有关白颈长尾雉雄性偏倚扩散的遗传学证据

一种性别的个体倾向于比另一性别的个体扩散到离出生地较远的地方,这种现象称为性别偏倚扩散.性别偏倚扩散现象在脊椎动物中很常见,对种群结构和种群动态有着非常重要的作用.许多研究已经证明了一夫一妻制鸟类的扩散模式,然而有关一夫多妻制鸟类的研究和数据还是很少.白颈长尾雉(Syrmaticus ellioti)是中国特有的濒危物种.本研究中,我们使用多态性DNA微卫星位点(105个个体和7个位点)和线粒体DNA控制区序列(63个个体)来研究白颈长尾雉的性别偏倚扩散模式.传统的观点认为,鸟类中雌性个体比雄性个体更具扩散性.与此不同的是,本文中两种遗传标记所得的遗传信息都表明,白颈长尾雉的扩散模式是雄性偏倚的.我们认为,在鸡形目中,不具群集展示行为的一夫多妻制物种更加倾向于雄性偏倚扩散模式.该推论与基于白颈长尾雉一夫多妻的婚配体制所得到的结果是相一致的.     

Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat,Bathyergus suillus (Rodentia: Bathyergidae)

Most polygynous male mammals exhibit little or no parental care or involvement raising young. Instead, they invest indirectly in their own morphological and physiological attributes which enhance their chance of reproduction. Such secondary morphological sex traits may contribute to differences in the burrow architecture of fossorial mammals, such as the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus. Indeed, little is known about the seasonal changes in burrow architecture or differences in burrow configuration may differ between the sexes of subterranean African mole-rats (Bathyergidae). We excavated burrow systems of male and female B. suillus during the summer and the winter to investigate whether male burrow architecture reflected putative mate-seeking behaviour. We consider burrow geometry in response to mating strategies. Male burrow systems explored the environment more efficiently than females. This is presumably because of the increase in associated energetic costs of being a large male. Males produce more mounds indicating territorial behaviour even when it is energetically costly to dispose of soil onto the surface when the soil is less friable during the summer. Overall tunnel dimensions did not differ between the sexes. It appears that a change in season does not affect the geometry of the burrow system or tunnel dimensions in a climatically buffered environment.     

Sexual differentiation in litter-bearing mammals: influence of sex of adjacent fetuses in utero

In rodents and swine, individual differences in a broad range of characteristics correlate with intrauterine position during fetal life. By identifying the intrauterine position of mice at cesarean delivery, we can predict reliably postnatal reproductive traits such as genital morphology, timing of puberty, length of estrous cycles, timing of reproductive senescence, sexual attractiveness, sexual behavior, aggressiveness, daily activity level, body weight and tissue enzyme activity in females; in males we can predict genital and brain morphology, sexual behavior, aggressiveness, daily activity level, body weight, and tissue enzyme activity. In mice, as in all mammals, male fetuses have greater concentrations of testosterone than do females. In addition, female mouse fetuses have greater circulating concentrations of estradiol than do male fetuses, a condition not found in all mammals. A mouse fetus positioned between males has greater concentrations of testosterone than does a fetus of the same sex positioned between females, and a fetus positioned between females has greater concentrations of estradiol than does a fetus of the same sex positioned between males. Gonadal steroids regulate differentiation of secondary sexual characteristics. Studies in which the effects of intrauterine position have been eliminated by exposing fetuses to steroid receptor blockers reveal the critical role of steroids in mediating this phenomenon. The intrauterine position phenomenon provides the only mammalian model for relating postnatal traits to concentrations of endogenous hormones to which individuals are exposed during fetal life. Results from studies using this naturally occurring experimental system in litter-bearing species have given insights concerning the consequences of individual differences in steroid concentrations during sexual differentiation that likely apply to all mammals. One specific hypothesis is that circulating estradiol may interact with testosterone in mediating some aspects of sexual differentiation in rodents and, thus, possibly in other mammals.     

