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Updated: 2009-11-30 07:37:44
Homework / Assignment Help in Zoology Upto College / Graduate Level Zoology or Life Sciences
Mislabelling drives skate to brink of extinction
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:15:05AFP PARIS - Due to an 83-year-old error of classification, a species of European skate could become #187; riginal newsComparative temperature in funnel and pit traps
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:15:01Graham G. Thompson, Scott A. Thompson - Volume 57(5) #187; riginal newsSea stars bulk up to beat the heat
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:14:37A new study finds that a species of sea star stays cool using a strategy never before seen in the animal kingdom. The sea stars soak up cold sea water into their bodies during high tide as buffer against potentially damaging temperatures brought about by direct sunlight at low tide. #187; riginal newsRare woodland plant uses 'cryptic coloration' to hide from predators
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:14:18It is well known that some animal species use camouflage to hide from predators. Individuals that are able to blend in to their surroundings and avoid being eaten are able to survive longer, reproduce, and thus increase their fitness (pass along their genes to the next generation) compared to those who stand out more. This may seem like a good strategy, and fairly common in the animal kingdom, but who ever heard of a plant doing the same thing? #187; riginal newsKiller fungus threatening amphibians
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:14:06Amphibians like frogs and toads have existed for 360 million years and survived when the dinosaurs didn't, but a new aquatic fungus is threatening to make many of them extinct, according to a new article. #187; riginal newsArmenian leopards almost completely extinct in wild
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:13:59RIANOVSTI YEREVAN, November 16 (RIA Novosti) – Only five to seven leopards remain in the wild #187; riginal newssaturday questions
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:13:37How did ‘jokes’ get its name? How can gravity keep us on Earth? I bet somebody really sm #187; riginal newsHouse Sparrows Move Towards Extinction
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:13:34ONE INDIA Ornithologists and forest officers in Punjab have expressed concern over the dwindling pop #187; riginal newsHow fish is cooked affects heart-health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:13:32Baked or boiled fish is associated with more benefit from heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than fried, salted or dried fish. Caucasian, Japanese-American and Latino men may be more likely to get the health benefits of fish than African-American or Hawaiian men, perhaps because of how their fish is prepared or genetic predisposition. Omega-3s from plant sources such as soy may do more to improve women's heart health than fish sources. #187; riginal newsCarotenoid Accumulation in the Tissues of Zebra Finches: Predictors of Integumentary Pigmentation and Implications for Carotenoid Allocation Strategies
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:13:19: : , , Zoology : Journals , Blogs , News and Stories Login Register Most Popular Most Recent Shopping Jobs Pictures Videos Submit a Story Back to NewsBeet Home Carotenoid Accumulation in the Tissues of Zebra Finches : Predictors of Integumentary Pigmentation and Implications for Carotenoid Allocation Strategies Carotenoid Accumulation in the Tissues of Zebra Finches : Predictors of Integumentary Pigmentation and Implications for Carotenoid Allocation Strategies Posted from MedWorm : Zoology 4 days ago Zoology Zoology News Physiological and Biochemical Zoology , Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles . Abstract Carotenoid pigments produce the bright yellow to red ornamental colors of many animals , especially birds , and must ultimately be derived from the diet . However , they are also valuable for many physiological functions e.g . antioxidants , immunostimulants , photoprotection , visual tuning , yolk nourishment to embryos and as a result they are present in numerous internal body tissues e.g . liver , adipose tissue , retina whose carotenoid types and amounts are rarely studied in the context of color . original story Add this link Tell a friend 1 views Add to :SEALS OR CYBORGS
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:13:16You decide. The cool seal noises start at around 0:35. Personally, I hope they are alien Terminator #187; riginal newsDrop in endangered bird numbers sparks worries
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:13:11ABC AUSTRALIA Concerns have been raised about a dramatic decrease in endangered bird numbers in Tasm #187; riginal newsStress and reproduction in Boiga irregularis with notes on the ultrastructure of the sexual segment of the kidney in squamates
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:12:43D. S. Siegel, R. D. Aldridge, C. S. Clark, E. H. Poldemann, and K. M. Gribbins - The reproductive tract of wild-caught male Boiga irregularis (Merrem, 1802) (Brown Treesnake) and the changes that result in these tissues from captivity are described. Wild-caught... (Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology) #187; riginal newsWhat is a species, anyway (first of several parts)
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:12:41In honor of todays 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Orig #187; riginal newsInteractions between chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii) and introduced predators: a review
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:12:41A. S. Glen, P. J. de Tores, D. R. Sutherland, K. D. Morris - Volume 57(5) #187; riginal newsFish food fight: Fish don't eat trees after all, says new study
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:12:33Recent theories suggesting that half of fishes' food comes from from land-based ecosystems may not hold water. Experiments show that algae, not land-based matter, is needed to build healthy and fertile aquatic organisms. #187; riginal newsAn analysis of levels of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., broodstock in Scotland between 1990–2002
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:12:30Throughout this study period the prevalence of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) in Scottish farmed Atlantic salmon was high in the marine environment but relatively low in fresh water. In order to minimize the risk of vertical transmission of infection from parent to progeny, all IPNV infected broodstock populations had to undergo testing of all fish for the virus at the time of stripping and eggs from positive parents were destroyed. Between 1990 and 2002 over 68 000 Atlantic salmon broodfish were individually screened for IPNV by cell culture isolation and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Generalized linear mixed models were used to assess the influence of geographical region, age, sex and year on IPNV prevalence in Atlantic salmon broodstock. This analysis determined that t... #187; riginal newsTo the bat cave: Researchers reconstruct evolution of bat migration with aid of mathematical model
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:12:22Not just birds, but also a few species of bats face a long journey every year. Researchers have studied the migratory behavior of the largest extant family of bats, the so-called "Vespertilionidae" with the help of mathematical models. They discovered that the migration over short as well as long distances of various kinds of bats evolved independently within the family. #187; riginal newsButterfly proboscis to sip cells
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:12:16A butterfly's proboscis looks like a straw -- long, slender and used for sipping -- but it works more like a paper towel, according to researchers. They hope to borrow the tricks of this piece of insect anatomy to make small probes that can sample the fluid inside of cells. #187; riginal newsInsect resistance to Bt crops can be predicted, monitored and managed
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:12:06With Bt crop acreage increasing worldwide, incorporating enhanced understanding of observed patterns of field-evolved resistance into future resistance management strategies can help to minimize the drawbacks and maximize the benefits of current and future generations of transgenic crops. #187; riginal newsNew chameleon species discovered in East Africa
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:12:03A new species of chameleon has been discovered in a threatened forest in Tanzania. Researchers first spotted the animal while surveying monkeys in the Magombera Forest when they disturbed a twig snake eating one. #187; riginal newsDeep-sea world beyond sunlight: Explorers census 17,650 ocean species on edge of black abyss
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:11:58Scientists have inventoried an astonishing abundance, diversity and distribution of deep sea species that have never known sunlight -- creatures that somehow manage a living in a frigid black world down to 5000 meters (three miles) below the ocean waves. #187; riginal newsA three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of variation in cranial size and shape in tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) populations
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:11:40Claire Hadley, Nick Milne, Lincoln H. Schmitt - Volume 57(5) #187; riginal newsThe status of taxonomy in Canada and the impact of DNA barcoding
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:11:17L. Packer, J. C. Grixti, R. E. Roughley, and R. Hanner - To assess the recent history of taxonomy in Canada and the impact of DNA barcoding upon the field, we performed a survey of various indicators... (Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology) #187; riginal newsCuttlefish Blues...
