Relationship Between Behavioral Frequency and Reproductive Potential of Female Alpine Musk Deer in Captivity

Between June 2005 and February 2006, focal sampling and all occurrence behavior recording were used to quantify the behavioral patterns of captive female alpine musk deer （Moschus sifanicus） at Xinglongshan Musk Deer Farm, Gansu Province, China. Copulation success was used to differentiate individuals into two groups （successful and unsuccessful） and to provide a basis for behavioral comparisons, throughout both mating （rut） and non mating seasons. The results indicated significant differences between the behavior patterns of successful and unsuccessful females; however, the reproductive season played an important environmental factor. Pooling results across reproductive seasons, successfully copulating females showed significantly higher frequencies of vigilance and lower frequency of feeding behavior as compared with unsuccessfully copulating females. In the non-mating season, unsuccessfully copulating females had higher frequency of self-directed behavior, environment sniffing, and were less aggressive than successful copulating females. Furthermore, females who were successful at copulating also demonstrated tail-pasting behavior; however, this only occurred during the rut season. The results of this study can improve management practices for musk deer farms through increasing mating success and reducing maintenance costs. Furthermore, variation in behavior may also be used as a predictor of copulation success and reproductive potential, whereby females can be grouped and separated according to their reproductive history and past reproduction success.     

非人灵长类性打搅行为研究进展

性打搅行为是指非人灵长类社群内非交配个体对正在发生性行为个体的干扰行为,该行为在非人灵长类中普遍存在,通过综述目前已知的36种非灵长类的性打搅行为的报道,探讨性打搅行为的功能和意义。性打搅行为具有更高度的种间和种内差异,种间的性打搅的方式不同、同时受到社会结构和婚配制度的影响;在种内受到性别、年龄、等级等因素的影响。结合川金丝猴性打搅的研究结果,从性打搅的类型、被打搅的反应、性打搅的功能以及相关假说等方面入手,对非人灵长类性打搅行为进行系统总结,旨在为我国相关领域的研究提供参考,为生殖行为学研究者启发思路,推动本领域的发展。     

昆虫繁殖适度研究进展

昆虫已成为动物界种类最多、分布最广的一个类群.繁殖是昆虫保证种群延续以及繁荣的重要手段.因为其极强的繁殖能力和特殊的繁殖体系,雌性昆虫可以通过受精囊储存交配中从雄虫处获得的精子延迟卵的受精,控制其受精时间,以此避免不利于其后代生存的时间和环境,待寻找到合适的环境以及寄主后,再控制精液流出使卵受精,保证其卵的孵化率和幼虫...     

Reproductive polyphenism and its advantages in aphids: Switching between sexual and asexual reproduction

Reproductive polyphenism, which allows one genotype to produce sexual and asexual morphs, is an extreme case of phenotypic plasticity and is commonly observed in aphids. Aphids are typical species that switch these reproductive modes, and the pathway orientation is triggered by the environmental conditions(mainly photoperiod and temperature). The typical annual life of aphids includes a succession of parthenogenetic generations during the spring and summer and a single sexual generation in autumn. In this review, we describe how the environmental cues orientate the reproductive mode of aphids from photoperiodic perception to endocrine regulation, and how juvenile hormones may act on the target cells(oocytes) to initiate the gametogenesis and embryogenesis in sexual and asexual reproduction. We also discuss the paradox of sex, especially the advantages of sexual reproduction in aphids. With the recent development of genomic resources in aphids, many potential genes involved in the reproductive polyphenism will enter the public's awareness. In particular, we describe a novel RNAi method in aphids, which may provide a molecular technique for determining the developmental fate and multiple reproductive strategies.     

