Updated: 2010-03-16 06:10:11
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles.
Abstract Immunological measures are increasingly being applied to ecological and evolutionary studies of wild vertebrates, yet frequently it is not clear how condition and environmental factors correlate with various immune parameters. We used mixed‐model ANOVA to examine the effects of several measures of condition (both morphological and physiological) and environmental factors on two measures of immune responsiveness in nestling house wrens (Troglodytes aedon L.) to test the hypothesis that nestlings in good condition mount stronger immune responses than those in poor condition. Based on previous studies, we predicted that the innate bactericidal response would be less likely to be affected by c...
Updated: 2010-03-09 07:12:32
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles.
Abstract The allocation of important but environmentally limited nutrients, such as carotenoids, often represents a trade‐off between homeostasis and reproduction. However, key questions remain about how diet and species traits influence carotenoid allocation. We studied yolk carotenoid profiles and yolk color in relation to trophic level (based on δ15N values) in five species of seabirds belonging to the family Alcidae: common murre (Uria aalge), pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba), Cassin’s auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus), rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata), and tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). In three species, which ranged from low (tufted puffin) to high (pigeon guillemot) trophi...
Updated: 2010-03-08 23:00:00
Conclusions G1 arrest occurs at a threshold level of Dpp signaling within a morphogen gradient in the anterior eye. G1 arrest is specific for one competent domain in the eye disc, allowing Dpp signaling to promote growth at earlier developmental stages. (Source: BMC Developmental Biology - Latest articles)
Updated: 2010-03-05 23:00:00
Authors: Hirata S, Fuwa K, Sugama K, Kusunoki K, Fujita S
This paper reports on the use of an eye-tracking technique to examine how chimpanzees look at facial photographs of conspecifics. Six chimpanzees viewed a sequence of pictures presented on a monitor while their eye movements were measured by an eye tracker. The pictures presented conspecific faces with open or closed eyes in an upright or inverted orientation in a frame. The results demonstrated that chimpanzees looked at the eyes, nose, and mouth more frequently than would be expected on the basis of random scanning of faces. More specifically, they looked at the eyes longer than they looked at the nose and mouth when photographs of upright faces with open eyes were presented, suggesting that particular attention to the eyes re...
Updated: 2010-03-05 07:14:23
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles.
Abstract The application of stable isotope analysis to ecology requires estimating the contribution of different isotopic sources to the isotopic signatures of an animal’s tissues using mixing models. These models make the physiologically unrealistic assumption that assimilated nutrients are disassembled into their elemental components and that these atoms are then reassembled into biomolecules. We quantified the extent to which mixing models yield erroneous results with an experiment using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The tilapia were fed synthetic diets that varied in protein content and in which the carbon isotopic composition of protein differed widely from that of carbohydrates and li...
Updated: 2010-03-01 23:00:00
Authors: Benke M, Reise H, Montagne-Wajer K, Koene JM
Competition for fertilisation in hermaphroditic animals seems to have led to many odd behaviours and complex morphologies involved in the transfer of accessory-gland products to the partner. Terrestrial slugs of the genus Deroceras show remarkably elaborate and interspecifically diverse penis morphologies and mating behaviours. Most species have an appending penial gland, which in Deroceras panormitanum consists of a few long fingers that are everted after sperm exchange and laid onto the partner's back. To investigate whether this gland transfers a secretion onto the partner's skin, we killed slugs at different mating stages and studied their penial glands and skin histologically. Two types of secretion granules appeared at a very ...
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
In this study, I performed a field experiment to investigate the outcome of potential food competition between an encounter species (Paratrechina longicornis) and an exploitative one (Pheidole taivanensis) and to examine the factors that may explain the behavior of P. taivanensis when obtaining food (lizard eggs) without being attacked by P. longicornis. When P. longicornis was experimentally introduced to eggs occupied by P. taivanensis for 1 day, it displaced P. taivanensis. However, P. longicornis ignored lizard eggs which had been occupied by P. taivanensis for 2 or more days, and did not displace P. taivanensis, because by that time the eggshells had been damaged by P. taivanensis so they could no longer be used by P. longicornis. Eggshells were damaged more quickly by P. taivanensis ...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.
