Zoology
This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. 
Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.
Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.
Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.
Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.
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.
This page shows you the most recent publications within this specialty of the MedWorm directory. This is page number 28.
Spatial learning in pigs: effects of environmental enrichment and individual characteristics on behaviour and performance.
Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, social reinstatement provided a good incentive to complete a spatial task, and the substantial improvement in performance between MT1 and MT2 stresses the need for task complexity when testing spatial memory in pigs. Housing conditions or individual behavioural style did not affect spatial memory during MT1 or MT2. However, housing environment and behavioural style strongly affected explorative behaviour of pigs in an unfamiliar maze during both exploration trials and memory tests. This implicates that apparent effects of environmental enrichment on spatial learning and memory in pigs might reflect differenc...
Source: Animal Cognition - September 16, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Jansen J, Bolhuis JE, Schouten WG, Spruijt BM, Wiegant VM Tags: Anim Cogn Source Type: journals
The Mouse Limb Anatomy Atlas: an interactive 3D tool for studying embryonic limb patterningEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions:
The Mouse Limb Anatomy Atlas provides a novel and valuable tool for researchers studying limb development and can be applied to a range of research areas, including the identification of abnormal limb patterning in transgenic lines and studies of models of congenital limb abnormalities. By using the Atlas for avirtuala dissection, this resource offers an alternative to animal dissection. The techniques we have developed and employed are also applicable to many other model systems and anatomical structures.
Source: BMC Developmental Biology - Latest articles - September 15, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: April DeLaurier, Nicholas Burton, Michael Bennet, Richard Baldock, Duncan Davidson, Timothy J Mohun and Malcolm P.O. Logan Source Type: journals
Strain-specific alteration of zebrafish feeding behavior in response to aversive stimuliEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
M. Oswald and B. D. Robison - Behavioral management of risk, in which organisms must balance the requirements of obtaining food resources with the risk of predation, has been of considerable interest...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - September 13, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Temporal patterns of tissue glycogen, glucose, and glycogen phosphorylase activity prior to hibernation in freeze-tolerant chorus frogs, Pseudacris triseriataEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Steve C. Dinsmore and David L. Swanson - Freezing survival may differ among winters in chorus frogs (Pseudacris triseriata (Wied-Neuwied, 1838)), and low freezing survival is associated with low hepatic glycogen stores. The...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - September 13, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Evidence for associative learning in newly emerged honey bees (Apis mellifera).Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The honey bee is a model organism for studies on the neural substrates of learning and memory. Associative olfactory learning using sucrose rewards is fast and reliable in foragers and older hive bees. However, researchers have so far failed to show any significant learning in newly emerged bees. It is generally argued that in these bees only part of the brain structures important for learning are fully developed. Here we show for the first time that newly emerged honey bees are capable of associative learning, if they are sufficiently responsive to sucrose. Responsiveness to sucrose, which can be measured using the pr...
Source: Animal Cognition - September 13, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Behrends A, Scheiner R Tags: Anim Cogn Source Type: journals
Multiple perceptual strategies used by macaque monkeys for face recognition.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Successful integration of individuals in macaque societies suggests that monkeys use fast and efficient perceptual mechanisms to discriminate between conspecifics. Humans and great apes use primarily holistic and configural, but also feature-based, processing for face recognition. The relative contribution of these processes to face recognition in monkeys is not known. We measured face recognition in three monkeys performing a visual paired comparison task. Monkey and humans faces were (1) axially rotated, (2) inverted, (3) high-pass filtered, and (4) low-pass filtered to isolate different face processing strategies. T...
