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Responses of Parasitoids to Volatiles Induced by Chilo partellus Oviposition on Teosinte, a Wild Ancestor of Maize.
Mutyambai, Daniel M; Bruce, Toby J A; Midega, Charles A O; Woodcock, Christine M; Caulfield, John C; Van Den Berg, Johnnie; Pickett, John A; Khan, Zeyaur R
Maize, a genetically diverse crop, is the domesticated descendent of its wild ancestor, teosinte. Recently, we have shown that certain maize landraces possess a valuable indirect defense trait not present in commercial hybrids. Plants of these landraces release herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that attract both egg [Trichogramma bournieri Pintureau & Babault (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)] and larval [Cotesia sesamiae Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)] parasitoids in response to stemborer egg deposition. In this study, we tested whether this trait also exists in the germplasm of wild Zea species. Headspace samples were collected from plants exposed to egg deposition by Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) moths and unexposed control plants. Four-arm olfactometer bioassays with parasitic wasps, T. bournieri and C. sesamiae, indicated that both egg and larval parasitoids preferred HIPVs from plants with eggs in four of the five teosinte species sampled. Headspace samples from oviposited plants released higher amounts of EAG-active compounds such as (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene. In oviposition choice bioassays, plants without eggs were significantly preferred for subsequent oviposition by moths compared to plants with prior oviposition. These results suggest that this induced indirect defence trait is not limited to landraces but occurs in wild Zea species and appears to be an ancestral trait. Hence, these species possess a valuable trait that could be introgressed into domesticated maize lines to provide indirect defense mechanisms against stemborers. PMID:25943860
Gene Flow Among Different Teosinte Taxa and Into the Domesticated Maize Gene Pool
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) was domesticated from one wild species ancestor, the Balsas teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) about 9000 years ago. Higher levels of gene diversity are found in teosinte taxa compared to maize following domestication and selection bottlenecks. Diversity in maize can b...
Copyright 01993 by the Genetics Society of Arllericd Inheritanceof the Morphological Differences Between Maize and Teosinte
Doebley, John
. It is suggested that loci with large effects on morphology may not be a specific feature of crop evolution competition. MAIZE (Zea mays ssp. mays) and its probable wild ancestor,teosinte (2. mays ssp. mexicana
Construction of intraspecific linkage maps, detection of a chromosome inversion, and mapping of QTL for constitutive root aerenchyma formation in the teosinte Zea nicaraguensis
Yoshiro Mano; Fumie Omori; Kazuyoshi Takeda
The teosinte Zea nicaraguensis, a wild relative of maize, possesses a flooding tolerance-related trait: the formation of constitutive root aerenchyma under\\u000a drained (non-flooded) soil conditions. A previous study suggested that the degree of constitutive aerenchyma formation varies\\u000a within Z. nicaraguensis. The objectives of this study were to construct linkage maps, to determine the marker order in a region of chromosome
Some physical properties of teosinte (Zea mays subsp. parviglumis) pollen.
Aylor, Donald E; Baltazar, Baltazar M; Schoper, John B
In parts of the world where teosinte and maize are grown in close proximity, there is concern about gene flow between them. Pollen is the primary vehicle for gene flow. Quantifying the biophysical properties of pollen, such as its settling speed and dehydration rate, is important for evaluating outcrossing potential. These properties were measured for teosinte (Zea mays subsp. parviglumis) pollen. Pollen was found to have an average settling speed of 0.165 m s(-1), which agrees well with theoretical values based on the size of the pollen grains. The conductance of the pollen wall for water was derived from the time rate of change of pollen grain size and gave an average conductance of 3.42x10(-4) m s(-1). Water potential, psi, of teosinte pollen was determined at various values of relative water content (dry-weight basis), theta, by using a thermocouple psychrometer and by allowing samples of pollen to come to vapour equilibrium with various saturated salt solutions. Non-linear regression analysis of the data yielded psi (MPa) = -4.13 theta(-1.23) (r2=0.77). Results for conductance and psi were incorporated into a model equation for the rate of water loss from pollen grains, which yielded results that agreed well (r2=0.96) with observations of water loss from pollen grains in air. The data reported here are important building blocks in a model of teosinte pollen movement and should be helpful in establishing the main factors influencing the degree and the direction of pollination between teosinte populations and between maize and teosinte. PMID:16014364
Complex Patterns of Local Adaptation in Teosinte
Pyhäjärvi, Tanja; Hufford, Matthew B.; Mezmouk, Sofiane; Ross-Ibarra, Jeffrey
Populations of widely distributed species encounter and must adapt to local environmental conditions. However, comprehensive characterization of the genetic basis of adaptation is demanding, requiring genome-wide genotype data, multiple sampled populations, and an understanding of population structure and potential selection pressures. Here, we used single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping and data on numerous environmental variables to describe the genetic basis of local adaptation in 21 populations of teosinte, the wild ancestor of maize. We found complex hierarchical genetic structure created by altitude, dispersal events, and admixture among subspecies, which complicated identification of locally beneficial alleles. Patterns of linkage disequilibrium revealed four large putative inversion polymorphisms showing clinal patterns of frequency. Population differentiation and environmental correlations suggest that both inversions and intergenic polymorphisms are involved in local adaptation. PMID:23902747
Teosinte Inflorescence Phytolith Assemblages Mirror Zea Taxonomy
Hart, John P.; Matson, R. G.; Thompson, Robert G.; Blake, Michael
Molecular DNA analyses of the New World grass (Poaceae) genus Zea, comprising five species, has resolved taxonomic issues including the most likely teosinte progenitor (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) of maize (Zea mays ssp. mays). However, archaeologically, little is known about the use of teosinte by humans both prior to and after the domestication of maize. One potential line of evidence to explore these relationships is opaline phytoliths produced in teosinte fruit cases. Here we use multidimensional scaling and multiple discriminant analyses to determine if rondel phytolith assemblages from teosinte fruitcases reflect teosinte taxonomy. Our results indicate that rondel phytolith assemblages from the various taxa, including subspecies, can be statistically discriminated. This indicates that it will be possible to investigate the archaeological histories of teosinte use pending the recovery of appropriate samples. PMID:21479186
Seed dormancy in Mexican teosinte
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Seed dormancy in wild Zea species may affect fitness and relate to ecological adaptation. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the variation in seed germination of the wild species of the genus Zea that currently grow in Mexico, and to relate this variation to their ecological zon...
Fertility Relationships in Maize-Teosinte Hybrids.
Rogers, John S. (John Sinclair)
, and to some extent from the other teosinte varieties. 1 BUL LETIN 730 NOVEMBER 1950 Fertility Relationshi ps In Maize-Teosinte Hybrids JOHN S. ROGERS Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy . 2 M AIZE IS A MEMBER of the grass family Gramineae.... Reeves, R. G. and Mangelsdorf, P. C. A proposed taxo- nomic change in the tribe Maydeae (family Gramineae). Amer. Jour. Rot., 29 :815-817. 1942. ...
Maize or 'Indian Corn' and its wild relatives, the teosintes (Zea species), differ profoundly in both ear
Doebley, John
profoundly in both ear morphology and plant growth form (Figs 1, 2). Nevertheless, substantial genetic by a tassel, while the short lateral branches of maize are tipped by ears. Adapted from Ref. 19. The 'key. In maize, the lateral branches are short and terminated by female inflorescences (ears). Second
Three New Teosintes (Zea spp., Poaceae) From Mexico
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The discovery of new species of teosinte from México motivated the comparative study of populations from México, Guatemala and Nicaragua through detailed ecogeographic, morphologic, cytogenetic and molecular characterization. The study involved a comparative analysis of morphological, ecogeographic,...
Identifying novel resistance genes in rice wild relatives
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Rice blast and sheath blight are major fungal diseases of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L. ) that limit Arkansas rough rice yields and market potential. Resistance to these diseases has been found in rice wild relatives (Oryza spp.) A collection of these wild relatives originating from outside the U...
Genetic Diversity in Wild Relatives of Rice and Domestication Events
Hong-Wei Cai; Masahiro Akimoto; Hiroko Morishima
Two cultivated rice species, Oryza saliva and O. glaberrima, are classified as the O. saliva complex, together with five related wild species. These wild taxa are O. rufipogon (Asia and Oceania), O. barthii (Africa), O. longistaminata (Africa), O. glumaepatula (Latin America) and O. meridionalis (Oceania). They are diploid and share the AA genome in common. According to the gene pool
Consequences of recurrent gene flow from crops to wild relatives.
Haygood, Ralph; Ives, Anthony R; Andow, David A
Concern about gene flow from crops to wild relatives has become widespread with the increasing cultivation of transgenic crops. Possible consequences of such gene flow include genetic assimilation, wherein crop genes replace wild ones, and demographic swamping, wherein hybrids are less fertile than their wild parents, and wild populations shrink. Using mathematical models of a wild population recurrently receiving pollen from a genetically fixed crop, we find that the conditions for genetic assimilation are not stringent, and progress towards replacement can be fast, even for disfavoured crop genes. Demographic swamping and genetic drift relax the conditions for genetic assimilation and speed progress towards replacement. Genetic assimilation can involve thresholds and hysteresis, such that a small increase in immigration can lead to fixation of a disfavoured crop gene that had been maintained at a moderate frequency, even if the increase in immigration is cancelled before the gene fixes. Demographic swamping can give rise to 'migrational meltdown', such that a small increase in immigration can lead to not only fixation of a disfavoured crop gene but also drastic shrinkage of the wild population. These findings suggest that the spread of crop genes in wild populations should be monitored more closely. PMID:14561300
In situ conservation of crop wild relatives: status and trends
Brien A. Meilleur; Toby Hodgkin
Recognized as a priority three decades ago, in situ conservation of crop wild relatives has developed theoretical and methodological focus and achieved significant on-the-ground progress in the last 10 years, most notably under the impetus of the plant genetic resources community. Literature and Internet searches and interviews with experts were undertaken as a basis for reviewing the current status and
Beyond biodiversity: Ecosystem services of crop wild relatives
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Crop wild relatives (CWRs) and crop progenitors were among the first natural ecosystem services available to humans in building the foundations of agriculture in an era of remarkable climate change some 10,000 years ago. Ever since, spatial and temporal variation in micro- and macro-environments, an...
Stress and domestication traits increase the relative fitness of crop?wild hybrids in sunflower
Kristin L. Mercer; David A. Andow; Donald L. Wyse; Ruth G. Shaw
After a decade of transgenic crop production, the dynamics of gene introgression into wild relatives remain unclear. Taking an ecological genetics approach to investigating fitness in crop-wild hybrid zones, we uncovered both conditions and characteristics that may promote introgression. We compared diverse crop-wild hybrid genotypes relative to wild Helianthus annuus under one benign and three stressful agricultural environments. Whereas relative
Use of wild relatives to improve salt tolerance in wheat.
Colmer, Timothy D; Flowers, Timothy J; Munns, Rana
There is considerable variability in salt tolerance amongst members of the Triticeae, with the tribe even containing a number of halophytes. This is a review of what is known of the differences in salt tolerance of selected species in this tribe of grasses, and the potential to use wild species to improve salt tolerance in wheat. Most investigators have concentrated on differences in ion accumulation in leaves, describing a desirable phenotype with low leaf Na+ concentration and a high K+/Na+ ratio. Little information is available on other traits (such as "tissue tolerance" of accumulated Na+ and Cl-) that might also contribute to salt tolerance. The sources of Na+ "exclusion" amongst the various genomes that make up tetraploid (AABB) durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum), hexaploid (AABBDD) bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ssp. aestivum), and wild relatives (e.g. Aegilops spp., Thinopyrum spp., Elytrigia elongata syn. Lophopyrum elongatum, Hordeum spp.) are described. The halophytes display a capacity for Na+ "exclusion", and in some cases Cl- "exclusion", even at relatively high salinity. Significantly, it is possible to hybridize several wild species in the Triticeae with durum and bread wheat. Progenitors have been used to make synthetic hexaploids. Halophytic relatives, such as tall wheatgrass spp., have been used to produce amphiploids, disomic chromosome addition and substitution lines, and recombinant lines in wheat. Examples of improved Na+ "exclusion" and enhanced salt tolerance in various derivatives from these various hybridization programmes are given. As several sources of improved Na+ "exclusion" are now known to reside on different chromosomes in various genomes of species in the Triticeae, further work to identify the underlying mechanisms and then to pyramid the controlling genes for the various traits, that could act additively or even synergistically, might enable substantial gains in salt tolerance to be achieved. PMID:16513812
Hybridization of maize and teosinte, in mexico and guatemala and the improvement of maize
H. G. Wllkes
The recognition and subsequent detection of the importance of teosinte introgression in the racial diversity and heterotic\\u000a gene architecture of maize has been one of the outstanding achievements of Paul C. Mangelsdorf's investigations into the origin\\u000a of maize. This paper documents three areas in Mexico and Guatemala where maize and teosinte hybridize and where there is a\\u000a system by which
Back to the wilds: tapping evolutionary adaptations for resilient crops through systematic hybridization with crop wild relatives.
Warschefsky, Emily; Penmetsa, R Varma; Cook, Douglas R; von Wettberg, Eric J B
The genetic diversity of our crop plants has been substantially reduced during the process of domestication and breeding. This reduction in diversity necessarily constrains our ability to expand a crop's range of cultivation into environments that are more extreme than those in which it was domesticated, including into "sustainable" agricultural systems with reduced inputs of pesticides, water, and fertilizers. Conversely, the wild progenitors of crop plants typically possess high levels of genetic diversity, which underlie an expanded (relative to domesticates) range of adaptive traits that may be of agricultural relevance, including resistance to pests and pathogens, tolerance to abiotic extremes, and reduced dependence on inputs. Despite their clear potential for crop improvement, wild relatives have rarely been used systematically for crop improvement, and in no cases, have full sets of wild diversity been introgressed into a crop. Instead, most breeding efforts have focused on specific traits and dealt with wild species in a limited and typically ad hoc manner. Although expedient, this approach misses the opportunity to test a large suite of traits and deploy the full potential of crop wild relatives in breeding for the looming challenges of the 21st century. Here we review examples of hybridization in several species, both intentionally produced and naturally occurring, to illustrate the gains that are possible. We start with naturally occurring hybrids, and then examine a range of examples of hybridization in agricultural settings. PMID:25326621
The Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits in Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis): New Evidence from Association Mapping
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Our previous association analyses showed that variation at major regulatory genes contributes to standing variation for complex traits in Balsas teosinte, the progenitor of maize. This study expands our previous association mapping effort in teosinte by testing 123 markers in 52 candidate genes for ...
Enhancing the Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives in England
Fielder, Hannah; Brotherton, Peter; Hosking, Julian; Hopkins, John J.; Ford-Lloyd, Brian; Maxted, Nigel
Humans require resilient, rapidly renewable and sustainable supplies of food and many other plant-derived supplies. However, the combined effects of climate change and population growth compromise the provision of these supplies particularly in respect to global food security. Crop wild relatives (CWR) contain higher genetic diversity than crops and harbour traits that can improve crop resilience and yield through plant breeding. However, in common with most countries, CWR are poorly conserved in England. There is currently no provision for long-term CWR conservation in situ, and comprehensive ex situ collection and storage of CWR is also lacking. However, there is a commitment to achieve their conservation in England's Biodiversity Strategy and the UK has international commitments to do so as part of the Global Plant Conservation Strategy. Here, we identify a series of measures that could enhance the conservation of English CWR, thereby supporting the achievement of these national and international objectives. We provide an inventory of 148 priority English CWR, highlight hotspots of CWR diversity in sites including The Lizard Peninsula, the Dorset coast and Cambridgeshire and suggest appropriate sites for the establishment of a complementary network of genetic reserves. We also identify individual in situ and ex situ priorities for each English CWR. Based on these analyses, we make recommendations whose implementation could provide effective, long-term conservation of English CWR whilst facilitating their use in crop improvement. PMID:26110773
Do Cultivated Varieties of Native Plants Have the Ability to Outperform Their Wild Relatives?
Schröder, Roland; Prasse, Rüdiger
Vast amounts of cultivars of native plants are annually introduced into the semi-natural range of their wild relatives for re-vegetation and restoration. As cultivars are often selected towards enhanced biomass production and might transfer these traits into wild relatives by hybridization, it is suggested that cultivars and the wild × cultivar hybrids are competitively superior to their wild relatives. The release of such varieties may therefore result in unintended changes in native vegetation. In this study we examined for two species frequently used in re-vegetation (Plantago lanceolata and Lotus corniculatus) whether cultivars and artificially generated intra-specific wild × cultivar hybrids may produce a higher vegetative and generative biomass than their wilds. For that purpose a competition experiment was conducted for two growing seasons in a common garden. Every plant type was growing (a.) alone, (b.) in pairwise combination with a similar plant type and (c.) in pairwise interaction with a different plant type. When competing with wilds cultivars of both species showed larger biomass production than their wilds in the first year only and hybrids showed larger biomass production than their wild relatives in both study years. As biomass production is an important factor determining fitness and competitive ability, we conclude that cultivars and hybrids are competitively superior their wild relatives. However, cultivars of both species experienced large fitness reductions (nearly complete mortality in L. corniculatus) due to local climatic conditions. We conclude that cultivars are good competitors only as long as they are not subjected to stressful environmental factors. As hybrids seemed to inherit both the ability to cope with the local climatic conditions from their wild parents as well as the enhanced competitive strength from their cultivars, we regard them as strong competitors and assume that they are able to outperform their wilds at least over the short-term. PMID:23951081
Mitochondrial genome variation in Allium ampeloprasum and its wild relatives
T. Engelke; E. Agbicodo; T. Tatlioglu
Limitation in mitochondrial genome diversity of leek, revealed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses with mitochondrial gene probes, prevent a cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) system in elite populations. However, mitochondrial genome diversity was detected in Allium ampeloprasum L. wild accession and landraces, as well as in pearl onion. Within this plant material, nine mitotypes were distinguished and could be
Farrell, Anthony P.
A REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE RELATED TO "CAN FARMED AND WILD SALMON CO-EXIST?" Report 2: An Analysis of Annual Trends for Wild Pacific Salmon in British Columbia DECEMBER 2012://people.landfood.ubc.ca/anthony.farrell/) Ms. Diane Gold Ms. Carmen Ho A literature review funded by the BC Salmon Farmers Association #12
Gene Flow from Cultivated Rice (Oryza sativa) to its Weedy and Wild Relatives
• Background and Aims Transgene escape through gene flow from genetically modified (GM) crops to their wild relative species may potentially cause environmental biosafety problems. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of gene flow between cultivated rice and two of its close relatives under field conditions. • Methods Experiments were conducted at two sites in Korea and China to determine gene flow from cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) to weedy rice (O. sativa f. spontanea) and common wild rice (O. rufipogon Griff.), respectively, under special field conditions mimicking the natural occurrence of the wild relatives in Asia. Herbicide resistance (bar) and SSR molecular finger printing were used as markers to accurately determine gene flow frequencies from cultivated rice varieties to their wild relatives. • Key Results Gene flow frequency from cultivated rice was detected as between approx. 0·011 and 0·046 % to weedy rice and between approx. 1·21 and 2·19 % to wild rice under the field conditions. • Conclusions Gene flow occurs with a noticeable frequency from cultivated rice to its weedy and wild relatives, and this might cause potential ecological consequences. It is recommended that isolation zones should be established with sufficient distances between GM rice varieties and wild rice populations to avoid potential outcrosses. Also, GM rice should not be released when it has inserted genes that can significantly enhance the ecological fitness of weedy rice in regions where weedy rice is already abundant and causing great problems. PMID:14602665
Proceedings of the first international symposium on wild relatives of subtropical and temperate fruit and nut crops
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The first International Symposium on Wild Relatives of Subtropical and Temperate Fruit and Nut Crops offered a platform for the scientists and others concerned with conservation, management, and sustainable utilization of wild relatives of subtropical and temperate fruit and nut crops. Wild relative...
Carbon and Nitrogen Economy of 24 Wild Species Differing in Relative Growth Rate
Hendrik Poorter; Carlo Remkes; Hans Lambers
The relation between interspecific variation in relative growth rate and carbon and nitrogen economy was investigated. Twenty- four wild species were grown in a growth chamber with a nonlim- iting nutrient supply and growth, whole plant photosynthesis, shoot respiration, and root respiration were determined. No cor- relation was found between the relative growth rate of these species and their rate
Ex Situ Conservation Priorities for the Wild Relatives of Potato (Solanum L. Section Petota)
Castańeda-Álvarez, Nora P.; de Haan, Stef; Juárez, Henry; Khoury, Colin K.; Achicanoy, Harold A.; Sosa, Chrystian C.; Bernau, Vivian; Salas, Alberto; Heider, Bettina; Simon, Reinhard; Maxted, Nigel; Spooner, David M.
Crop wild relatives have a long history of use in potato breeding, particularly for pest and disease resistance, and are expected to be increasingly used in the search for tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Their current and future use in crop improvement depends on their availability in ex situ germplasm collections. As these plants are impacted in the wild by habitat destruction and climate change, actions to ensure their conservation ex situ become ever more urgent. We analyzed the state of ex situ conservation of 73 of the closest wild relatives of potato (Solanum section Petota) with the aim of establishing priorities for further collecting to fill important gaps in germplasm collections. A total of 32 species (43.8%), were assigned high priority for further collecting due to severe gaps in their ex situ collections. Such gaps are most pronounced in the geographic center of diversity of the wild relatives in Peru. A total of 20 and 18 species were assessed as medium and low priority for further collecting, respectively, with only three species determined to be sufficiently represented currently. Priorities for further collecting include: (i) species completely lacking representation in germplasm collections; (ii) other high priority taxa, with geographic emphasis on the center of species diversity; (iii) medium priority species. Such collecting efforts combined with further emphasis on improving ex situ conservation technologies and methods, performing genotypic and phenotypic characterization of wild relative diversity, monitoring wild populations in situ, and making conserved wild relatives and their associated data accessible to the global research community, represent key steps in ensuring the long-term availability of the wild genetic resources of this important crop. PMID:25923711
Could abiotic stress tolerance in wild relatives of rice be used to improve Oryza sativa?
Atwell, Brian J; Wang, Han; Scafaro, Andrew P
Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima have been selected to acquire and partition resources efficiently as part of the process of domestication. However, genetic diversity in cultivated rice is limited compared to wild Oryza species, in spite of 120,000 genotypes being held in gene banks. By contrast, there is untapped diversity in the more than 20 wild species of Oryza, some having been collected from just a few coastal locations (e.g. Oryza schlechteri), while others are widely distributed (e.g. Oryza nivara and Oryza rufipogon). The extent of DNA sequence diversity and phenotypic variation is still being established in wild Oryza, with genetic barriers suggesting a vast range of morphologies and function even within species, such as has been demonstrated for Oryza meridionalis. With increasing climate variability and attempts to make more marginal land arable, abiotic and biotic stresses will be managed over the coming decades by tapping into the genetic diversity of wild relatives of O. sativa. To help create a more targeted approach to sourcing wild rice germplasm for abiotic stress tolerance, we have created a climate distribution map by plotting the natural occurrence of all Oryza species against corresponding temperature and moisture data. We then discuss interspecific variation in phenotype and its significance for rice, followed by a discussion of ways to integrate germplasm from wild relatives into domesticated rice. PMID:24388514
Cytogenetical analysis of hybrids between sunflower and four wild relatives
Anne Espinasse; Joseph Foueillassar; Gordon Kimber
Patterns of chromosome pairing were examined in pollen meiocytes of plants derived from crosses between cultivated sunflower, Helianthus annuus L., and four relative species, H. niveus ssp. niveus (Benth) Branbegee, H. maximiliani Schrad., H. ciliaris DC and H. tuberosus L. Except in plants derived from crosses with H. niveus, meioses showed both asyndesis (univalent) and multivalent configurations.
A case for crop wild relative preservation and utilization in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Environmental degradation and climate change pose a threat to global food security. Crop wild relatives (CWR) provide a critical resource to address food security needs by providing genetic diversity for crop improvement, leading to increased plasticity and productivity. However, plant breeders have...
Identifying wild relatives of subtropical and temperate fruit and nut crops
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
In 2008 the Plant Exchange Office (PEO) of the Agricultural Research Service began a concentrated effort to identify, classify, and provide a full treatment in the taxonomy area of the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) for all primary, secondary, and tertiary genetic wild relatives (CWR...
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Rice wild relatives (Oryza spp.) are an important source of novel R(resistance)-genes for rice improvement. Rice sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, and leaf blast, caused by Magnaporthe grisea, are major fungal diseases of cultivated rice (O. sativa) in the USA and of irrigated rice world...
Crop wild relatives of Medicago in Russia and neighboring countries: gap analysis for effective conservation
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The genus Medicago includes important species used for forage, fodder and land improvement. The countries of the Former Soviet Union have a wide diversity of alfalfa crop wild relatives and annual medic species. The N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry (VIR) has a long history of collecting and ...
Research progress in BYDV resistance genes derived from wheat and its wild relatives
Zengyan Zhang; Zhishan Lin; Zhiyong Xin
Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) may cause a serious disease affecting wheat worldwide. True resistance to BYDV is not naturally found in wheat. BYDV resistance genes are found in more than 10 wild relative species belonging to the genera of Thinopyrum, Agropyron, Elymus, Leymus, Roegneria, and Psathyrostachy. Through wide crosses combining with cell culture, use of ph mutants, or irradiation,
Two new antioxidant malonated caffeoylquinic acid isomers in fruits of wild eggplant relatives
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Fruits of both the cultivated eggplant species Solanum melongena and its wild relative Solanum incanum have a high content of hydroxycinnamic acid conjugates, which along with other phenylpropanoids are implicated in the human health benefits of various fruits and vegetables. Monocaffeoylquinic acid...
Initial Steps toward a National Conservation Strategy for Crop Wild Relatives of the United States
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
An effective strategy for conservation of biodiversity worldwide requires a spectrum of actions enacted from the global to the local level. Agricultural biodiversity is no exception, and the wild relatives of crops (CWR), as important genetic resources for crop improvement, represent a dual challeng...
Farrell, Anthony P.
1 A REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE RELATED TO "CAN FARMED AND WILD SALMON CO-EXIST IN BRITISH COLUMBIA?" Report 1: Parasitic Sea Lice and Other Diseases of Pacific Salmon December 2012 review funded by the BC Salmon Farmers Association #12;2 Table of Contents PREAMBLE
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Central Asia is considered the primary center of origin for alfalfa and has a rich diversity of taxa in the Medicago sativa Complex. An exploration was carried out in 2000 to collect germplasm of wild relatives of alfalfa in Northwestern Kazakhstan. Russian scientists had previously proposed areas w...
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Over 50 participants from 15 different countries would spend five days, March 19-23 2011, in open discussion on the status of conservation, management, and sustainable utilization of wild relatives of subtropical and temperate fruit and nut crops. This was the first such meeting, co-convened by Dr. ...
Genetic modificationTransgene introgression from genetically modified crops to their wild relatives
Matthew D. Halfhill; Suzanne I. Warwick; C. Neal Stewart
Transgenes engineered into annual crops could be unintentionally introduced into the genomes of their free-living wild relatives. The fear is that these transgenes might persist in the environment and have negative ecological consequences. Are some crops or transgenic traits of more concern than others? Are there natural genetic barriers to minimize gene escape? Can the genetic transformation process be exploited
Leaf area ratio and net assimilation rate of 24 wild species differing in relative growth rate
Hendrik Poorter; Carlo Remkes
Which factors cause fast-growing plant species to achieve a higher relative growth rate than slow-growing ones? To answer this question 24 wild species were grown from seed in a growth chamber under conditions of optimal nutrient supply and a growth analysis was carried out. Mean relative growth rate, corrected for possible ontogenetic drift, ranged from 113 to 356 mg g-1
Microsatellite Variation in Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Euphorbiaceae) and Its Wild Relatives: Further Evidence for a Southern Amazonian Origin of Domestication
Kenneth M. Olsen; Barbara A. Schaal
Genetic variation at five microsatellite loci was used to investigate the evolutionary and geographical origins of cassava (Manihot esculenta subsp. esculenta) and the population structure of cassava's wild relatives. Two hundred and twelve individuals were sampled, representing 20 crop accessions, 27 populations of cassava's closest wild relative ( M. esculenta subsp. flabellifolia ), and six populations of a potentially hybridizing
Introgression potential between safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) and wild relatives of the genus Carthamus
Background Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius, is a thistle that is grown commercially for the production of oil and birdseed and recently, as a host for the production of transgenic pharmaceutical proteins. C. tinctorius can cross with a number of its wild relatives, creating the possibility of gene flow from safflower to weedy species. In this study we looked at the introgression potential between different members of the genus Carthamus, measured the fitness of the parents versus the F1 hybrids, followed the segregation of a specific transgene in the progeny and tried to identify traits important for adaptation to different environments. Results Safflower hybridized and produced viable offspring with members of the section Carthamus and species with chromosome numbers of n = 10 and n = 22, but not with n = 32. The T-DNA construct of a transgenic C. tinctorius line was passed on to the F1 progeny in a Mendelian fashion, except in one specific cross, where it was deleted at a frequency of approximately 21%. Analyzing fitness and key morphological traits like colored seeds, shattering seed heads and the presence of a pappus, we found no evidence of hybrid vigour or increased weediness in the F1 hybrids of commercial safflower and its wild relatives. Conclusion Our results suggest that hybridization between commercial safflower and its wild relatives, while feasible in most cases we studied, does not generate progeny with higher propensity for weediness. PMID:21401959
Introgression of novel traits from a wild wheat relative improves drought adaptation in wheat.
Placido, Dante F; Campbell, Malachy T; Folsom, Jing J; Cui, Xinping; Kruger, Greg R; Baenziger, P Stephen; Walia, Harkamal
Root architecture traits are an important component for improving water stress adaptation. However, selection for aboveground traits under favorable environments in modern cultivars may have led to an inadvertent loss of genes and novel alleles beneficial for adapting to environments with limited water. In this study, we elucidate the physiological and molecular consequences of introgressing an alien chromosome segment (7DL) from a wild wheat relative species (Agropyron elongatum) into cultivated wheat (Triticum aestivum). The wheat translocation line had improved water stress adaptation and higher root and shoot biomass compared with the control genotypes, which showed significant drops in root and shoot biomass during stress. Enhanced access to water due to higher root biomass enabled the translocation line to maintain more favorable gas-exchange and carbon assimilation levels relative to the wild-type wheat genotypes during water stress. Transcriptome analysis identified candidate genes associated with root development. Two of these candidate genes mapped to the site of translocation on chromosome 7DL based on single-feature polymorphism analysis. A brassinosteroid signaling pathway was predicted to be involved in the novel root responses observed in the A. elongatum translocation line, based on the coexpression-based gene network generated by seeding the network with the candidate genes. We present an effective and highly integrated approach that combines root phenotyping, whole-plant physiology, and functional genomics to discover novel root traits and the underlying genes from a wild related species to improve drought adaptation in cultivated wheat. PMID:23426195
Introgression of Novel Traits from a Wild Wheat Relative Improves Drought Adaptation in Wheat1[W
Placido, Dante F.; Campbell, Malachy T.; Folsom, Jing J.; Cui, Xinping; Kruger, Greg R.; Baenziger, P. Stephen; Walia, Harkamal
Root architecture traits are an important component for improving water stress adaptation. However, selection for aboveground traits under favorable environments in modern cultivars may have led to an inadvertent loss of genes and novel alleles beneficial for adapting to environments with limited water. In this study, we elucidate the physiological and molecular consequences of introgressing an alien chromosome segment (7DL) from a wild wheat relative species (Agropyron elongatum) into cultivated wheat (Triticum aestivum). The wheat translocation line had improved water stress adaptation and higher root and shoot biomass compared with the control genotypes, which showed significant drops in root and shoot biomass during stress. Enhanced access to water due to higher root biomass enabled the translocation line to maintain more favorable gas-exchange and carbon assimilation levels relative to the wild-type wheat genotypes during water stress. Transcriptome analysis identified candidate genes associated with root development. Two of these candidate genes mapped to the site of translocation on chromosome 7DL based on single-feature polymorphism analysis. A brassinosteroid signaling pathway was predicted to be involved in the novel root responses observed in the A. elongatum translocation line, based on the coexpression-based gene network generated by seeding the network with the candidate genes. We present an effective and highly integrated approach that combines root phenotyping, whole-plant physiology, and functional genomics to discover novel root traits and the underlying genes from a wild related species to improve drought adaptation in cultivated wheat. PMID:23426195
Identification of QTL controlling adventitious root formation during flooding conditions in teosinte ( Zea mays ssp. huehuetenangensis ) seedlings
Yoshiro Mano; Masanori Muraki; Masahiro Fujimori; Tadashi Takamizo; Bryan Kindiger
Adventitious root formation (ARF) at the soil surface is one of the most important adaptations to soil flooding or waterlogging. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling ARF under flooding condition were identified in a 94 F2 individual population by crossing maize (Zea mays L., B64) × teosinte (Z. mays ssp. huehuetenangensis). A base-map was constructed using 66 SSR and 42 AFLP
Competition alters life history and increases the relative fecundity of crop-wild radish hybrids (Raphanus spp.)
Lesley G. Campbell; Allison A. Snow
Summary • The evolutionary impact of crop-to-wild gene flow depends on the fitness of hybrids under natural, competitive conditions. Here, we measured the performance of third-generation (F 3 ) radish hybrids ( Raphanus raphanistrum × Raphanus sativus ) and weedy R. raphanistrum to understand how competitive interactions affect life history and relative fecundity. • Three wild and three F 1
Wheat alleles introgress into selfing wild relatives: empirical estimates from approximate Bayesian computation in Aegilops triuncialis.
Pajkovic, Mila; Lappe, Sylvain; Barman, Rachel; Parisod, Christian; Neuenschwander, Samuel; Goudet, Jerome; Alvarez, Nadir; Guadagnuolo, Roberto; Felber, François; Arrigo, Nils
Extensive gene flow between wheat (Triticum sp.) and several wild relatives of the genus Aegilops has recently been detected despite notoriously high levels of selfing in these species. Here, we assess and model the spread of wheat alleles into natural populations of the barbed goatgrass (Aegilops triuncialis), a wild wheat relative prevailing in the Mediterranean flora. Our sampling, based on an extensive survey of 31 Ae. triuncialis populations collected along a 60 km × 20 km area in southern Spain (Grazalema Mountain chain, Andalousia, totalling 458 specimens), is completed with 33 wheat cultivars representative of the European domesticated pool. All specimens were genotyped with amplified fragment length polymorphism with the aim of estimating wheat admixture levels in Ae. triuncialis populations. This survey first confirmed extensive hybridization and backcrossing of wheat into the wild species. We then used explicit modelling of populations and approximate Bayesian computation to estimate the selfing rate of Ae. triuncialis along with the magnitude, the tempo and the geographical distance over which wheat alleles introgress into Ae. triuncialis populations. These simulations confirmed that extensive introgression of wheat alleles (2.7 × 10(-4) wheat immigrants for each Ae. triuncialis resident, at each generation) into Ae. triuncialis occurs despite a high selfing rate (Fis ? 1 and selfing rate = 97%). These results are discussed in the light of risks associated with the release of genetically modified wheat cultivars in Mediterranean agrosystems. PMID:25223217
Flooding tolerance in interspecific introgression lines containing chromosome segments from teosinte (Zea nicaraguensis) in maize (Zea mays subsp. mays)
Mano, Y.; Omori, F.
Background and Aims Nicaraguan teosinte (Zea nicaraguensis), a species found in frequently flooded areas, provides useful germplasm for breeding flooding-tolerant maize (Z. mays subsp. mays). The objective of this study was to select flooding-tolerant lines using a library of introgression lines (ILs), each containing a chromosome segment from Z. nicaraguensis in the maize inbred line Mi29. Methods To produce the ILs, a single F1 plant derived from a cross between maize Mi29 and Z. nicaraguensis was backcrossed to Mi29 three times, self-pollinated four times and genotyped using simple sequence repeat markers. Flooding tolerance was evaluated at the seedling stage under reducing soil conditions. Key Results By backcrossing and selfing, a series of 45 ILs were developed covering nearly the entire maize genome. Five flooding-tolerant lines were identified from among the ILs by evaluating leaf injury. Among these, line IL#18, containing a Z. nicaraguensis chromosome segment on the long arm of chromosome 4, showed the greatest tolerance to flooding, suggesting the presence of a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) in that region. The presence of the QTL was verified by examining flooding tolerance in a population segregating for the candidate region of chromosome 4. There was no significant relationship between the capacity to form constitutive aerenchyma and flooding tolerance in the ILs, indicating the presence of other factors related to flooding tolerance under reducing soil conditions. Conclusions A flooding-tolerant genotype, IL#18, was identified; this genotype should be useful for maize breeding. In addition, because the chromosome segments of Z. nicaraguensis in the ILs cover nearly the entire genome and Z. nicaraguensis possesses several unique traits related to flooding tolerance, the ILs should be valuable material for additional QTL detection and the development of flooding-tolerant maize lines. PMID:23877074
Domestication and defence: Foliar tannins and C/N ratios in cassava and a close wild relative
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mondolot, Laurence; Marlas, Amandine; Barbeau, Damien; Gargadennec, Annick; Pujol, Benoît; McKey, Doyle
Plant domestication is accompanied by shifts in resource allocation, as a result of farmer selection for genotypes that give high yields in agricultural habitats. Relaxed natural selection for chemical and physical defences in these habitats could facilitate resource allocation to yield. We compared the concentrations of tannins, and C/N ratios, which are often correlated with investment in cell-wall compounds, in leaves of landraces of domesticated cassava ( Manihot esculenta) and a close wild relative in French Guiana. Foliar concentrations of tannins were about 1.9 times higher in the wild relative than in domesticated cassava. Histochemical analyses showed that tannins were present in nearly all palisade and spongy parenchyma cells of the wild taxon, but in only some cells of these tissues in M. esculenta. C/N ratios were also 1.9 times higher in leaves of the wild relative than in those of domesticated cassava. Tannins accounted for only a small proportion of total carbon, and the higher C/N ratio in wild than in domesticated cassava may reflect higher investment in carbon-containing compounds additional to tannins, such as cell-wall compounds. The divergence in these traits between cassava and this close wild relative mirrors a broad pattern observed in wild plant species across habitats varying in resource availability. One explanation for our results is that domestication in cassava may have favoured a shift from a resource conservation strategy to a resource acquisition strategy.
Comparative genomics and phylogenetic discordance of cultivated tomato and close wild relatives.
Strickler, Susan R; Bombarely, Aureliano; Munkvold, Jesse D; York, Thomas; Menda, Naama; Martin, Gregory B; Mueller, Lukas A
Background. Studies of ancestry are difficult in the tomato because it crosses with many wild relatives and species in the tomato clade that have diverged very recently. As a result, the phylogeny in relation to its closest relatives remains uncertain. By using the coding sequence from Solanum lycopersicum, S. galapagense, S. pimpinellifolium, S. corneliomuelleri, and S. tuberosum and the genomic sequence from S. lycopersicum 'Heinz', an heirloom line, S. lycopersicum 'Yellow Pear', and two of cultivated tomato's closest relatives, S. galapagense and S. pimpinellifolium, we have aimed to resolve the phylogenies of these closely related species as well as identify phylogenetic discordance in the reference cultivated tomato. Results. Divergence date estimates suggest that the divergence of S. lycopersicum, S. galapagense, and S. pimpinellifolium happened less than 0.5 MYA. Phylogenies based on 8,857 coding sequences support grouping of S. lycopersicum and S. galapagense, although two secondary trees are also highly represented. A total of 25 genes in our analysis had sites with evidence of positive selection along the S. lycopersicum lineage. Whole genome phylogenies showed that while incongruence is prevalent in genomic comparisons between these genotypes, likely as a result of introgression and incomplete lineage sorting, a primary phylogenetic history was strongly supported. Conclusions. Based on analysis of these genotypes, S. galapagense appears to be closely related to S. lycopersicum, suggesting they had a common ancestor prior to the arrival of an S. galapagense ancestor to the Galápagos Islands, but after divergence of the sequenced S. pimpinellifolium. Genes showing selection along the S. lycopersicum lineage may be important in domestication or selection occurring post-domestication. Further analysis of intraspecific data in these species will help to establish the evolutionary history of cultivated tomato. The use of an heirloom line is helpful in deducing true phylogenetic information of S. lycopersicum and identifying regions of introgression from wild species. PMID:25780758
Taxonomy of Wild Tomatoes and their Relatives(Solanum sect. Lycopersicoides, sect. Juglandifolia, sect. Lycopersicon; Solanaceae)
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Wild tomatoes are tremendous sources of useful traits in tomato breeding, to improve disease resistances, environmental tolerances, and improved agronomic traits such as increased soluble solids. This chapter includes historical and updated information on the phylogenetic relationships of wild tomat...
Simple sequence repeats reveal uneven distribution of genetic diversity in chloroplast genomes of Brassica oleracea L. and ( n = 9) wild relatives
C. J. Allender; J. Allainguillaume; J. Lynn; G. J. King
Diversity in the chloroplast genome of 171 accessions representing the Brassica 'C' (n = 9) genome, including domesticated and wild B. oleracea and nine inter-fertile related wild species, was investigated using six chloroplast SSR (microsatellite) markers. The lack\\u000a of diversity detected among 105 cultivated and wild accessions of B. oleracea contrasted starkly with that found within its wild relatives. The vast majority
The Genomic Signature of Crop-Wild Introgression in Maize
Hufford, Matthew B.; Lubinksy, Pesach; Pyhäjärvi, Tanja; Devengenzo, Michael T.; Ellstrand, Norman C.; Ross-Ibarra, Jeffrey
The evolutionary significance of hybridization and subsequent introgression has long been appreciated, but evaluation of the genome-wide effects of these phenomena has only recently become possible. Crop-wild study systems represent ideal opportunities to examine evolution through hybridization. For example, maize and the conspecific wild teosinte Zea mays ssp. mexicana (hereafter, mexicana) are known to hybridize in the fields of highland Mexico. Despite widespread evidence of gene flow, maize and mexicana maintain distinct morphologies and have done so in sympatry for thousands of years. Neither the genomic extent nor the evolutionary importance of introgression between these taxa is understood. In this study we assessed patterns of genome-wide introgression based on 39,029 single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped in 189 individuals from nine sympatric maize-mexicana populations and reference allopatric populations. While portions of the maize and mexicana genomes appeared resistant to introgression (notably near known cross-incompatibility and domestication loci), we detected widespread evidence for introgression in both directions of gene flow. Through further characterization of these genomic regions and preliminary growth chamber experiments, we found evidence suggestive of the incorporation of adaptive mexicana alleles into maize during its expansion to the highlands of central Mexico. In contrast, very little evidence was found for adaptive introgression from maize to mexicana. The methods we have applied here can be replicated widely, and such analyses have the potential to greatly inform our understanding of evolution through introgressive hybridization. Crop species, due to their exceptional genomic resources and frequent histories of spread into sympatry with relatives, should be particularly influential in these studies. PMID:23671421
Effect of salinity on water relations of wild barley plants differing in salt tolerance
Vysotskaya, Lidia; Hedley, Peter E.; Sharipova, Guzel; Veselov, Dmitry; Kudoyarova, Guzel; Morris, Jennifer; Jones, Hamlyn G.
Background and aims Certain lines of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) are more tolerant of salinity than others. The physiological basis of this difference is examined in a comparative study of a saline-tolerant and saline-intolerant line that emphasizes plant water relations. Methodology Effects of salt-treatment (75 mM maximum) extending from a few hours to 3 weeks were quantified in 8-day-old seedlings of a saline-sensitive wild barley line ('T-1') and a less saline-sensitive line ('20-45'). Plants were grown in nutrient culture. Levels of mRNA of the HtPIP2;4 aquaporin (AQP) gene were determined together with a range of physiological responses including root hydraulic conductivity, osmotic potential of root xylem sap, transpiration, leaf relative water content, root water content, leaf water potential, leaf sap osmolality, leaf length, leaf area and chlorophyll content. Principal results Salt treatment inhibited transpiration and hydraulic conductivity more in salt-tolerant '20-45' plants than in salt-sensitive 'T-1'. In '20-45', the effect was paralleled by a fast (within a few hours) and persistent (3 days) down-regulation of aquaporin. In salt-sensitive 'T-1' plants, aquaporin down-regulation was delayed for up to 24 h. Greater tolerance in '20-45' plants was characterized by less inhibition of leaf area, root fresh weight, leaf water content and chlorophyll concentration. Leaf water potentials were similar in both lines. Conclusions (i) Decline in hydraulic conductivity in salt-treated barley plants is important for stomatal closure, (ii) lowered transpiration rate is beneficial for salt tolerance, at least at the seedling stage and (iii) changes in AQP expression are implicated in the control of whole plant hydraulic conductivity and the regulation of shoot water relations. PMID:22476064
Age-related variation in immunity in a wild mammal population
Nussey, Daniel H; Watt, Kathryn; Pilkington, Jill G; Zamoyska, Rose; McNeilly, Tom N
Summary Age-related changes in immunity are well documented in humans and laboratory mammals. Using blood samples collected from wild Soay sheep, we show that pronounced differences in T-cell subsets and inflammatory markers amongst age classes are also evident under natural conditions. These shifts parallel those observed in mammals experiencing protected environments. We found progressive declines in the proportion of naďve CD4 T cells with age, a precipitous drop in ?? T cells after the second year of life and an increase in acute phase protein levels amongst geriatric sheep. Our findings suggest immune aging patterns observed in laboratory and domestic mammals may generalize to more complex, challenging environments and could have fitness costs under natural conditions. PMID:22107028
QTL mapping for sexually dimorphic fitness-related traits in wild bighorn sheep
Poissant, J; Davis, C S; Malenfant, R M; Hogg, J T; Coltman, D W
Dissecting the genetic architecture of fitness-related traits in wild populations is key to understanding evolution and the mechanisms maintaining adaptive genetic variation. We took advantage of a recently developed genetic linkage map and phenotypic information from wild pedigreed individuals from Ram Mountain, Alberta, Canada, to study the genetic architecture of ecologically important traits (horn volume, length, base circumference and body mass) in bighorn sheep. In addition to estimating sex-specific and cross-sex quantitative genetic parameters, we tested for the presence of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), colocalization of QTLs between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep, and sex × QTL interactions. All traits showed significant additive genetic variance and genetic correlations tended to be positive. Linkage analysis based on 241 microsatellite loci typed in 310 pedigreed animals resulted in no significant and five suggestive QTLs (four for horn dimension on chromosomes 1, 18 and 23, and one for body mass on chromosome 26) using genome-wide significance thresholds (Logarithm of odds (LOD) >3.31 and >1.88, respectively). We also confirmed the presence of a horn dimension QTL in bighorn sheep at the only position known to contain a similar QTL in domestic sheep (on chromosome 10 near the horns locus; nominal P<0.01) and highlighted a number of regions potentially containing weight-related QTLs in both species. As expected for sexually dimorphic traits involved in male–male combat, loci with sex-specific effects were detected. This study lays the foundation for future work on adaptive genetic variation and the evolutionary dynamics of sexually dimorphic traits in bighorn sheep. PMID:21847139
Variability of chloroplast DNA and nuclear ribosomal DNA in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and its wild relatives.
Fregene, M A; Vargas, J; Ikea, J; Angel, F; Tohme, J; Asiedu, R A; Akoroda, M O; Roca, W M
Chloroplast DNA (cp) and nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) variation was investigated in 45 accessions of cultivated and wild Manihot species. Ten independent mutations, 8 point mutations and 2 length mutations were identified, using eight restriction enzymes and 12 heterologous cpDNA probes from mungbean. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis defined nine distinct chloroplast types, three of which were found among the cultivated accessions and six among the wild species. Cladistic analysis of the cpDNA data using parsimony yielded a hypothetical phylogeny of lineages among the cpDNAs of cassava and its wild relatives that is congruent with morphological evolutionary differentiation in the genus. The results of our survey of cpDNA, together with rDNA restriction site change at the intergenic spacer region and rDNA repeat unit length variation (using rDNA cloned fragments from taro as probe), suggest that cassava might have arisen from the domestication of wild tuberous accessions of some Manihot species, followed by intensive selection. M. esculenta subspp flabellifolia is probably a wild progenitor. Introgressive hybridization with wild forms and pressures to adapt to the widely varying climates and topography in which cassava is found might have enhanced the crop's present day variability. PMID:24178017
Genetic diversity of four closely related wild tomato species revealed by genotyping-by-sequencing
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Wild tomato species have been exploited for many decades to develop cultivated tomato varieties that can resist biotic and abiotic stresses. The most variable wild tomato species Solanum peruvianum sensu lato (s.l.) has been reclassified into four distinct species - Solanum peruvianum sensu stricto...
Fitness effects of derived deleterious mutations in four closely related wild tomato species with spatial structure
Tellier, A; Fischer, I; Merino, C; Xia, H; Camus-Kulandaivelu, L; Städler, T; Stephan, W
A key issue in evolutionary biology is an improved understanding of the genetic mechanisms by which species adapt to various environments. Using DNA sequence data, it is possible to quantify the number of adaptive and deleterious mutations, and the distribution of fitness effects of new mutations (its mean and variance) by simultaneously taking into account the demography of a given species. We investigated how selection functions at eight housekeeping genes of four closely related, outcrossing species of wild tomatoes that are native to diverse environments in western South America (Solanum arcanum, S. chilense, S. habrochaites and S. peruvianum). We found little evidence for adaptive mutations but pervasive evidence for strong purifying selection in coding regions of the four species. In contrast, the strength of purifying selection seems to vary among the four species in non-coding (NC) regions (introns). Using FST-based measures of fixation in subdivided populations, we suggest that weak purifying selection has affected the NC regions of S. habrochaites, S. chilense and S. peruvianum. In contrast, NC regions in S. arcanum show a distribution of fitness effects with mutations being either nearly neutral or very strongly deleterious. These results suggest that closely related species with similar genetic backgrounds but experiencing contrasting environments differ in the variance of deleterious fitness effects. PMID:21245893
Enhancement of aluminum tolerance in wheat by addition of chromosomes from the wild relative Leymus racemosus
Mohammed, Yasir Serag Alnor; Eltayeb, Amin Elsadig; Tsujimoto, Hisashi
Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the key factor limiting wheat production in acid soils. Soil liming has been used widely to increase the soil pH, but due to its high cost, breeding tolerant cultivars is more cost-effective mean to mitigate the problem. Tolerant cultivars could be developed by traditional breeding, genetic transformation or introgression of genes from wild relatives. We used 30 wheat alien chromosome addition lines to identify new genetic resources to improve wheat tolerance to Al and to identify the chromosomes harboring the tolerance genes. We evaluated these lines and their wheat background Chinese Spring for Al tolerance in hydroponic culture at various Al concentrations. We also investigated Al uptake, oxidative stress and cell membrane integrity. The L. racemosus chromosomes A and E significantly enhanced the Al tolerance of the wheat in term of relative root growth. At the highest Al concentration tested (200 ?M), line E had the greatest tolerance. The introgressed chromosomes did not affect Al uptake of the tolerant lines. We attribute the improved tolerance conferred by chromosome E to improved cell membrane integrity. Chromosome engineering with these two lines could produce Al-tolerant wheat cultivars. PMID:24399913
Oryza nivara, a wild relative of cultivated rice, is a source of genes for improving seedling vigor
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) wild relatives are a potential source of genetic diversity for cultivated rice improvement. An advanced backcross population was derived from the U.S. temperate japonica rice variety, M-202, a medium grain commercial cultivar grown in California, crossed with O. nivara Sharma...