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
Authors: Kitamura T, Imafuku M
Batesian mimics gain protection from predation by their similarity to distasteful models. In butterflies, it has been thought that distasteful species and Batesian mimics fly slowly and in a straight line, but few studies have demonstrated their behavioral similarity, and no studies have been conducted on behavioral mimicry Involving Batesian intraspecific polymorphism. Here, we compared the wing stroke among various butterflies: palatable non-mimetic Papilio xuthus, unpalatable Pachliopta aristolochiae, and palatable polymorphic Papilio polytes (cyrus form, non-mimetic females; polytes form, Batesian mimetic females) to clarify whether the wing stroke of unpalatable butterflies is different from that of palatable species, whether that of the non-mimetic ...
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
Authors: Kurniawan N, Islam MM, Djong TH, Igawa T, Daicus MB, Yong HS, Wanichanon R, Khan MM, Iskandar DT, Nishioka M, Sumida M
To elucidate genetic divergence and evolutionary relationship in Fejervarya cancrivora from Indonesia and other Asian countries, allozyme and molecular analyses were carried out using 131 frogs collected from 24 populations in Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and the Philippines. In the allozymic survey, seventeen enzymatic loci were examined for 92 frogs from eight representative localities. The results showed that F. cancrivora is subdivided into two main groups, the mangrove type and the large- plus Pelabuhan ratu types. The average Nel's genetic distance between the two groups was 0.535. Molecular phylogenetic trees based on nucleotide sequences ...
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
This study reveals similarities in several morphological characters between this genus and species of Campyloderes Zelinka, 1913.
PMID: 20192691 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Zoological Science)
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
We examined the sex chromosome-linked genes ZFX and ZFY and 11 microsatellite loci to identify individuals. From microsatellite genotypes, the probability of identity was calculated to distinguish between individuals with 99% certainty. To evaluate the accuracy of the genotyping results, we used two approaches for several randomly selected samples. In the first approach, we genotyped all samples from the results of a maximum of three independent polymerase chain reactions (PCRs). In the second approach, we genotyped 10% of the samples from the results of five independent PCRs. Samples subsequent genotypings disagreed with the first genotype were counted as one of three categories of error. The results indicated that genotyping more than 10 microsatellite loci was required to reduce the pro...
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
Authors: Gao JF, Qu YF, Luo LG, Ji X
We kept 48 gravid short-tailed pit vipers (Gloydius brevicaudus) under four laboratory thermal conditions during gestation and collected 10 females from the field soon before they gave birth to test whether Shine's ( 1995 ) maternal manipulation hypothesis applies to temperate reptiles. Females thermoregulated more precisely but did not shift their selected body temperatures during pregnancy, with females at high body temperatures giving birth early in the breeding season. The lowest (22 degrees C) and highest (32 degrees C) temperature treatments Increased maternal mortality and resulted in production of offspring with smaller body dimensions. More deformed offspring were produced at 32 degrees C, and more poorly performing offspring were produced ...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.
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
This study suggests that Minos is active in a broad range of non-host organisms and can be used as a transformation tool in sea urchin embryos.
PMID: 20192694 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Zoological Science)
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
This study provides basic genetic information on these seal species and will contribute to the conservation and management of fisheries and seals throughout Hokkaido.
PMID: 20192695 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Zoological Science)
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
Authors: Ito M, Jiang W, Sato JJ, Zhen Q, Jiao W, Goto K, Sato H, Ishiwata K, Oku Y, Chai JJ, Kamiya H
Rodents belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae and living in the Xinjiang-Uygur autonomous region of China were collected in field surveys between 2001 and 2003. We found four Meriones species, including M. chengi M. liycus, M. meridianus, and M. tamariscinus, as well as related species from different genera, Rhombomys opimus and Brachiones przewaliskii For phylogenetic analyses of these gerbilline species, DNA sequences of parts of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COII) genes were examined with the neighbor Joining, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference methods. Our phylogenetic analyses suggest that the genus Meriones...