Source: Animal Cognition - September 12, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Gothard KM, Brooks KN, Peterson MA Tags: Anim Cogn Source Type: journals
Physiological and biochemical investigations on egg stickiness in common carp.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The properties and behaviour of common carp, Cyprinus carpio, eggs in water and in ovarian fluids were studied at different temperature, pH, and with divalent cation concentrations. The biochemical composition of zona radiata externa (ZRE) was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively on amino acids, carbohydrates, uronic acid and sialic acids using chemical assays; on proteins using electrophoresis. Comparative biochemical studies were performed on the chub, Leuciscus cephalus, the vimba, Vimba vimba and the bleak, Chalcalburnus chalcoides. Eggs of common carp became sticky within seconds after mixing with water. Egg ...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - September 12, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Mansour N, Lahnsteiner F, Patzner RA Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: journals
Aspiration of equine oocytes from immature follicles after treatment with equine pituitary extract (EPE) alone or in combination with hCG.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
This study examined the effect of treating mares with equine pituitary extract (EPE) alone or in combination with hCG on the recovery rate of immature follicles by transvaginal follicular aspiration (ovum pick-up; OPU). Ten normally cycling crossbred mares aged 3-15 years and weighing 350-400kg were subjected to each of three treatments in a random sequence with each exposure to a new treatment separated by a rest cycle during which a spontaneous ovulation occurred. The treatments were (1) superovulated with 25mg EPE and treated with 2500IU hCG, (2) superovulation with 25mg EPE, and (3) control (no exogenous treatment). Tr...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - September 12, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Blanco ID, Devito LG, Ferreira HN, Araujo GH, Fernandes CB, Alvarenga MA, Landim-Alvarenga FC Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: journals
Cell-type specificity of interleukins 1alpha and 1beta on prostaglandin and plasminogen activator production in bovine endometrial cells.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we determined the effects of IL-1alpha and IL-1beta on production of the prostaglandins PGF(2alpha) and PGE(2) and on PA activity in cultured bovine endometrial epithelial and stromal cells. We also determined the effects of PGE(2) and PGF(2alpha) on PA activity in these cells. Finally, we used RT-PCR to examine the expression of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R) mRNA in cultured bovine endometrial cells. This analysis revealed that IL-1alpha mRNA was present only in the stromal cells, whereas IL-1beta and IL-1R mRNAs were present in both cell types. When cultured cells were exposed to IL...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - September 12, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Tanikawa M, Kim TS, Okuda K, Ryoo ZY, Park SB, Shin JH, Park CK, Lee DS Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: journals
Body condition is associated with a shorter breeding season and reduced ovulation rate in subtropical goats.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, female goats in lesser body condition have a shorter breeding season, more abnormal estrous cycles, and fewer ovulations than does in greater body condition.
PMID: 18930360 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - September 12, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: De Santiago-Miramontes MA, Malpaux B, Delgadillo JA Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: journals
Polymorphism of the pig 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type1 (HSD17B1) gene and its association with reproductive traits.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we isolated the complete coding sequence of porcine HSD17B1 gene and its unique intron sequences of porcine HSD17B1 gene, identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP: A/C) in intron 4, and developed a PCR-MvaI-RFLP genotyping assay. Association of the SNP and litter size was assessed in two populations (purebred Large White and a experimental synthetic Line (DIV) sows). Statistical analysis demonstrated that, in the first parity, AC animals in experimental synthetic Line (DIV) sows had 0.52 more piglets born compared to the CC animals (P<0.05). In the all parities, pigs with the AA genotype had an ad...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - September 12, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Liu LQ, Li FE, Deng CY, Zuo B, Zheng R, Xiong YZ Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: journals
The effect of vitamin E treatment during preovulatory period on reproductive performance of goats following estrous synchronization using intravaginal sponges.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the use of intravaginal sponge for estrous synchronization of goats causes oxidative stress, and to examine the effect of administering vitamin E during preovulatory period on reproductive performance of estrous synchronized goats. Estrus was synchronized in 36 non-lactating adult does using intravaginal sponges containing 30mg of fluorogestane acetate (FGA) for 14 days. All females received 500IU of eCG at the sponge withdrawal. The goats were allocated at random to two groups balanced for breed, age and body weight. Treatment group (n=18) received 200mg of vitamin ...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - September 12, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Sönmez M, Bozkurt T, Türk G, Gür S, Kızıl M, Yüce A Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: journals
New type of egg attachment structure in Ephemeroptera and comparative analysis of chorion structure morphology in three species of EphemerellidaeEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Ubero-Pascal, N. and Puig, M. A. 2008. New type of egg attachment structure in Ephemeroptera and comparative analysis of chorion structure morphology in three species of Ephemerellidae. [mdash] Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 00: 000[ndash]000 Ephemeroptera eggs vary greatly in their morphology, a characteristic that has been used to solve systematic problems. The eggs of Ephemerellidae may be considered among the most studied in mayfly families, especially with regard to the number of species for which they have been described (approximately 32 species corresponding to 12 genera). However, this study provides new details of th...
