most likely to be encountered by A. sylvaticus . It was suggested that avoidance of fox faecal and urinary odours in this species, especially by the active males, would reduce the time spent in areas frequented by foxes, and hence reduce the chance of encountering the predator itself. In contrast, M. agresis would seldom encounter fox droppings in its sub-surface runways, so avoidance of fox faecal odour would do little to reduce its chance of encountering the predator. Avoidance by the rodents of the faecal odour of badger, a predator not present in the study areas, was only slightly less marked than their avoidance of fox faecal odour. It was postulated that similar chemicals eliciting avoidance in rodents may commonly occur in the faeces and urine of carnivores.     

茄子嫁接苗根系对低温环境胁迫的响应

以‘济农2000’为对照,研究了低温胁迫下不同抗冷性茄子砧木嫁接苗根系的生理生化变化及其与抗冷性的关系.结果表明,在10 ℃(昼)/3 ℃(夜)低温处理初期,根系对低温最敏感,表现为MDA含量、冷害指数、POD活性、脯氨酸含量、可溶性蛋白含量等迅速增加,而根系呼吸速率、SOD、CAT活性等迅速降低.随着低温胁迫时间的延长,根系呼吸速率持续降低,而冷害指数持续升高,渗透调节物质基本呈增加的趋势.常温恢复3 d后,呼吸速率、渗透调节物质、SOD活性等升高,但均以抗冷性较强的赤茄砧木嫁接苗恢复能力较强,而抗冷性较弱的台茄砧木嫁接苗与自根苗较差.利用抗冷性较强的砧木进行嫁接,可显著增强茄子根系的活性,进而提高其抗冷性.     

Responses to heat and cold in lower mammals

A survey has been made of the literature pertaining to temperature regulation in the lower mammals.The following scheme represent a tentative outline of one probable evolutionary sequence of homeothermy: the first successful efforts to maintain a fairly uniform level of body temperature began on the psycho-physiological or behavioural level. The first directly physiological factor in the maintenance of homeothermy seems to have been a capacity for variation in metabolic heat production.The monotremes provides an example of a temperature regulation based solely on behaviour patterns and variation in heat production. The next factor to appear in the gradual development of refined homeothermy has been the regulation of physical heat exchange. A gradual improvement of such function is discernible along the phylum also correlated with increased thermal stress imposed by the environment. Regulation of physical heat exchange is first generally apparent in the marsupial order. The thermostatic arrangements responsible for efficient body temperature regulation have been developed gradually becoming increasingly complex and accurate. It is discussed how an efficient central nervous thermostatic control seems to have been the last factor developed to perfection in homeothermy.

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Zusammenfassung übersichtsrefrat über die Temperaturregulation in niederen SÄugern. Das folgende Schema ist ein vorlÄufiger Entwurf über die wahrscheinliche Ausbildung der Homeothermie wÄhrend der Evolution:die ersten wirksamen Einrichtungen zur Erhaltung einer ziemlich uniformen Korpertemperatur waren psycho-physiologische Funktionen und Eigenarten im Verhalten. Die erste ausschliesslich physiologische Funktion zur Erhaltung der Homeothermie scheint die FÄhigkeit zur Änderung der WÄrmebildung im Stoffwechsel gewesen zu sein.Die Monotremata sind ein Beispiel für Temperaturregulation, die allein durch Verhaltensformen und Änderung der WÄrmebildung bestimmt wird. Der nÄchste Schritt wÄhrend der graduellen Entwicklung zur ausgebildeten Homeothermie war die Regulierung des physikalischen WÄrmeaustausches.Eine zunehmende Verbesserung dieser Funktionen ist in dem Stamm zu beobachten. Sie ist verbunden mit verstÄrkter Hitzebelastung durch die Umwelt.Die Regulierung des physikalischen WÄrmeaustausches ist bei den Marsupialia erstmalig nachweisbar.Die Einrichtungen für wirksame Körpertemperaturregulation haben sich langsam entwickelt und wurden immer komplexer und genauer. Die Körpertemperaturkontrolle durch das Zentralnervensystem scheint die letzte Einrichtung zur Vervollkommung der Homeothermie gewesen zu sein.