两性异型红隼的子代性比研究

Fisher经典的性比分配理论预测:如果双亲繁殖雄性和雌性子代的代价相同,那么子代的性比应趋于平衡.然而,性比组成是长期进化的结果,常因不同因素的影响而出现偏离.文献报道猛禽由于存在不同形式的两性异型现象而导致子代性比常出现偏离,但子代性比偏离方向因种而异.本研究中我们对红隼(Falco tinnunculus)子代的性比组成进行了调查,目的是检验红隼子代性比是否受产卵日期、产卵顺序、卵重、出雏顺序或窝卵数影响.在窝水平上,红隼(雄性)的初级性比为47.0%,没有偏离0.5,但次级性比为40.8%,显著偏离0.5(p=0.029).在种群水平上,初级性比和次级性比都没有出现偏离.窝卵数和卵重影响红隼的次级性比组成,窝卵数越大,雄性后代数量越多,且发育为雄性后代的卵重较发育为雌性后代的重.初级性比和次级性比都受到产卵日期的影响,产卵越早,雄性后代比例越高.     

Age of cow and age of dam effects on milk production of Hereford cows

Milk production in Hereford cows was studied utilizing 2,487 lactation records on 926 cows. Data were collected over 17 yr (1968 to 1984) from two related herds. Estimates of daily milk yield were obtained at bimonthly intervals by the calf suckling technique. The sum of three monthly measures (TMY), a predicted sum of seven monthly observations (PMY) and 205-d weight of the calf were studied. Year, age of cow, age of dam at cow's birth and calf birth weight affected (P less than .05) all traits. Birth weight affected all measures of milk, with heavier calves obtaining more milk. Age of cow effects were significantly curvilinear, with PMY and TMY increasing for cows from 2 to 5 yr of age, but not differing for cows 6 yr and older. Age of cow effects on 205-d weight were similar to those for milk. As age of cow increased from 2 to 4 yr, 205-d calf weight increased. A leveling off in 205-d weight was observed for calves of cows 5 yr and older. Effects of age of dam of cow also were significant for all milk traits studied. As age of dam increased, PMY and TMY decreased. Highest milk yields were for cows born to and reared by 2-yr-old dams, intermediate milk yields for those by 3- and 4-yr-old dams and lowest yields by daughters of mature dams. Cows born to and reared by older dams produced less milk and weaned lighter calves. There were no interactions between age of cow and age of dam. This suggests a lasting detrimental effect of older cows on lactation yield of daughters. Thus, it appears that age of dam should be considered in evaluation of cow performance.     

Inheritance of multiple births in cattleHéridité des naissances gemellaires chez les bovinsVererbung von mehrlingsgeburten beim rindvieh

Records on approximately one million calvings were examined for presence of a gene with major effect on the frequency of multiple births. The records were summarized by parity of the cow and registration number of the cow's sire, and an overall age-corrected frequency of multiple births computed for daughters of each sire.The distribution of 876 progeny groups with more than 100 calvings showed no sign of discontinuity, and the same was true for 120 progeny groups with more than 1000 calvings. The daughters of one particular bull had 9.95% multiple births in about 6000 calvings. This bull left more than 80 sons which were used for artificial insemination. The sons ranged from less than one to more than 10% multiple births among their daughters, but no segregation was observed.Heritability estimates (on the binomial scale) ranged from 0.006 in parity 1 to about 0.04 in parities 3–5.Genetic correlations between incidence of multiple births in first and subsequent parities were estimated at 0.52–0.64, while those among parities 2–5 were from 0.70 to 0.84.     

荷斯坦供体母牛及其女儿超排效果的比较分析

本文分析比较了165头超排荷斯坦母牛及其184头女儿的超排反应。从所有母女的整体看,在不同超排反应组,有一种趋势,即在不同反应分组中,母亲与女儿之间,似乎存在一种弱相关(r=0.20)。但在母女不同超排反应的组间,并没有这种相关,即在同一超排反应的母亲组,其相应的女儿组并不存在这种趋势。同一头母亲的2头或3头女儿,似乎母亲超排效果差,女儿的超排效果反而好,而母亲超排反应好,女儿的反应却有降低的趋势。由此得出结论,不能将母亲的超排反应结果作为选择其女儿超排反应的依据。     