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
In this report, we show that a modified single-cell electroporation technique can be applied as a new microinjection method for sperm cells of the sea urchin. The method was applied to FRAP analysis to determine the rate of intraflagellar diffusion.
PMID: 20192697 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Zoological Science)
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
Authors: Van Steenkiste N, Davison P, Artois T
Bryoplana xerophila, a new genus and species of limnoterrestrial protoplanelline platyhelminth, was found in moss and soil covering a concrete wall in northern Alabama, USA. Bryoplana xerophila is the first taxon of limnoterrestrial Protoplanellinae recorded from North America and is one of the few rhabdocoels known from dry habitats. It is unique within Protoplanellinae in lacking rhabdites, having a pharynx rosulatus in the frontal half of the body, and lacking sclerotized parts in the male system. Notes on encystment, reproduction and feeding behavior are given. An updated identification key to all known genera of Protoplanellinae is presented.
PMID: 20192698 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Zoological Science)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.
Updated: 2010-02-28 23:00:00
Authors: Yamada S, Tsukagoshi A
Two new ostracod species, Semicytherura maxima n. sp. and S. ikeyai n. sp., both belonging to the S. henryhowel group of the genus, are described. They were collected from Akkeshi Bay in northeastern Japan, and inhabit the marine sediment surface in places deeper than the intertidal zone. Their distributions in northern Japan seem to be influenced by the cold-water Chishima Current (Oyashio). The geological distribution and species diversity were surveyed for each of the subgroups recognized in the S. henryhowei group. The results suggest that these subgroups split from each other in the NW Pacific by the Early Miocene, and that one of them has spread around the Northern Hemisphere, while the other has remained in the NW Pacific since that time.
PMID...
Updated: 2010-02-23 23:00:00
We describe tarpon as ram-suction feeders. Ram speed varied among strikes from 0.19 to 1.38m/s and each individual produced speeds that spanned at least 0.9m/s across trials. Although suction distances were much less variable, prey movement towards the predator was present in all feeding trials. There was a strong positive relationship between initial predator - prey distance and ram speed (r(2)=0.72, P<0.001). When tarpon initiated their strike from further away, they achieved higher ram speeds, but also took longer to capture their prey. All other timing variables were unaffected by ram speed whereas at higher ram speeds tarpon exhibited greater expansion of the mouth and buccal cavity. Greater buccal expansion accomplished in the same period of time implies that both the total volume...
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
Authors: Toth LA, Compton S, Tolwani R
PMID: 20158942 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Comparative Medicine)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.
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
Authors: Craig ZR, Davis JR, Marion SL, Barton JK, Hoyer PB
Ovarian cancer is associated with high mortality due to its late onset of symptoms and lack of reliable screening methods for early detection. Furthermore, the incidence of ovarian cancer is higher in postmenopausal women. Mice rendered follicle-depleted through treatment with 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) are a model of ovary-intact menopause. The present study was designed to induce ovarian neoplasia in this model by treating mice with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). Female B6C3F1 mice (age, 28 d) received intraperitoneal sesame oil (vehicle; VCD- groups) as a control or VCD (160 mg/kg; VCD+ groups) daily for 20 d to cause ovarian failure. Four months after the onset of dosing, mice from each group received a sin...
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
Authors: Patten CC, Myles MH, Franklin CL, Livingston RS
Pasteurella pneumotropica can cause inflammation and abscess formation in a variety of tissues. Most commonly, P. pneumotropica produces clinical disease in immunodeficient mice or those concurrently infected with other pathogens. Because clinical disease is infrequent in immunocompetent mice harboring P. pneumotropica, some scientists consider it an opportunistic pathogen with little clinical relevance to biomedical research. However, other infectious agents, including mouse parvoviruses, mouse rotavirus, and Helicobacter spp. alter physiologic or biologic responses without causing clinical signs of illness. We investigated the potential for P. pneumotropica to modulate the transcription of cytokine genes in immunocompetent mice...
