Is incest common in gray wolf packs?

Wolf packs generally consist of a breeding pair and their maturingoffspring that help provision and protect pack young. Becausethe reproductive tenure in wolves is often short, reproductivelymature offspring might replace their parents, resulting in siblingor parent-offspring matings. To determine the extent of incestuouspairings, we measured relatedness based on variability in 20microsatellite loci of mated pairs, parent-offspring pairs,and siblings in two populations of gray wolves. Our 16 sampledmated pairs had values of relatedness not overlapping thoseof known parent-offspring or sibling dyads, which is consistentwith their being unrelated or distantly related. These resultssuggest that full siblings or a parent and its offspring rarelymate and that incest avoidance is an important constraint ongray wolf behavioral ecology     

Landscape-Genetic Analysis of Population Structure in the Texas Gray Fox Oral Rabies Vaccination Zone

ABSTRACT In west-central Texas, USA, abatement efforts for the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) rabies epizootic illustrate the difficulties inherent in large-scale management of wildlife disease. The rabies epizootic has been managed through a cooperative oral rabies vaccination program (ORV) since 1996. Millions of edible baits containing a rabies vaccine have been distributed annually in a 16-km to 24-km zone around the perimeter of the epizootic, which encompasses a geographic area >4 × 10⁵ km². The ORV program successfully halted expansion of the epizootic into metropolitan areas but has not achieved the ultimate goal of eradication. Rabies activity in gray fox continues to occur periodically outside the ORV zone, preventing ORV zone contraction and dissipation of the epizootic. We employed a landscape-genetic approach to assess gray fox population structure and dispersal in the affected area, with the aim of assisting rabies management efforts. No unique genetic clusters or population boundaries were detected. Instead, foxes were weakly structured over the entire region in an isolation by distance pattern. Local subpopulations appeared to be genetically non-independent over distances >30 km, implying that long-distance movements or dispersal may have been common in the region. We concluded that gray foxes in west-central Texas have a high potential for long-distance rabies virus trafficking. Thus, a 16-km to 24-km ORV zone may be too narrow to contain the fox rabies epizootic. Continued expansion of the ORV zone, although costly, may be critical to the long-term goal of eliminating the Texas fox rabies virus variant from the United States.     

Assessment of wound healing of tagged gray (Eschrichtius robustus) and blue (Balaenoptera musculus) whales in the eastern North Pacific using long‐term series of photographs

Tags have been used to examine migration routes and habitat use of large whales for >40 yr, however, evaluation of tag wound healing has largely been short‐term, anecdotal or generalized. This study developed methods for systematic photographic assessment of long‐term external consequences of tag placement, to determine potential differences in wound healing between species and tag types and thus advise future tagging efforts to possibly minimize undesirable side effects. Tag site appearance and healing characteristics were evaluated by two reviewers and a time series evaluated by five veterinarians from photographs during 995 postdeployment encounters with 34 gray and 63 blue whales tagged in the North Pacific. Blue whale resightings were less frequent, but spanned a longer time period due to earlier tag deployments than the more frequent gray whale follow‐up observations. Swelling occurred in 74% of reencountered gray whales, with the highest frequency 6 mo postdeployment. Swellings were common in blue whales with early tag designs but rare with current models. Depressions occurred in 82% of gray and 71% of blue whales. This study demonstrates the value of follow‐up studies of tagged animals and systematic scoring of photographs to quantitatively compare tag response.     

Hypothalamic Circuits for Predation and Evasion

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Interplay between stress response genes associated with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder and brain volume

The glucocorticoid receptor plays a pivotal role in the brain's response to stress; a haplotype of functional polymorphisms in the NR3C1 gene encoding this receptor has been associated with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The serotonin transporter (5‐HTT) gene polymorphism 5‐HTTLPR is known to influence the relation between stress exposure and ADHD severity, which may be partly because of its reported effects on glucocorticoid levels. We therefore investigated if NR3C1 moderates the relation of stress exposure with ADHD severity and brain structure, and the potential role of 5‐HTTLPR. Neuroimaging, genetic and stress exposure questionnaire data were available for 539 adolescents and young adults participating in the multicenter ADHD cohort study NeuroIMAGE (average age: 17.2 years). We estimated the effects of genetic variation in NR3C1 and 5‐HTT, stress exposure and their interactions on ADHD symptom count and gray matter volume. We found that individuals carrying the ADHD risk haplotype of NR3C1 showed significantly more positive relation between stress exposure and ADHD severity than non‐carriers. This gene–environment interaction was significantly stronger for 5‐HTTLPR L‐allele homozygotes than for S‐allele carriers. These two‐ and three‐way interactions were reflected in the gray matter volume of the cerebellum, parahippocampal gyrus, intracalcarine cortex and angular gyrus. Our findings illustrate how genetic variation in the stress response pathway may influence the effects of stress exposure on ADHD severity and brain structure. The reported interplay between NR3C1 and 5‐HTT may further explain some of the heterogeneity between studies regarding the role of these genes and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity in ADHD.     