Sex ratio variation and sex determination in the mallee dragon Ctenophorus fordi

Recent evidence suggests that many Australian agamids show temperature‐dependent sex determination (TSD) with variation in sex determining mechanisms among closely related taxa. However, as shown in other vertebrates, sex ratios can also be influenced by genetic or phenotypic differences among females in their propensity to produce sons or daughters, and these influences might confound any thermal effects of incubation per se. To address these issues, we investigated the determinants of sex ratios in the mallee dragon Ctenophorus fordi, together with a detailed analysis of karyotypes. There was no detectable variation in sex ratios arising from variation among females, clutches or incubation temperatures, which might indicate genetic sex determination for this species. However, there was no evidence of cytologically distinct sex chromosomes using standard banding techniques. The sex ratio pattern in C. fordi strongly contrasts with the results for the congener Ctenophorus pictus, where sex ratios show variation among females. Thus, Australian agamids offer promising opportunities to address fundamental issues in sex ratio biology.     

Normal Values for the Scrotal Circumference in Rams of Gotlandic Breed

Selection of fertile sires is crucial for profitable lamb production. Males with larger testes tend to sire daughters that reach puberty at an earlier age and ovulate more ova during each oestrus period. Measurement of the scrotal circumference (SC) is thus an essential part of the breeding soundness evaluation. Testicular size varies with breed, age and time of the year. No SC values or recommendations for minimal values have been established in any of the Scandinavian domestic sheep breeds. Data were recorded of the SC, age and weight in 245 ram lambs and 27 mature rams of the Gotlandic breed, which is the breed that constitutes about 50% of the Swedish sheep population. For the ram lambs, the overall mean SC was 28.9 (+/-1.9) cm at an average age of 170 (+/-9) days and mean weight of 53.5 (+/-7.0) kg, and the mean SC varied between 27.1 and 29.6 cm depending on age and weight. For mature rams (17-54 month old), the mean SC was 32.4(+/-2) cm. To provide a practical tool for exclusion of rams with sub-optimal reproductive capacity (abnormal testes or those with small testes because of delayed puberty) a threshold value was established based on the average SC minus 2 SD. The calculated minimal SC is 26 cm for ram lambs >5.5 months of age with a body weight of >50 kg. For mature rams, minimum SC is 28 cm regardless of weight and age.     

Prevalence and risk factors of behavioural changes associated with age-related cognitive impairment in geriatric dogs

O bjectives : The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and severity of behavioural changes associated with age and their relationship to risk factors such as sex, reproductive status, bodyweight and age.
M ethods : A cross-sectional study design was chosen. A total of 325 geriatric dogs were included. Owners of dogs older than nine years were interviewed by a veterinary behaviourist. Structured phone interviews were used to gather information about four behavioural categories related to cognitive impairment: sleep/wake cycles, social interaction, learning and house training and signs of disorientation.
R esults : Signs of cognitive impairment showed a prevalence of 22·5 per cent in geriatric dogs. Sex and age emerged as significant predictor variables. Females and neutered dogs were significantly more affected than males and entire dogs, respectively. Prevalence and severity increased with age. Although weight was not a statistically significant predictor variable, smaller animals had greater odds of showing age-related cognitive impairment. The most impaired behavioural categories were social interaction and house training.
C linical S ignificance : Age-related behavioural changes should be considered by practicing veterinarians because of their relative high prevalence among geriatric dogs, especially in females.     

Female reproductive success in a species with an age‐inversed hierarchy

In most group‐living mammals, reproductive success declines with increasing age and increases with increasing rank. Such effects have mainly been studied in matrilineal and in “age positive” hierarchies, which are stable and in which high ranking females often outperform low ranking ones. These relationships are less well‐understood in age‐inversed dominance hierarchies, in which a female's rank changes over time. We analyzed demographic data of 2 wild, unprovisioned groups of gray langurs (Semnopithecus schistaceus) near Ramnagar, Nepal covering periods of 5 years each. Female rank was unstable and age‐inversed. We measured reproductive success via birth rates (57 births), infant survival (proportion of infants surviving to 2 years) and number of offspring surviving to 2 years of age (successful births) for 3 age and 3 rank classes. We found that old females performed significantly worse than expected (birth rate P = 0.04; successful births P = 0.03). The same was true for low ranking females (P = 0.04, and P < 0.01, respectively). Infant survival was highest for young and middle‐aged as well as for high and middle ranking females. Overall, the results for these unstable hierarchies were rather similar to those for stable hierarchies of other mammals, particularly several nonhuman primates. Compared to a provisioned population of a closely related species, the wild and unprovisioned population examined (i) showed stronger age effects, while (ii) female reproductive success was equally affected by rank. Future comparative studies are needed to examine whether captive or provisioned populations deviate predictably from wild populations.     