Plant Resistance to TSWV and Seed Accumulation of Resveratrol within Peanut Germplasm and Its Wild Relatives in the US Collection
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Biotic and abiotic stress may induce peanut plants to produce a high amount of resveratrol. The relationship of plant response to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and seed accumulation of resveratrol was investigated. Twenty peanut accessions and six wild relatives were selected from the US peanut g...
Cholinesterase and monoamine oxidase activity in relation to mercury levels in the cerebral cortex of wild river otters
N Basu; A M Scheuhammer; R D Evans; M OBrien; H M Chan
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that is neurotoxic to many mammalian species. The present study was conducted to determine if the bioaccumulation of Hg by wild river otters (Lontra canadensis) could be related to variations in the activities of key neurochemical enzymes. River otters were collected from Ontario and Nova Scotia (Canada) during the trapping seasons, spanning 2002-2004, and
Recent NPGS coordinated expeditions in the Trans-Caucasus Region to collect wild relatives of temperate fruit and nut crops
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The USDA Agricultural Research Service-managed National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) coordinated several germplasm expeditions in the trans-Caucasus countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia beginning in 2001. One of the goals was to preserve valuable wild relatives of crop species ex situ at g...
Biological containment of potato (Solanum tuberosum) : outcrossing to the related wild species black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) and bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara)
Ronald Eijlander; Willem J. Stiekema
The biological containment of the potato (Solanum tuberosum) was assessed by establishing the crossability of this tuberous crop with the related wild non-tuberous species in The Netherlands, black nightshade (S. nigrum) and bittersweet (S. dulcamara). To circumvent crossability barriers, genotypes with different ploidy number were employed and crosses were performed under different environmental conditions. S. dulcamara was shown to be
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and melon (C. melo) have numerous wild relatives in Asia and Australia, and the
Renner, Susanne
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and melon (C. melo) have numerous wild relatives in Asia and Australia, and the sister species of melon is from Australia Patrizia Sebastiana , Hanno Schaeferb , Ian R. H. Telfordc, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia Edited* by Barbara A. Schaal, Washington University
Multilocus patterns of nucleotide diversity, population structure and linkage disequilibrium in Boechera stricta, a wild relative of Arabidopsis
Bao-Hua Song; Aaron J. Windsor; Karl J. Schmid; Sebastian Ramos-Onsins; M. Eric Schranz; Andrew J. Heidel; Thomas Mitchell-Olds
Information about polymorphism, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium (LD) is crucial for association studies of complex trait variation. However, most genomewide studies have focused on model systems, with very few analyses of undisturbed natural populations. Here, we sequenced 86 mapped nuclear loci for a sample of 46 genotypes of Boechera stricta and two individuals of B. holboellii, both wild relatives
Wild Relatives of the Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.: Solanaceae): New Understanding of Species Names in a Complex Group
Knapp, Sandra; Vorontsova, Maria S.; Prohens, Jaime
Background The common or brinjal eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) belongs to the Leptostemonum Clade (the "spiny" solanums) of the species-rich genus Solanum (Solanaceae). Unlike most of the genus, the eggplant and its relatives are from the Old World; most eggplant wild relatives are from Africa. An informal system for naming eggplant wild relatives largely based on crossing and other biosystematics data has been in use for approximately a decade. This system recognises several forms of two broadly conceived species, S. incanum L. and S. melongena. Recent morphological and molecular work has shown that species-level differences exist between these entities, and a new species-level nomenclature has been identified as necessary for plant breeders and for the maintenance of accurately named germplasm. Methodology/Principal Findings We examined herbarium specimens from throughout the wild species ranges as part of a larger revision of the spiny solanums of Africa. Based on these morphological and molecular studies, we delimited species in the group to which the common eggplant belongs and constructed identification keys for the group. We also examined the monophyly of the group considered as the eggplant relatives by previous authors. Conclusions/Significance We recognise ten species in this group: S. aureitomentosum Bitter, S. campylacanthum A.Rich., S. cerasiferum Dunal, S. incanum L., S. insanum L., S. lichtensteinii Willd., S. linnaeanum Hepper & P.-M.L.Jaeger, S. melongena L., S. rigidum Lam. and S. umtuma Voronts. & S.Knapp. We review the history of naming and provide keys and character lists for all species. Ploidy level differences have not been investigated in the eggplant wild relatives; we identify this as a priority for improvement of crop wild relative use in breeding. The application of species-level names to these entities will help focus new collecting efforts for brinjal eggplant improvement and help facilitate information exchange. PMID:23451138
Blood selenium concentrations and enzyme activities related to glutathione metabolism in wild emperor geese
Franson, J.C.; Hoffman, D.J.; Schmutz, J.A.
In 1998, we collected blood samples from 63 emperor geese (Chen canagica) on their breeding grounds on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) in western Alaska, USA. We studied the relationship between selenium concentrations in whole blood and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in plasma. Experimental studies have shown that plasma activities of these enzymes are useful biomarkers of selenium-induced oxidative stress, but little information is available on their relationship to selenium in the blood of wild birds. Adult female emperor geese incubating their eggs in mid-June had a higher mean concentration of selenium in their blood and a greater activity of glutathione peroxidase in their plasma than adult geese or goslings that were sampled during the adult flight feathera??molting period in late July and early August. Glutathione peroxidase activity was positively correlated with the concentration of selenium in the blood of emperor geese, and the rate of increase relative to selenium was greater in goslings than in adults. The activity of glutathione reductase was greatest in the plasma of goslings and was greater in molting adults than incubating females but was not significantly correlated with selenium in the blood of adults or goslings. Incubating female emperor geese had high selenium concentrations in their blood, accompanied by increased glutathione peroxidase activity consistent with early oxidative stress. These findings indicate that further study of the effects of selenium exposure, particularly on reproductive success, is warranted in this species.
Blood selenium concentrations and enzyme activities related to glutathione metabolism in wild emperor geese
Franson, J.C.; Hoffman, D.J.; Schmutz, J.A.
In 1998, we collected blood samples from 63 emperor geese (Chen canagica) on their breeding grounds on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) in western Alaska, USA. We studied the relationship between selenium concentrations in whole blood and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in plasma. Experimental studies have shown that plasma activities of these enzymes are useful biomarkers of selenium-induced oxidative stress, but little information is available on their relationship to selenium in the blood of wild birds. Adult female emperor geese incubating their eggs in mid-June had a higher mean concentration of selenium in their blood and a greater activity of glutathione peroxidase in their plasma than adult geese or goslings that were sampled during the adult flight feathermolting period in late July and early August. Glutathione peroxidase activity was positively correlated with the concentration of selenium in the blood of emperor geese, and the rate of increase relative to selenium was greater in goslings than in adults. The activity of glutathione reductase was greatest in the plasma of goslings and was greater in molting adults than incubating females but was not significantly correlated with selenium in the blood of adults or goslings. Incubating female emperor geese had high selenium concentrations in their blood, accompanied by increased glutathione peroxidase activity consistent with early oxidative stress. These findings indicate that further study of the effects of selenium exposure, particularly on reproductive success, is warranted in this species.
Origin and expansion of the allotetraploid Aegilops geniculata, a wild relative of wheat.
Arrigo, Nils; Felber, François; Parisod, Christian; Buerki, Sven; Alvarez, Nadir; David, Jacques; Guadagnuolo, Roberto
*This study reconstructs the phylogeography of Aegilops geniculata, an allotetraploid relative of wheat, to discuss the impact of past climate changes and recent human activities (e.g. the early expansion of agriculture) on the genetic diversity of ruderal plant species. *We combined chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequencing, analysed using statistical parsimony network, with nonhierarchical K-means clustering of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) genotyping, to unravel patterns of genetic structure across the native range of Ae. geniculata. The AFLP dataset was further explored by measurement of the regional genetic diversity and the detection of isolation by distance patterns. *Both cpDNA and AFLP suggest an eastern Mediterranean origin of Ae. geniculata. Two lineages have spread independently over northern and southern Mediterranean areas. Northern populations show low genetic diversity but strong phylogeographical structure among the main peninsulas, indicating a major influence of glacial cycles. By contrast, low genetic structuring and a high genetic diversity are detected in southern Mediterranean populations. Finally, we highlight human-mediated dispersal resulting in substantial introgression between resident and migrant populations. *We have shown that the evolutionary trajectories of ruderal plants can be similar to those of wild species, but are interfered by human activities, promoting range expansions through increased long-distance dispersal and the creation of suitable habitats. PMID:20561204
Specific genetic markers for wheat, spelt, and four wild relatives: comparison of isozymes, RAPDs, and wheat microsatellites.
Guadagnuolo, R; Bianchi, D S; Felber, F
Three types of markers-isozymes, RAPDs (random amplified polymorphic DNAs), and wheat microsatellites- were tested on wheat, spelt, and four wild wheat relatives (Aegilops cylindrica, Elymus caninus, Hordeum marinum, and Agropyron junceum). The aim was to evaluate their capability to provide specific markers for differentiation of the cultivated and wild species. The markers were set up for subsequent detection of hybrids and introgression of wheat DNA into wild relatives. All markers allowed differentiation of the cultivated from the wild species. Wheat microsatellites were not amplified in all the wild relatives, whereas RAPDs and isozymes exhibited polymorphism for all species. The dendrograms obtained with RAPD and isozyme data separated Swiss wheat cultivars from those collected in Austria and England, while no difference was found between Swiss spelt and wheat. RAPD data provided a weak discrimination between English and Austrian E. caninus. The microsatellite-based dendrogram discriminated populations of Ae. cylindrica, but no clear separation of H. marinum from E. caninus was revealed. The similarity matrices based on the three different sets of data were strongly correlated. The highest value was recorded between the matrices based on RAPDs and isozymes (Mantel's test, r = 0.93). Correlations between the similarity matrix based on microsatellites and matrices based on RAPDs and isozymes were lower: 0.74 and 0.68, respectively. While microsatellites are very useful for comparisons of closely related accessions, they are less suitable for studies involving less-related taxa. Isozymes provide interesting markers for species differentiation, but their use seems less appropriate for studies of within-species genetic variation. RAPDs can produce a large set of markers, which can be used for the evaluation of both between- and within-species genetic variation, more rapidly and easily than isozymes and microsatellites. PMID:11550895
Space Use of African Wild Dogs in Relation to Other Large Carnivores
Darnell, Angela M.; Graf, Jan A.; Somers, Michael J.; Slotow, Rob; Szykman Gunther, Micaela
Interaction among species through competition is a principle process structuring ecological communities, affecting behavior, distribution, and ultimately the population dynamics of species. High competition among large African carnivores, associated with extensive diet overlap, manifests in interactions between subordinate African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) and dominant lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Using locations of large carnivores in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa, we found different responses from wild dogs to their two main competitors. Wild dogs avoided lions, particularly during denning, through a combination of spatial and temporal avoidance. However, wild dogs did not exhibit spatial or temporal avoidance of spotted hyenas, likely because wild dog pack sizes were large enough to adequately defend their kills. Understanding that larger carnivores affect the movements and space use of other carnivores is important for managing current small and fragmented carnivore populations, especially as reintroductions and translocations are essential tools used for the survival of endangered species, as with African wild dogs. PMID:24896638
Research progress in BYDV resistance genes derived from wheat and its wild relatives.
Zhang, Zengyan; Lin, Zhishan; Xin, Zhiyong
Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) may cause a serious disease affecting wheat worldwide. True resistance to BYDV is not naturally found in wheat. BYDV resistance genes are found in more than 10 wild relative species belonging to the genera of Thinopyrum, Agropyron, Elymus, Leymus, Roegneria, and Psathyrostachy. Through wide crosses combining with cell culture, use of ph mutants, or irradiation, 3 BYDV resistance genes in Th. intermedium, including Bdv2, Bdv3 and Bdv4, were introgressed into common wheat background. Various wheat-Th. intermedium addition and substitution, translocation lines with BYDV-resistance were developed and characterized, such as 7D-7Ai#1 (bearing Bdv2), 7B-7Ai#1, 7D-7E (bearing Bdv3), and 2D-2Ai-2 (bearing Bdv4) translocations. Three wheat varieties with BYDV resistance from Th. intermedium were developed and released in Australia and China, respectively. In addition, wheat-Agropyron cristatum translocation lines, wheat-Ag. pulcherrimum addition and substitution lines, and a wheat-Leymus multicaulis addition line (line24) with different resistance genes were developed. Cytological analysis, morphological markers, biochemical markers, and molecular markers associated with the alien chromatin carrying BYDV resistance genes were identified and applied to determine the presence of alien, chromosomes or segments, size of alien chromosome segments, and compositions of the alien chromosomes. Furthermore, some resistance-related genes, such as RGA, P450, HSP70, protein kinases, centrin, and transducin, were identified, which expressed specifically in the resistance translocation lines with Bdv2. These studies lay the foundations for developing resistant wheat cultivars and unraveling the resistance mechanism against BYDV. PMID:19782958
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The cultivated tomato arose from wild species relatives that grow in South America. Many of these wild species are used as breeding stock to improve the disease resistances and agronomic traits of the cultivated tomato. This publication is a monograph of the cultivated species and its relatives. It ...
Quantifying heritable variation in fitness-related traits of wild, farmed and hybrid Atlantic salmon families in a wild river environment.
Reed, T E; Prodöhl, P; Hynes, R; Cross, T; Ferguson, A; McGinnity, P
Farmed fish are typically genetically different from wild conspecifics. Escapees from fish farms may contribute one-way gene flow from farm to wild gene pools, which can depress population productivity, dilute local adaptations and disrupt coadapted gene complexes. Here, we reanalyse data from two experiments (McGinnity et al., 1997, 2003) where performance of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) progeny originating from experimental crosses between farm and wild parents (in three different cohorts) were measured in a natural stream under common garden conditions. Previous published analyses focussed on group-level differences but did not account for pedigree structure, as we do here using modern mixed-effect models. Offspring with one or two farm parents exhibited poorer survival in their first and second year of life compared with those with two wild parents and these group-level inferences were robust to excluding outlier families. Variation in performance among farm, hybrid and wild families was generally similar in magnitude. Farm offspring were generally larger at all life stages examined than wild offspring, but the differences were moderate (5-20%) and similar in magnitude in the wild versus hatchery environments. Quantitative genetic analyses conducted using a Bayesian framework revealed moderate heritability in juvenile fork length and mass and positive genetic correlations (>0.85) between these morphological traits. Our study confirms (using more rigorous statistical techniques) previous studies showing that offspring of wild fish invariably have higher fitness and contributes fresh insights into family-level variation in performance of farm, wild and hybrid Atlantic salmon families in the wild. It also adds to a small, but growing, number of studies that estimate key evolutionary parameters in wild salmonid populations. Such information is vital in modelling the impacts of introgression by escaped farm salmon. PMID:25920670
Association mapping of yield-related traits and SSR markers in wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.)
Hu, Zhenbin; Zhang, Dan; Zhang, Guozheng; Kan, Guizhen; Hong, Delin; Yu, Deyue
Wild soybean, the progenitor of cultivated soybean, is an important gene pool for ongoing soybean breeding efforts. To identify yield-enhancing quantitative trait locus (QTL) or gene from wild soybean, 113 wild soybeans accessions were phenotyped for five yield-related traits and genotyped with 85 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to conduct association mapping. A total of 892 alleles were detected for the 85 SSR markers, with an average 10.49 alleles; the corresponding PIC values ranged from 0.07 to 0.92, with an average 0.73. The genetic diversity of each SSR marker ranged from 0.07 to 0.93, with an average 0.75. A total of 18 SSR markers were identified for the five traits. Two SSR markers, sct_010 and satt316, which are associated with the yield per plant were stably expressed over two years at two experimental locations. Our results suggested that association mapping can be an effective approach for identifying QTL from wild soybean. PMID:24757383
Evolution under domestication: contrasting functional morphology of seedlings in domesticated cassava and its closest wild relatives
Benoît Pujol; Gilda Mühlen; Nancy Garwood; Yael Horoszowski; Emmanuel J. P. Douzery; Doyle McKey
Summary • Although cassava ( Manihot esculenta ssp. esculenta ) is asexually propagated, farmers incorporate plants from seedlings into planting stocks. These products of sex are exposed to selection, which in agricultural environments should favour rapid growth. •T o examine whether seedling morphology has evolved under domestication, we compared domesticated cassava, its wild progenitor ( M. esculenta ssp. flabellifolia )
Differential Expression of Salt Stress-related Genes in Wild Beta vulgaris
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Differential display reverse transcription (DDRT) technique was used to detect differentially expressed genes for wild Beta vulgaris in response to salt stress. Two month-old seedlings were treated with 250 mM Na for 1H, 10H and untreated seedlings were used as controls. A group of differentially di...
Broadening the Genetic Base of Sugar Beet: Introgression from Wild Relatives.
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Sugar beet is, perhaps, the first to be developed at a time when modern genetic principles were becoming understood. It was developed in the late 1700s from white fodder beet; therefore, the genetic base of sugar beet has been thought to be narrower than many open-pollinated crops.. The wild sea b...
Assessment of genetic relationships between Setaria italica and its wild relative S. viridis using AFLP markers
M. Le Thierry d'Ennequin; O. Panaud; B. Toupance; A. Sarr
AFLP markers were used to assess genetic diversity and patterns of geographic variation among 39 accessions of foxtail millet\\u000a (Setaria italica) and 22 accessions of green foxtail millet (S. viridis), its putative wild progenitor. A high level of polymorphism was revealed. Dendrograms based on Nei and Li distances from\\u000a a neighbour joining procedure were constructed using 160 polymorphic bands. Bootstrap
Animal Personality Relates to Thermal Preference in Wild-Type Zebrafish, Danio rerio.
Rey, Sonia; Digka, Nikoletta; MacKenzie, Simon
It has been widely supported that individual animals express different strategies to cope with environmental challenge. In ectothermic species such as fish, individuals must use behavioral thermoregulation mechanisms to optimize physiological performance. In the present study, thermal preference was tested in groups of wild-type zebrafish, Danio rerio, screened for proactive and reactive animal personalities. Three replicate groups of proactive, reactive, and naive randomly sampled non-screened controls were used for the experiments. The frequency distribution of the animals was recorded in a custom-built multichamber tank under both constant temperature (temperature restricted conditions: TR) and a continuous thermal gradient profile (temperature choice: TCh ranging from 21°C to 35°C). Proactive and reactive animal personalities expressed significantly different thermal preferences and general activity within the temperature gradient. Our results show that proactive fish, generally characterized as being more aggressive, bold risk takers, and prone to routine formation, have a preference for higher temperature environments. Reactive fish, which are shy, less risk-prone, and more flexible, favor medium colder temperatures. This is the first report of thermopreferendum in zebrafish where individual animal personality coupled to freedom of thermal choice has been applied to understand variation in individual preferences within a population. PMID:25807204
Petrochemical-related DNA damage in wild rodents detected by flow cytometry
McBee, K.; Bickham, J.W.
The need for quick, reliable, in situ tests of environmental mutagenicity is evidenced by increasing public concern about potential health effects of pollutants. Conventional tests of clastogenicity usually involve treatment of laboratory test systems with pure samples of suspect compounds followed by scoring numerous metaphase cells for chromosome aberrations. There are at least two shortcomings of these test protocols. They are very time consumptive and are generally restricted to controlled laboratory situations which may not realistically indicate the effects of environmental pollution. The use of flow cytometry to study resident rodent species as bioindicators provides a system by which cytogenetic effects of environmental pollutants upon exposed organisms rapidly and accurately can be ascertained. The authors found that two species of wild rodents (Peromyscus leucopus and Sigmodon hispidus) living at a dump site polluted with a complex mixture of oil, grease, polychlorinated biphenols, hexachlorobenzene, zinc, manganese, cadmium, chromium, copper, and lead had significantly higher frequencies of chromosomal aberrations than did animals from two unpolluted control sites. These data suggest that resident small mammals may be useful as in situ monitors of the presence and action of mutagenic pollutants in the environment. This study was conducted to determine if changes in patterns of DNA content indicative of the action of mutagens could be detected by flow cytometric analysis of tissues from these same animals.
Urinary oxytocin and social bonding in related and unrelated wild chimpanzees.
Crockford, C; Wittig, R M; Langergraber, K; Ziegler, T E; Zuberbühler, K; Deschner, T
Animals that maintain cooperative relationships show gains in longevity and offspring survival. However, little is known about the cognitive or hormonal mechanisms involved in cooperation. Indeed, there is little support for a main hypothesis that non-human animals have the cognitive capacities required for bookkeeping of cooperative exchanges. We tested an alternative hypothesis that cooperative relationships are facilitated by an endocrinological mechanism involving oxytocin, a hormone required for bonding in parental and sexual relationships across mammals. We measured urinary oxytocin after single bouts of grooming in wild chimpanzees. Oxytocin levels were higher after grooming with bond partners compared with non-bond partners or after no grooming, regardless of genetic relatedness or sexual interest. We ruled out other possible confounds, such as grooming duration, grooming direction or sampling regime issues, indicating that changes in oxytocin levels were mediated by social bond strength. Oxytocin, which is thought to act directly on neural reward and social memory systems, is likely to play a key role in keeping track of social interactions with multiple individuals over time. The evolutionary linkage of an ancestral hormonal system with complex social cognition may be the primary mechanism through which long-term cooperative relationships develop between both kin and non-kin in mammals. PMID:23345575
Food sharing is linked to urinary oxytocin levels and bonding in related and unrelated wild chimpanzees
Wittig, Roman M.; Crockford, Catherine; Deschner, Tobias; Langergraber, Kevin E.; Ziegler, Toni E.; Zuberbühler, Klaus
Humans excel in cooperative exchanges between unrelated individuals. Although this trait is fundamental to the success of our species, its evolution and mechanisms are poorly understood. Other social mammals also build long-term cooperative relationships between non-kin, and recent evidence shows that oxytocin, a hormone involved in parent–offspring bonding, is likely to facilitate non-kin as well as kin bonds. In a population of wild chimpanzees, we measured urinary oxytocin levels following a rare cooperative event—food sharing. Subjects showed higher urinary oxytocin levels after single food-sharing events compared with other types of social feeding, irrespective of previous social bond levels. Also, urinary oxytocin levels following food sharing were higher than following grooming, another cooperative behaviour. Therefore, food sharing in chimpanzees may play a key role in social bonding under the influence of oxytocin. We propose that food-sharing events co-opt neurobiological mechanisms evolved to support mother–infant bonding during lactation bouts, and may act as facilitators of bonding and cooperation between unrelated individuals via the oxytocinergic system across social mammals. PMID:24430853
29 CFR 780.114 - Wild commodities.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
...RELATED TO REGULATIONS EXEMPTIONS APPLICABLE TO AGRICULTURE, PROCESSING OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, AND RELATED SUBJECTS UNDER THE...gathering or harvesting of wild commodities such as mosses, wild rice, burls and laurel plants, the trapping of wild animals,...
NSDL National Science Digital Library
In this online, interactive module, students learn about severe weather (thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards) and the key features for each type of "wild weather" using satellite images. The module is part of an online course for grades 7-12 in satellite meteorology, which includes 10 interactive modules. The site also includes lesson plans developed by teachers and links to related resources. Each module is designed to serve as a stand-alone lesson, however, a sequential approach is recommended. Designed to challenge students through the end of 12th grade, middle school teachers and students may choose to skim or skip a few sections.
Doubling genome size without polyploidization: Dynamics of retrotransposition-driven genomic expansions in Oryza australiensis, a wild relative of rice
Piegu, Benoit; Guyot, Romain; Picault, Nathalie; Roulin, Anne; Saniyal, Abhijit; Kim, Hyeran; Collura, Kristi; Brar, Darshan S.; Jackson, Scott; Wing, Rod A.; Panaud, Olivier
Retrotransposons are the main components of eukaryotic genomes, representing up to 80% of some large plant genomes. These mobile elements transpose via a "copy and paste" mechanism, thus increasing their copy number while active. Their accumulation is now accepted as the main factor of genome size increase in higher eukaryotes, besides polyploidy. However, the dynamics of this process are poorly understood. In this study, we show that Oryza australiensis, a wild relative of the Asian cultivated rice O. sativa, has undergone recent bursts of three LTR-retrotransposon families. This genome has accumulated more than 90,000 retrotransposon copies during the last three million years, leading to a rapid twofold increase of its size. In addition, phenetic analyses of these retrotransposons clearly confirm that the genomic bursts occurred posterior to the radiation of the species. This provides direct evidence of retrotransposon-mediated variation of genome size within a plant genus. PMID:16963705
Natural soil microbes alter flowering phenology and the intensity of selection on flowering time in a wild Arabidopsis relative
Wagner, Maggie R.; Lundberg, Derek S.; Coleman-Derr, Devin; Tringe, Susannah G.; Dangl, Jeffery L.; Mitchell-Olds, Thomas
Plant phenology is known to depend on many different environmental variables, but soil microbial communities have rarely been acknowledged as possible drivers of flowering time. Here we tested separately the effects of four naturally occurring soil microbiomes and their constituent soil chemistries on flowering phenology and reproductive fitness of Boechera stricta, a wild relative of Arabidopsis. Flowering time was sensitive to both microbes and the abiotic properties of different soils; varying soil microbiota also altered patterns of selection on flowering time. Thus, soil microbes potentially contribute to phenotypic plasticity of flowering time and to differential selection observed between habitats. We also describe a method to dissect the microbiome into single axes of variation that can help identify candidate organisms whose abundance in soil correlates with flowering time. This approach is broadly applicable to search for microbial community members that alter biological characteristics of interest. PMID:24698177
Natural soil microbes alter flowering phenology and the intensity of selection on flowering time in a wild Arabidopsis relative.
Wagner, Maggie R; Lundberg, Derek S; Coleman-Derr, Devin; Tringe, Susannah G; Dangl, Jeffery L; Mitchell-Olds, Thomas
Plant phenology is known to depend on many different environmental variables, but soil microbial communities have rarely been acknowledged as possible drivers of flowering time. Here, we tested separately the effects of four naturally occurring soil microbiomes and their constituent soil chemistries on flowering phenology and reproductive fitness of Boechera stricta, a wild relative of Arabidopsis. Flowering time was sensitive to both microbes and the abiotic properties of different soils; varying soil microbiota also altered patterns of selection on flowering time. Thus, soil microbes potentially contribute to phenotypic plasticity of flowering time and to differential selection observed between habitats. We also describe a method to dissect the microbiome into single axes of variation that can help identify candidate organisms whose abundance in soil correlates with flowering time. This approach is broadly applicable to search for microbial community members that alter biological characteristics of interest. PMID:24698177
Isolation and characterization of resistance gene analogues from Psilanthus species that represent wild relatives of cultivated coffee endemic to India.
Hendre, Prasad S; Bhat, Prasanna R; Krishnakumar, V; Aggarwal, Ramesh K
Biotic or abiotic stress can cause considerable damage to crop plants that can be managed by building disease resistance in the cultivated gene pool through breeding for disease resistance genes (R-genes). R-genes, conferring resistance to diverse pathogens or pests share a high level of similarity at the DNA and protein levels in different plant species. This property of R-genes has been successfully employed to isolate putative resistance gene analogues (RGAs) using a PCR-based approach from new plant sources. Using a similar approach, in the present study, we have successfully amplified putative RGAs having nucleotide-binding-site leucine-rich repeats (NBS-LRR-type RGAs) from seven different sources: two cultivated coffee species (Coffea arabica L. and Coffea canephora Pierre ex. A. Froehner), four related taxa endemic to India (wild tree coffee species: Psilanthus bengalensis (Roem. & Schuttles) J.-F. Leroy, Psilanthus khasiana , Psilanthus travencorensis (Wight & Arn.) J.-F. Leroy, Psilanthus weightiana (Wall. ex Wight & Arn.) J.-F. Leroy), and a cDNA pool originally prepared from light- and drought-stressed Coffea arabica L. leaves. The total PCR amplicons obtained using NBS-LRR-specific primers from each source were cloned and transformed to construct seven independent libraries, from which 434 randomly picked clones were sequenced. In silico analysis of the sequenced clones revealed 27 sequences that contained characteristic RGA motifs, of which 24 had complete uninterrupted open reading frames. Comparisons of these with published RGAs showed several of these to be novel RGA sequences. Interestingly, most of such novel RGAs belonged to the related wild Psilanthus species. The data thus suggest the potential of the secondary gene pool as possible untapped donors of resistance genes to the present day cultivated species of coffee. PMID:21539438
Genetic mapping of escalated aggression in wild-derived mouse strain MSM/Ms: association with serotonin-related genes
Takahashi, Aki; Shiroishi, Toshihiko; Koide, Tsuyoshi
The Japanese wild-derived mouse strain MSM/Ms (MSM) retains a wide range of traits related to behavioral wildness, including high levels of emotionality and avoidance of humans. In this study, we observed that MSM showed a markedly higher level of aggression than the standard laboratory strain C57BL/6J. Whereas almost all MSM males showed high frequencies of attack bites and pursuit in the resident-intruder test, only a few C57BL/6J males showed aggressive behaviors, with these behaviors observed at only a low frequency. Sexually mature MSM males in their home cages killed their littermates, or sometimes female pair-mates. To study the genetic and neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the escalated aggression observed in MSM mice, we analyzed reciprocal F1 crosses and five consomic strains of MSM (Chr 4, 13, 15, X and Y) against the background of C57BL/6J. We identified two chromosomes, Chr 4 and Chr 15, which were involved in the heightened aggression observed in MSM. These chromosomes had different effects on aggression: whereas MSM Chr 15 increased agitation and initiation of aggressive events, MSM Chr 4 induced a maladaptive level of aggressive behavior. Expression analysis of mRNAs of serotonin receptors, serotonin transporter and Tph2, an enzyme involved in serotonin synthesis in seven brain areas, indicated several differences among MSM, C57BL/6J, and their consomic strains. We found that Tph2 expression in the midbrain was increased in the Chr 4 consomic strain, as well as in MSM, and that there was a strong positive genetic correlation between aggressive behavior and Tph2 expression at the mRNA level. Therefore, it is possible that increased expression of the Tph2 gene is related to escalated aggression observed in MSM. PMID:24966813
H7N3 Avian Influenza Virus Found in a South American Wild Duck Is Related to the Chilean 2002 Poultry Outbreak, Contains Genes from Equine and North American Wild Bird Lineages, and Is Adapted to Domestic Turkeys
Spackman, Erica; McCracken, Kevin G.; Winker, Kevin; Swayne, David E.
An H7N3 avian influenza virus (AIV) was isolated from a Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) (A/CinnamonTeal/Bolivia/4537/01) during a survey of wild waterfowl in Bolivia in 2001. The NA and M genes had the greatest identity with North American wild bird isolates, the NS was most closely related to an equine virus, and the remaining genes were most closely related to isolates from an outbreak of H7N3 in commercial poultry in Chile in 2002. The HA protein cleavage site and the results of pathogenesis studies in chickens were consistent with a low-pathogenicity virus, and the infective dose was 105 times higher for chickens than turkeys. PMID:16840356
Food-related bray calls in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Aberdeen, University of
sound for echolocation or to manipulate prey, the distinction between food-related signalling odontocetes produce sounds while they are fora- ging because they use echolocation clicks to detect and pursue prey. These echolocation signals are of high frequency and are highly directional and, therefore
AFLP analysis of genetic relationships among papaya and its wild relatives (Caricaceae) from Ecuador
B. Van Droogenbroeck; P. Breyne; P. Goetghebeur; E. Romeijn-Peeters; T. Kyndt; G. Gheysen
The AFLP technique was used to assess the genetic relationships among the cultivated papaya (Carica papaya L.) and related species native to Ecuador. Genetic distances based on AFLP data were estimated for 95 accessions belonging to three genera including C. papaya, at least eight Vasconcella species and two Jacaratia species. Cluster analysis using different methods and principal co-ordinate analysis (PCO),
An abiotic stress-responsive bZIP transcription factor from wild and cultivated tomatoes regulates stress-related genes.
Yáńez, Mónica; Cáceres, Susan; Orellana, Sandra; Bastías, Adriana; Verdugo, Isabel; Ruiz-Lara, Simón; Casaretto, Jose A
Wild relatives of cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are resistant to a wide range of abiotic and biotic stress conditions. In an effort to understand the molecular mechanisms of salt stress resistance in the wild and cultivated Solanum species, a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor was identified in S. chilense, S. peruvianum and S. lycopersicum and named ScAREB1, SpAREB1 and SlAREB1, respectively. Deduced amino acid sequences of the three proteins are 97% identical among them and present high homology with the ABF/AREB subfamily of transcription factors described in different plant species, including Arabidopsis (ABF2, 54% identical) and tobacco (PHI-2, 50% identical). Expression of these orthologous genes is upregulated similarly in the three species by salt stress. The expression of SlAREB1 was further investigated in S. lycopersicum and found to be induced by drought, cold and abscisic acid. To investigate the possible role of this transcription factor in response to abiotic stress, a simple transient expression assay was used for rapid analysis of genes regulated by SlAREB1 in tomato and tobacco by means of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Tobacco leaves expressing SlAREB1 showed upregulation of stress-responsive genes such as RD29B, the LEA genes ERD10B and TAS14, the transcription factor PHI-2 and a trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase gene. These results suggest that this class of bZIP plays a role in abiotic stress response in the Solanum genus. PMID:19652975
Reduced reproductive function in wild baboons (Papio hamadryas anubis) related to natural consumption of the African black plum (Vitex doniana).
Higham, James P; Ross, Caroline; Warren, Ymke; Heistermann, Michael; MacLarnon, Ann M
Several authors have suggested that the consumption of plant compounds may have direct effects on wild primate reproductive biology, but no studies have presented physiological evidence of such effects. Here, for two troops of olive baboons (Papio hamadryas anubis) at Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Nigeria, we show major seasonal increases in levels of fecal progesterone metabolites in females, and provide evidence that this is linked to the consumption of natural plant compounds. Increases in fecal progestogen excretion occurred seasonally in all females, in all reproductive states, including lactation. Detailed feeding data on the study animals showed that only one food species is consumed by both troops at the time of observed progestogen peaks, and at no other times of the year: the African black plum, Vitex doniana. Laboratory tests demonstrated the presence of high concentrations of progestogen-like compounds in V. doniana. Together with published findings linking the consumption of a related Vitex species (Vitex agnus castus) to increased progestogen levels in humans, our data suggest that natural consumption of V. doniana was a likely cause of the observed increases in progestogens. Levels of progestogen excretion in the study baboons during periods of V. doniana consumption are higher than those found during pregnancy, and prevent the expression of the sexual swelling, which is associated with ovulatory activity. As consortship and copulatory activity in baboons occur almost exclusively in the presence of a sexual swelling, V. doniana appears to act on cycling females as both a physiological contraceptive (simulating pregnancy in a similar way to some forms of the human contraceptive pill) and a social contraceptive (preventing sexual swelling, thus reducing association and copulation with males). The negative effects of V. doniana on reproduction may be counter-balanced by the wide-range of medicinal properties attributed to plants in this genus. This is the first time that physiological evidence has been presented of direct effects of plant consumption on the reproductive biology of wild primates. PMID:17681506
AFLP analysis of genetic relationships among the cultivated eggplant, Solanummelongena L., and wild relatives (Solanaceae)
E. S. Mace; R. N. Lester; C. G. Gebhardt
The AFLP technique of DNA analysis was evaluated as a tool for assessing genetic relationships among the cultivated eggplant,\\u000a S. melongena, and related species [Solanum L. subgenus Leptostemonum (Dunal) Bitter, section Melongena (Mill.) Dunal, series Incaniformia Bitter]. Genetic distances based on the AFLP data were estimated for 49 samples of 36 distinct accessions. Phenetic trees\\u000a were constructed using Jaccard's coefficient
The study of vocal communication of wild mandrills in Cameroon in relation to their social structure
Hiroko Kudo
The vocal repertoire of the mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), a forest living baboon, is described, and their vocal communication analyzed quantitatively. Although the vocal repertoire\\u000a of mandrills corresponds well to that of savanna living baboons,Papio, some characteristics differed, such as the development of long-distance calls and differentiation of vocalizations between\\u000a age-sex classes. Vocal communication within a group was closely related to
Preliminary note on the relative frequencies of two bees on wild Brassicaceae: oligolectic Andrena agilissima vs polylectic Apis mellifera
Manuela GIOVANETTI; Silvia LUPPINO; Rosanna ZOLA
Bee hives presence may have negative effects on the foraging patterns of wild bees, especially when dealing with oligolectic spe- cies. Data are still missing on many of them, mainly for those species not yet included in managed programs. We approached this topic with preliminary observations in the field on a common wild bee, Andrena agilissima (Scopoli) (Hymenoptera Andrenidae), on
Nucleotide diversity patterns of local adaptation at drought-related candidate genes in wild tomatoes.
Xia, Hui; Camus-Kulandaivelu, Létizia; Stephan, Wolfgang; Tellier, Aurélien; Zhang, Zhenwen
We surveyed nucleotide diversity at two candidate genes LeNCED1 and pLC30-15, involved in an ABA (abscisic acid) signalling pathway, in two closely related tomato species Solanum peruvianum and Solanum chilense. Our six population samples (three for each species) cover a range of mesic to very dry habitats. The ABA pathway plays an important role in the plants' response to drought stress. LeNCED1 is an upstream gene involved in ABA biosynthesis, and pLC30-15 is a dehydrin gene positioned downstream in the pathway. The two genes show very different patterns of nucleotide variation. LeNCED1 exhibits very low nucleotide diversity relative to the eight neutral reference loci that were previously surveyed in these populations. This suggests that strong purifying selection has been acting on this gene. In contrast, pLC30-15 exhibits higher levels of nucleotide diversity and, in particular in S. chilense, higher genetic differentiation between populations than the reference loci, which is indicative of local adaptation. In the more drought-tolerant species S. chilense, one population (from Quicacha) shows a significant haplotype structure, which appears to be the result of positive (diversifying) selection. PMID:20831645
Distributions, ex situ conservation priorities, and genetic resource potential of crop wild relatives of sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., I. series Batatas].
Khoury, Colin K; Heider, Bettina; Castańeda-Álvarez, Nora P; Achicanoy, Harold A; Sosa, Chrystian C; Miller, Richard E; Scotland, Robert W; Wood, John R I; Rossel, Genoveva; Eserman, Lauren A; Jarret, Robert L; Yencho, G C; Bernau, Vivian; Juarez, Henry; Sotelo, Steven; de Haan, Stef; Struik, Paul C
Crop wild relatives of sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., I. series Batatas] have the potential to contribute to breeding objectives for this important root crop. Uncertainty in regard to species boundaries and their phylogenetic relationships, the limited availability of germplasm with which to perform crosses, and the difficulty of introgression of genes from wild species has constrained their utilization. Here, we compile geographic occurrence data on relevant sweetpotato wild relatives and produce potential distribution models for the species. We then assess the comprehensiveness of ex situ germplasm collections, contextualize these results with research and breeding priorities, and use ecogeographic information to identify species with the potential to contribute desirable agronomic traits. The fourteen species that are considered the closest wild relatives of sweetpotato generally occur from the central United States to Argentina, with richness concentrated in Mesoamerica and in the extreme Southeastern United States. Currently designated species differ among themselves and in comparison to the crop in their adaptations to temperature, precipitation, and edaphic characteristics and most species also show considerable intraspecific variation. With 79% of species identified as high priority for further collecting, we find that these crop genetic resources are highly under-represented in ex situ conservation systems and thus their availability to breeders and researchers is inadequate. We prioritize taxa and specific geographic locations for further collecting in order to improve the completeness of germplasm collections. In concert with enhanced conservation of sweetpotato wild relatives, further taxonomic research, characterization and evaluation of germplasm, and improving the techniques to overcome barriers to introgression with wild species are needed in order to mobilize these genetic resources for crop breeding. PMID:25954286
Cholinesterase and monoamine oxidase activity in relation to mercury levels in the cerebral cortex of wild river otters.
Basu, N; Scheuhammer, A M; Evans, R D; O'Brien, M; Chan, H M
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that is neurotoxic to many mammalian species. The present study was conducted to determine if the bioaccumulation of Hg by wild river otters (Lontra canadensis) could be related to variations in the activities of key neurochemical enzymes. River otters were collected from Ontario and Nova Scotia (Canada) during the trapping seasons, spanning 2002-2004, and their brains were dissected into the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. The activities of cholinesterase (ChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) were measured from each sample and correlated with concentrations of brain Hg from the same animal. Significant negative correlations were found between concentrations of brain Hg and ChE (total Hg: r= -0.42; MeHg: r= -0.33) and MAO (total Hg: r= -0.31; MeHg: r= -0.42) activity in the cerebral cortex. The scatterplots relating concentrations of brain Hg and enzyme activity in the cerebral cortex were wedge-shaped, and could be fitted with quantile regression modeling, suggesting that Hg may act as a limiting factor for ChE and MAO activity. No relationships were found in the cerebellum. These data suggest that environmentally relevant concentrations of Hg may influence the activities of ChE and MAO in the cerebral cortex of river otters, and by extension, other fish-eating mammals. PMID:17439924
Genic Microsatellite Markers in Brassica rapa: Development, Characterization, Mapping, and Their Utility in Other Cultivated and Wild Brassica Relatives
Ramchiary, Nirala; Nguyen, Van Dan; Li, Xiaonan; Hong, Chang Pyo; Dhandapani, Vignesh; Choi, Su Ryun; Yu, Ge; Piao, Zhong Yun; Lim, Yong Pyo
Genic microsatellite markers, also known as functional markers, are preferred over anonymous markers as they reveal the variation in transcribed genes among individuals. In this study, we developed a total of 707 expressed sequence tag-derived simple sequence repeat markers (EST-SSRs) and used for development of a high-density integrated map using four individual mapping populations of B. rapa. This map contains a total of 1426 markers, consisting of 306 EST-SSRs, 153 intron polymorphic markers, 395 bacterial artificial chromosome-derived SSRs (BAC-SSRs), and 572 public SSRs and other markers covering a total distance of 1245.9 cM of the B. rapa genome. Analysis of allelic diversity in 24 B. rapa germplasm using 234 mapped EST-SSR markers showed amplification of 2 alleles by majority of EST-SSRs, although amplification of alleles ranging from 2 to 8 was found. Transferability analysis of 167 EST-SSRs in 35 species belonging to cultivated and wild brassica relatives showed 42.51% (Sysimprium leteum) to 100% (B. carinata, B. juncea, and B. napus) amplification. Our newly developed EST-SSRs and high-density linkage map based on highly transferable genic markers would facilitate the molecular mapping of quantitative trait loci and the positional cloning of specific genes, in addition to marker-assisted selection and comparative genomic studies of B. rapa with other related species. PMID:21768136
Evolutionary dynamics of retrotransposons assessed by high-throughput sequencing in wild relatives of wheat.
Senerchia, Natacha; Wicker, Thomas; Felber, François; Parisod, Christian
Transposable elements (TEs) represent a major fraction of plant genomes and drive their evolution. An improved understanding of genome evolution requires the dynamics of a large number of TE families to be considered. We put forward an approach bypassing the required step of a complete reference genome to assess the evolutionary trajectories of high copy number TE families from genome snapshot with high-throughput sequencing. Low coverage sequencing of the complex genomes of Aegilops cylindrica and Ae. geniculata using 454 identified more than 70% of the sequences as known TEs, mainly long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons. Comparing the abundance of reads as well as patterns of sequence diversity and divergence within and among genomes assessed the dynamics of 44 major LTR retrotransposon families of the 165 identified. In particular, molecular population genetics on individual TE copies distinguished recently active from quiescent families and highlighted different evolutionary trajectories of retrotransposons among related species. This work presents a suite of tools suitable for current sequencing data, allowing to address the genome-wide evolutionary dynamics of TEs at the family level and advancing our understanding of the evolution of nonmodel genomes. PMID:23595021
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Solanum section Lycopersicon includes the cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and 12 wild relatives, endemic to western South America from Ecuador to northern Chile, and with two endemic species in the Galápagos Islands; Solanum lycopersicum weedy escaped forms are distributed worldwide. Sister...
Relative efficiency of extensive grazing vs. wild ungulates management for dung beetle conservation in a heterogeneous landscape from Southern Europe (Scarabaeinae, Aphodiinae, Geotrupinae)
Pierre Jay-Robert; Maureen Labarussiasa; Maite Vazquez Luisa; Jean-Pierre Lumaret
The goal of this paper is to evaluate the relative efficiency of two strategies that favour dung beetles conservation (Scarabaeinae, Aphodiinae, Geotrupinae) in Southern Europe: exten- sive grazing and wild ungulate management. We conducted a study in the French Cevennes national park\\/UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve where dung beetles are distributed in a dichotomous sheep (grasslands, shrublands) and deer (clearings, shrublands,
NSDL National Science Digital Library
Wild BC began as a provincial sponsor and distributor of the very popular environmental education program Project WILD, and has evolved to serve an important role in the management of a family of environmental education programs and resource materials for a number of provincial and federal government agencies and other organizations in British Columbia. Wild BC provides high quality environmental education resources, workshops, and special events to educators in the province. The site includes free lessons and activity downloads for teachers.
Comparative Analysis of Genome-Wide Chromosomal Histone Modification Patterns in Maize Cultivars and Their Wild Relatives
He, Shibin; Yan, Shihan; Wang, Pu; Zhu, Wei; Wang, Xiangwu; Shen, Yao; Shao, Kejia; Xin, Haiping; Li, Shaohua; Li, Lijia
Recent advances demonstrate that epigenome changes can also cause phenotypic diversity and can be heritable across generations, indicating that they may play an important role in evolutionary processes. In this study, we analyzed the chromosomal distribution of several histone modifications in five elite maize cultivars (B73, Mo17, Chang7-2, Zheng58, ZD958) and their two wild relatives (Zea mays L. ssp. parviglumis and Zea nicaraguensis) using a three-dimensional (3D) epigenome karyotyping approach by combining immunostaining and 3D reconstruction with deconvolution techniques. The distribution of these histone modifications along chromosomes demonstrated that the histone modification patterns are conserved at the chromosomal level and have not changed significantly following domestication. The comparison of histone modification patterns between metaphase chromosomes and interphase nuclei showed that some of the histone modifications were retained as the cell progressed from interphase into metaphase, although remodelling existed. This study will increase comprehension of the function of epigenetic modifications in the structure and evolution of the maize genome. PMID:24819606
Multilocus patterns of nucleotide diversity, population structure and linkage disequilibrium in Boechera stricta, a wild relative of Arabidopsis.
Song, Bao-Hua; Windsor, Aaron J; Schmid, Karl J; Ramos-Onsins, Sebastian; Schranz, M Eric; Heidel, Andrew J; Mitchell-Olds, Thomas
Information about polymorphism, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium (LD) is crucial for association studies of complex trait variation. However, most genomewide studies have focused on model systems, with very few analyses of undisturbed natural populations. Here, we sequenced 86 mapped nuclear loci for a sample of 46 genotypes of Boechera stricta and two individuals of B. holboellii, both wild relatives of Arabidopsis. Isolation by distance was significant across the species range of B. stricta, and three geographic groups were identified by structure analysis, principal coordinates analysis, and distance-based phylogeny analyses. The allele frequency spectrum indicated a genomewide deviation from an equilibrium neutral model, with silent nucleotide diversity averaging 0.004. LD decayed rapidly, declining to background levels in approximately 10 kb or less. For tightly linked SNPs separated by <1 kb, LD was dependent on the reference population. LD was lower in the specieswide sample than within populations, suggesting that low levels of LD found in inbreeding species such as B. stricta, Arabidopsis thaliana, and barley may result from broad geographic sampling that spans heterogeneous genetic groups. Finally, analyses also showed that inbreeding B. stricta and A. thaliana have approximately 45% higher recombination per kilobase than outcrossing A. lyrata. PMID:19104077
Multilocus Patterns of Nucleotide Diversity, Population Structure and Linkage Disequilibrium in Boechera stricta, a Wild Relative of Arabidopsis
Song, Bao-Hua; Windsor, Aaron J.; Schmid, Karl J.; Ramos-Onsins, Sebastian; Schranz, M. Eric; Heidel, Andrew J.; Mitchell-Olds, Thomas
Information about polymorphism, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium (LD) is crucial for association studies of complex trait variation. However, most genomewide studies have focused on model systems, with very few analyses of undisturbed natural populations. Here, we sequenced 86 mapped nuclear loci for a sample of 46 genotypes of Boechera stricta and two individuals of B. holboellii, both wild relatives of Arabidopsis. Isolation by distance was significant across the species range of B. stricta, and three geographic groups were identified by structure analysis, principal coordinates analysis, and distance-based phylogeny analyses. The allele frequency spectrum indicated a genomewide deviation from an equilibrium neutral model, with silent nucleotide diversity averaging 0.004. LD decayed rapidly, declining to background levels in ?10 kb or less. For tightly linked SNPs separated by <1 kb, LD was dependent on the reference population. LD was lower in the specieswide sample than within populations, suggesting that low levels of LD found in inbreeding species such as B. stricta, Arabidopsis thaliana, and barley may result from broad geographic sampling that spans heterogeneous genetic groups. Finally, analyses also showed that inbreeding B. stricta and A. thaliana have ?45% higher recombination per kilobase than outcrossing A. lyrata. PMID:19104077
Structure, allelic diversity and selection of Asr genes, candidate for drought tolerance, in Oryza sativa L. and wild relatives.
Philippe, Romain; Courtois, Brigitte; McNally, Kenneth L; Mournet, Pierre; El-Malki, Redouane; Le Paslier, Marie Christine; Fabre, Denis; Billot, Claire; Brunel, Dominique; Glaszmann, Jean-Christophe; This, Dominique
Asr (ABA, stress, ripening) genes represent a small gene family potentially involved in drought tolerance in several plant species. To analyze their interest for rice breeding for water-limited environments, this gene family was characterized further. Genomic organization of the gene family reveals six members located on four different chromosomes and with the same exon-intron structure. The maintenance of six members of the Asr gene family, which are the result of combination between tandem duplication and whole genome duplication, and their differential regulation under water stress, involves probably some sub-functionalization. The polymorphism of four members was studied in a worldwide collection of 204 accessions of Oryza sativa L. and 14 accessions of wild relatives (O. rufipogon and O. nivara). The nucleotide diversity of the Asr genes was globally low, but contrasted for the different genes, leading to different shapes of haplotype networks. Statistical tests for neutrality were used and compared to their distribution in a set of 111 reference genes spread across the genome, derived from another published study. Asr3 diversity exhibited a pattern concordant with a balancing selection at the species level and with a directional selection in the tropical japonica sub-group. This study provides a thorough description of the organization of the Asr family, and the nucleotide and haplotype diversity of four Asr in Oryza sativa species. Asr3 stood out as the best potential candidate. The polymorphism detected here represents a first step towards an association study between genetic polymorphisms of this gene family and variation in drought tolerance traits. PMID:20454772
Coordination of Leaf Photosynthesis, Transpiration, and Structural Traits in Rice and Wild Relatives (Genus Oryza)1[W][OA
Giuliani, Rita; Koteyeva, Nuria; Voznesenskaya, Elena; Evans, Marc A.; Cousins, Asaph B.; Edwards, Gerald E.