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
Authors: Booth CJ, Brooks MB, Rockwell S
Here we describe a series of cases of spontaneous coagulopathy in a colony of inbred WAG/RijYcb (WAG/RijY) rats. This strain previously had been bred at our institution without symptomatology for several decades. The index case was a 10-wk-old male rat that developed a large hematoma at a subcutaneous injection site. Clinicopathologic findings included a decreased RBC count, decreased hematocrit, decreased hemoglobin concentration, normal PT, and prolonged (50% to 70%) aPTT (52 s; reference, 15 to 33 s). Examination of additional WAG/RijY rats that died unexpectedly or had clinical signs of bleeding in the absence of experimental manipulation also revealed normal PT and prolonged aPTT. Histologic examinations of tissues from all rats were unrema...
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
Authors: Panda A, Tatarov I, Melton-Celsa AR, Kolappaswamy K, Kriel EH, Petkov D, Coksaygan T, Livio S, McLeod CG, Nataro JP, O'Brien AD, Detolla LJ
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) produce one or more types of Shiga toxins and are foodborne causes of bloody diarrhea. The prototype EHEC strain, Escherichia coli O157:H7, is responsible for both sporadic cases and serious outbreaks worldwide. Infection with E. coli that produce Shiga toxins may lead to diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, or (less frequently) hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause acute kidney failure. The exact mechanism by which EHEC evokes intestinal and renal disease has not yet been determined. The development of a readily reproducible animal oral-infection model with which to evaluate the full pathogenic pot...
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
This study aimed to refine the technical and functional aspects of a pig model of acute myocardial infarction and retroperfusion with respect to the azygos connection. Global retroperfusion after ligation of the ramus interventricularis paraconalis (equivalent to the left anterior descending artery in humans) was performed in 16 Landrace pigs (Sus scrofa domestica). Coronary sinus perfusion was performed in 8 pigs (P+) but not in the other 8 (P-), and the azygos vein was ligated (L+) 4 of the 8 pigs in each of these groups but left open (L-) in the remaining animals. Hemodynamic performance (for example, cardiac output, stroke volume) was significantly better in P+L+ pigs that underwent coronary sinus perfusion with ligation of the azygos vein compared with all other animals. In addition, ...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.
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
In conclusion, SIV H1N1 did not influence PCV2 replication in dually infected pigs in this study.
PMID: 20158948 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Comparative Medicine)
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
Authors: Fujiomto K, Takano J, Narita T, Hanari K, Shimozawa N, Sankai T, Yosida T, Terao K, Kurata T, Yasutomi Y
Of the 419 laboratory-bred cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in a breeding colony at our institution, 397 (95%) exhibited antibodies or viral RNA (or both) specific for simian betaretrovirus (SRV) in plasma. Pregnant monkeys (n= 95) and their offspring were tested to evaluate maternal-infant infection with SRV. At parturition, the first group of pregnant monkeys (n = 76) was antibody-positive but RNA-negative, the second group (n = 14 monkeys) was positive for both antibody and RNA, and the last group (n = 5) was antibody-negative but RNA-positive. None of the offspring delivered from the 76 antibody-positive/RNA-negative mothers exhibited viremia at birth. Eight of...
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
Authors: Shipley ST, Panda A, Khan AQ, Kriel EH, Maciel M, Livio S, Nataro JP, Levine MM, Sztein MB, Detolla LJ
Shigella dysenteriae type 1 can cause devastating pandemics with high case fatality rates; a vaccine for Shigella is unavailable currently. Because of the risks associated with performing challenge studies with wild-type S. dysenteriae 1 in human clinical trials to advance vaccine development, an improved nonhuman primate model is needed urgently. In the present study, cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) were challenged with various doses of S. dysenteriae 1 strain 1617 to establish a dose that would produce shigellosis. Further, different routes of delivery of S. dysenteriae 1 were compared to establish the most appropriate route for infection. Animals receiving 10(11)...
