Time allocation of daily behaviors in subtropical passerine finch,spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata)

In birds, daily behavioral patterns that occur in response to intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli help us to understand the influence of ecological factors on them. The time allotment for an activity is important to maintain energy budget and maximize the chances of survival. In this study, we monitored daily patterns of flying/hopping and feeding/drinking behaviors through a video camera in spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata) maintained in 12L:12D. The results showed that munia is diurnal and shows bimodal pattern of all behaviors except feeding which was trimodel. The flying and hopping had similar amplitude, but feeding frequency was higher than drinking. The time allocation was maximum for flying/hopping followed by feeding and then drinking. The results suggest that daily behaviors in munia occur in patterns and have a timing component.     

A Middle Triassic thoracopterid from China highlights the evolutionary origin of overwater gliding in early ray-finned fishes

Gliding adaptations in thoracopterid flying fishes represent a remarkable case of convergent evolution of overwater gliding strategy with modern exocoetid flying fishes, but the evolutionary origin of this strategy was poorly known in the thoracopterids because of lack of transitional forms. Until recently, all thoracopterids, from the Late Triassic of Austria and Italy and the Middle Triassic of South China, were highly specialized ‘four-winged’ gliders in having wing-like paired fins and an asymmetrical caudal fin with the lower caudal lobe notably larger than the upper lobe. Here, we show that the new genus Wushaichthys and the previously alleged ‘peltopleurid’ Peripeltopleurus, from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian, 235–242 Ma) of South China and near the Ladinian/Anisian boundary of southern Switzerland and northern Italy, respectively, represent the most primitive and oldest known thoracopterids. Wushaichthys, the most basal thoracopterid, shows certain derived features of this group in the skull. Peripeltopleurus shows a condition intermediate between Wushaichthys and Thoracopterus in having a slightly asymmetrical caudal fin but still lacking wing-like paired fins. Phylogenetic studies suggest that the evolution of overwater gliding of thoracopterids was gradual in nature; a four-stage adaption following the ‘cranial specialization–asymmetrical caudal fin–enlarged paired fins–scale reduction’ sequence has been recognized in thoracopterid evolution. Moreover, Wushaichthys and Peripeltopleurus bear hooklets on the anal fin of supposed males, resembling those of modern viviparious teleosts. Early thoracopterids probably had evolved a live-bearing reproductive strategy.     

马铁菊头蝠不同状态下回声定位声波分析

在自建网室(9 m×4 m×4 m)内驯养马铁菊头蝠(Rhinolophus ferrumequinum),利用超声波探测仪录制蝙蝠不同状态下回声定位声波,声波录制与红外摄像保持同步。结果表明,马铁菊头蝠回声定位声波为调频(FM)/恒频(CF)/调频(FM)型;在蝙蝠接近猎物过程中,声脉冲持续时间和间隔时间显著变短,下调FM(即tFM)组分变得愈为显著,捕捉猎物瞬间,产生捕食蜂鸣;飞行与悬挂状态相比,声脉冲重复率、主频率、声脉冲时间、声脉冲间隔和能率环的差异均达到显著水平。     

Effect of thinning on flying insect communities using window traps in young douglas-fir (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudotsuga menziesii</Emphasis> (Mirb.) Franco) forests in the Pacific Northwestern America

The response of insects to four thinning intensities (control, light-thin, heavy-thin, or light-thin with gaps) was examined in 40-to 60-year-old Douglas-fir stands on the Willamette National Forest in Oregon, USA. In both 2000 and 2001, flying insect assemblages were collected from window traps placed over the forest floor in the center of each treatment block during two annual intervals: 1 ) June through August (early-season) and 2) August through October (late-season). The seasonal responses by these insects showed statistically significant differences in species richness (F= 22.21,P <0.001) and mean abundance (F=34.87,P <0.001). The greatest numbers of taxa generated via indicator species analysis were in the early season and within the treatment of light-thin with gap (L./ G). In particular, the woodborer beetle,Buprestis (Burprestidae), was strongly associated with L/G (Indicator Value = 52.4, P ≤0.001 ). Two beetle taxa,Ampedus (Elateridae, IV=84.7, P ≤0.001 ) and members of Cermabycidae (IV=58.4, P ≤0.001 ), were correlated significantly with early-season, whereasMelanoplus (Acrididae) was associated with late-season (IV=21.3, P >0.05) and L/G (IV=29.2, P ≤0.05). For all thinning treatments, the numbers of species and individuals were higher in the early season than the late season. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed that Axis 1 (65%) and Axis 2 (27%) explained 92% of the variance. The former was strongly associated with thinning intensity, having higher coefficients of species richness (r=0.645) and species diversity (r=0.583). The multi-response permutation procedures showed a statistically significant difference for thinning intensity (T-statistics=-4.6322,A-statistics=0.0479,P <0.0001 ). These results suggest that heavier thinning can result in more diverse populations of flying insects, including herbivores and predators.     

Seasonal inventory and status of flying insects, in Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania

Sampling of flying insects in Kihansi Gorge was conducted in six micro-habitats namely Lower, Upper, Main, Mid-Gorge and Mhalala Spray Wetlands and adjacent forest. The four traps used were, malaise, pitfall, light and artificial substrate sampler, besides sweep netting and beating. In the wet season, 65,549 flying insects (65.13%) were recorded when compared to 35,633 flying insects (34.87%) in dry season. At its peak, 29,783 flying insects (29.15%) were recorded at the start of wet season (December 2004). The abundance value was significant ( χ ² = 1794.98, d.f. = 5, P  ≤ 0.001). The favourable weather condition at the beginning of the wet season might have triggered emergence of high numbers of winged insects like ants, to facilitate migration through dispersal and reproduction, and some aquatic insects (Plecoptera, Odonata and Trichoptera) moulted and entered into terrestrial life to raise terrestrial abundance. No association was recorded between abundance of flying insects and amphibians (Kihansi Spray Toad; Nectophynoides asperginis ), for Mid-Gorge and Main Spray Wetlands (r = −0.71, n = 4, P  = 0.147 and r = −0.69, n = 5, P  = 0.201) respectively.     