The genus Oryza, which includes rice (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) and wild relatives, is a useful genus to study leaf properties in order to identify structural features that control CO2 access to chloroplasts, photosynthesis, water use efficiency, and drought tolerance. Traits, 26 structural and 17 functional, associated with photosynthesis and transpiration were quantified on 24 accessions (representatives of 17 species and eight genomes). Hypotheses of associations within, and between, structure, photosynthesis, and transpiration were tested. Two main clusters of positively interrelated leaf traits were identified: in the first cluster were structural features, leaf thickness (Thickleaf), mesophyll (M) cell surface area exposed to intercellular air space per unit of leaf surface area (Smes), and M cell size; a second group included functional traits, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, M conductance to CO2 diffusion (gm), stomatal conductance to gas diffusion (gs), and the gm/gs ratio. While net photosynthetic rate was positively correlated with gm, neither was significantly linked with any individual structural traits. The results suggest that changes in gm depend on covariations of multiple leaf (Smes) and M cell (including cell wall thickness) structural traits. There was an inverse relationship between Thickleaf and transpiration rate and a significant positive association between Thickleaf and leaf transpiration efficiency. Interestingly, high gm together with high gm/gs and a low Smes/gm ratio (M resistance to CO2 diffusion per unit of cell surface area exposed to intercellular air space) appear to be ideal for supporting leaf photosynthesis while preserving water; in addition, thick M cell walls may be beneficial for plant drought tolerance. PMID:23669746
Dynamic Transcriptomic Profiles between Tomato and a Wild Relative Reflect Distinct Developmental Architectures1[C][W][OA
Chitwood, Daniel H.; Maloof, Julin N.; Sinha, Neelima R.
Developmental differences between species commonly result from changes in the tissue-specific expression of genes. Clustering algorithms are a powerful means to detect coexpression across tissues in single species but are not often applied to multidimensional data sets, such as gene expression across tissues in multiple species. As next-generation sequencing approaches enable interspecific analyses, methods to visualize and explore such data sets will be required. Here, we analyze a data set comprising gene expression profiles across six different tissue types in domesticated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and a wild relative (Solanum pennellii). We find that self-organizing maps are a useful means to analyze interspecies data, as orthologs can be assigned to independent levels of a "super self-organizing map." We compare various clustering approaches using a principal component analysis in which the expression of orthologous pairs is indicated by two points. We leverage the expression profile differences between orthologs to look at tissue-specific changes in gene expression between species. Clustering based on expression differences between species (rather than absolute expression profiles) yields groups of genes with large tissue-by-species interactions. The changes in expression profiles of genes we observe reflect differences in developmental architecture, such as changes in meristematic activity between S. lycopersicum and S. pennellii. Together, our results offer a suite of data-exploration methods that will be important to visualize and make biological sense of next-generation sequencing experiments designed explicitly to discover tissue-by-species interactions in gene expression data. PMID:23585653
Genome scans reveal candidate domestication and improvement genes in cultivated sunflower, as well as post-domestication introgression with wild relatives.
Baute, Gregory J; Kane, Nolan C; Grassa, Christopher J; Lai, Zhao; Rieseberg, Loren H
The development of modern crops typically involves both selection and hybridization, but to date most studies have focused on the former. In the present study, we explore how both processes, and their interactions, have molded the genome of the cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus), a globally important oilseed. To identify genes targeted by selection during the domestication and improvement of sunflower, and to detect post-domestication hybridization with wild species, we analyzed transcriptome sequences of 80 genotypes, including wild, landrace, and modern lines of H. annuus, as well as two cross-compatible wild relatives, Helianthus argophyllus and Helianthus petiolaris. Outlier analyses identified 122 and 15 candidate genes associated with domestication and improvement, respectively. As in several previous studies, genes putatively involved in oil biosynthesis were the most extreme outliers. Additionally, several promising associations were observed with previously mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs), such as branching. Admixture analyses revealed that all the modern cultivar genomes we examined contained one or more introgressions from wild populations, with every chromosome having evidence of introgression in at least one modern line. Cumulatively, introgressions cover c. 10% of the cultivated sunflower genome. Surprisingly, introgressions do not avoid candidate domestication genes, probably because of the reintroduction of branching. PMID:25641359
A Comparative Study of Age-Related Hearing Loss in Wild Type and Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Deficient Mice
Riquelme, Raquel; Cediel, Rafael; Contreras, Julio; Lourdes, Rodriguez-de la Rosa; Murillo-Cuesta, Silvia; Hernandez-Sanchez, Catalina; Zubeldia, Jose M.; Cerdan, Sebastian; Varela-Nieto, Isabel
Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) belongs to the family of insulin-related peptides that fulfils a key role during the late development of the nervous system. Human IGF1 mutations cause profound deafness, poor growth and mental retardation. Accordingly, Igf1?/? null mice are dwarfs that have low survival rates, cochlear alterations and severe sensorineural deafness. Presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) is a common disorder associated with aging that causes social and cognitive problems. Aging is also associated with a decrease in circulating IGF-I levels and this reduction has been related to cognitive and brain alterations, although there is no information as yet regarding the relationship between presbycusis and IGF-I biodisponibility. Here we present a longitudinal study of wild type Igf1+/+ and null Igf1?/? mice from 2 to 12?months of age comparing the temporal progression of several parameters: hearing, brain morphology, cochlear cytoarchitecture, insulin-related factors and IGF gene expression and IGF-I serum levels. Complementary invasive and non-invasive techniques were used, including auditory brainstem-evoked response (ABR) recordings and in vivo MRI brain imaging. Igf1?/? null mice presented profound deafness at all the ages studied, without any obvious worsening of hearing parameters with aging. Igf1+/+ wild type mice suffered significant age-related hearing loss, their auditory thresholds and peak I latencies augmenting as they aged, in parallel with a decrease in the circulating levels of IGF-I. Accordingly, there was an age-related spiral ganglion degeneration in wild type mice that was not evident in the Igf1 null mice. However, the Igf1?/? null mice in turn developed a prematurely aged stria vascularis reminiscent of the diabetic strial phenotype. Our data indicate that IGF-I is required for the correct development and maintenance of hearing, supporting the idea that IGF-I-based therapies could contribute to prevent or ameliorate age-related hearing loss. PMID:20661454
Distribution, ecology and reproductive biology of wild tomatoes and related nightshades from the Atacama Desert region of northern Chile
Roger T. Chetelat; Ricardo A. Pertuzé; Luis Faúndez; Elaine B. Graham; Carl M. Jones
Over the past 20 years, several expeditions were made to northern Chile to collect populations of wild tomatoes (Solanum chilense, S. peruvianum) and allied nightshades (S. lycopersicoides, S. sitiens), and obtain information about their geographic distribution, ecology and reproductive biology. Restricted mainly to drainages\\u000a of the Andean and the coastal cordillera, populations are geographically fragmented. The two nightshade species are rare
NSDL National Science Digital Library
Wild hogs number in the hundreds of thousands and reside in all but two of California's 58 counties. In this video from QUEST produced by KQED, learn how hunters are stepping up to be part of the solution to this problem.
Molecular ecology and selection in the drought-related Asr gene polymorphisms in wild and cultivated common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Background The abscisic acid (ABA) pathway plays an important role in the plants' reaction to drought stress and ABA-stress response (Asr) genes are important in controlling this process. In this sense, we accessed nucleotide diversity at two candidate genes for drought tolerance (Asr1 and Asr2), involved in an ABA signaling pathway, in the reference collection of cultivated common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and a core collection of wild common bean accessions. Results Our wild population samples covered a range of mesic (semi-arid) to very dry (desert) habitats, while our cultivated samples presented a wide spectrum of drought tolerance. Both genes showed very different patterns of nucleotide variation. Asr1 exhibited very low nucleotide diversity relative to the neutral reference loci that were previously surveyed in these populations. This suggests that strong purifying selection has been acting on this gene. In contrast, Asr2 exhibited higher levels of nucleotide diversity, which is indicative of adaptive selection. These patterns were more notable in wild beans than in cultivated common beans indicting that natural selection has played a role over long time periods compared to farmer selection since domestication. Conclusions Together these results suggested the importance of Asr1 in the context of drought tolerance, and constitute the first steps towards an association study between genetic polymorphism of this gene family and variation in drought tolerance traits. Furthermore, one of our major successes was to find that wild common bean is a reservoir of genetic variation and selection signatures at Asr genes, which may be useful for breeding drought tolerance in cultivated common bean. PMID:22799462
Salinity-related variation in gene expression in wild populations of the black-chinned tilapia from various West African coastal marine, estuarine and freshwater habitats
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tine, Mbaye; McKenzie, David J.; Bonhomme, François; Durand, Jean-Dominique
This study measured the relative expression of the genes coding for Na +, K +-ATPase 1?(NAKA), voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), cytochrome c oxidase-1 (COX), and NADH dehydrogenase (NDH), in gills of six wild populations of a West African tilapia species, acclimatised to a range of seasonal (rainy or dry) salinities in coastal, estuarine and freshwater sites. Previous laboratory experiments have demonstrated that these genes, involved in active ion transport, oxidative phosphorylation, and intra-cellular ATP transport, are relatively over-expressed in gill tissues of this species acclimated to high salinity. Positive correlations between relative expression and ambient salinity were found for all genes in the wild populations (Spearman rank correlation, p < 0.05), although for some genes these were only significant in either the rainy season or dry season. Most significantly, however, relative expression was positively correlated amongst the four genes, indicating that they are functionally interrelated in adaptation of Sarotherodon melanotheron to salinity variations in its natural environment. In the rainy season, when salinity was unstable and ranged between zero and 37 psu across the sites, overall mean expression of the genes was higher than in the dry season, which may have reflected more variable particularly sudden fluctuations in salinity and poorer overall water quality. In the dry season, when the salinity is more stable but ranged between zero and 100 psu across the sites, NAKA, NDH and VDAC expression revealed U-shaped relationships with lowest relative expression at salinities approaching seawater, between 25 and 45 psu. Although it is not simple to establish direct relationship between gene expression levels and energy requirement for osmoregulation, these results may indicate that costs of adaptation to salinity are lowest in seawater, the natural environment of this species. While S. melanotheron can colonise environments with extremely high salinities, up to 100 psu, this was related to high relative expression for all genes studied, indicating that this imposes increased energy demand for osmotic homeostasis in gill tissues. This study is the first to demonstrate, in fish and in wild populations, that expression of NAKA, VDAC, NDH and COX are interrelated in gill tissues, and are involved in long-term acclimatisation to a salinity range between 0 and 100 psu.
Molecular cloning and expression analysis of RrNHX1 and RrVHA-c genes related to salt tolerance in wild Rosa rugosa
Feng, Liguo; Ding, Han; Wang, Jia; Wang, Meng; Xia, Wei; Zang, Shu; Sheng, Lixia
Salt stress is one important factor influencing the growth and development of plants, and salt tolerance of plants is a result of combined action of multiple genes and mechanisms. Rosa rugosa is not only an important ornamental plant, but also the natural aromatic plant of high value. Wild R. rugosa which is naturally distributed on the coast and islands of China has a good salt tolerance due to the special living environment. Here, the vacuolar Na+/H+ reverse transporter gene (NHX1) and the vacuolar H+-ATPase subunit C gene (VHA-c) closely related to plant salt tolerance were isolated from wild R. rugosa, and the expression patterns in R. rugosa leaves of the two genes under NaCl stress were determined by real-time quantitative fluorescence PCR. The results showed that the RrNHX1 protein is a constitutive Na+/H+ reverse transporter, the expression of the RrNHX1 gene first increased and then decreased with the increasing salt concentration, and had a time-controlled effect. The RrVHA-c gene is suggestive of the housekeeping feature, its expression pattern showed a similar variation trend with the RrNHX1 gene under the stress of different concentrations of NaCl, and its temporal expression level under 200 mM NaCl stress presented bimodal change. These findings indicated that RrNHX1 and RrVHA-c genes are closely associated with the salt tolerance trait of wild R. rugosa.
Novel LMW glutenin subunit genes from wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) in relation to Glu-3 evolution.
Qin, Lumin; Liang, Yu; Yang, Daozheng; Sun, Lei; Xia, Guangmin; Liu, Shuwei
Four low-molecular-weight-isoleucine (LMW-i)-type and one novel chimeric (between LMW-i and LMW-methionine (m) types) low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) genes were characterized from wild emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides), designated as emmer-1 to emmer-5. All five LMW-GS genes possessed the same primary structure shared by other published LMW-GSs. The three genes emmer-1, emmer-3, and emmer-5 are similar, with the exception that emmer-3 and emmer-5 lost a few repeat motifs compared to emmer-1. Gene duplication and insertions/deletions of repeat motifs mediated through unequal crossing over may be responsible for the generation of these three Glu-3 alleles. Although the first residue of mature peptide of emmer-4 is isoleucine, it is not typical LMW-i-type LMW-GS. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that emmer-4 is located in the LMW-m subgroup, suggesting a closer relationship with LMW-m-type gene Y14104 of T. durum. Sequence alignment indicated that the emmer-4 is likely a chimeric gene generated by illegitimate recombination between LMW-i and LMW-m type. Unequal crossing over and illegitimate recombination are effective mechanisms for enriching both copy numbers and variations of LMW-GSs. PMID:25420747
Perfluoroalkyl acids in subarctic wild male mink (Neovison vison) in relation to age, season and geographical area.
Persson, Sara; Rotander, Anna; Kärrman, Anna; van Bavel, Bert; Magnusson, Ulf
This study investigates the influence of biological and environmental factors on the concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in a top predator; the American mink. Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) with C8-C13 perfluorinated carbon chains were analyzed in livers from wild male mink liver (n=101) from four areas in Sweden representing two inland environments (rural and highly anthropogenic, respectively) and two different coastal environments. Mean PFOS concentrations were 1250ng/g wet weight and some mink from the urban inland area had among the highest PFOS concentrations ever recorded in mink (up to 21 800ng/g wet weight). PFBS was detected in 89% of the samples, but in low concentrations (mean 0.6ng/g ww). There were significant differences in PFAA concentrations between the geographical areas (p<0.001-0.01). Age, body condition and body weight did not influence the concentrations significantly, but there was a seasonal influence on the concentrations of perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively), with lower concentrations in autumn samples than in samples taken in the winter and spring. It is thus recommended to take possible seasonal differences into account when using mink exposure data. The overall results suggest that the mink is a suitable sentinel species for assessing and monitoring environmental levels of PFAAs. PMID:23928036
Traffic-related trace element accumulation in roadside soils and wild grasses in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China.
Wang, Guanxing; Yan, Xuedong; Zhang, Fan; Zeng, Chen; Gao, Dan
This research examines traffic-source trace elements accumulations and distributions in roadside soils and wild grasses in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A total of 100 soil samples and 100 grass samples including Achnatherum splendens, Anaphalis nepalensis, Artemisia sphaerocephala, Carex moorcroftii, Iris lacteal, Kobresia myosuroides, Oreosolen wattii, Oxytropis ochrocephala and Stellera chamaejasme were collected at 100 sites from different road segments. The contents of metals and metalloids, including Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr, Co, Ni and As, in the soil and grass samples were analyzed using ICP-MS. The total mean concentrations of the eight trace elements in soils are Cu (22.84 mg/kg), Zn (100.56 mg/kg), Cd (0.28 mg/kg), Pb (28.75 mg/kg), Cr (36.82 mg/kg), Co (10.24 mg/kg), Ni (32.44 mg/kg) and As (21.43 mg/kg), while in grasses are Cu (9.85 mg/kg), Zn (31.47 mg/kg), Cd (0.05 mg/kg), Pb (2.06 mg/kg), Cr (14.16 mg/kg), Co (0.55 mg/kg), Ni (4.03 mg/kg) and As (1.33 mg/kg). The metal and metalloid concentrations in the nine grass species were all below the critical values of hyperaccumulators. The mean values and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) results indicate that: (1) the concentrations of the trace elements in the soils are higher than those in the grasses, (2) the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb in the soils decrease as the roadside distance increases, (3) the concentrations of trace elements in the grasses are the highest at 10 m from the road edge, (4) the higher the traffic volume, the higher the concentrations of the trace elements in the roadside soils and grasses, and (5) when the land cover is meadow, the lower the sand content in the soil, the lower the trace element concentrations. With a trace element's bioavailability represented by its transfer factor (TF) from the soil to the grass, the TFs of the eight trace elements are not in the same orders for different grass species. PMID:24380977
Highly Diverse Morbillivirus-Related Paramyxoviruses in Wild Fauna of the Southwestern Indian Ocean Islands: Evidence of Exchange between Introduced and Endemic Small Mammals
Mélade, Julien; Dietrich, Muriel; Ramasindrazana, Beza; Soarimalala, Voahangy; Lagadec, Erwan; le Minter, Gildas; Tortosa, Pablo; Heraud, Jean-Michel; de Lamballerie, Xavier; Goodman, Steven M.; Dellagi, Koussay
ABSTRACT The Paramyxoviridae form an increasingly diverse viral family, infecting a wide variety of different hosts. In recent years, they have been linked to disease emergence in many different animal populations and in humans. Bats and rodents have been identified as major animal populations capable of harboring paramyxoviruses, and host shifting between these animals is likely to be an important driving factor in the underlying evolutionary processes that eventually lead to disease emergence. Here, we have studied paramyxovirus circulation within populations of endemic and introduced wild small mammals of the southwestern Indian Ocean region and belonging to four taxonomic orders: Rodentia, Afrosoricida, Soricomorpha, and Chiroptera. We report elevated infection levels as well as widespread paramyxovirus dispersal and frequent host exchange of a newly emerging genus of the Paramyxoviridae, currently referred to as the unclassified morbillivirus-related viruses (UMRVs). In contrast to other genera of the Paramyxoviridae, where bats have been shown to be a key host species, we show that rodents (and, in particular, Rattus rattus) are significant spreaders of UMRVs. We predict that the ecological particularities of the southwestern Indian Ocean, where small mammal species often live in densely packed, multispecies communities, in combination with the increasing invasion of R. rattus and perturbations of endemic animal communities by active anthropological development, will have a major influence on the dynamics of UMRV infection. IMPORTANCE Identification of the infectious agents that circulate within wild animal reservoirs is essential for several reasons: (i) infectious disease outbreaks often originate from wild fauna; (ii) anthropological expansion increases the risk of contact between human and animal populations and, as a result, the risk of disease emergence; (iii) evaluation of pathogen reservoirs helps in elaborating preventive measures to limit the risk of disease emergence. Many paramyxoviruses for which bats and rodents serve as major reservoirs have demonstrated their potential to cause disease in humans and animals. In the context of the biodiversity hot spot of southwestern Indian Ocean islands and their rich endemic fauna, we show that highly diverse UMRVs exchange between various endemic animal species, and their dissemination likely is facilitated by the introduced Rattus rattus. Hence, many members of the Paramyxoviridae appear well adapted for the study of the viral phylodynamics that may be associated with disease emergence. PMID:24829336
Contrasting adaptive strategies to terminal drought-stress gradients in Mediterranean legumes: phenology, productivity, and water relations in wild and domesticated Lupinus luteus L.
Berger, J. D.; Ludwig, C.
Our understanding of within-species annual plant adaptation to rainfall gradients is fragmented. Broad-scale ecological applications of Grime's C-S-R triangle are often superficial, while detailed drought physiology tends to be narrow, focusing on elite cultivars. The former lack the detail to explain how plants respond, while the latter provide little context to investigate trade-offs among traits, to explain where/why these might be adaptive. Ecophysiology, combining the breadth of the former with the detail of the latter, can resolve this disconnect and is applied here to describe adaptive strategies in the Mediterranean legume Lupinus luteus. Wild and domesticated material from low- and high-rainfall environments was evaluated under contrasting terminal drought. These opposing environments have selected for contrasting, integrated, adaptive strategies. Long-season, high-rainfall habitats select for competitive (C) traits: delayed phenology, high above- and below-ground biomass, productivity, and fecundity, leading to high water-use and early stress onset. Terminal drought-prone environments select for the opposite: ruderal (R) traits that facilitate drought escape/avoidance but limit reproductive potential. Surprisingly, high-rainfall ecotypes generate lower critical leaf water potentials under water deficit, maintaining higher relative water content than the latter. Given that L. luteus evolved in sandy, low-water-holding capacity soils, this represents a bet-hedging response to intermittent self-imposed water-deficits associated with a strongly C-selected adaptive strategy that is therefore redundant in R-selected low-rainfall ecotypes. Domesticated L. luteus is even more R-selected, reflecting ongoing selection for early maturity. Introgression of appropriate C-selected adaptive traits from wild germplasm may widen the crop production range. PMID:24591050
Phenotypic comparisons between wild relatives and cultivars of kiwifruit, persimmon, mulberry, and olive at the National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Davis, CA
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Phenotypic traits were characterized for 23 wild species and 4 cultivars of 4 clonal fruit crops including, Kiwifruit (Actinidia), Persimmon (Diospyros), Mulberry (Morus) and Olive (Olea). Across all four crops, the wild species varied distinctly, especially when compared with the cultivars. The wil...
A Morphometric Study of Species Boundaries of the Wild Potato Solanum Series Piurana (Solanaceae) and Putatively Related Species from Seven Other Series in Solanum
Spooner, David
A Morphometric Study of Species Boundaries of the Wild Potato Solanum Series Piurana (Solanaceae--morphometrics, Peru, potatoes, Solanaceae, Solanum section Petota, Solanum series Piurana. The genus Solanum L. is one of the most important genera of the Solanaceae. There are about 190 wild tuber-bearing species (Solanum sect
Intraclutch differences in egg characteristics mitigate the consequences of age-related hierarchies in a wild passerine.
Hadfield, Jarrod D; Heap, Elizabeth A; Bayer, Florian; Mittell, Elizabeth A; Crouch, Nicholas M A
The relative age of an individual's siblings is a major cause of fitness variation in many species. In Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), we show that age hierarchies are predominantly caused by incubation preclutch completion, such that last laid eggs hatch later than early laid eggs. However, after statistically controlling for incubation behavior late laid eggs are shown to hatch more quickly than early laid eggs reducing the amount of asynchrony. By experimentally switching early and late laid eggs between nests on the day they were laid, we controlled for the effect of differential incubation and found that the faster hatching times of late laid eggs remains. Chicks that hatched earlier were heavier and had higher probability of fledgling, and chicks that hatched from experimental eggs had patterns of growth and survival consistent with this. Egg mass explained a small part of this variation, but the remainder must be due to egg composition. These results are consistent with the idea that intrinsic differences between eggs across the laying sequence serve to mitigate the effects of age-related hierarchies. We also show that between-clutch variation in prenatal developmental rate exists and that it is mainly environmental in origin rather than genetic. PMID:24033176
Reproductive and morphological condition of wild mink (Mustela vison) and river otters (Lutra canadensis) in relation to chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination.
Harding, L E; Harris, M L; Stephen, C R; Elliott, J E
We assessed chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination of mink and river otters on the Columbia and Fraser River systems of northwestern North America, in relation to morphological measures of condition. We obtained carcasses of mink and river otters from commercial trappers during the winters 1994-1995 and 1995-1996. Necropsies included evaluation of the following biological parameters: sex, body mass and length, age, thymus, heart, liver, lung, spleen, pancreas, kidney, gonad, omentum, adrenal gland and baculum masses, baculum length, and stomach contents. Livers were analyzed, individually or in pools, for residues of organochlorine (OC) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins, and dibenzofurans. Contaminant levels were relatively low compared to those documented in other North American populations, although they ranged higher than those detected during an earlier survey (1990-1992) of these regional populations. Body condition varied slightly among collection regions, but showed no relationship with contaminant burden. Mink from the upper Fraser River had less fat stores and also had some of the lowest OC contamination levels observed. Similarly, a few individuals with enlarged livers and kidneys had low contaminant levels. Although a few individual animals with gross abnormalities of reproductive systems did not show high levels of contamination, there was a significant negative correlation between total PCB concentrations (as Aroclor 1260) and baculum length in juvenile mink (r = 0.707; p = 0.033; n = 8). The association of juvenile baculum length with eventual reproductive success is unknown, but further characterization of reproductive organ morphology and relationship to contaminants should be undertaken in a larger subset of these populations. PMID:9924010
Reproductive and morphological condition of wild mink (Mustela vison) and river otters (Lutra canadensis) in relation to chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination.
Harding, L E; Harris, M L; Stephen, C R; Elliott, J E
We assessed chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination of mink and river otters on the Columbia and Fraser River systems of northwestern North America, in relation to morphological measures of condition. We obtained carcasses of mink and river otters from commercial trappers during the winters 1994-1995 and 1995-1996. Necropsies included evaluation of the following biological parameters: sex, body mass and length, age, thymus, heart, liver, lung, spleen, pancreas, kidney, gonad, omentum, adrenal gland and baculum masses, baculum length, and stomach contents. Livers were analyzed, individually or in pools, for residues of organochlorine (OC) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins, and dibenzofurans. Contaminant levels were relatively low compared to those documented in other North American populations, although they ranged higher than those detected during an earlier survey (1990-1992) of these regional populations. Body condition varied slightly among collection regions, but showed no relationship with contaminant burden. Mink from the upper Fraser River had less fat stores and also had some of the lowest OC contamination levels observed. Similarly, a few individuals with enlarged livers and kidneys had low contaminant levels. Although a few individual animals with gross abnormalities of reproductive systems did not show high levels of contamination, there was a significant negative correlation between total PCB concentrations (as Aroclor 1260) and baculum length in juvenile mink (r = 0.707; p = 0.033; n = 8). The association of juvenile baculum length with eventual reproductive success is unknown, but further characterization of reproductive organ morphology and relationship to contaminants should be undertaken in a larger subset of these populations. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 PMID:9924010
Impact of Transgene Inheritance on the Mitigation of Gene Flow Between Crops and Their Wild Relatives: The Example of Foxtail Millet
Shi, Yunsu; Wang, TianYu; Li, Yu; Darmency, Henri
Developing genetically modified crop plants that are biologically contained could reduce significantly the potential spread of transgenes to conventional and organic crop plants and to wild or weedy relatives. Among several strategies, the hereditary mode of transmission of transgenes, whether dominant, recessive, or maternal, could play a major role in interspecific gene flow. Here we report on the gene flow between foxtail millet (Setaria italica), an autogamous crop, and its weedy relative, S. viridis, growing within or beside fields containing the three kinds of inherited herbicide resistance. Over the 6-year study, in the absence of herbicide selection, the maternal chloroplast-inherited resistance was observed at a 2 × 10?6 frequency in the weed populations. Resistant weed plants were observed 60 times as often, at 1.2 × 10?4 in the case of the nuclear recessive resistance, and 190 times as often, at 3.9 × 10?4 in the case of the dominant resistance. Because the recessive gene was not expressed in the first-generation hybrids, it should be more effective than dominant genes in reducing gene flow under normal agricultural conditions where herbicides are sprayed because interspecific hybrids cannot gain from beneficial genes. PMID:18780732
Identification of quantitative trait loci for yield and yield components in an advanced backcross population derived from the Oryza sativa variety IR64 and the wild relative O. rufipogon
E. M. Septiningsih; J. Prasetiyono; E. Lubis; T. Tjubaryat; S. Moeljopawiro; S. R. McCouch
A BC 2F 2 population developed from an interspecific cross between Oryza sativa (cv IR64) and O. rufipogon (IRGC 105491) was used in an advanced backcross QTL analysis to identify and introduce agronomically useful genes from this wild relative into the cultivated gene pool. The objectives of this study were: (1) to identify putative yield and yield component QTLs that
Comparative Analysis of Phylogenetic Relationships of Grain Amaranths and Their Wild Relatives ( Amaranthus; Amaranthaceae) Using Internal Transcribed Spacer, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism, and Double-Primer Fluorescent Intersimple Sequence Repeat Markers
Fangxiu Xu; Mei Sun
The most economically important group of species in the genus Amaranthus is the A. hybridus species complex, including three cultivated grain amaranths, A. cruentus, A. caudatus, and A. hypochondriacus, and their putative wild progenitors, A. hybridus, A. quitensis, and A. powellii. Taxonomic confusion exists among these closely related taxa. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA, amplified fragment length
Wild pig populations in the National Parks
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Singer, Francis J.
Populations of introduced European wild boar, feral pigs, and combinations of both types (all Sus scrola L.) inhabit thirteen areas in the National Park Service system. All parks have relatively stable populations, with the exception of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which reported a rapidly expanding wild boar population. Suspected and documented impacts were apparently related to pig densities and sensitivity of the ecosystem; the three largest units with dense wild pig populations reported the most damage. Overall, wild pigs are a relatively minor problem for the Park Service; however, problems are severe in at least three parks, and there is potential for invasion of wild boars into several additional parks in the Appalachian Mountains. More specific information is needed on numbers of wild pigs and their impacts in the various parks.
The effects of wild blueberry consumption on plasma markers and gene expression related to glucose metabolism in the obese zucker rat.
Vendrame, Stefano; Zhao, Alice; Merrow, Thomas; Klimis-Zacas, Dorothy
Impaired fasting blood glucose is one of the landmark signs of metabolic syndrome, together with hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and a chronic proinflammatory, pro-oxidative, and prothrombotic environment. This study investigates the effect of wild blueberry (WB) consumption on blood glucose levels and other parameters involved in glucose metabolism in the obese Zucker rat (OZR), an experimental model of metabolic syndrome. Sixteen OZRs and 16 lean littermate controls (lean Zucker rat [LZR]) were fed an 8% enriched WB diet or a control (C) diet for 8 weeks. Plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin GHbA1c, resistin, and retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) were measured. Expression of the resistin, RBP4, and glucose transporter GLUT4 genes was also determined both in the liver and the abdominal adipose tissue (AAT). Plasma glycated hemoglobin HbA1c, RBP4, and resistin concentrations were significantly lower in OZRs following the WB diet (-20%, -22%, and -27%, respectively, compared to C diet, P<.05). Following WB consumption, resistin expression was significantly downregulated in the liver of both OZRs and LZRs (-28% and -61%, respectively, P<.05), while RBP4 expression was significantly downregulated in the AAT of both OZRs and LZRs (-87% and -43%, respectively, P<.05). All other markers were not significantly affected following WB consumption. In conclusion, WB consumption normalizes some markers related to glucose metabolism in the OZR model of metabolic syndrome, but has no effect on fasting blood glucose or insulin concentrations. PMID:25383490
Spectra of spontaneous and X-ray-induced mutations at the hprt locus in related human lymphoblast cell lines that express wild-type or mutant p53
Phillips, E.N.; Xia, F.; Kelsey, K.T.; Liber, H.L. [Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (United States)
Previous work showed that WTK1 human lymphoblastoid cells are radioresistant but more sensitive to X-ray-induced mutation than the closely related line TK6. In addition, WTK1 cells contain a mutant p53 while in TK6 cells p53 is wild-type. In this work, we examined the spectra of 68 X-ray-induced and 56 spontaneous mutants at the hemizygous hprt locus in WTK1 cells. The induced spectra were classified by Southern blot and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR); there were 19 point mutations (28%) with an unaltered Southern blot or PCR pattern, 26 (38%) partial deletions or rearrangements and 23 (34%) complete gene deletions. The spontaneous spectrum included 25 (45%) point mutations, 22 (39%) partial deletions and 9 (16%) complete gene deletions. These spectra of mutations were compared to those of TK6 cells. Although distinct differences in the spectra of mutations at the tk locus were reported previously, overall there is no significant difference in the spectra of X-ray-induced or spontaneous mutations at the hprt locus in these two cell lines. While there was an increase in the proportion of large-scale changes that occurred at tk after X irradiation, the spectrum of mutations at the hprt locus shows all classes of mutations increasing proportionately in WTK1 cells. However, the proportion of internal partial deletion mutations at the hprt locus was about 2 times more frequent in WTK1 than in TK6 cells. 39 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.
Construction of a cDNA library of the Chinese wild Vitis amurensis under cold stress and analysis of potential hardiness-related expressed sequence tags.
Zhang, J; Liu, N; Niu, R; Liu, Y; Zhai, H; Xu, W; Wang, Y
A cDNA library of Chinese wild Vitis amurensis, which is the most cold-resistant species in the genus Vitis, was constructed using young leaves of seedlings of the clone Heilongjiang potted and subjected to cold stress. The leaves were harvested at various times after cold stress for total RNA extraction, which was used to generate expressed sequence tags (ESTs). The titer of the original library was 2.67 x 10(6) pfu/mL and the corresponding combination frequency was 98.5%. The test values of the amplified library were 1.53 x 10(9) pfu/mL and 98.2%, respectively. After randomly choosing, cloning and sequencing, 227 ESTs with high quality were obtained and submitted to GenBank database. Using BLASTX, 79.7% of the ESTs shared homology with known functional DNA sequences and 20.3% shared significant homology with unknown proteins. Some potential hardiness-related ESTs were obtained, which were involved in signal transduction, stress inducement, defense reactions, transcription factors, etc. Some functional genes identified from the cDNA library have potential for plant defense. These sequences will be subjected to further researches on hardiness genes and their molecular mechanisms. PMID:23661443
Phenotypic expression of wild-type tomato and three wilty mutants in relation to abscisic acid accumulation in roots and leaflets of reciprocal grafts
Cornish, K.; Zeevaart, J.A.D. (Michigan State Univ., East Lansing (USA))
Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv Rheinlands Ruhm (RR) and cv Moneymaker and the three wilty mutants flacca (flc), sitiens (sit), and sitiens{sup w} (sit{sup w}), together with the most reciprocal grafts, were grown in pots and in solution culture. Detached leaflets, and control and stem-girdled intact plants, were left turgid or were wilted in air. Detached leaflets and the leaflets and roots of the intact plants were analyzed for their abscisic acid (ABA) content. Turgid RR leaflets contained about 2.9 ng ABA per miligram dry weight. On average, the flc and sit leaflets contained 33 and 11% of this amount, respectively. The lack of ABA approximately correlated with the severity of the mutant phenotype. Mutant roots also contained less ABA than wild-type roots. Wild-type scions on mutant stocks (wild type/mutant) maintained the normal phenotype of ungrafted plants. Mutant scions grafted onto wild-type stocks reverted to a near wild-type phenotype. After the wild-type leaves were excised from solution culture-grown mutant/wild-type plants, the revertive morphology of the mutant scions was maintained, although endogenous ABA levels in the leaflets fell to typical mutant levels and the leaflets became wilty again. When stressed in air, both leaflets and roots of RR plants produced stress-induced ABA, but the mutant leaflets and roots did not. The roots and leaflets of the grafted plants behaved according to their own genotype, with the notable exception of mutant roots grown with wild-type scions. Roots of flc and sit{sup w} recovered the ability to accumulate stress-induced ABA when grafted with RR scions before the stress was imposed.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lystad, Mary
Reviews "Where the Wild Things Are," by Maurice Sendak. Includes excerpts from the speech Sendak gave when he accepted the Caldecott Medal for "Wild Things" and commentaries by child development professionals. Briefly reviews other books written by Sendak. (RJC)
David G. Himelrick
Finland abounds with wild berries. The annual harvest of wild berries in Finland has been estimated at more than 50 million kilograms (110 million lb)-more than ten kilograms (22 lb) per Finn. Approximately 50 different species can be found in Finland in all kinds of environments from rocky seashores to swamps and forests. Of all the different species of wild
^-^ CONSERVATION NOTES AMERICA'S WILD CHICKENS Most natural environments in the United States once had at least one kind of Nature's wild chickens, the upland game birds. Just as there are many kinds, wild turkey, and chachalaca. Like domestic chickens they are ground dwellers. They scratch chickenlike
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Solanum series Piurana (15 species) is one of the nineteen tuber-bearing series recognized in Hawkes' last taxonomic treatment of wild potatoes (section Petota) in 1990. Although it contains some of the morphologically most distinctive species in the section, its definition as a series has always be...
A Morphometric Study of Species Boundaries of the Wild Potato Solanum Series Piurana (Solanaceae) and putatively related species from seven other series in Solanum Sect. Petota
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
There are about 190 wild potato (Solanum section Petota) species distributed from the southwestern United States to central Argentina and adjacent Chile and Uruguay. Their overall morphological similarity has led to widely conflicting taxonomic treatments. Solanum series Piurana is one of 21 series ...
Seasonal and sex-related variations in serum steroid hormone levels in wild and farmed brown trout Salmo trutta L. in the north-west of Spain.
Fregeneda-Grandes, Juan M; Hernández-Navarro, Salvador; Fernandez-Coppel, Ignacio A; Correa-Guimaraes, Adriana; Ruíz-Potosme, Norlan; Navas-Gracia, Luis M; Aller-Gancedo, J Miguel; Martín-Gil, Francisco J; Martín-Gil, Jesús
Serum steroid profiles were investigated in order to evaluate the potential use of circulating sex steroid levels as a tool for sex identification in brown trout. Changes in the serum concentrations of testosterone (T), progesterone (P), 17-?-estradiol (E2), and cortisol (F) in wild and farmed mature female and male brown trout, Salmo trutta L., were measured in each season (January, May, July, and October) in six rivers and four hatcheries located in the north-west of Spain. Serum cortisol levels in farmed brown trout were significantly higher and showed a seasonal pattern opposite to that found in wild trout. Because levels of the hormones under study can be affected by disruptive factors such as exposure to phytoestrogens (which alters the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis) and infection with Saprolegnia parasitica (which alters the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis), both factors are taken into account. PMID:24334846
A wild pony on Assateague Island. Wild ponies have lived on Assateague since the 1600s, although how they were introduced to Assateague is still debated. There are now around 300 or so wild ponies in Maryland and Virginia....
Wild Ponies on Assateague Island
Wild ponies on Assateague Island. Wild ponies have lived on Assateague since the 1600s, although how they were introduced to Assateague is still debated. There are now around 300 or so wild ponies in Maryland and Virginia....
Polygonaceae (Smartweed family) Wild buckwheat
Polygonaceae (Smartweed family) Wild buckwheat Polygonum convolvulus L. Life cycle Twining summer. Wild buckwheat plant. Back to identifying Christmas tree weeds. #12;Polygonaceae (Smartweed family, dull black, three-sided fruit. Reproduction Seeds. Wild buckwheat flowers. Similar weeds Mile
Genetic Variability and Evolutionary Implications of RNA Silencing Suppressor Genes in RNA1 of Sweet Potato Chlorotic Stunt Virus Isolates Infecting Sweetpotato and Related Wild Species
Tugume, Arthur K.; Amayo, Robert; Weinheimer, Isabel; Mukasa, Settumba B.; Rubaihayo, Patrick R.; Valkonen, Jari P. T.
Background The bipartite single-stranded RNA genome of Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV, genus Crinivirus; Closteroviridae) encodes a Class 1 RNase III (RNase3), a putative hydrophobic protein (p7) and a 22-kDa protein (p22) from genes located in RNA1. RNase3 and p22 suppress RNA silencing, the basal antiviral defence mechanism in plants. RNase3 is sufficient to render sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) virus-susceptible and predisposes it to development of severe diseases following infection with unrelated virus. The incidence, strains and gene content of SPCSV infecting wild plant species have not been studied. Methodology/Principal Findings Thirty SPCSV isolates were characterized from 10 wild Ipomoea species, Hewittia sublobata or Lepistemon owariensis (family Convolvulaceae) in Uganda and compared with 34 local SPCSV isolates infecting sweetpotatoes. All isolates belonged to the East African (EA) strain of SPCSV and contained RNase3 and p7, but p22 was not detected in six isolates. The three genes showed only limited genetic variability and the proteins were under purifying selection. SPCSV isolates lacking p22 synergized with Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV, genus potyvirus; Potyviridae) and caused severe symptoms in co-infected sweetpotato plants. One SPCSV isolate enhanced accumulation of SPFMV, but no severe symptoms developed. A new whitefly-transmitted virus (KML33b) encoding an RNase3 homolog (<56% identity to SPCSV RNase3) able to suppresses sense-mediated RNA silencing was detected in I. sinensis. Conclusions/Significance SPCSV isolates infecting wild species and sweetpotato in Uganda were genetically undifferentiated, suggesting inter-species transmission of SPCSV. Most isolates in Uganda contained p22, unlike SPCSV isolates characterized from other countries and continents. Enhanced accumulation of SPFMV and increased disease severity were found to be uncoupled phenotypic outcomes of RNase3-mediated viral synergism in sweetpotato. A second virus encoding an RNase3-like RNA silencing suppressor was detected. Overall, results provided many novel and important insights into evolutionary biology of SPCSV. PMID:24278443
Comparative analysis of phylogenetic relationships of grain amaranths and their wild relatives (Amaranthus; Amaranthaceae) using internal transcribed spacer, amplified fragment length polymorphism, and double-primer fluorescent intersimple sequence repeat markers.
Xu, F; Sun, M
The most economically important group of species in the genus Amaranthus is the A. hybridus species complex, including three cultivated grain amaranths, A. cruentus, A. caudatus, and A. hypochondriacus, and their putative wild progenitors, A. hybridus, A. quitensis, and A. powellii. Taxonomic confusion exists among these closely related taxa. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and double-primer fluorescent intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) were employed to reexamine the taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships of grain amaranths and their wild relatives. Low ITS divergence in these taxa resulted in poorly resolved phylogeny. However, extensive polymorphisms exist at AFLP and ISSR loci both within and among species. In phylogenetic trees based on either AFLP or ISSR or the combined data sets, nearly all intraspecific accessions can be placed in their corresponding species clades, indicating that these taxa are well-separated species. The AFLP trees share many features in common with the ISSR trees, both showing a close relationship between A. caudatus and A. quitensis, placing A. hybridus in the same clade as all grain amaranths, and indicating that A. powellii is the most divergent taxon in the A. hybridus species complex. This study has demonstrated that both AFLP and double-primer fluorescent ISSR have a great potential for generating a large number of informative characters for phylogenetic analysis of closely related species, especially when ITS diversity is insufficient. PMID:11741380
Comparisons of Ectomycorrhizal Colonization of Transgenic American Chestnut with Those of the Wild Type, a Conventionally Bred Hybrid, and Related Fagaceae Species
D'Amico, Katherine M.; Horton, Thomas R.; Maynard, Charles A.; Stehman, Stephen V.; Oakes, Allison D.
American chestnut (Castanea dentata [Marsh.] Borkh.) dominated the eastern forests of North America, serving as a keystone species both ecologically and economically until the introduction of the chestnut blight, Cryphonectria parasitica, functionally eradicated the species. Restoration efforts include genetic transformation utilizing genes such as oxalate oxidase to produce potentially blight-resistant chestnut trees that could be released back into the native range. However, before such a release can be undertaken, it is necessary to assess nontarget impacts. Since oxalate oxidase is meant to combat a fungal pathogen, we are particularly interested in potential impacts of this transgene on beneficial fungi. This study compares ectomycorrhizal fungal colonization on a transgenic American chestnut clone expressing enhanced blight resistance to a wild-type American chestnut, a conventionally bred American-Chinese hybrid chestnut, and other Fagaceae species. A greenhouse bioassay used soil from two field sites with different soil types and land use histories. The number of colonized root tips was counted, and fungal species were identified using morphology, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and DNA sequencing. Results showed that total ectomycorrhizal colonization varied more by soil type than by tree species. Individual fungal species varied in their colonization rates, but there were no significant differences between colonization on transgenic and wild-type chestnuts. This study shows that the oxalate oxidase gene can increase resistance against Cryphonectria parasitica without changing the colonization rate for ectomycorrhizal species. These findings will be crucial for a potential deregulation of blight-resistant American chestnuts containing the oxalate oxidase gene. PMID:25326296
Ovarian development and related changes in steroid hormones in female wild common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio), from the south-eastern Caspian Sea.
Vazirzadeh, A; Mojazi Amiri, B; Fostier, A
Wild common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio) is a native valuable but threatened species from the south-eastern Caspian Sea in which the endocrine control of its reproduction has not been studied. The objectives of this research were to study the reproductive strategy and changes in steroid hormones during ovarian development. From October 2009 to June 2010, 65 adult females were caught from the Golestan coast (Iran) and the ovarian histology, and gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices (GSI and HSI) were studied. Also, the plasma profiles of steroid hormones including testosterone (T), 17?-estradiol (E2) and 17?-, 20?-dihydroxyprogesterone (DHP) were measured by radioimmunoassay. The GSI increased gradually during sampling times and reached maximum value at the peak of reproduction season, but the HSI decreased during spawning season. All stages of ovarian development, except the stage of Balbiani bodies, were recorded macro- and microscopically. Spent fish were caught at six of nine sampling times. The peaks of spawning were at late winter and early spring. The results of this study showed that the majority of wild carp collected during the sampling period displayed asynchronous oocyte development. Plasma T showed no significant differences during sampling times or at different stages of ovarian development. The level of E2 decreased gradually during sampling times reached minimum value at the spawning season, and highest value was recorded at tertiary vitellogenesis stage. The plasma levels of DHP during late winter and early spring were significantly higher than those of other sampling periods and its maximum level associated with oocyte maturation stage. PMID:24621281
Able, Jason A; Langridge, Peter
To date, alien introgression of agronomically important traits into bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) from wild relatives has not been readily achievable through traditional breeding practices. However, this door might now be unlocked. The insightful research published recently by Graham Moore and his team delivers a likely candidate in the form of a cdc2-kinase-related gene family for the Ph1 locus--a chromatin region located on chromosome 5B that is responsible for homologous chromosome pairing integrity in bread wheat. PMID:16697246
An insertional mutagenesis programme with an enhancer trap for the identification and tagging of genes involved in abiotic stress tolerance in the tomato wild-related species Solanum pennellii.
Atarés, Alejandro; Moyano, Elena; Morales, Belén; Schleicher, Peter; García-Abellán, José Osvaldo; Antón, Teresa; García-Sogo, Begońa; Perez-Martin, Fernando; Lozano, Rafael; Flores, Francisco Borja; Moreno, Vicente; Bolarin, María del Carmen; Pineda, Benito
Salinity and drought have a huge impact on agriculture since there are few areas free of these abiotic stresses and the problem continues to increase. In tomato, the most important horticultural crop worldwide, there are accessions of wild-related species with a high degree of tolerance to salinity and drought. Thus, the finding of insertional mutants with other tolerance levels could lead to the identification and tagging of key genes responsible for abiotic stress tolerance. To this end, we are performing an insertional mutagenesis programme with an enhancer trap in the tomato wild-related species Solanum pennellii. First, we developed an efficient transformation method which has allowed us to generate more than 2,000 T-DNA lines. Next, the collection of S. pennelli T(0) lines has been screened in saline or drought conditions and several presumptive mutants have been selected for their salt and drought sensitivity. Moreover, T-DNA lines with expression of the reporter uidA gene in specific organs, such as vascular bundles, trichomes and stomata, which may play key roles in processes related to abiotic stress tolerance, have been identified. Finally, the growth of T-DNA lines in control conditions allowed us the identification of different development mutants. Taking into account that progenies from the lines are being obtained and that the collection of T-DNA lines is going to enlarge progressively due to the high transformation efficiency achieved, there are great possibilities for identifying key genes involved in different tolerance mechanisms to salinity and drought. PMID:21647638
Wild genius - domestic fool? Spatial learning abilities of wild and domestic guinea pigs
Background Domestic animals and their wild relatives differ in a wide variety of aspects. The process of domestication of the domestic guinea pig (Cavia aperea f. porcellus), starting at least 4500 years ago, led to changes in the anatomy, physiology, and behaviour compared with their wild relative, the wild cavy, Cavia aperea. Although domestic guinea pigs are widely used as a laboratory animal, learning and memory capabilities are often disregarded as being very scarce. Even less is known about learning and memory of wild cavies. In this regard, one striking domestic trait is a reduction in relative brain size, which in the domesticated form of the guinea pig amounts to 13%. However, the common belief, that such a reduction of brain size in the course of domestication of different species is accomplished by less learning capabilities is not at all very well established in the literature. Indeed, domestic animals might also even outperform their wild conspecifics taking advantage of their adaptation to a man-made environment. In our study we compared the spatial learning abilities of wild and domestic guinea pigs. We expected that the two forms are different regarding their learning performance possibly related to the process of domestication. Therefore wild cavies as well as domestic guinea pigs of both sexes, aged 35 to 45 days, were tested in the Morris water maze to investigate their ability of spatial learning. Results Both, wild cavies and domestic guinea pigs were able to learn the task, proving the water maze to be a suitable test also for wild cavies. Regarding the speed of learning, male as well as female domestic guinea pigs outperformed their wild conspecifics significantly. Interestingly, only domestic guinea pigs showed a significant spatial association of the platform position, while other effective search strategies were used by wild cavies. Conclusion The results demonstrate that domestic guinea pigs do not at all perform worse than their wild relatives in tests of spatial learning abilities. Yet, the contrary seems to be true. Hence, artificial selection and breeding did not lead to a cognitive decline but rather to an adaptation to man-made environment that allows solving the task more efficiently. PMID:20334697
Vilcek, S; Nettleton, P F
Pestiviruses are not strictly host-species specific and can infect not only domestic but also wild animals. The most important pestivirus, CSFV, infects domestic pigs and wild boars, which may cause a major problem for successful CSFV eradication programmes. Mainly BVDV specific antibodies have been reported in captive and free-living animals. Virus has been isolated from some of these animal species, but since BVDV can contaminate cell cultures and foetal calf serum, early reports of BVDV isolation have to be considered with caution. Genetic typing of early pestivirus isolates from wild species revealed that the majority were BVDV-1. Of the pestiviruses identified so far three species (CSFV, BVDV-1, giraffe pestivirus) and three genotypes (BDV-2, BDV-4, pronghorn) appear to circulate in wildlife animal populations. The potential for pestiviruses to spread between farm animals and free-living animals is discussed as are epidemiological and technical problems, and the future direction of research. PMID:16839713
Distinct Lineages of Bufavirus in Wild Shrews and Nonhuman Primates
Sasaki, Michihito; Orba, Yasuko; Anindita, Paulina D.; Ishii, Akihiro; Ueno, Keisuke; Hang'ombe, Bernard M.; Mweene, Aaron S.; Ito, Kimihito
Viral metagenomic analysis identified a new parvovirus genome in the intestinal contents of wild shrews in Zambia. Related viruses were detected in spleen tissues from wild shrews and nonhuman primates. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these viruses are related to human bufaviruses, highlighting the presence and genetic diversity of bufaviruses in wildlife. PMID:26079728
Distinct Lineages of Bufavirus in Wild Shrews and Nonhuman Primates.
Sasaki, Michihito; Orba, Yasuko; Anindita, Paulina D; Ishii, Akihiro; Ueno, Keisuke; Hang'ombe, Bernard M; Mweene, Aaron S; Ito, Kimihito; Sawa, Hirofumi
Viral metagenomic analysis identified a new parvovirus genome in the intestinal contents of wild shrews in Zambia. Related viruses were detected in spleen tissues from wild shrews and nonhuman primates. Phylogenetic analyses showed that these viruses are related to human bufaviruses, highlighting the presence and genetic diversity of bufaviruses in wildlife. PMID:26079728
Spermatogenesis and related plasma androgen and progestin level in wild male golden mahseer, Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822), during the spawning season.