Updated: 2010-02-19 10:34:03
Authors: Burke RL, West MW, Erwin-Cohen R, Selby EB, Fisher DE, Twenhafel NA
Invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae with the hypermucoviscosity phenotype (HMV K. pneumoniae) is an emerging human pathogen that also has been attributed to fatal multisystemic disease in African green monkeys at our institution. Combining a cluster of subclinically infected macaques identified in March and April 2008 and the animals documented during a subsequent survey of more than 300 colony nonhuman primates yielded a total of 9 rhesus macaques and 6 cynomolgus macaques that were subclinically infected. In an attempt to propagate the responsible HMV K. pneumoniae strain, a subset of these animals was immunosuppressed with dexamethasone. None of the treated animals developed clinical disease consistent with the ...
Updated: 2010-02-18 23:00:00
Conclusions:
Together, these data suggest that Sel1l is essential for the growth and differentiation of endoderm-derived pancreatic epithelial cells during mouse embryonic development. (Source: BMC Developmental Biology - Latest articles)
Updated: 2010-02-10 23:00:00
Authors: Scarf D, Colombo M
Pigeons were trained on three three-item lists (List 1: A(1) --> B(1) --> C(1;) List 2: A(2) --> B(2) --> C(2;) List 3: A(3) --> B(3) --> C(3)). After sessions in which any one of the three lists could be presented on a trial, derived-maintained list and derived-changed list probe trials were introduced. The derived list probe trials were composed of three items, one drawn from each of the training lists. On derived-maintained probe trials, each item was in the same ordinal position it occupied during training (e.g., A(3) --> B(1) --> C(2)). On derived-changed probe trials, items that occupied the second and third position during training were exchanged (e.g., A(2) --> C(3) --> B(1)). The performance of subjects on derived-maint...
Updated: 2010-02-10 23:00:00
Authors: Macellini S, Ferrari PF, Bonini L, Fogassi L, Paukner A
Classic mirror self-recognition mark tests involve familiarizing the subject with its mirror image, surreptitiously applying a mark on the subject's eyebrow, nose, or ear, and measuring self-directed behaviors toward the mark. For many non-human primate species, however, direct gaze at the face constitutes an aggressive and threatening signal. It is therefore possible that monkeys fail the mark test because they do not closely inspect their faces in a mirror and hence they have no expectations about their physical appearance. In the current study, we prevented two pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) from seeing their own faces in a mirror, and we adopted a modified version of the classic mark test in which monkeys wer...
Updated: 2010-02-09 23:00:00
Authors: Beran MJ
Although many studies have shown that nonhuman animals can choose the larger of two discrete quantities of items, less emphasis has been given to discrimination of continuous quantity. These studies are necessary to discern the similarities and differences in discrimination performance as a function of the type of quantities that are compared. Chimpanzees made judgments between continuous quantities (liquids) in a series of three experiments. In the first experiment, chimpanzees first chose between two clear containers holding differing amounts of juice. Next, they watched as two liquid quantities were dispensed from opaque syringes held above opaque containers. In the second experiment, one liquid amount was presented by pouring it into an opaque container from an op...
Updated: 2010-02-08 20:33:52
In this study, we measured the strength and form of sexual selection acting on a suite of male morphological traits in a wild ambush bug (Phymata americana) population at 10 sampling dates over 2 years. We tested the prediction that the strength and direction of sexual selection would be associated with one or more important ecological variables. We found that patterns of multivariate selection varied considerably over time, and even within a season. Yet, for this population, a sexually dimorphic color pattern trait was consistently a target of directional selection. The strength of sexual selection on this trait was related to both sex ratio and density, which is consistent with the idea that ecological factors can play an important role in generating patterns of sexual selection. We also...