Genetic factors for short life span associated with evolution of the loss of flight ability

Acquisition or loss of flying ability is evolutionarily linked with maximum life span (MLS) in mammals and birds. Although ecological factors, such as extrinsic mortality, may lead to either shortened or extended life spans through natural selection, MLS is influenced by complex molecular and metabolic processes, and the genetic changes associated with flying ability that have led to either a longer or shorter MLS are unknown. Here, we examine the parallel evolution of flight in mammals and birds and investigate positively selected genes at branches where either the acquisition (in little brown bats and large flying foxes) or loss (in Adélie penguins, emperor penguins, common ostriches, emus, great spotted kiwis, little spotted kiwis, okarito brown kiwis, greater rheas, lesser rheas, and cassowaries) of flight abilities occurred. Although we found no shared genes under selection among all the branches of interest, 7 genes were found to be positively selected in 2 of the branches. Among the 7 genes, only IGF2BP2 is known to affect both life span and energy expenditure. The positively selected mutations detected in IGF2BP2 likely affected the functionality of the encoded protein. IGF2BP2, which has been reported to simultaneously prolong life span and increase energy expenditure, could be responsible for the evolution of shortened MLS associated with the loss of flying ability.     

Evolutionary relationships of flying foxes (genus Pteropus) in the Philippines inferred from DNA sequences of cytochrome b gene

Six flying fox species, genus Pteropus (four from the Philippines) were investigated using complete cytochrome b gene sequences (1140 bp) to infer their evolutionary relationships. The DNA sequences generated via polymerase chain reaction were analyzed using the neighbor-joining, parsimony, and maximum likelihood methods. We estimated that the first evolutionary event among these Pteropus species occurred approximately 13.90 ± 1.49 MYA. Within this short period of evolutionary time we further hypothesized that the ancestors of the flying foxes found in the Philippines experienced a subsequent diversification forming two clusters in the topology. The first cluster is composed of P. pumilus (Philippine endemic), P. speciosus (restricted in western Mindanao) with P. scapulatus, while the second one comprised P. vampyrus and P. dasymallus species based on the analysis from first and second codon positions. Consistently, all phylogenetic analyses divulged close association of P. dasymallus with P. vampyrus contradicting the previous report categorizing P. dasymallus under subniger species group with P. pumilus, P. speciosus, and P. hypomelanus. The Philippine endemic species (P. pumilus) is closely linked with P. speciosus. The representative samples of P. vampyrus showed a large genetic distance of 1.87%. The large genetic distance between P. dasymallus and P. hypomelanus, P. pumilus and P. speciosus denotes a distinct species group.     

The flight of the self: Exploring more‐than‐human companionship in rural Pakistan

The construct of multispecies anthropology has helped explain some of the ways through which humans develop sensory and embodied connectedness with the more‐than‐human. Yet there is a need to fully comprehend how such connectedness leads to the discovery of the inner self. Through an ethnographic study carried out with rural South Punjabi pigeon flyers in Pakistan between 2008 and 2018, this paper argues that companionship with pigeons allows people to generate a meaningful relationship with their animals, explore their inner emotions and achieve a deeper understanding of the self. This paper takes inspiration from Donna Haraway's critique of Jacques Derrida's cat encounter, and philosophical thoughts of a 12th‐century Muslim mystic poet, Farid ud‐Din Attar, to examine how becoming‐with pigeons enables the flyers to structure their lifeworlds, develop entrenched companionship and shape their social choices to achieve wellbeing despite everyday social troubles and emotional anxieties.     

水泥粉尘污染对水稻,油菜和土壤环境的影响

通过在水泥厂周围布设不同监测样点、样田,了解水泥粉尘沉降对水稻、油菜和土壤环境的影响。结果表明,水泥厂周围的大气环境受到不同程度的粉尘污染。水泥粉尘使一些农田水稻和油菜产量有所下降,但对质量未产生不良影响,水泥粉尘会使土壤中钙的含量明显增加。     

脂类抽提对北太平洋柔鱼肌肉碳、氮稳定同位素测定结果的影响

稳定同位素技术可深层次地分析头足类的摄食习性和栖息地等方面的重要信息.稳定同位素分析多选取动物肌肉为研究组织,然而,肌肉中的脂类含量会影响对其稳定同位素信息的准确解析.北太平洋柔鱼是重要的大洋经济性头足类,在海洋生态系统中具有重要的生态地位.本研究选取了53尾北太平洋柔鱼,通过分析脂类抽提对胴体肌肉稳定同位素比值的影响,探讨脂类物质对稳定同位素比值的干扰机制,对比不同碳稳定同位素比值校正模型的适用性,并提出适用于北太平洋柔鱼胴体肌肉δ¹³-C校正模型.结果表明： 北太平洋柔鱼肌肉的脂类抽提会引起稳定同位素测定结果的显著变化,δ¹³-C和δ¹⁵-N分别平均升高0.71‰和0.47‰,在分析组织碳稳定同位素比值时,脂类抽提在样品预处理过程中十分必要,其能消除脂类对样品稳定同位素分析的干扰,从而更加准确地分析研究对象食性与栖息地的变化.在单独进行氮稳定同位素比值分析时,则不需要进行脂类抽提.