Shahi, Neetu; Mallik, Sumanta Kumar; Pande, Jyoti; Das, Partha; Singh, Atul Kumar
Testicular development and plasma levels of sex steroid [11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), testosterone (T) and 17,20?-dihydoxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20?-P)] were studied for the first time in wild golden mahseer, Tor putitora. Testicular development was investigated by macroscopic observation and histology of the gonads, whereas steroids were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Based on macroscopic observation and germ cell types present in gonad histology, the testes of T. putitora were divided into five developmental stages: immature [stage I; spermatogonia (SPG)], early spermatogenesis [stage II; SPG and spermatocytes (SPC)], late spermatogenesis [stage III; SPG, SPC, spermatids (SPD) and spermatozoa (SPZ)], spermiation (stage IV; SPZ) and post-spawning (stage V; SPG, SPD and SPZ). During the stage I of the testes, the lowest levels of plasma sex steroid and gonadosomatic index (I G) were recorded. The highest plasma level of T was 0.89 ± 0.09 ng/mL and 11-KT was 4.23 ± 0.54 ng/mL, which was during the stage III and IV, respectively. The peak in 11-KT was coincident with the peak in I G (1.65 ± 0.12 %). The lowest T and 11-KT levels were 0.25 ± 0.02 ng/mL and 0.47 ± 0.09 ng/mL, respectively, which was at stage I. Plasma levels of 17,20?-P increased significantly at stage III (1.04 ± 0.06 ng/mL) and stage IV testes (1.28 ± 0.03 ng/mL) and then declined in post-spawned fish. This indicates that 17,20?-P could also be a possible maturation-inducing steroid in this fish. The condition factor (K) significantly decreased during the testicular development and was lowest at spermiation stage (0.53 ± 0.02 %). The proportion of running male peaked concomitantly with the appearance of stage IV testes. Presence of germ cells of different developmental stages indicates that T. putitora male is a multiple spawner, and the information generated here is important for developing a captive breeding, culture and conservation programs for this endangered coldwater Himalayan fish species. PMID:25903485
The USGS gages the Wild River at Gilead, Maine at station 01054200. This photo was taken during a winter trip to the site. During this trip, the gage equipment was checked and a discharge measurement was made by drilling holes through the ice and lowering velocity meters into the water....
Wild Rice River at Great Bend North Dakota, streamflow 1,890 cubic feet per second. Photograph taken during spring 2010 flooding looking downstream of the bridge which was clogged with debris. The river also had flooded over the road approaching the bridge....
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Moffett, Fran
Eighteen staff members from Roselle Park (NJ) High School were the first faculty group in New Jersey to experience a workshop to acquaint them with the Wild Cat Mountain Wilderness Center and improve communication, trust, and enhance problem-solving skills. Challenging activities, suitable to the area, are described. (CM)
NSDL National Science Digital Library
Mrs. Whaley
Objective: Students will evaluate informational text and build background knowledge about the American Author Jack London. Procedures: Click on the links below and read the biographical information about Jack London, the historical time period in which he wrote, and his writing by reading a few excerpts from Call of The Wild, Sea Wolf, and more tales. London is highly demanding on his readers; ...
A Novel Group of Avian Astroviruses in Wild Aquatic Birds
Chu, Daniel K. W.; Leung, Connie Y. H.; Perera, Harsha K. K.; Ng, Erica M.; Gilbert, Martin; Joyner, Priscilla H.; Grioni, Alessandro; Ades, Gary; Guan, Yi
Using a pan-astrovirus reverse transcription-PCR assay, a great diversity of novel avastroviruses was detected from wild bird and poultry samples. Two groups of astroviruses detected from wild birds are genetically related or highly similar to previously known viruses in poultry. Most interestingly, a novel group of astroviruses was detected in wild aquatic birds. Our results also reveal that different groups of astroviruses might have difference host ranges. This study has expanded our understanding regarding avastrovirus ecology. PMID:23035212
Smaylilh or Wild People Archaeology
Rudy Reimer
The native peoples who inhabit the Pacific Northwest Coast and Interior Plateau possess oral traditions concerning cryptozoology, including the 'wild people' also known as Sasquatch or Bigfoot. For the Squamish Nation, these are Wild People, or \\
Survival and multiplication of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (the wheat take-all fungus) and related fungi on different wild and cultivated grasses
R. J. Gutteridge; J.-P. Zhang; J. F. Jenkyn; G. L. Bateman
The susceptibilities of different grass species, including currently important annual weeds of cereal crops, to root infection by Gaeumannomyces cylindrosporus and related weakly or non-pathogenic fungi, and to G. graminis var. tritici (the take-all fungus), were tested in pot experiments. Amounts of infection on wheat grown subsequently were also compared. Infection by the non-take-all Gaeumannomyces spp., arising from artificial inoculation,
Wild Termitomyces Species Collected from Ondo and Ekiti States Are More Related to African Species as Revealed by ITS Region of rDNA
Oyetayo, Victor Olusegun
Molecular identification of eighteen Termitomyces species collected from two states, Ondo and Ekiti in Nigeria was carried out using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The amplicons obtained from rDNA of Termitomyces species were compared with existing sequences in the NCBI GenBank. The results of the ITS sequence analysis discriminated between all the Termitomyces species (obtained from Ondo and Ekiti States) and Termitomyces sp. sequences obtained from NCBI GenBank. The degree of similarity of T1 to T18 to gene of Termitomyces sp. obtained from NCBI ranges between 82 and 99 percent. Termitomyces species from Garbon with ascension number AF321374 was the closest relative of T1 to T18 except T12 that has T. eurhizus and T. striatus as the closet relative. Phylogenetic tree generated with ITS sequences obtained from NCBI GenBank data revealed that T1 to T18 are more related to Termitomyces species indigenous to African countries such as Senegal, Congo, and Gabon. PMID:22649309
Evaluation of the potential for interspecific hybridization between Camelina sativa and related wild Brassicaceae in anticipation of field trials of GM camelina.
Julié-Galau, Stéphane; Bellec, Yannick; Faure, Jean-Denis; Tepfer, Mark
Camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) is a re-emergent oilseed crop that is also becoming important as a model for applied projects based on studies in Arabidopsis thaliana, since the two species are closely related members of the tribe Camelineae of the Brassicaeae. Since camelina can be transformed genetically by floral dip, genetically modified (GM) camelina is being created in many laboratories, and small-scale field trials are already being conducted in the US and Canada. Although camelina does not cross-fertilize Brassica crop species, such as oilseed rape, nothing was known about its ability to cross with other members of the tribe Camelineae, which in addition to arabidopsis includes the widespread weed, shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). We have tested the ability of camelina to cross with arabidopsis and C. bursa-pastoris, as well as with the more distantly related Cardamine hirsuta, tribe cardamineae. No seeds were produced in crosses with arabidopsis, and a few seeds were obtained in crosses with C. hirsuta, but the embryos aborted at an early stage of development. A few seeds were also obtained in crosses with C. bursa-pastoris, which germinated to produce plants of a phenotype intermediate to that of the parents, but the hybrids were both male and female sterile. Therefore, the likelihood of pollen-mediated gene flow from camelina to these related species is low. PMID:23793580
NSDL National Science Digital Library
Added after its initial publication, the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray allowed Oscar Wilde to directly address some of the initial criticism of his rather controversial novel. Perhaps one of the most well-known epigrams offered in that statement is "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all." Visitors to this site can read this preface (and the complete novel), along with many other works by Wilde. These works include "The Happy Prince and Other Stories", "A House of Pomegranates", and plays like "An Ideal Husband" and "The Importance of Being Earnest". Of course, visitors should not overlook his masterful poem, "The Ballad of Reading Gaol".
Sensitivity to wild vegetation.
Menz, J; Winkelmann, R K
74 patients suspected of having allergic contact dermatitis to wild vegetation were patch tested with either extracts of 13 plants of the family Compositae and 7 other weeds or trees. Anthemis cotula (dog fennel) and Xanthium strumarium (cocklebur) gave the most frequent positive results, demonstrating a change of frequency in sensitivity compared to the 1950s, when Ambrosia artemisiifolia (ragweed) was recognized as the most frequently sensitizing weed. The reasons for these changes of incidence and clinical patterns are examined. PMID:3581826
Anthrax kills wild chimpanzees in a tropical rainforest
Fabian H. Leendertz; Heinz Ellerbrok; Christophe Boesch; Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann; Kerstin Mätz-Rensing; Regine Hakenbeck; Carina Bergmann; Pola Abaza; Sandra Junglen; Yasmin Moebius; Linda Vigilant; Pierre Formenty; Georg Pauli
Infectious disease has joined habitat loss and hunting as threats to the survival of the remaining wild populations of great apes. Nevertheless, relatively little is known about the causative agents. We investigated an unusually high number of sudden deaths observed over nine months in three communities of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Taď National Park, Ivory Coast. Here
Heavy metals in wild house mice from coal-mining areas of Colombia and expression of genes related to oxidative stress, DNA damage and exposure to metals.
Guerrero-Castilla, Angélica; Olivero-Verbel, Jesús; Marrugo-Negrete, José
Coal mining is a source of pollutants that impact on environmental and human health. This study examined the metal content and the transcriptional status of gene markers associated with oxidative stress, metal transport and DNA damage in livers of feral mice collected near coal-mining operations, in comparison with mice obtained from a reference site. Mus musculus specimens were caught from La Loma and La Jagua, two coal-mining sites in the north of Colombia, as well as from Valledupar (Cesar Department), a city located 100km north of the mines. Concentrations in liver tissue of Hg, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu and As were determined by differential stripping voltammetry, and real-time PCR was used to measure gene expression. Compared with the reference group (Valledupar), hepatic concentrations of Cd, Cu and Zn were significantly higher in animals living near mining areas. In exposed animals, the mRNA expression of NQ01, MT1, SOD1, MT2, and DDIT3 was 4.2-, 7.3-, 2.5-, 4.6- and 3.4-fold greater in coal mining sites, respectively, than in animals from the reference site (p<0.05). These results suggest that activities related to coal mining may generate pollutants that could affect the biota, inducing the transcription of biochemical markers related to oxidative stress, metal exposure, and DNA damage. These changes may be in part linked to metal toxicity, and could have implications for the development of chronic disease. Therefore, it is essential to implement preventive measures to minimize the effects of coal mining on its nearby environment, in order to protect human health. PMID:24525377
Scotland's Wild Deer A National Approach
Scotland's Wild Deer A National Approach #12;Scotland'sWildDeer ANationalApproach i Scotland's Wild Deer A National Approach November 2008 #12;Scotland'sWildDeer ANationalApproach iii Wild deer approach to wild deer management sets out ways to make the most of this asset, managing deer
Minimal cross-recombination between wild-type and loxP511 sites in vivo facilitates truncating both ends of large DNA inserts in pBACe3.6 and related vectors
Leighcraft A. Shakes; Douglas M. Garland; Deepak K. Srivastava; Ken R. Harewood; Pradeep K. Chatterjee
Contrary to several earlier reports, we find that cross-recombination between wild-type and the mutant loxP511 sites is ,0.5% of that between two wild-type sites if Cre protein is expressed by phage P1 during an infection. The finding enabled us to develop a procedure to truncate DNA progressively from both ends of large genomic inserts flanked by these two loxP sites
Reproductive success of hatchery-produced and wild-born brown trout in an experimental stream
Johan Dannewitz; Erik Petersson; Jonas Dahl; Tore Prestegaard; Anna-Carin Lof; Torbjorn Jarvi
Summary 1. Although releases of hatchery-produced salmonids to support conspecific wild populations have increased dramatically during recent decades, little information is available about the performance in the wild of hatchery fish and their offspring. Important factors determining the success and genetic outcomes of supportive breeding programmes include (i) the relative reproductive success of released hatchery fish in the wild, and
Incorporating Sclerotinia stalk rot resistance from diverse perennial wild Helianthus species into cultivated sunflower
J. Feng; G. J. Seiler; T. J. Gulya; X. Cai; C. C. Jan
Evaluation of the wild sunflower germplasms indicated that most perennial wild species, including diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid, possess high level of resistance to Sclerotinia stalk rot. Selected resistant wild species were crossed with cultivated sunflower to transfer Sclerotinia resistance genes, though the frequency of successful crosses was relatively low. Hexaploid H. californicus was crossed with HA 410, a moderately stalk
RESEARCH ARTICLE Population genetic structure of in situ wild Sorghum bicolor
Snow, Allison A.
RESEARCH ARTICLE Population genetic structure of in situ wild Sorghum bicolor in its Ethiopian Landrace Á Microsatellites Á Sorghum bicolor Á Transgenic sorghum Á Wild sorghum Introduction The primary of wild relatives of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), which is the fifth most important food crop
H. B. Graves
Summary An overview of wild and feral swine behavior is presented. In spite of their success as a domesticated animal in the New World, swine are relative newcomers to the Americas. Feral swine, i.e., domesticated stocks which have reentered the wild habitat, apparently became established after early 'stocking' by Spanish explorers, and wild stocks stem from much more recent imports.
Wild, Wild Wikis: A way forward Robert Charles1
Paris-Sud XI, Université de
Wild, Wild Wikis: A way forward Robert Charles1 and Adigun Ranmi2 1 Laboratoire Lorrain de yaba Nigeria firstname.lastname@example.com Abstract Wikis can be considered as public domain knowledge encyclopaedia. In this study, we consider the importance of wikis as a way of creating, sharing and improving
'Wild Treasure' Thornless Trailing Blackberry
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Wild Treasure is a new trailing blackberry cultivar from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service breeding program in Corvallis, OR, released in cooperation with Oregon State University. Wild Treasure is thornless and has high quality fruit that are very small and can be mech...
Brassicaceae (Mustard family) Wild mustard
Brassicaceae (Mustard family) Wild mustard Sinapis arvensis L. Life cycle Erect winter or summer an. Wild mustard lower leaf. Back to identifying Christmas tree weeds. #12;Brassicaceae (Mustard family-inch-long, cylinder-shaped capsules with a four-angled beak at the tip that contain round, black
Thallium Contamination in Wild Ducks in Japan
Mariko Mochizuki; Makoto Mori; Mayumi Akinaga; Kyoko Yugami; Chika Oya; Ryo Hondo
Although thallium (Tl) is toxic to both humans and animals, there is little infor- mation on contamination in wildlife. In this study, Tl contents in wild ducks in Japan were determined. Contents of Tl in kidney and liver ranged from 0.42 to 119.61 and 0.10 to 33.94 mg\\/g dry weight, respectively. Significant cor- relations between Tl contents in kidney and
Sleeping distance in wild wolf packs
Knick, S.T.; Mech, L.D.
Sleeping distances were observed among members of 13 wild wolf (Canis lupus) packs and 11 pairs in northeastern Minnesota to determine if the distances correlated with pack size and composition. The study utilized aerial radio-tracking and observation during winter. Pack size and number of adults per pack were inversely related to pack average sleeping distance and variability. No correlation between sleeping distance and microclimate was observed. Possible relationships between social bonding and our results are discussed.
Conserving our wild plant heritage
Thompson, C.F.
Conservationists who have neglected the protection of wild plants in the past are becoming more active in pressing for a broad range of programs. One tenth of the world's vascular plants are endangered, threatened, or rare. Plant habitats are being destroyed by logging, draining of wetlands, and clearing for agriculture. The international trade in wild plants and the growing number of plant collectors are also endangering wild plants. Federal legislation is needed to regulate foreign and interstate plant trade, while international regulations must be strengthened. (10 photos, 21 references)
Fitness of Crop-Wild Hybrid Sunflower under Competitive Conditions: Implications for Crop-to-Wild Introgression
Mercer, Kristin L.; Emry, D. Jason; Snow, Allison A.; Kost, Matthew A.; Pace, Brian A.; Alexander, Helen M.
Understanding the likelihood and extent of introgression of novel alleles in hybrid zones requires comparison of lifetime fitness of parents and hybrid progeny. However, fitness differences among cross types can vary depending on biotic conditions, thereby influencing introgression patterns. Based on past work, we predicted that increased competition would enhance introgression between cultivated and wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus) by reducing fitness advantages of wild plants. To test this prediction, we established a factorial field experiment in Kansas, USA where we monitored the fitness of four cross types (Wild, F1, F2, and BCw hybrids) under different levels of interspecific and intraspecific competition. Intraspecific manipulations consisted both of density of competitors and of frequency of crop-wild hybrids. We recorded emergence of overwintered seeds, survival to reproduction, and numbers of seeds produced per reproductive plant. We also calculated two compound fitness measures: seeds produced per emerged seedling and seeds produced per planted seed. Cross type and intraspecific competition affected emergence and survival to reproduction, respectively. Further, cross type interacted with competitive treatments to influence all other fitness traits. More intense competition treatments, especially related to density of intraspecific competitors, repeatedly reduced the fitness advantage of wild plants when considering seeds produced per reproductive plant and per emerged seedling, and F2 plants often became indistinguishable from the wilds. Wild fitness remained superior when seedling emergence was also considered as part of fitness, but the fitness of F2 hybrids relative to wild plants more than quadrupled with the addition of interspecific competitors and high densities of intraspecific competitors. Meanwhile, contrary to prediction, lower hybrid frequency reduced wild fitness advantage. These results emphasize the importance of taking a full life cycle perspective. Additionally, due to effects of exogenous selection, a given hybrid generation may be especially well-suited to hastening introgression under particular environmental conditions. PMID:25295859
Arnaldo Maldonado
\\u000a Echinostomes are closely related to wildlife and occasionally have been found to infect domestic animals. The low specificity\\u000a of some species results in a large number of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts acting as natural hosts, and a large geographic\\u000a distribution has been recorded. The zoonotic potential of echinostomes has been related to the ingestion of raw mollusks,\\u000a fishes, and amphibians
A diet supplement for captive wild ruminants.
Baker, D L; Stout, G W; Miller, M W
Nutritional husbandry of captive wild ruminants often requires feeding these animals a supplemental diet to enhance their health, reproductive performance, and productivity. Although supplemental diets for wild ruminants are commercially available, few have been evaluated in controlled intake and digestion trials. Voluntary intake, digestive efficiency, nitrogen retention, and gross energy utilization of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis), mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), and wapiti (Cervus elaphus) consuming a high-energy, high-protein pelleted supplement were compared. Voluntary intake of dry matter, energy, and nitrogen were similar (P > 0.34) between mountain goats and mountain sheep and consistently lower (P < 0.03) for these species than for pronghorn, mule deer, and wapiti. Differences in digestive efficiency among species were inversely related to dry matter intake rates. Apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral-detergent fiber was 10-20% higher for mountain goats and mountain sheep than for the other species (P < 0.04). Although these findings suggest a superior digestive efficiency for mountain goats and mountain sheep, species comparisons are inconclusive because of the confounding effects of season and ambient temperature on voluntary intake and digestion. Under the conditions of this experiment, the diet tested was safe, nutritious, and highly palatable. Protein and energy concentrations appear to be sufficient to meet or exceed known nutritional requirements of captive wild ruminants. PMID:9732028
Partial phenotypic reversion of ABA-deficient flacca tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) scions by a wild-type rootstock: normalizing shoot ethylene relations promotes leaf area but does not diminish whole plant transpiration rate
Ian C. Dodd; Julian C. Theobald; Sarah K. Richer; William J. Davies
To evaluate the role of root-synthesized ABA in regulating growth and stomatal behaviour under well-watered conditions, isogenic wild-type (WT) and ABA-deficient flacca (flc) tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) were reciprocally and self-grafted just below the cotyledonary node. Since flc scions had lower leaf water potentials due to higher transpiration rates, a subset of all graft combinations was grown under a shoot misting
Dental eruption in East African wild chimpanzees.
Machanda, Zarin; Brazeau, Nick F; Bernard, Andrew B; Donovan, Ronan M; Papakyrikos, Amanda M; Wrangham, Richard; Smith, Tanya M
Knowledge of chimpanzee development has played an essential role in our understanding of the evolution of human ontogeny. However, recent studies of wild ape dentitions have cast doubt on the use of developmental standards derived from captive individuals. Others have called into question the use of deceased wild individuals to infer normative development. We conducted a high resolution photographic study of living known-age subadults in the Kanyawara community (Kibale National Park, Uganda) to generate a comprehensive three year record of dental eruption (including tooth emergence ages). These non-invasive data allow comparisons of captive and wild chimpanzees, establish accurate developmental standards for relatively healthy wild individuals, and facilitate direct assessments of primate-wide associations between dental development and life history. Emergence ages in the Kanyawara chimpanzees are very similar to living Gombe chimpanzees, and are broadly comparable to deceased Taď Forest chimpanzees. Early-emerging teeth such as the deciduous dentition and first molar (M1) appear during a time of maternal dependence, and are almost indistinguishable from captive chimpanzee emergence ages, while later forming teeth in the Kanyawara population emerge in the latter half of captive age ranges or beyond. Five juveniles whose lower M1s emerged by or before 3.3 years of age continued to nurse for a year or more beyond M1 emergence, and their mothers showed considerable variation in reproductive rates. The third molars of two adolescent females emerged several months to several years prior to the birth of their first offspring. Given that broad primate-wide relationships between molar emergence and life history do not necessarily hold within this population of chimpanzees, particularly for variables that are reported to be coincident with molar emergence, we suggest that further study is required in order to predict life history variables in hominins or hominoids. PMID:25796539
Drought tolerance in modern and wild wheat.
Budak, Hikmet; Kantar, Melda; Kurtoglu, Kuaybe Yucebilgili
The genus Triticum includes bread (Triticum aestivum) and durum wheat (Triticum durum) and constitutes a major source for human food consumption. Drought is currently the leading threat on world's food supply, limiting crop yield, and is complicated since drought tolerance is a quantitative trait with a complex phenotype affected by the plant's developmental stage. Drought tolerance is crucial to stabilize and increase food production since domestication has limited the genetic diversity of crops including wild wheat, leading to cultivated species, adapted to artificial environments, and lost tolerance to drought stress. Improvement for drought tolerance can be achieved by the introduction of drought-grelated genes and QTLs to modern wheat cultivars. Therefore, identification of candidate molecules or loci involved in drought tolerance is necessary, which is undertaken by "omics" studies and QTL mapping. In this sense, wild counterparts of modern varieties, specifically wild emmer wheat (T. dicoccoides), which are highly tolerant to drought, hold a great potential. Prior to their introgression to modern wheat cultivars, drought related candidate genes are first characterized at the molecular level, and their function is confirmed via transgenic studies. After integration of the tolerance loci, specific environment targeted field trials are performed coupled with extensive analysis of morphological and physiological characteristics of developed cultivars, to assess their performance under drought conditions and their possible contributions to yield in certain regions. This paper focuses on recent advances on drought related gene/QTL identification, studies on drought related molecular pathways, and current efforts on improvement of wheat cultivars for drought tolerance. PMID:23766697
Drought Tolerance in Modern and Wild Wheat
Budak, Hikmet; Kantar, Melda; Yucebilgili Kurtoglu, Kuaybe
The genus Triticum includes bread (Triticum aestivum) and durum wheat (Triticum durum) and constitutes a major source for human food consumption. Drought is currently the leading threat on world's food supply, limiting crop yield, and is complicated since drought tolerance is a quantitative trait with a complex phenotype affected by the plant's developmental stage. Drought tolerance is crucial to stabilize and increase food production since domestication has limited the genetic diversity of crops including wild wheat, leading to cultivated species, adapted to artificial environments, and lost tolerance to drought stress. Improvement for drought tolerance can be achieved by the introduction of drought-grelated genes and QTLs to modern wheat cultivars. Therefore, identification of candidate molecules or loci involved in drought tolerance is necessary, which is undertaken by "omics" studies and QTL mapping. In this sense, wild counterparts of modern varieties, specifically wild emmer wheat (T. dicoccoides), which are highly tolerant to drought, hold a great potential. Prior to their introgression to modern wheat cultivars, drought related candidate genes are first characterized at the molecular level, and their function is confirmed via transgenic studies. After integration of the tolerance loci, specific environment targeted field trials are performed coupled with extensive analysis of morphological and physiological characteristics of developed cultivars, to assess their performance under drought conditions and their possible contributions to yield in certain regions. This paper focuses on recent advances on drought related gene/QTL identification, studies on drought related molecular pathways, and current efforts on improvement of wheat cultivars for drought tolerance. PMID:23766697
Wild, scenic, and transcendental rivers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Showstack, Randy
"A more lovely stream than this has never flowed on Earth," 19th century American author Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about the confluence of the Assabet and Concord Rivers, streams that meander about 40 km west of Boston, Massachusetts.Segments of these streams as well as the Assabet River became the newest additions to the U.S. National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, when President Bill Clinton signed into law the "Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic River Act" on April 9.
WildSilkbase: An EST database of wild silkmoths
KP Arunkumar; Archana Tomar; Takaaki Daimon; Toru Shimada; J Nagaraju
BACKGROUND: Functional genomics has particular promise in silkworm biology for identifying genes involved in a variety of biological functions that include: synthesis and secretion of silk, sex determination pathways, insect-pathogen interactions, chorionogenesis, molecular clocks. Wild silkmoths have hardly been the subject of detailed scientific investigations, owing largely to non-availability of molecular and genetic data on these species. As a first
Mink Farms Predict Aleutian Disease Exposure in Wild American Mink
Nituch, Larissa A.; Bowman, Jeff; Beauclerc, Kaela B.; Schulte-Hostedde, Albrecht I.
Background Infectious diseases can often be of conservation importance for wildlife. Spillover, when infectious disease is transmitted from a reservoir population to sympatric wildlife, is a particular threat. American mink (Neovison vison) populations across Canada appear to be declining, but factors thus far explored have not fully explained this population trend. Recent research has shown, however, that domestic mink are escaping from mink farms and hybridizing with wild mink. Domestic mink may also be spreading Aleutian disease (AD), a highly pathogenic parvovirus prevalent in mink farms, to wild mink populations. AD could reduce fitness in wild mink by reducing both the productivity of adult females and survivorship of juveniles and adults. Methods To assess the seroprevalence and geographic distribution of AD infection in free-ranging mink in relation to the presence of mink farms, we conducted both a large-scale serological survey, across the province of Ontario, and a smaller-scale survey, at the interface between a mink farm and wild mink. Conclusions/Significance Antibodies to AD were detected in 29% of mink (60 of 208 mink sampled); however, seroprevalence was significantly higher in areas closer to mink farms than in areas farther from farms, at both large and small spatial scales. Our results indicate that mink farms act as sources of AD transmission to the wild. As such, it is likely that wild mink across North America may be experiencing increased exposure to AD, via disease transmission from mink farms, which may be affecting wild mink demographics across their range. In light of declining mink populations, high AD seroprevalence within some mink farms, and the large number of mink farms situated across North America, improved biosecurity measures on farms are warranted to prevent continued disease transmission at the interface between mink farms and wild mink populations. PMID:21789177
Fecundity, phenology, and seed dormancy of F1 wild-crop hybrids in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus, Asteraceae).
Snow, A; Moran-Palma, P; Rieseberg, L; Wszelaki, A; Seiler, G
Crop-to-wild hybridization has the potential to introduce beneficial traits into wild populations. Gene flow from genetically engineered crops, in particular, can transfer genes coding for traits such as resistance to herbicides, insect herbivores, disease, and environmental stress into wild plants. Cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) hybridizes spontaneously with wild/weedy populations (also H. annuus), but little is known about the relative fitness of F1 hybrids. In order to assess the ease with which crop-to-wild introgression can proceed, we compared characteristics of F1 wild-crop progeny with those of purely wild genotypes. Two nontransgenic, cultivated varieties were crossed with wild plants from three different regions-Texas, Kansas, and North Dakota. Seed burial experiments in the region of origin showed that wild-crop seeds had somewhat higher germination rates (less dormancy) than wild seeds from Kansas and North Dakota, while no differences were seen in seeds from Texas. Progeny from each type of cross were grown in outdoor pots in Ohio and in a weedy field in Kansas to quantify lifetime fecundity and flowering phenology. Flowering periods of hybrid and wild progeny overlapped considerably, especially in plants from North Dakota and Texas, suggesting that these hybrids are very likely to backcross with wild plants. In general, hybrid plants had fewer branches, flower heads, and seeds than wild plants, but in two crosses the fecundity of hybrids was not significantly different from that of purely wild plants. In Ohio, wild-crop hybrids from North Dakota appeared to be resistant to a rust that infected 53% of the purely wild progeny, indicating a possible benefit of "traditional" crop genes. In summary, our results suggest that F1 wild-crop hybrids had lower fitness than wild genotypes, especially when grown under favorable conditions, but the F1 barrier to the introgression of crop genes is quite permeable. PMID:21684963
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Johnson, Bonnie; Kil, Jenny; Evans, Elaine; Koomen, Michele Hollingsworth
With their sunny stripes and fuzzy bodies, bees are beloved--but unfortunately, they are in trouble. Bee decline, of both wild bees as well as managed bees like honey bees, has been in the news for the last several years. Habitat loss, diseases, pests, and pesticides have made it difficult for bees to survive in many parts of our world (Walsh…
Wild QTLs for Rice Improvement
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Domestication of plants for agricultural use has brought about profound genetic change in ancestral plant species. Intensive, scientific breeding of crop varieties by modern plant breeders over the last century hs narrowed the gene pool in many crops. Many wild ancestors of modern crop plants can s...
The Origin of Indian Corn and its Relatives.
Mangelsdorf, Paul C. (Paul Christoph); Reeves, R. G. (Robert Gatlin)
Introduction; Botanical Relationships of Maize; Previous Evidence on the Origin of Maize; Previous Theories on the Origin of Maize; New Evidence from Cytogenetic Studies; The Origin of Teosinte; The Origin of Maize; The ...
Monitoring wild bird populations for lead exposure
Scheuhammer, A.M. (Environment Canada, Ottawa (Canada))
Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-d), an enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway is extremely sensitive to inhibition by lead (Pb). I evaluated the erythrocyte ALA-d activity ratio (the ratio between the fully restored enzyme activity and that measured without removing any inhibitory influence that might be present) as an indicator of Pb exposure in free-living birds. In the absence of elevated Pb exposure, birds, had comparable ALA-d activity ratios regardless of species, geographical location, or time of year sampled. The normal range of ratios for free-living species was similar to that for aviary-raised birds (1.0-1.3). Individuals with enzyme inhibition were readily identified. In blood collected from free-living mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), ALA-d activity ratios were better correlated with blood-Pb than were blood-protoporphyrin (PP) concentrations. At least 9.5% of mallards with blood-Pb>80 {mu}g/dL did not have elevated PP levels. Underestimation of Pb exposure did not occur using the ALA-d activity ratio method. The ALA-d activity ratio was as accurate as blood-Pb measurements for monitoring the relative degree of recent Pb exposure in the wild bird populations studied. Unlike blood-Pb analyses, ALA-d determinations do not require exposure in the wild bird populations studied. Unlike blood-Pb analyses, ALA-d determinations do not require exposure in the wild bird populations studied. Unlike blood-Pb analyses, ALA-d determinations do not require sophisticated and expensive instrumentation, and assays can be performed efficiently with minimal training.
Predicting the Wild Salmon Production Using Bayesian
Myllymäki, Petri
Predicting the Wild Salmon Production Using Bayesian Networks Kimmo Valtonen, Tommi Mononen, Petri Karlsson and Ingemar Per¨a December 22, 2002 HIIT TECHNICAL REPORT 2002Â7 #12;PREDICTING THE WILD SALMON elsewhere. #12;Predicting the wild salmon production using Bayesian networks Kimmo Valtonen, Tommi Mononen
Sex chromosome aneuploidy in wild small mammals
J. B. Searle; R. M. Jones
We describe four examples of the XO condition in wild mammals. One XO house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) was caught in nature and subsequently gave birth to three litters in captivity, confirming for wild mice the fertility observed for XO laboratory mice. Two other XO house mice were produced from laboratory crosses of wild-caught mice. An immature XO common shrew
Genetic structure of wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations from East Asia based on microsatellite loci analyses
Background Wild boar, Sus scrofa, is an extant wild ancestor of the domestic pig as an agro-economically important mammal. Wild boar has a worldwide distribution with its geographic origin in Southeast Asia, but genetic diversity and genetic structure of wild boar in East Asia are poorly understood. To characterize the pattern and amount of genetic variation and population structure of wild boar in East Asia, we genotyped and analyzed microsatellite loci for a total of 238 wild boar specimens from ten locations across six countries in East and Southeast Asia. Results Our data indicated that wild boar populations in East Asia are genetically diverse and structured, showing a significant correlation of genetic distance with geographic distance and implying a low level of gene flow at a regional scale. Bayesian-based clustering analysis was indicative of seven inferred genetic clusters in which wild boars in East Asia are geographically structured. The level of genetic diversity was relatively high in wild boars from Southeast Asia, compared with those from Northeast Asia. This gradient pattern of genetic diversity is consistent with an assumed ancestral population of wild boar in Southeast Asia. Genetic evidences from a relationship tree and structure analysis suggest that wild boar in Jeju Island, South Korea have a distinct genetic background from those in mainland Korea. Conclusions Our results reveal a diverse pattern of genetic diversity and the existence of genetic differentiation among wild boar populations inhabiting East Asia. This study highlights the potential contribution of genetic variation of wild boar to the high genetic diversity of local domestic pigs during domestication in East Asia. PMID:25034725
Mayer, J.
Attacks on humans by wild pigs (Sus scrofa) have been documented since ancient times. However, studies characterizing these incidents are lacking. In an effort to better understand this phenomenon, information was collected from 412 wild pig attacks on humans. Similar to studies of large predator attacks on humans, data came from a variety of sources. The various attacks compiled occurred in seven zoogeographic realms. Most attacks occurred within the species native range, and specifically in rural areas. The occurrence was highest during the winter months and daylight hours. Most happened under non-hunting circumstances and appeared to be unprovoked. Wounded animals were the chief cause of these attacks in hunting situations. The animals involved were typically solitary, male and large in size. The fate of the wild pigs involved in these attacks varied depending upon the circumstances, however, most escaped uninjured. Most human victims were adult males traveling on foot and alone. The most frequent outcome for these victims was physical contact/mauling. The severity of resulting injuries ranged from minor to fatal. Most of the mauled victims had injuries to only one part of their bodies, with legs/feet being the most frequent body part injured. Injuries were primarily in the form of lacerations and punctures. Fatalities were typically due to blood loss. In some cases, serious infections or toxemia resulted from the injuries. Other species (i.e., pets and livestock) were also accompanying some of the humans during these attacks. The fates of these animals varied from escaping uninjured to being killed. Frequency data on both non-hunting and hunting incidents of wild pig attacks on humans at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, showed quantitatively that such incidents are rare.
Meijer, Johanna H.; Robbers, Yuri
The importance of exercise for health and neurogenesis is becoming increasingly clear. Wheel running is often used in the laboratory for triggering enhanced activity levels, despite the common objection that this behaviour is an artefact of captivity and merely signifies neurosis or stereotypy. If wheel running is indeed caused by captive housing, wild mice are not expected to use a running wheel in nature. This however, to our knowledge, has never been tested. Here, we show that when running wheels are placed in nature, they are frequently used by wild mice, also when no extrinsic reward is provided. Bout lengths of running wheel behaviour in the wild match those for captive mice. This finding falsifies one criterion for stereotypic behaviour, and suggests that running wheel activity is an elective behaviour. In a time when lifestyle in general and lack of exercise in particular are a major cause of disease in the modern world, research into physical activity is of utmost importance. Our findings may help alleviate the main concern regarding the use of running wheels in research on exercise. PMID:24850923
Genetic variation in natural populations of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum)
A. H. D. Brown; E. Nevo; D. Zohary; O. Dagan
In order to evaluate the potential genetic resources of the wild relatives of crop plants, allozyme variation at 28 loci was determined for 28 Israel populations of Hordeum spontaneum, the progenitor of cultivated barley. Etectrophoretic properties of these loci and their variants are described. The enzyme loci exhibited a great range of polymorphism, from one to fifteen alleles per locus
Knemidocoptic Mange in Wild Golden Eagles, California, USA
Stephenson, Nicole; Rogers, Krysta; Hawkins, Michelle G.; Sadar, Miranda; Guzman, David Sanchez-Migallon; Bell, Douglas A.; Smallwood, Kenneth S.; Wells, Amy; Shipman, Jessica; Foley, Janet
During 2012–2013 in California, USA, 3 wild golden eagles were found with severe skin disease; 2 died. The cause was a rare mite, most closely related to Knemidocoptes derooi mites. Cautionary monitoring of eagle populations, habitats, and diseases is warranted. PMID:25271842
Genetic diversity of wild potato of the USA
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The potato of commerce has two wild relatives in the USA, Solanum jamesii (jam) and S. fendleri (fen). The authors have collected samples at the natural habitats since 1992 (new), greatly increasing the geographic coverage and number of populations compared to what was in the US Potato Genebank avai...
Effects of Pen-raised Northern Bobwhite Introductions on Wild Bobwhites in South Texas
Ashton R. Hutchins; Caesar Kleberg; Fidel Hernández
Although restocking wild populations with pen-raised bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) is considered ineffective, it has become popular and acceptable among sportsmen to supplement hunting opportunities. Nonetheless, their impact on wild bob- white populations remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to compare bob- white survival, core area of use, and relative predator abundance between treatment (re- lease of pen-raised bobwhites)
Low probability of chloroplast movement from oilseed rape (Brassica napus) into wild Brassica rapa
Susan E. Scott; Mike J. Wilkinson
Pollen-mediated movement of transgenes from transplastomic oilseed rape (Brassica napus) into wild relatives will be avoided if chloroplasts are maternally transmitted. We assess the probability of chloroplast exchange between conventional oilseed rape and wild Brassica rapa to model the future behavior of transplastomic cultivars. Primers specific to cpDNA were used to demonstrate maternal inheritance of chloroplasts in 47 natural hybrids
Identification and QTL mapping of blast resistance in wild Oryza species
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Leaf blast disease of rice (Oryza sativa L.) caused by Magnaporthe oryzae B. Couch is one of the most devastating rice fungal diseases worldwide. Wild relatives of rice (Oryza spp.) may contain novel genes for biotic and abiotic stress resistance lost during domestication. A collection of 67 wild ...
Diversity of wild Malus germplasm available in the USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Plant explorers have visited Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and China over the past twenty years to find populations of the wild relatives of apple (Malus). Seeds from wild populations of M. sieversii, M. orientalis, M. hupehensis, M. kansuensis, M. toringo, M. bhutanica, M. transitoria, and M. zhaojia...
Phylogenetic relationships of annual and perennial wild rice: probing by direct DNA sequencing
P. Barbier; H. Morishima; A. Ishihama
The phylogenetic relationships between Asian wild rice strains were analyzed by direct sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA fragments. The sequence of three introns located in the phytochrome gene was determined for eight strains of the Asian wild rice, Oryza rufipogon, and one strain of the related African species, Oryza longistaminata. The number of nucleotide substitutions per site between various strains within
BTV infection in wild ruminants, with emphasis on red deer: A review
Caterina Falconi; Jorge Ramón López-Olvera; Christian Gortázar
The distribution of bluetongue virus has changed, possibly related to climate change. Vaccination of domestic ruminants is taking place throughout Europe to control BT expansion. The high density of wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) in some European regions has raised concerns about the potential role that unvaccinated European wild ungulates might play in maintaining or spreading the virus. Most species
Genetic analysis of male fertility restoration in wild cytoplasmic male sterility G of beet
Pascal Touzet; Nathalie Hueber; Alexandra Bürkholz; Stephen Barnes; Joël Cuguen
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) has been used in the breeding of sugar beet for decades but is also more generally an important feature of the reproductive system in its wild relative, Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima. Among the several CMSs found in wild populations, the G CMS is a mitochondrial variant of the respiratory chain. The segregants derived from a cross
Diversity in oil content and fatty acid profile in seeds of wild cassava germplasm
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is the only commercial species of the Manihot genus, cultivated for its starchy tuber roots. However, cassava seeds are known to be rich in oils and fats, there are scant reports on the content and properties of oil from cassava seeds and its wild relatives. Wild Manihot ...
American Journal of Botany 88(11): 21012112. 2001. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF WILD POTATO SPECIES1
Spooner, David
(Solanaceae sect. Petota) was analyzed using a database of 6073 georeferenced ob- servations. Wild potatoes; geographic information systems; potato; section Petota; Solanum; Solanaceae; species richness. The wild tuber-bearing Solanum L. species (Solanaceae sect. Petota Dumort.) and outgroup relatives in Solanum sect. Etu- berosum
Characterisation of Streptococcus suis isolates from wild boars (Sus scrofa).
Sánchez del Rey, Verónica; Fernández-Garayzábal, José F; Mentaberre, Gregorio; Briones, Víctor; Lavín, Santiago; Domínguez, Lucas; Gottschalk, Marcelo; Vela, Ana Isabel
Wild boar are widely distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula and can carry potentially virulent strains of Streptococcus suis. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of S. suis in wild boars from two large geographical regions of Spain. Serotypes 1, 2, 7 and 9 identified were further genetically characterised by virulence-associated genotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to determine the population structure of S. suis carried by these animals. Streptococcus suis was isolated from 39.1% of the wild boars examined: serotype 9 was the most frequently isolated (12.5%), followed by serotype 1 (2.5%). Serotype 2 was rarely isolated (0.3%). Eighteen additional serotypes were identified indicating wide diversity of this pathogen within the wild boar population. This heterogeneity was confirmed by PFGE and MLST analyses and the majority of isolates exhibited the virulence-associated genotype mrp-/epf-/sly-. The results of this study highlight that the carriage of S. suis by wild boars is commonplace. However, MLST data indicate that these isolates are not related to prevalent clonal complexes ST1, ST16, ST61 and ST87 typically associated with infection of pigs or humans in Europe. PMID:24726078
Phylogeny and evolutionary genetics of porcine parvovirus in wild boars.
Cadar, Dániel; Dán, Ádám; Tombácz, Kata; L?rincz, Márta; Kiss, Timea; Becskei, Zsolt; Spînu, Marina; Tuboly, Tamás; Cságola, Attila
Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is widespread among swine and is responsible for reproductive failure of susceptible sows, characterized by embryonic and fetal death. Studies showed that PPV in domestic pig is genetically diverse and some strains differ from the ones used for vaccination. Organ samples from wild boars and domestic pigs were collected in Transylvania (Romania) and tested for the presence of PPV by polymerase chain reaction. Positive samples were grouped and 14 from the wild boar and 1 from the domestic pig PPVs were selected for VP1/VP2 sequence analysis and comparison with available GenBank data. The molecular clock analysis revealed that PPV has a relatively recent evolutionary history, originated approximately 120 years ago and the main divergence occurred in the last 20-60 years. Phylogenetic and residue substitution analysis showed that the viruses could be divided into 6 distinct clusters and that wild boar PPVs were partially different and independent from domestic pig PPVs. PPVs of wild boars proved to be more diverse than viruses of domestic pigs. The presence of the highly virulent 27a-like PPV strains in wild boars was also detected. PMID:22575819
Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Wild Dr. Silke Schworm
Schubart, Christoph
Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Wild Dr. Silke Schworm Stephanie Hiltmann, M. A. Dipl.-Päd. Magdalena Würfl Schritten Prof. Dr. K.-P. Wild #12;Sekretariat des Lehrstuhls Prof. Wild Prof. Dr. K.-P. Wild #12;firstname.lastname@example.com Dr. Silke Schworm firstname.lastname@example.com Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Wild stephanie
An integrated assessment of wild vegetable resources in Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, China
Background This paper was based on ethnobotanical investigations conducted from 2004-2006 in Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of northern China. Today, due to their nutritious and relatively pollution-free characteristics, wild vegetables are playing an increasingly important role in peoples' health and well-being. This paper aims to provide scientific clues for the selection of special and high quality wild vegetables species. Methods An ethnobotanical study, consisting of a literature survey, open-ended and semi-structured interviews, and collection and identification of voucher specimens was carried out to gather information on wild vegetables in Inner Mongolia. Next, an integrated assessment of 90 species of wild vegetables was performed using the linearity weighted integrative mathematical analysis method. Results According to an integrated assessment of 90 species of wild vegetables in Inner Mongolia, there are 5 species with the highest integrated value, 40 species of high-integrated value, 43 species of general integrated value, and 2 species of low value. The results indicate that the vast majority of wild vegetables have high value in Inner Mongolia. Conclusions Inner Mongolia is rich in wild vegetable resources. A comprehensive assessment indicates that the vast majority of wild vegetables are of high value. However, these wild vegetables are seldom collected or cultivated by local people. Most of the collected species require further research and investigation into their nutrient content, toxicity and ethnobotany to illuminate their potential as new cultivars or products. PMID:21134268
NSDL National Science Digital Library
A new paper published in the journal Nature has proposed re-wilding North America by introducing populations of large animals from Africa related to ones that roamed the Great Plains during the Pleistocene era. This radio broadcast features discussion with one of the architects of this idea about the ecology of America 13,000 years ago; how large mammals interacted with the environment in ways important to biodiversity; how they are thought to have been driven to extinction by humans; and whether re-introduced large animals would fill their ancient niches or become invasive species. There is also discussion about the feasibility of using biotechnology to produce Woolly Mammoths from bone-extracted DNA. The broadcast is 21 minutes in length.
Population genetics of the wild yeast Saccharomyces paradoxus.
Johnson, Louise J; Koufopanou, Vassiliki; Goddard, Matthew R; Hetherington, Richard; Schäfer, Stefanie M; Burt, Austin
Saccharomyces paradoxus is the closest known relative of the well-known S. cerevisiae and an attractive model organism for population genetic and genomic studies. Here we characterize a set of 28 wild isolates from a 10-km(2) sampling area in southern England. All 28 isolates are homothallic (capable of mating-type switching) and wild type with respect to nutrient requirements. Nine wild isolates and two lab strains of S. paradoxus were surveyed for sequence variation at six loci totaling 7 kb, and all 28 wild isolates were then genotyped at seven polymorphic loci. These data were used to calculate nucleotide diversity and number of segregating sites in S. paradoxus and to investigate geographic differentiation, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium. Synonymous site diversity is approximately 0.3%. Extensive incompatibilities between gene genealogies indicate frequent recombination between unlinked loci, but there is no evidence of recombination within genes. Some localized clonal growth is apparent. The frequency of outcrossing relative to inbreeding is estimated at 1.1% on the basis of heterozygosity. Thus, all three modes of reproduction known in the lab (clonal replication, inbreeding, and outcrossing) have been important in molding genetic variation in this species. PMID:15020405
Edward Anderson
This article contributes to the debate of the meaning of relationalism and background independence, which has remained of interest in theoretical physics from Newton versus Leibniz through to foundational issues for today's leading candidate theories of quantum gravity. I contrast and compose the substantially different Leibniz--Mach--Barbour (LMB) and Rovelli--Crane (RC) uses of the word `relational'. Leibniz advocated primary timelessness and Mach that `time is to be abstracted from change'. I consider 3 distinct viewpoints on Machian time: Barbour's, Rovelli's and my own. I provide four expansions on Barbour's taking configuration space to be primary: to (perhaps a weakened notion of) phase space, categorizing, perspecting and propositioning. Categorizing means considering not only object spaces but also the corresponding morphisms and then functors between such pairs. Perspecting means considering the set of subsystem perspectives; this is an arena in which the LMB and Rovelli approaches make contact. By propositioning, I mean considering the set of propositions about a physical (sub)system. I argue against categorization being more than a formal pre-requisite for quantization in general; however, perspecting is a categorical operation, and propositioning leads one to considering topoi, with Isham and Doering's work represents one possibility for a mathematically sharp implementation of propositioning. Further applications of this article are arguing for Ashtekar variables as being relational in LMB as well as just the usually-ascribed RC sense, relationalism versus supersymmetry, string theory and M-theory. The question of whether scale is relational is also considered, with quantum cosmology in mind.
Genome Re-Sequencing of Semi-Wild Soybean Reveals a Complex Soja Population Structure and Deep Introgression
Wu, Sanling; Wang, Ying-Ying; Ye, Chu-Yu; Bai, Xuefei; Li, Zefeng; Yan, Chenghai; Wang, Weidi; Wang, Ziqiang; Shu, Qingyao; Xie, Jiahua; Lee, Suk-Ha; Fan, Longjiang
Semi-wild soybean is a unique type of soybean that retains both wild and domesticated characteristics, which provides an important intermediate type for understanding the evolution of the subgenus Soja population in the Glycine genus. In this study, a semi-wild soybean line (Maliaodou) and a wild line (Lanxi 1) collected from the lower Yangtze regions were deeply sequenced while nine other semi-wild lines were sequenced to a 3-fold genome coverage. Sequence analysis revealed that (1) no independent phylogenetic branch covering all 10 semi-wild lines was observed in the Soja phylogenetic tree; (2) besides two distinct subpopulations of wild and cultivated soybean in the Soja population structure, all semi-wild lines were mixed with some wild lines into a subpopulation rather than an independent one or an intermediate transition type of soybean domestication; (3) high heterozygous rates (0.19–0.49) were observed in several semi-wild lines; and (4) over 100 putative selective regions were identified by selective sweep analysis, including those related to the development of seed size. Our results suggested a hybridization origin for the semi-wild soybean, which makes a complex Soja population structure. PMID:25265539
Identifying the contribution of wild and hatchery Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) to the ocean fishery using otolith microstructure as natural tags
Rachel Barnett-Johnson; Churchill B. Grimes; Chantell F. Royer; Christopher J. Donohoe
Quantifying the contribution of wild (naturally spawned) and hatchery Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to the mixed-stock ocean fishery is critical to understanding their relative importance to the persistence of salmon stocks. The inability to distinguish hatchery and wild salmon has inhibited the detection of declines or recover- ies for many wild populations. By using Chinook salmon of known hatchery and
Fitness reduction and potential extinction of wild populations of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, as a result of interactions with escaped farm salmon
Philip McGinnity; Paulo Prodohl; Andy Ferguson; Rosaleen Hynes; N. o. Maoileidigh; Natalie Baker; Deirdre Cotter; Brendan O'Hea; Declan Cooke; Ger Rogan; John Taggart; Tom Cross
The high level of escapes from Atlantic salmon farms, up to two million fishes per year in the North Atlantic, has raised concern about the potential impact on wild populations. We report on a two- generation experiment examining the estimated lifetime successes, relative to wild natives, of farm, F1 and F2 hybrids and BC1 backcrosses to wild and farm salmon.
Anderson, Edward
This article contributes to the debate of the meaning of relationalism and background independence, which has remained of interest in theoretical physics from Newton versus Leibniz through to foundational issues for today's leading candidate theories of quantum gravity. I contrast and compose the substantially different Leibniz--Mach--Barbour (LMB) and Rovelli--Crane (RC) uses of the word `relational'. Leibniz advocated primary timelessness and Mach that `time is to be abstracted from change'. I consider 3 distinct viewpoints on Machian time: Barbour's, Rovelli's and my own. I provide four expansions on Barbour's taking configuration space to be primary: to (perhaps a weakened notion of) phase space, categorizing, perspecting and propositioning. Categorizing means considering not only object spaces but also the corresponding morphisms and then functors between such pairs. Perspecting means considering the set of subsystem perspectives; this is an arena in which the LMB and Rovelli approaches make contact. By ...
