大杜鹃(Cuculus canorus)与其宿主灰喉鸦雀(Paradoxornis alphonsianus)的卵色模拟(英文)

卵色多态性在大杜鹃(Cuculus canorus)与其宿主灰喉鸦雀(Paradoxornis alphonsianus)中非常明显,在同一地理种群内,大杜鹃和宿主灰喉鸦雀均分别对应出现了蓝色、浅蓝色和白色的卵。已有研究表明这很可能是两者协同进化过程中分裂选择的结果。然而,仅仅基于人眼评估的卵色分析结果是不够的,一是无法准确量化,二则由于人眼无法探测到鸟类所能感知的紫外光(UV)部分。本研究采用光纤光谱仪,量化比较了大杜鹃与其宿主灰喉鸦雀卵色的多态性及模拟程度。结果表明,光谱仪量化结果与基于人眼评估的卵色模拟情况大致吻合,同时发现大杜鹃与灰喉鸦雀二者卵色在紫外光部分也相当模拟。然而,产白色卵的杜鹃与产白色卵的鸦雀之间的模拟程度,要低于产蓝色卵的杜鹃和鸦雀。这表明,灰喉鸦雀产白色卵很可能是由于杜鹃寄生压力所导致的后进化结果。     

杜鹃对两种远距离的近缘苇莺的巢寄生:一个平行协同进化的案例?(英文)

大杜鹃(Cuculus canorus)通常寄生小型雀形目鸟类。由于杜鹃雏鸟的排他性拱卵或拱雏,导致宿主繁殖失败,因此宿主进化出如卵识别能力的反寄生策略。反过来,杜鹃也同时进化出如模拟宿主卵的寄生策略。于是两者之间的相互作用可形成类似军备竞赛的协同进化关系。在匈牙利,大苇莺(Acrocephalus arundinaceus)是大杜鹃的主要宿主,寄生率可高达约 40-65%。以往被认为是大苇莺一个亚种的东方大苇莺(A. orientalis)在日本的种群也被大杜鹃寄生(25-40%)。通过采用光纤光谱仪量化大杜鹃及其宿主的卵色特征,我们比较了东、西半球大杜鹃对两种苇莺的寄生模拟程度。鸟类视觉模型显示,对于可见光颜色,杜鹃与宿主之间卵色的模拟程度在匈牙利高于日本,但匈牙利杜鹃和宿主均较大的卵色变异程度可导致卵色模拟困难。杜鹃与苇莺卵色的量度差异在日本较低,这被证明是宿主拒卵行为的一个重要影响因素。苇莺对大杜鹃卵的拒绝率在日本(35%)和匈牙利(37%)相似。与匈牙利不同,在日本,宿主对杜鹃寄生的应对策略如拒卵行为,先于杜鹃的反适应对策。我们认为,两种近缘物种大苇莺对杜鹃寄生的不同反寄生行为,代表了协同进化军备竞赛的不同演化阶段。     

引入新西兰的欧金翅雀的拒卵行为及其窝卵特征(英文)

那些有着确切的引入历史记录的鸟类种群,为研究生态环境的快速变化对其行为(例如对巢寄生的反应)和生活史特征(例如窝卵数和卵参数)的影响,提供了一个难得的机遇。我们比较了欧金翅雀(Carduelis chloris)在其原产地英国和引入新西兰的种群对外来卵的拒卵行为及其窝卵特征。尽管以往研究认为欧金翅雀不是大杜鹃的合适宿主,因而没有受到杜鹃寄生的选择压力,但我们却发现引入种群的欧金翅雀有拒卵行为(尽管拒卵比例较低)。欧金翅雀在原产地和引入地的弃巢比例没有差异,因此弃巢不是欧金翅雀应对巢寄生的策略。与以往研究不同,两地的窝卵数和卵大小没有显著差异。本文强调了在巢寄生实验中注意控制对照实验组的重要性。     