Source: Acta Zoologica - September 11, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: N. Ubero-Pascal, M. A. Puig Source Type: journals
Supplementary artificial light to increase egg production of geese under natural lighting conditions.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the supplementary lighting program on egg production of White Roman geese in an open housing system at the Tropic of Cancer. Forty mature White Roman geese were randomly allocated into two groups (male:female=1:4). The supplementary lighting program with a total daily photoperiod of between 12.0h and 13.5h was initiated on 1 November and withdrawn from the experimental group on 30 January. In contrast, the geese in the control group were kept under natural lighting conditions throughout this study. The results showed that the laying peak of the experimental group o...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - September 11, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Wang CM, Chen LR, Lee SR, Jea YS, Kao JY Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: journals
DNA methylation changes in cell line from beta-lactoglobulin gene targeted fetus.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
We examined DNA methylation of six genes (beta-actin, VEGF, oct4, TERT, H19 and Igf2) and a repetitive sequence art2 in blg(+/-) cell line from beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) gene targeted fetus and the cells used for BLG gene targeting serve as control. The results demonstrated that the widespread changes of DNA methylation were found in blg(+/-) cell line. But the degree of variation was different. DNA methylation of VEGF in blg(+/-) was noticeably decreased. These observations suggest that DNA methylation variations may impact gene expression and finally induce abnormalities and lethality in later developmental stages.
PM...
Source: Animal Reproduction Science - September 11, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Lin L, Xu W, Dai Y, Li N Tags: Anim Reprod Sci Source Type: journals
Vocal mother-offspring communication in guinea pigs: females adjust maternal responsiveness to litter sizeEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions:
Measured by their response to pup calls and by time to weaning, guinea pig mothers adjust maternal responsiveness to litter size. This behaviour is likely to be an adaptive strategy in resource allocation during reproduction.
Source: Frontiers in Zoology - September 10, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Melanie Kober, Fritz Trillmich and Marc Naguib Source Type: journals
Experimental trials of the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) traversing managed rainforest landscapes: perceptual range and fine-scale movementsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
E. A. Flaherty, W. P. Smith, S. Pyare, and M. Ben-David - Successful dispersal in many species may be a function of the distance at which animals can perceive a particular landscape feature (i.e., perceptual range), as...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - September 9, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Relationships between nestling condition and variability in coccidian prevalence among three species of wild-nesting birds in New ZealandEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Phillip Cassey, John G. Ewen - Volume 56(2)
Source: Australian Journal of Zoology - September 8, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Low levels of extra-pair paternity in southern emu-wrens (Aves : Maluridae)Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Grainne S. Maguire, Raoul A. Mulder - Volume 56(2)
Source: Australian Journal of Zoology - September 8, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Helminth assemblages of Uromys spp. (Muridae : Hydromyinae) from Australia, Papua New Guinea and Papua Indonesia and comparison with assemblages in Melomys spp.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
L. R. Smales, D. M. Spratt - Volume 56(2)
Source: Australian Journal of Zoology - September 8, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Habitat complexity explains species-specific occupancy but not species richness in a Western Australian woodlandEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Jarrad A. Cousin, Ryan D. Phillips - Volume 56(2)
Source: Australian Journal of Zoology - September 8, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Adhesive efficiency of spider prey capture threads.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
This study examined factors that constrain the stickiness of cribellar threads spun by members of the orb-weaving family Uloboridae in the Deinopoidea clade and compared the material efficiency of these threads with that of viscous capture threads produced by members of their sister clade, the Araneoidea. An independent contrast analysis confirmed the direct relationship between cribellar spigot number and cribellar thread stickiness. A model based on this relationship showed that cribellar thread stickiness is achieved at a rapidly decreasing material efficiency, as measured in terms of stickiness per spigot. Another limi...