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Résumé Ce travail passe en revue la régulation thermique des petits mammifères.Le schéma provisoire suivant indique les mécanismes possibles d'apparition de l'homéothermie pendant l'évolution: les premiers dispositifs efficaces maintenant une température corporelle à peu près constante étaient des fonctions psycho-physiologiques et des particularités du comportement. La première fonction purement physiologique contribuant à l'homéothermie semble avoir été la faculté de modifier la production de chaleur métabolique. Les monotrèmes sont un exemple de régulation thermique produite uniquement par des formes de comportement et par des changements de la production de chaleur. Le développement de l'homéothermie complète progressa ensuite par la régulation des échanges physiques de chaleur.Le perfectionnement de ces fonctions s'observe chez le phylum.Elle est liée à une surcharge de chaleur en provenance du milieu externe. La régulation des échanges physiques de chaleur est atteinte en premier par les marsupiaux. Les dispositifs efficaces de régulation de la température corporelle se sont développés lentement et sont devenus toujours plus précis et plus complexes. Le contrÔle de la température corporelle par le système nerveux central semble Être le dispositif le plus récent de l'homéothermie complète.

     

Comparative locomotor performance of marsupial and placental mammals

Marsupials are often considered inferior to placental mammals in a number of physiological characters. Because locomotor performance is presumed to be an important component of fitness, we compared marsupials and placentals with regard to both maximal running speeds and maximal aerobic speeds (=speed at which the maximal rate of oxygen consumption, VOlmax, is attained). Maximal aerobic speed is related to an animal's maximal sustainable speed, and hence is a useful comparative index of stamina.
Maximal running speeds of 11 species of Australian marsupials, eight species of Australian murid rodents, two species of American didelphid marsupials, and two species of American rodents were measured in the laboratory and compared with data compiled from the literature. Our values are greater than, or equivalent to, those reported previously. Marsupials and placentals do not differ in maximal running speeds (nor do Australian rodents differ from non-Australian rodents). Within these groups, however, species and families may differ considerably. Some of the interspecific variation in maximal running speeds is related to differences in habitat: species inhabiting open habitats (e.g. deserts) tend to be faster than are species from habitats with more cover, or arboreal species.
Maximal aerobic speeds (compiled from the literature) were higher in large species than in small species. However, marsupials and placentals show no general difference with regard to maximal aerobic speeds.
Maximal running speeds and maximal aerobic speeds for 18 species of mammals were not correlated, after correcting for correlations with body size. Thus, the fastest sprinters do not necessarily have high maximal aerobic speeds.     

Cool running: locomotor performance at low body temperature in mammals

Mammalian torpor saves enormous amounts of energy, but a widely assumed cost of torpor is immobility and therefore vulnerability to predators. Contrary to this assumption, some small marsupial mammals in the wild move while torpid at low body temperatures to basking sites, thereby minimizing energy expenditure during arousal. Hence, we quantified how mammalian locomotor performance is affected by body temperature. The three small marsupial species tested, known to use torpor and basking in the wild, could move while torpid at body temperatures as low as 14.8-17.9°C. Speed was a sigmoid function of body temperature, but body temperature effects on running speed were greater than those in an ectothermic lizard used for comparison. We provide the first quantitative data of movement at low body temperature in mammals, which have survival implications for wild heterothermic mammals, as directional movement at low body temperature permits both basking and predator avoidance.     

Genetic efficacy of low doses of ionizing radiation in chronically-irradiated small mammals

Earlier we have established the genetic effects of low dose chronic irradiation in bank vole (somatic and germ cells, embryos), in pond carp (fertilized eggs, embryos, fry) and in laboratory mice (somatic and germ cells) in the range of doses from near-background to 10 cGy. These low dose effects observed in mammals and fish are not expected from extrapolation of high dose experiments. For understanding reasons this discrepancy the comparative analysis of genetic efficiency of low dose chronic irradiation and the higher doses of acute irradiation was carried out with natural populations of bank vole which inhabited the two sites differing in ground of radionuclide deposition. For comparing efficiency the linear regression model of dose-effect curve was used. Dose-effect equations were obtained for animals from two chronically irradiated bank vole populations. The mean population absorbed doses were in the range 0.04-0.68 cGy, the main part of absorbed doses consisted of external radiation of animals exposed to 137Cs gamma-rays. Dose-effect equations for acute irradiation to 137Cs gamma-rays (10-100 cGy) were determined for the same populations. Comparison of genetic efficiency was made by extrapolation, using regression coefficient beta and doubling dose estimation. For chronic exposure the doubling doses calculated from low-dose experiments are 0.1-2 cGy and the doubling doses determined from high-dose experiments are in the range of 5-20 cGy. Our hypothesis that the doubling dose estimate is calculated in higher-dose ionizing radiation experiments should be much higher than the deduced from the low dose line regression equation was verified. The doubling dose estimates for somatic cells of bank vole and those for germ cells of laboratory mice are in close agreement. The radiosensitivity of bank vole chromosomes were shown is practically the same as that for human lymphocytes since doubling dose estimates for acute irradiation close to each other. For low LET radiation a higher genetic efficiency of chronic low doses in comparison with the higher doses of acute gamma-irradiation (137Cs source) was proved by three methods.     

