Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in the Eurasian dog breed--inheritance and exclusion of two candidate genes

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is considered an inherited disease in several dog breeds. Affected dogs show polyphagia, weight loss and voluminous faeces of light colour due to the lack of pancreatic enzymes. In the study described herein, we performed a segregation analysis using the singles method for three families of the Eurasian dog breed. Our data were consistent with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. In addition, we performed a linkage analysis in these families using four microsatellite markers on CFA3 and two microsatellites on CFA23. Based on our results, we excluded the canine orthologs of the human cholecystokinin (CCK) and the cholecystokinin A receptor (CCKAR) genes as candidates for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.     

The global distributional patterns of toxic, bloom dinoflagellates recorded from the Eurasian Arctic

The global distributional patterns are presented for 14 toxic and potentially toxic dinoflagellate species (PSP, DSP, yessotoxin, azaspiracid and their analogues, ichthyotoxic and haemolytic compound producers) recorded from the Eurasian Arctic and which have caused harmful blooms elsewhere. The distributional patterns are based on materials collected during 28 expeditions to the Eurasian Arctic during the period from 1976 to 1999 (1810 samples from 539 stations) and about 500 literary sources. All Russian literature on the occurrences of dinoflagellates in the Eurasian Arctic was analyzed and relevant references are given.     

华北和云南现代人类头骨的欧亚人种特征

以往的研究表明,在3000-2000年前,"西方基因"已经在我国多个地区存在,这些"西方基因"是经由新疆流向内地的。为探讨这些"西方基因"在中国现代人群中的存在情况,本文对现代华北和云南人类头骨上的欧亚人种特征表现状况作了检查和比较。结果表明:1)欧亚人种特征在现代华北头骨标本和云南头骨标本中都能够检测到。这提示了"西方基因"不仅曾经流向华北,也流向中国西南地区的云南;2)华北头骨所代表的这一人群,在欧亚人种特征平均出现率(AFOERC)上并不比大约3000年前的殷墟人群高。这很可能是由于该华北人群与带有"西方基因"的外界人群往来有限,因而并无更多的"西方基因"流入的缘故;3)云南头骨标本比华北头骨标本在AFOERC上低得多;这可能是该云南人群与当地其他人群发生过频繁的基因交流而弱化了其原有的AFOERC的缘故。     

Couch potatoes do better: Delayed dispersal and territory size affect the duration of territory occupancy in a monogamous mammal

In territorial, socially monogamous species, the establishment and defense of a territory are an important strategy to maximize individual fitness, but the factors responsible for the duration of territory occupancy are rarely studied, especially in long‐lived mammals. A long‐term monitoring program in southeast Norway spanning over 18 years allowed us to follow the individual life histories of Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) from adolescence in their natal family group to dispersal and territory establishment until the end of territory occupancy. We investigated whether territory size, resource availability, population density, and dispersal age could explain the duration of territory occupancy, which ranged from 1 to 11 years. The duration of territory occupancy was positively related to dispersal age, suggesting that individuals that delayed dispersal had a competitive advantage due to a larger body mass. This is in support with the maturation hypothesis, which states that an animal should await its physical and behavioral maturation before the acquisition of a territory. Further, we found that individuals that established in medium‐sized territories occupied them longer as compared to individuals in small or large territories. This suggests that large territories are more costly to defend due to an increased patrolling effort, and small territories might not have sufficient resources. The lifetime reproductive success ranged from zero to six kits and generally increased with an increasing duration of territory occupancy. Our findings show the importance of holding a territory and demonstrate that dispersal decisions and territory selection have important consequences for the fitness of an individual.     

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers in Eurasian vulture Gyps fulvus

To obtain polymorphic molecular markers for population genetic and conservation studies in the Eurasian vulture Gyps fulvus populations, we screened a size‐selected partial genomic library enriched for microsatellites with dinucleotide motifs. A total of five polymorphic markers were obtained. The number of alleles ranged from two to nine and the observed and expected heterozygosity were very similar. These markers will be very useful for studying population structure and to evaluate conservation programmes.     