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:11:13I saw this on Fark and thought it was pretty cool…Crikey! #187; riginal newsunFold Salutes NaNoWriMo
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:11:09As you may or may not have noticed, many of November’s unFold poems have featured some aspect #187; riginal newsFrog legs trade may facilitate spread of pathogens
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:10:54Most countries throughout the world participate in the $40-million-per-year culinary trade of frog legs in some way, with 75 percent of frog legs consumed in France, Belgium and the United States. Scientists have found that this trade is a potential carrier of pathogens deadly to amphibians. » riginal newsUK ACHIEVES MORE THAN 10% GROWTH
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:10:45UK Ministers were delighted at the recent news that the UK has achieved 10% growth in one year. #187; riginal newsIs 80-year-old mistake leading to first species to be fished to extinction
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:10:40A species of common skate is to become the first marine fish species to be driven to extinction by commercial fishing, due to an error of species classification 80 years ago. #187; riginal newsInteractions between chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii) and introduced predators: a review
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:10:32A. S. Glen, P. J. de Tores, D. R. Sutherland, K. D. Morris - Volume 57(5) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology) #187; riginal newsEvolution of Herbivory in a Carnivorous Clade of Minnows (Teleostei: Cyprinidae): Effects on Gut Size and Digestive Physiology
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:10:26Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract We constructed a phylogeny for 10 minnow species (family Cyprinidae) previously revealed to be members of sister genera with different dietary affinities and used the phylogeny to examine whether the evolution of digestive tract size and physiology is correlated with the evolution of diet in these fishes. We studied a total of 11 taxa: four herbivorous species in the genus Campostoma and six largely carnivorous species in the genus Nocomis, including two populations of Nocomis leptocephalus, the carnivorous Chattahoochee River drainage population and the herbivorous Altamaha River drainage population. Thus, we were able to compare digestive tract size and physiology among sister genera (Camp... #187; riginal newsDirectors
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:10:06They are the members of the Board, which watches the group's activities. It is a quite honorable and #187; riginal newsDevils doomed unless island home found
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:09:50ABC ONLINE Time is running out to save the tasmanian devil from a deadly cancer that has killed more #187; riginal newsCoral eats jellyfish
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:09:48I found this article pretty interesting. Not much else to comment on, just sharing. Enjoy! #187; riginal newsHow might navy sonar affect hearing of whales and other marine animals
Updated: 2009-11-26 13:09:24Rocket science is opening new doors to understanding how sounds associated with Navy sonar might affect the hearing of a marine mammal -- or if they hear it at all. #187; riginal newsAnalysis of Internal Osmolality in Developing Coral Larvae, Fungia scutaria
Updated: 2009-11-25 19:34:43In this study, during the time course of coral larvae development of the mushroom coral Fungia scutaria, we examined several physiologic factors, including internal osmolality, percent osmotically active water, formation of mucus cells, and intracellular organic osmolytes. The osmotically inactive components of the cell, Vb, declined 33% during development from the oocyte to day 5. In contrast, measurements of the internal osmolality of coral larvae indicated that the internal osmolality was increasing from day 1 to day 5, probably as a result of the development of mucus cells that bind ions. Because of this, we conclude that coral larvae are osmoconformers with an internal osmolality of about 1,000 mOsm. Glycine betaine, comprising more than 90% of the organic osmolytes, was found to be t...Control of Branchial Artery Tone in Fish: Effects of Environmental Temperature and Phylogeny
Updated: 2009-11-25 18:37:13Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract Branchial artery vasoreactivity and nerve density were measured in teleosts of different phylogenetic relatedness from cold (−1.86° to +1°C) and temperate (∼13°C) environments. Polar Notothenia coriiceps and temperate Paranotothenia angustata are closely related Southern Hemisphere nototheniids, and polar Boreogadus saida and temperate Myoxocephalus scorpius are Northern Hemisphere species that are phylogenetically distant from each other and the nototheniids. Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss was used as a temperate comparison of different activity patterns. Cumulative dose‐response curves for efferent branchial arteries (EBAs) revealed a lack of α‐adrenergic (noradrenaline [NOR...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.Short Day Lengths Skew Prenatal Sex Ratios Toward Males in Siberian Hamsters
Updated: 2009-11-25 18:36:52Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract For decades, researchers have documented significant skews in the production of male versus female offspring in many species. Because males and females are differentially susceptible to environmental challenges and also represent different fitness benefits, it may be beneficial to exert control over the offspring sex ratio when environmental conditions become challenging. Some of the most dramatic environmental challenges occur on a seasonal basis. Indeed, seasonal variation in offspring sex ratios has been documented in both mammalian and nonmammalian species. The seasonal environmental factor (or factors) that drives the skews in sex ratios is unknown; however, it is essential that such a ...Learning of magnetic compass directions in pigeons.