Source: Zoology - September 8, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Opell BD, Schwend HS Tags: Zoology (Jena) Source Type: journals
Prey capture kinematics and four-bar linkages in the bay pipefish, Syngnathus leptorhynchus.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we quantify the contribution of suction to the feeding strike and quantitatively describe the prey capture mechanics of the bay pipefish Syngnathus leptorhynchus, focusing specifically on the role of both cranial elevation and snout movement. We used high-speed video to capture feeding sequences from nine individuals feeding on live brine shrimp. Sequences were digitized in order to calculate kinematic variables that could be used to describe prey capture. Prey capture was very rapid, from 2 to 6ms from the onset of cranial rotation. We found that suction contributed at most about one-eighth as much as ram t...
Source: Zoology - September 6, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Flammang BE, Ferry-Graham LA, Rinewalt C, Ardizzone D, Davis C, Trejo T Tags: Zoology (Jena) Source Type: journals
The ability of high- and low-grooming lines of honey bees to remove the parasitic mite Varroa destructor is affected by environmental conditionsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
This study assessed how variation in temperature and humidity affect the costs and benefits of grooming as a defense against Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman,...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - September 5, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Introduced predators and cavity-nesting seabirds: unexpected low level of interaction at breeding sitesEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
L. Ruffino, K. Bourgeois, E. Vidal, J. Icard, F. Torre, and J. Legrand - The mechanisms by which introduced predators and long-lived seabirds interact and even coexist are still poorly known. Here, the interactions between the widely introduced black...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - September 5, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Younger bank voles are more vulnerable to avian predationEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Taru Meri, Matti Halonen, Tapio Mappes, and Jukka Suhonen - The importance of predation on prey populations is mainly determined by the number of eaten prey. However, the total impact of predation might also be...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - September 5, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Adipose fin condition and flow regime in catfishEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
N. F. Temple and T. E. Reimchen - Based on recent evidence suggesting a hydrodynamic function of the small adipose fin in salmonids to turbulent flow conditions, we test for associations between presence...
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - September 5, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Erratum Beyond mtDNA: nuclear gene flow suggests taxonomic oversplitting in the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
C. L. Lausen, I. Delisle, R. M.R. Barclay, and C. Strobeck -
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - September 5, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
Erratum Effect of environmental stress on fluctuating asymmetry in certain morphological traits in Drosophila ananassae: nutrition and larval crowdingEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
C. Vishalakshi and B. N. Singh -
Source: Canadian Journal of Zoology - September 5, 2008 Category: Zoology Source Type: journals
The response of guide dogs and pet dogs (Canis Familiaris) to cues of human referential communication (pointing and gaze).Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The study raises the question of whether guide dogs and pet dogs are expected to differ in response to cues of referential communication given by their owners; especially since guide dogs grow up among sighted humans, and while living with their blind owners, they still have interactions with several sighted people. Guide dogs and pet dogs were required to respond to point, point and gaze, gaze and control cues of referential communication given by their owners. Results indicate that the two groups of dogs do not differ from each other, revealing that the visual status of the owner is not a factor in the use of cues of...