Responses of skilletfish Gobiesox strumosus to high temperature and low oxygen stress

This study quantified physiological responses of skilletfish Gobiesox strumosus exposed to thermal and oxic stress. Fish acclimated at 12, 22 and 32° C had low oxygen tolerance values (mean ±s.d .) of 0·40 ± 0·09, 0·40 ± 0·08 and 0·35 ± 0·03, and critical thermal maxima (mean ±s.d .) of 33·2 ± 0·5, 38·1 ± 0·0 and 39·5 ± 0·3° C, respectively. Furthermore, G. strumosus were oxygen conformers at all acclimation temperatures, i.e. the fish allowed oxygen consumption rates to decrease with ambient oxygen concentration. High temperature tolerance, low oxygen tolerance and decreasing metabolic rates during hypoxic events allow the fish to survive harsh environmental conditions encountered in their natural environment.     

Ontogenetic and phylogenetic transformations of the ear ossicles in marsupial mammals

This study is based on the examination of histological sections of specimens of different ages and of adult ossicles from macerated skulls representing a wide range of taxa and aims at addressing several issues concerning the evolution of the ear ossicles in marsupials. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the ear ossicles based on histological series were done for one or more stages of Monodelphis domestica, Caluromys philander, Sminthopsis virginiae, Trichosurus vulpecula, and Macropus rufogriseus. Several common trends were found. Portions of the ossicles that are phylogenetically older develop earlier than portions representing more recent evolutionary inventions (manubrium of the malleus, crus longum of the incus). The onset of endochondral ossification in the taxa in which this was examined followed the sequence; first malleus, then incus, and finally stapes. In M. domestica and C. philander at birth the yet precartilaginous ossicles form a supportive strut between the lower jaw and the braincase. The cartilage of Paauw develops relatively late in comparison with the ear ossicles and in close association to the tendon of the stapedial muscle. A feeble artery traverses the stapedial foramen of the stapes in the youngest stages of M. domestica, C. philander, and Sminthopsis virginiae examined. Presence of a large stapedial foramen is reconstructed in the groundplan of the Didelphidae and of Marsupialia. The stapedial foramen is absent in all adult caenolestids, dasyurids, Myrmecobius, Notoryctes, peramelids, vombatids, and phascolarctids. Pouch young of Perameles sp. and Dasyurus viverrinus show a bicrurate stapes with a sizeable stapedial foramen. Some didelphids examined to date show a double insertion of the Tensor tympani muscle. Some differences exist between M. domestica and C. philander in adult ossicle form, including the relative length of the incudal crus breve and of the stapes. Several differences exist between the malleus of didelphids and that of some phalangeriforms, the latter showing a short neck, absence of the lamina, and a ventrally directed manubrium. Hearing starts in M. domestica at an age in which the external auditory meatus has not yet fully developed, the ossicles are not fully ossified, and the middle ear space is partially filled with loose mesenchyme. The ontogenetic changes in hearing abilities in M. domestica between postnatal days 30 and 40 may be at least partially related to changes in middle ear structures.     

Responses of Rubisco and Rubisco activase in cucumber seedlings to low temperature and weak light

