Change of serum mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) levels and daily rhythm of rectal and cutaneous temperatures in Equus caballus and Capra hyrcus

The aim of the present study was to monitor the daily rhythm of rectal and cutaneous temperatures together with the changes in the serum levels of mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in equine and goat species. On five gelding horses and five female goat rectal and cutaneous temperatures were recorded at 4 h intervals for a 48 h period. At the same time points blood samples were collected from each animal. Daily rhythms of rectal and cutaneous temperatures were observed in both species, in both day of monitoring. Mesor value of rectal temperature was statistically higher of about 4 °C than cutaneous temperature, and acrophase was postponed of about 2 h in both day of monitoring and in both species. UCP1 did not show daily rhythmicity in horses and goats. We can speculate that the thermogenesis due to thermal system is auxiliary to keeping the body temperature daily rhythm.     

卡拉麦里山有蹄类自然保护区水源地野放普氏野马的活动节律：基于红外相机监测数据

2014年4月至11月,在卡拉麦里山有蹄类自然保护区的22个水源地安放66台红外相机,其中在8个野放普式野马(Equus przewalskii)利用的水源地放置了16台红外相机,对野放普氏野马在水源地的活动节律和时间分配进行了研究。16台相机累计工作1 068 d,获得野放普氏野马有效照片2 051张。研究发现,野放普氏野马在水源地不同时段的有效照片数量符合正态分布,且季节间存在极显著差异。野放普氏野马在水源地不同时段的有效照片数量,春季远低于夏季和秋季(P0.05),而夏季与秋季差异不显著(P0.05)。野放普氏野马饮水频次春季极显著低于夏季和秋季(P0.01),夏季与秋季差异不显著(P0.05)。普氏野马在水源地具有稳定的日活动节律,时间分配上呈典型的钟形,13:00~17:00时达到高峰,20:00~次日5:00时快速下降,3:00~6:00时是一天中的低谷,在5:00~13:00时快速上升。不同月份野放普氏野马的日活动差异指数α(t=8.364,df=7,P0.01)和昼行性指数β(t=19.519,df=7,P0.01)均存在极显著差异,且β值为0.660.54,表明野放普氏野马活动以昼间为主。季节间活动差异指数存在极显著差异(单样本K-S检验,t=7.851,df=23,P0.01)。独立多样本Kruskal-Wallis检验季节性活动强度指数γ值差异不显著(χ~2=0.162,df=2,P0.05)。通过在卡山保护区固定水源地的实时监测,初步明晰了野放普氏野马在水源地附近的活动节律及其季节性水源地利用,从而为野放普氏野马的生态学研究及保护措施的制定提供科学依据。     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite DNA loci in the toad‐headed lizards,Phrynocephalus przewalskii complex

To assess mechanisms of hybridization and speciation, we isolated and characterized 12 dinucleotide microsatellite DNA loci for the toad‐headed lizards, Phrynocephalus przewalskii complex. A total of 48 specimens were examined and all loci were polymorphic with seven to 25 alleles per locus. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.282 to 0.946 and 0.400 to 0.937, respectively. These loci are therefore suitable for a wide range of population level studies within the P. przewalskii complex.     

High variation and very low differentiation in wide ranging plains zebra (Equus quagga): insights from mtDNA and microsatellites

Patterns of genetic differentiation in the plains zebra ( Equus quagga ) were analysed using mitochondrial DNA control region variation and seven microsatellites. The six morphologically defined subspecies of plains zebra lacked the population genetic structure indicative of distinct evolutionary units. Both marker sets showed high levels of genetic variation and very low levels of differentiation. There was no geographical structuring of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in the phylogenetic tree, and the plains zebra showed the lowest overall differentiation recorded in any African ungulate studied so far. Arid-adapted African ungulates have shown significant regional genetic structuring in support of the Pleistocene refuge theory. This was not the case in the zebra, and the data are discussed in relation to the impact of Pleistocene climate change on a nonbovid member of the savannah ungulate community. The only other species showing a similar absence of genetic structuring is the African buffalo ( Syncerus caffer ), but this taxon lacks the high levels of morphological variation present in the plains zebra.     

Age of the Jeju pony (Equus caballus) at first reproduction: potential costs for foals and mothers that first reproduce early in life

In a related paper, we showed that mares that reproduced early in life tended to have higher fecundity because of a decrease in the duration of inter-birth intervals relative to mares that reproduced later in life. However, we know that young mares are subordinate to older mares. Hence, costs associated with low dominance rank might offset the benefits of earlier reproduction. We compared harassment of foals of female Jeju ponies that first reproduced at three years of age with that of foals of females that first reproduced at five years of age. As a consequence of their positions in the linear dominance hierarchy, foals born to and guarded by young mares were harassed more frequently than foals whose mothers were older when they first reproduced. A mare that reproduced early in life guarded her offspring more closely and intervened between her foal and neighboring mares more frequently than those mares which first reproduced when older. This need to guard their foals and the harm that might ensue from frequent harassment might counter-balance selection towards earlier reproduction in mares.     