烟蚜茧蜂的交配行为研究

[目的]明确烟蚜茧蜂的交配行为,探讨雌蜂传递的线索对引发雄蜂交配行为的作用,为烟蚜茧蜂的规模化繁殖和应用提供理论基础.[方法]在室内显微镜下和温室繁蜂棚内直接观察烟蚜茧蜂的交配行为,设死亡处女雌蜂(n=19)、碾碎的雌蜂腹部(n=15)、接触过处女雌蜂的滤纸(n=15)、仅提供雌蜂视觉线索(n=20)和空白对照(n=20)5个不同的试验处理,观察雌蜂传递的嗅觉和视觉线索对引发雄蜂求偶行为的作用.[结果]雄蜂交配行为包括接近、求偶、爬背、敲打触角、交配试探、插入、交配、分离,处女雌蜂交配行为包括逃跑和拒绝交配或接受交配、交配、休息.雄蜂与处女雌蜂的交配过程可划分为搜寻和求偶、交配前期、交配和交配后期4个阶段,且试图交配的雄蜂求偶成功后一般能够与处女雌蜂完成整个交配过程.雄蜂会试图与交配过的雌蜂、死亡的雌蜂发生交配行为,但仅出现交配前期.接触过活体处女雌蜂的滤纸和压碎的雌蜂腹部能够引发雄蜂强烈的振翅反应,而密闭在透明容器中的处女雌蜂不能引发雄蜂的振翅反应.[结论]烟蚜茧蜂的交配行为由—系列固定行为组成,雌蜂传递的嗅觉线索是引发雄蜂求偶行为发生的关键因素,雌蜂腹部是短程雌性性信息素产生的来源.     

麦蛾气味受体OrCo基因的克隆及其表达模式分析

为提高麦蛾茧蜂种群的室内扩繁效率,采用人为控制种蜂婚配条件,研究麦蛾茧蜂交配经历和种蜂性比对交配行为及子代性别分化的影响。结果表明:麦蛾茧蜂种蜂交配经历对雌雄交配行为具有显著影响。交配经历较少的雄蜂再行配对时,求偶次数和交配次数较多、求偶强度较强且单次交配时间较长。没有交配经历的雄蜂比有5~6次交配经历的雄蜂交配时间显著要长。麦蛾茧蜂雄蜂交配经历对子代雌雄性比具有一定影响,但对子代总蜂数量的影响不明显。较少交配经历的雄蜂与处女雌蜂交配繁育所获子代雌蜂数量较多,雌雄性比较高。室内人工繁殖时,适当提高麦蛾茧蜂种蜂中雄蜂的比例有助于提高子代雌蜂数,当种蜂性比为1雌3雄,益害比为2(雌蜂数)10时繁殖效率最佳。     

雌性圈养马麝行为的初步研究

为了解雌性圈养马麝Moschus sifanicus的行为特征，于2002—2003年在甘肃省兴隆山麝场采用焦点取样、扫描取样和连续记录结合的方法，对雌性马麝在非交配季节及交配季节的行为进行取样和比较分析。研究结果表明，相对于非交配季节，雌麝在交配季节的静卧频次较少，但差异不显著，站立凝视、环境探究、冲突行为和运动，显著或极显著增加，而摄食、反刍行为极显著减少，亲和行为下降，但差异不显著。此外，在繁殖交配季节，雌麝有蹭尾行为发生。雌麝季节间的行为差异同它们繁殖策略和时间、能量投资的调整有关。     

甘肃兴隆山保护区圈养马麝行为模式的性间差异

用焦点取样、扫描取样和所有事件综合记录方法,对甘肃兴隆山麝场圈养马麝的卧息等行为型进行了取样记录,比较分析了雌雄个体在非交配季节（8-10月）和交配季节（11月-翌年1月）行为特征和表达模式的性间差异.结果表明：由于雌麝在非交配季节正处于产后恢复期和哺乳期,其能量耗损和育幼投资相对增加,警戒性增强,其站立凝视及摄食等行为型的发生持续时间相对雄麝较多,但差异不显著（p〉0.05）,而雄麝为补充麝香分泌期的能量消耗及为繁殖季节作能量储备,相对地展现较多卧息（p〈0.01）,而运动较少（p〉0.05）.在交配季节,雄麝卧息较少（p〉0.05）,而较多地展现冲突行为（p〈0.05）,站立凝视、运动和信息标记等行为也表达较多（p〉0.05）,雌麝表达较多的环境探究和尾阴探究行为收集环境信息和其他个体的性信息（p〉0.05）.作为一种性别特征性的气味标记,雄麝全年均有蹭尾行为的表达.研究发现：雌麝在交配季节也有蹭尾行为表达,但表达模式异于雄麝,持续时间也极显著地少于雄麝（p〈0.01）.     