Evaluation of age of dam effects on maternal performance of multilactation daughters from high- and low-milk EPD sires at three locations in the southern United States

Angus bulls (n = 16) selected for either high- or low-milk EPD but similar growth EPD were mated within location at random to Angus cows. Daughters were bred to calve at 2 yr of age and annually until 6 yr of age. Milk yield was measured four times during lactation with a portable milking machine to estimate 12-h milk yield. Milk was collected for analysis of the percentage of fat and protein. A mixed model procedure was used to analyze the weaning weight, milk yield, and milk component data. The model for weaning weight included location, genetic line of sire, gender of calf, and age of dam. Calf age at weaning was used as a covariate. The model for the milk yield and components included location, genetic line of sire, gender of calf, period, and age of dam. Random effects for all models included sire of dam nested within line, sire of calf, and year. Genetic line was a significant source of variation for milk yield (P < 0.01) and weaning weight (P < 0.01) but not for percentage of fat or protein. Location was significant for milk yield (P < 0.01), fat (P < 0.01), protein (P < 0.01), and weaning weight (P < 0.01). The interaction of line with location was not significant except for percentage of protein (P < 0.01). Age of dam was significant for milk yield (P < 0.01), weaning weight (P < 0.01), and percentage of protein (P < 0.01), but not for percentage of fat (P = 0.29). Line difference for mean weaning weight was 18.1 kg, which is similar to the difference between lines for milk EPD (19 kg). Weaning weights from high-milk EPD line daughters were heavier (P < 0.01) than low-milk EPD line daughters at each age of dam evaluated. Cows nursed by males had higher milk yields (4.33 kg/12 h) than cows nursed by heifers (4.0 kg/12 h). The difference in yields for gender was significant for 2-, 3-, and 5-yr-old cows, but not for 4- (P < 0.052) and 6-yr old (P < 0.15) cows. Correlation coefficients between weaning weight and weaning EPD, milk EPD, and total maternal EPD were greater than zero (P < 0.01) (0.76, 0.65, and 0.89, respectively). Daughters of sires with high-milk EPD produced more milk at each age and weaned heavier calves than daughters of sires with low-milk EPD. These results confirm the value of milk EPD for improvement of weaning weights in beef cattle and also validate age of dam effects on milk yield and the associated effects on weaning weights.     

Initial results of genomic scans for ovulation rate in a cattle population selected for increased twinning rate

Genomic scans were conducted with 273 markers on 181 sires from a cattle population selected for increased twinning rate to identify chromosomal regions containing genes that influence ovulation rate. Criteria used for selecting markers were number of alleles, ease of scoring, and relative position within linkage group. Markers were multiplexed or multiple-loaded on the gels to reduce the costs and labor required to obtain genotypic data. This approach reduced the number of gels by 45% when compared with running each marker independently. Male animals selected for the genomic scan sired the majority of the population. A modified interval analysis was used in a granddaughter design to compare effects of each allele within sire for 10 different sire families. The midparent deviation of the son's estimated breeding value for ovulation rate was used as the phenotype. Forty-one potential peaks were identified with a nominal significance level < or = 0.05. The 10 peaks with the highest significance levels (P < 0.02) were selected for further analysis. Markers were genotyped across daughters of the sire where nominal significance was found for each of the 10 peaks. One peak (BTA5, relative position 40 cM) was found to be nominally significant in the daughters. The nominal significance levels were P = 0.01 for the sons (n = 32) and P = 0.02 for the daughters (n = 94) of sire 784403. A combined genomewide significance value (P = 0.07) was calculated that accounted for the 10 analyses with sons and the 10 analyses with daughters. These results strongly suggest that this region contains a gene(s) that is involved in the follicular recruitment and development process.     