Geographic distribution of an extinct equid (Equus hydruntinus: Mammalia, Equidae) revealed by morphological and genetical analyses of fossils

Equus hydruntinus inhabited Europe and the Middle East for more than 300 000 years. For a long time, palaeontological data failed to place E. hydruntinus into the equid phylogenetic tree, confronted with the fact that it shares primitive Equus characters with both zebras and asses, and derived characters with asses and hemiones. However, the study of a recently discovered skull points to a relationship with hemiones. Extraction of DNA from ancient samples from Crimea (E. hydruntinus) and Iran (E. cf. hydruntinus) yielded 134-288 bp of the mtDNA control region and 143 bp of the cytochrome b gene. This DNA analysis supports the proximity of E. hydruntinus and Equus hemionus suggested by skull and limb bone analyses, and rejects proximity to either Equus burchelli or the asses suggested by tooth morphology. Dental morphology may thus be of poor taxonomical value if used alone for establishing equid phylogenetic relationships. Furthermore, the small genetic distance between E. cf. hydruntinus of Iran and the classical E. hydruntinus of Crimea suggests that both samples belong to the same species. Accordingly, the geographic range of E. hydruntinus -- until now believed to be restricted to Europe, Israel, and Turkey -- can be extended towards East as far as Iran.     

青海湖裸鲤生长特征的研究

对2002年5月—2003年7月采自青海湖的1174尾青海湖裸鲤样本年龄进行了耳石鉴定,并依据年龄推算了生长率。青海湖裸鲤体长与体重的关系为:W=0.000174×L2.4990(♀)、W=0.0000402×L2.7538(♂),雌、雄个体生长差异显著。其体长Von Bertalanffy生长方程为:Lt=551.9301(1-e-0.0711(t 0.3044))(♀),Lt=682.8688(1-e-0.0530(t 0.4240))(♂);体重Von Bertalanffy生长方程为:Wt=1237.3431(1-e-0.0711(t 0.3044))2.4990(♀),Wt=2567.3242×(1-e-0.0530(t 0.4240))2.7538(♂)。其雌、雄生长拐点分别为12.57龄和18.67龄。     

不同生境下濒危植物裸果木种群结构及动态特征

裸果木(Gymnocarpos przewalskii)为古地中海旱生植物区系孑遗种, 是砾质荒漠的主要建群种之一。通过对安西极旱荒漠国家级自然保护区内3种生境(水冲滩地、山间冲沟、平缓戈壁)条件下裸果木种群的样地调查, 编制不同生境裸果木种群的静态生命表, 绘制其存活曲线和生存分析函数的曲线, 并采用时间序列模型对种群的数量动态进行预测, 以揭示不同生境下裸果木的种群结构和动态特征。结果表明: 3种生境下裸果木种群均属增长型, 数量变化动态指数(V’ pi) > 0, 但对外界干扰比较敏感, 存活曲线趋于Deevey-II型, 表明种群各龄级的死亡率基本接近; 不同生境裸果木种群大小依次为水冲滩地>山间冲沟>平缓戈壁, 结合对种群年龄结构的分析, 进一步表明水分条件较好的水冲滩地和山间冲沟生境更加适宜裸果木生存; 生存分析和时间序列预测表明幼龄个体的缺乏是未来裸果木种群发生衰退的主要原因, 且平缓戈壁生境下的裸果木种群将先于另外两种生境下的种群发生更加快速的衰退。     

An invasive tree facilitates the persistence of native rodents on an over‐grazed floodplain in tropical Australia

In an ecosystem under simultaneous threat from multiple alien species, one invader may buffer the impact of another. Our surveys on a remote floodplain in the Kimberley region of north western Australia show that invasive chinee apple trees (Ziziphus mauritiana) provide critical refuge habitat for native rodents (pale field rats, Rattus tunneyi). Feral horses (Equus caballus) have trampled most of the remaining floodplain, but are excluded from the area around each chinee apple tree by thorny foliage. Although chinee apple trees constituted <10% of trees along our transects, they represented >50% of trees that harboured rat burrows. The mean number of burrows under each chinee apple tree was twice as high as under most other tree species, and we trapped more than seven times as many rats under chinee apple trees as under other types of trees. The extensive burrow systems under chinee apple trees contained female as well as male rats, whereas we only captured males around the smaller burrow systems under other tree species. Our data suggest that this invasive tree plays a critical role in the persistence of pale field rat populations in this degraded ecosystem, and that managers should maintain these trees (despite their alien origins) at least until feral horses have been removed.