Influenza infection in wild raccoons
Hall, J.S.; Bentler, K.T.; Landolt, G.; Elmore, S.A.; Minnis, R.B.; Campbell, T.A.; Barras, S.C.; Root, J.J.; Pilon, J.; Pabilonia, K.; Driscoll, C.; Slate, D.; Sullivan, H.; McLean, R.G.
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are common, widely distributed animals that frequently come into contact with wild waterfowl, agricultural operations, and humans. Serosurveys showed that raccoons are exposed to avian influenza virus. We found antibodies to a variety of influenza virus subtypes (H10N7, H4N6, H4N2, H3, and H1) with wide geographic variation in seroprevalence. Experimental infection studies showed that raccoons become infected with avian and human influenza A viruses, shed and transmit virus to virus-free animals, and seroconvert. Analyses of cellular receptors showed that raccoons have avian and human type receptors with a similar distribution as found in human respiratory tracts. The potential exists for co-infection of multiple subtypes of influenza virus with genetic reassortment and creation of novel strains of influenza virus. Experimental and field data indicate that raccoons may play an important role in influenza disease ecology and pose risks to agriculture and human health.
Vocal communication of wild parrots
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bradbury, Jack
Field studies of four sympatric parrot species in Costa Rica are revealing several possible functions for the well-known ability of parrots to mimic new sounds throughout life. Despite earlier suggestions that this might facilitate exchanges of environmental information, all data so far suggest that vocal mimicry in the wild is associated with mediation of the fission/fusion of groups of parrots and/or of conflicts between mated pairs. Recent results using array recording and interactive playback will be summarized, and several technical problems created by the mechanisms of parrot vocal signal production discussed. [Research supported by NSF Grant IBN-022927 and by continued encouragement and logistics provided by the staff of the Area Conservacion Guanacaste (Costa Rica).
[Leukosis in captive wild birds].
Loupal, G
Among 2589 captive wild birds, examined between 1974 and 1983, we found leukosis in 26 birds belonging to 13 different species and five orders. We diagnosed lymphoid leukosis in 11 birds (two Melopsittacus undulatus, two Psittacus erithacus one Platycerus eximius, one Columba livia, one Streptopelia decaocto, one Polyplectron bicalcaratum, one Pavo cristatus, one Aptenodytes patachonia and one finch, species unknown), myeloid leukosis in 14 (nine Melopsittacus undulatus, two Agapomis personata fischeri, two Urgeainthus bengalus and one Neophemia pulchella) and stem cell leukosis in one bird (Serinus canaria). Among the cases with lymphoid leukosis we distinguished between lymphoblastic (four cases) and prolymphocytic forms (seven). Myeloid leukosis was subdivided into poorly differentiated (12 cases) and well differentiated myeloblastosis (two). PMID:18766880
Behavioural inbreeding avoidance in wild African elephants.
Archie, Elizabeth A; Hollister-Smith, Julie A; Poole, Joyce H; Lee, Phyllis C; Moss, Cynthia J; Maldonado, Jésus E; Fleischer, Robert C; Alberts, Susan C
The costs of inbreeding depression, as well as the opportunity costs of inbreeding avoidance, determine whether and which mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance evolve. In African elephants, sex-biased dispersal does not lead to the complete separation of male and female relatives, and so individuals may experience selection to recognize kin and avoid inbreeding. However, because estrous females are rare and male-male competition for mates is intense, the opportunity costs of inbreeding avoidance may be high, particularly for males. Here we combine 28 years of behavioural and demographic data on wild elephants with genotypes from 545 adult females, adult males, and calves in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, to test the hypothesis that elephants engage in sexual behaviour and reproduction with relatives less often than expected by chance. We found support for this hypothesis: males engaged in proportionally fewer sexual behaviours and sired proportionally fewer offspring with females that were natal family members or close genetic relatives (both maternal and paternal) than they did with nonkin. We discuss the relevance of these results for understanding the evolution of inbreeding avoidance and for elephant conservation. PMID:17784925
The irony of being Oscar: the legendary life and death of Oscar Wilde.
Mai, R; Rutka, J
In this second in a series of famous historic personages who suffered from ear disease (see Yardley M, Rutka J. Troy, Mycenae, and the Otologic Demise of Herr Heinrich Schliemann. J Otolaryngol 1998; 27:217-221), we review the life and otology-related death of the legendary playwright Oscar Wilde. In his time, Wilde ridiculed the social hypocrisy of the Victorian age, championed the individual, and pleaded for a more tolerant and forgiving society in his many books, plays, and letters. Very much the acerbic and iconoclastic wit, Wilde's private and later very public affair de coeur with Lord Alfred Douglas, the son of the Marquis of Queensberry, still continues to interest and paradoxically shock our sensitivities. Wilde's ultimate demise from an otogenic bacterial meningitis appears all the more ironic when one considers the role his father, Sir William Wilde, played as one of the founding fathers of modern otology. PMID:11003077
Heavy metal distribution in some wild birds from Korea.
Kim, Jungsoo; Shin, Ju-Ryul; Koo, Tae-Hoe
This study presents concentrations of heavy metals (manganese, zinc, lead, and cadmium) in tissues in six orders of Korean wild birds (n=37), 2000-2002. Zinc, manganese, lead, and cadmium concentrations in all tissues were highest in ancient murrelets (Synthliboramphus antiquus). Essential elements in Korean wild birds were within the normal range for wild birds and are maintained there by a normal homeostatic mechanism. Lead concentrations in livers of almost all birds were within the background levels. Cadmium concentrations in livers and kidneys of ancient murrelets exceeded background levels for wild birds, but other birds were within the normal range. Acute and chronic contaminations of lead and cadmium levels differed among groups (or species). We suggest that differences in lead and cadmium concentrations among groups are because of differences in diet and habitat. In ancient murrelets, zinc and manganese concentrations correlated with their cadmium concentration in livers. Zinc, manganese, and cadmium concentrations in murrelet livers were also higher than in other species. Therefore, we suggest that high zinc and manganese concentrations in ancient murrelets were related to their high cadmium concentrations. PMID:18574544
Nutritional Composition of Some Wild Edible Mushrooms
Ahmet Colak; Özlem Faiz
Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the nutritional content of some wild edible mushrooms from Turkey Trabzon-Maçka District. Methods: Eight different species of wild edible mushrooms (Craterellus cornuco- pioides (L.) P. Karst, Armillaria mellea (Vahl) P. Kumm., Sarcodon imbricatus (L.) P. Karst., Lycoperdon perlatum Pers., Lactarius volemus (Fr.) Fr., Ramaria flava (Schaeff.) Quél. Cantharellus cibarius Fr., Hydnum
Hepatozoon sp. in wild carnivores in Texas.
Mercer, S H; Jones, L P; Rappole, J H; Twedt, D; Lack, L L; Craig, T M
Twelve coyotes (Canis latrans), three bobcats (Lynx rufus) and six ocelots (Felis pardalis) from the Gulf Coast of Texas were infected with Hepatozoon sp. The geographic distribution of infected wild animals coincides with the highest prevalence of Hepatozoon canis infection in domestic dogs for which the wild species may act as a reservoir. PMID:3411720
Relationships among cultivated and wild lentils revealed by RAPD analysis
S. K. Sharma; I. K. Dawson; R. Waugh
RAPD markers were used to distinguish between six different Lens taxa, representing cultivated lentil and its wild relatives. Twenty-four arbitrary sequence 10-mer primers were identified which revealed robust and easily interpretable amplification-product profiles. These generated a total of 88 polymorphic bands in 54 accessions and were used to partition variation within and among Lens taxa. The data showed that, of
Muscle aging and oxidative stress in wild-caught shrews
Allyson G. Hindle; John M. Lawler; Kevin L. Campbell; Markus Horning
Red-toothed shrews (Soricidae, subfamily Soricinae) are an intriguing model system to examine the free-radical theory of aging in wild mammals, given their short (<18months) lifespan and high mass-specific metabolic rates. As muscle performance underlies both foraging ability and predator avoidance, any age-related decline should be detrimental to fitness and survival. Muscle samples of water shrews (Sorex palustris) and sympatrically distributed
The Viruses of Wild Pigeon Droppings
Phan, Tung Gia; Vo, Nguyen Phung; Boros, Ákos; Pankovics, Péter; Reuter, Gábor; Li, Olive T. W.; Wang, Chunling; Deng, Xutao; Poon, Leo L. M.; Delwart, Eric
Birds are frequent sources of emerging human infectious diseases. Viral particles were enriched from the feces of 51 wild urban pigeons (Columba livia) from Hong Kong and Hungary, their nucleic acids randomly amplified and then sequenced. We identified sequences from known and novel species from the viral families Circoviridae, Parvoviridae, Picornaviridae, Reoviridae, Adenovirus, Astroviridae, and Caliciviridae (listed in decreasing number of reads), as well as plant and insect viruses likely originating from consumed food. The near full genome of a new species of a proposed parvovirus genus provisionally called Aviparvovirus contained an unusually long middle ORF showing weak similarity to an ORF of unknown function from a fowl adenovirus. Picornaviruses found in both Asia and Europe that are distantly related to the turkey megrivirus and contained a highly divergent 2A1 region were named mesiviruses. All eleven segments of a novel rotavirus subgroup related to a chicken rotavirus in group G were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. This study provides an initial assessment of the enteric virome in the droppings of pigeons, a feral urban species with frequent human contact. PMID:24023772
American Experience: The Wild West
NSDL National Science Digital Library
In American history, the West is a place of fact, myth, legend, lore, larger-than-life individuals, and a host of other ideas and notions ripe for discussion and analysis. The PBS program "American Experience" takes all of this on in their series, "The Wild West". They have developed this complementary website which expands on some of the themes of each individual program by offering an interactive "American Frontiers" timeline for visitors, a teacher's guide to using these materials, and two full-length episodes from the series. The "American Frontiers" area allows users to scan through a timeline of important events that begins with the French and Indian War in 1754 and concludes with the annexation of Hawaii in 1898. Moving on, the site also includes "The Westernizer" which asks users to respond to a number of questions to determine what type of person they would have been in the American West. Finally, visitors can watch several episodes from the program in their entirety.
Wild deer management An issues paper to inform the
Wild deer management in Wales An issues paper to inform the preparation of a management strategy and action plan for wild deer in Wales #12;Contents Introduction and explanatory note.................................................... 3 1. Background: wild deer in Wales.................................................... 5 2. Current
Characterisation of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium isolates from wild birds in northern England from 2005 – 2006
Hughes, Laura A; Shopland, Sara; Wigley, Paul; Bradon, Hannah; Leatherbarrow, A Howard; Williams, Nicola J; Bennett, Malcolm; de Pinna, Elizabeth; Lawson, Becki; Cunningham, Andrew A; Chantrey, Julian
Background Several studies have shown that a number of serovars of Salmonella enterica may be isolated from wild birds, and it has been suggested that wild birds may play a role in the epidemiology of human and livestock salmonellosis. However, little is known about the relationship between wild bird S. enterica strains and human- and livestock- associated strains in the United Kingdom. Given the zoonotic potential of salmonellosis, the main aim of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of S. enterica infections in wild birds in the north of England and, in particular, to determine if wild bird isolates were similar to those associated with disease in livestock or humans. Results Thirty two Salmonella enterica isolates were collected from wild birds in northern England between February 2005 and October 2006, of which 29 were S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium); one S. Newport, one S. Senftenberg, and one isolate could not be classified by serotyping. Further analysis through phage typing and macro-restriction pulsed-field gel electrophoresis indicated that wild passerine deaths associated with salmonellosis were caused by closely-related S. Typhimurium isolates, some of which were clonal. These isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobials tested, capable of invading and persisting within avian macrophage-like HD11 cells in vitro, and contained a range of virulence factors associated with both systemic and enteric infections of birds and mammals. However, all the isolates lacked the sopE gene associated with some human and livestock disease outbreaks caused by S. Typhimurium. Conclusion The wild bird isolates of S. enterica characterised in this investigation may not represent a large zoonotic risk. Molecular characterisation of isolates suggested that S. Typhimurium infection in wild passerines is maintained within wild bird populations and the causative strains may be host-adapted. PMID:18230128
Australian Wild Rice Reveals Pre-Domestication Origin of Polymorphism Deserts in Rice Genome
Krishnan S., Gopala; Waters, Daniel L. E.; Henry, Robert J.
Background Rice is a major source of human food with a predominantly Asian production base. Domestication involved selection of traits that are desirable for agriculture and to human consumers. Wild relatives of crop plants are a source of useful variation which is of immense value for crop improvement. Australian wild rices have been isolated from the impacts of domestication in Asia and represents a source of novel diversity for global rice improvement. Oryza rufipogon is a perennial wild progenitor of cultivated rice. Oryza meridionalis is a related annual species in Australia. Results We have examined the sequence of the genomes of AA genome wild rices from Australia that are close relatives of cultivated rice through whole genome re-sequencing. Assembly of the resequencing data to the O. sativa ssp. japonica cv. Nipponbare shows that Australian wild rices possess 2.5 times more single nucleotide polymorphisms than in the Asian wild rice and cultivated O. sativa ssp. indica. Analysis of the genome of domesticated rice reveals regions of low diversity that show very little variation (polymorphism deserts). Both the perennial and annual wild rice from Australia show a high degree of conservation of sequence with that found in cultivated rice in the same 4.58Mbp region on chromosome 5, which suggests that some of the 'polymorphism deserts' in this and other parts of the rice genome may have originated prior to domestication due to natural selection. Conclusions Analysis of genes in the 'polymorphism deserts' indicates that this selection may have been due to biotic or abiotic stress in the environment of early rice relatives. Despite having closely related sequences in these genome regions, the Australian wild populations represent an invaluable source of diversity supporting rice food security. PMID:24905808
Wild Steelhead Studies, 1993 Annual Report.
Holubetz, Terry B.
Significant progress was attained in implementing the complex and challenging studies of wild steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss production in Idaho. Study sites were selected and techniques were developed to collect the needed data in remote wilderness locations. Cursory examination of existing data provides indication that most wild steelhead stocks are under escaped, especially the Group B stocks. Abundance of wild steelhead is generally declining in recent years. The portable weir concept and electronic fish counting developed through this project have been well received by land owners and reviewing governmental agencies with less impact to the land, stream, and fishery resources than conventional permanent weirs.
Abstract The fitness of crop-wild hybrids can influence gene flow between crop and wild populations. Seed pre-
Snow, Allison A.
predation, seeds were collect- ed from wild sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) and wild×crop F1 hybrids Crop-wild hybridization · Seed predation · Sunflower · Helianthus annuus Introduction Gene flow between
Pancreatitis in wild zinc-poisoned waterfowl
Sileo, L.; Beyer, W.N.; Mateo, R.
Four waterfowl were collected in the Tri-State Mining District (Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, USA), an area known to be contaminated with lead, cadmium and zinc (Zn). They were part of a larger group of 20 waterfowl collected to determine the exposure of birds to metal contamination at the site. The four waterfowl (three Branta canadensis, one Anas platyrhynchos) had mild to severe degenerative abnormalities of the exocrine pancreas, as well as tissue (pancreas, liver) concentrations of Zn that were considered toxic. The mildest condition was characterized by generalized atrophy of exocrine cells that exhibited cytoplasmic vacuoles and a relative lack of zymogen. The most severe condition was characterized by acini with distended lumens and hyperplastic exocrine tissue that completely lacked zymogen; these acini were widely separated by immature fibrous tissue. Because the lesions were nearly identical to the lesions reported in chickens and captive waterfowl that had been poisoned with ingested Zn, and because the concentrations of Zn in the pancreas and liver of the four birds were consistent with the concentrations measured in Zn-poisoned birds, we concluded that these waterfowl were poisoned by Zn. This may be the first reported case of zinc poisoning in free-ranging wild birds poisoned by environmental Zn.
Pancreatitis in wild zinc-poisoned waterfowl
Sileo, L.; Beyer, W.N.; Mateo, R.
Four waterfowl were collected in the TriState Mining District (Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, USA), an area known to be contaminated with lead, cadmium and zinc (Zn). They were part of a larger group of 20 waterfowl collected to determine the exposure of birds to metal contamination at the site. The four waterfowl (three Branta canadensis, one Anas platyrhynchos) had mild to severe degenerative abnormalities of the exocrine pancreas, as well as tissue (pancreas, liver) concentrations of Zn that were considered toxic. The mildest condition was characterized by generalized atrophy of exocrine cells that exhibited cytoplasmic vacuoles and a relative lack of zymogen. The most severe condition was characterized by acini with distended lumens and hyperplastic exocrine tissue that completely lacked zymogen; these acini were widely separated by immature fibrous tissue. Because the lesions were nearly identical to the lesions reported in chickens and captive waterfowl that had been poisoned with ingested Zn, and because the concentrations of Zn in the pancreas and liver of the four birds were consistent with the concentrations measured in Zn-poisoned birds, we concluded that these waterfowl were poisoned by Zn. This may be the first reported case of zinc poisoning in free-ranging wild birds poisoned by environmental Zn.
Fluctuating food resources influence developmental plasticity in wild boar.
Gamelon, Marlčne; Douhard, Mathieu; Baubet, Eric; Gimenez, Olivier; Brandt, Serge; Gaillard, Jean-Michel
To maximize long-term average reproductive success, individuals can diversify the phenotypes of offspring produced within a reproductive event by displaying the 'coin-flipping' tactic. Wild boar (Sus scrofa scrofa) females have been reported to adopt this tactic. However, whether the magnitude of developmental plasticity within a litter depends on stochasticity in food resources has not been yet investigated. From long-term monitoring, we found that juvenile females produced similar-sized fetuses within a litter independent of food availability. By contrast, adult females adjusted their relative allocation to littermates to the amount of food resources, by providing a similar allocation to all littermates in years of poor food resources but producing highly diversified offspring phenotypes within a litter in years of abundant food resources. By minimizing sibling rivalry, such a plastic reproductive tactic allows adult wild boar females to maximize the number of littermates for a given breeding event. PMID:23904566
Many experts have concluded that wild salmon recovery efforts in western North America (especially California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and southern British Columbia), as earnest, expensive, and socially disruptive as they currently are, do not appear likely to sustain biologic...
Learning to Walk on the Wild Side
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Faught, Jon
A program at Moorpark Community College, in Moorpark, California, offers a two-and-a-half-year major in Exotic Animal Training and Management. Emphasis is on the practical, everyday handling and training of wild animals. (LBH)
Vaccinating captive chimpanzees to save wild chimpanzees
Warfield, Kelly L.; Goetzmann, Jason E.; Biggins, Julia E.; Kasda, Mary Beth; Unfer, Robert C.; Vu, Hong; Aman, M. Javad; Olinger, Gene Gerrard; Walsh, Peter D.
Infectious disease has only recently been recognized as a major threat to the survival of Endangered chimpanzees and Critically Endangered gorillas in the wild. One potentially powerful tool, vaccination, has not been deployed in fighting this disease threat, in good part because of fears about vaccine safety. Here we report on what is, to our knowledge, the first trial in which captive chimpanzees were used to test a vaccine intended for use on wild apes rather than humans. We tested a virus-like particle vaccine against Ebola virus, a leading source of death in wild gorillas and chimpanzees. The vaccine was safe and immunogenic. Captive trials of other vaccines and of methods for vaccine delivery hold great potential as weapons in the fight against wild ape extinction. PMID:24912183
Porcine teschovirus in wild boars in Hungary
Boros, Ákos; Nemes, Csaba; Pankovics, Péter; Kapusinszky, Beatrix; Delwart, Eric; Reuter, Gábor
The genus Teschovirus, family Picornaviridae, currently includes 12 serotypes (PTV 1 to 12) isolated from swine. PTVs have been well studied in domestic pigs, but knowledge about PTVs in wild boars is deficient. Here, we report the first complete PTV genome sequence from 7 (70%) of 10 fecal samples of wild boar piglets (Sus scrofa) by RT-PCR and pyrosequencing. Analysis of the wild boar PTV strain WB2C-TV/2011/HUN (JQ429405) showed considerable difference, especially in VP1 (66–74% amino acid identity) compared to the available PTVs. PTV is present in wild boars, and WB2C-TV/2011/HUN represents a novel PTV genotype, provisionally named PTV-13. PMID:22569887
Arvind Singh; A. Pavani Sowjanya; Gayatri Ramakrishna
The cellular Ras is known to play an important role in cellular proliferation mediated by growth factor receptor. Evidence also points to its role in growth arrest. Substantiated proof for growth-sup- pressive activity of wild-type Ras comes from studies that showed 1) loss of wild-type ras allele in tumors, 2) suppression of growth in cells transformed by onco- genic ras
Earliest wild-man sculptures in France
John Tchalenko
Depictions of the wild man in manuscript illuminations date back to A.D. 1000 or even earlier, but the oldest known sculputure is from the mid-thirteenth-century Notre-Dame de Semur-en-Auxois (Côte d'Or). An analysis of this wild man in the context of two adjacent figures and the sculpted tympanum behind them identifies him as the Old Testament character, Esau, and suggests that
Food preferences of wild house-mice (Mus musclus L).
Rowe, F P; Bradfield, A; Redfern, R
The relative acceptance of various plain foods by wild house-mice (Mus musculus L.) was compared in laboratory choice tests. The palatability of glycerine and six oils, each included at 5% in pinhead oatmeal, was compared in a similar manner.The most favoured food was found to be whole canary seed (Phalaris canariensis). Pinhead oatmeal and wheat were also comparatively well accepted. Glycerine, corn oil, arachis oil and mineral oil were more palatable than either olive, linseed or cod-liver oils.The results of the choice tests are considered in relation to the use of poison baits for the control of free-living mice. PMID:4531454
Food preferences of wild house-mice (Mus musculus L.)*
Rowe, F. P.; Bradfield, A.; Redfern, R.
The relative acceptance of various plain foods by wild house-mice (Mus musculus L.) was compared in laboratory choice tests. The palatability of glycerine and six oils, each included at 5% in pinhead oatmeal, was compared in a similar manner. The most favoured food was found to be whole canary seed (Phalaris canariensis). Pinhead oatmeal and wheat were also comparatively well accepted. Glycerine, corn oil, arachis oil and mineral oil were more palatable than either olive, linseed or cod-liver oils. The results of the choice tests are considered in relation to the use of poison baits for the control of free-living mice. PMID:4531454
Brain cholinesterase activity of apparently normal wild birds
Hill, E.F.
Organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides are potent anticholinesterase substances that have killed large numbers of wild birds of various species. Cause of death is diagnosed by demonstration of depressed brain cholinesterase (ChE) activity in combination with chemical detection of anticholinesterase residue in the affected specimen. ChE depression is determined by comparison of the affected specimen to normal ChE activity for a sample of control specimens of the same species, but timely procurement of controls is not always possible. Therefore, a reference file of normal whole brain ChE activity is provided for 48 species of wild birds from North America representing 11 orders and 23 families for use as emergency substitutes in diagnosis of anticholinesterase poisoning. The ChE values, based on 83 sets of wild control specimens from across the United States, are reproducible provided the described procedures are duplicated. Overall, whole brain ChE activity varied nearly three-fold among the 48 species represented, but it was usually similar for closely related species. However, some species were statistically separable in most families and some species of the same genus differed as much as 50%.
Ergot alkaloids in Norwegian wild grasses: a mass spectrometric approach.
Uhlig, Silvio; Vikřren, Turid; Ivanova, Lada; Handeland, Kjell
Ergot alkaloids are mycotoxins which are produced among fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae. Poisoning with ergot alkaloids is an important veterinary problem in animal husbandry and has recently also been recognised in wild animals. While the poisoning syndrome observed in domestic animals such as cattle, horses and sheep is usually caused by endophyte-infected grass, the recently observed ergotism among Norwegian cervids is probably due to infection of wild grasses with Claviceps. Mass spectrometry is today the method of choice for the rapid qualitative and quantitative determination of many natural compounds. This study uses tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry as well as ion trap mass spectrometry in connection with electrospray(+) ionisation for the quantification, screening and fragmentation of ergot alkaloids in extracts from Claviceps sclerotia that had been picked from wild grasses from several locations in Norway. Ergotamine, ergovaline, ergonovine and ergocryptine were available as standards and were quantified in the extracts, while ergocrystine, ergocornine, ergonine/ergosine, lysergic acid and lysergol were identified on the basis of their molecular weights and semi-quantified. Ergocrystine dominated the alkaloid spectrum of most extracts. Levels of the quantified alkaloids were in the range 0.2-9300 microg/g. Several unknown ergot alkaloids were found in the extracts. MS(n) experiments identified some as simple lysergic acid amide derivatives, while othes are probably related to ergocrystine and ergocryptine by dehydration, dehydrogenation and/or amino acid substitution at R(1) of the peptide moiety. PMID:17465016
Immune responses of wild birds to emerging infectious diseases.
Staley, M; Bonneaud, C
Over the past several decades, outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in wild birds have attracted worldwide media attention, either because of their extreme virulence or because of alarming spillovers into agricultural animals or humans. The pathogens involved have been found to infect a variety of bird hosts ranging from relatively few species (e.g. Trichomonas gallinae) to hundreds of species (e.g. West Nile Virus). Here we review and contrast the immune responses that wild birds are able to mount against these novel pathogens. We discuss the extent to which these responses are associated with reduced clinical symptoms, pathogen load and mortality, or conversely, how they can be linked to worsened pathology and reduced survival. We then investigate how immune responses to EIDs can evolve over time in response to pathogen-driven selection using the illustrative case study of the epizootic outbreak of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in wild North American house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). We highlight the need for future work to take advantage of the substantial inter- and intraspecific variation in disease progression and outcome following infections with EID to elucidate the extent to which immune responses confer increased resistance through pathogen clearance or may instead heighten pathogenesis. PMID:25847450
Comparative metabolite profiling of Solanum tuberosum against six wild Solanum species with Colorado potato beetle resistance.
Tai, Helen H; Worrall, Kraig; Pelletier, Yvan; De Koeyer, David; Calhoun, Larry A
The Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (CPB) is a coleopteran herbivore that feeds on the foliage on Solanum species, in particular, potato. Six resistant wild Solanum species were identified, and two of these species had low levels of glycoalkaloids. Comparative analysis of the untargeted metabolite profiles of the foliage using UPLC-qTOF-MS was done to find metabolites shared between the wild species but not with Solanum tuberosum (L.) to identify resistance-related metabolites. It was found that only S. tuberosum produced the triose glycoalkaloids solanine and chaconine. Instead, the six wild species produced glycoalkaloids that shared in common tetrose sugar side chains. Additionally, there were non-glycoalkaloid metabolites associated with resistance including hydroxycoumarin and a phenylpropanoid, which were produced in all wild species but not in S. tuberosum. PMID:25144460
Characterization of a novel porcine enterovirus in wild boars in Hungary
Boros, Ákos; Nemes, Csaba; Pankovics, Péter; Bíró, Hunor; Kapusinszky, Beatrix; Delwart, Eric; Reuter, Gábor
Porcine enteroviruses (PEVs) are members of the family Picornaviridae, genus Enterovirus. Until now, only three different PEV genotypes (PEV-9 and -10, and PEV-3H/PEV-14) have been detected in domestic pigs, and there is no information about the presence of PEVs in wild animals. Here, we identify and characterize the complete genomes of PEV originated from 5 of 10 (50%) of wild boar (Sus scrofa) piglets by RT-PCR and pyrosequencing. Wild boar/WBD/2011/HUN (JN807387) PEV showed only 67% amino acid identity in VP1 compared to the most closely related prototype PEV-3H/PEV-14. Wild boar enterovirus represents a novel PEV genotype, provisionally called PEV-15. PMID:22350652
Effects of Wild Juvenile Spring Chinook Salmon on Growth and Abundance of Wild Rainbow Trout
Geoffrey A. McMichael; Todd N. Pearsons
We investigated some of the ecological impacts to rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss that could occur by supplementing spring chinook salmon O. tshawytscha in the upper Yakima River basin, Washington. Controlled field experiments conducted in three different streams indicated that presence of wild juvenile spring chinook salmon did not adversely affect growth of wild rainbow trout in high-elevation tributaries. Experiments at
Nowzari et al. Habitat Associations of Persian Wild Ass in Iran HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS OF PERSIAN WILD
Rubenstein, Daniel I.
25 Nowzari et al. · Habitat Associations of Persian Wild Ass in Iran HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS OF PERSIAN WILD ASS (EQUUS HEMIONUS ONAGER) IN QA- TROUYEH NATIONAL PARK, IRAN HANIYEH NOWZARI, Department of the IVth International Wildlife Management Congress: 25-30, 2013 Horses, zebras and asses, members
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Some Glycine accessions are intermediate between the standard phenotypes of G. ma and G. soja and have been labeled semi-wild. Few studies have examined both the genetic and phenotypic relationships among G. soja, G. max, and semi-wild types by combining morphological traits and DNA markers. The ob...
Wide hybridization between Brazilian soybean cultivars and wild perennial relatives
M. H. Bodanese-Zanettini; M. S. Lauxen; S. N. C. Richter; S. Cavalli-Molina; C. E. Lange; P. J. Wang; C. Y. Hu
Employing a different culture strategy, we obtained a greatly improved frequency of embryo rescue in intersubgeneric soybean hybrids. Successful crosses were obtained in 31 different genotype combinations between nine Brazilian soybean lines as the female parents and 12 accessions from Glycine canescens, G. microphylla, G. tabacina and G. tomentella. The hybrid pod retention rate dropped to about 10% during the
Manuscripts and Letters of Oscar Wilde
NSDL National Science Digital Library
The Morgan Library in New York City presents a digital version of a slim (50 handwritten pages) bound volume of manuscripts and letters by Oscar Wilde. The volume has an interesting provenance, since it came to the Library through the family of Lord Alfred Douglas, Wilde's lover. Wilde sued Douglas' father, John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, for libel, but the trial served to make public salacious details of Wilde's private life, which eventually led to his conviction and imprisonment on charges of indecency. Ironically, the volume's cover is stamped with the Marquess of Queensberry crest, since the letters and manuscripts within were collected by the eleventh Marquess of Queensberry, grandson of John Sholto Douglas. A letter documenting the start of Wilde and Alfred Douglas relationship, written around November 1892, is in the book, as well as manuscript versions of "The Doer of Good," "The Disciple," "The Master," "The House of Judgment," and "The Artist." The "read this page" feature of the web site translates the handwritten pages into easier-to-read typescript.
Molecular identification of trypanosomatids in wild animals.
Tenório, M S; Oliveira e Sousa, L; Alves-Martin, M F; Paixăo, M S; Rodrigues, M V; Starke-Buzetti, W A; Araújo Junior, J P; Lucheis, S B
Diverse wild animal species can be reservoirs of zoonotic flagellate parasites, which can cause pathologic Chagas disease. The present study aimed to detect the natural occurrence of flagellate parasites through direct microscopic examination of the parasites in blood samples and through PCR of whole blood and blood culture (haemoculture) samples from 38 captive and 65 free-living wild animals in the Centre for Conservation of Wild Fauna (CCWF), an area endemic for leishmaniasis. For this study, PCR was accomplished using primers for the ribosomal region (ITS-1) of the flagellate parasites. The amplified fragments were cloned and sequenced to identify DNA of the Trypanosomatid parasite species, observed in blood cultures from 3.9% (04/103) of the animals. Through these techniques, Trypanosoma cruzi was identified in haemoculture samples of the following three free-living species: common agouti (Dasyprocta aguti), white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris), and nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). Furthermore, Trypanosoma minasense was identified in whole blood samples from 01 (0.9%) captive animal (black howler monkey-Alouatta caraya). These results demonstrated the first report of T. cruzi isolation in wild species from the CCWF using blood culture, which can be applied in addition to molecular tools for epidemiological studies and to identify trypanosomatids in wild animals. PMID:24636787
Evolutionary ecology of the wild cereals
Blumler, M.A.
The evolutionary ecology of the Near Eastern wild cereal grasses sheds light on the environmental conditions under which the Neolithic Revolution took place. Globally, as well as in the Near East, the annual habit, large seed size, and seasonal drought are associated with each other and with agricultural origins. The connection with agricultural appears to involve ease of cultivation and necessity for seasonal storage rather than hunter-gatherer preference for large seeds. The Near Eastern wild cereal species separate ecologically according to seasonality of precipitation, primarily, though there may also be minor differences in temperature and edaphic tolerances. This reflects the evolution, over the course of the Quaternary, of species with increased seed size in response to increasingly pronounced seasonal drought. Wild emmer and wild barley, the progenitors of perhaps the very first domesticates, are evolutionary monstrosities that represent the culmination of this trend. The possibly complex changes in seasonality, aridity, and atmospheric CO2 during the millenia leading up to the Neolithic should have produced equally complex, but to some extent predictable, changes in the abundance and distribution of the different wild cereal species.
Function of loud calls in wild bonobos.
White, Frances; Waller, Michel; Boose, Klaree; Merrill, Michelle; Wood, Kimberley
Under the social origins hypothesis, human language is thought to have evolved within the framework of non-human primate social contexts and relationships. Our two closest relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, however, have very different social relationships and this may be reflected in their use of loud calls. Much of loud calling in the male-bonded and aggressive chimpanzee functions for male alliance formation and intercommunity aggression. Bonobos, however, are female bonded and less aggressive and little is known on the use and function of their loud calls. Data on frequencies, context, and locations of vocalizations were collected for wild bonobos, Pan paniscus, at the Lomako Forest study site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1983 to 2009. Both males and females participated in loud calls used for inter-party communication. Calling and response rates by both males and females were higher during party fusion than party fission and were common at evening nesting. The distribution of loud calls within the community range of loud calls was not random with males calling significantly more towards the periphery of the range and females calling significantly more in central areas. Calling and party fission were common at food patches. Responses were more frequent for female calls than for male calls. Calling, followed by fusion, was more frequent when a small party called from a large patch. We conclude that bonobo females and males loud calls can function in inter-party communication to call others to large food patches. Females call to attract potential allies and males call to attract potential mates. Our results support the social hypothesis of the origin of language because differences in the function and use of loud calls reflect the differing social systems of chimpanzees and bonobos. Bonobo loud calls are important for female communication and function in party coordination and, unlike chimpanzees, are less important in male cooperative aggression. PMID:25324464
The WildList Organization International
NSDL National Science Digital Library
The WildList is a free list of all known computer viruses that are spreading in the world, as compiled by volunteer antivirus experts of the WildList Organization International. It is updated monthly and, as one can imagine, is quite lengthy. The site has many other interesting features besides the list. For example, a somewhat humorous article by the WildList's founder describes his views on "how scientific naming works" for computer viruses. Several other papers are also offered that deal with virus issues. Some links to sites that test products or describe viruses are given as well. This site takes a very objective approach to releasing information and, therefore, does not endorse any particular antivirus software.
Avian influenza surveillance of wild birds
Slota, Paul
The President's National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza directs federal agencies to expand the surveillance of United States domestic livestock and wildlife to ensure early warning of hightly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the U.S. The immediate concern is a potential introduction of HPAI H5N1 virus into the U.S. The presidential directive resulted in the U.S. Interagency Strategic Plan for Early Detection of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Migratory Birds (referred to as the Wild Bird Surveillance Plan or the Plan).
A global model of avian influenza prediction in wild birds: the importance of northern regions
Avian influenza virus (AIV) is enzootic to wild birds, which are its natural reservoir. The virus exhibits a large degree of genetic diversity and most of the isolated strains are of low pathogenicity to poultry. Although AIV is nearly ubiquitous in wild bird populations, highly pathogenic H5N1 subtypes in poultry have been the focus of most modeling efforts. To better understand viral ecology of AIV, a predictive model should 1) include wild birds, 2) include all isolated subtypes, and 3) cover the host's natural range, unbounded by artificial country borders. As of this writing, there are few large-scale predictive models of AIV in wild birds. We used the Random Forests algorithm, an ensemble data-mining machine-learning method, to develop a global-scale predictive map of AIV, identify important predictors, and describe the environmental niche of AIV in wild bird populations. The model has an accuracy of 0.79 and identified northern areas as having the highest relative predicted risk of outbreak. The primary niche was described as regions of low annual rainfall and low temperatures. This study is the first global-scale model of low-pathogenicity avian influenza in wild birds and underscores the importance of largely unstudied northern regions in the persistence of AIV. PMID:23763792
Roles of maternal effects and nuclear genetic composition change across the life cycle of crop-wild hybrids.
Alexander, Helen M; Emry, D Jason; Pace, Brian A; Kost, Matthew A; Sparks, Kathryn A; Mercer, Kristin L
• Premise of the study: The fitness of an offspring may depend on its nuclear genetic composition (via both parental genotypes) as well as on genetic maternal effects (via only the maternal parent). Understanding the relative importance of these two genetic factors is particularly important for research on crop-wild hybridization, since traits with important genetic maternal effects (e.g., seed size) often differ among crops and their relatives. We hypothesized that the effects of these genetic factors on fitness components would change across the life cycle of hybrids.• Methods: We followed seed, plant size, and reproductive traits in field experiments with wild and four crop-wild hybrids of sunflower (Helianthus annuus), which differed in nuclear genetic composition and maternal parent (wild or F1 hybrid).• Key results: We identified strong genetic maternal effects for early life cycle characteristics, with seeds produced on an F1 mother having premature germination, negligible seed dormancy, and greater seedling size. Increased percentages of crop alleles also increased premature germination and reduced dormancy in seeds produced on a wild mother. For mature plants, nuclear genetic composition dominated: greater percentages of crop alleles reduced height, branching, and fecundity.• Conclusions: Particular backcrosses between hybrids and wilds may differentially facilitate movement of crop alleles into wild populations due to their specific features. For example, backcross seeds produced on wild mothers can persist in the seed bank, illustrating the importance of genetic maternal effects, whereas backcross individuals with either wild or F1 mothers have high fecundity, resulting from their wild-like nuclear genetic composition. PMID:25016007
Wild bees visiting cucumber on midwestern U.S. organic farms benefit from near-farm semi-natural areas.
Smith, A A; Bentley, M; Reynolds, H L
Wild bees that provide pollination services to vegetable crops depend on forage resources, nesting sites, and overwintering sites in the agricultural landscape. The scale at which crop-visiting bees use resources in the landscape can vary regionally, and has not been characterized in the Midwestern United States. We investigated the effects of seminatural land cover on wild bee visitation frequency to cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and on wild bee species richness on 10 organic farms in Indiana. We estimated the spatial scale at which the effects of land cover were strongest, and also examined the effects of nonlandscape factors on wild bees. The visitation frequency of wild bees to cucumber was positively related to the proportion of seminatural land in the surrounding landscape, and this relationship was strongest within 250 m of the cucumber patch. The species richness of wild cucumber visitors was not affected by land cover at any spatial scale, nor by any of the nonlandscape factors we considered. Our results indicate that wild, crop visiting bees benefit from seminatural areas in the agricultural landscape, and benefit most strongly from seminatural areas within 250 m of the crop field. This suggests that setting aside natural areas in the near vicinity of vegetable fields may be an effective way to support wild, crop-visiting bees and secure their pollination services. PMID:23448020
Germination Requirements Vary in Wild Rubus Species
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Seeds of blackberry and raspberry have a deep dormancy caused by one or more mechanisms. Rubus seeds are normally enclosed in a hard endocarp that is a major constraint for their germination. To better define the germination requirements of wild species we examined the effect of two scarification ...
Maple Sugar Harvesting/Wild Rice Harvesting.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Minneapolis Public Schools, MN.
Comprised of two separate booklets, this resource unit assists elementary teachers in explaining how the Ojibwe people harvest maple sugar and wild rice. The first booklet explains the procedure of tapping the maple trees for sap, preparation for boiling the sap, and the three forms the sugar is made into (granulated, "molded," and "taffy"). The…
Answering the Call of the Wild.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dyer, Daniel
Recounts a teacher's experience during his sabbatical leave of visiting the country about which Jack London wrote in "Call of the Wild" and other books. The journey which was initiated to learn more about the author and gather interesting teaching materials for teaching Literature. (NH)
Mercury poisoning in a wild mink
Mercury poisoning was diagnosed in a clinically-ill wild mink (Mustela vision) on the basis of clinical signs, histopathologic lesions and tissue mercury concentrations. The probable source of mercury was through ingestion of fish from the nearby South Saskatchewan River which is known to be contaminated with mercury. This is believed to be the first documented case of mercury intoxication of
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The book 'Wild Berries of the West' is reviewed. The book is a comfortable field guide to the commonly found berry-type fruits of western North America. This book combines photographs for use as a field guide, ethnobotanical information concerning plant lore, and recipes for using native berries. ...
Trade of Main Wild Berries in Finland
Kari Kangas
The price trends and markets of the main wild berries, bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.), were analysed in this study, which covered both domestic use of berries, imports and exports. The periods considered were for bilberries from 1988 to 1997 and for lingonberries from 1979 to 1994. The results indicated that both exports and imports
Some remarks on the African wild ass
Bemmel van A. C. V
INTRODUCTION Without any doubt the African Wild Ass should be considered a species threatened with extinction. Therefore, it seems worth-while to collect as many data on this species as possible and to do this quickly. Data and material, however, are scarce. Many sportsmen and zoologists observed the animal in natural conditions and hardly any book or paper on the wildlife
Mayaro Virus in Wild Mammals, French Guiana
de Thoisy, Benoît; Gardon, Jacques; Salas, Rosa Alba; Morvan, Jacques
A serologic survey for Mayaro virus (Alphavirus, Togaviridae) in 28 wild nonflying forest mammal species in French Guiana showed a prevalence ranging from 0% to 52% and increasing with age. Species active during the day and those who spent time in trees were significantly more infected, results consistent with transmission implicating diurnal mosquitoes and continuous infectious pressure. PMID:14609474
Sunflower germplasm development utilizing wild Helianthus species
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The narrow genetic base of cultivated sunflower has been broadened by the infusion of genes from the wild species, which have provided a continued source of agronomic traits for crop improvement. The genus Helianthus comprises 51 species (14 annual and 37 perennial), all native to North America. The...
"Wild Beasts" Roam the Art Room
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thompson, Virginia P.
Fauvism is a style of painting based on the use of intensely vivid colors that were not natural to the faces, landscapes and objects being painted. It was how artists expressed themselves during the first decade of the 20th century, and lasted only a short time. The artists were called "les Fauves," which means "the wild beasts." In this article,…
State Department Report: Wilde Lake High School.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wilde Lake High School, Columbia, MD.
The report describes general education courses offered at Wilde Lake High School--a school that maintains a flexible environment conducive to learning and hopefully fosters individual development and growth. The aim of the school is to create an environment that helps students: adjust and cope with their environment outside the school; develop…
"The Call of the Wild": Thematic Unit.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Prinsen, Tammy
This unit intends for students to explore various literary devices such as theme, characterization, and vocabulary while they read Jack London's "The Call of the Wild." While reading this text, students will explore the relationship of these devices in connection to the unit's overall theme: survival. Students will be exposed to history, new…
M. E. Taylor; R. P. Bio; P. McKee
A wild ruminant study was undertaken at the Brenda Mines site in 1999 to determine the numbers of mule deer and whether they showed symptoms of molybdenosis. About 32 mule deer were estimated to utilise the site during the summer. This number included both breeding and non- breeding adults and fawns. Because animals tend to return to familiar summer home
Lynne Cherry's "A River Ran Wild."
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ledford, Carolyn; Brent, Rebecca
Paraphrases the book "A River Ran Wild" by Lynne Cherry, contrasts how Native American and European settlers use a river, and discusses the pollution and cleanup of the river. Provides classroom discussion questions, and individual or group activities in language arts, art, role-playing, geography, and interviewing. Includes an annotated…
CIIE Symposium on Wild Immunology 30th June 2011
Maizels, Rick
CIIE Symposium on Wild Immunology 30th June 2011 Lecture Theatre 3, Ashworth Labs, Edinburgh All (University of Edinburgh): An introduction to Wild Immunology 10:15 Jan Bradley (University of Nottingham
RioGrande Wild Turkey Life History and Management Calendar
Locke, Shawn; Cathey, James; Collier, Bret; Hardin, Jason
This calendar is for landowners and managers who want to manage and improve their wild turkey habitat. The calendar is in easy-to-follow chart form and shows important annual events pertaining to wild turkey life history, habitat management...
Original article Competitive ability of wheat cultivars with wild oats
Paris-Sud XI, Université de
Original article Competitive ability of wheat cultivars with wild oats depending on nitrogen In a field experiment, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grew with the infesting weed wild oat (Avena sterilis ssp
Original article Pattern of nectar secretion in wild cherry, Prunus
Paris-Sud XI, Université de
Original article Pattern of nectar secretion in wild cherry, Prunus puddum Roxb, and the associated and their presence is of utmost importance for beekeeping in Himachal Pradesh, India. Wild cherry, Prunus pud- dum
Habitat Appraisal Guide for Rio Grande Wild Turkey
Cathey, James; Locke, Shawn; Ransom, Dean; DeMaso, Stephen; Schwertner, T. Wayne; Collier, Bret
Squirreltail grass Catnip noseburn Littleleaf sumac Tasajillo Croton Lotebush Texas cup grass Ephedra Milk vetch Tobosa grass Evening primrose Panic grass Walnut Filaree Pecan White tridens Gaura Pigeonberry Wild mercury Grama grasses Plantago Wild onion...
Rio Grande Wild Turkey in Texas: Biology and Management
Cathey, James; Melton, Kyle; Dreibelbis, Justin; Cavney, Bob; Locke, Shawn; DeMaso, Stephen; Schwertner, T. Wayne; Collier, Bret
plantago wild onion juniper rescuegrass walnut ground-cherry pigeonberry filaree wild mercury silverleaf nightshade ephedra honey mesquite gaura pecan agarita sand dropseed green matter lotebrush catnip noseburn bladderpod tobosa panicgrass evening...
Ethnopharmacological survey of wild medicinal plants in Showbak, Jordan.
Al-Qura'n, S
Two main research questions are framing this investigation: (1) the main taxa of the medicinal importance value altered the Showbak forest stand and species composition? (2) The most safe species and what are the toxic ones (unsafe). These two research questions are the vital ones to draw a clear image about the wild medicinal plants of this investigated area of Showbak region in Jordan. 79 wild medicinal plant species were investigated in this study which are used in traditional medication for the treatment of various diseases. Most of the locals interviewed dealt with well-known safe medicinal plants such as Aaronsohnia factorovskyi Warb. et Eig., Achillea santolina L., Adiantum capillus-veneris L., Artemisia herba-alba L., Ceratonia siliqua L., Clematis recta L., Herniaria hirsuta L., Malva neglecta Wallr., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Ruta chalepensis L., Salvia triloba L., Sarcopoterium spinosa (L.) Spach., Thymbra capitata (L.) Hof, and Urginea maritima Barker. Many of the wild medicinal plants investigated were toxic and needed to be practiced by practitioners and herbalists rather than the local healers. These plants include Calotropis procera Willd R.Br., Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Sch., Datura stramonium L., Digitalis purpurea L., Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich., Euphorbia helioscopia L., Euphorbia tinctoria Boiss., Glaucium corniculatum (L.) Curt., Hyoscyamus aureus L., Mandragora officinarum L., Nerium oleander L., Ricinus communis L., Solanum nigrum L., Withania somnifera (L.) Dunel. The conservation of medicinal plants and natural resources is becoming increasingly important, so this research is trying to collect information from local population concerning the use of medicinal plants in Showbak; identify the most important specie; determine the relative importance value of the species and calculate the informant consensus factor (ICF) for the medicinal plants. Obtaining results is relied on the interviewee's personal information and the medicinal use of specific plants. PMID:19429338
Hatching Time and Alevin Growth Prior to the Onset of Exogenous Feeding in Farmed, Wild and Hybrid Norwegian Atlantic Salmon
Solberg, Monica Favnebře; Fjelldal, Per Gunnar; Nilsen, Frank; Glover, Kevin Alan
The onset of exogenous feeding, when juveniles emerge from the gravel, is a critical event for salmonids where early emergence and large size provide a competitive advantage in the wild. Studying 131 farmed, hybrid and wild Norwegian Atlantic salmon families, originating from four wild populations and two commercial strains, we investigated whether approximately 10 generations of selection for faster growth has also resulted in increased somatic growth prior to the onset of exogenous feeding. In addition, we tested whether relaxed selection in farms has allowed for alterations in hatching time between farmed and wild salmon. Across three cohorts, wild salmon families hatched earlier than farmed salmon families, while hybrid families displayed intermediate hatching times. While the observed differences were small, i.e., 1–15 degree-days (0–3 days, as water temperatures were c. 5–6°C), these data suggest additive genetic variation for hatching time. Alevin length prior to exogenous feeding was positively related to egg size. After removal of egg size effects, no systematic differences in alevin length were observed between the wild and farmed salmon families. While these results indicate additive genetic variation for egg development timing, and wild salmon families consistently hatched earlier than farmed salmon families, these differences were so small they are unlikely to significantly influence early life history competition of farmed and wild salmon in the natural environment. This is especially the case given that the timing of spawning among females can vary by several weeks in some rivers. The general lack of difference in size between farmed and wild alevins, strongly suggest that the documented differences in somatic growth rate between wild and farmed Norwegian Atlantic salmon under hatchery conditions are first detectable after the onset of exogenous feeding. PMID:25438050
Wild immunology AMY B. PEDERSEN and SIMON A. BABAYAN
Maizels, Rick
OPINION Wild immunology AMY B. PEDERSEN and SIMON A. BABAYAN Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Institutes of Immunology & Infection Research and Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh for immunology to be taken into the wild. The goal of `wild immunology' is to link immune phenotype with host
Maternal Effects on Anogenital Distance in a Wild Marmot Population
Blumstein, Daniel T.
Maternal Effects on Anogenital Distance in a Wild Marmot Population Timothe´e D. Fouqueray1 on a long-term study of wild yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) to study the importance, Blumstein DT, Monclu´s R, Martin JGA (2014) Maternal Effects on Anogenital Distance in a Wild Marmot
Distribution and conservation of African wild dogs in Cameroon
Thomas Breuer
The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) has de- clined dramatically during the last century and has experienced a significant reduction in its range throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Very little is known about wild dogs in Central Af- rica, especially the population in northern Cameroon. Human and ecological factors lim- iting wild dogs in and around Faro National Park were investigated in
The Cost Efficiency of Wild Dog Conservation in South Africa
Aside from Kruger National Park, no other suitable reserves of sufficient size exist in South Africa that will hold a viable population of wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). Consequently, conservation efforts have been focused on creating a metapopulation through a series of wild dog reintroductions into isolated fenced reserves. Additional potential exists for conserving wild dogs on private ranch land. Establishing
The conservation role of captive African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)
Altwegg, Res
The conservation role of captive African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) M.A.J. Frantzen, J.W.H. Ferguson the long-term survival of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). To aid this, a studbook was assembled the largest existing regional population of captive African wild dogs. These populations were investigated
A Global Assessment of Salmon Aquaculture Impacts on Wild Salmonids
Myers, Ransom A.