Updated: 2009-11-24 23:00:00Authors: Wilzeck C, Wiltschko W, Güntürkün O, Buschmann JU, Wiltschko R, Prior H A proof of magnetic compass learning by pigeons under laboratory conditions has been attempted for decades, but all experiments have failed so far. The aim of the present study was to test whether pigeons can learn magnetic compass directions in an operant chamber if magnetic cues are presented as true spatial cues. Experimental sessions were carried out in the local geomagnetic field and in magnetic fields with matched total intensity and inclination, but different directions generated with Helmholtz-coils. Birds demonstrated successful learning with a performance level comparable to that in learning studies with magnetic anomalies. In addition, we compared the data from magnetic learning i...Disentangling the Effects of Environment and Life‐History Stage on Corticosterone Modulation in Costa Rican Rufous‐Collared Sparrows, Zonotrichia capensis costaricensis
Updated: 2009-11-24 18:42:23This study explores the factors that influence modulation of baseline corticosterone levels and the hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal cortex (HPA) axis response to stress in Costa Rican rufous‐collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis costaricensis). Individuals in our study population vary in their timing of breeding and molt. Thus, at multiple times of the year, we were able to investigate how the HPA axis changes with life‐history stage (breeding, molt) and the interaction of season and life‐history stage. Season explained most of the variation in corticosterone data. During the dry season, males had higher baseline corticosterone levels and both females and males had a higher stress response, regardless of breeding or molting condition. Breeding did not significantly affect cortico...Do Owls Use Torpor? Winter Thermoregulation in Free‐Ranging Pearl‐Spotted Owlets and African Scops‐Owls
Updated: 2009-11-24 16:12:44Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract Numerous avian taxa use torpor, which involves pronounced reductions in body temperature (Tb) to below normothermic levels. However, the occurrence of this phenomenon in owls (Strigidae) remains largely unknown. We investigated winter patterns of thermoregulation in the crepuscular 80‐g pearl‐spotted owlet Glaucidium perlatum and the strictly nocturnal 61‐g African scops‐owl Otus senegalensis by obtaining telemetric measurements of skin temperature (Tskin) from free‐ranging individuals in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. Pearl‐spotted owlets remained homeothermic throughout the study period, whereas African scops‐owls routinely used shallow torpor, with Tskin reduced by ...Effects of Small Increases in Corticosterone Levels on Morphology, Immune Function, and Feather Development
Updated: 2009-11-24 16:08:11We examined effects of simulated chronic low‐level stress on American kestrel (Falco sparverius) nestlings. Continuous release of corticosterone, a hormone involved in the stress response, can model chronic stress in birds. We implanted 13‐d‐old males with either corticosterone‐filled implants or shams and measured their growth, immune function, and feather coloration. We found no significant differences between groups at the end of the weeklong exposure period in morphometrics (mass, tarsus, wing length, and asymmetry), immunocompetence (cutaneous immunity, heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, and humoral immunity), or feather coloration. One week subsequent to implant removal, however, differences were detected. Sham‐implanted birds had significantly longer wings and a reduced level of...Direct Benefits and Genetic Costs of Extrapair Paternity for Female American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Updated: 2009-11-24 16:00:15The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page E000, Latest Articles. Abstract: The idea that extrapair paternity (EPP) in birds is part of a mixed reproductive strategy driven primarily by females is controversial. In cooperatively breeding American crows, we compared predictions of four female benefits hypotheses—the genetic diversity, good genes, genetic compatibility, and direct benefits hypotheses—to our predictions if EPP was primarily male driven. We found that genetically diverse broods were not more successful, extrapair young were not in better condition and did not have a higher survival probability, and, contrary to prediction, offspring sired by within‐group extrapair males were more inbred than within‐pair offspring. There was evidence of direct benefits, howe...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.Differential outcomes facilitate same/different concept learning.
Updated: 2009-11-23 23:00:00Authors: Schmidtke KA, Katz JS, Wright AA Commonly recognized, the training procedure one employs often affects the results they obtain. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that abstract-concept learning is affected by employing a differential-outcomes procedure. The differential-outcome effect has been shown to occur for item-specific strategies but has not been established for relational strategies. To test whether different-outcome expectancies can facilitate a relational strategy, eight pigeons were trained and tested in a two-item same/different task with pictures. After pecking an upper picture, they pecked a lower picture if the pictures were the same or a white rectangle if the pictures were different. Two groups of pigeons were rewarded with either different outcomes (soun...Vitellogenin (VTG) Conservation in Sea Turtles: Anti‐VTG Antibody in Chelonia mydas versus Caretta caretta
Updated: 2009-11-23 19:59:45Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract Vitellogenin (VTG) is considered as a marker of endocrine disruption. A Western blot method for VTG quantification in Caretta caretta turtle plasma was developed using anti‐VTG antibody for Chelonia mydas. A screening of samples ($n=61$) collected in the southern Mediterranean Sea around Lampedusa Island, Italy, was performed. The antibody showed a good cross‐reactivity with C. caretta VTG, suggesting a certain conservation of the core of the protein in different sea turtle species. The optimal operative condition for Western blot analysis consists of using diluted plasma at 1:50. In field samples, a certain mismatch with morphological sexing was observed, and VTG was detected in young a...The Genetic Effects of Ecological Disturbance: Flooding in Jumping Mice
Updated: 2009-11-23 15:15:52The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Pacific jumping mice (Zapus trinotatus) live in riparian habitats that are discontinuously distributed and subject to regular flooding. Both of these characteristics have a spatial component. Habitat‐restricted dispersal frequently leads to spatial genetic structure among individuals, and flooding often imposes spatially specific mortality. Here I report that following a severe flood, an interaction between these factors resulted in an immediate reduction of genetic diversity and genetic divergence of the postflood population. Survival was spatially biased toward more closely related individuals, and this was propagated throughout the postflood population by changes in reproduction. Not only did the nu...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.In pictures: Bizarre deep-sea creatures revealed
Updated: 2009-11-23 00:35:20
Thousands of strange animals that exist in eternal darkness deep in the oceans have been catalogued for the first timeThe evolutionary origin of the vertebrate neural crest and its developmental gene regulatory network - insights from amphioxus.
Updated: 2009-11-22 23:00:00Authors: Yu JK The neural crest is an embryonic cell population unique to vertebrates. During vertebrate embryogenesis, neural crest cells are first induced from the neural plate border; subsequently, they delaminate from the dorsal neural tube and migrate to their destination, where they differentiate into a wide variety of derivatives. The emergence of the neural crest is thought to be responsible for the evolution of many complex novel structures of vertebrates that are lacking in invertebrate chordates. Despite its central importance in understanding the origin of vertebrates, the evolutionary origin of the neural crest remains elusive. The basal chordate amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) occupies an outgroup position that is useful for investigating this question. In this review,...Complex female genitalia indicate sperm dumping in armored goblin spiders (Arachnida, Araneae, Oonopidae).