Source: Animal Cognition - September 4, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Ittyerah M, Gaunet F Tags: Anim Cogn Source Type: journals
Eyes and vision in Arion rufus and Deroceras agreste (Mollusca; Gastropoda; Pulmonata): What role does photoreception play in the orientation of these terrestrial slugs?Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Zieger, M.V., Vakoliuk, I.A., Tuchina, O.P., Zhukov, V.V. and Meyer-Rochow, V.B. 2008. Eyes and vision in Arion rufus and Deroceras agreste (Mollusca; Gastropoda; Pulmonata): What role does photoreception play in the orientation of these terrestrial slugs? [mdash]Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 00: 000[ndash]000 This paper deals with the orientational behaviour in the two terrestrial slugs Arion rufus and Deroceras agreste. It presents anatomical details of their eyes and provides an appraisal of the eyes' optical system. In both species the retinae contain two principal types of cell: photoreceptive and pigmented supportive ce...
Source: Acta Zoologica - September 3, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Marina V. Zieger, Irina A. Vakoliuk, Oksana P. Tuchina, Valery V. Zhukov, Victor Benno Meyer-Rochow Source Type: journals
Effects of hind limb denervation on the development of appendicular ossicles in the Dwarf African Clawed Frog, Hymenochirus boettgeri (Anura: Pipidae)Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
This study investigated the effects of paralysis (loss of function) on development of ossicles in the hind limb of Hymenochirus. Complete denervation of the right sciatic nerve was performed at developmental stages 63 and 66, and the animals maintained for a further 6[ndash]7 or 12[ndash]13 weeks. Specimens were cleared and double stained for cartilage and bone. There were no gross morphological differences between control and sham operated groups. The lunulae were not affected by paralysis, whereas the fabella arose later and/or regressed in some specimens. The distal os sesamoides tarsalia (OST) was shorter in paralysed ...
Source: Acta Zoologica - September 3, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Hyoung Tae Kim, Wendy M. Olson, Brian K. Hall Source Type: journals
Evidence against integration of spatial maps in humans: generality across real and virtual environments.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
A real-world open-field search task was implemented with humans as an analogue of Blaisdell and Cook's (Anim Cogn 8:7-16, 2005) pigeon foraging task and Sturz, Bodily, and Katz's (Anim Cogn 9:207-217, 2006) human virtual foraging task to 1) determine whether humans were capable of integrating independently learned spatial maps and 2) make explicit comparisons of mechanisms used by humans to navigate real and virtual environments. Participants searched for a hidden goal located in one of 16 bins arranged in a 4 x 4 grid. In Phase 1, the goal was hidden between two landmarks (blue T and red L). In Phase 2, the goal was h...
Source: Animal Cognition - September 3, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Sturz BR, Bodily KD, Katz JS, Kelly DM Tags: Anim Cogn Source Type: journals
Skill mastery inhibits adoption of observed alternative solutions among chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Geographic variation in socially transmitted skills and signals, similar to human culture, has been well documented for great apes. The rules governing the adoption of novel behaviours, however, are still largely unknown. We conducted an innovation-and-transmission experiment with two groups of chimpanzees living at hopE Primate Sanctuary Gänserndorf, Austria, presenting a board on which food had to be manoeuvred around obstacles to be acquired. Most chimpanzees used sticks to acquire the food, but five adults independently invented a novel technique, rattling, which was subsequently tested by almost all group mem...
Source: Animal Cognition - September 3, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Hrubesch C, Preuschoft S, van Schaik C Tags: Anim Cogn Source Type: journals
Do chimpanzees know what others can and cannot do? Reasoning about 'capability'Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Much recent comparative work has been devoted to exploring what nonhuman primates understand about physical causality. However, few laboratory experiments have attempted to test what nonhumans understand about what physical acts others are capable of performing. We tested seven chimpanzees' ability to predict which of two human experimenters could deliver a tray containing a food reward. In the 'floor' condition, legs were required to push the tray toward the subject. In the 'lap' condition, arms were required to hand the tray to the subject. In Exp. 1, chimpanzees begged (by gesturing) to either an experimenter whose ...