陕西楼观台圈养朱鹮繁殖状况调查研究

对位于陕西省西安市周至县楼观镇的陕西省珍稀野生动物抢救饲养研究中心圈养朱鹮种群2009年-2018年的繁殖状况进行了调查分析。结果显示,楼观台朱鹮人工种群的种群总数、性别比例与年龄结构较为合理,但老龄朱鹮所占比例较大;朱鹮亲鸟扔雏行为还未得到妥善解决;繁殖相关数据指标年间变化差异显著,碎卵相比死雏、腐卵在繁殖失败所占比例较高。研究结果为朱鹮圈养种群繁殖状况的改善提供了数据基础,可为濒危鸟类的保护提供参考。     

中国的寄生性杜鹃及其宿主多样性(英文)

通过多年的调查资料、观鸟爱好者所提供的图片和文献整理,我们对多杜鹃寄生系统下的中国寄生性杜鹃及其宿主的多样性进行了系统研究。在中国分布的17种寄生性杜鹃中,迄今已发现11种杜鹃的宿主达55种,均为雀形目鸟类,隶属于15科,其中莺科、鸫科和画眉科分别占到寄生记录总数的 22.6%、20.8% 和 17.0%。大杜鹃(Cuculus canorus)的宿主种类最多(45.5%),是中国最常见、宿主多样性最丰富的寄生性杜鹃。不同种类的寄生性杜鹃的卵色不同,而且杜鹃与其宿主之间均呈现明显的卵色多态性,为典型的卵色协同进化。基于人眼观察,大杜鹃、小杜鹃(C. poliocephalus)和八声杜鹃(Cacomantis merulinus)的卵色均与其宿主高度模拟,而鹰鹃(Cuculus sparverioides)、中杜鹃(C. saturatus)和翠金鹃(Chrysococcyx maculatus)则产非模拟的卵。目前仍有6种寄生性杜鹃的宿主不详,亟待加强研究。     

牛鹂的保护与协同进化:潜在的误解和未来的研究方向(英文)

鸟类巢寄生是研究寄生者与宿主之间相互作用及其协同进化的模式系统。然而,近来开展的一些工作却使人们对褐头牛鹂(Molothrus ater)这一世界上研究最多的寄生性繁殖鸟类产生了误解,特别是在到底该鸟对其宿主鸟类是否会产生危害这一认识上。这些潜在的误解包括:褐头牛鹂是一种新出现在北美的寄生鸟类,其种群正在快速增加;新近被牛鹂寄生的宿主没有防御行为,因此牛鹂寄生导致了目前雀形目鸟类的普遍减少,而对牛鹂的控制管理有效增加了濒危宿主鸟类的种群。而关于协同进化方面的误解则包括:牛鹂是典型的"相容性寄生鸟类";牛鹂雏鸟会拱掉巢内宿主卵或雏鸟;牛鹂具有"黑手党"报复行为。这些误解由来已久,已严重影响了我们对牛鹂这一神奇寄生鸟类及其协同进化过程的认识。为此,本文对所有这些误解一一做了说明,并对未来的研究方向进行了展望。     

几种鸟的捕食行为与功能

捕食,是鸟类赖以生存的基本条件。由于鸟类种群不同,环境各异,其捕食方式千姿百态,各具特色,这种复杂的本能行为是长期进化发展的结果,它既显示出鸟类的种群艰难跋涉的“历史足迹”,也表现出鸟     

景观格局对牛鹂泛性寄生的长期维持有影响么?(英文)