Updated: 2009-11-22 23:00:00Authors: Burger M In promiscuous females, sperm ejection from the sperm storage site can be a strong mechanism to influence sperm priority patterns. Sperm dumping is reported from different animals including birds, insects, and humans. In spiders, it has been documented for four species including the oonopid Silhouettella loricatula. Oonopidae are a diverse spider family comprising many species with peculiar female genitalia. Especially in species where studies of mating behavior are difficult, morphological investigations of the genitalia help to understand their function and evolution. In the present study, the genitalia of the oonopids Myrmopopaea sp., Grymeus sp., and Lionneta sp. are investigated by means of histological serial sections and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ...Zoology of the multies : foreword
Updated: 2009-11-20 07:47:49If you want to make an enemy, do a favor to someone (popular multi wisdom) What kind of phenomenon iThe Use of Torpor in Reproductive Female Hemprich’s Long‐Eared Bats (Otonycteris hemprichii)
Updated: 2009-11-19 20:18:01Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract We investigated the patterns of torpor use and body temperature (Tb) in reproductive Hemprich’s long‐eared bats (Otonycteris hemprichii; body mass ∼20 g) in the central Negev Desert highlands. We hypothesized that Tb regulation in female O. hemprichii during reproduction is shaped by a trade‐off between the energy and temperature requirements of embryo and pup growth and the mother’s own need to use torpor and passive rewarming to save energy and water. We predicted that patterns of torpor use change during pregnancy but change little if at all during nursing. We used radio telemetry to track, find the roosts of, and measure the skin temperatures of eight pregnant and 15 nursing ba...Comparative temperature in funnel and pit traps
Updated: 2009-11-19 13:00:59Graham G. Thompson, Scott A. Thompson - Volume 57(5) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Phylogeographic patterns in reptiles on the New England Tablelands at the south-western boundary of the McPherson Macleay Overlap
Updated: 2009-11-19 13:00:58D. J. Colgan, D. O'Meally, R. A. Sadlier - Volume 57(5) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Interactions between chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii) and introduced predators: a review
Updated: 2009-11-19 13:00:57A. S. Glen, P. J. de Tores, D. R. Sutherland, K. D. Morris - Volume 57(5) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Do bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus) mounds influence terrestrial macroinvertebrate assemblages in agricultural riparian zones?
Updated: 2009-11-19 13:00:56Philip Borchard, Ian A. Wright, Clare McArthur - Volume 57(5) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.A three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of variation in cranial size and shape in tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) populations
Updated: 2009-11-19 13:00:55Claire Hadley, Nick Milne, Lincoln H. Schmitt - Volume 57(5) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Age and Breeding Effort as Sources of Individual Variability in Oxidative Stress Markers in a Bird Species
Updated: 2009-11-18 22:22:55Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract Oxidative stress is the imbalance between the production of pro‐oxidant substances and the level of antioxidant defenses, which leads to oxidative damage. It has been proposed that senescence is the result of accumulated oxidative damage throughout life. In birds, the sources of individual variability in oxidative stress are still poorly understood. Among these sources, age, as related to senescence, should be particularly relevant. Furthermore, recent findings suggest that breeding effort may also deeply influence susceptibility to oxidative stress. However, there is still no evidence of a link between breeding effort and oxidative damage in any vertebrate. Here we analyzed 288 captive re...Betaines and Dimethylsulfoniopropionate as Major Osmolytes in Cnidaria with Endosymbiotic Dinoflagellates
Updated: 2009-11-18 22:16:13Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract Most marine invertebrates and algae are osmoconformers whose cells accumulate organic osmolytes that provide half or more of cellular osmotic pressure. These solutes are primarily free amino acids and glycine betaine in most invertebrates and small carbohydrates and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in many algae. Corals with endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) have been reported to obtain from the symbionts potential organic osmolytes such as glycerol, amino acids, and DMSP. However, corals and their endosymbionts have not been fully analyzed for osmolytes. We quantified small carbohydrates, free amino acids, methylamines, and DMSP in tissues of the corals Fungia scutaria, Poc...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.Spotting animals in natural scenes: efficiency of humans and monkeys at very low contrasts.
Updated: 2009-11-17 23:00:00Authors: Macé MJ, Delorme A, Richard G, Fabre-Thorpe M The ability of monkeys to categorize objects in visual stimuli such as natural scenes might rely on sets of low-level visual cues without any underlying conceptual abilities. Using a go/no-go rapid animal/non-animal categorization task with briefly flashed achromatic natural scenes, we show that both human and monkey performance is very robust to large variations of stimulus luminance and contrast. When mean luminance was increased or decreased by 25-50%, accuracy and speed impairments were small. The largest impairment was found at the highest luminance value with monkeys being mainly impaired in accuracy (drop of 6% correct vs. <1.5% in humans), whereas humans were mainly impaired in reaction time (20 ms increase in media...Subjective value of risky foods for individual domestic chicks: a hierarchical Bayesian model.