Mating behavior: facilitation in the female rat after cortical application of potassium chloride

Mating behavior in ovariectomized female rats treated with estrogen can be greatly enhanced by subcutaneous injections of progesterone. Application of potassium chloride to the cortex of females previously treated with estrogen can also induce greatly increased sexual receptivity as indicated by the lordosis response. This facilitation of mating behavior by a treatment known to cause functional decortication suggests that mechanisms mediating female mating behavior are under tonic inhibition by an inhibitory system which involves the cerebral cortex.     

Evolution of male pheromones in moths: reproductive isolation through sexual selection?

Central to our understanding of the species concept is knowledge of the nature and evolution of reproductive isolating mechanisms. The once widely accepted model of Dobzhansky, which holds that isolation evolves through selection against hybrids of differentially adapted populations, is now largely rejected. This rejection is due to both theoretical difficulties and a paucity of examples of the predicted pattern of reproductive character displacement. From a survey of five families of Lepidoptera, entailing more than 800 species, evidence is given that male courtship pheromones have evolved within the context of sexual isolation as an adaptive response to mating mistakes between differentially adapted populations; however, distinct from the natural selection model of Dobzhansky, this report suggests the mechanism for change to be sexual selection.     

Disentangling the drivers of β diversity along latitudinal and elevational gradients

Understanding spatial variation in biodiversity along environmental gradients is a central theme in ecology. Differences in species compositional turnover among sites (β diversity) occurring along gradients are often used to infer variation in the processes structuring communities. Here, we show that sampling alone predicts changes in β diversity caused simply by changes in the sizes of species pools. For example, forest inventories sampled along latitudinal and elevational gradients show the well-documented pattern that β diversity is higher in the tropics and at low elevations. However, after correcting for variation in pooled species richness (γ diversity), these differences in β diversity disappear. Therefore, there is no need to invoke differences in the mechanisms of community assembly in temperate versus tropical systems to explain these global-scale patterns of β diversity.     

ggr-Aminobutyric Acid, a Neurotransmitter, Induces Planktonic Abalone Larvae to Settle and Begin Metamorphosis

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (a simple amino acid and potent neurotransmitter in human brain and other tissues of higher animals) and certain of its congeners rapidly and synchronously induce planktonic larvae of the red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, to settle and commence behavioral and developmental metamorphosis. These naturally occurring inducers of algal origin apparently are responsible, in part, for the substrate-specific recruitment, induction of settling, and the onset of metamorphosis of abalone and other planktonic larvae upon specific algae which provide naturally favorable habitats for the young of these species in coastal waters. These observations provide a convenient experimental model for further analysis of the basic molecular mechanisms by which environmental and endogenous factors control the recruitment and development of planktonic larvae. Halogenated organic pesticides significantly interfere with larval settling, as quantified in a new bioassay based upon these findings.     

Acoustic communication and reproductive isolation in two species of wolf spiders

Sound production by male wolf spiders during courtship is critical for behavioral reproductive isolation of two sibling species. Females only respond to and copulate with conspecific males, and acoustic signals through a substrate are necessary to induce receptivity. No reproductive barriers that could arise during mating (such as genital or mechanical incompatibility) or after mating (infertility) are in effect between the species, since forced interspecific matings produce viable offspring.     

繁殖期笼养孟加拉雌虎白昼行为的时间分配研究

[目的]为成功饲养孟加拉虎积累经验。[方法]2005年12月至2006年8月,采用瞬时扫描取样法和全事件取样法,对云南省野生动物园内繁殖期4号雌虎行为的时间分配进行了研究。[结果]繁殖期不同阶段雌虎白昼行为时间分配存在明显差异。发情交配期孟加拉虎的卧息、走动和其他行为多于妊娠期,发情交配期孟加拉虎的睡眠少于妊娠期;哺乳期母虎哺乳所占时间最多,其次是走动和卧息,而睡眠、摄食及其他行为（包括饮水、排尿、排粪、修饰、嗅闻、站立等）最少。[结论]繁殖期不同阶段孟加拉虎的各种行为均有所变化,而行为的变化与雌虎在繁殖期各阶段的特殊生理有关。     