Using 'Jinyou 3' cucumber seedlings as test materials, this paper studied their photosynthetic rate (P(n)), Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and Rubisco activase (RCA) activities, and gene expression of Rubisco and RCA under optimal temperature and weak light (WL: 25 degrees C/18 degrees C, 100 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1)), suboptimal temperature and weak light (ST+WL: 18 degrees C/12 degrees C, 100 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1)), and low temperature and weak light (LT+WL: 10 degress C/5 degrees C, 100 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1)). Comparing with the control (25 degrees C/18 degrees C, 400 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1)), treatments WL, ST+WL, and LT+WL all led to a remarkable decrease in leaf area and dry matter mass. At initial stage, the P(n), Rubisco activity, rbcL and rbcS expression, RCA activity, and CsRCA expression in the three treatments declined by a big margin; 5-7 days later, these parameters tended to be less changed in treatment WL, ascended slowly in treatment ST+WL, and decreased continuously in treatment LT+WL. These results suggested that the photosynthetic apparatus of test cucumber seedlings could gradually adapt to weak light or suboptimal temperature and weak light. The Rubisco and RCA activities and the gene expression of Rubisco and RCA showed the similar responses to low temperature and weak light as the P(n), suggesting that the decline in Rubisco and RCA activities and gene expression in cucumber seedlings under low temperature and weak light could be the important reason leading to the decrease of P(n).     

棉花幼苗叶片光合特性对低温胁迫及恢复处理的响应

为研究低温逆境及恢复处理下棉花幼苗光合特性响应机制, 丰富棉花苗期在不同胁迫水平下的抗寒机制及为应对自然条件下突发的低温冷害提供理论依据, 以‘新陆早33号’ (冷敏感)及‘中棉所50号’ (高耐寒)两个品种为试材, 采用人工模拟低温方法, 研究不同温度和处理时间下棉花幼苗光合气体交换参数、光能转化及传递的表现和恢复能力, 并通过测定胁迫解除后叶片的光合光响应曲线来分析叶片对光环境的适应能力。结果表明, 在较低强度低温逆境(15 ℃或24 h胁迫)中, 叶片净光合速率(P_n)、气孔导度(G_s)、气孔限制值、胞间CO₂浓度、最大光化学效率、光适应下最大光化学效率、实际光化学效率、相对电子传递速率变化幅度较小, 且胁迫解除后可恢复正常, 此时叶片光系统II (PSII)光反应中心受损可逆, P_n下降主要因气孔闭合引起。随着胁迫强度增加, 各测试指标变化显著, 且恢复表现较差, 此时叶片PSII光反应中心光能吸收、转化和电子传递受到严重阻碍, P_n下降原因由气孔限制因素转变为非气孔限制因素。低温胁迫导致叶片对光辐射的利用能力下降, 随着胁迫温度降低, 叶片最大净光合速率、表观量子效率及光饱和点快速下降, 光补偿点及暗呼吸速率则呈上升趋势。低温胁迫可导致棉花幼苗叶片对光环境适应能力降低, PSII反应中心对激发能捕获、活跃化学能转化及光合电子传递速率快速下降, CO₂固定能力降低, 最终导致光合能力下降。强耐寒品种则能在低温逆境中保持较高的光能转化、电子传递和弱光利用效率, 亦可通过减少暗呼吸消耗和调整G_s降低幅度和速度来保持较高的光合速率, 提高恢复能力, 增强植株抗逆性。     

Mass-specific metabolic rate and sperm competition determine sperm size in marsupial mammals

Two complementary hypotheses have been proposed to explain variation in sperm size. The first proposes that post-copulatory sexual selection favors an increase in sperm size because it enhances sperm swimming speed, which is an important determinant of fertilization success in competitive contexts. The second hypothesis proposes that mass-specific metabolic rate acts as a constraint, because large animals with low mass-specific metabolic rates will not be able to process resources at the rates needed to produce large sperm. This constraint is expected to be particularly pronounced among mammals, given that this group contains some of the largest species on Earth. We tested these hypotheses among marsupials, a group in which mass-specific metabolic rates are roughly 30% lower than those of eutherian mammals of similar size, leading to the expectation that metabolic rate should be a major constraint. Our findings support both hypotheses because levels of sperm competition are associated with increases in sperm size, but low mass-specific metabolic rate constrains sperm size among large species. We also found that the relationship between sperm size and mass-specific metabolic rate is steeper among marsupials and shallower among eutherian mammals. This finding has two implications: marsupials respond to changes in mass-specific metabolic rate by modifying sperm length to a greater extent, suggesting that they are more constrained by metabolic rate. In addition, for any given mass-specific metabolic rate, marsupials produce longer sperm. We suggest that this is the consequence of marsupials diverting resources away from sperm numbers and into sperm size, due to their efficient sperm transport along the female tract and the existence of mechanisms to protect sperm.     