Updated: 2009-11-16 23:00:00Authors: Kawamori A, Matsushima T For animals to decide which prey to attack, the gain and delay of the food item must be integrated in a value function. However, the subjective value is not obtained by expected profitability when it is accompanied by risk. To estimate the subjective value, we examined choices in a cross-shaped maze with two colored feeders in domestic chicks. When tested by a reversal in food amount or delay, chicks changed choices similarly in both conditions (experiment 1). We therefore examined risk sensitivity for amount and delay (experiment 2) by supplying one feeder with food of fixed profitability and the alternative feeder with high- or low-profitability food at equal probability. Profitability varied in amount (groups 1 and 2 at high and low variance) or in ...Evolution of Herbivory in a Carnivorous Clade of Minnows (Teleostei: Cyprinidae): Effects on Gut Size and Digestive Physiology
Updated: 2009-11-13 21:44:06Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract We constructed a phylogeny for 10 minnow species (family Cyprinidae) previously revealed to be members of sister genera with different dietary affinities and used the phylogeny to examine whether the evolution of digestive tract size and physiology is correlated with the evolution of diet in these fishes. We studied a total of 11 taxa: four herbivorous species in the genus Campostoma and six largely carnivorous species in the genus Nocomis, including two populations of Nocomis leptocephalus, the carnivorous Chattahoochee River drainage population and the herbivorous Altamaha River drainage population. Thus, we were able to compare digestive tract size and physiology among sister genera (Camp...Female Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) Are Chronically but Not Cumulatively “Anemic” during Repeated Egg Laying in Response to Experimental Nest Predation
Updated: 2009-11-13 18:51:07In this study, we investigated the effect of repeated cycles of egg production in response to experimental nest predation (egg removal) on hematological traits in female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). We predicted that if the negative effect of egg production on hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration was cumulative, with anemia being proportional to reproductive effort, then females laying more clutches, or laying successive clutches without recovery during incubation, would show greater reproductive anemia. In contrast, if females maintain hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration at some minimum functional level independent of reproductive effort, then there should be no difference in hematological traits among females laying two or more successive clutches. Our results supported th...Parent‐Offspring Conflict and the Evolution of Dispersal Distance
Updated: 2009-11-13 14:41:49The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Parent‐offspring conflict emerges in many different contexts, but a rarely emphasized perspective is that of space as a resource that is allocated or acquired through dispersal. Early theoretical work has shown that there are different optima in rates of dispersal between parents and offspring. Here we examine this principle when space is explicitly modeled and dispersal is achieved through a dispersal kernel. We find a consistent pattern that selection favors longer dispersal distances under maternal control of dispersal (e.g., maternal tissue surrounding a seed) compared with scenarios where offspring themselves control dispersal (as in many animals). Intriguingly, offspring control leads to better r...Bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orang utans use feature and spatial cues in two spatial memory tasks.
Updated: 2009-11-12 23:00:00Authors: Kanngiesser P, Call J Animals commonly use feature and spatial strategies when remembering places of interest such as food sources or hiding places. We conducted three experiments with great apes to investigate strategy preferences and factors that may shape them. In the first experiment, we trained 17 apes to remember 12 different food locations on the floor of their sleeping room. The 12 food locations were associated with one feature cue, so that feature and spatial cues were confounded. In a single test session, we brought the cues into conflict and found that apes, irrespective of species, showed a preference for a feature strategy. In the second experiment, we used a similar procedure and trained 25 apes to remember one food location on a platform in front of them. On av...Diet of the squirrel glider in a fragmented landscape near Mackay, central Queensland
Updated: 2009-11-11 13:00:59Tina Ball, Eddie Adams, Ross L. Goldingay - Volume 57(5) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Ant-mimicking spider, Myrmarachne species (Araneae : Salticidae), distinguishes its model, the green ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, from a sympatric Batesian O. smaragdina mimic, Riptortus serripes (Hemiptera : Alydidae)
Updated: 2009-11-11 13:00:58Fadia Sara Ceccarelli - Volume 57(5) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Apoptosis-like change, ROS, and DNA status in cryopreserved canine sperm recovered by glass wool filtration and Percoll gradient centrifugation techniques.
Updated: 2009-11-09 23:00:00Authors: Kim SH, Yu DH, Kim YJ The ability of glass wool filtration (GWF) and Percoll density gradient centrifugation (PDGC) to remove spermatozoa with phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation of membrane, high levels of ROS, and DNA fragmentation was assessed by flow cytometry in frozen-thawed canine sperm. Ejaculates from 5 dogs were cryopreserved and thawed. Thawed sperm was processed by GWF and PDGC. Unprocessed, and GWF- and PDGC-processed specimens were assessed by PS translocation (Annexin V [AN]/propidium iodide [PI] assay), intracellular H(2)O(2) level (dichlorofluorescein [DCF]/PI assay), DNA integrity (sperm chromatin structure assay [SCSA]), and conventional sperm parameters. Recovery rate was also evaluated before and after sperm processing. The GWF technique yielded sperm su...MidExDB: A database of Drosophila CNS midline cell gene expression
Updated: 2009-11-09 23:00:00Conclusion: MidExDB integrates large-scale gene expression data with the ability to identify individual cell types providing the foundation for detailed genetic, molecular, and biochemical studies of CNS midline cell neuronal and glial development and function. This information has general relevance for the study of nervous system development in other organisms, and also provides insight into transcriptional regulation. (Source: BMC Developmental Biology - Latest articles)The Misuse of BLUP in Ecology and Evolution
Updated: 2009-11-05 22:15:56The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) is a method for obtaining point estimates of a random effect in a mixed effect model. Over the past decade it has been used extensively in ecology and evolutionary biology to predict individual breeding values and reaction norms. These predictions have been used to infer natural selection, evolutionary change, spatial‐genetic patterns, individual reaction norms, and frailties. In this article we show analytically and through simulation and example why BLUP often gives anticonservative and biased estimates of evolutionary and ecological parameters. Although some concerns with BLUP methodology have been voiced before, the scale and breadth of the problems have proba...Why Do Calypte Hummingbirds “Sing” with Both Their Tail and Their Syrinx? An Apparent Example of Sexual Sensory Bias
Updated: 2009-11-05 22:14:56The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Courtship displays frequently include complex signals that females use to pick a mate. Male Costa’s hummingbirds (Calypte costae) generate two acoustic signals during courtship: a vocal song produced close to a female and a dive‐sound produced during a courtship dive. The song and dive‐sound sound similar, and both were assumed to be produced vocally by the syrinx. Here, we show that they are not; whereas the song is produced by the syrinx, the dive‐sound is produced by high‐frequency fluttering of the outermost tail feathers. The Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna), sister to the Costa’s, also sings a vocal song and produces a dive‐sound with the wings and outermost tail feathers that soun...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.Adaptation versus Allometry: Population and Body Mass Effects on Hypoxic Metabolism in Fundulus grandis