A Global Assessment of Salmon Aquaculture Impacts on Wild Salmonids Jennifer S. Ford* , Ransom A, wild salmon catch and abundance have declined dramatically in the North Atlantic and in much of farmed salmon. Previous studies have shown negative impacts on wild salmonids, but these results have
The Welsh Government's Action Plan for wild deer
The Welsh Government's Action Plan for wild deer management in Wales 2011 - 2016 www.cymru.gov.uk #12;2 Index Wild deer management in Wales action plan 2011 2016 Minister's Foreword our approach to wild deer management. 5 4. Other Welsh Government strategies and policies which
The Exotic & Wild Bird Aviary Schubot Exotic Bird
into all aspects of disease in wild and captive birds. We are especially interested in the large parrot are leaders in the fields of wild parrot research and conservation, through studies of salt licks, macaw nesting success, wild parrot nutrition, and satellite telemetry. The task of the Schubot Center
Characteristics of wild turkey hunters in Texas: comparing turkey stamp buyers to members of the National Wild Turkey Federation
Harmel-Garza, Karen D
This thesis examined wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hunters in Texas. It also examined the differences between people who are members of the Texas Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and people who are not ...
Endoparasites of Wild Rodents in Southeastern Iran
Nateghpour, Mehdi; Motevalli-Haghi, Afsaneh; Akbarzadeh, Kamran; Akhavan, Amir Ahmad; Mohebali, Mehdi; Mobedi, Iraj; Farivar, Leila
Background: This study was aimed to collect wild rodents for endoparasites determination in some parts of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, southeastern Iran nearby Pakistan and Afghanistan countries. Methods: A total of 100 wild rodents were captured alive with cage traps. Various samples were collected from blood and feces, also impression smear prepared from different organs. The samples were prepared by formalin-ether or stained with Giemsa, after that were examined under microscope. Results: All the caught rodents (47 Tatera indica, 44 Meriones hurriana, 5 Gerbilus nanus and 4 Meriones libycus) were studied for endoparasites emphasizing to their zoonotic aspects. Endoparasites including Spirurida, Hymenolepis diminuta, Hymenolepis nana feraterna, Trichuris trichiura, Skerjabino taenia, Trichostrongylus spp, Entamoeba muris, Chilomastix mesnili and Leishmania spp were parasitologically identified. Conclusion: Among 9 genera or species of the identified parasites at least 5 of them have zoonotic and public health importance.
Wild turkey poult survival in southcentral Iowa
Hubbard, M.W.; Garner, D.L.; Klaas, E.E.
Poult survival is key to understanding annual change in wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations. Survival of eastern wild turkey poults (M. g. silvestris) 0-4 weeks posthatch was studied in southcentral Iowa during 1994-97. Survival estimates of poults were calculated based on biweekly flush counts and daily locations acquired via radiotelemetry. Poult survival averaged 0.52 ?? 0.14% (?? ?? SE) for telemetry counts and 0.40 ?? 0.15 for flush counts. No within-year or across-year differences were detected between estimation techniques. More than 72% (n = 32) of documented poult mortality occurred ???14 days posthatch, and mammalian predation accounted for 92.9% of documented mortality. If mortality agents are not of concern, we suggest biologists conduct 4-week flush counts to obtain poult survival estimates for use in population models and development of harvest recommendations.
Locomotion dynamics of hunting in wild cheetahs.
Wilson, A M; Lowe, J C; Roskilly, K; Hudson, P E; Golabek, K A; McNutt, J W
Although the cheetah is recognised as the fastest land animal, little is known about other aspects of its notable athleticism, particularly when hunting in the wild. Here we describe and use a new tracking collar of our own design, containing a combination of Global Positioning System (GPS) and inertial measurement units, to capture the locomotor dynamics and outcome of 367 predominantly hunting runs of five wild cheetahs in Botswana. A remarkable top speed of 25.9?m?s(-1) (58?m.p.h. or 93?km?h(-1)) was recorded, but most cheetah hunts involved only moderate speeds. We recorded some of the highest measured values for lateral and forward acceleration, deceleration and body-mass-specific power for any terrestrial mammal. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed locomotor information on the hunting dynamics of a large cursorial predator in its natural habitat. PMID:23765495
Habitat Suitability Index Models: Eastern Wild Turkey
Schroeder, Richard L.
A review and synthesis of existing information were used to develop a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model for the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo sylvestris). The model consolidates habitat use information into a framework appropriate for field application, and is scaled to produce an index between 0.0 (unsuitable habitat) to 1.0 (optimum habitat). HSI models are designed to be used with Habitat Evaluation Procedures previously developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
CELT: All Texts by Oscar Wilde
NSDL National Science Digital Library
CELT, located at University College Cork, has placed online the complete works of Oscar Wilde, including poems, novels, stories, and lectures. CELT, an "online database of contemporary and historical topics from many areas, including literature and the other arts," is aimed at the greatest possible range of readers, from academic scholars to the general public. Texts at the site can be searched, read on-screen, or downloaded.
Russell Davidson; James G. MacKinnon
We propose a wild bootstrap procedure for linear regression models estimated by instrumental variables. Like other bootstrap procedures that we have proposed elsewhere, it uses efficient estimates of the reduced-form equation(s). Unlike them, it takes account of possible heteroskedasticity of unknown form. We apply this procedure to t tests, including heteroskedasticity-robust t tests, and provide simulation evidence that it works
Demineralization enables reeling of wild silkmoth cocoons.
Gheysens, Tom; Collins, Andrew; Raina, Suresh; Vollrath, Fritz; Knight, David P
Wild Silkmoth cocoons are difficult or impossible to reel under conditions that work well for cocoons of the Mulberry silkmoth, Bombyx mori . Here we report evidence that this is caused by mineral reinforcement of Wild Silkmoth cocoons and that washing these minerals out allows for the reeling of commercial lengths of good quality fibers with implications for the development of the "Wild Silk" industry. We show that in the Lasiocampid silkmoth Gonometa postica , the mineral is whewellite (calcium oxalate monohydrate). Evidence is presented that its selective removal by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) leaves the gum substantially intact, preventing collapse and entanglement of the network of fibroin brins, enabling wet reeling. Therefore, this method clearly differs from the standard "degumming" and should be referred to as "demineralizing". Mechanical testing shows that such preparation results in reeled silks with markedly improved breaking load and extension to break by avoiding the damage produced by the rather harsh degumming, carding, or dry reeling methods currently in use, what may be important for the development of the silk industries not only in Asia but also in Africa and South America. PMID:21491856
Genetic and 'cultural' similarity in wild chimpanzees
Langergraber, Kevin E.; Boesch, Christophe; Inoue, Eiji; Inoue-Murayama, Miho; Mitani, John C.; Nishida, Toshisada; Pusey, Anne; Reynolds, Vernon; Schubert, Grit; Wrangham, Richard W.; Wroblewski, Emily; Vigilant, Linda
The question of whether animals possess 'cultures' or 'traditions' continues to generate widespread theoretical and empirical interest. Studies of wild chimpanzees have featured prominently in this discussion, as the dominant approach used to identify culture in wild animals was first applied to them. This procedure, the 'method of exclusion,' begins by documenting behavioural differences between groups and then infers the existence of culture by eliminating ecological explanations for their occurrence. The validity of this approach has been questioned because genetic differences between groups have not explicitly been ruled out as a factor contributing to between-group differences in behaviour. Here we investigate this issue directly by analysing genetic and behavioural data from nine groups of wild chimpanzees. We find that the overall levels of genetic and behavioural dissimilarity between groups are highly and statistically significantly correlated. Additional analyses show that only a very small number of behaviours vary between genetically similar groups, and that there is no obvious pattern as to which classes of behaviours (e.g. tool-use versus communicative) have a distribution that matches patterns of between-group genetic dissimilarity. These results indicate that genetic dissimilarity cannot be eliminated as playing a major role in generating group differences in chimpanzee behaviour. PMID:20719777
Mayer, J; Paul E. Johns, P
Wild pig (Sus scrofa) collisions with vehicles are known to occur in the United States, but only minimal information describing these accidents has been reported. In an effort to better characterize these accidents, data were collected from 179 wild pig-vehicle collisions from a location in west central South Carolina. Data included accident parameters pertaining to the animals involved, time, location, and human impacts. The age structure of the animals involved was significantly older than that found in the population. Most collisions involved single animals; however, up to seven animals were involved in individual accidents. As the number of animals per collision increased, the age and body mass of the individuals involved decreased. The percentage of males was significantly higher in the single-animal accidents. Annual attrition due to vehicle collisions averaged 0.8 percent of the population. Wild pig-vehicle collisions occurred year-round and throughout the 24-hour daily time period. Most accidents were at night. The presence of lateral barriers was significantly more frequent at the collision locations. Human injuries were infrequent but potentially serious. The mean vehicle damage estimate was $1,173.
Porphyrin Interactions with Wild Type and Mutant Mouse Ferrochelatase
Ferreira, Gloria C.; Franco, Ricardo; Lu, Yi; Ma, Jian-Guo; Shelnutt, John A.
Ferrochelatase (EC 18.104.22.168), the terminal enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway, catalyzes Fe2+ chelation into protoporphyrin IX. Resonance Raman and W-visible absorbance spectroscopes of wild type and engineered variants of murine ferrochelatase were used to examine the proposed structural mechanism for iron insertion into protoporphyrin by ferrochelatase. The recombinant variants (i.e., H207N and E287Q) are enzymes in which the conserved amino acids histidine-207 and glutamate-287 of murine ferrochelatase were substituted with asparagine and glutamine, respectively. Both of these residues are at the active site of the enzyme as deduced from the Bacillus subtilis ferrochelatase three-dimensional structure. Addition of free base or metalated porphyrins to wild type ferrochelatase and H207N variant yields a quasi 1:1 complex, possibly a monomeric protein-bound species. In contrast, the addition of porphyrin (either free base or metalated) to E287Q is sub-stoichiometric, as this variant retains bound porphyrin in the active site during isolation and purification. The specificity of porphyrin binding is confirmed by the narrowing of the structure-sensitive resonance Raman lines and the vinyl vibrational mode. Resonance Raman spectra of free base and metalated porphyrins bound to the wild type ferrochelatase indicate a nonplanar distortion of the porphyrin macrocycle, although the magnitude of the distortion cannot be determined without first defining the specific type of deformation. Significantly, the extent of the nonplanar distortion varies in the case of H207N- and E287Q-bound porphyrins. In fact, resonance Raman spectral decomposition indicates a homogeneous ruffled distortion for the nickel protoporphyrin bound to the wild type ferrochelatase, whereas both a planar and ruffled conformations are present for the H207N-bound porphyrin. Perhaps more revealing is the unusual resonance , 3 Raman spectrum of the endogenous E287Q-bound porphyrin, which has the structure-sensitive lines greatly upshifted relative to those of the free base protoporphyrin in solution. This could be interpreted as an equilibrium between protein conformers, one of which favors a highly distorted porphyrin macrocycle. Taken together these findings suggest that the mode of porphyrin distortion in murine ferrochelatase is different from that reported for yeast ferrochelatase, which requires metal binding for porphyrin distortion.
A cytoarchitectonic volumetric comparison of brains in wild and domestic sheep
Peter Ebinger
1.By means of allometric methods it is possible to determine the intraspecific relation between brain weight and body weight in wild European sheep (Ovis ammon musimon) and two breeds of domesticated sheep (Ovis ammon f. aries). A reduction in total brain weight of 24% is observed which is due to domestication.2.The following reductions of the five brain subdivisions are determined
Resistance to Phytophthora infestans in Solanum tuberosum and wild Solanum species
L. T. Colon
Resistance to Phytophthora infestans , the causal agent of late blight, is present in the potato, Solanum tuberosum , and in many wild relatives of this crop. The resistance of S. tuberosum is partial and, though helpful in reducing the use of fungicides, is not sufficient to fully solve the problem. It also has the disadvantage of being associated with
Genetic Diversity in Wild and Weedy Aegilops, Amblyopyrum, and Secale Species—A Preliminary Survey
S. G. Hegde; J. Valkoun; J. G. Waines
hybridization of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.), the donor of the B and A genomes with Ae. tauschii The wild and weedy relatives of bread wheat, Triticum aestivum L., Coss., the donor of the D genome (Kihara, 1944). More- are suggested as potential sources of useful alleles for bread wheat improvement. For example, the genus Aegilops L. has contributed over,
Effects of Foliar Herbivory on Male and Female Reproductive Traits of Wild Radish, Raphanus raphanistrum
Kari Lehtila; Sharon Y. Strauss
Abstract. In this study, we examined how foliar herbivory affected the relative allo- cation to male and female reproductive traits in a hermaphroditic plant. In two experiments, one in the greenhouse and the other in a growth chamber, leaves of full sibling plants of the annual wild radish, Raphanus raphanistrum, received one of four damage treatments to leaves (0, 25%
Taxonomy and genetic differentiation among wild and cultivated germplasm of Solanum sect. Petota
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Due to their adaptation to a diverse set of habitats and stresses, wild species of cultivated crops offer new sources of genetic diversity for germplasm improvement. Using an Infinium array representing a genome-wide set of 8303 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we evaluated phylogenetic relat...
Evolutionary genetics of ageing in the wild: empirical patterns and future perspectives
A. J. Wilson; A. Charmantier; J. D. Hadfield
Summary 1. Classical evolutionary theory states that senescence should arise as a consequence of the declining force of selection late in life. Although the quantitative genetic predictions of hypotheses derived from this theory have been extensively tested in laboratory studies of invertebrate systems, relatively little is known about the genetics of ageing in the wild. 2. Data from long-term ecological
Elevated haemocyte number is associated with infection and low fitness potential in wild Daphnia magna
Obbard, Darren
Elevated haemocyte number is associated with infection and low fitness potential in wild Daphnia significance of an immune response is more accurately assessed when it is measured alongside both host fitness numbers in Daphnia magna in relation to an infection that has a clear fitness consequence: infection
A New Bacillus anthracis Found in Wild Chimpanzees and a Gorilla from West and
Opinions A New Bacillus anthracis Found in Wild Chimpanzees and a Gorilla from West and Central diseases. Natural outbreaks threaten wildlife, livestock, and human health, and Bacillus anthracis has beenB, that typically differentiate B. anthracis from other closely related Bacillus species [11,12]. The gyrB sequences
Positive Carotenoid Balance Correlates with Greater Reproductive Performance in a Wild Bird
McGraw, Kevin J.
Positive Carotenoid Balance Correlates with Greater Reproductive Performance in a Wild Bird Rebecca Abstract Background: Carotenoids can confer somatic and reproductive benefits, but most evidence is from to increase or sustain carotenoids or other health- related molecules over time, as these are likely
Impairment of metabolic capacities in copper and cadmium contaminated wild yellow perch ( Perca flavescens)
Patrice Couture; Puja Rajender Kumar
This study examined variations in resting oxygen consumption rate (ROCR), post-exercise oxygen consumption rate, relative scope for activity (RSA), liver and muscle aerobic and anaerobic capacities (using citrate synthase (CS) and lactate dehydrogenase, respectively, as indicators), and tissue biosynthetic capacities (using nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) as an indicator), in wild yellow perch from four lakes varying in copper (Cu) and
Specialization and development of beach hunting, a rare foraging behavior, by wild bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops sp.)
B. L. Sargeant; J. Mann; P. Berggren; M. Krützen
Foraging behaviors of bottlenose dolphins vary within and among populations, but few studies attempt to ad- dress the causes of individual variation in foraging behavior. We examined how ecological, social, and developmental factors relate to the use of a rare foraging tactic by wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp. Gervais, 1855) in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Beach hunting involves partial and
Milk composition and growth in wild and captive Tasmanian bettongs, Bettongia gaimardi (Marsupialia)
R. W. Rose; T. M. Morahan; J. E. Mulchay; D. A. Ratkowsky
Changes in milk composition (total solids, carbohydrate, protein, lipid and calculated gross energy content) during lactation in three groups of Tasmanian bettongs (Bettongia gaimardi): free-living animals (wild group), captive animals offered a diet of dry dog food and apples ad libitum (ad lib group), and captive animals fed restricted amounts of the same diet (maintenance group) were related to growth
Antioxidant Activity of Aqueous Tea Infusions Prepared from Oregano, Thyme and Wild Thyme
Tea Kuli; Verica Dragovi; Mladen Milo
Summary Using a multiple-method approach, antioxidant activity of aqueous tea infusions pre- pared from oregano (Origanum vulgare L. ssp. hirtum), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.) were tested in relation to their chemical composition. Total phenolic, flavonoid, catechin and anthocyanin content was determined by spectrophoto- metric methods. Oregano aqueous tea infusion had the highest amount of
Growth reaction norms of domesticated, wild and hybrid Atlantic salmon families in response to differing social and physical environments
Background Directional selection for growth has resulted in the 9-10th generation of domesticated Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. outgrowing wild salmon by a ratio of approximately 3:1 when reared under standard hatchery conditions. In the wild however, growth of domesticated and wild salmon is more similar, and seems to differ at the most by a ratio of 1.25:1. Comparative studies of quantitative traits in farmed and wild salmon are often performed by the use of common-garden experiments where salmon of all origins are reared together to avoid origin-specific environmental differences. As social interaction may influence growth, the large observed difference in growth between wild and domesticated salmon in the hatchery may not be entirely genetically based, but inflated by inter-strain competition. This study had two primary aims: (i) investigate the effect of social interaction and inter-strain competition in common-garden experiments, by comparing the relative growth of farmed, hybrid and wild salmon when reared together and separately; (ii) investigate the competitive balance between wild and farmed salmon by comparing their norm of reaction for survival and growth along an environmental gradient ranging from standard hatchery conditions to a semi-natural environment with restricted feed. Results The main results of this study, which are based upon the analysis of more than 6000 juvenile salmon, can be summarised as; (i) there was no difference in relative growth between wild and farmed salmon when reared together and separately; (ii) the relative difference in body weight at termination between wild and farmed salmon decreased as mortality increased along the environmental gradient approaching natural conditions. Conclusions This study demonstrates that potential social interactions between wild and farmed salmon when reared communally are not likely to cause an overestimation of the genetic growth differences between them. Therefore, common-garden experiments represent a valid methodological approach to investigate genetic differences between wild and farmed salmon. As growth of surviving salmon of all origins became more similar as mortality increased along the environmental gradient approaching natural conditions, a hypothesis is presented suggesting that size-selective mortality is a possible factor reducing growth differences between these groups in the wild. PMID:24165438
There is a lot of botanical, historical and linguistic evidence that the use of turnip-type Brassica rapa is very old in Europe. It was probably domesticated directly from its wild progenitor, the wild- type B. rapa. The use of European oilseed-type Brassica crops is relatively new. This paper gives a short overview on the history of B. rapa and presents
Taxonomic Treatment of Solanum Section Petota (Wild Potatoes) in Catálogo de Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, y sur del Brasil)
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Solanum section Petota (Solanaceae), which includes the cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) and its wild relatives, contains over 150 wild species distributed from the southwestern U.S.A. (38°N) to central Argentina and adjacent Chile (41°S). This catalog includes all species from the Southern Con...
Influence of Drought on Graminicide Phytotoxicity in Wild Oat ( Avena fatua ) Grown under Different Temperature and Humidity Conditions
H. S. Xie; A. I. Hsiao; W. A. Quick
. Controlled environmental experiments were carried out to determine the phytotoxicity of several graminicides on wild oat\\u000a (Avena futua L.) as influenced by combination of drought and temperature stress or drought and low relative humidity. Compared with unstressed\\u000a conditions (20\\/15?C plus adequate soil moisture), imazamethabenz phytotoxicity to wild oat was reduced significantly when\\u000a plants were exposed to a combination of
The Pattern of Influenza Virus Attachment Varies among Wild Bird Species
Jourdain, Elsa; van Riel, Debby; Munster, Vincent J.; Kuiken, Thijs; Waldenström, Jonas; Olsen, Björn; Ellström, Patrik
The ability to attach to host cells is one of the main determinants of the host range of influenza A viruses. By using virus histochemistry, we investigate the pattern of virus attachment of both a human and an avian influenza virus in colon and trachea sections from 12 wild bird species. We show that significant variations exist, even between closely related avian species, which suggests that the ability of wild birds to serve as hosts for influenza viruses strongly varies among species. These results will prove valuable to assess the possibilities of interspecies transmission of influenza viruses in natural environments and better understand the ecology of influenza. PMID:21909418
Hepatitis E virus in wild boar in the central northern part of Italy.
Martinelli, N; Pavoni, E; Filogari, D; Ferrari, N; Chiari, M; Canelli, E; Lombardi, G
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is responsible for sporadic acute hepatitis in developed countries, where the infection is acquired probably through ingestion of contaminated food, in addition to travel-related cases. In this study, the circulation of HEV in wild boar from nine Italian provinces was evaluated. An overall seroprevalence of 10.2% was found, although there were differences among the provinces, while no samples were positive for HEV RNA detection. This study indicates an active circulation of HEV in the Italian wild boar populations and suggests to consider the zoonotic risk in handling and eating meat from this animal. PMID:23865469
Factors influencing wild turkey hen survival in southcentral Iowa
Hubbard, M.W.; Garner, D.L.; Klaas, E.E.
A decline in the population of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in southcentral Iowa necessitated more current estimates of population parameters. Survival of 126 eastern wild turkey hens in southcentral Iowa was investigated during 1993-96. Estimates of annual survival averaged 0.676 ?? 0.048% (x?? ?? SE) for adults and 0.713 ?? 0.125 for subadults. Mammalian predators, primarily coyotes (Canis latrans) and red fox (Vulpes fulva) accounted for 64% of all documented mortality. Age-specific annual survival distributions differed within years (P < 0.03), but no difference was detected in survival between age classes across years (P = 0.49). Based on chronological dates, survival of adult hens differed among seasons across years (P = 0.03). However, seasonal survival was not different when estimates were based on hen behavior (p = 0.48). Risk of mortality for hens increased by 2.0% for every 100-m increase in dispersal distance, decreased by 2.0% for every 10-ha increase in home range size, and decreased by 3.5% for each 1.0% increase in proportion of home range in woody cover. Although the exact cause of the population decline remains unknown, we suggest it was more likely related to a decrease in production than changes in hen survival. Declining turkey populations would likely benefit more from management designed to increase reproduction rather than hen survival.
Olfactory recovery of wild yellow perch from metal contaminated lakes.
Azizishirazi, Ali; Dew, William A; Forsyth, Heidi L; Pyle, Greg G
Fish depend on their sense of smell for a wide range of vital life processes including finding food, avoiding predators and reproduction. Various contaminants, including metals, can disrupt recognition of chemical information in fish at very low concentrations. Numerous studies have investigated metal effects on fish olfaction under controlled laboratory conditions. However, few have measured olfactory acuity using wild fish in source water. In this study, we used electro-olfactography (EOG) to measure the olfactory acuity of wild yellow perch (Perca flavescens) from a clean lake (Geneva Lake) and two metal contaminated lakes (Ramsey and Hannah lakes) from Sudbury, ON, in their own lake water or in water from the other lakes. The results showed that fish from the clean lake had a greater olfactory acuity than those from metal contaminated lakes when fish were tested in their own lake water. However, when fish from the clean lake were held for 24h in water from each of the two contaminated lakes their olfactory acuity was diminished. On the other hand, fish from the contaminated lakes held for 24h in clean lake water showed a significant olfactory recovery relative to that measured in their native lake water. These results show that although fish from a clean lake demonstrated impaired olfaction after only 24h in metal-contaminated water, fish from metal contaminated lakes showed a rapid olfactory recovery when exposed to clean water for only hours. PMID:23164449
Puberty and dispersal in a wild primate population
Onyango, Patrick O.; Gesquiere, Laurence R.; Altmann, Jeanne; Alberts, Susan C.
The onset of reproduction is preceded by a host of organismal adjustments and transformations, involving morphological, physiological, and behavioral changes. In highly social mammals, including humans and most nonhuman primates, the timing and nature of maturational processes is affected by the animal's social milieu as well as its ecology. Here, we review a diverse set of findings on how maturation unfolds in wild baboons in the Amboseli basin of southern Kenya, and we place these findings in the context of other reports of maturational processes in primates and other mammals. First, we describe the series of events and processes that signal maturation in female and male baboons. Sex differences in age at both sexual maturity and first reproduction documented for this species are consistent with expectations of life history theory; males mature later than females and exhibit an adolescent growth spurt that is absent or minimal in females. Second, we summarize what we know about sources of variance in the timing of maturational processes including natal dispersal. In Amboseli, individuals in a food-enhanced group mature earlier than their wild-feeding counterparts, and offspring of high-ranking females mature earlier than offspring of low-ranking females. We also report on how genetic admixture, which occurs in Amboseli between two closely related baboon taxa, affects individual maturation schedules. PMID:23998668
Muscle aging and oxidative stress in wild-caught shrews.
Hindle, Allyson G; Lawler, John M; Campbell, Kevin L; Horning, Markus
Red-toothed shrews (Soricidae, subfamily Soricinae) are an intriguing model system to examine the free-radical theory of aging in wild mammals, given their short (<18months) lifespan and high mass-specific metabolic rates. As muscle performance underlies both foraging ability and predator avoidance, any age-related decline should be detrimental to fitness and survival. Muscle samples of water shrews (Sorex palustris) and sympatrically distributed short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) were therefore assessed for oxidative stress markers, protective antioxidant enzymes and apoptosis. Activity levels of catalase and glutathione peroxidase increased with age in both species. Similarly, Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase isoform content was elevated significantly in older animals of both species (increases of 60% in the water shrew, 25% in the short-tailed shrew). Only one oxidative stress marker (lipid peroxidation) was age-elevated; the others were stable or declined (4-hydroxynonenal adducts and dihydroethidium oxidation). Glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly higher in the short-tailed shrew, while catalase activity was 2x higher in water shrews. Oxidative stress indicators were on average higher in short-tailed shrews. Apoptosis occurred in <1% of myocytes examined, and did not increase with age. Within the constraints of the sample size we found evidence of protection against elevated oxidative stress in wild-caught shrews. PMID:20109576
Muscle Aging and Oxidative Stress in Wild-Caught Shrews
Hindle, Allyson G.; Lawler, John M.; Campbell, Kevin L.; Horning, Markus
Red-toothed shrews (Soricidae, subfamily Soricinae) are an intriguing model system to examine the free radical theory of aging in wild mammals, given their short (<18 month) lifespan and high mass-specific metabolic rates. As muscle performance underlies both foraging ability and predator avoidance, any age-related decline should be detrimental to fitness and survival. Muscle samples of water shrews (Sorex palustris) and sympatrically distributed short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) were therefore assessed for oxidative stress markers, protective antioxidant enzymes and apoptosis. Activity levels of catalase and glutathione peroxidase increased with age in both species. Similarly, Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase isoform content was elevated significantly in older animals of both species (increases of 60% in the water shrew, 25% in the short-tailed shrew). Only one oxidative stress marker (lipid peroxidation) was age-elevated; the others were stable or declined (4-hydroxynonenal adducts and dihydroethidium oxidation). Glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly higher in the short-tailed shrew, while catalase activity was 2× higher in water shrews. Oxidative stress indicators were on average higher in short-tailed shrews. Apoptosis occurred in <1% of myocytes examined, and did not increase with age. Within the constraints of the sample size we found evidence of protection against elevated oxidative stress in wild-caught shrews. PMID:20109576
Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus in domestic pigs and wild boars in Switzerland.
Burri, C; Vial, F; Ryser-Degiorgis, M-P; Schwermer, H; Darling, K; Reist, M; Wu, N; Beerli, O; Schöning, J; Cavassini, M; Waldvogel, A
Hepatitis E is considered an emerging human viral disease in industrialized countries. Studies from Switzerland report a human seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) of 2.6-21%, a range lower than in adjacent European countries. The aim of this study was to determine whether HEV seroprevalence in domestic pigs and wild boars is also lower in Switzerland and whether it is increasing and thus indicating that this zoonotic viral infection is emerging. Serum samples collected from 2,001 pigs in 2006 and 2011 and from 303 wild boars from 2008 to 2012 were analysed by ELISA for the presence of HEV-specific antibodies. Overall HEV seroprevalence was 58.1% in domestic pigs and 12.5% in wild boars. Prevalence in domestic pigs was significantly higher in 2006 than in 2011. In conclusion, HEV seroprevalence in domestic pigs and wild boars in Switzerland is comparable with the seroprevalence in other countries and not increasing. Therefore, prevalence of HEV in humans must be related to other factors than prevalence in pigs or wild boars. PMID:24499160
Cryptosporidium suis and Cryptosporidium scrofarum in Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa) in Central Europe
N?mejc, Karel; Sak, Bohumil; Kv?to?ová, Dana; Hanzal, Vladimír; Janiszewski, Pawe?; Forejtek, Pavel; Rajský, Dušan; Ravaszová, Petra; McEvoy, John; Kvá?, Martin
From 2011 to 2012, to identify Cryptosporidium spp. occurrence in Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa) 29 randomly selected localities (both forest areas and enclosures) across the Central European countries of Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and the Slovak Republic were investigated. Cryptosporidium oocysts were microscopicaly detected in 11 out of 460 faecal samples examined using aniline-carbol-methyl violet staining. Sixty-one Cryptosporidium infections, including the 11 infections that were detected by microscopy, were detected using genus- or species-specific nested PCR amplification of SSU rDNA. This represents a 5.5 fold greater sensitivity for PCR relative to microscopy. Combining genus-and species-specific PCR tools significantly changes the perspective on the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild boars. While RFLP and direct sequencing of genus specific PCR-amplified products revealed 56 C. suis (20) and C. scrofarum (36) monoinfections and only 5 mixed infections of these species, species-specific molecular tools showed 44 monoinfections and 17 mixed infections with these species. PCR analysis of the gp60 gene did not reveal any other Cryptosporidium infections. Similar to domestic pigs, C. scrofarum was detected as a dominant species infecting adult Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa). Cryptosporidium infected wild boars did not show signs of clinical disease. This report is perhaps the most comprehensive survey of cryptosporidial infection in wild boars. PMID:23916060
Persistence of vigilance and flight response behaviour in wild reindeer with varying domestic ancestry.
Reimers, E; Rřed, K H; Colman, J E
Knowledge about changes in behavioural traits related to wildness and tameness is for most mammals lacking, despite the increased trend of using domestic stock to re-establish wild populations into historical ranges. To test for persistence of behavioural traits of wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) exposed to hunting, we sampled DNA, vigilance and flight responses in wild reindeer herds with varying domestic ancestry. Analyses of 14 DNA microsatellite loci revealed a dichotomous main genetic structure reflecting their native origin, with the Rondane reindeer genetically different from the others and with least differentiation towards the Hardangervidda reindeer. The genetic clustering of the reindeer in Norefjell-Reinsjřfjell, Ottadalen and Forollhogna, together with domestic reindeer, supports a predominant domestic origin of these herds. Despite extensive hunting in all herds, the behavioural measures indicate increasing vigilance, alert and flight responses with increasing genetic dissimilarity with domestic herds. Vigilance frequency and time spent vigilant were higher in Rondane compared to Hardangervidda, which again were higher than herds with a domestic origin. We conclude that previous domestication has preserved a hard wired behavioural trait in some reindeer herds exhibiting less fright responses towards humans that extensive hunting has, but only slightly, altered. This brings novel and relevant knowledge to discussions about genetic diversity of wildlife in general and wild reindeer herds in Norway in specific. PMID:22587024
Prevalence and phylogeny of coronaviruses in wild birds from the Bering Strait area (Beringia).
Muradrasoli, Shaman; Bálint, Adám; Wahlgren, John; Waldenström, Jonas; Belák, Sándor; Blomberg, Jonas; Olsen, Björn
Coronaviruses (CoVs) can cause mild to severe disease in humans and animals, their host range and environmental spread seem to have been largely underestimated, and they are currently being investigated for their potential medical relevance. Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) belongs to gamma-coronaviruses and causes a costly respiratory viral disease in chickens. The role of wild birds in the epidemiology of IBV is poorly understood. In the present study, we examined 1,002 cloacal and faecal samples collected from 26 wild bird species in the Beringia area for the presence of CoVs, and then we performed statistical and phylogenetic analyses. We detected diverse CoVs by RT-PCR in wild birds in the Beringia area. Sequence analysis showed that the detected viruses are gamma-coronaviruses related to IBV. These findings suggest that wild birds are able to carry gamma-coronaviruses asymptomatically. We concluded that CoVs are widespread among wild birds in Beringia, and their geographic spread and frequency is higher than previously realised. Thus, Avian CoV can be efficiently disseminated over large distances and could be a genetic reservoir for future emerging pathogenic CoVs. Considering the great animal health and economic impact of IBV as well as the recent emergence of novel coronaviruses such as SARS-coronavirus, it is important to investigate the role of wildlife reservoirs in CoV infection biology and epidemiology. PMID:21060827
Fatalities in wild goats in Kurdistan associated with Peste des Petits Ruminants virus.
Hoffmann, B; Wiesner, H; Maltzan, J; Mustefa, R; Eschbaumer, M; Arif, F A; Beer, M
Between August 2010 and February 2011, over 750 deaths were recorded among wild goats (Capra aegagrus, the endangered progenitor of the domestic goat) in Kurdistan. Based on the clinical signs and post-mortem findings, the involvement of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) was suspected. This was confirmed by laboratory analysis, and the virus was found to be closely related to a Turkish strain isolated in 2000. During the outbreak in wild goats, no disease in domestic animals was reported. Domestic ruminants in the region are routinely vaccinated with an attenuated vaccine based on the 'Nigeria/75/1' strain of PPRV. This is the first report of active PPRV infection in Kurdistan and most likely the immunity afforded by vaccination prevented spillover infections. It is therefore recommended to continue with the campaign. Conversely, there is no justification for the use of force to keep the endangered wild goats away from domestic flocks. PMID:22074184
Quality control method for commercially available wild Jujube leaf tea based on HPLC characteristic fingerprint analysis of flavonoid compounds.
Zhang, Rutan; Chen, Junhui; Shi, Qian; Li, Zhaoyong; Peng, Zhengyun; Zheng, Li; Wang, Xiaoru
Flavonoids are the main active components of natural medicinal plants with many physiological functions. In this study, an HPLC fingerprinting method based on the distribution and relative amount of 11 bioactive flavonoids was established for the quality evaluation of commercially available wild Jujube leaf tea (JLT) from China. Separation of the crude flavonoid extract was achieved on a column filled with C18 material with a high carbon content. The flavonoids in wild JLT were identified based on UV spectroscopy and accurate mass measurements by TOF-MS. Twenty-one batches of practical samples collected from different habitats were analyzed by using the developed HPLC method to construct the HPLC characteristic fingerprint of wild JLT. Then, combined with clustering and similarity analyses, the HPLC characteristic fingerprint was used for the authentication and quality evaluation of commercial wild JLT. Results indicated that the proposed HPLC characteristic fingerprint reflected the inherent characteristics of wild JLT collected from different regions. Authenticity identification and quality control of commercially available wild Jujube tea were achieved based on the HPLC characteristic fingerprint analysis. This new approach to bioactive component profiling provided a promising reference method for the quality evaluation of commercial wild flower and plant tea. PMID:24166761
Perceptions of Community Benefits from Two Wild and Scenic Rivers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Smith, Jordan W.; Moore, Roger L.
Wild and Scenic Rivers provide a host of psychological, social, ecological, and economic benefits to local communities. In this study, we use data collected from recreational users of two Wild and Scenic Rivers to examine perceptions of the benefits provided by the rivers to local communities. Our purposes are (1) to determine if similar perceptions of community benefits exist across the two rivers, (2) to determine if individuals' proximity to the rivers are related to the benefits they perceive, (3) to determine if individuals' prior recreation experience on the river is related to variations in perceived benefits, (4) to determine if users' sociodemographic characteristics are related to perceived community benefits, and (5) to determine if the influence of these characteristics on perceived community benefits is similar across the two resource areas. Perceived benefits were found to be analogous across both rivers as individuals consistently ranked ecological/affective benefits as well as tangible benefits similarly. Recreationists living further from the river ranked ecological and affective benefits as significantly less important than those individuals living closer to the river. Women perceived the community benefits produced by the resource areas to be significantly more important when compared to men. Significant relationships were also found between perceived benefits and recreationists' previous use of the river, their age, and their level of education. With the exception of resource proximity and prior use history, the effects of user characteristics on perceived community benefits were not statistically different across the two rivers. These findings imply similar patterns of perceived community benefits exist across distinct resource areas and that the relationships between user characteristics and perceived benefits are also similar across the study rivers.
Supportive breeding boosts natural population abundance with minimal negative impacts on fitness of a wild population of Chinook salmon
Hess, Maureen A; Rabe, Craig D; Vogel, Jason L; Stephenson, Jeff J; Nelson, Doug D; Narum, Shawn R
While supportive breeding programmes strive to minimize negative genetic impacts to populations, case studies have found evidence for reduced fitness of artificially produced individuals when they reproduce in the wild. Pedigrees of two complete generations were tracked with molecular markers to investigate differences in reproductive success (RS) of wild and hatchery-reared Chinook salmon spawning in the natural environment to address questions regarding the demographic and genetic impacts of supplementation to a natural population. Results show a demographic boost to the population from supplementation. On average, fish taken into the hatchery produced 4.7 times more adult offspring, and 1.3 times more adult grand-offspring than naturally reproducing fish. Of the wild and hatchery fish that successfully reproduced, we found no significant differences in RS between any comparisons, but hatchery-reared males typically had lower RS values than wild males. Mean relative reproductive success (RRS) for hatchery F1 females and males was 1.11 (P = 0.84) and 0.89 (P = 0.56), respectively. RRS of hatchery-reared fish (H) that mated in the wild with either hatchery or wild-origin (W) fish was generally equivalent to W × W matings. Mean RRS of H × W and H × H matings was 1.07 (P = 0.92) and 0.94 (P = 0.95), respectively. We conclude that fish chosen for hatchery rearing did not have a detectable negative impact on the fitness of wild fish by mating with them for a single generation. Results suggest that supplementation following similar management practices (e.g. 100% local, wild-origin brood stock) can successfully boost population size with minimal impacts on the fitness of salmon in the wild. PMID:23025818
High-density dependence but low impact on selected reproduction parameters of Brucella suis biovar 2 in wild boar hunting estates from South-Western Spain.
Risco, D; García, A; Serrano, E; Fernandez-Llario, P; Benítez, J M; Martínez, R; García, W L; de Mendoza, J Hermoso
Porcine brucellosis is a disease caused by Brucella suis, which is characterized by reproductive disorders in pigs. The number of cases of swine brucellosis has risen in many European countries, likely because of the presence of a wild reservoir of B. suis in wild boar. This study aimed at evaluating factors that may influence the probability of infection with Brucella spp. in wild boar and at assessing the impact of a previous contact with Brucella spp. on reproductive parameters of wild boar. Two hundred and four wild boar living in Extremadura (south-western Spain) were studied. The presence of anti-Brucella antibodies was determined using an indirect ELISA, while the presence of living bacteria in genital organs was evaluated through microbiological cultures. Sex, age, density of wild boar in summer and presence of outdoor pigs were selected as possible risk factors for being seropositive for Brucella spp. in wild boar. In addition, reproductive parameters such as breeding status or potential fertility in females and testis weight in males were estimated and related to the presence of anti-Brucella antibodies. A total of 121 animals were seropositive, resulting in a prevalence of 59.3% (95% CI). In addition, seven isolates of B. suis biovar 2 were obtained. Wild boar density in summer, as well as age and sex, was proposed as factors to explain the probability of Brucella seroconversion, although wild boar density in summer was the key factor. Current measures of reproductive parameters were not influenced by a previous contact with Brucella spp. Isolation of B. suis confirms that wild boar could represent a risk to domestic pig health in the study area. Wild boar density seems to have a great influence in the probability of infections with B. suis and suggests that density management could be useful to control Brucella infection in wild boar. PMID:23347330
Avian Coronavirus in Wild Aquatic Birds?†‡
Chu, Daniel K. W.; Leung, Connie Y. H.; Gilbert, Martin; Joyner, Priscilla H.; Ng, Erica M.; Tse, Tsemay M.; Guan, Yi; Peiris, Joseph S. M.; Poon, Leo L. M.
We detected a high prevalence (12.5%) of novel avian coronaviruses in aquatic wild birds. Phylogenetic analyses of these coronaviruses suggest that there is a diversity of gammacoronaviruses and deltacoronaviruses circulating in birds. Gammacoronaviruses were found predominantly in Anseriformes birds, whereas deltacoronaviruses could be detected in Ciconiiformes, Pelecaniformes, and Anseriformes birds in this study. We observed that there are frequent interspecies transmissions of gammacoronaviruses between duck species. In contrast, deltacoronaviruses may have more stringent host specificities. Our analysis of these avian viral and host mitochondrial DNA sequences also suggests that some, but not all, coronaviruses may have coevolved with birds from the same order. PMID:21957308
Phytochemical and Biological Activities of Four Wild Medicinal Plants
Ahmad, Shabir; AbdEl-Salam, Naser M.; Fouad, H.; Rehman, Najeeb Ur; Hussain, Hidayat; Saeed, Wajid
The fruits of four wild plants, namely, Capparis decidua, Ficus carica, Syzygium cumini, and Ziziphus jujuba, are separately used as traditional dietary and remedial agents in remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The results of our study on these four plants revealed that the examined fruits were a valuable source of nutraceuticals and exhibited good level of antimicrobial activity. The fruits of these four investigated plants are promising source of polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins. These four plants' fruits are good sources of iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and chromium. It was also observed that these fruits are potential source of antioxidant agent and the possible reason could be that these samples had good amount of phytochemicals. Hence, the proper propagation, conservation, and chemical investigation are recommended so that these fruits should be incorporated for the eradication of food and health related problems. PMID:25374941
Analysis of the haemagglutinin gene of current wild-type canine distemper virus isolates from Germany
L Haas; W Martens; I Greiser-Wilke; L Mamaev; T Butina; D Maack; T Barrett
The haemagglutinin (H) gene sequences from three wild-type canine distemper viruses (CDV) isolated during 1994–1995 were sequenced to determine whether contemporary strains had undergone significant genetic changes relative to the currently used vaccine strains. The new isolates were closely related to each other (>99%) and displayed about 90–91% sequence homology to the Onderstepoort and Convac vaccine strains. There were one
Rearing in Seawater Mesocosms Improves the Spawning Performance of Growth Hormone Transgenic and Wild-Type Coho Salmon
Leggatt, Rosalind A.; Hollo, Tanya; Vandersteen, Wendy E.; McFarlane, Kassandra; Goh, Benjamin; Prevost, Joelle; Devlin, Robert H.
Growth hormone (GH) transgenes can significantly accelerate growth rates in fish and cause associated alterations to their physiology and behaviour. Concern exists regarding potential environmental risks of GH transgenic fish, should they enter natural ecosystems. In particular, whether they can reproduce and generate viable offspring under natural conditions is poorly understood. In previous studies, GH transgenic salmon grown under contained culture conditions had lower spawning behaviour and reproductive success relative to wild-type fish reared in nature. However, wild-type salmon cultured in equal conditions also had limited reproductive success. As such, whether decreased reproductive success of GH transgenic salmon is due to the action of the transgene or to secondary effects of culture (or a combination) has not been fully ascertained. Hence, salmon were reared in large (350,000 L), semi-natural, seawater tanks (termed mesocosms) designed to minimize effects of standard laboratory culture conditions, and the reproductive success of wild-type and GH transgenic coho salmon from mesocosms were compared with that of wild-type fish from nature. Mesocosm rearing partially restored spawning behaviour and success of wild-type fish relative to culture rearing, but remained lower overall than those reared in nature. GH transgenic salmon reared in the mesocosm had similar spawning behaviour and success as wild-type fish reared in the mesocosm when in full competition and without competition, but had lower success in male-only competition experiments. There was evidence of genotype×environmental interactions on spawning success, so that spawning success of transgenic fish, should they escape to natural systems in early life, cannot be predicted with low uncertainty. Under the present conditions, we found no evidence to support enhanced mating capabilities of GH transgenic coho salmon compared to wild-type salmon. However, it is clear that GH transgenic salmon are capable of successful spawning, and can reproduce with wild-type fish from natural systems. PMID:25133780
Wild chimpanzees are infected by Trypanosoma brucei.
Jirk?, Milan; Votýpka, Jan; Petrželková, Klára J; Jirk?-Pomajbíková, Kate?ina; Kriegová, Eva; Vodi?ka, Roman; Lankester, Felix; Leendertz, Siv Aina J; Wittig, Roman M; Boesch, Christophe; Modrý, David; Ayala, Francisco J; Leendertz, Fabian H; Lukeš, Julius
Although wild chimpanzees and other African great apes live in regions endemic for African sleeping sickness, very little is known about their trypanosome infections, mainly due to major difficulties in obtaining their blood samples. In present work, we established a diagnostic ITS1-based PCR assay that allows detection of the DNA of all four Trypanosoma brucei subspecies (Trypanosoma brucei brucei, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, and Trypanosoma brucei evansi) in feces of experimentally infected mice. Next, using this assay we revealed the presence of trypanosomes in the fecal samples of wild chimpanzees and this finding was further supported by results obtained using a set of primate tissue samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS1 region showed that the majority of obtained sequences fell into the robust T. brucei group, providing strong evidence that these infections were caused by T. b. rhodesiense and/or T. b. gambiense. The optimized technique of trypanosome detection in feces will improve our knowledge about the epidemiology of trypanosomes in primates and possibly also other endangered mammals, from which blood and tissue samples cannot be obtained. Finally, we demonstrated that the mandrill serum was able to efficiently lyse T. b. brucei and T. b. rhodesiense, and to some extent T. b. gambiense, while the chimpanzee serum failed to lyse any of these subspecies. PMID:26110113
Wild chimpanzees are infected by Trypanosoma brucei
Jirk?, Milan; Votýpka, Jan; Petrželková, Klára J.; Jirk?-Pomajbíková, Kate?ina; Kriegová, Eva; Vodi?ka, Roman; Lankester, Felix; Leendertz, Siv Aina J.; Wittig, Roman M.; Boesch, Christophe; Modrý, David; Ayala, Francisco J.; Leendertz, Fabian H.; Lukeš, Julius
Although wild chimpanzees and other African great apes live in regions endemic for African sleeping sickness, very little is known about their trypanosome infections, mainly due to major difficulties in obtaining their blood samples. In present work, we established a diagnostic ITS1-based PCR assay that allows detection of the DNA of all four Trypanosoma brucei subspecies (Trypanosoma bruceibrucei, Trypanosoma bruceirhodesiense, Trypanosoma bruceigambiense, and Trypanosoma bruceievansi) in feces of experimentally infected mice. Next, using this assay we revealed the presence of trypanosomes in the fecal samples of wild chimpanzees and this finding was further supported by results obtained using a set of primate tissue samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS1 region showed that the majority of obtained sequences fell into the robust T. brucei group, providing strong evidence that these infections were caused by T. b. rhodesiense and/or T. b. gambiense. The optimized technique of trypanosome detection in feces will improve our knowledge about the epidemiology of trypanosomes in primates and possibly also other endangered mammals, from which blood and tissue samples cannot be obtained. Finally, we demonstrated that the mandrill serum was able to efficiently lyse T. b. brucei and T. b. rhodesiense, and to some extent T. b. gambiense, while the chimpanzee serum failed to lyse any of these subspecies. PMID:26110113
Variation in Susceptibility to Wheat dwarf virus among Wild and Domesticated Wheat
Nygren, Jim; Shad, Nadeem; Kvarnheden, Anders; Westerbergh, Anna
We investigated the variation in plant response in host-pathogen interactions between wild (Aegilops spp., Triticum spp.) and domesticated wheat (Triticum spp.) and Wheat dwarf virus (WDV). The distribution of WDV and its wild host species overlaps in Western Asia in the Fertile Crescent, suggesting a coevolutionary relationship. Bread wheat originates from a natural hybridization between wild emmer wheat (carrying the A and B genomes) and the wild D genome donor Aegilops tauschii, followed by polyploidization and domestication. We studied whether the strong selection during these evolutionary processes, leading to genetic bottlenecks, may have resulted in a loss of resistance in domesticated wheat. In addition, we investigated whether putative fluctuations in intensity of selection imposed on the host-pathogen interactions have resulted in a variation in susceptibility to WDV. To test our hypotheses we evaluated eighteen wild and domesticated wheat taxa, directly or indirectly involved in wheat evolution, for traits associated with WDV disease such as leaf chlorosis, different growth traits and WDV content. The plants were exposed to viruliferous leafhoppers (Psammotettix alienus) in a greenhouse trial and evaluated at two time points. We found three different plant response patterns: i) continuous reduction in growth over time, ii) weak response at an early stage of plant development but a much stronger response at a later stage, and iii) remission of symptoms over time. Variation in susceptibility may be explained by differences in the intensity of natural selection, shaping the coevolutionary interaction between WDV and the wild relatives. However, genetic bottlenecks during wheat evolution have not had a strong impact on WDV resistance. Further, this study indicates that the variation in susceptibility may be associated with the genome type and that the ancestor Ae. tauschii may be useful as genetic resource for the improvement of WDV resistance in wheat. PMID:25837893
Variation in susceptibility to Wheat dwarf virus among wild and domesticated wheat.
Nygren, Jim; Shad, Nadeem; Kvarnheden, Anders; Westerbergh, Anna
We investigated the variation in plant response in host-pathogen interactions between wild (Aegilops spp., Triticum spp.) and domesticated wheat (Triticum spp.) and Wheat dwarf virus (WDV). The distribution of WDV and its wild host species overlaps in Western Asia in the Fertile Crescent, suggesting a coevolutionary relationship. Bread wheat originates from a natural hybridization between wild emmer wheat (carrying the A and B genomes) and the wild D genome donor Aegilops tauschii, followed by polyploidization and domestication. We studied whether the strong selection during these evolutionary processes, leading to genetic bottlenecks, may have resulted in a loss of resistance in domesticated wheat. In addition, we investigated whether putative fluctuations in intensity of selection imposed on the host-pathogen interactions have resulted in a variation in susceptibility to WDV. To test our hypotheses we evaluated eighteen wild and domesticated wheat taxa, directly or indirectly involved in wheat evolution, for traits associated with WDV disease such as leaf chlorosis, different growth traits and WDV content. The plants were exposed to viruliferous leafhoppers (Psammotettix alienus) in a greenhouse trial and evaluated at two time points. We found three different plant response patterns: i) continuous reduction in growth over time, ii) weak response at an early stage of plant development but a much stronger response at a later stage, and iii) remission of symptoms over time. Variation in susceptibility may be explained by differences in the intensity of natural selection, shaping the coevolutionary interaction between WDV and the wild relatives. However, genetic bottlenecks during wheat evolution have not had a strong impact on WDV resistance. Further, this study indicates that the variation in susceptibility may be associated with the genome type and that the ancestor Ae. tauschii may be useful as genetic resource for the improvement of WDV resistance in wheat. PMID:25837893
Molecular epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from wild-bird fecal material in children's playgrounds.
