金定鸭的性双态分化和性行为发育

金定鸭的外型分化，受自然选择和性选择的双重影响。在生长发育过程中，依羽域在适应水域环境的重要性，雌雄金定鸭的正羽都按共同的羽域顺序陆续更换生长；与此同时，一日龄外型相同的异性雏鸭，逐渐表现出性双态，包括喙色、羽色、声音、性羽、体重和行为的表型差异，以满足繁殖竞争的需要。金定鸭性行为的出现以其性双态分化为基础，而性行为的分化又是其生理成熟的前提条件。对雄鸭的观察分析结果表明，性双态分化和性行为发育速度的快慢与其生理成熟的早迟是一致的。黑色尾羽的雄鸭，体重较小，其发育速度和性成熟均快于体重较大的白喙或端白尾羽者，因此，建议将尾羽颜色、性双态分化和性行为发育速度作为雄鸭的选育指标。     

Sex‐dependent responses of perch to changes in water clarity and temperature

Rising temperatures and decreasing water transparency of lakes have strong wide ranging effects on fish. Fish responses to various changes in the environment are usually species‐dependent, but responses may also vary within species. In general, large individuals are considered to be more sensitive to environmental variation due to higher energy demand, than smaller individuals. Similarly, large individuals require more food to maintain bodily functions and are thus more sensitive to resource and food scarcity. These size‐specific responses to environmental gradients are also sex‐dependent in species that exhibit sexual size dimorphism (SSD). We studied in enclosures with short‐term experiments how rising temperatures and decreasing water transparency regulate the feeding rates of female and male European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.). To explore experimental results, we calculated perch SSD in nine lakes with varying environmental conditions using previously collected field data. The results of the experiments revealed that the combined effect of water transparency and temperature on the feeding rate of fish is gender‐dependent: feeding rate of females decreased more than that of males. The experimental results were also supported by field data that revealed a negative relation between water transparency and the magnitude of SSD in perch. Our results suggest that rising temperatures and decreasing water transparency may potentially decrease fish size in a sex‐dependent manner. As female size is one of the main demographic traits determining the reproductive success of a fish population, changing environments may have unexpected and far‐reaching consequences on fish population dynamics.     

虎皮鹦鹉发声行为学比较研究

为了解虎皮鹦鹉发声行为的性别差异,采用计算机鸣声分析技术对虎皮鹦鹉的鸣叫行为做了研究,结果表明,雄性虎皮鹦鹉的叫声明显比雌鸟的复杂多变,但是鸣声幅度比雌鸟的小;随着虎皮鹦鹉的成长,雌雄鸟的叫声越来越复杂,幅度越来越高。说明虎皮鹦鹉的叫声具有明显的性双态性,并且叫声随着年龄的增大越来越成熟,30日龄虎皮鹦鹉的鸣声复杂程度已接近成鸟水平。     

多疣狭口蛙的两性异形

测量和比较采自昆明东北郊的131只成年多疣狭口蛙K a lou la verrucosa标本(72♂59♀),同时野外观察雌雄蛙的伏卧姿势、运动方式和繁殖行为.成年雌雄蛙的体长、吻长、鼓膜直径、内突长、前臂宽、后肢全长和足长7个形态特征差异显著.对与体长相关的前臂宽、后肢全长和足长进一步回归分析表明,雄蛙前臂宽随体长的增长速率显著大于雌蛙,雌蛙后肢全长和足长随体长的增长速率显著大于雄蛙.雄蛙的前臂宽、后肢全长和足长均大于相同体长雌蛙的前臂宽、后肢全长和足长.繁殖期雄蛙前肢内侧及胸腹部布满分泌物,雌蛙无.雄蛙为2/3蹼,雌蛙约为1/3蹼.雄蛙具单咽外声囊,雌蛙无.雄蛙肛部疣粒大而光滑,雌蛙肛部疣粒细长而尖.     

榆林沙区黑沙蒿花粉二型性特征观察

以毛乌素沙地南缘榆林沙区的黑沙蒿为研究对象,采用扫描电镜（SEM）显微技术,对其花粉形态特征进行详细的观察描述。结果表明,黑沙蒿花粉粒属单粒小型花粉,具有蒿属植物花粉的共性特征,属于较为进化物种的花粉形态,同时其花粉粒二型性特征亦比较突出。长球形和圆球形2种形态不同的花粉粒,同时存在于同一花药中,长球形花粉粒极轴长(P)23.43（20.10～24.91）μm,赤道(E)轴长16.93（15.81～17.32）μm,P/E=1.38,极轴与赤道轴长度差异显著（P<0.05）,赤道面观椭圆形;圆球形花粉粒极轴与赤道轴近等长,极轴长17.56（16.11～18.43）μm,赤道轴长17.10（15.99～18.01）μm,P/E=1.03,极轴与赤道轴长度差异不显著（P>0.05）,赤道面观圆球形;经T检验,2种形态花粉粒的极轴与赤道轴长度比值P/E,差异达显著水平（P<0.05）。2种形态花粉萌发器官都具3孔沟,但长球形花粉的沟深而细长,边缘整齐光滑,内孔深陷,沟间稍窄,极区面积较小;圆球形花粉的沟较浅较短,沟缘粗糙,内孔外突,沟间较宽,极区面积较大;外壁表面纹饰都为退化小刺与颗粒状纹饰的组合,但刺的分布、基部大小及刺间颗粒的大小和排列等有所差异。样本中长球形花粉粒占比为64.1%,圆球形花粉粒占比为35.9%。     

Sexual dimorphism of fast muscle fibre recruitment in farmed Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.)