与大多数巢寄生鸟类不同,一些牛鹂(Molothrus spp.)可以广泛寄生于其分布区内的以及同一群落内的多种宿主;也没有证据表明,同一种群内的寄生个体对宿主物种有专一性。对此,进化滞后假说认为,与其他专性寄生的杜鹃和牛鹂相比,泛性寄生牛鹂是新近才进化的一支;而进化平衡假说则认为,由于寄生牛鹂的"黑手党"效应,宿主识别和拒绝牛鹂寄生卵的代价太大。然而,北美的许多宿主鸟类已进化出特定的反寄生防御行为,这些鸟类几乎都栖息在开阔地带,如草地、灌丛和溪流边。我们认为,北美鸟类生境的景观格局,对长期维持牛鹂的泛性寄生非常重要,同时也很好地解释了为什么北美森林宿主鸟类没有进化出反寄生行为。寄生性的牛鹂需要开阔草地觅食,因而很少见于森林。森林作为"源栖息地"产生的许多宿主,仅由于一些个体的扩散才进入寄生率和捕食风险都较高的片段化森林斑块,即"汇栖息地"。如此,宿主的反寄生行为的进化将非常缓慢,因为大部分个体都来自牛鹂寄生率很低的生境。此外,生境片段化、宿主繁殖扩散和集合种群的动态变化也进一步阻止了宿主反寄生行为的进化。只要北美大片的森林景观依然存在,这种状况就能持续,森林鸟类宿主对牛鹂寄生的反寄生行为就无法快速进化,反过来,牛鹂的泛性寄生也就得以维持。     

鸟类羽色的奥秘

冬天,我家后院那株李树的叶子落光了。一天早上我来到后院。奇怪,怎么一夜之间李树突然披满绿叶?我走近想看仔细些。还没走几步,只听“哗—”一声,这些叶子全飞了,原来是一大群暗绿绣眼鸟。这种鸟小巧玲珑,上体碧绿,腹部灰白,栖在树枝上真象叶子。平时它们3、5成群在高枝绿叶间觅食,到冬天集大群活动。象这样百多只静悄悄地把落叶树装点得绿叶满枝的情景,还真可称奇观。经过亿万年的进化,鸟类体羽的保护色发展得十分完善。只要你留心观察就不难发现,喜欢在高枝绿叶中觅食的小鸟,如柳莺、绣眼体色多碧绿;喜欢躲藏在阴暗灌丛里的鸟,如画眉、鹪莺和棕头鸦雀体色多为棕褐色;而在草地上活动的鸟,如树     

线粒体DNA序列在畜禽遗传多样性与起源进化中的研究进展

线粒体DNA分析可用来探索种群的遗传变异、种群遗传结构和种的进化关系.利用动物种间和种内群体的线粒体多态性,可以进行物种亲缘关系、系统起源和进化关系等方面的分析.本文对近年来线粒体DNA序列在家养动物中的研究进展作一个简要综述.     

白术、微米白术和白术多糖对断奶仔猪生长性能和肠道形态及微生态区系的影响

试验选用96头平均体重14.82 kg左右的杜×长×大断奶仔猪,随机分成4组,每组3栏,每栏8头(公母各半)。对照组饲喂基础日粮,试验1、2、3组分别添加1%80目白术、0.2%白术多糖和1%微米白术。试验期30 d。结果表明:在生长性能方面,与对照组相比,1%微米白术添加组可显著提高日增重(P0.05)、降低饲料增重比和腹泻率,而且效果优于1%80目白术组和0.2%白术多糖组,在肠道形态和肠道微生态区系方面,与对照组相比,日粮添加1%80目白术、0.2%白术多糖、1%微米白术均可不同程度的提高十二指肠和空肠的绒毛高度,加深十二指肠和空肠的隐窝深度,并且增加肠道微生态区系的多样性,其中以1%微米白术添加组的效果最佳。     

Prevalence and seasonal incidence of nematode parasites and fluke infections of sheep and goats in eastern Ethiopia