高原鼠兔干扰对高山嵩草繁殖分配的影响

高原鼠兔(Ochotona curzoniae)干扰会引起高山嵩草(Kobresia pygmaea)草甸生境的改变,而植物繁殖分配是其适应环境变化的重要策略之一。通过野外调查方法研究了高原鼠兔干扰对高山嵩草繁殖分配的影响。结果表明,高原鼠兔干扰显著增加了高山嵩草总生物量、地下生物量、生殖枝与营养枝比和根冠比(P<0.05),但降低了地上生物量(P<0.05)。高原鼠兔干扰区内,高山嵩草总生物量和地上生物量随干扰强度增加呈先增加后降低的态势,生殖枝与营养枝比呈先降低后增加态势,说明高原鼠兔干扰强度从低增加到适宜干扰强度阈值的过程中,高山嵩草将更多资源分配给营养生长,以进行种群扩张,而当干扰强度超过适宜干扰阈值时,高山嵩草将资源更多的分配给生殖生长,以保证基因延续和种群存活。     

Performance of Polypay, Coopworth, and crossbred ewes: II. Survival and cumulative lamb and wool production over 4 years.

Six ewe genotypes, generated by mating Coopworth (C), Polypay (P), and Suffolk (S) rams to P and Coopworth-type (Ct) ewes, were exposed to Hampshire rams for spring lambing from 1987 through 1990. Data from 1,013 exposures and 973 resultant lambings were used to analyze reproductive traits and cumulative ewe productivity over 4 yr. Ewe body and fleece weights were also analyzed. Ewes from S sires weaned the heaviest lambs and ewes from P sires weaned the largest number of lambs, resulting in similar total weight of lamb weaned per ewe mated. Coopworth-sired ewes weaned the least total weight of lamb per ewe mated. Ewes weaning twins produced 54% more total litter weight per ewe than those weaning singles. Annual ewe survival averaged 95%, ranging from 93% for S x P and C x P ewes to 97% for P x Ct and C x Ct ewes. When cumulative number and weight of lamb produced was assessed on the basis of all ewes starting the trial, P-sired ewes were highest, followed in order by daughters of S and C sires. Suffolk-sired ewes (67 kg) were 13% heavier than daughters of P rams and 19% heavier than daughters of C rams. Adjustment of lamb production for ewe metabolic body size resulted in C-sired ewes being more efficient than the heavier S-sired ewes. Coopworth-sired ewes produced 32% more wool than ewes sired by the other two breeds. Differences in wool production between ewes weaning one or two lambs were small.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

呼伦贝尔草原大针茅和贝加尔针茅的生殖生长规律

采用无样方采样法,对内蒙古呼伦贝尔草原大针茅(Stipa grandis P.Smirn)和贝加尔针茅(Stipa baicalensis Roshev.)生殖分蘖株的生物量分配和生殖生长规律的比较分析,以期揭示2种针茅的生殖生长状况和资源分配策略,提高草地的合理利用。结果表明:大针茅和贝加尔针茅生殖分蘖株穗重随植株总重、植株高度、穗长增加而增加;穗长、生殖生长比率随植株高度增加而增加;每穗籽粒数随小花总量增加而增加;每穗籽粒重随穗重、穗长增加而增加,均呈现y=a+bx线性函数变化规律,达到显著或极显著水平。大针茅生殖器官穗生长速率b值和穗重百分比大于贝加尔针茅,而结实籽粒的生长速率b值,以及茎、鞘、叶重百分比均却小于贝加尔针茅。生殖分蘖株生殖器官穗构件与营养器官生物量分配比例呈负相关。表明在相同生长条件下,2种针茅具有相同的生殖生长和资源分配规律,采取了生存和生殖相权衡的资源分配调节策略,且贝加尔针茅种子生产的能力大于大针茅。     

Effect of sex ratio of the birth litter on subsequent reproductive performance of gilts

Records on age at puberty from 1,555 gilts and total number of pigs born in litters of 1,187 gilts from the Nebraska gene pool population were used to evaluate the effects of uterine environment on subsequent reproductive performance. Independent variables were line, year, line x year, proportion of males in the birth litter (sex ratio), number born in the birth litter (fraternity size) and sex ratio x fraternity size. Sex ratio, fraternity size and their interaction influenced age at puberty (P less than .01) but not number born (P greater than .2). Partial regression coefficients indicated that age at puberty tended to decrease as sex ratio increased, particularly in small litters. Although the regression coefficients were relatively large, sex ratio, fraternity size and their interaction accounted for only 1.3% of the variation in age at puberty within line x year subclass. These results offer little encouragement for the use of sex ratio as a phenotypic selection criterion for improvement of reproductive performance in gilts. Results suggest that female swine are similar to rodents in response to uterine environmental effects.     