Updated: 2009-11-05 19:23:28Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract Hypoxia has significant effects on organisms, from metabolic reduction to death, and could be an important evolutionary force affecting the variation among populations within a species. To determine intraspecific variation in hypoxic metabolism and the effect of body mass, we examine rates of oxygen consumption ($\dot{\mathrm{M}}\textsc{$o$}_{2}$) at seven oxygen concentrations among seven populations of Fundulus grandis that inhabit a mosaic of habitats with different frequencies and intensities of hypoxia. For $\dot{\mathrm{M}}\textsc{$o$}_{2}$, there is a significant interaction ($PAppeasing pheromone inhibits cortisol augmentation and agonistic behaviors during social stress in adult miniature pigs.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00In this study, we Investigated the effects of PAP on social and Immune stress response In adult female miniature pigs. PAP or vehicle solvents were sprayed Into the pens of Individually housed adult sows. A two-week exposure to the pheromone did not alter basal salivary Cortisol levels or clrcadlan rhythms. Following this treatment, the animals were paired and placed In a new pen that was divided with a wire-mesh fence. Although salivary cortisol Increased markedly In the vehicle-treated group, the PAP-treated group exhibited a drastic Inhibition of cortisol secretion. This effect was sustained even after they were allowed to physically Interact following fence removal. Moreover, the latency time of agonistic behaviors, such as escaping or biting, was significantly extended after PAP expos...Localization and Copy Number of the Protein-Coding Genes Actin, alpha-Tubulin, and HSP90 in the Nucleus of a Primitive Dinoflagellate, Oxyrrhis marina.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00This study is the first to locate protein-coding genes in the nucleus of a dinoflagellate, although the chromosomes were greatly damaged during the FISH process. The copy number of each gene per cell was estimated using real time PCR. Resulting copy numbers of actin, alpha-tubulin and HSP90 were, 33.7, 10.4 and 5.4, respectively. PMID: 19877833 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Zoological Science)The Balbiani Body in the Female Germline Cells of an Earwig, Opisthocosmia silvestris.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00Authors: Tworzydlo W, Kloc M, Bilinski SM In the majority of invertebrate and vertebrate species, gametogenesls starts with the formation of cysts (clusters) of sibling germline cells. Cysts originate as the result of mitotic divisions of a specialized germline cell, the cystoblast. Since these divisions are incomplete, the cyst cells (cystocytes) remain connected by stable connections, termed intercellular bridges (ring canals). In forflculold earwigs, female germ cell cysts are composed of two cells only: the pro-oocte and pro-nurse cells. We show that in Opisthocosmia silvestris, the cystoblast, as well as both cells of the cyst, contain the Balbiani body (Bb), a distinct cytoplasmic organelle composed of numerous mitochondria. We also show that in the cyst cells, the Bbs are invari...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed</a - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.Local pharmacological effects of tungstate on the color-pattern determination of butterfly wings: a possible relationship between the eyespot and parafocal element.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00Authors: Dhungel B, Otaki JM Butterfly wing color patterns can be changed by the application of a temperature shock or pharmacological agents such as tungstate, producing a distinctive type of elemental modification called the TS (temperature shock) type. Heterochronic uncoupling between the signaling and reception steps during the color-pattern determination process has been proposed as a mechanism for TS-type changes. As an extension of this hypothesis, both the parafocal element (PFE) and the eyespot in the same wing compartment are considered to be determined by morphogenic signal(s) emitted from the same eyespot focus. However, these models need to be examined with additional experimental data. Furthermore, there is controversy as to whether the action of tungstate on wing color p...Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of the Japanese Wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax Temminck, 1839) and Comparison with Representative Wolf and Domestic Dog Haplotypes.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00Authors: Ishiguro N, Inoshima Y, Shigehara N Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop control region sequences ranging In length from 583 to 598 bp were determined for eight Japanese wolf specimens (Canis lupus hodophilax Temminck, 1839) collected from several sites and compared with 105 haplotypes from the domestic dog (C. lupus familiaris) and continental grey wolf (C. lupus lupus). Also, a 197-bp mtDNA sequence was amplified from archaeological wolf specimens and two continental wolf specimens (C. lupus chanco) as reference sequences for analysis. The mtDNA haplotypes from the eight Japanese wolf specimens were closely related to each other and grouped in a single lineage with an 88% bootstrap value in a neighbor-Joining analysis. The results provide valuable Information for understanding t...Song Control Nuclei in Male and Female Large-billed Crows (Corvus macrorhynchos).
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00Authors: Wang R, Sun Y, Zhang X, Zeng S, Xie W, Yu Y, Zhang X, Zuo M We show that the learned vocalizations of male and female large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) are similar and that their functions and physical features show significant differences from those of other oscine species. We investigate whether the song control nuclei of crows show any sexual differences in size, reflecting differences in their singing behavior, and whether these nuclei are different from those of other songbirds in terms of neural connectivity size and relative to the forebrain. Our Nissl staining results reveal that 1) of the four song nuclei examined (HVC; the robust nucleus of the arcopallium [RA]; Area X; and the dorsolateral medial nucleus [DLM]), HVC, RA, and Area X volumes are significantly ...Behavioral responses by migratory chum salmon to amino acids in natal stream water.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00This study hypothesized that amino acids found in natal stream water have a role in the ability of mature male chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) to home to the Osaru River (OR), Hokkaido, Japan. Behavioral experiments were conducted in a two-choice test tank using various combinations of control water (natural Toya Lake water; NLW and three artificial stream waters using amino acids: 1) artificial OR water (AOR); 2) AOR without L-glutamic acid, the major amino acid in OR water (AOR-E); and 3) artificial water matching another stream (ALS) that had much higher amino acid concentrations than OR. In behavioral tests, the fish did not select between AOR and AOR-E, but still chose AOR over NLW, AOR-E over NLW, and AOR over ALS. These results suggest that migratory male chum salmon respond to amin...Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of Ovary-Specific Transcript 1 (Pm-OSTI) of the Giant Tiger Shrimp, Penaeus monodon.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00In this study, a transcript that significantly matched the polehole precursor was further characterized by RACE-PCR. The sequence obtained was 5151 bp in length and contained a coding region of 5031 bp corresponding to 1677 amino acids. This transcript was only expressed in ovaries but not in testes of Juveniles (N=10) and broodstock (N=22) of P. monodon. A tissue distribution analysis further confirmed ovary-specific expression of this transcript (called P. monodon ovary-specific transcript 1, Pm-OST1) in female broodstock. Expression levels of Pm-OST 1 in ovaries of juvenile P. monodon upon 5-HT Injection (33.9+/-6.40 g; 50 microg/g body weight) were significantly higher at 12-72 hours post Injection (P<0.05). Quantitative real-time PCR Indicated that Pm-OST1 was comparably expressed ...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.Karyotypes of six soricomorph species from emei shan, sichuan province, china.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00We report the karyotypes of six species of the order Soricomorpha (Mammalia), based on specimens collected from Emei Shan (Mount Emei) in central Sichuan Province, China: two talpid species, Uropsilus andersoni (diploid chromosome number [2n]=34, fundamental number of chromosome arms Including two X chromosomes [FN]=56) and Scaptonyx fusicaudus (2n=34, FN=64); and four soricid species, Episoriculus sacratus (2n=58, FN=108), Anourosorex squamipes (2n=48, FN=96), Sorex cylindricauda (2n=30, FN=50), and Sorex bedfordiae (2n=24/25, FN=46/48). This is the first report of the karyotypes of all species except Sc. fusicaudus and A. squamipes. Episoriculus sacratus is considered to be a valid species in Sichuan, separated from the Nepalese E. soluensis based on differences in the karyotype. The kar...New Records of the Nereidid Polychaete Leonnates persicus from Japan, Korea, and Thailand, with a Redescription of the Holotype.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00We describe some Important new characteristics of the holotype, which had not been appropriately described in previous literature. PMID: 19877841 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Zoological Science)Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of Ovary-Specific Transcript 1 (Pm-OST1) of the Giant Tiger Shrimp, Penaeus monodon.