An energy-based body temperature threshold between torpor and normothermia for small mammals

Field studies of use of torpor by heterothermic endotherms suffer from the lack of a standardized threshold differentiating torpid body temperatures (T(b)) from normothermic T(b)'s. This threshold can be more readily observed if metabolic rate (MR) is measured in the laboratory. I digitized figures from the literature that depicted simultaneous traces of MR and T(b) from 32 respirometry runs for 14 mammal species. For each graph, I quantified the T(b) measured when MR first began to drop at the onset of torpor (T(b-onset)). I used a general linear model to quantify the effect of ambient temperature (T(a)) and body mass (BM) on T(b-onset). For species lighter than 70 g, the model was highly significant and was described by the equation Tb-onset=(0.055+/-0.014)BM+(0.071+/-0.031)Ta+(31.823+/-0.740). To be conservative, I recommend use of these model parameters minus 1 standard error, which modifies the equation to Tb-onset-1 SE=(0.041)BM+(0.040)Ta+31.083. This approach provides a standardized threshold for differentiating torpor from normothermia that is based on use of energy, the actual currency of interest for studies of torpor in the wild. Few laboratory studies have presented the time-course data required to quantify T(b-onset), so more data are needed to validate this relationship.     

Ski-pistes are ecological barriers to forest small mammals

From the beginning of the last century, the expansion of the ski industry has significantly altered alpine environments. The aim of this research was to study the impacts of forest ski-pistes on small mammals by assessing (1) whether ski-pistes were used or avoided and (2) whether they acted as ecological barriers to local movements. Two ski-developed valleys of the Western Italian Alps were considered. Most of the fieldwork occurred in the Sessera valley (Piedmont); a minor part was carried out in the Ayas valley (Aosta valley). In the main study site, three capture–mark–recapture studies on core species were carried out to assess habitat use (one study) and the capability of crossing ski-pistes (two studies: spontaneous crossing and individual translocation). Two radiotracking surveys of the most vagile species, the fat dormouse, were carried out to locate home ranges and resting sites in relation to ski-pistes. In the habitat use experiment, virtually all individuals (245 out of 249) were captured outside the ski-piste. In the spontaneous crossing test, recaptures of marked individuals showed that they moved on one side of the ski-piste only and never crossed it. However, in translocation experiments, 18.6 % of translocated individuals were able to cross the ski-piste and come back to the original forest patch. Fat dormice maintained home ranges on one side of the ski-piste and they never crossed it. Resting sites were mostly underground, between rocks, in boulders and in rocky crevices, never in the ski-piste. Our study clearly suggests that forest ski-pistes represent habitat loss and are ecological, semi-permeable barriers to small mammals. To mitigate habitat loss and make movements between forest patches easier, a possible management intervention could be maintaining a partial shrub cover or adding woody debris, both relatively easy methods for ski areas to implement in order to maintain small mammal communities.     

Lung and metabolic development in mammals: contribution to the reconstruction of the marsupial and eutherian morphotype

Marsupials represent only 6% of all living mammals. Marsupialia and Placentalia are distinguished mainly by their modes of reproduction. In particular, the differences in the stage of development of the neonates may be one explanation for the divergent evolutionary success. In this respect one important question is whether the survivability of the neonate depends on the degree of maturation of the respiratory system relative to the metabolic capacity at the time of birth. Therefore, this review highlights the differences in lung morphology and metabolic development of extant Marsupialia and Placentalia. The Marsupial neonate is born with a low birth weight and is highly immature. The neonatal lung is characterized by large terminal sacs, a poorly developed bronchial system and late formation of alveoli. Marsupialia have a low metabolic rate at birth and attain adult metabolic rate and thermoregulatory capacity late in postnatal development. In contrast, the eutherian neonate is born with a relative high birth weight and is always more mature than marsupial neonates. The neonatal lung has small terminal sacs, the bronchial system is well developed and the formation of alveoli begins few days after birth. Placentalia have a high metabolic rate at birth and attain adult metabolic rate and thermoregulatory capacity early in postnatal development. The differences in the developmental degree of the newborn lung between Marsupialia and Placentalia have consequences for their metabolic and thermoregulatory capacity. These differences could be advantageous for Placentalia in the changing environments in which they evolved.     

Use of behavior analysis to recognize pain in small mammals

The minimization of pain in laboratory animals is a gold standard with implications for improvements in both animal welfare and research quality. Changes in behavioral parameters may indicate that an animal is in pain, but in order to effectively use behavioral change to assess pain, the observer must be familiar with normal behaviors. The author discusses normal and pain-related behaviors exhibited by rodents, rabbits, and ferrets.