French, Nigel P; Midwinter, Anne; Holland, Barbara; Collins-Emerson, Julie; Pattison, Rebecca; Colles, Frances; Carter, Philip
In many countries relatively high notification rates of campylobacteriosis are observed in children under 5 years of age. Few studies have considered the role that environmental exposure plays in the epidemiology of these cases. Wild birds inhabit parks and playgrounds and are recognized carriers of Campylobacter, and young children are at greater risk of ingesting infective material due to their frequent hand-mouth contact. We investigated wild-bird fecal contamination in playgrounds in parks in a New Zealand city. A total of 192 samples of fresh and dried fecal material were cultured to determine the presence of Campylobacter spp. Campylobacter jejuni isolates were also characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and the profiles obtained were compared with those of human isolates. C. jejuni was isolated from 12.5% of the samples. MLST identified members of clonal complexes ST-45, ST-682, and ST-177; all of these complexes have been recovered from wild birds in Europe. PFGE of ST-45 isolates resulted in profiles indistinguishable from those of isolated obtained from human cases in New Zealand. Members of the ST-177 and ST-682 complexes have been found in starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in the United Kingdom, and these birds were common in playgrounds investigated in New Zealand in this study. We suggest that feces from wild birds in playgrounds could contribute to the occurrence of campylobacteriosis in preschool children. Further, the C. jejuni isolates obtained in this study belonged to clonal complexes associated with wild-bird populations in the northern hemisphere and could have been introduced into New Zealand in imported wild garden birds in the 19th century. PMID:19047378
Seropositivity and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild birds from Spain.
Cabezón, Oscar; García-Bocanegra, Ignacio; Molina-López, Rafael; Marco, Ignasi; Blanco, Juan M; Höfle, Ursula; Margalida, Antoni; Bach-Raich, Esther; Darwich, Laila; Echeverría, Israel; Obón, Elena; Hernández, Mauro; Lavín, Santiago; Dubey, Jitender P; Almería, Sonia
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic intracellular protozoan parasite of worldwide distribution that infects many species of warm-blooded animals, including birds. To date, there is scant information about the seropositivity of T. gondii and the risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in wild bird populations. In the present study, T. gondii infection was evaluated on sera obtained from 1079 wild birds belonging to 56 species (including Falconiformes (n=610), Strigiformes (n=260), Ciconiiformes (n=156), Gruiformes (n=21), and other orders (n=32), from different areas of Spain. Antibodies to T. gondii (modified agglutination test, MAT titer ?1:25) were found in 282 (26.1%, IC(95%:)23.5-28.7) of the 1079 birds. This study constitute the first extensive survey in wild birds species in Spain and reports for the first time T. gondii antibodies in the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), short-toed snake-eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), Western marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), long-eared owl (Asio otus), common scops owl (Otus scops), Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), white stork (Ciconia ciconia), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus); in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) "vulnerable" Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) and great bustard (Otis tarda); and in the IUCN "near threatened" red kite (Milvus milvus). The highest seropositivity by species was observed in the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) (68.1%, 98 of 144). The main risk factors associated with T. gondii seropositivity in wild birds were age and diet, with the highest exposure in older animals and in carnivorous wild birds. The results showed that T. gondii infection is widespread and can be at a high level in many wild birds in Spain, most likely related to their feeding behaviour. PMID:22216311
Lower Richness of Small Wild Mammal Species and Chagas Disease Risk
Xavier, Samanta Cristina das Chagas; Roque, André Luiz Rodrigues; Lima, Valdirene dos Santos; Monteiro, Kerla Joeline Lima; Otaviano, Joel Carlos Rodrigues; Ferreira da Silva, Luiz Felipe Coutinho; Jansen, Ana Maria
A new epidemiological scenario involving the oral transmission of Chagas disease, mainly in the Amazon basin, requires innovative control measures. Geospatial analyses of the Trypanosoma cruzi transmission cycle in the wild mammals have been scarce. We applied interpolation and map algebra methods to evaluate mammalian fauna variables related to small wild mammals and the T. cruzi infection pattern in dogs to identify hotspot areas of transmission. We also evaluated the use of dogs as sentinels of epidemiological risk of Chagas disease. Dogs (n?=?649) were examined by two parasitological and three distinct serological assays. kDNA amplification was performed in patent infections, although the infection was mainly sub-patent in dogs. The distribution of T. cruzi infection in dogs was not homogeneous, ranging from 11–89% in different localities. The interpolation method and map algebra were employed to test the associations between the lower richness in mammal species and the risk of exposure of dogs to T. cruzi infection. Geospatial analysis indicated that the reduction of the mammal fauna (richness and abundance) was associated with higher parasitemia in small wild mammals and higher exposure of dogs to infection. A Generalized Linear Model (GLM) demonstrated that species richness and positive hemocultures in wild mammals were associated with T. cruzi infection in dogs. Domestic canine infection rates differed significantly between areas with and without Chagas disease outbreaks (Chi-squared test). Geospatial analysis by interpolation and map algebra methods proved to be a powerful tool in the evaluation of areas of T. cruzi transmission. Dog infection was shown to not only be an efficient indicator of reduction of wild mammalian fauna richness but to also act as a signal for the presence of small wild mammals with high parasitemia. The lower richness of small mammal species is discussed as a risk factor for the re-emergence of Chagas disease. PMID:22616021
Effective size of a wild salmonid population is greatly reduced by hatchery supplementation
Christie, M R; Marine, M L; French, R A; Waples, R S; Blouin, M S
Many declining and commercially important populations are supplemented with captive-born individuals that are intentionally released into the wild. These supplementation programs often create large numbers of offspring from relatively few breeding adults, which can have substantial population-level effects. We examined the genetic effects of supplementation on a wild population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from the Hood River, Oregon, by matching 12 run-years of hatchery steelhead back to their broodstock parents. We show that the effective number of breeders producing the hatchery fish (broodstock parents; Nb) was quite small (harmonic mean Nb=25 fish per brood-year vs 373 for wild fish), and was exacerbated by a high variance in broodstock reproductive success among individuals within years. The low Nb caused hatchery fish to have decreased allelic richness, increased average relatedness, more loci in linkage disequilibrium and substantial levels of genetic drift in comparison with their wild-born counterparts. We also documented a substantial Ryman–Laikre effect whereby the additional hatchery fish doubled the total number of adult fish on the spawning grounds each year, but cut the effective population size of the total population (wild and hatchery fish combined) by nearly two-thirds. We further demonstrate that the Ryman–Laikre effect is most severe in this population when (1) >10% of fish allowed onto spawning grounds are from hatcheries and (2) the hatchery fish have high reproductive success in the wild. These results emphasize the trade-offs that arise when supplementation programs attempt to balance disparate goals (increasing production while maintaining genetic diversity and fitness). PMID:22805657
Characterisation of pseudorabies virus in domestic pigs and wild boars in Croatia.
Keros, Tomislav; Brni?, Dragan; Prpi?, Jelena; Dež?ek, Danko; Jemerši?, Lorena; Roi?, Besi; Bedekovi?, Tomislav
Serological data imply that pseudorabies (Aujeszky's disease) is present in domestic pigs and wild boars in Croatia. Therefore, this study included testing of brain tissue samples collected from 200 domestic pigs and 105 wild boars originating from seventeen districts of Croatia. The presence of pseudorabies virus (PrV) DNA was confirmed in samples originating from six domestic pigs (3%) and one wild boar (0.95%). Positive samples were sequenced and analysed on the basis of a gC genome fragment. PrV strains have shown to be genetically identical and they are strongly related to some representative strains in the relatively heterogeneous Clade A. The results clearly show that PrV is still circulating among the domestic pig population in Croatia. Furthermore, the presence of pseudorabies virus in wild boars underlines the importance of this species as a PrV reservoir. Continued surveillance is necessary to track the viral spread in order to achieve final eradication of the disease. PMID:25410393
Mentha spicata (Lamiaceae) chemotypes growing wild in Greece
S. Kokkini; D. Vokou
Mentha spicata is the commonest mint species growing wild in Greece, exhibiting great morphological and chemical variability. The oil content\\u000a from different wild populations examined ranged from 0.3% to 2.2%; the most common value being ca.1%. Though commercially\\u000a exploited M. spicata plants are always rich in carvone and dihydrocarvone, wild populations are very variable; four different\\u000a chemotypes were distinguished within
Heavy Metal Distribution in Some Wild Birds from Korea
Jungsoo Kim; Ju-Ryul Shin; Tae-Hoe Koo
This study presents concentrations of heavy metals (manganese, zinc, lead, and cadmium) in tissues in six orders of Korean\\u000a wild birds (n = 37), 2000–2002. Zinc, manganese, lead, and cadmium concentrations in all tissues were highest in ancient murrelets (Synthliboramphus antiquus). Essential elements in Korean wild birds were within the normal range for wild birds and are maintained there by a normal
The public health risks associated with wild and feral swine.
Gibbs, E P
Wild swine populations (Sus scrofa) are present in many regions of the world. Large feral populations in North America and Australia are principally derived from introduced domestic pigs. In Europe, most wild boar are found in Germany and Poland. While wild swine are certainly a significant reservoir of infection for domestic swine diseases (for example, African swine fever virus in wild boar in Sardinia), these swine generally do not constitute a major public health risk. Brucella suis infections and trichinellosis are the most important zoonotic threats to public health. PMID:9501373
The roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems
Bharucha, Zareen; Pretty, Jules
Almost every ecosystem has been amended so that plants and animals can be used as food, fibre, fodder, medicines, traps and weapons. Historically, wild plants and animals were sole dietary components for hunter–gatherer and forager cultures. Today, they remain key to many agricultural communities. The mean use of wild foods by agricultural and forager communities in 22 countries of Asia and Africa (36 studies) is 90–100 species per location. Aggregate country estimates can reach 300–800 species (e.g. India, Ethiopia, Kenya). The mean use of wild species is 120 per community for indigenous communities in both industrialized and developing countries. Many of these wild foods are actively managed, suggesting there is a false dichotomy around ideas of the agricultural and the wild: hunter–gatherers and foragers farm and manage their environments, and cultivators use many wild plants and animals. Yet, provision of and access to these sources of food may be declining as natural habitats come under increasing pressure from development, conservation-exclusions and agricultural expansion. Despite their value, wild foods are excluded from official statistics on economic values of natural resources. It is clear that wild plants and animals continue to form a significant proportion of the global food basket, and while a variety of social and ecological drivers are acting to reduce wild food use, their importance may be set to grow as pressures on agricultural productivity increase. PMID:20713393
Facilitated by nature and agriculture: performance of a specialist herbivore improves with host-plant life history evolution, domestication, and breeding.
Dávila-Flores, Amanda M; DeWitt, Thomas J; Bernal, Julio S
Plant defenses against herbivores are predicted to change as plant lineages diversify, and with domestication and subsequent selection and breeding in the case of crop plants. We addressed whether defense against a specialist herbivore declined coincidently with life history evolution, domestication, and breeding within the grass genus Zea (Poaceae). For this, we assessed performance of corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) following colonization of one of four Zea species containing three successive transitions: the evolutionary transition from perennial to annual life cycle, the agricultural transition from wild annual grass to primitive crop cultivar, and the agronomic transition from primitive to modern crop cultivar. Performance of corn leafhopper was measured through seven variables relevant to development speed, survivorship, fecundity, and body size. The plants included in our study were perennial teosinte (Zea diploperennis), Balsas teosinte (Zea mays parviglumis), a landrace maize (Zea mays mays), and a hybrid maize. Perennial teosinte is a perennial, iteroparous species, and is basal in Zea; Balsas teosinte is an annual species, and the progenitor of maize; the landrace maize is a primitive, genetically diverse cultivar, and is ancestral to the hybrid maize; and, the hybrid maize is a highly inbred, modern cultivar. Performance of corn leafhopper was poorest on perennial teosinte, intermediate on Balsas teosinte and landrace maize, and best on hybrid maize, consistent with our expectation of declining defense from perennial teosinte to hybrid maize. Overall, our results indicated that corn leafhopper performance increased most with the agronomic transition, followed by the life history transition, and least with the domestication transition. PMID:23868032
A simple protocol for extracting hemocytes from wild caterpillars.
Stoepler, Teresa M; Castillo, Julio C; Lill, John T; Eleftherianos, Ioannis
Insect hemocytes (equivalent to mammalian white blood cells) play an important role in several physiological processes throughout an insect's life cycle. In larval stages of insects belonging to the orders of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) and Diptera (true flies), hemocytes are formed from the lymph gland (a specialized hematopoietic organ) or embryonic cells and can be carried through to the adult stage. Embryonic hemocytes are involved in cell migration during development and chemotaxis regulation during inflammation. They also take part in cell apoptosis and are essential for embryogenesis. Hemocytes mediate the cellular arm of the insect innate immune response that includes several functions, such as cell spreading, cell aggregation, formation of nodules, phagocytosis and encapsulation of foreign invaders. They are also responsible for orchestrating specific insect humoral defenses during infection, such as the production of antimicrobial peptides and other effector molecules. Hemocyte morphology and function have mainly been studied in genetic or physiological insect models, including the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae and the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. However, little information currently exists about the diversity, classification, morphology and function of hemocytes in non-model insect species, especially those collected from the wild. Here we describe a simple and efficient protocol for extracting hemocytes from wild caterpillars. We use penultimate instar Lithacodes fasciola (yellow-shouldered slug moth) (Figure 1) and Euclea delphinii (spiny oak slug) caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) and show that sufficient volumes of hemolymph (insect blood) can be isolated and hemocyte numbers counted from individual larvae. This method can be used to efficiently study hemocyte types in these species as well as in other related lepidopteran caterpillars harvested from the field, or it can be readily combined with immunological assays designed to investigate hemocyte function following infection with microbial or parasitic organisms. PMID:23183567
Effects of economic downturns on mortality of wild African elephants.
Wittemyer, George
Declines in economic activity and associated changes in human livelihood strategies can increase threats of species overexploitation. This is exemplified by the effects of economic crises, which often drive intensification of subsistence poaching and greater reliance on natural resources. Whereas development theory links natural resource use to social-economic conditions, few empirical studies of the effect of economic downturns on wild animal species have been conducted. I assessed the relations between African elephant (Loxodonta africana) mortality and human-caused wounds in Samburu, Kenya and (1) livestock and maize prices (measures of local economic conditions), (2) change in national and regional gross domestic product (GDP) (measures of macroeconomic conditions), and (3) the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (a correlate of primary productivity). In addition, I analyzed household survey data to determine the attitudes of local people toward protected areas and wild animals in the area. When cattle prices in the pastoralist study region were low, human-caused wounds to and adult mortality of elephants increased. The NDVI was negatively correlated with juvenile mortality, but not correlated with adult mortality. Changes in Kenyan and East Asian (primary market for ivory) GDP did not explain significant variation in mortality. Increased human wounding of elephants and elephant mortality during periods of low livestock prices (local economic downturns) likely reflect an economically driven increase in ivory poaching. Local but not macroeconomic indices explained significant variation in mortality, likely due to the dominance of the subsistence economy in the study area and its political and economic isolation. My results suggest economic metrics can serve as effective indicators of changes in human use of and resulting effects on natural resources. Such information can help focus management approaches (e.g., antipoaching effort or proffering of alternative occupational opportunities) that address variation in local activities that threaten plant and animal populations. PMID:21790785
Advances in reproductive science for wild carnivore conservation.
Comizzoli, P; Crosier, A E; Songsasen, N; Gunther, M Szykman; Howard, J G; Wildt, D E
Knowledge about reproduction is critical for predicting the viability of wildlife populations in nature and for managing breeding programmes in captivity. Intensive species-based studies are the priority, because reproductive mechanisms are extraordinarily diverse, even within the same taxonomic family. Carnivores deserve more attention as such species are highly vulnerable to environmental change and human persecution. The present review provides contemporary illustrations of how reproductive science is contributing to understand unique reproductive mechanisms that are both of fundamental and applied interest. In the case of the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) free-living in South Africa, non-invasive faecal corticosteroid assessments have yielded new insights about the impact of animal relocation and reintroduction on adaptive responses, reproductive fitness and survival. For the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), advances have been made in characterizing and comparing reproductive traits in free-ranging vs captive individuals. For the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), recent studies have focused on the cryosensitivity of sperm and the ability to develop a field-friendly sperm cryo-method. The by-product has been a large-scale frozen repository of sperm from wild-caught cheetahs useful for infusing new genes into ex situ populations. Finally, rigorous, multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional reproductive studies of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), including the use of artificial insemination, have contributed to the remarkable recovery and restoration of this species, once on the brink of extinction. In summary, advances in reproductive science are not necessarily related to 'assisted breeding'. However, understanding the unique ways of carnivore reproduction greatly contributes to species management and conservation. PMID:19754535
Wild Birds and Increased Transmission of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) among Poultry, Thailand
Keawcharoen, Juthatip; van den Broek, Jan; Bouma, Annemarie; Tiensin, Thanawat; Osterhaus, Albert D.M.E
Since the outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 virus, wild birds have been suspected of transmitting this virus to poultry. On January 23, 2004, the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand informed the World Health Organization of an avian influenza A (H5N1) outbreak. To determine the epidemiology of this viral infection and its relation to poultry outbreaks in Thailand from 2004 through 2007, we investigated how wild birds play a role in transmission. A total of 24,712 serum samples were collected from migratory and resident wild birds. Reverse transcription PCR showed a 0.7% HPAI (H5N1) prevalence. The highest prevalence was observed during January–February 2004 and March–June 2004, predominantly in central Thailand, which harbors most of the country's poultry flocks. Analysis of the relationship between poultry and wild bird outbreaks was done by using a nonhomogeneous birth and death statistical model. Transmission efficiency among poultry flocks was 1.7× higher in regions with infected wild birds in the given or preceding month. The joint presence of wild birds and poultry is associated with increased spread among poultry flocks. PMID:21749762
Retinal ganglion cell responses to voltage and current stimulation in wild-type and rd1 mouse retinas
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Goo, Yong Sook; Ye, Jang Hee; Lee, Seokyoung; Nam, Yoonkey; Ryu, Sang Baek; Kim, Kyung Hwan
Retinal prostheses are being developed to restore vision for those with retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration. Since neural prostheses depend upon electrical stimulation to control neural activity, optimal stimulation parameters for successful encoding of visual information are one of the most important requirements to enable visual perception. In this paper, we focused on retinal ganglion cell (RGC) responses to different stimulation parameters and compared threshold charge densities in wild-type and rd1 mice. For this purpose, we used in vitro retinal preparations of wild-type and rd1 mice. When the neural network was stimulated with voltage- and current-controlled pulses, RGCs from both wild-type and rd1 mice responded; however the temporal pattern of RGC response is very different. In wild-type RGCs, a single peak within 100 ms appears, while multiple peaks (approximately four peaks) with ~10 Hz rhythm within 400 ms appear in RGCs in the degenerated retina of rd1 mice. We find that an anodic phase-first biphasic voltage-controlled pulse is more efficient for stimulation than a biphasic current-controlled pulse based on lower threshold charge density. The threshold charge densities for activation of RGCs both with voltage- and current-controlled pulses are overall more elevated for the rd1 mouse than the wild-type mouse. Here, we propose the stimulus range for wild-type and rd1 retinas when the optimal modulation of a RGC response is possible.
Anti-proliferative effect of horehound leaf and wild cherry bark extracts on human colorectal cancer cells
Marubium vulgare (horehound) and Prunus serotina (wild cherry) have been traditionally used for the treatment of inflammatory-related symptoms such as cold, fever, and sore throat. In this report, we show that extracts of anti-inflammatory horehound leaves and wild cherry bark exhibit anti-proliferative activity in human colorectal cancer cells. Both horehound and wild cherry extracts cause suppression of cell growth as well as induction of apoptosis. We found that horehound extract up-regulates pro-apoptotic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene (NAG-1) through trans-activation of the NAG-1 promoter. In contrast, wild cherry extract decreased cyclin D1 expression and increased NAG-1 expression in HCT-116 and SW480 cell lines. Treatment with wild cherry extract resulted in the suppression of ?-catenin/T cell factor transcription, as assessed by TOP/FOP reporter constructs, suggesting that suppressed ?-catenin signaling by wild cherry extract leads to the reduction of cyclin D1 expression. Our data suggest the mechanisms by which these extracts suppress cell growth and induce apoptosis involve enhanced NAG-1 expression and/or down-regulation of ?-catenin signaling, followed by reduced cyclin D1 expression in human colorectal cancer cells. These findings may provide mechanisms for traditional anti-inflammatory products as cancer chemopreventive agents. PMID:16328068
National Geographic: WildCam Africa
NSDL National Science Digital Library
In 1985, Pete Le Roux dreamed of a wildlife reserve in Africa. Twenty years later it is a successful reality, as the pond he built from an old irrigation system is alive with the sounds of elephants and impalas. Visitors to this site established by National Geographic Magazine can view "Pete's Pond" via a live webcam offered here. Of course, that's just one of the many highlights that visitors may enjoy. They may also want to read through the weblog authored by researchers Jeanette Selier and Villiers Steyn. Here they post highlights of their work, complemented by a selection of high-quality images of the animals they are studying, such as the African wild cat. Those who are cartographically minded may want to take a look at the map of the Mashatu Game Reserve, which is home to Pete's Pond and its thousands of different animal residents. Overall, this is a fine educational site, and one that warrants several visits.
Thallium contamination in wild ducks in Japan.
Mochizuki, Mariko; Mori, Makoto; Akinaga, Mayumi; Yugami, Kyoko; Oya, Chika; Hondo, Ryo; Ueda, Fukiko
Although thallium (Tl) is toxic to both humans and animals, there is little information on contamination in wildlife. In this study, Tl contents in wild ducks in Japan were determined. Contents of Tl in kidney and liver ranged from 0.42 to 119.61 and 0.10 to 33.94 microg/g dry weight, respectively. Significant correlations between Tl contents in kidney and liver were observed for all dabbling ducks except mallard (Anas platyrhynchos); similar correlations were not observed in diving ducks. Variation in Tl content was observed between sampling locations with the highest mean Tl content in the Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope) collected in Ibaraki Prefecture. PMID:16244083
Oscar Wilde and the scarlet woman.
Hanson, E
In the late nineteenth century, England was embroiled in a political debate over the importation of Roman Catholic rituals into the Anglican Church, not to mention the re-establishment of the Roman Church itself in Great Britain. Victorian anti-Catholic rhetoric draws upon the figure of the Whore of Babylon to depict the Roman Catholic Church as the Scarlet Woman, a femme fatale who perverts Christianity and seduces Englishmen with elaborate rituals and lascivious whisperings in the confessional. In writing Salomé, Oscar Wilde played ironically on the hysterical eroticism of the No Popery movement by mining the paradox of biblical sensuality. He invested his play with a biblical wealth of archaic metaphors and gestures that took their cues from The Song of Songs and The Book of Revelation. He became the ecclesiastical dandy that evangelicals feared most, a poet enamored of the Scarlet Woman, a would-be convert who exposed the scandal of Christianity as art. PMID:9378935
Contemporary Genetic Structure, Phylogeography and Past Demographic Processes of Wild Boar Sus scrofa Population in Central and Eastern Europe
Kusza, Szilvia; Podgórski, Tomasz; Scandura, Massimo; Borowik, Tomasz; Jávor, András; Sidorovich, Vadim E.; Bunevich, Aleksei N.; Kolesnikov, Mikhail; J?drzejewska, Bogumi?a
The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is one of the most widely distributed mammals in Europe. Its demography was affected by various events in the past and today populations are increasing throughout Europe. We examined genetic diversity, structure and population dynamics of wild boar in Central and Eastern Europe. MtDNA control region (664 bp) was sequenced in 254 wild boar from six countries (Poland, Hungary, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and the European part of Russia). We detected 16 haplotypes, all known from previous studies in Europe; 14 of them belonged to European 1 (E1) clade, including 13 haplotypes from E1-C and one from E1-A lineages. Two haplotypes belonged respectively to the East Asian and the Near Eastern clade. Both haplotypes were found in Russia and most probably originated from the documented translocations of wild boar. The studied populations showed moderate haplotype (0.714±0.023) and low nucleotide diversity (0.003±0.002). SAMOVA grouped the genetic structuring of Central and Eastern European wild boar into three subpopulations, comprising of: (1) north-eastern Belarus and the European part of Russia, (2) Poland, Ukraine, Moldova and most of Belarus, and (3) Hungary. The multimodal mismatch distribution, Fu's Fs index, Bayesian skyline plot and the high occurrence of shared haplotypes among populations did not suggest strong demographic fluctuations in wild boar numbers in the Holocene and pre-Holocene times. This study showed relatively weak genetic diversity and structure in Central and Eastern European wild boar populations and underlined gaps in our knowledge on the role of southern refugia and demographic processes shaping genetic diversity of wild boar in this part of Europe. PMID:24622149
Rapid convergent evolution in wild crickets.
Pascoal, Sonia; Cezard, Timothee; Eik-Nes, Aasta; Gharbi, Karim; Majewska, Jagoda; Payne, Elizabeth; Ritchie, Michael G; Zuk, Marlene; Bailey, Nathan W
The earliest stages of convergent evolution are difficult to observe in the wild, limiting our understanding of the incipient genomic architecture underlying convergent phenotypes. To address this, we capitalized on a novel trait, flatwing, that arose and proliferated at the start of the 21st century in a population of field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Flatwing erases sound-producing structures on male forewings. Mutant males cannot sing to attract females, but they are protected from fatal attack by an acoustically orienting parasitoid fly (Ormia ochracea). Two years later, the silent morph appeared on the neighboring island of Oahu. We tested two hypotheses for the evolutionary origin of flatwings in Hawaii: (1) that the silent morph originated on Kauai and subsequently introgressed into Oahu and (2) that flatwing originated independently on each island. Morphometric analysis of male wings revealed that Kauai flatwings almost completely lack typical derived structures, whereas Oahu flatwings retain noticeably more wild-type wing venation. Using standard genetic crosses, we confirmed that the mutation segregates as a single-locus, sex-linked Mendelian trait on both islands. However, genome-wide scans using RAD-seq recovered almost completely distinct markers linked with flatwing on each island. The patterns of allelic association with flatwing on either island reveal different genomic architectures consistent with the timing of two mutational events on the X chromosome. Divergent wing morphologies linked to different loci thus cause identical behavioral outcomes--silence--illustrating the power of selection to rapidly shape convergent adaptations from distinct genomic starting points. PMID:24881880
Introgression Between Cultivars and Wild Populations of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Taiwan
Liao, Pei-Chun; Tsai, Chi-Chu; Chou, Chang-Hung; Chiang, Yu-Chung
The landrace strains of Momordica charantia are widely cultivated vegetables throughout the tropics and subtropics, but not in Taiwan, a continental island in Southeast Asia, until a few hundred years ago. In contrast, the related wild populations with smaller fruit sizes are native to Taiwan. Because of the introduction of cultivars for agricultural purposes, these two accessions currently exhibit a sympatric or parapatric distribution in Taiwan. In this study, the cultivars and wild samples from Taiwan, India, and Korea were collected for testing of their hybridization and evolutionary patterns. The cpDNA marker showed a clear distinction between accessions of cultivars and wild populations of Taiwan and a long divergence time. In contrast, an analysis of eight selectively neutral nuclear microsatellite loci did not reveal a difference between the genetic structures of these two accessions. A relatively short divergence time and frequent but asymmetric gene flows were estimated based on the isolation-with-migration model. Historical and current introgression from cultivars to wild populations of Taiwan was also inferred using MIGRATE-n and BayesAss analyses. Our results showed that these two accessions shared abundant common ancestral polymorphisms, and the timing of the divergence and colonization of the Taiwanese wild populations is consistent with the geohistory of the Taiwan Strait land bridge of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Long-term and recurrent introgression between accessions indicated the asymmetric capacity to receive foreign genes from other accessions. The modern introduction of cultivars of M. charantia during the colonization of Taiwan by the Han Chinese ethnic group enhanced the rate of gene replacement in the native populations and resulted in the loss of native genes. PMID:22754378
Prevalence of Gnathostoma spinigerum infection in wild and cultured swamp eels in Vietnam.
Sieu, Tran Phu Manh; Dung, Tran Thi Kim; Nga, Nguyen Thi Quynh; Hien, Tran Vinh; Dalsgaard, Anders; Waikagul, Jitra; Murrell, K Darwin
Human infections with Gnathostoma spinigerum frequently occur in southern Vietnam. Previous investigations have implicated infected swamp eels (Monopterus albus) as an important source of infection to humans. Because aquaculture of M. alba is an important farming activity in Vietnam, a 2-yr study was carried out to assess the relative importance of farmed and wild eels as potential sources of gnathostome infections in humans. Eels sold for public consumption in markets in southern provinces were examined between November 2005 and August 2007. Although no infections were detected in 1,020 cultured eels and 1,021 wild-caught eels collected from November 2005 to September 2006, larval G. spinigerum (AL3) infections were first detected in September 2006 in 28 of 230 wild-caught eels (12.2%) obtained from markets in Long An province and the Hoc Mon district of Ho Chi Minh City. Subsequently, monthly surveillance of wild-caught eels from these markets was carried out through August 2007. Prevalence of AL3 varied monthly, ranging from 0.8 to 19.6%. Both prevalence and infection intensity were higher during the latter part of the rainy season (August- October). These results demonstrate that potentially zoonotic G. spinigerum larvae are common in wild eels in southern Vietnam and present a risk to consumers of raw fish dishes, especially during the annual rainy season. This information could help target public health education efforts in the region. The basis for the seasonal variation on eel infections is not known, but may be related to climate effects (flooding, higher temperatures) on intermediate host species ecology. PMID:19245276
Characterization of low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses isolated from wild birds in Mongolia 2005 through 2007
Background Since the emergence of H5N1 high pathogenicity (HP) avian influenza virus (AIV) in Asia, numerous efforts worldwide have focused on elucidating the relative roles of wild birds and domestic poultry movement in virus dissemination. In accordance with this a surveillance program for AIV in wild birds was conducted in Mongolia from 2005-2007. An important feature of Mongolia is that there is little domestic poultry production in the country, therefore AIV detection in wild birds would not likely be from spill-over from domestic poultry. Results During 2005-2007 2,139 specimens representing 4,077 individual birds of 45 species were tested for AIV by real time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) and/or virus isolation. Bird age and health status were recorded. Ninety rRT-PCR AIV positive samples representing 89 individual birds of 19 species including 9 low pathogenicity (LP) AIVs were isolated from 6 species. A Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus), a Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) and 2 Ruddy shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea) were positive for H12N3 LP AIV. H16N3 and H13N6 viruses were isolated from Black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus). A Red-crested pochard (Rhodonessa rufina) and 2 Mongolian gulls (Larus vagae mongolicus) were positive for H3N6 and H16N6 LP AIV, respectively. Full genomes of each virus isolate were sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically and were most closely related to recent European and Asian wild bird lineage AIVs and individual genes loosely grouped by year. Reassortment occurred within and among different years and subtypes. Conclusion Detection and/or isolation of AIV infection in numerous wild bird species, including 2 which have not been previously described as hosts, reinforces the wide host range of AIV within avian species. Reassortment complexity within the genomes indicate the introduction of new AIV strains into wild bird populations annually, however there is enough over-lap of infection for reassortment to occur. Further work is needed to clarify how AIV is maintained in these wild bird reservoirs. PMID:19891786
Molecular organization and comparative analysis of chromosome 5B of the wild wheat ancestor Triticum dicoccoides
Ani Akpinar, Bala; Yuce, Meral; Lucas, Stuart; Vrána, Jan; Burešová, Veronika; Doležel, Jaroslav; Budak, Hikmet
Wild emmer wheat, Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides is the wild relative of Triticum turgidum, the progenitor of durum and bread wheat, and maintains a rich allelic diversity among its wild populations. The lack of adequate genetic and genomic resources, however, restricts its exploitation in wheat improvement. Here, we report next-generation sequencing of the flow-sorted chromosome 5B of T. dicoccoides to shed light into its genome structure, function and organization by exploring the repetitive elements, protein-encoding genes and putative microRNA and tRNA coding sequences. Comparative analyses with its counterparts in modern and wild wheats suggest clues into the B-genome evolution. Syntenic relationships of chromosome 5B with the model grasses can facilitate further efforts for fine-mapping of traits of interest. Mapping of 5B sequences onto the root transcriptomes of two additional T. dicoccoides genotypes, with contrasting drought tolerances, revealed several thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms, of which 584 shared polymorphisms on 228 transcripts were specific to the drought-tolerant genotype. To our knowledge, this study presents the largest genomics resource currently available for T. dicoccoides, which, we believe, will encourage the exploitation of its genetic and genomic potential for wheat improvement to meet the increasing demand to feed the world. PMID:26084265
Molecular organization and comparative analysis of chromosome 5B of the wild wheat ancestor Triticum dicoccoides.
Ani Akpinar, Bala; Yuce, Meral; Lucas, Stuart; Vrána, Jan; Burešová, Veronika; Doležel, Jaroslav; Budak, Hikmet
Wild emmer wheat, Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides is the wild relative of Triticum turgidum, the progenitor of durum and bread wheat, and maintains a rich allelic diversity among its wild populations. The lack of adequate genetic and genomic resources, however, restricts its exploitation in wheat improvement. Here, we report next-generation sequencing of the flow-sorted chromosome 5B of T. dicoccoides to shed light into its genome structure, function and organization by exploring the repetitive elements, protein-encoding genes and putative microRNA and tRNA coding sequences. Comparative analyses with its counterparts in modern and wild wheats suggest clues into the B-genome evolution. Syntenic relationships of chromosome 5B with the model grasses can facilitate further efforts for fine-mapping of traits of interest. Mapping of 5B sequences onto the root transcriptomes of two additional T. dicoccoides genotypes, with contrasting drought tolerances, revealed several thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms, of which 584 shared polymorphisms on 228 transcripts were specific to the drought-tolerant genotype. To our knowledge, this study presents the largest genomics resource currently available for T. dicoccoides, which, we believe, will encourage the exploitation of its genetic and genomic potential for wheat improvement to meet the increasing demand to feed the world. PMID:26084265
Global Wild Annual Lens Collection: A Potential Resource for Lentil Genetic Base Broadening and Yield Enhancement
Singh, Mohar; Bisht, Ishwari Singh; Kumar, Sandeep; Dutta, Manoranjan; Bansal, Kailash Chander; Karale, Moreshwar; Sarker, Ashutosh; Amri, Ahmad; Kumar, Shiv; Datta, Swapan Kumar
Crop wild relatives (CWRs) are invaluable gene sources for various traits of interest, yet these potential resources are themselves increasingly threatened by the impact of climate change as well as other anthropogenic and socio-economic factors. The prime goal of our research was to cover all aspects of wild Lens genetic resource management like species characterization, agro-morphological evaluation, diversity assessment, and development of representative sets for its enhanced utilization in lentil base broadening and yield improvement initiatives. We characterized and evaluated extensively, the global wild annual Lens taxa, originating from twenty seven counties under two agro-climatic conditions of India consecutively for three cropping seasons. Results on various qualitative and quantitative characters including two foliar diseases showed wide variations for almost all yield attributing traits including multiple disease resistance in the wild species, L. nigricans and L. ervoides accessions. The core set developed from the entire Lens taxa had maximum representation from Turkey and Syria, indicating rich diversity in accessions originating from these regions. Diversity analysis also indicated wide geographical variations across genepool as was reflected in the core set. Potential use of core set, as an initial starting material, for genetic base broadening of cultivated lentil was also suggested. PMID:25254552
Canine Length in Wild Male Baboons: Maturation, Aging and Social Dominance Rank
Galbany, Jordi; Tung, Jenny; Altmann, Jeanne; Alberts, Susan C.
Canines represent an essential component of the dentition for any heterodont mammal. In primates, like many other mammals, canines are frequently used as weapons. Hence, tooth size and wear may have significant implications for fighting ability, and consequently for social dominance rank, reproductive success, and fitness. We evaluated sources of variance in canine growth and length in a well-studied wild primate population because of the potential importance of canines for male reproductive success in many primates. Specifically, we measured maxillary canine length in 80 wild male baboons (aged 5.04–20.45 years) from the Amboseli ecosystem in southern Kenya, and examined its relationship with maturation, age, and social dominance rank. In our analysis of maturation, we compared food-enhanced baboons (those that fed part time at a refuse pit associated with a tourist lodge) with wild-feeding males, and found that food-enhanced males achieved long canines earlier than wild-feeding males. Among adult males, canine length decreased with age because of tooth wear. We found some evidence that, after controlling for age, longer canines were associated with higher adult dominance rank (accounting for 9% of the variance in rank), but only among relatively high-ranking males. This result supports the idea that social rank, and thus reproductive success and fitness, may depend in part on fighting ability mediated by canine size. PMID:25950700
Stable Bacillus thuringiensis transgene introgression from Brassica napus to wild mustard B. juncea.
Cao, Di; Stewart, C Neal; Zheng, Min; Guan, Zhengjun; Tang, Zhi-Xi; Wei, Wei; Ma, Ke-Ping
Transgenic canola (Brassica napus) with a Bacillus thuringiensis cry1Ac gene and a green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker gene was used in hybridization experiments with wild Brassica juncea. Hybrid F1 and successive five backcross generations were obtained. The pod-set frequency on backcrossed B. juncea plants was over 66%, which suggested relatively high crossing compatibility between the hybrids and wild species. The seed setting in BC1 was the least of all generations tested, and then increased at the BC2 generation for which the thousand-seed weight was the highest of all generations. Seed size in backcrossed generations eventually approached that of the wild parent. The plants in all backcrossed generations were consistent with the expected 1:1 segregation ratio of the transgenes. The Bt Cry1Ac protein concentrations at bolting and flowering stages was higher compared to the 4-5-leaf and pod-formation stages. Nonetheless, the Bt toxin in the fifth backcrossing generation (BC5) was sufficient to kill both polyphagous (Helicoverpa armigera) and oligophagous (Plutella xylostella) Lepidoptera. As a consequence, the subsequent generations harboring the transgene from F1 to BC5 could have selection advantage against insect pests. The result is useful in understanding gene flow from transgenic crops and the followed transgene introgression into wild. PMID:25219305
Research article Mortality rates of honey bees in the wild
Dukas, Reuven
Research article Mortality rates of honey bees in the wild R. Dukas Animal Behaviour Group of animals including social insects. It is not clear, however, whether honey bees in the wild live long enough to exhibit senescent decline. I tested for the effects of senescence on honey bees foraging
CHAPTER 5 Wild Atlantic salmon in Europe: status and perspectives
Kjetil Hindar
Despite its status as a flagship species, wild Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar) has been in decline in most of Europe for the last three to four decades. Better catch records during this period, and increasing numbers of escaped farm salmon, suggest that the actual decline in wild salmon has been stronger than that estimated from catches. The decline has
John Mayer; I. Lehr Brisbin
The existence of problems with wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is nothing new to the Western Hemisphere. Damage by these introduced animals was reported as far back as 1505 by the early Spanish colonies in the Caribbean, where wild pigs were killing the colonists cattle. Droves of these animals also ravaged cultivated crops of maize and sugarcane on islands in the
Dynamic spleen mass in wild and domestic American mink
Schulte-Hostedde, Albrecht
Dynamic spleen mass in wild and domestic American mink ALBRECHT I. SCHULTE-HOSTEDDE1 *, JEFF BOWMAN that an individual finds itself in. The American mink, Neovison vison, exists in the natural environment and on fur farms. The natural environment and mink farm differ in many ways, such as wild mink being exposed
Mink Farms Predict Aleutian Disease Exposure in Wild American Mink
Schulte-Hostedde, Albrecht
Mink Farms Predict Aleutian Disease Exposure in Wild American Mink Larissa A. Nituch1 *, Jeff, is a particular threat. American mink (Neovison vison) populations across Canada appear to be declining, however, that domestic mink are escaping from mink farms and hybridizing with wild mink. Domestic mink may
Bovine tuberculosis in a wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Poland.
Krajewska, Monika; Lipiec, Marek; Zabost, Anna; Augustynowicz-Kope?, Ewa; Szulowski, Krzysztof
Poland is officially tuberculosis free and bovine tuberculosis (BTB) cases are rarely found except in bovids. We found BTB in a wild boar (Sus scrofa) in the Bieszczady Mountains, southeastern Poland. Studies suggest possible transmission of infection between free-living European bison (Bison bonasus caucasicus) and wild boar in this area. PMID:25075538
Cur Wild Neighbors: Teaching Unit (Grades 1-3).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sammut-Tovar, Dorothy
Designed to sensitize primary grade students to the responsibilities of protecting wild animals, this teaching unit contains a variety of interdisciplinary worksheets and activities. Although focusing on wild animals indigenous to San Mateo County (California), materials are easily adaptable for use in other areas. Examples of activities are…
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The genus Glycine contains the cultivated annual soybean G. max, the wild annual, G. soja, and about 21 wild perennial Glycine species. The perennials are largely indigenous to Australia, but are found in Papua New Guinea, Timor, Philippines, Japan and Taiwan. Outcrossing rates in the cultivated s...
The wild caught salmon industry: Its challenges and potential
1 In Oregon The wild caught salmon industry: Its challenges and potential A summary overview Bruce Introduction Fisheries in Oregon and wild caught salmon in particular have been critical to many Native American tribes both culturally and economically. Salmon continue to play a central economic role today
Research Focus The Pleistocene re-wilding gambit
Wolverton, Steve
Research Focus The Pleistocene re-wilding gambit Tim Caro Department of Wildlife, Fish Pleistocene re-wild- ing and edge debate from hazy conceptual arguments to empirical questions that can plug extinct during the Pleistocene, or morphologically similar species, if no descendants exist. For example
Besnoitiosis in wild and domestic goats in Iran.
Cheema, A H; Toofanian, F
Besnoitia cysts and lesions were observed in the skin, blood vessels, epididymis and testes of two wild goats (Capra aegagrus) and in the subcutaneous tissues of two domestic goats (Capra hircus) in the Fars Province of Iran. The seminiferous tubules in the wild goats showed aspermatogenesis, degeneration and atrophy of germinal epithelium. PMID:467078
Ho To; Ritsuko Sakai; Kazutoshi Shirota; Chiaki Kano; Satomi Abe; Tomoaki Sugimoto; Kazuaki Takehara; Chiharu Morita; Ikuo Takashima; Tsutomu Maruyama; Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi; Hideto Fukushl; Katsuya Hirai
Serological evidence of infection with Coxiella burnetii was found in 41 (2%) of 1,951 domestic birds and in 167 (19%) of 863 wild birds from 17 and 5 prefectures in Japan, respec- tively, by microagglutination (MA) test. The bacteriological evidence of the infection was found in 17 (41%) of 41 domestic birds and 37 (22%) of 167 wild birds by
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The genus Glycine contains the cultivated annual soybean G. max, the wild annual soybean G. soja, and about 21 wild perennial Glycine species. The perennials are largely indigenous to Australia, but are found in Papua New Guinea, Timor, Philippines, Japan and Taiwan. Outcrossing by insects occurs ...
Edible and Tended Wild Plants, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Agroecology
Nancy J. Turner; ?ukasz Jakub ?uczaj; Paola Migliorini; Andrea Pieroni; Angelo Leandro Dreon; Linda Enrica Sacchetti; Maurizio G. Paoletti
Humans the world over have depended on wild-growing plants in their diets for hundreds of thousands of years, and many people continue to rely on these species to meet at least part of their daily nutritional needs. Wild harvested plant foods include: roots and other underground parts; shoots and leafy greens; berries and other fleshy fruits; grains, nuts and seeds;
Emerging Adults and the Future of Wild Nature
Many resource managers and wilderness advocates see links between appreciating wild nature, participating in traditional outdoor activities, and support for protecting wild areas. Some of these individuals express concern that the values and recreation behavior of today's young people may suggest less support for protecting wilderness in the future. Although emerging adults appear to express strong pro-environmental values, they exhibit
Measuring senescence in wild animal populations: towards a longitudinal approach
D. H. Nussey; T. Coulson; M. Festa-Bianchet; J.-M. Gaillard
Summary 1. A major current challenge in ageing research is to understand why senescence rates vary between individuals, populations and species in wild populations. 2. Recent studies clearly illustrate that senescent declines in key demographic and life-history traits can be observed in many wild animal systems. 3. Here, we summarize the key challenges facing researchers working to understand senescence in
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
GOAL: To describe and compare the intestinal bacterial communities of domestic and wild turkeys. METHODS: Ceca from five domestic turkeys killed on-farm (Farm A) and eight from the abattoir (five from Farm A, three from Farm B) were examined for bacterial composition. Ceca from wild birds were p...
Global dimming and brightening: A review Martin Wild1
Fischlin, Andreas
Global dimming and brightening: A review Martin Wild1 Received 14 November 2008; revised 6 March radiation between the 1950s and 1980s (``global dimming''), with a partial recovery more recently at many, the carbon cycle, and the cryosphere among other climate elements. Citation: Wild, M. (2009), Global dimming
Determinants of a Quality Wild Turkey Hunting Season
Christopher J. Wynveen; Drew A. Cavin; Brett A. Wright; William E. Hammitt
According to the National Wild Turkey Federation, there has been a 450% increase in the number of licensed wild turkey hunters since 1973. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of research articles focusing specifically on turkey hunting. Most human dimensions of wildlife research have focused on either deer or waterfowl hunting. In this study, dimensions of hunting quality, days afield, and
Wild Allium species (Alliaceae) used in folk medicine of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
Keusgen, Michael; Fritsch, Reinhard M; Hisoriev, Hikmat; Kurbonova, Parvina A; Khassanov, Furkat O
Background Hitherto available sources from literature mentioned several wild growing Allium species as "edible" or "medicinally used" but without any further specification. Methods New data were gained during recent research missions: Allium plants were collected and shown to the local population which was asked for names and usage of these plants. Results Information was collected about current medical applications of sixteen wild species, nine of which belong to different sections of Allium subgenus Melanocrommyum. These plants are used against headache, cold, and stomach problems, and are mostly applied fresh or after boiling. Conclusion Close taxonomic relatives of the common onion were used similar to cultivated onion species, but medical use like garlic was mostly reported for species taxonomically not related to garlic. PMID:16584547
Identification of quantitative genetic components of fitness variation in farmed, hybrid and native salmon in the wild.
Besnier, F; Glover, K A; Lien, S; Kent, M; Hansen, M M; Shen, X; Skaala, Ř
Feral animals represent an important problem in many ecosystems due to interbreeding with wild conspecifics. Hybrid offspring from wild and domestic parents are often less adapted to local environment and ultimately, can reduce the fitness of the native population. This problem is an important concern in Norway, where each year, hundreds of thousands of farm Atlantic salmon escape from fish farms. Feral fish outnumber wild populations, leading to a possible loss of local adaptive genetic variation and erosion of genetic structure in wild populations. Studying the genetic factors underlying relative performance between wild and domesticated conspecific can help to better understand how domestication modifies the genetic background of populations, and how it may alter their ability to adapt to the natural environment. Here, based upon a large-scale release of wild, farm and wild x farm salmon crosses into a natural river system, a genome-wide quantitative trait locus (QTL) scan was performed on the offspring of 50 full-sib families, for traits related to fitness (length, weight, condition factor and survival). Six QTLs were detected as significant contributors to the phenotypic variation of the first three traits, explaining collectively between 9.8 and 14.8% of the phenotypic variation. The seventh QTL had a significant contribution to the variation in survival, and is regarded as a key factor to understand the fitness variability observed among salmon in the river. Interestingly, strong allelic correlation within one of the QTL regions in farmed salmon might reflect a recent selective sweep due to artificial selection. PMID:26059968
Transcription of cholera toxin operon in wild-type and mutant strains of Vibrio cholerae.
Mishra, L; Holmes, R K
mRNA for cholera toxin (CT) was measured in wild-type, hypertoxinogenic, and hypotoxinogenic strains of the classical biotype. The amount of CT-specific mRNA was directly related to the amount of CT that the strains could produce. Estimates of the size of the mRNA for CT in individual experiments varied between approximately 900 and 1,100 nucleotides. Images PMID:3570476
Herbivory and natural selection on flowering phenology in wild sunflower, Helianthus annuus
Diana Pilson
Plant fitness is strongly affected by flowering phenology, and there are several ecological factors that are thought to shape\\u000a the distribution of flowering times. One relatively underexamined factor is the timing and intensity of attack by herbivores\\u000a that feed on flowers or developing seeds. This study tests the hypothesis that herbivores that feed on developing seeds of\\u000a wild sunflower, Helianthus
Sex differences in cadmium accumulation in a laboratory population of a wild British insectivore, Sorex araneux
Dodds-Smith, M.E.; Johnson, M.S.; Thompson, D.J.
A series of feeding trials using laboratory reared common shrews Sorex araneus were undertaken to examine the accumulation of Cd in a known trace metal accumulator. A significant sex difference in Cd accumulation in the liver and kidney was identified. The results are discussed in relation to data on traditional laboratory animals and field studies on wild populations of small mammals. 9 references, 3 figures.
Sucrose Synthase in Wild Tomato, Lycopersicon chmielewskii, and Tomato Fruit Sink Strength
Sun, Jindong; Loboda, Tadeusz; Sung, Shi-Jean S.; Black, Clanton C.