Source: Animal Cognition - September 3, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Vonk J, Subiaul F Tags: Anim Cogn Source Type: journals
Means to an end: Neotropical parrots manage to pull strings to meet their goals.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
We presented subjects with pulling tasks where we varied the spatial relationship between the strings, the presence of a reward and the physical contact between the string and reward to determine whether (1) string-pulling is goal-oriented in these parrots, (2) whether the string is recognized as a means to obtain the reward and (3) whether subjects can visually determine the continuity between the string and the reward, selecting only those strings for which no physical gaps between string and reward were present. Our results show that some individuals of all species were able to use the string as a means to reach a speci...
Source: Animal Cognition - September 3, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Schuck-Paim C, Borsari A, Ottoni EB Tags: Anim Cogn Source Type: journals
Lectin binding patterns in the olfactory bulb of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
We histologically examined lectin binding patterns in the olfactory bulb of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) using 21 biotinylated lectins. Positive staining for the N-acetylglucosamine-specific lectins (Bandeiraea simplicifolia II, Datura stramonium, Lycopersicon esculentum, Solanum tuberosum, Triticum vulgare), galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine-specific lectins (Artocarpus intergrifolia, Phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin, Ricus communis) and the mannose-specific lectins (Lens culinaris and Pisum sativum) was observed in the olfactory nerve and glomerular layers. Canavalia ensifor...
Source: Animal Science Journal - September 2, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Atsushi HIRAO, Shigeo OOKAWARA Source Type: journals
Distribution of taste buds in layer-type chickens: Scanning electron microscopic observationsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The distribution of taste buds of layer-type chickens, from day 1 (H1) to day 140 (H140) post-hatching, were investigated histologically and with a scanning electron microscope. Two types of openings were observed on the oral epithelium: large openings that were greater than 10 [mu]m in width, and had an ellipsoid or spindle shape; and small openings that were less than 7 [mu]m in width, and had a circular or polygon shape. It was defined that the former represent the openings of the salivary glands, and the latter are those of the taste buds. The number of taste buds remained constant from H1 to H140. Therefore, no signif...
Source: Animal Science Journal - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Ken-ichi KUDO, Shotaro NISHIMURA, Shoji TABATA Source Type: journals
Adjusting for heterogeneity of variance for carcass traits affects single and multiple trait selections in genetic evaluation of Japanese Black cattleEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
This study provided evidence that the applied adjustment reduces the bias in the PBVs due to heterogeneous variances and increases the accuracy of bull-dam selection.
Source: Animal Science Journal - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Hirofumi NAKAOKA, Claude GAILLARD, Takayuki IBI, Yotaro SASAE, Yoshiyuki SASAKI Source Type: journals
Morphological and genetic analysis of Vietnamese Sus scrofa bones for evidence of pig domesticationEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
In the present study, we used morphological and genetic analyzes to distinguish bones of domestic boars from those of wild boars. We analyzed 65 Sus bones (cranium, mandible and teeth) stored in three research institutes in Vietnam and in a village in Vietnam. Based on comparison of bucco-lingual measurements of mandibular parts, the 58 specimens were morphologically classified into two size groups: a large bone group and a small bone group. Analysis of 572-bp mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences indicated that the large bones had genetic links to wild boar lineage including Ryukyu, Taiwan and Korean wild boars, and that th...
Source: Animal Science Journal - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Naotaka ISHIGURO, Motoki SASAKI, Mitsuhiro IWASA, Nobuo SHIGEHARA, Hitomi HONGO, Tomoko ANEZAKI, Vu The LONG, Phan Xuan HAO, Hguyen Xuan TRACH, Nguyen Huu NAM, Vu Ngoc THANH Source Type: journals
Nucleotide sequence polymorphisms of beta1-, beta2-, and beta3-adrenergic receptor genes on Jinhua, Meishan, Duroc and Landrace pigsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The full amino acid coding sequences of adrenergic receptor genes beta1, beta2, and beta3 (ADRB1, ADRB2, and ADRB3)were determined for Jinhua, Meishan, Duroc and Landrace pigs. Non-synonymous substitution of Arg458Pro was found in the porcine ADRB1 gene, resulting in a 469 amino acid sequence. Continuous substitutions of Asn29Asp and Glu30Gln were found in the porcine ADRB2 gene, resulting in a 418 amino acid sequence. Additionally, a Lys30 polymorphism of the ADRB2 gene was found in the Jinhua pigs. There were three non-synonymous substitutions of Asn24Thr, Arg264Gln and Asn398Asp on the porcine ADRB3 gene. A thymine inse...
