Nutritional suitability of some uni-algal diets for freshwater calanoids: unexpected inadequacies of commonly used edible greens and others

• 1 Naupliar and copepodid development times (Dn and Dc, respectively) of two African freshwater calanoids (Metadiaptomus meridianus and Tropodiaptomus spectabilis) were measured on mono-specific diets of comparably sized Chlamydomonas reinhardii, Scenedesmus acutus, Cryptomonas sp., Rhodomonas minuta, Cyclotella meneghiniana, and Selenastrum capricornutum, to test the nutritional adequacy of these algae. Comparisons were made at a standard temperature (17°C) and food supply level (1 mgCl^?1).
• 2 All diets other than Scenedesmus and Selenastrum supported complete naupliar development at broadly comparable times within and between calanoids, apart from greatly protracted Dn values for M. meridianus on Cyclotella. Dc durations were more variable between diet types, and both Chlamydomonas and Cyclotella were inferior or inadequate for copepodid development.
• 3 Both naupliar and copepodid stages ingested radiolabelled Scenedesmus and Selenastrum readily. Comparative incorporation rate measures of Selenastrum and Cryptomonas respectively exceeded estimated metabolic maintenance needs of stage 3/4 nauplii of T. spectabilis by some 56% and 790%. Scope for growth (‘surplus’ energy) was accordingly fourteen-fold greater on Cryptomonas than on Selenastrum /Scenedesmus. The dietary inadequacy of these two green algae is thus attributed largely to low digestibility, and perhaps some biochemical deficiency.

     

Factors influencing the distributional abundance of two trophic guilds of Peruvian cricetid rodents

The distributional abundance of 13 species of southern Peruvian rodents is significantly correlated with altitude and patterns of vegetation but vegetation is a better predictor than altitude. Coincidental reversals in the altitudinal trends of both vegetation and rodents demonstrate that rodents are responding to vegetation patterns. Abundance and diversity of rodents are greatest around 4000 m elevation which coincides with the region of greatest vegetational abundance and seasonally heavy rainfall.
The rodent communities consist of two separate feeding guilds, omnivores and insectivores and these guilds show distinctly different distributional patterns. Insectivorous species are strongly associated with the zone of seasonally heavy rainfall (4000 m) whereas omnivorous rodents are relatively abundant over a broader spectrum of elevations and habitats. In a previous study of these same communities, we showed a correspondence between rodent morphology and their diets. This study reveals a correspondence between distributional abundance of the various species and their diets. We conclude that the distributional abundance of southern Peruvian rodents is related to the physiological constraints imposed by altitude (climate) and the distributional abundance of food resources.     

Stress Response of Working African Elephants to Transportation and Safari Adventures

Abstract: African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are intensively managed in southern Africa and are routinely translocated between reserves. Domesticated elephants are used for elephant-back safaris and interactions with guests. Understanding how elephants respond to such activities is critical because of welfare issues associated with both humans and elephants. We investigated the stress response (i.e., fecal glucocorticoid metabolite secretion [FGM]) of working elephants in Letsatsing Game Reserve, South Africa, over 1 year to evaluate their response to transportation and ecotourism activities. We used free-ranging elephants in adjacent Pilanesburg National Park as controls. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites were greatest prior to and during translocation and declined over the year. Within 1–2 months of transportation, FGM levels in working elephants became indistinguishable from those in wild elephants. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels were higher during human interaction days than days without interaction. The highest observed FGM levels were associated with transportation and episodic loud noises. Transportation is a stressful activity for elephants, and ≥3 months should be provided to translocated elephants to acclimate to their new surroundings. Although stress levels of elephants increased slightly when interacting with humans in the contexts we studied, evaluating interactions under a wider range of contexts is necessary to minimize danger to elephants and humans.     

An artificial intergeneric hybrid derived from sexual hybridization between the distantly related Arabidopsis thaliana and Pachycladon cheesemanii (Brassicaceae)

An artificial intergeneric hybrid derived from sexual hybridization between Arabidopsis thaliana (female) and Pachycladon cheesemanii (male) is characterized and formally named as ×Pachydopsis hortorum. A hybrid origin for ×Pachydopsis is supported by a chromosome number of 2n = 15, with this comprising haploid gametes from A. thaliana (n = 5) and P. cheesemanii (n = 10). DNA fingerprinting using amplified fragment length polymorphism data also confirmed the parentage of the hybrid, as it comprised the additive total of all of the fragments scored for P. cheesemanii and most of those scored for A. thaliana. ×Pachydopsis is a robust perennial herb with numerous leafy rosettes and long inflorescences like P. cheesemanii, and floral parts that are intermediate between the parents. ×Pachydopsis produces sterile pollen. Female function of ×Pachydopsis is partially normal, with the pollen of A. thaliana and several species of Pachycladon readily germinating on the stigma, and pollen tubes growing down the style and transmission tissue into the ovary. No seed was formed from these pollinations, although one embryo developed but subsequently aborted at the torpedo stage. Colchicine was used to induce polyploid inflorescences, and these were confirmed by the size and density of the stomata and pollen diameter. Flowers from the polyploid inflorescences of ×Pachydopsis were backcrossed with A. thaliana Landsberg erecta and 11 seeds were produced. Four backcross hybrid plants were raised and two of these had a chromosome number of 2n = 20, consistent with a haploid gamete (n = 15) from polyploid × Pachydopsis being fertilized by a haploid pollen gamete (n = 5) from A. thaliana Landsberg erecta. Polyploid × Pachydopsis flowers backcrossed with P. cheesemanii and crossed with P. novae‐zelandiae did not produce any seeds. The partially fertile intergeneric hybrid described here between Arabidopsis and Pachycladon is remarkable in that, although the two genera occur in an Arabidopsoid clade, they are separated by a reasonable phylogenetic distance. This relationship suggests that Pachycladon and ×Pachydopsis have the potential to be employed in the study of evolutionary and ecological processes using the wide array of Arabidopsis resources. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 157 , 533–544.     

Vocal mimicry in wild African Grey Parrots Psittacus erithacus

The ability of captive Grey Parrots Psittacus erithacus to imitate heterospecific sounds is well known. Analysis of a sound recording from Zaire reveals the first evidence of vocal mimicry in the wild of nine species of birds and a bat. Examination of recordings from Gabon and the Ivory Coast indicates that vocal mimicry may be widespread in wild populations. Possible reasons why this phenomenon has not been detected before are discussed.     

Validation of Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolite Assays for South African Herbivores

ABSTRACT Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) assays are a popular means of monitoring adrenocortical activity (i.e., physiological stress response) in wildlife. Species-specific differences in glucocorticoid metabolism and excretion require assay validation, including both laboratory and biological components, before assay use in new species. We validated a commercially available radioimmunoassay (MP ¹²⁵I corticosterone RIA kit [MP Biomedicals, Solon, OH]) for measuring FGMs of several South African herbivores, including giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), impala (Aepyceros melampus), nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), and zebra (Equus burchelli). These herbivores are important in South African parks and reserves for ecotourism and as a prey base for predators and serve an integral role in ecosystem processes. Standard biochemical validations (e.g., recovery of exogenous corticosterone, intra- and interassay variation, and parallelism) demonstrated that the assay accurately and precisely measured FGMs of all 6 herbivore species. Our biological validations demonstrated that the assay was sensitive enough to detect changes in FGM production associated with season. Samples collected during the dry season (Jun-Aug) contained higher FGM concentrations than those from the wet season (Dec-Feb) in all species. We established optimal sample dilutions and reference FGM levels for these 6 herbivores, which can now be used to monitor the effects of management and ecotourism activities on the stress responses of these herbivores.