Sissay, M.M., Uggla, A. and Waller, P.J., XXXX. Prevalence and seasonal incidence of nematode parasites and fluke infections of sheep and goats in eastern Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, XXXX. A 2-year abattoir survey was carried out to determine the prevalence, abundance and seasonal incidence of gastro-intestinal (GI) nematodes and trematodes (flukes) of sheep and goats in the semi-arid zone of eastern Ethiopia. During May 2003 to April 2005, viscera including liver, lungs and GI tracts were collected from 655 sheep and 632 goats slaughtered at 4 abattoirs located in the towns of Haramaya, Harar, Dire Dawa and Jijiga in eastern Ethiopia. All animals were raised in the farming areas located within the community boundaries for each town. Collected materials were transported within 24 h to the parasitology laboratory of Haramaya University for immediate processing. Thirteen species belonging to 9 genera of GI nematodes (Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus axei, T. colubriformis, T. vitrinus, Nematodirus filicollis, N. spathiger, Oesophagostomum columbianum, O. venulosum, Strongyloides papillosus, Bunostomum trigonocephalum, Trichuris ovis, Cooperia curticei and Chabertia ovina), and 4 species belonging to 3 genera of trematodes (Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica, Paramphistomum {Calicohoron} microbothrium and Dicrocoelium dendriticum) were recorded in both sheep and goats. All animals in this investigation were infected with multiple species to varying degrees. The mean burdens of adult nematodes were generally moderate in both sheep and goats and showed patterns of seasonal abundance that corresponded with the bi-modal annual rainfall pattern, with highest burdens around the middle of the rainy season. In both sheep and goats there were significant differences in the mean worm burdens and abundance of the different nematode species between the four geographic locations, with worm burdens in the Haramaya and Harar areas greater than those observed in the Dire Dawa and Jijiga locations. Similar seasonal variations were also observed in the prevalence of flukes. But there were no significant differences in the prevalence of each fluke species between the four locations. Overall, the results showed that Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Nematodirus, Oesophagostomum, Fasciola and Paramphistomum species were the most abundant helminth parasites of sheep and goats in eastern Ethiopia.     

Y‐chromosomal variation of local goat breeds of Turkey close to the domestication centre

Genetic variations in chromosome Y are enabling researchers to identify paternal lineages, which are informative for introgressions and migrations. In this study, the male‐specific region markers, sex‐determining region‐Y (SRY), amelogenin (AMELY) and zinc finger (ZFY) were analysed in seven Turkish native goat breeds, Angora, Kilis, Hair, Honaml?, Norduz, Gürcü and Abaza. A SNP in the ZFY gene defined a new haplotype Y2C. All domestic haplogroups originate from Capra aegagrus, while the finding of Y1A, Y1B, Y2A and Y2C in 32, 4, 126 and 2 Turkish domestic goats, respectively, appears to indicate a predomestic origin of the major haplotypes. The occurrence of four haplotypes in the Hair goat and, in contrast, a frequency of 96% of Y1A in the Kilis breed illustrate that Y‐chromosomal variants have a more breed‐dependent distribution than mitochondrial or autosomal DNA. This probably reflects male founder effects, but a role in adaptation cannot be excluded.     

A brief history of the prevention of infectious diseases by immunisations

Infectious diseases have always been a terrible scourge for humans. The appearance of these plagues, as they were called without distinction, was generally connected to various conditions: asters, climatic changes or religious reasons. The concept of contagious, and then infectious, diseases came slowly. Variolation, i.e. transmission of ‘virulent’ matter to induce a natural disease and the immunity against it, was brought from Constantinople to England by Lady Montague, in 1721. This ‘variolation’ technique was also often performed in veterinary medicine against diseases like sheep-pox or pleuropneumonia. As ‘vaccination’ is the term generally accepted for ‘immunisation’, variolation can be the word designating such a technique. The second period of the history of immunisation began, in 1880, with the studies of Pasteur and his collaborators. A great number of bacterial vaccines were developed: dead, live but attenuated or only parts of pathogens. The viruses were produced in animals, then in eggs and at last, in tissue cultures. Second generation vaccines appeared with genetic engineering: recombinant vaccines, vector vaccines, nucleic acids vaccines, and markers vaccines, among others. These novel technologies can permit the development of new ones and improve the quality of the vaccines already existing.     