灰鹤在迁徙途中撞击高压线伤亡分析与视觉盲区初探

广布于欧亚大陆的灰鹤(Grus grus)又叫普通鹤、欧亚鹤.采用直接计数法,观测灰鹤的迁徙活动.依据2019至2021年在乌鲁木齐郊区连续3年搜集灰鹤迁徙期遭遇高压线(220 kV)挂碰遇难的数据,简单介绍伤亡案例的特点.可能是因为灰鹤前端有一个视觉盲区,致49只灰鹤碰撞了高压线,统计到伤亡率达5.4％.伤亡者多是1...     

凉水自然保护区松鼠巢址选择的特征

2006 年6 月11 日至9 月27 日和2007 年8 月14 日至9 月21 日采用样线法,并结合定位观察的方法在凉水国家级自然保护区对松鼠的巢址选择进行了定量研究,共获取107 个巢样方和230 个对照样方。对每个样方分别测定了12 个巢树参数和7 个环境参数。统计分析结果表明,松鼠仅在针叶树上营巢,59.8 ± 4. 7% 的巢建于红松上,但对枝叶比红松更为浓密的云杉和臭冷杉有显著的选择性,而且显著倾向于在以云杉、臭冷杉为优势树种的生境中营巢。松鼠选择比较高大(树高21.5 ± 0.4 m)、活动通道比较多(3.6 ±0.1)的树营巢,巢树周围的树木密度(169 ± 4 株/ hm² )和多样性(辛普森指数0.51 ± 0.01)显著高于对照样方。巢址生境多位于南向的中、下坡位。巢址高12.4 ± 0.4 m,紧贴树干,多朝南。红松树上的巢多建于树冠的中下部,云杉和臭冷杉树上的巢多建于树冠的上部。松鼠巢对包括道路在内的林隙没有显著的回避。     

Genomic patterns in the widespread Eurasian lynx shaped by Late Quaternary climatic fluctuations and anthropogenic impacts

Disentangling the contribution of long‐term evolutionary processes and recent anthropogenic impacts to current genetic patterns of wildlife species is key to assessing genetic risks and designing conservation strategies. Here, we used 80 whole nuclear genomes and 96 mitogenomes from populations of the Eurasian lynx covering a range of conservation statuses, climatic zones and subspecies across Eurasia to infer the demographic history, reconstruct genetic patterns, and discuss the influence of long‐term isolation and/or more recent human‐driven changes. Our results show that Eurasian lynx populations shared a common history until 100,000 years ago, when Asian and European populations started to diverge and both entered a period of continuous and widespread decline, with western populations, except Kirov, maintaining lower effective sizes than eastern populations. Population declines and increased isolation in more recent times probably drove the genetic differentiation between geographically and ecologically close westernmost European populations. By contrast, and despite the wide range of habitats covered, populations are quite homogeneous genetically across the Asian range, showing a pattern of isolation by distance and providing little genetic support for the several proposed subspecies. Mitogenomic and nuclear divergences and population declines starting during the Late Pleistocene can be mostly attributed to climatic fluctuations and early human influence, but the widespread and sustained decline since the Holocene is more probably the consequence of anthropogenic impacts which intensified in recent centuries, especially in western Europe. Genetic erosion in isolated European populations and lack of evidence for long‐term isolation argue for the restoration of lost population connectivity.     

松鼠生态学研究现状与展望

松鼠(Sciurus vulgaris)是一种广泛分布于欧亚大陆的树栖杂食性啮齿动物。在欧洲,由于入侵种北美灰松鼠(S.carolinensis)的引入,松鼠的数量急剧减少,松鼠的生态学研究受到广泛的关注。在中国,松鼠因贮食坚果的习性而受到重视。本文从个体生态学、种群生态学、种间关系和行为生态学的角度对松鼠生态学研究成果进行了综述。松鼠是哺乳动物生态学研究很好的模式种,以下5个方面的研究将成为松鼠生态学研究的新方向:(1)不同分布区松鼠的比较生态学;(2)与森林天然更新的关系;(3)集合种群动态及其对生境破碎化的响应;(4)分子系统地理学;(5)作为景观管理的实验种。