Updated: 2009-10-31 23:00:00In this study, a transcript that significantly matched the polehole precursor was further characterized by RACE-PCR. The sequence obtained was 5151 bp in length and contained a coding region of 5031 bp corresponding to 1677 amino acids. This transcript was only expressed in ovaries but not in testes of Juveniles (N=10) and broodstock (N=22) of P. monodon. A tissue distribution analysis further confirmed ovary-specific expression of this transcript (called P. monodon ovary-specific transcript 1, Pm-OST1) in female broodstock. Expression levels of Pm-OST 1 in ovaries of juvenile P. monodon upon 5-HT Injection (33.9+/-6.40 g; 50 microg/g body weight) were significantly higher at 12-72 hours post Injection (P<0.05). Quantitative real-time PCR Indicated that Pm-OST1 was comparably expressed ...Biodiversity and Aging
Updated: 2009-10-29 19:09:31
Longevity and the process of aging are topics of perennial human interest as expressed by explorers like Alexander the Great and Juan Ponce de Leon searching for a river or spring to heal or reverse the process of aging or by modern scientists studying biology of aging. Just a short walk across the MBL campus [...]Equine chorionic gonadotropin improves the efficacy of a progestin-based fixed-time artificial insemination protocol in Nelore (Bos indicus) heifers.
Updated: 2009-10-28 23:00:00Authors: Sá Filho MF, Torres-Júnior JR, Penteado L, Gimenes LU, Ferreira RM, Ayres H, Castro E Paula LA, Sales JN, Baruselli PS A total of 177 Nelore heifers were examined by ultrasonography to determine the presence or absence of a corpus luteum (CL) and received a 3mg norgestomet ear implant plus 2mg of estradiol benzoate i.m. On Day 8, implants were removed and 150mug of d-cloprostenol i.m. was administered. At the time of norgestomet implant removal, heifers with or without CL at the time of initiating treatment were assigned equally and by replicate to be treated with 0IU (n=87) or 400IU (n=90) eCG i.m. All heifers received 1mg of EB i.m. on Day 9 and were submitted to fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) 30-34h later. The addition of eCG increased the diameter of t...Erratum to: Do captive mandrills invent new gestures?
Updated: 2009-10-28 23:00:00Authors: Laidre ME PMID: 19865838 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Animal Cognition)The Influence of Perenniality and Seed Banks on Polymorphism in Plant‐Parasite Interactions
Updated: 2009-10-27 17:37:14The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Antagonistic interactions, such as diseases, play an important role in natural populations. Understanding the mechanisms that promote long‐term polymorphism at loci that are involved in host‐parasite recognition is a fundamental problem in evolutionary ecology. Coevolution implies the existence of indirect frequency‐dependent selection because the fitnesses of parasite genotypes depend on the frequencies of host genes and vice versa. Polymorphism can be maintained in both organisms if there is also negative, direct, frequency‐dependent selection, when natural selection for host resistance or parasite virulence declines with increasing frequency of that trait itself. In this article, using the gen...Do Speciation Rates Drive Rates of Body Size Evolution in Mammals?
Updated: 2009-10-27 15:20:18The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Recently, it has been shown with large data sets of extinct mammals that large‐bodied lineages experienced higher speciation and extinction rates; with extant mammals, it has been shown that body size evolution is accelerated during speciation. Therefore, it is interesting to investigate whether mammalian body size evolution is faster in large‐bodied lineages. Phylogenetic analysis assuming size‐independent speciation rates suggested that the rate of body size evolution increases with body size, whereas size differences in recent sister species (that are little affected by species turnover) appear to be independent of size. This supports the hypothesis that high rates of species turnover increase t...Vegetation, Fire, and Feedbacks: A Disturbance‐Mediated Model of Savannas
Updated: 2009-10-27 14:09:17The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Savanna models that are based on recurrent disturbances such as fire result in nonequilibrium savannas, but these models rarely incorporate vegetation feedbacks on fire frequency or include more than two states (grasses and trees). We develop a disturbance model that includes vegetation‐fire feedbacks, using a system of differential equations to represent three main components of savannas: grasses, fire‐tolerant savanna trees, and fire‐intolerant forest trees. We investigate the stability of savannas in the presence of positive feedbacks of fire frequency with (1) grasses, (2) savanna trees, and (3) grasses and savanna trees together while also allowing for negative feedbacks of forest trees on fir...Putting the Weary Ghost of Clements to Rest: A Brief Response to Brooker et al.’s Comment
Updated: 2009-10-27 14:07:58The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. (Source: The American Naturalist)Don’t Diss Integration: A Comment on Ricklefs’s Disintegrating Communities
Updated: 2009-10-27 14:01:01The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Ricklefs’s recent call to investigate ecological processes at large scales helps focus ecologists’ attention on an undoubtedly important topic. However, we believe that some of his accompanying arguments for the primacy of such work and, in particular, for the need to “disintegrate” the local community concept are flawed. We revisit Ricklefs’s main tenets and demonstrate that research on local communities is a vital part of understanding processes and diversity across a range of spatial and temporal scales. The integration of research across spatial scales expands our horizons and understanding of ecology and evolution, and this should not be unnecessarily constrained to one extreme or the othe...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.Transcriptome analysis of the venom glands of the Chinese wolf spider Lycosa singoriensis.