Source: Animal Science Journal - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Koichi CHIKUNI, Atsushi HORIUCHI, Hanako IDE, Masatoshi SHIBATA, Takeshi HAYASHI, Ikuyo NAKAJIMA, Mika OE, Susumu MUROYA Source Type: journals
Effects of supplementation of Panicum maximum with four herbaceous forage legumes on performance, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance in West African dwarf goatsEmail this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The effects of supplementing a basal diet of guineagrass (Panicum maximum cv Ntchisi) (diet 5) with Stylosanthes guianensis (diet 1), Lablab purpureus (diet 2), Aeschynomene histrix (diet 3) and Centrosema pubescens (diet 5) on West African dwarf goats were evaluated. Parameters measured were feed intake, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance. Voluntary intake (g/kg W0.75/day) of dry matter (DM) 138.73, crude protein (CP) 25.86, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (96.29) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (65.73) of diet 1 were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the other diets with legume supplements. The feed intak...
Source: Animal Science Journal - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Festus Tope AJAYI, Olaniyi Jacob BABAYEMI, Abiodun Ayinde TAIWO Source Type: journals
A new species of mudskipper, Periophthalmus takita (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Oxudercinae), from Australia, with a key to the genus.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
A new species of mudskipper (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae) from northern Australia is described. This species was previously misidentified as P. novaeguineaensis Eggert, 1935 . Periophthalmus takita sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the following suite of characters: modally VIII spines in the first dorsal fin; second dorsal and anal fins with I, 11-12 rays; shape and color pattern of the first and second dorsal fins; and the extent of fusion between the two innermost rays of the pelvic fin. A re-diagnosis of P. novaeguineaensis is provided, as well as a revised key to the genus Periophthalmus .
PMID: 19...
Source: Zoological Science - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Jaafar Z, Larson HK Tags: Zoolog Sci Source Type: journals
Collagen type-I alpha1 chain mRNA is expressed in the follicle cells of the medaka ovary.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Follicle rupture during ovulation is a well-regulated biological process of extracellular matrix degradation in the vertebrate ovary. Although proteolytic enzymes responsible for the rupture have recently been identified in the medaka, Oryzias latipes , the lack of knowledge about the ovarian expression and distribution of extracellular matrix components in lower vertebrates prevents the understanding of this process's molecular mechanism. To approach the problem, we cloned a cDNA coding for the medaka collagen type-I alpha1 chain and examined its mRNA expression in the fish ovary. The deduced amino acid sequence of th...
Source: Zoological Science - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Horiguchi M, Fujimori C, Ogiwara K, Moriyama A, Takahashi T Tags: Zoolog Sci Source Type: journals
Functional recoveries of giant interneurons in the early period after unilateral cercal ablation in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Wind-sensitive giant interneurons (GIs) in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus show functional recovery after unilateral cercal ablation. Physiological properties such as threshold velocity and response magnitude (number of action potentials elicited) of GIs 8-1, 9-1, 9-2 and 9-3 to an air puff stimulus were investigated in crickets reared under the condition that permitted free walking for 6 days after unilateral cercal ablation ("6-day-free" crickets). The results were compared to those previously obtained from crickets 1 day after unilateral cercal ablation ("1-day-free" crickets) to clarify functional changes during an...