Commercially farmed Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) were reared at the Aga Marin's facility located on Dønna (Norway) under ambient environmental conditions in duplicate 15 × 15 × 8 m netpens (May 2004 to May 2005). Twenty fish were sampled five times over a twelve month production period during which time the average body weight increased from 1.26 to 2.08 kg (n = 100 fish). Body mass, fork length (L_F), and the number and size distributions of fast muscle fibres were determined in male and female fish. All males matured during the autumn whereas no maturation was observed in females. From the point of maturation females had superior growth performance to males and body mass and the total cross-sectional area of muscle were 1.4-fold (P < 0.05) and 1.3-fold higher (P < 0.01) respectively by May 2005. The total number of fast muscle fibres per trunk cross-section at 0.55 L_F was 24.5% higher in females (7.58 × 10⁵) than males (5.80 × 10⁵) prior to sexual maturation. In females, muscle fibre recruitment slowed with short days and low water temperatures (< 6.5 °C), but had increased to 1.01 × 10⁶ by May 2005 (P < 0.001). In contrast, there was no growth and no increase in muscle fibre number in males following the onset of maturation. The distribution of muscle fibre diameters prior to maturation in males was also significantly different between male and female fish matched for L_F. The results illustrate a sexual dimorphism of muscle fibre recruitment patterns in Atlantic halibut and highlight the adverse affects of sexual maturation in males on muscle growth.     

A pilot study of sexual dimorphism in the head morphology of domestic dogs

The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) displays more morphological diversity than any other species. It is a direct descendant of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), but shows remarkable behavioral and morphological differences. It has been suggested that differences in skull shape that relate to brain shape and retinal ganglion cell distribution may predict behavioral differences. The aim of this pilot study was to assess head morphology in common breeds for evidence of sexual dimorphism in head length, head width, and the ratio of the 2: cephalic index (CI). When males of 80 breeds studied were compared with females, sexual dimorphism (differences in a t-test at the level of P < 0.01) emerged for head length in 5 breeds, for head width in 10 breeds and in CI for 2 breeds. The 2 breeds that showed sexual dimorphism in CI showed no difference (at the level of P < 0.01) in either length or width. These results suggest that all 3 types of dimorphism in head morphometrics must be considered separately. Although the longer and wider heads in males may be predicted because, within a breed, they are expected to be generally bigger animals, the sexual dimorphism in CI is of interest. It may belie differences in brain shape and even predict differences in health, welfare, and behavior.     

稻飞虱翅型分化的研究进展

翅二型现象存在于褐飞虱(Nilaparvata lugens)、灰飞虱(Laodelphax striatellus)和白背飞虱(Sogatella furcifera)等稻飞虱种群中.综述了遗传等内在因素以及外部因素(温度、相对湿度、光周期、寄主等)对3种稻飞虱长、短翅型分化的影响,探讨了各因素对稻飞虱翅型分化的作用机制,讨论了稻飞虱翅型分化研究中存在的问题,并对制定与稻飞虱翅型分化相关的害虫控制策略提出了建议.     

Female-biased mortality rate and sexual size dimorphism of migratory masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou

Abstract –  We examined whether mortality and growth during the migration phase (the lacustrine phase after smolting) differ between sexes in migratory (lake-run) masu salmon ( Oncorhynchus masou ) in a lacustrine population, northern Hokkaido, Japan. The sex ratio of 1+ smolts was more skewed to females than that of the returning adults in three annual cohorts examined, indicating that females have a higher mortality rate during the migration phase. Although there was no difference in smolt length between sexes, female adults were larger in body length than males of the same age: female-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) occurs. We suppose that breeding selection favouring a larger body size for females than for males in this population probably requires that females undertake more intensive foraging behaviour with its greater inherent risks but faster growth rates during the migration phase. It therefore seems to be likely that the selection is the ultimate cause of the female-biased mortality rate and SSD.     

Determining home range,changes in habitat use with time,and the threats to an endangered freshwater turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) in Turkey

1. The Euphrates softshell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) is the most threatened chelonian species in the Middle East, where it is endemic to the Tigris and Euphrates basins. Since the ecology of this species is little known, it is difficult to plan any reliable action for its correct management and conservation.
2. To enhance the scientific knowledge on R. euphraticus, and to establish a science-based management strategy, a detailed investigation was undertaken on the distribution, habitat, activity and home range of R. euphraticus in Turkey. The previous distribution records in Turkey are for the 1990s; thus, this study is the first comprehensive field research on the species after nearly 3 decades.
3. There was a significant sexual size dimorphism in the Turkish population, with males larger than females.
4. Four individuals were radiotracked for 1 year. The mean home range was highly variable depending on how it was calculated, but that of males was considerably greater than that of females by all methods used.
5. A quantitative evaluation was made of habitat change with time. The land cover classes potentially available to turtles in the Euphrates River basin increased by more than 100% between the 1990s and 2018: 92% of this enhancement was derived from water bodies and coastal lands.
6. Fifteen dams have been built in the lower part of the basins in the last 30 years. In addition, continuing human interactions have caused the fragmentation or destruction of suitable habitats for R. euphraticus.
7. The factors threatening R. euphraticus were assessed and a conservation action plan was developed. Some objectives such as monitoring and creating awareness of this action plan have been met while others are still waiting to be achieved.