Micronutrient Content of Certain Tropical Conventional and Unconventional Feed Resources of Southern India

The ash, silica and certain important micronutrients were estimated in conventional and unconventional feed and fodder resources available in Southern India. Commonly used dry roughages, such as paddy straw, ragi straw, maize kadbi/stalk, jowar kadbi/stalk, bajra stalk and wheat straw, were high in ash (9.9% +/- 0.77%) and silica (6.4% +/- 0.65%) and low in most of the other micronutrients, except iron, with paddy straw containing most silica (>9%). Cultivated non-leguminous (maize, jowar) and improved green crops (hybrid napier, guinea, green panic, NB-21, CO-1) were also high in ash (10.5% +/- 0.60% and 12.5% +/- 0.51%) but were moderate sources of P, Mg and Cu and good sources of Zn (98 +/- 13.8 ppm and 55 +/- 6.7 ppm). Leguminous green fodders (stylosanthus, lucerne, cow pea, soyabean) were excellent sources of Ca (1.9% +/- 0.16%), Mg (0.40% +/- 0.05%), Cu (30 +/- 5.2 ppm), Zn (121 +/- 14.7 ppm) and Fe (1234 +/- 166 ppm) and moderate sources of P. Mixed local grasses and weeds were high in silica (6.9% +/- 1.00%) but were good sources of Cu, Zn and Fe. Cereal grains (maize, wheat, rice, ragi) were low in ash (2.9% +/- 0.33%) and were relatively poor sources of Ca (0.22% +/- 0.03%), Mg (0.19% +/- 0.03%) and Cu (13 +/- 3.1 ppm). Pulses were low to medium sources of most minerals and good sources of Fe (1230 +/- 293 ppm). Oil seed cake/extractions (groundnut cake, cotton seed cake, soyabean meal, sunflower cake, safflower cake) and cereal by-products (rice polish, rice bran, wheat bran) were excellent sources of P (1.1% +/- 0.47% and 2.3% +/- 0.19%) and good sources of Zn (65 +/- 3.9 ppm and 66 +/- 10.7 ppm) and Fe (938 +/- 130 ppm and 662 +/- 126 ppm). Among the unconventional feeds screened, orange peel, sunflower heads, meat meal, rubber seed cake, spirulina algae and sea weeds contained plentiful Ca, Zn and Fe: tree leaves/top feeds (mulberry, erythrina, glyricidia, banana, subabul, groundnut haulms) were excellent sources of Ca (1.5% +/- 0.13%), Zn (120 +/- 22.9 ppm) and Fe (1033 +/- 133 ppm) but relatively poor sources of P. Soyabean husk, cocoa seed husk, rubber seed cake and meat meal were moderate to good sources of P (1.0% and 0.33%). The high Zn and Fe values of most feeds/fodders were probably due to soil contamination. This account of the micronutrient content of feed/fodder resources should help in strategic supplementation intended to alleviate local deficiencies.     

Feline intracranial neoplasia: retrospective review of 160 cases (1985-2001)

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of different tumor types within a large cohort of cats with intracranial neoplasia and to attempt to correlate signalment, tumor size and location, and survival time for each tumor. Medical records of 160 cats with confirmed intracranial neoplasia evaluated between 1985 and 2001 were reviewed. Parameters evaluated included age, sex, breed, FeLV/FIV status, clinical signs, duration of signs, number of tumors, tumor location(s), imaging results, treatment, survival times, and histopathologic diagnosis. Most of the cats were older (11.3 +/- 3.8 years). Primary tumors accounted for 70.6% of cases. Metastasis and direct extension of secondary tumors accounted for only 5.6 and 3.8% of cases, respectively. Twelve cats (7.5%) had 2 or more discrete tumors of the same type, whereas 16 cats (10.0%) had 2 different types of intracranial tumors. The most common tumor types were meningioma (n = 93, 58.1%), lymphoma (n = 23, 14.4%), pituitary tumors (n = 14, 8.8%), and gliomas (n = 12, 7.5%). The most common neurological signs were altered consciousness (n = 42, 26.2%), circling (n = 36, 22.5%), and seizures (n = 36, 22.5%). Cats without specific neurological signs were common (n = 34, 21.2%). The tumor was considered an incidental finding in 30 (18.8%) cats. In addition to expected relationships (eg, meninges and meningioma, pituitary and pituitary tumors), we found that lesion location was predictive of tumor type with diffuse cerebral or brainstem involvement predictive of lymphoma and third ventricle involvement predictive of meningioma.     