Source: Zoological Science - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Kanou M, Kuroishi H Tags: Zoolog Sci Source Type: journals
Sensory cells associated with the tentacular tunic of the ascidian Polyandrocarpa misakiensis (Tunicata: Ascidiacea).Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
New probable mechanosensory cell groups were found in Polyandrocarpa misakiensis. In this species, the tunic with epithelium penetrates into the oral and atrial tentacles (oral and atrial tentacular tunic), which is continuous with a tunic layer intervening between the descending and ascending epithelium of the siphons. In the oral tentacles, the tunic only extends into the basal part, but in the atrial siphon the tunic extends the full length of the tentacle. Intraepithelial sensory cells were found in the basal part of the oral and atrial tentacular tunic. These sensory cells are usually solitary or paired in the atr...
Source: Zoological Science - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Koyama H Tags: Zoolog Sci Source Type: journals
Molecular cloning and developmental expression of a hyaluronan and proteoglycan link protein gene, crtl1/hapln1, in zebrafish.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
The proteoglycan aggregate of the cartilage is composed of aggrecan, link protein (LP), and hyaluronan, providing resistance to compression in joints and cartilage structures. To further understand the function of LP during the process of chondrogenesis and bone formation in zebrafish, we cloned the zebrafish cDNA for hyaluronan and proteoglycan link protein 1 (crtl1/hapln1) and examined the expression of the gene during embryogenesis using in-situ hybridization. crtl1/hapln1 expression is first observed in the adaxial cells at the bud- stage. Throughout somitogenesis, crtl1/hapln1 is expressed in the sclerotomes, floo...
Source: Zoological Science - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Kang JS, Kawakami Y, Bekku Y, Ninomiya Y, Belmonte JC, Oohashi T Tags: Zoolog Sci Source Type: journals
Cross-reactivity of a polyclonal antibody against Chinemys reevesii Vitellogenin with the Vitellogenins of other turtle species: Chelydra serpentina , Macrochelys temminckii , and Pelodiscus sinensis.Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Vitellogenin (VTG), a yolk-precursor protein in oviparous vertebrates, is a useful biomarker for reproductive physiology and environmental estrogenic pollution. To examine interspecific applicability of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantifying Chinemys reevesii VTG, we observed cross-reactivity between a polyclonal antibody against Chinemys reevesii VTG and the VTGs from other turtle species: Chelydra serpentina (Chelydridae), Macrochelys temminckii (Chelydridae), and Pelodiscus sinensis (Trionychidae), which are phylogenetically distant from Chinemys reevesii (Geoemydidae). The VTGs of the three sp...
Source: Zoological Science - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Saka M, Tada N, Kamata Y Tags: Zoolog Sci Source Type: journals
First report on the chromosomes of Aeolosoma viride and Aeolosoma hemprichi (Aeolosomatidae; Annelida).Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
This study is the first report on the chromosome morphology of two aeolosomatid species. Giemsa staining and propidium iodide labelling were performed. The somatic chromosome number of Aeolosoma viride was 2n=30 with many biarmed elements, whereas A. hemprichi showed 60 small chromosomes with a dot-like appearance. Asexual reproduction, with its clonal transmission of chromosomal repatternings, probably ensures the fixation of new karyotypes in species of Aeolosoma .
PMID: 19267599 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Zoological Science - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Marescalchi O, Gugnali A, Falconi R Tags: Zoolog Sci Source Type: journals
Habitat use and home range of the endangered gold-spotted pond frog (Rana chosenica).Email this article to a colleague.
Save this article to My Clippings.
Discuss or comment on this article.
Because of their complex life styles, amphibians and reptiles living in wetlands require both aquatic and terrestrial buffer zones in their protected conservation areas. Due to steep declines in wild populations, the gold-spotted pond frog (Rana chosenica) is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. However, lack of data about its movements and use of habitat prevents effective conservation planning. To determine the habitat use and home range of this species, we radio-tracked 44 adult frogs for 37 days between 10 July and 4 Nov. 2007 to observe three different populations in the breeding season, non-breeding season, and late...
Source: Zoological Science - September 1, 2008 Category: Zoology Authors: Ra NY, Sung HC, Cheong S, Lee JH, Eom J, Park D Tags: Zoolog Sci Source Type: journals