横断山区湿地优势植物水葱种子繁殖性状对环境变化的响应

选择对环境变化较为敏感的横断山区纳帕海湿地、拉市海湿地以及滇池流域为采样地点,研究这些区域的湖滨带优势植物水葱(Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani)种子繁殖性状,包括穗长、小穗数、每穗种子产量、种长、种宽以及种长/种宽等指标对环境变化的响应及适应策略。结果显示:除种宽外,上述水葱种子繁殖性状在不同采样地点间均存在显著差异。逐步回归模型分析表明,年均气温和最暖月均气温的变化是影响水葱种子繁殖性状的主要原因,其中穗长主要受年均气温和最暖月均气温的共同影响,小穗数和种长主要受年均气温的影响,每穗种子产量和种长/种宽主要受最暖月均气温的影响,而种宽与本研究所有环境因子间的相关性均不显著。温度是影响横断山区湿地植物种子繁殖过程的重要环境因子,而降水和饱和大气压差对这一过程的影响相对较小。     

Assortative mating in sympatric host races of the European corn borer

Although a growing body of work supports the plausibility of sympatric speciation in animals, the practical difficulties of directly quantifying reproductive isolation between diverging taxa remain an obstacle to analyzing this process. We used a combination of genetic and biogeochemical markers to produce a direct field estimate of assortative mating in phytophagous insect populations. We show that individuals of the same insect species, the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis, that develop on different host plants can display almost absolute reproductive isolation-the proportion of assortative mating was >95%-even in the absence of temporal or spatial isolation.     

山楂叶螨的交配行为

通过培养皿保湿培养接螨叶片、使用解剖镜观察记录山楂叶螨的交配行为过程,比对不同交配次数对雌成螨行为及其交配时间的影响,进而掌握其繁殖规律,探索其交配机制并丰富其行为学理论。结果显示,雄螨帮助雌螨蜕皮,蜕皮完成后马上进行交配,以第1次交配时间最长,后续交配时间明显缩短,且随交配次数增多,山楂叶螨的产卵量、孵化率均有所增加,但其寿命明显减短。山楂叶螨24 h内可进行多次交配,其中雄螨占主导地位,积极寻找繁育后代的机会,雌螨受精囊有最高承载力,第3次交配后多为无效交配。孤雌生殖后代全为雄螨,交配次数影响后代性比。     

Deciphering the cross-talk of implantation: advances and challenges

Implantation involves a series of steps leading to an effective reciprocal signaling between the blastocyst and the uterus. Except for a restricted period when ovarian hormones induce a uterine receptive phase, the uterus is an unfavorable environment for blastocyst implantation. Because species-specific variations in implantation strategies exist, these differences preclude the formulation of a unifying theme for the molecular basis of this event. However, an increased understanding of mammalian implantation has been gained through the use of the mouse model. This review summarizes recognized signaling cascades and new research in mammalian implantation, based primarily on available genetic and molecular evidence from implantation studies in the mouse. Although the identification of new molecules associated with implantation in various species provides valuable insight, important questions remain regarding the common molecular mechanisms that govern this process. Understanding the mechanisms of implantation promises to help alleviate infertility, enhance fetal health, and improve contraceptive design. The success of any species depends on its reproductive efficiency. For sexual reproduction, an egg and sperm must overcome many obstacles to fuse and co-mingle their genetic material at fertilization. The zygote develops into a blastocyst with two cell lineages (the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm), migrates within the reproductive tract, and ultimately implants into a transiently permissive host tissue, the uterus. However, the molecular basis of the road map connecting the blastocyst with the endometrium across species is diverse (1) and not fully understood. Recent advances have identified numerous molecules involved in implantation (1-4), yet new discoveries have not yielded a unifying scheme for the mechanisms of implantation.     

Alternative male strategies: genetic differences in crickets

Male field crickets, Gryllus integer, call and attract mates, or they silently intercept females attracted to calling males. Selection experiments demonstrate that the duration of nightly calling has an important genetic component. Mean calling times in high and low lines were significantly different and had realized heritabilities of 0.50 and 0.53, respectively. Selection can operate in such a way that each of the alternative forms of male reproductive behavior is associated with a specific genetic substrate. This has not yet been shown for other species in which males adopt contrasting modes of mating behavior.