Bovine Mastitis in Selected Areas of Southern Ethiopia

A study on bovine mastitis, designed to determine the causal agents, prevalence of infection and impact of risk factors in three cattle breeds, was conducted in selected areas of southern Ethiopia. A total of 307 lactating and non-lactating cows, of which 162 were indigenous Zebu, 85 Jersey and 60 Holstein-Friesian, were examined by clinical examination and the California mastitis (CMT) test. Of these, 40.4% were positive by CMT and bacteriology for clinical or subclinical mastitis, with prevalence rates of 37.1% and 62.9%, respectively. Out of 1133 quarters examined, 212 (18.7%) were found to be infected, 83 (39.2%) clinically and 129 (60.8%) subclinically. The prevalence of mastitis was significantly higher in Holstein-Friesian than in indigenous Zebu, in non-lactating cows than in lactating cows, in the early lactation stage than in the mid-lactation stage, in cows with lesions and/or tick infestation on skin of udder and/or teats than in cows without this factor, and in the wet season than in the dry season. Mastitis increased with parity number (R = 0.9). Of 248 CMT and clinically positive udder quarter samples analysed microbiologically, 212 were culturally positive for known mastitis pathogens and 36 were negative. Of the 199 positive samples, Staphylococcus accounted for 39.2%, Streptococcus for 23.6%, coliforms for 14.1%, Micrococcus and Bacillus species for 8.0% each and Actinomyces or Arcanobacterium (Corynebacterium) for 7.0%. It was concluded that there was a high prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis, mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Escherichia coli, in this study area.     

不同日粮氮水平对山羊氮代谢和微生物蛋白质合成的影响

本试验旨在探讨不同日粮氮水平对内蒙古白绒山羊氮代谢和微生物蛋白质合成(MCP)的影响,以达到提高氮利用率,减少环境污染和饲料资源的浪费。试验选用9只体况良好、体重为(43.83±2.95)kg,装有瘤胃瘘管的内蒙古白绒山羊,按体重随机分为3组,每组3只。日粮分为低氮7.5%、中氮10.5%、高氮13.5%3个氮水平。试验使用常规试验方法分析测定粪尿血液等生化指标,通过全收尿法和尿嘌呤衍生物法估测MCP。结果表明:随着氮水平增加,氨氮(NH3-N)浓度、氮摄入量、尿氮排出、尿中尿素氮(UUN)和MCP显著增加(P0.05),干物质采食量(DMI)显著降低(P0.01);沉积氮占总摄入氮的比例在中氮组最高,MCP在高氮组最高。综上所述,适当降低日粮氮水平可减少粪尿氮排放,提高反刍动物氮利用率。     

Microsporidial keratopathy in two dogs

A microsporidial keratopathy is described in two dogs. Both dogs presented with a unilateral stromal keratopathy characterized by multifocal coalescing opacities, and the diagnosis was made on histopathologic examination of keratectomy specimens. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded corneal tissue was performed in one dog, and the morphologic features were consistent with Nosema species infection. Both dogs were initially diagnosed and treated by superficial keratectomy. One dog received additional antifungal medication and underwent a penetrating keratoplasty following local recurrence two years later. No other systemic lesions attributable to the microsporidial infection were identified clinically. The clinical and diagnostic pathology findings, treatment, and follow‐up are discussed.