Updated: 2010-02-07 13:00:59
H. J. Weaver, L. R. Smales - Volume 57(6) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)
Updated: 2010-02-07 13:00:58
A. K. Caudron, S. S. Negro, M. Fowler, L. Boren, P. Poncin, B. C. Robertson, N. J. Gemmell - Volume 57(6) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)
Updated: 2010-02-07 13:00:57
Kirstin L. Pratt, Craig E. Franklin - Volume 57(6) (Source: Australian Journal of Zoology)
Updated: 2010-02-07 13:00:56
Luis Ortiz-Catedral, Jonathan C. Kearvell, Mark E. Hauber, Dianne H. Brunton - Volume 57(6) (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.
Updated: 2010-02-06 23:00:00
Authors: Locurto C, Gagne M, Nutile L
In human cognition there has been considerable interest in observing the conditions under which subjects learn material without explicit instructions to learn. In the present experiments, we adapted this issue to nonhumans by asking what subjects learn in the absence of explicit reinforcement for correct responses. Two experiments examined the acquisition of sequence information by cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) when such learning was not demanded by the experimental contingencies. An implicit chaining procedure was used in which visual stimuli were presented serially on a touchscreen. Subjects were required to touch one stimulus to advance to the next stimulus. Stimulus presentations followed a pattern, but learning the pattern was not nec...
Updated: 2010-02-06 21:37:15
This week, in my role as an animal career coach, I go into a rant about people who are dreaming about an animal career.
You can have a dream about an animal career but you also have to wake up and take action to get an animal job.
If you want to read the animal career rant, [...]
Updated: 2010-02-04 23:00:00
Authors: Burger M, Izquierdo M, Carrera P
The unusual reproductive biology of many spider species makes them compelling targets for evolutionary investigations. Mating behavior studies combined with genital morphological investigations help to understand complex spider reproductive systems and explain their function in the context of sexual selection. Oonopidae are a diverse spider family comprising a variety of species with complex internal female genitalia. Data on oonopid phylogeny are preliminary and especially studies on their mating behavior are very rare. The present investigation reports on the copulatory behavior of an Orchestina species for the first time. The female genitalia are described by means of serial semi-thin sections and scanning electron microscopy. Females of Orc...
Updated: 2010-02-04 19:18:56
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles.
Abstract Many animals use carotenoid pigments derived from their diet for coloration and immunity. The carotenoid trade‐off hypothesis predicts that, under conditions of carotenoid scarcity, individuals may be forced to allocate limited carotenoids to either coloration or immunity. In polychromatic species, the pattern of allocation may differ among individuals. We tested the carotenoid trade‐off hypothesis in the Midas cichlid, Amphilophus citrinellus, a species with two ontogenetic color morphs, barred and gold, the latter of which is the result of carotenoid expression. We performed a diet‐supplementation experiment in which cichlids of both color morphs were assigned to one of two diet trea...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.
Updated: 2010-02-03 23:00:00
Authors: Baskurt OK, Marshall-Gradisnik S, Pyne M, Simmonds M, Brenu E, Christy R, Meiselman HJ
Koala, a marsupial, and echidna, a monotreme, are mammals native to Australia. Blood viscosity (62.5-1250s(-1)), red blood cell (RBC) deformability, RBC aggregation, aggregability and surface charge, and hematological parameters were measured in blood samples from six koalas and six echidnas and compared to adult human blood. Koala had the largest RBC mean cell volume (107.7+/-2.6fl) compared to echidna (81.3+/-2.6fl) and humans (88.4+/-1.2fl). Echidna blood exhibited the highest viscosity over the entire range of shear rates. Echidna RBC were significantly less deformable than koala RBC but more deformable than human RBC. Echidna RBC had significantly lower aggregability (i.e., aggregation ...
Updated: 2010-02-03 23:00:00
Authors: Tvardíková K, Fuchs R
Amodal completion enables an animal to perceive partly concealed objects as an entirety, and to interact with them appropriately. Several studies, based upon either operant conditioning or filial imprinting techniques, have shown that various animals (both mammals and birds) can perform amodal completion. Before this study, the use of amodal completion by untrained animals in the recognition of objects had not been considered. Using two feeders, we observed in a field experiment the reaction of tits to the torso of a sparrowhawk (partly occluded or an 'amputated' dummy) in two different treatments (sparrowhawk torso vs. complete dummy pigeon; and torso vs. complete dummy sparrowhawk). It is clear that the birds considered the two torso variants ...