Kinship analysis reveals reproductive success skewed toward overwintered Brandt's voles in semi‐natural enclosures

Age structure and seasonality influence the population fluctuations of small rodents. Age determines body weight and social experience, while seasonality regulates the duration of the breeding season and onset of sexual maturity in newborn offspring. Therefore, reproductive success and skew usually occur in different age groups. Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) is a social, short‐lived and seasonal breeding small rodent with a dramatic seasonal population fluctuation, but reproductive skew is not fully understood in this species. In the present study, we determined kinship in semi‐natural enclosure populations using microsatellite markers based on genotyping, analyzed the reproductive skew between sexes and between overwintered and newborn voles, and monitored variation in male reproductive activity by testing fecal testosterone levels throughout the year. Overwintered voles had the most reproductive success along with a striking increase in the population size in the enclosures, with all biological fathers and 77.8% of biological mothers, which had 100% and 87% of the total offspring, respectively. Compared to overwintered voles, reproductive skews were significantly higher in potential overwintered and newborn parents, implying the possible reproductive suppression of newborn voles by dominant overwintered voles. Moreover, both heavier body weight and higher testosterone levels in overwintered males supported their potential social status in the population. Our study provided new evidence for reproductive skew and differentiation of postnatal gonadal development patterns of different age groups in Brandt's vole.     

Increased postnatal growth rates of offspring after antiestrogen treatment of rat dams during pregnancy.

The effects of administration of estradiol antiserum to pregnant rats on birth weight, subsequent growth velocity, carcass composition, and reproductive performance of their offspring were examined. Treated rats were injected i.p. with a potent antiestradiol serum on d 12 of gestation, whereas control rats received a similar injection of normal sheep serum. The pups from the treated rats were 12.2% heavier at birth than those from control rats (P less than .01) and had a greater postnatal growth rate (P less than .05). Chemical analysis of body composition at 56 d of age revealed that there was a tendency for female offspring from treated rats to exhibit carcass characteristics (such as increased percentage of body fat) that were more similar to those of normal male rats than to those of normal female rats. Neither onset of puberty nor reproductive performance was affected by the treatment. These results indicate that treatment of rats during pregnancy with antiestradiol may have potential as a technique for increasing postnatal growth rates.     

Response to intensity of reproduction in mouse lines resistant or susceptible to fescue toxicosis

Our objective was to examine whether mouse lines divergently selected for response to fescue toxicosis differed in the impact of increasing reproductive intensity on growth, final weight or first and second parity reproduction. Resistant (R) and susceptible (S) females were never mated (NR), mated only once (low reproduction, LR), mated after their first litter was weaned (moderate reproduction, MR) or paired continuously with a male (high reproduction, HR), allowing concurrent pregnancy and lactation. Final weight was significantly higher in mated than in not mated females (31.6 ± 0.6, 35.9 ± 0.6, 36.8 ± 0.6 and 37.2 ± 0.5 g for NR, LR, MR and HR females respectively), but the effect of increasing reproductive intensity was similar in both lines. Neither genetic line, reproductive treatment (LR and MR versus HR) nor their interaction affected first parity traits of dams or pups. In second parity, S dams produced larger litters at birth and weaning and heavier litters at birth than R dams, and MR dams produced more pups and heavier litters than HR dams. As with first litters, however, line by reproductive treatment interactions were not significant or important. Concurrent pregnancy and lactation (the HR treatment) had a similar dampening impact on the expected increase in litter size between first and second parity of both lines. Thus, lines divergently selected for toxicosis response did not differ significantly in the impact of increasing reproductive intensity on dam or pup growth, reproductive output through two parities or mature size. This conclusion should not be generalized. Selection responses in livestock should be monitored to ensure that improvement in one trait does not lead to deterioration in others.