刺激大鼠中脑导水管周围灰质诱发的脊髓背根电位及其传出途径的分析

电刺激大鼠中脑导水管周围灰质(PAG),在腰5(L_5)背根可记录到—稳定的负性背根电位(DRP),简称 PAG-DRP。PAG-DRP 具有空间和时间总和性质,沿背根作电紧张性扩布,且能被 GABA 能拮抗剂印防己毒素(Picrotoxin)所抑制。电解损毁中缝大核(NRM)对刺激背侧 PAG 诱发的 PAG-DRP 无明显影响,而可使刺激腹侧 PAG 诱发的 PAG-DRP电位幅值降低40%左右。结果表明,PAG 下行抑制作用中有突触前抑制参与;NRM 参与腹侧 PAG-DRP 的产生,背侧 PAG-DRP 则可能由 NRM 以外的其他核团中继。     

猫下丘脑腹内侧核与旁中央中脑区神经联系的电生理学观察

用电脉冲刺激戊巴比妥钠麻醉和三碘季铵酚麻痹的31只猫的下丘脑腹內侧核(HVM),记录旁中央中脑区的平均诱发电位(AEP)。HVM 刺激点46个,旁中央中脑区引导点1046个,其中阳性反应点103个,快波反应151个,大多数为“峰电位式”快波。用逐渐增强的电脉冲刺激 HVM 可得等级式和“全或无”式两类反应。用不同频率的双刺激(PST)测试了111个 AEP 的反应性,其中有38个能跟随500Hz 以上的 PST,27个能跟随200—499Hz 的PST,46个仅能跟随199Hz 以下的 PST。给予短串刺激时,得到跟随500Hz 以上及500Hz以下的两类反应。这些结果提示 HVM 与旁中央中脑区之间既有经突触的投射又有直接的纤维连接。据计算,这些直接纤维的传导速度约为0.29—4.1m/s,相当于细有髓鞘和无髓鞘两类纤维。另外还描述了可能属于中枢轴突的某些传导特性。反映直接纤维连接的 HVM 刺激点与中脑中央灰质反应点的位置关系提示两者之间可能具有背腹侧方向的对应关系。     

电针对青霉素所致大脑皮层痫样放电的抑制作用

青霉素置于大鼠大脑皮层感觉运动区所诱发的皮层痫样放电,可被一些“穴位”电针所抑制,表现为放电频率、振幅及时程之减少。青霉素使逆向刺激锥体束所产生的感觉运动皮层表面负波减小,而电针则促进其恢复。因此电针制痫与它促进回返抑制的恢复有关。将微量纳洛酮注入腹腔、脑室及中脑导水管周围灰质、伏隔核均能翻转电针的作用。将纳洛酮直接注入放置青霉素处的皮层感觉运动区,针效亦被阻断。这表明电针制痛中有内啡肽参与。电刺激中脑导水管周围灰质及伏隔核有显著制痫作用。     

Phocanema decipiens: Growth,reproduction, and survival in seals

Captive harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) were fed infective larvae of Phocanema decipiens, an anisakine nematode from the flesh of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhus). Ova of P. decipiens were first detected in the feces of harbor seals 21(17–30) days after exposure; the patency period was 15 to 45 days. In gray seals, the prepatent period was 19(16–23) days; patency 20–60 days. By the sixth week of infection in harbor seals, mean body lengths of adult females and males of P. decipiens were 60.8(40.8–76.2) and 54.3(45.5–60.8) mm, respectively; mean fecundity of female nematodes was 156,000 ova. In infections of similar duration in gray seals, females and males of P. decipiens were 82.1(69.7–104.3) and 64.4(53.8–72.7) mm in length, respectively; mean fecundity of females was 366,000 ova. In sensitizing infections in harbor seals, 28% of P. decipiens survived to early patency (Days 25–30) while only 9% of the nematodes survived to midpatency (Days 35–45). In sensitizing infections in gray seals, 56% of P. decipiens survived to early patency (Days 20–30) and 48% survived to midpatency (Days 35–50). Seals with existing or recent P. decipiens infections resisted reinfection; <50% of the nematodes in challenge infections in gray seals survived to Day 3 and <10% survived to patency. Growth of the nematodes, however, was not retarded in the challenge infections and resistence to reinfection subsided when seals were maintained anisakinefree for 2–6 months after loss of prior natural or experimental infections. Natural anisakine infections were surveyed in 16 harbor and 53 gray seals from the Nova Scotia mainland. The mean incidence of P. decipiens was 62(5–177) in harbor seals and 577(11–1694) in gray seals; incidence varied seasonally and with age of host. Adult females of P. decipiens from harbor seals were 64.0(49.2–79.8) mm in length and contained 1.68(0.87–2.73) × 10⁵ ova; females from gray seals were 78.3(62.3–92.1) mm in length and contained 2.39(0.69–4.39) × 10⁵ ova.