Updated: 2010-02-03 23:00:00
Authors: Smith P, Silberberg A
In the human mini-ultimatum game, a proposer splits a sum of money with a responder. If the responder accepts, both are paid. If not, neither is paid. Typically, responders reject inequitable distributions, favoring punishing over maximizing. In Jensen et al.'s (Science 318:107-109, 2007) adaptation with apes, a proposer selects between two distributions of raisins. Despite inequitable offers, responders often accept, thereby maximizing. The rejection response differs between the human and ape versions of this game. For humans, rejection is instantaneous; for apes, it requires 1 min of inaction. We replicate Jensen et al.'s procedure in humans with money. When waiting 1 min to reject, humans favor punishing over maximizing; however, when rejection require...
Updated: 2010-02-03 23:00:00
Authors: Stevens JR
Helping others at no cost to oneself is a simple way to demonstrate other-regarding preferences. Yet, primates exhibit mixed results for other-regarding preferences: chimpanzees and tamarins do not show these effects, whereas capuchin monkeys and marmosets preferentially give food to others. One factor of relevance to this no-cost food donation is the payoff to the donor. Though donors always receive the same payoffs regardless of their choice, previous work varies in whether they receive either a food reward or no food reward. Here, I tested cotton-top tamarins in a preferential giving task. Subjects could choose from two tools, one of which delivered food to a partner in an adjacent cage and the other of which delivered food to an empty cage. Thus, subjects could ...
Updated: 2010-02-02 15:34:06
Authors: Marques MG, Nicacio AC, de Oliveira VP, Nascimento AB, Caetano HV, Mendes CM, Mello MR, Milazzotto MP, Assumpção ME, Visintin JA
PMID: 20117327 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Reproduction Science)
Updated: 2010-02-01 18:45:10
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 000, Latest Articles.
Abstract Strict criteria have been established for measurement of basal metabolic rate and standard evaporative water loss to ensure that data can be compared intra‐ and interspecifically. However, data‐sampling regimes vary, from essentially continuous sampling to interrupted (switching) systems with data recorded periodically at more widely spaced intervals. Here we compare one continuous and three interrupted sampling regimes to determine whether sampling regime has a significant effect on estimation of basal metabolic rate or standard evaporative water loss. Compared to continuous 20‐s sampling averaged over 20 min, sampling every 6 min and averaging over 60 min overestimated basal metaboli...
Updated: 2010-01-31 23:00:00
Authors: Nishida H, Satoh N, Hirose E
The 5th International Tunicate Meeting (ITM5) was held at the Okinawa Industry Support Center (Naha, Okinawa, Japan) from June 21 to 25, 2009, with support from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and the Inoue Foundation for Science. Tunicates are defined as deuterostome metazoans that have notochord in the tail at one point or at all times during their life. Presence of a cellulosic integument is also a synapomorphy for this taxon, which consists of three classes: Ascidiacea, Thaliacea, and Appendicularia. Ascidians, the largest class, are always sessile, while thaliaceans and appendicularians are pelagic throughout their life. Many unique and interesting data sets are available that facilitate research on tunicates, such as fu...
Updated: 2010-01-28 14:12:58
If you are seeking a career with animals and have a bachelor’s degree in any field, you can take advantage of a new joint program from Project DragonFly and the Cincinnati Zoo. Read more about the Advanced Inquiry Program graduate degree.
If you are interested, head over now because the application deadline is February 28, [...]
Updated: 2010-01-21 21:36:17
Just a quick note to let you know that I am reviving the Animal Career Secrets website. Most of the posts will be oriented to stories I’ve found elsewhere until I lauch the online program.
Today I am going to outline the Canine Studies diploma course.
It is a fully accredited Level 3 (UK designation) diploma course [...]