Updated: 2009-10-26 23:00:00Authors: Zhang Y, Chen J, Tang X, Wang F, Jiang L, Xiong X, Wang M, Rong M, Liu Z, Liang S The wolf spider Lycosa singoriensis is a hunting spider with a widespread distribution in northwest China. The venom gland of spiders, which is a very specialized secretory tissue, can secrete abundant and complex toxin components. To extensively examine the transcripts expressed in the venom glands of L. singoriensis, we generated 833 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from a directional cDNA library. Toxin-like sequences account for 69.1% of these ESTs, 17.3% are similar to cellular transcripts and 13.6% have no significant similarity to any known sequences. Here, we identified 223 novel toxin-like sequences, which can be classified into six different superfamilies; that means a novel potential sou...Functional Morphology of the Gill in Amazonian Freshwater Stingrays (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae): Implications for Adaptation to Freshwater
Updated: 2009-10-26 20:09:56Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract The gill morphologies of six species of potamotrygonid freshwater stingrays from the Amazon basin were investigated using light and electron microscopy. Some unique features were found in the potamotrygonid gill: (1) fingerlike protuberances on the gill filament, (2) an Alcian blue/periodic acid–Schiff–positive histochemical reaction for several cell layers in the gill epithelium (except the basal ones), (3) pavement cells with numerous subapical mucous vesicles, (4) very large mucous cells, and (5) follicular Na+/K+‐ATPase‐rich (NKA‐rich) mitochondria‐rich cells (MRCs) in Potamotrygon sp. (known as the cururu ray). The fingerlike protuberances may constitute an additional resist...Island Species Richness Increases with Habitat Diversity
Updated: 2009-10-26 19:24:43The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Species richness is commonly thought to increase with habitat diversity. However, a recent theoretical model aiming to unify niche and island biogeography theories predicted a hump‐shaped relationship between richness and habitat diversity. Given the contradiction between model results and previous knowledge, we examine whether the relationship between species richness and habitat diversity is consistently monotonically increasing and under which circumstances, if at all, such relationships could be hump shaped. We review the empirical evidence about the shape of such relationships and show that species richness on islands usually increases with habitat diversity and that it never decreases. We also cr...No evidence of expression of two classes of natural antibiotics (cathelicidins and defensins) in a sample of platypus milk
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:59Camilla M. Whittington, Julie A. Sharp, Anthony Papenfuss, Katherine Belov - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.A review of mucormycosis in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:58Joanne H. Connolly - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Activity and behaviour of lactating echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus) from hatching of egg to weaning of young
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:57Peggy D. Rismiller, Michael W. McKelvey - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Monotreme chromosomes: an introductory review
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:56Carolyn E. Murtagh, G. B. Sharman - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Hatching time for monotreme immunology
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:55Emily S. W. Wong, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Robert D. Miller, Katherine Belov - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Evolutionary and phylogenetic significance of platypus microsatellites conserved in mammalian and other vertebrate genomes
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:54E. Buschiazzo, N. J. Gemmell - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.The enigma of the platypus genome
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:53Wesley C. Warren, Frank Grützner - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Do genomic datasets resolve the correct relationship among the placental, marsupial and monotreme lineages?
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:52Gavin Huttley - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Platypus venom genes expressed in non-venom tissues
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:51Camilla M. Whittington, Katherine Belov - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Breeding behaviour of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in captivity
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:50Margaret Hawkins, Adam Battaglia - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Reproductive strategies of the short-beaked echidna – a review with new data from a long-term study on the Tasmanian subspecies (Tachyglossus aculeatus setosus)
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:49Gemma Morrow, Niels A. Andersen, Stewart C. Nicol - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.Thermoregulation in monotremes: riddles in a mosaic
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:48Peter H. Brice - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Distribution, prevalence and persistence of mucormycosis in Tasmanian platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:47Nick Gust, Joshua Griffiths, Michael Driessen, Annie Philips, Niall Stewart, Dominic Geraghty - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Population genetics of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus): a fine-scale look at adjacent river systems
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:46Stephen H. Kolomyjec, Josephine Y. T. Chong, David Blair, Jaime Gongora, Tom R. Grant, Christopher N. Johnson, Chris Moran - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Development of microsatellite markers for the short-beaked echidna using three different approaches
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:45C. Vanpé, E. Buschiazzo, J. Abdelkrim, G. Morrow, S. C. Nicol, N. J. Gemmell - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)Platypus venom: source of novel compounds
Updated: 2009-10-25 13:00:44Jennifer M. S. Koh, Paramjit S. Bansal, Allan M. Torres, Philip W. Kuchel - Volume 57(4) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.The irradiation of rabbit sperm cells with He-Ne laser prevents their in vitro liquid storage dependent damage.
Updated: 2009-10-24 00:00:00Authors: Iaffaldano N, Rosato MP, Paventi G, Pizzuto R, Gambacorta M, Manchisi A, Passarella S The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of different energy doses of helium-neon (He-Ne) laser irradiation on both mitochondrial bioenergetics functions and functional quality of rabbit spermatozoa during 48h of in vitro liquid storage at 15 degrees C. 11 rabbit semen pools were each divided into four aliquots: three of them were irradiated with He-Ne laser with different energy doses (3.96, 6.12 and 9.00J/cm(2)) being the last control kept under the same experimental conditions without irradiation. Sperm motility, viability and acrosome integrity were monitored together with cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity and the cell energy charge (EC) at 0, 24 and 48h of storage. Irradiate...Selection, Epistasis, and Parent‐of‐Origin Effects on Deleterious Mutations across Environments in Drosophila melanogaster
Updated: 2009-10-23 16:19:58The American Naturalist, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles. Abstract: Understanding the nature of selection against deleterious alleles is central to determining how populations are affected by the constant influx of new mutations. Important progress has been made in estimating basic attributes of the distribution of selection coefficients and gene interaction effects (epistasis). Although most aspects of selection are likely to be context dependent, little is known about the effect of stress on selection and epistasis at the level of individual genes, especially in multicellular organisms. Using Drosophila melanogaster, we measure how selection on 20 mutant alleles is affected by direct and indirect genetic factors across two environments. We find that environmental stres...In pictures: The noughties - a decade of lost species
Updated: 2009-10-22 08:45:00
From rhinos to redwood trees, the noughties decade has spelled the end for some species of plants and animalsCoordinating national efforts to communicate science - EOL and the national bio-centers
Updated: 2009-10-15 20:38:11NESCent, the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, hosted representatives from EOL and the major national biology centers Oct 6-7. The meeting focused on how EOL and the national centers can communicate effectively about science and can improve science education training and programs. Although the centers have different foci (evolution = NESCent, ecological observations = NEON, plants [...]