Here it is reported that sucrose synthase can be readily measured in growing wild tomato fruits (Lycopersicon chmielewskii) when suitable methods are adopted during fruit extraction. The enzyme also was present in fruit pericarp tissues, in seeds, and in flowers. To check for novel characteristics, the wild tomato fruit sucrose synthase was purified, by (NH4)2SO4 fraction and chromatography with DE-32, Sephadex G-200, and PBA-60, to one major band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The following characteristics were obtained: native protein relative molecular weight 380,000; subunit relative molecular weight 89,000; Km values with: sucrose 53 millimolar, UDP 18.9 micromolar, UDP-glucose 88 micromolar, fructose 8.4 millimolar; pH optima between 6.2 to 7.3 for sucrose breakdown and 7 to 9 for synthesis; and temperature optima near 50°C. The enzyme exhibited a high affinity and a preference for uridylates. The enzyme showed more sensitivity to divalent cations in the synthesis of sucrose than in its breakdown. Sink strength in tomato fruits also was investigated in regard to sucrose breakdown enzyme activities versus fruit weight gain. Sucrose synthase activity was consistently related to increases in fruit weight (sink strength) in both wild and commercial tomatoes. Acid and neutral invertases were not, because the published invertase activity values were too variable for quantitative analyses regarding the roles of invertases in tomato fruit development. In rapidly growing fruits of both wild and commercially developed tomato plants, the activity of sucrose synthase per growing fruit, i.e. sucrose synthase peak activity X fruit size, was linearly related to final fruit size; and the activity exceeded fruit growth and carbon import rates by at least 10-fold. In mature, nongrowing fruits, sucrose synthase activities approached nil values. Therefore, sucrose synthase can serve as an indicator of sink strength in growing tomato fruits. PMID:16668741
Synergy between visual and olfactory cues in nectar feeding by wild hawkmoths, Manduca sexta
We performed field experiments to measure the relative importance of olfactory and visual cues in nectar foraging by wild tobacco hornworm moths, Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, U.S.A. We manipulated flowers of sacred Datura (Datura wrightii; Solanaceae) to experimentally decouple floral scent from visual display and presented these cues to free-flying moths in mixed and
Intracultural variation of knowledge about wild plant uses in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (Austria)
Background Leading scholars in ethnobiology and ethnomedicine continuously stress the need for moving beyond the bare description of local knowledge and to additionally analyse and theorise about the characteristics and dynamics of human interactions with plants and related local knowledge. Analyses of the variation of local knowledge are thereby perceived as minimal standard. In this study we investigate the distribution and variation of wild plant knowledge in five domains: food, drinks, human medicine, veterinary medicine and customs. We assess relations between the wild plant knowledge of informants and their socio-demographic as well as geographic background. Method Research was conducted in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal, Austria. Structured questionnaires were used to inquire wild plant knowledge from 433 informants with varying socio-demographic and geographic background. Children assisted in the data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear models. Results and discussion A majority of respondents is familiar with wild plant uses, however to varying degrees. Knowledge variations depend on the socio-demographic and geographic background of the informants as well as on the domains of knowledge under investigation: women, older informants and homegardeners report more human medicinal applications and applications in drinks than men, younger informants and non-homegardeners; farmers know a greater variety of veterinary medicinal applications than non-farmers; the place of residence relates significantly to food and veterinary uses. Customs are difficult to investigate in standardized matrices. The household-related distribution of work and the general socio-cultural context are especially helpful in order to explain intracultural variation of knowledge in the Grosses Walsertal. Conclusions Research on the intracultural variation of local knowledge exposes cultural characteristics and highlights the cultural embeddedness of local knowledge. The impact of socio-cultural developments on local knowledge may be anticipated from understanding the intracultural variation of knowledge. PMID:22770375
Wild reindeer: impacts of progressive infrastructure development on distribution and range use
Ingunn Vistnes; Christian Nellemann; Per Jordhřy; Olav Strand
We investigated the distribution of wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) from aerial surveys in 1986-1998 in 622 contiguous 4-km2 grid squares in relation to density of power lines, roads and ski trails in the Nordfjella region, south-central Norway. Density of reindeer was significantly lower in developed quadrats compared to undeveloped quadrats and decreased with increasing density of development. No reindeer
Fitness consequences of anthropogenic hybridization in wild red-legged partridge ( Alectoris rufa , Phasianidae) populations
F. Casas; F. Mougeot; I. Sánchez-Barbudo; J. A. Dávila; J. Vińuela
Hybridization is a widespread phenomenon, which plays crucial roles in the speciation of living beings. However, unnatural\\u000a mixing of historically isolated taxa due to human-related activities has increased in recent decades, favouring levels of\\u000a hybridization and introgression that can have important implications for conservation. The wild red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa, Phasianidae) populations have recently declined and the releases of farm-reared
Wild-derived mouse stocks: an underappreciated tool for aging research
James M. Harper
Virtually all biomedical research makes use of a relatively small pool of laboratory-adapted, inbred, isogenic stocks of mice.\\u000a Although the advantages of these models are many, there are a number of disadvantages as well. When studying a multifaceted\\u000a process such as aging, the problems associated with using laboratory stocks are greatly inflated. On the other hand, wild-derived\\u000a mouse stocks, loosely
Scent-marking behavior in wild groups of common marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus )
Cristina Lazaro-Perea; Charles T. Snowdon; Maria de Fátima Arruda
Scent-marking in mammals has been frequently related to within-group social and reproductive dominance and to defense of\\u000a territory and resources. We studied the scent-marking behavior of five wild groups of common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, during 5?months of the fruiting season in northeastern Brazil. Circumgenital marking was the most common type of marking.\\u000a Marks were distributed throughout the home range and
Divergence in centromere structure distinguishes related genomes in Coix lacryma-jobi and its wild relative
Yonghua Han; Guixiang Wang; Zhao Liu; Jinhua Liu; Wei Yue; Rentao Song; Xueyong Zhang; Weiwei Jin
Knowledge about the composition and structure of centromeres is critical for understanding how centromeres perform their functional\\u000a roles. Here, we report the sequences of one centromere-associated bacterial artificial chromosome clone from a Coix lacryma-jobi library. Two Ty3\\/gypsy-class retrotransposons, centromeric retrotransposon of C. lacryma-jobi (CRC) and peri-centromeric retrotransposon of C. lacryma-jobi, and a (peri)centromere-specific tandem repeat with a unit length of
Use of wild relatives and closely-related species to adapt common bean to climate change
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important legume crop worldwide. However, abiotic and biotic stress limits bean yields less than 600 kg/ha in low-income countries. Current low yields result in food insecurity, while demands for increased yields to match the rate of population growth combin...
Interspecific social networks promote information transmission in wild songbirds
Farine, Damien R.; Aplin, Lucy M.; Sheldon, Ben C.; Hoppitt, William
Understanding the functional links between social structure and population processes is a central aim of evolutionary ecology. Multiple types of interactions can be represented by networks drawn for the same population, such as kinship, dominance or affiliative networks, but the relative importance of alternative networks in modulating population processes may not be clear. We illustrate this problem, and a solution, by developing a framework for testing the importance of different types of association in facilitating the transmission of information. We apply this framework to experimental data from wild songbirds that form mixed-species flocks, recording the arrival (patch discovery) of individuals to novel foraging sites. We tested whether intraspecific and interspecific social networks predicted the spread of information about novel food sites, and found that both contributed to transmission. The likelihood of acquiring information per unit of connection to knowledgeable individuals increased 22-fold for conspecifics, and 12-fold for heterospecifics. We also found that species varied in how much information they produced, suggesting that some species play a keystone role in winter foraging flocks. More generally, these analyses demonstrate that this method provides a powerful approach, using social networks to quantify the relative transmission rates across different social relationships. PMID:25673683
Interspecific social networks promote information transmission in wild songbirds.
Farine, Damien R; Aplin, Lucy M; Sheldon, Ben C; Hoppitt, William
Understanding the functional links between social structure and population processes is a central aim of evolutionary ecology. Multiple types of interactions can be represented by networks drawn for the same population, such as kinship, dominance or affiliative networks, but the relative importance of alternative networks in modulating population processes may not be clear. We illustrate this problem, and a solution, by developing a framework for testing the importance of different types of association in facilitating the transmission of information. We apply this framework to experimental data from wild songbirds that form mixed-species flocks, recording the arrival (patch discovery) of individuals to novel foraging sites. We tested whether intraspecific and interspecific social networks predicted the spread of information about novel food sites, and found that both contributed to transmission. The likelihood of acquiring information per unit of connection to knowledgeable individuals increased 22-fold for conspecifics, and 12-fold for heterospecifics. We also found that species varied in how much information they produced, suggesting that some species play a keystone role in winter foraging flocks. More generally, these analyses demonstrate that this method provides a powerful approach, using social networks to quantify the relative transmission rates across different social relationships. PMID:25673683
Deducing Wild 2 Components with a Statistical Dataset of Olivine in Chondrite Matrix
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Frank, D. R.; Zolensky, M. E.; Le, L.
Introduction: A preliminary exam of the Wild 2 olivine yielded a major element distribution that is strikingly similar to those for aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites (CI, CM, and CR) [1], in which FeO-rich olivine is preferentially altered. With evidence lacking for large-scale alteration in Wild 2, the mechanism for this apparent selectivity is poorly understood. We use a statistical approach to explain this distribution in terms of relative contributions from different chondrite forming regions. Samples and Analyses: We have made a particular effort to obtain the best possible analyses of both major and minor elements in Wild 2 olivine and the 5-30 micrometer population in chondrite matrix. Previous studies of chondrite matrix either include larger isolated grains (not found in the Wild 2 collection) or lack minor element abundances. To overcome this gap in the existing data, we have now compiled greater than 10(exp 3) EPMA analyses of matrix olivine in CI, CM, CR, CH, Kakangari, C2-ungrouped, and the least equilibrated CO, CV, LL, and EH chondrites. Also, we are acquiring TEM/EDXS analyses of the Wild 2 olivine with 500s count times, to reduce relative errors of minor elements with respect to those otherwise available. Results: Using our Wild 2 analyses and those from [2], the revised major element distribution is more similar to anhydrous IDPs than previous results, which were based on more limited statistics (see figure below). However, a large frequency peak at Fa(sub 0-1) still persists. All but one of these grains has no detectable Cr, which is dissimilar to the Fa(sub 0-1) found in the CI and CM matrices. In fact, Fa(sub 0-1) with strongly depleted Cr content is a composition that appears to be unique to Kakangari and enstatite (highly reduced) chondrites. We also note the paucity of Fa(sub greater than 58), which would typically indicate crystallization in a more oxidizing environment [3]. We conclude that, relative to the bulk of anhydrous IDPs, Wild 2 may have received a larger contribution from the Kakangari and/or enstatite chondrite forming regions. Alternatively, Wild 2 may have undergone accretion in an anomalously reducing region, marked by nebular condensation of this atypical forsterite. In [4], a similar conclusion was reached with an Fe-XANES study. We will also use similar lines of reasoning, and our previous conclusions in [5], to constrain the relative contributions of silicates that appear to have been radially transported from different ordinary and carbonaceous chondrite forming regions to the Kuiper Belt. In addition, the widespread depletion of Cr in these FeO-rich (Fa(sub greater than 20)) fragments is consistent with mild thermal metamorphism in Wild 2.
Fatal canine distemper infection in a pack of African wild dogs in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania.
Goller, Katja V; Fyumagwa, Robert D; Nikolin, Veljko; East, Marion L; Kilewo, Morris; Speck, Stephanie; Müller, Thomas; Matzke, Martina; Wibbelt, Gudrun
In 2007, disease related mortality occurred in one African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) pack close to the north-eastern boundary of the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Histopathological examination of tissues from six animals revealed that the main pathologic changes comprised interstitial pneumonia and suppurative to necrotizing bronchopneumonia. Respiratory epithelial cells contained numerous eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies and multiple syncytial cells were found throughout the parenchymal tissue, both reacting clearly positive with antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV) antigen. Phylogenetic analysis based on a 388 nucleotide (nt) fragment of the CDV phosphoprotein (P) gene revealed that the pack was infected with a CDV variant most closely related to Tanzanian variants, including those obtained in 1994 during a CDV epidemic in the Serengeti National Park and from captive African wild dogs in the Mkomazi Game Reserve in 2000. Phylogenetic analysis of a 335-nt fragment of the fusion (F) gene confirmed that the pack in 2007 was infected with a variant most closely related to one variant from 1994 during the epidemic in the Serengeti National Park from which a comparable fragment is available. Screening of tissue samples for concurrent infections revealed evidence of canine parvovirus, Streptococcus equi subsp. ruminatorum and Hepatozoon sp. No evidence of infection with Babesia sp. or rabies virus was found. Possible implications of concurrent infections are discussed. This is the first molecular characterisation of CDV in free-ranging African wild dogs and only the third confirmed case of fatal CDV infection in a free-ranging pack. PMID:20684868
Characteristics of Sleep and Wakefulness inWild-Derived Inbred Mice
HIYOSHI, Hideyuki; TERAO, Akira; OKAMATSU-OGURA, Yuko; KIMURA, Kazuhiro
Genetic variations in the wild-derived inbred mouse strains are more diverse than that of classical laboratory inbred mouse strains, including C57BL/6J (B6). The sleep/wake and monoamine properties of six wild-derived inbred mouse strains (PGN2, NJL, BLG2, KJR, MSM, HMI) were characterized and compared with those of B6 mice. All examined mice were nocturnal and had a polyphasic sleep pattern with a "main sleep period" identified during the light period. However, there were three sleep/wake phenotypic differences between the wild-derived mouse strains and B6 strain. First, the amount of sleep during the dark phase was comparable with that of B6 mice. However, the amount of sleep during the light phase was more varied among strains, in particular, NJL and HMI had significantly less sleep compared with that of B6 mice. Second, PGN2, NJL, BLG2, and KJR mice showed a "highly awake period" (in which the hourly total sleep time was <10%) immediately after the onset of the dark period, which was not seen in B6 mice. Third, relative to that of B6 mice, PGN2 and KJR mice showed longer duration of wakefulness episodes during the 12-h dark phase. Differences in whole brain noradrenaline, dopamine, and 5-hydroxy-tryptamine contents between the wild-derived mouse strains and B6 strain were also found. These identified phenotypes might be potentially under strong genetic control. Hence, wild-derived inbred mice could be useful for identifying the genetic factors underlying the regulation of sleep and wakefulness. PMID:24770646
Glycoalkaloids of wild and cultivated Solanum: effects on specialist and generalist insect herbivores.
Altesor, Paula; García, Álvaro; Font, Elizabeth; Rodríguez-Haralambides, Alejandra; Vilaró, Francisco; Oesterheld, Martín; Soler, Roxina; González, Andrés
Plant domestication by selective breeding may reduce plant chemical defense in favor of growth. However, few studies have simultaneously studied the defensive chemistry of cultivated plants and their wild congeners in connection to herbivore susceptibility. We compared the constitutive glycoalkaloids (GAs) of cultivated potato, Solanum tuberosum, and a wild congener, S. commersonii, by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. We also determined the major herbivores present on the two species in field plots, and tested their preference for the plants and their isolated GAs in two-choice bioassays. Solanum commersonii had a different GA profile and higher concentrations than S. tuberosum. In the field, S. tuberosum was mostly attacked by the generalist aphids Myzus persicae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae, and by the specialist flea beetle Epitrix argentinensis. In contrast, the most common herbivore on S. commersonii was the specialist sawfly Tequus sp. Defoliation levels were higher on the wild species, probably due to the chewing feeding behavior of Tequus sp. As seen in the field, M. persicae and E. argentinensis preferred leaf disks of the cultivated plant, while Tequus sp. preferred those of the wild one. Congruently, GAs from S. commersonii were avoided by M. persicae and preferred by Tequus sp. The potato aphid performed well on both species and was not deterred by S. commersonii GAs. These observations suggest that different GA profiles explain the feeding preferences of the different herbivores, and that domestication has altered the defensive capacity of S. tuberosum. However, the wild relative is still subject to severe defoliation by a specialist herbivore that may cue on the GAs. PMID:24863489
Seasonal plasticity of the song control system in wild Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows.
Brenowitz, E A; Baptista, L F; Lent, K; Wingfield, J C
Seasonal plasticity in the morphology of telencephalic nuclei that control song behavior has been reported for diverse species of songbirds. The only published report of a lack of seasonal changes in the song nuclei of a seasonally breeding bird is that of Baker et al. in the Nuttall's subspecies of white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli). In this study, they brought wild birds into the laboratory and exposed them to either "summer" or "winter" photoperiods. Previous studies have shown that exposing wild-caught white-crowned sparrows to long-day photoperiods in the laboratory may not induce circulating concentrations of testosterone (T) as high as those seen in wild breeding birds. Changes in circulating T are primarily responsible for the seasonal morphological changes in the song nuclei. To determine whether there is seasonal plasticity of the song system in this subspecies, we measured circulating T, morphological attributes of the song nuclei, and song behavior in wild Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows during the spring and fall. Testis size and circulating T concentrations were greater in spring than fall birds. The absolute volumes of the song nuclei HVc, RA, and Area X, and their volumes relative to those of either the total telencephalon or three thalamic nonsong nuclei, were significantly greater in the spring than fall sparrows. Song behavior also changed seasonally; fall birds sang shorter songs than did spring birds. These results show that there is seasonal plasticity of the song system in wild Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows. Seasonal plasticity can now be regarded as a common feature of the seasonally breeding songbirds studied thus far. PMID:9469619
Wild food plants used by the Tibetans of Gongba Valley (Zhouqu county, Gansu, China)
Background The ethnobotany of Tibetans is a seriously under-studied topic. The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge and use of wild food plants in a valley inhabited by Tibetans in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Region. Methods The field research was carried out in a wooded mountain valley in 9 neighbouring villages the Zhouqu (Brugchu) county, and comprised 17 interviews with single informants and 14 group interviews, involving 122 people altogether. Results We recorded the use of 81 species of vascular plants from 41 families. Fruits formed the largest category, with 42 species, larger than the wild greens category, with 36 species. We also recorded the culinary use of 5 species of edible flowers, 7 species with underground edible organs and 5 taxa of fungi. On average, 16.2 edible taxa were listed per interview (median – 16). Green vegetables formed the largest category of wild foods (mean – 8.7 species, median – 9 species), but fruits were listed nearly as frequently (mean – 6.9, median – 6). Other categories were rarely mentioned: flowers (mean – 0.2, median – 0), underground edible parts (mean – 0.3, median – 0) and mushrooms (mean – 1.5, – median 1). Wild vegetables are usually boiled and/or fried and served as side-dishes (cai). They are often lacto-fermented. Wild fruits are mainly collected by children and eaten raw, they are not stored for further use. The most widely used wild vegetables are: Eleuterococcus spp., Pteridium aquilinum, Helwingia japonica, Aralia chinensis, Allium victorialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Ixeris chinensis, Thlaspi arvense and Chenopodium album. The culinary use of Caltha palustris as a green vegetable is very interesting. In its raw state, marsh marigold is a toxic plant, due to the presence of protoanemonin. In this area it is dried or lactofermented before use. The most commonly eaten fruits are: Pyrus xerophila, Prunus salicina, Berchemia sinica, Rubus spp. and Eleagnus umbellata. Conclusions The number of wild taxa eaten in the studied valley is relatively large compared to most studies from around the world. However, compared to the northern slope of the Qinling, in Shaanxi, the list is considerably shorter, in spite of the similar methodology applied and similar research effort involved. PMID:24502461
Wild bearded capuchin monkeys crack nuts dexterously.
Mangalam, Madhur; Fragaszy, Dorothy M
Dexterous tool use has been crucial in the evolution of hominid percussive technology [1-3]. According to Newell [4], "dexterity" is the ability of an organism to make goal-directed corrections in movements to optimize effort. Dexterous movements are smooth and effective and accomplish the same goal with less energy than less dexterous movements. Dexterity develops during the later phases of refining a motor skill as the actor becomes sensitive to the outcome of the preceding movement, or to its modulation. In the present study, we examined how wild bearded capuchin monkeys, Sapajus libidinosus, at Fazenda Boa Vista in Piauí, Brazil, that routinely crack palm nuts using stones by placing them on rock outcrops, boulders, and logs (collectively termed anvils) [5] modulate the kinematic parameters of the strikes while processing a single tucum, Astrocaryum campestre nut. The monkeys cracked the nuts by repeatedly striking them with moderate force (i.e., not exceeding a threshold), rather than by striking them more forcefully once, and modulated the kinematic parameters of the current strike on the basis of the condition of the nut following the preceding strike (i.e., the development of any fracture or crack). Repeatedly striking the nuts with moderate force is energetically more efficient than forcefully striking them once and reduces the likelihood of smashing the kernel. Determining the changing energetic constraints of the task and dynamically optimizing movements using those as criteria are dexterous accomplishments. We discuss the implications of the present findings. PMID:25936553
7 CFR 1412.62 - Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
... false Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. 1412...1412.62 Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. (a...report of fruits, vegetables, or wild rice planted on base acreage of a...
7 CFR 1412.62 - Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
... false Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. 1412...1412.62 Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. (a...report of fruits, vegetables, or wild rice planted on base acreage of a...
7 CFR 1412.62 - Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
... false Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. 1412...1412.62 Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. (a...report of fruits, vegetables, or wild rice planted on base acreage of a...
7 CFR 1412.62 - Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
... false Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. 1412...1412.62 Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. (a...report of fruits, vegetables, or wild rice planted on base acreage of a...
7 CFR 1412.62 - Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
... false Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. 1412...1412.62 Fruit, vegetable, and wild rice acreage reporting violations. (a...report of fruits, vegetables, or wild rice planted on base acreage of a...
77 FR 8801 - Boundary Establishment for Sturgeon National Wild and Scenic River; Hiawatha National Forest...
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
...Forest Service Boundary Establishment for Sturgeon National Wild and Scenic River; Hiawatha...transmitting the final boundary of the Sturgeon National Wild and Scenic River to Congress...157. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Sturgeon Wild and Scenic River boundary is...
43 CFR 4750.4 - Private maintenance of wild horses and burros.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
...2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Private maintenance of wild horses and burros. 4750...CONTROL OF WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS Private Maintenance § 4750.4 Private maintenance of wild horses and...
Beak and feather disease virus: correlation between viral load and clinical signs in wild Cape parrots (Poicepahlus robustus) in South Africa.
Regnard, Guy L; Boyes, Rutledge S; Martin, Rowan O; Hitzeroth, Inga I; Rybicki, Edward P
Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD), the most prevalent viral disease affecting psittacines, is caused by beak and feather disease virus (BFDV). This study assessed viral load using qPCR in a wild Cape parrot population affected by PBFD and compared it to overall physical condition based on clinical signs attributable to PBFD. A significant inverse correlation between viral load and overall physical condition was found, which confirmed that clinical signs may confidently be used to diagnose the relative severity of BFDV infections in wild populations. This is the first assessment of BFDV viral load in a wild psittacine population. PMID:25193072
Pseudorabies virus in wild swine: a global perspective.
Müller, T; Hahn, E C; Tottewitz, F; Kramer, M; Klupp, B G; Mettenleiter, T C; Freuling, C
Suid herpesvirus 1 (SuHV1, syn. Aujeszky's disease virus [ADV] or pseudorabies virus [PrV]), which belongs to the family Herpesviridae, subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, genus Varicellovirus is the causative agent of Aujeszky's disease (AD, pseudorabies), a notifiable disease, that causes substantial economic losses to the swine industry in countries, where AD is present. Members of the family Suidae (true pigs) are the only natural hosts for PrV, although the virus can infect numerous other mammals including ruminants, carnivores and rodents. Despite the tremendous progress that has been made in controlling and eliminating PrV in domestic pigs, there is mounting evidence that PrV infections are more widespread in wild swine across the world than originally thought. Unfortunately, our understanding of the extent of PrV infections in these wild populations and of the threat to domestic swine is still fragmentary. This review aims at giving a global perspective on PrV infections in wild swine by scrutinizing the current state of knowledge concerning (i) the global occurrence of PrV infections in free-living populations of wild swine, e.g., wild boar and feral swine, (ii) the molecular characterization of wild swine PrV, (iii) infection characteristics of PrV in populations of wild swine, (iv) the risk of spillover infections to domestic pigs, (v) potential risk-mitigating measures, focusing on further research needs. PMID:21837416
Comparative Gastric Morphometry of Muong Indigenous and Vietnamese Wild Pigs
Trang, Pham Hong; Ooi, Peck Toung; Zuki, Abu Bakar Zakaria; Noordin, Mustapha Mohamed
It is hypothesized that despite sharing a similar habitat, the Muong indigenous and Vietnamese wild pigs may reveal different gastric morphology. Due to the protective nature of procuring these pigs, a total of 12 Muong indigenous pigs and nine Vietnamese wild pigs stomach collected post mortem were analysed for selected biometric parameters and histology. The result indicated that the stomach of the Vietnamese wild pig is broader with a bigger capacity and greater proportion of proper gastric glands. Interestingly, the stomach mass correlated well with live body weight in both breeds apart from possessing similar histomorphometry of the gastric gland regions. On the other hand, the thicker (P < 0.05) submucosa in the Vietnamese wild pig is attributed to the presence of numerous loose connective tissues, abundant blood vessels, adipose tissues and nerve plexus. The appearance of lymphoid follicles underneath the tubular gastric glands in the Vietnamese wild pig exceeded that of Muong indigenous pigs. This finding suggested that the difference in feeding behavior as well as immunity. In conclusion, adaptations found in the Vietnamese wild pig indicated that this breed is equipped with a bigger and effectively functional stomach to suit its digestive physiology and immunity in the wild. PMID:23093914
Trichinella infection in wild animals from endemic regions of Argentina.
Ribicich, Mabel; Gamble, H R; Bolpe, Jorge; Scialfa, Exequiel; Krivokapich, Silvio; Cardillo, Natalia; Betti, Adriana; Holzmann, Maria Laura Cambiaggi; Pasqualetti, Mariana; Farińa, Fernando; Rosa, Adriana
Natural infection with Trichinella has been described in more than 150 mammalian species. However, few reports of Trichinella infection in wild animals have come from Argentina. In this study, muscle tissue was obtained from wild animals in Argentina with the aim of evaluating the presence of Trichinella. A total of 169 muscle samples were collected to determine the presence of Trichinella larvae by artificial digestion. The 169 muscle samples originated from 12 species including 36 opossums (Didelphis albiventris), 19 armadillos (Chaetophractus villosus), 9 capybaras (Hydrocaeris hydrocaeris), 1 puma (Puma concolor), 3 grey fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), 6 coypus (Myocastor coypus), 6 skunks (Conepatus chinga), 2 ferrets (Galictis cuja), 66 rats (Rattus norvegicus), 6 mice (Mus musculus), 12 wild boars (Sus scrofa), and 3 wild cats (Felis geoffroyi). Trichinella infection was detected in 1 puma [2 larvae per gram (LPG)], 3 wild boars (8-420 LPG), 3 armadillos (0.04-0.08 LPG), and 9 rats (0.1 to 150 LPG). Only 3 Trichinella isolates, of 1 rat and 2 wild boars from Neuquén, were identified as Trichinella spiralis by nested PCR. The presence of Trichinella infection among wild animal populations suggests a sylvatic cycle of transmission in Argentina, which can serve as a reservoir for humans and domestic animals. Further, evidence of high prevalence in rats emphasizes the need to improve pig management, mainly in small individual farms without adequate technology, to enhance the quality of feeds, and to improve veterinary services to avoid exposure of pigs to Trichinella. PMID:20424859
Spatial, Temporal, and Species Variation in Prevalence of Influenza A Viruses in Wild Migratory Birds
Munster, Vincent J; Baas, Chantal; Lexmond, Pascal; Waldenström, Jonas; Wallensten, Anders; Fransson, Thord; Rimmelzwaan, Guus F; Beyer, Walter E. P; Schutten, Martin; Olsen, Björn; Osterhaus, Albert D. M. E; Fouchier, Ron A. M
Although extensive data exist on avian influenza in wild birds in North America, limited information is available from elsewhere, including Europe. Here, molecular diagnostic tools were employed for high-throughput surveillance of migratory birds, as an alternative to classical labor-intensive methods of virus isolation in eggs. This study included 36,809 samples from 323 bird species belonging to 18 orders, of which only 25 species of three orders were positive for influenza A virus. Information on species, locations, and timing is provided for all samples tested. Seven previously unknown host species for avian influenza virus were identified: barnacle goose, bean goose, brent goose, pink-footed goose, bewick's swan, common gull, and guillemot. Dabbling ducks were more frequently infected than other ducks and Anseriformes; this distinction was probably related to bird behavior rather than population sizes. Waders did not appear to play a role in the epidemiology of avian influenza in Europe, in contrast to the Americas. The high virus prevalence in ducks in Europe in spring as compared with North America could explain the differences in virus–host ecology between these continents. Most influenza A virus subtypes were detected in ducks, but H13 and H16 subtypes were detected primarily in gulls. Viruses of subtype H6 were more promiscuous in host range than other subtypes. Temporal and spatial variation in influenza virus prevalence in wild birds was observed, with influenza A virus prevalence varying by sampling location; this is probably related to migration patterns from northeast to southwest and a higher prevalence farther north along the flyways. We discuss the ecology and epidemiology of avian influenza A virus in wild birds in relation to host ecology and compare our results with published studies. These data are useful for designing new surveillance programs and are particularly relevant due to increased interest in avian influenza in wild birds. PMID:17500589
Avian influenza virus and free-ranging wild birds
Dierauf, Leslie A.; Karesh, W.B.; Ip, Hon S.; Gilardi, K.V.; Fischer, John R.
Recent media and news reports and other information implicate wild birds in the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Asia and Eastern Europe. Although there is little information concerning highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in wild birds, scientists have amassed a large amount of data on low-pathogenicity avian influenza viruses during decades of research with wild birds. This knowledge can provide sound guidance to veterinarians, public health professionals, the general public, government agencies, and other entities with concerns about avian influenza.
Rovers minimize human disturbance in research on wild animals.
Le Maho, Yvon; Whittington, Jason D; Hanuise, Nicolas; Pereira, Louise; Boureau, Matthieu; Brucker, Mathieu; Chatelain, Nicolas; Courtecuisse, Julien; Crenner, Francis; Friess, Benjamin; Grosbellet, Edith; Kernaléguen, Laëtitia; Olivier, Frédérique; Saraux, Claire; Vetter, Nathanaël; Viblanc, Vincent A; Thierry, Bernard; Tremblay, Pascale; Groscolas, René; Le Bohec, Céline
Investigating wild animals while minimizing human disturbance remains an important methodological challenge. When approached by a remote-operated vehicle (rover) which can be equipped to make radio-frequency identifications, wild penguins had significantly lower and shorter stress responses (determined by heart rate and behavior) than when approached by humans. Upon immobilization, the rover-unlike humans-did not disorganize colony structure, and stress rapidly ceased. Thus, rovers can reduce human disturbance of wild animals and the resulting scientific bias. PMID:25362361
A solitary case of duck plague in a wild mallard
Wobeser, G.; Docherty, D.E.
Duck plague was diagnosed on the basis of pathology and virus isolation in a wild female mallard Anas platyrhynchos found dead near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Day-old Pekin ducklings and one of two adult mallards died with lesions typical of duck plague following inoculation of tissue from the wild bird. This is believed to be the only reported case of duck plague in a wild bird since a major outbreak occurred in South Dakota in 1973, and the fourth such report in North America.
Tick-borne pathogens in the blood of wild and domestic ungulates in South Africa: interplay of game and livestock.
Berggoetz, M; Schmid, M; Ston, D; Wyss, V; Chevillon, C; Pretorius, A-M; Gern, L
We screened for tick-borne pathogens blood samples from 181 wild and domestic ungulates belonging to 18 host species in 4 South African Provinces. Polymerase chain reaction followed by reverse line blotting and sequencing allowed detecting 16 tick-borne pathogen species belonging to the genera Babesia, Theileria, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia. Ten pathogen species were involved in 29 new host-pathogen combinations. Most infections (77.9%) involved more than one pathogen species. Principal component analysis (PCA) assigned the 163 infections, identified to species level, to 4 groups. Three groups were associated with sheep, cattle, and horse and their respective wild counterparts. Each group was characterised by high homogeneity in pathogen assemblage and host phylogenetic status. These groups characterised the most privileged transmission routes between and among wild and domestic ungulates. The 4th group showed high heterogeneity in pathogen assemblage and host phylogenetic status. This group seems to indicate frequent spill over events in impala of pathogens that usually circulate among cattle- or sheep-related species. Within 6 localities, we sampled an equal number of wild and domestic animals (n=128). On this dataset once having controlled for the significant variation among localities, the infection prevalence and intensity of infection did not differ significantly between wild and domestic hosts. This suggests that both animal types, domestic and wild hosts, could act as evenly efficient sources of infection for themselves and for each other. Overall, this study shed new light on the pathogen circulation naturally achieved at the interplay between wild and domestic ungulates. PMID:24418761
Morphological correlates of swimming activity in wild largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in their natural environment
Suski, Cory David
Morphological correlates of swimming activity in wild largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides and swimming activity of wild largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) during the reproductive period, providing
Integration of DNA markers with chromosome engineering for efficient introgression of resistance genes from wild grasses into wheat
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Wheat is one of the major food crops and its production is constantly threatened by numerous diseases and insects. Many wild grasses related to wheat possess potent resistance genes and represent a valuable genetic resource for wheat improvement, especially for disease and insect resistance. Howev...
Arrived in the light: diel and seasonal activity patterns in wild Verreaux's sifakas ( Propithecus v. verreauxi ; Primates: Indriidae)
Hans G. Erkert; Peter M. Kappeler
Madagascar is characterised by pronounced annual climatic and ecological seasonality and harbours a radiation of closely related sympatric primates (Lemuriformes) that exhibit diurnal, nocturnal and cathemeral activity patterns. We collected continuous activity data over a complete annual cycle from wild diurnal Verreaux's sifakas ( Propithecus v. verreauxi) to contribute detailed and comparative data: (1) to characterise their diel and seasonal
Fatty acid proles of yolk lipids of ve species of wild ducks (Anatidae) differing in dietary preference
Bortolotti, Gary R.
Fatty acid pro®les of yolk lipids of ®ve species of wild ducks (Anatidae) differing in dietary of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK, Canada S7N 5E2 (Accepted 6 September 2001) Abstract The fatty acid compositions. For all ®ve species, the fatty acid pro®les conformed to a similar pattern, characterized by relatively
Copyright 2004, Intel Corporation, All rights reserved. Place Lab: Device Positioning Using Radio Beacons in the Wild
Chawathe, Yatin
Copyright 2004, Intel Corporation, All rights reserved. Place Lab: Device Positioning Using Radio DISCLAIM ALL LIABILITY, INCLUDING LIABILITY FOR INFRINGEMENT OF ANY PROPRIETARY RIGHTS, RELATING TO USE;Place Lab: Device Positioning Using Radio Beacons in the Wild Anthony LaMarca1 , Yatin Chawathe1 , Sunny
The digestive morphophysiology of wild, free-living, giraffes.
Mitchell, G; Roberts, D G; van Sittert, S J
We have measured rumen-complex (rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum) and intestine (small and large combined) mass in 32 wild giraffes of both sexes with body masses ranging from 289 to 1441kg, and parotid gland mass, tongue length and mass, masseter and mandible mass in 9 other giraffes ranging in body mass from 181 to 1396kg. We have estimated metabolic and energy production rates, feed intake and home range size. Interspecific analysis of mature ruminants show that components of the digestive system increase linearly (Mb(1)) or positively allometric (Mb(>1)) with body mass while variables associated with feed intake scale with metabolic rate (Mb(.75)). Conversely, in giraffes ontogenetic increases in rumen-complex mass were negatively allometric (Mb(<1)), and increases in intestine mass, parotid gland mass, masseter mass, and mandible mass were isometric (Mb(1)). The relative masseter muscle mass (0.14% of Mb) and the relative parotid mass (0.03% of Mb) are smaller than in other ruminants. Increases in tongue length scale with head length(0.72) and Mb(.32) and tongue mass with Mb(.69). Absolute mass of the gastrointestinal tract increased throughout growth but its relative mass declined from 20% to 15% of Mb. Rumen-complex fermentation provides ca 43% of daily energy needs, large intestine fermentation 24% and 33% by digestion of soluble carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. Dry matter intake (kg) was 2.4% of body mass in juveniles and 1.6% in adults. Energy requirements increased from 35Mj/day to 190Mj/day. Browse production rate sustains a core home range of 2.2-11.8km(2). PMID:26021980
Herbivorous and parasitic insect guilds associated with Great Basin wild rye (Elymus cinereus) in southern Idaho
Youtie, B.A.; Stafford, M.; Johnson, J.B.
Insects inhabiting Great Basin wild rye (elymus cinereus Scribn. and Merr.) were surveyed at two sites on the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho during 1982 and 1983. Forty-six species of phytophagous insects were observed. In addition, eight parasitoid species were reared from insect hosts in the plant culms and identified. Life stage, abundance, plant part utilized, and study site were recorded for each insect species collected. Insect guilds at the two sites were compared based on species presence utilizing Sorensen's similarity index. Overall, 26 insect species were common to both sites, yielding a moderate similarity index of 0.62. The majority of the species that constitute the wild rye herbivore guilds were oligophagous (restricted to grasses). Many of these insects feed on grain crops as well as other native and introduced grasses. The relatively high diversity of phytophages on wild rye may be due to its tall, bunchgrass growth form, its abundance within its habitat, its broad geographic range, and the large number of related species of grasses in the region.
Spontaneous gene flow from rapeseed (Brassica napus) to wild Brassica oleracea
Ford, Caroline S; Allainguillaume, Joël; Grilli-Chantler, Phil; Cuccato, Giulia; Allender, Charlotte J; Wilkinson, Mike J
Research on the environmental risks of gene flow from genetically modified (GM) crops to wild relatives has traditionally emphasized recipients yielding most hybrids. For GM rapeseed (Brassica napus), interest has centred on the 'frequently hybridizing' Brassica rapa over relatives such as Brassica oleracea, where spontaneous hybrids are unreported in the wild. In two sites, where rapeseed and wild B. oleracea grow together, we used flow cytometry and crop-specific microsatellite markers to identify one triploid F1 hybrid, together with nine diploid and two near triploid introgressants. Given the newly discovered capacity for spontaneous introgression into B. oleracea, we then surveyed associated flora and fauna to evaluate the capacity of both recipients to harm cohabitant species with acknowledged conservational importance. Only B. oleracea occupies rich communities containing species afforded legislative protection; these include one rare micromoth species that feeds on B. oleracea and warrants further assessment. We conclude that increased attention should now focus on B. oleracea and similar species that yield few crop-hybrids, but possess scope to affect rare or endangered associates. PMID:17015343
Impact of Human Management on the Genetic Variation of Wild Pepper, Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum
González-Jara, Pablo; Moreno-Letelier, Alejandra; Fraile, Aurora; Pińero, Daniel; García-Arenal, Fernando
Management of wild peppers in Mexico has occurred for a long time without clear phenotypic signs of domestication. However, pre-domestication management could have implications for the population's genetic richness. To test this hypothesis we analysed 27 wild (W), let standing (LS) and cultivated (C) populations, plus 7 samples from local markets (LM), with nine polymorphic microsatellite markers. Two hundred and fifty two alleles were identified, averaging 28 per locus. Allele number was higher in W, and 15 and 40% less in LS and C populations, respectively. Genetic variation had a significant population structure. In W populations, structure was associated with ecological and geographic areas according to isolation by distance. When LM and C populations where included in the analysis, differentiation was no longer apparent. Most LM were related to distant populations from Sierra Madre Oriental, which represents their probable origin. Historical demography shows a recent decline in all W populations. Thus, pre-domestication human management is associated with a significant reduction of genetic diversity and with a loss of differentiation suggesting movement among regions by man. Measures to conserve wild and managed populations should be implemented to maintain the source and the architecture of genetic variation in this important crop relative. PMID:22163053
Handling-Induced Stress and Mortalities in African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) M. S. De Villiers; D. G. A. Meltzer; J. Van Heerden; M. G. L. Mills; P. R. K. Richardson; A. S.
Altwegg, Res
Handling-Induced Stress and Mortalities in African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) M. S. De Villiers; D. Furthermore, there is no evidence of handling-related mortalities in wild dogs: the survivorship of firstname.lastname@example.com. http://www.jstor.org Thu Jun 28 08:33:06 2007 #12;Handling-induced stress and mortalities in African
Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of foodborne bacteria in wild boars (Sus scrofa) and wild deer (Cervus nippon) in Japan.
Sasaki, Yoshimasa; Goshima, Tomoko; Mori, Tetsuya; Murakami, Mariko; Haruna, Mika; Ito, Kazuo; Yamada, Yukiko
This study aimed to evaluate the role of wild boars and deer as reservoirs of foodborne bacteria. We investigated the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 and O26, and Listeria monocytogenes isolated from wild boars and deer in Japan, from July through December 2010. Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. were isolated from 43.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 35.0-52.6) and 7.4% (95% CI: 2.8-12.1) of rectal content samples of wild boars, respectively, but not from wild deer. The most common Campylobacter species was C. lanienae and C. hyointestinalis. The nine Salmonella serovars isolated were S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Agona (three isolates), S. Narashino (two), S. Enteritidis (one), S. Havana (one), S. Infantis (one), and S. Thompson (one). Five (16%) and 6 (29%) isolates of C. lanienae and C. hyointestinalis, respectively, were resistant to enrofloxacin. STEC O157 and O26 and L. monocytogenes were isolated from 2.3% (95% CI: 0-5.0), 0.8% (95% CI: 0-2.3), and 6.1% (95% CI: 1.7-10.5) of the rectal content samples of wild deer, respectively, but not from wild boars. This first nationwide survey of the prevalence of foodborne bacteria in wild boars and wild deer in Japan suggests that consumption of meat from these animals is associated with the risk of causing infection with these bacteria in humans. Moreover, these animals are potential vehicles for distribution of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria into their habitat. The prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of such foodborne bacteria in these wild animals should be monitored periodically. PMID:24161070
Genetic diversity, structure, gene flow and evolutionary relationships within the Sorghum bicolor wild–weedy–crop complex in a western African region
Fabrice Sagnard; Monique Deu; Dékoro Dembélé; Raphaël Leblois; Lassana Touré; Mohamed Diakité; Caroline Calatayud; Michel Vaksmann; Sophie Bouchet; Yaya Mallé; Sabine Togola; Pierre C. Sibiry Traoré
Gene flow between domesticated plants and their wild relatives is one of the major evolutionary processes acting to shape\\u000a their structure of genetic diversity. Earlier literature, in the 1970s, reported on the interfertility and the sympatry of\\u000a wild, weedy and cultivated sorghum belonging to the species Sorghum bicolor in most regions of sub-Saharan Africa. However, only a few recent surveys
Insights into the Activation Mechanism of rho 1 GABA Receptors Obtained by Coexpression of Wild Type and Activation-Impaired Subunits
Jahanshah Amin; David S. Weiss
To gain insight into the activation mechanism of homomeric ligand-gated receptor-channels, we examined human homomeric rho 1 GABA receptors with fewer than the normal number of agonist binding sites. This was accomplished by coexpressing different ratios of wild type and activation-impaired rho 1 subunits. Dose-response relations from oocytes coexpressing wild type and mutant subunits were comprised of two components in
Competition and sensitivity of wheat and wild oat exposed to enhanced UV-B radiation at different densities under field conditions
Li Yuan; Yue Ming; Wang Xun-Ling; Hu Zhi-De
The influence of enhanced UV-B radiation (approximating a 15% ozone layer reduction) on competitive interaction between spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) and wild oat (Avena fatua) was examined in the field. The density-dependent mortality of both wheat and wild oat did not exhibit a significant difference between control and UV-B treatment conditions. A relatively high degree of competitive stress enhanced the
Environmental genotoxicity evaluation using cytogenetic end points in wild rodents.
de Souza Bueno, A M; de Bragança Pereira, C A; Rabello-Gay, M N
We analyzed cytogenetic end points in three populations of two species of wild rodents--Akodon montensis and Oryzomys nigripes--living in an industrial, an agricultural, and a preservation area at the Itajaí Valley, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Our purpose was to evaluate the performance of the following end points in the establishment of a genotoxic profile of each area: the polychromatic/normochromatic cell ratio; the mitotic index; the frequency of micronucleated cells both in the bone marrow and peripheral blood; and the frequency of cells with chromosome aberrations in the bone marrow. Preparations were obtained using conventional cytogenetic techniques. The results showed a) the role of the end points used as biomarkers in the early detection of genotoxic agents and in the identification of species and populations at higher risk; b) the difference in sensitivity of the species selected as bioindicators in relation to the cytogenetic end points analyzed; c) the need to use at least two sympatric species to detect the presence of genotoxins in each locality; and d) the need to use several end points when trying to establish a genotoxic profile of an area. PMID:11133397
Chronic intake of fermented floral nectar by wild treeshrews
Wiens, Frank; Zitzmann, Annette; Lachance, Marc-André; Yegles, Michel; Pragst, Fritz; Wurst, Friedrich M.; von Holst, Dietrich; Guan, Saw Leng; Spanagel, Rainer
For humans alcohol consumption often has devastating consequences. Wild mammals may also be behaviorally and physiologically challenged by alcohol in their food. Here, we provide a detailed account of chronic alcohol intake by mammals as part of a coevolved relationship with a plant. We discovered that seven mammalian species in a West Malaysian rainforest consume alcoholic nectar daily from flower buds of the bertam palm (Eugeissona tristis), which they pollinate. The 3.8% maximum alcohol concentration (mean: 0.6%; median: 0.5%) that we recorded is among the highest ever reported in a natural food. Nectar high in alcohol is facilitated by specialized flower buds that harbor a fermenting yeast community, including several species new to science. Pentailed treeshrews (Ptilocercus lowii) frequently consume alcohol doses from the inflorescences that would intoxicate humans. Yet, the flower-visiting mammals showed no signs of intoxication. Analysis of an alcohol metabolite (ethyl glucuronide) in their hair yielded concentrations higher than those in humans with similarly high alcohol intake. The pentailed treeshrew is considered a living model for extinct mammals representing the stock from which all extinct and living treeshrews and primates radiated. Therefore, we hypothesize that moderate to high alcohol intake was present early on in the evolution of these closely related lineages. It is yet unclear to what extent treeshrews benefit from ingested alcohol per se and how they mitigate the risk of continuous high blood alcohol concentrations. PMID:18663222
Keeping it wild: mapping wilderness character in the United States.
Carver, Steve; Tricker, James; Landres, Peter
A GIS-based approach is developed to identify the state of wilderness character in US wilderness areas using Death Valley National Park (DEVA) as a case study. A set of indicators and measures are identified by DEVA staff and used as the basis for developing a flexible and broadly applicable framework to map wilderness character using data inputs selected by park staff. Spatial data and GIS methods are used to map the condition of four qualities of wilderness character: natural, untrammelled, undeveloped, and solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation. These four qualities are derived from the US 1964 Wilderness Act and later developed by Landres et al. (2008a) in "Keeping it Wild: An Interagency Strategy to Monitor Trends in Wilderness Character Across the National Wilderness Preservation System." Data inputs are weighted to reflect their importance in relation to other data inputs and the model is used to generate maps of each of the four qualities of wilderness character. The combined map delineates the range of quality of wilderness character in the DEVA wilderness revealing the majority of wilderness character to be optimal quality with the best areas in the northern section of the park. This map will serve as a baseline for monitoring change in wilderness character and for evaluating the spatial impacts of planning alternatives for wilderness and backcountry stewardship plans. The approach developed could be applied to any wilderness area, either in the USA or elsewhere in the world. PMID:24184527
Prevalence of blood parasites in Japanese wild birds.
Murata, Koichi
The prevalence of blood parasites was investigated in 701 Japanese wild birds for 13 years from January, 1988 to March, 2001. Most of the injured or sick birds were caught in the suburbs of Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture and brought to the zoo for clinical care. Among all the birds examined, 10.6% were infected with hematozoa belonging to three genera as Plasmodium (1.7% of the samples), Haemoproteus (5.1% of the samples) and Leucocytozoon (4.6% of the samples), and two birds (0.29% of the samples), a Japanese grosbeak (Coccothraustes personatus) and a dusky thrush (Turdus naumanni), were infected with microfilariae. Mixed infection with Leucocytozoon sp. and Haemoproteus sp. was observed in 6 individuals of 4 species and that with Leucocytozoon sp. and microfilariae was observed in 2 individuals of 2 species of bird. Relatively high positive rates were 75%(3/4) in the scops owl (Otus scops), 71.4% (10/14) in the ural owl (Strix uralensis), 57.7% (15/26) in the jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), 57.1% (4/7) in the black-tailed gull (Larus crassirostris), 55.6% (5/9) in the brown hawk owl (Ninox scutulata), 41% (16/39) in the carrion crow (Corvus corone) and 24.1% (7/29) in the night heron (Nycticorax nicticorax). PMID:12399602
Lipidated Steroid Saponins from Dioscorea villosa (Wild Yam)†
Dong, Shi-Hui; Cai, Geping; Napolitano, José G.; Nikoli?, Dejan; Lankin, David C.; McAlpine, James B.; van Breemen, Richard B.; Soejarto, Djaja D.; Pauli, Guido F.; Chen, Shao-Nong
Two groups of lipidated steroid saponins including seven new compounds (2, 3, 5, and 7–10) were isolated from the widely used botanical, wild yam (Dioscorea villosa), employing a fractionation protocol of metabolomic mining. This methodology has very recently led to the isolation of 14 diarylheptanoids from the same plant. Together with these lipidated steroid saponins, they establish additional new markers for Dioscorea villosa. The lipidation of steroids with analogue long-chain fatty acids containing different degrees of unsaturation generates entire series of compounds which are difficult to purify and analyze. The structures of the two series of lipidated steroid saponins (series A and B) were demonstrated by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR as well as GC-MS after chemical modification. Series A was determined to be a mixture of lipidated spirostanol glycosides (1–5), while series B (6–10) proved to be a mixture of five lipidated clionasterol glucosides. The latter group represents the first derivatives of clionasterol to be found in D. villosa. The discovery of this specific structural type of aliphatic esters of steroid saponins expands the characterization of the secondary metabolome of D. villosa. It also may inspire biological studies which take into account the lipophilic character and significantly altered physiochemical characteristics of these otherwise relatively polar phytoconstituents. PMID:23968665
Sprint swimming performance of wild bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)
Mesa, M.G.; Phelps, J.; Weiland, L.K.
We conducted laboratory experiments to determine the sprint swimming performance of wild juvenile and adult bull trout Salvelinus confluentus. Sprint swimming speeds were estimated using high-speed digital video analysis. Thirty two bull trout were tested in sizes ranging from about 10 to 31 cm. Of these, 14 fish showed at least one motivated, vigorous sprint. When plotted as a function of time, velocity of fish increased rapidly with the relation linear or slightly curvilinear. Their maximum velocity, or Vmax, ranged from 1.3 to 2.3 m/s, was usually achieved within 0.8 to 1.0 s, and was independent of fish size. Distances covered during these sprints ranged from 1.4 to 2.4 m. Our estimates of the sprint swimming performance are the first reported for this species and may be useful for producing or modifying fish passage structures that allow safe and effective passage of fish without overly exhausting them. ?? 2008 by the Northwest Scientific Association. All rights reserved.
Garn, Herbert S.
The lower 4 miles of the Red River, a tributary of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico, was designated as one of the 'instant' components of the National Wild and Scenic River System in 1968. Instream flow requirements were determined by several methods to quantify the claims made by the United States for a federal reserved water right under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The scenic (aesthetic), recreational, and fish and wildlife values are the purposes for which instream flow requirements were claimed. Since water quality is related to these values, instream flows for waste transport and protection of water quality were also included in the claim. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Instream Flow Incremental Methodology was used to quantify the relationship between various flow regimes and fish habitat. Study results are discussed.
Two herpesviruses associated with disease in wild Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta).
Stacy, Brian A; Wellehan, James F X; Foley, Allen M; Coberley, Sadie S; Herbst, Lawrence H; Manire, Charles A; Garner, Michael M; Brookins, Milagros D; Childress, April L; Jacobson, Elliott R
Herpesviruses are associated with lung-eye-trachea disease and gray patch disease in maricultured green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and with fibropapillomatosis in wild sea turtles of several species. With the exception fibropapillomatosis, no other diseases of wild sea turtles of any species have been associated with herpesviral infection. In the present study, six necropsied Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) had gross and histological evidence of viral infection, including oral, respiratory, cutaneous, and genital lesions characterized by necrosis, ulceration, syncytial cell formation, and intranuclear inclusion bodies. Nested polymerase chain reaction targeting a conserved region of the herpesvirus DNA-dependent-DNA polymerase gene yielded two unique herpesviral sequences referred to as loggerhead genital-respiratory herpesvirus and loggerhead orocutaneous herpesvirus. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that these viruses are related to and are monophyletic with other chelonian herpesviruses within the subfamily alpha-herpesvirinae. We propose the genus Chelonivirus for this monophyletic group of chelonian herpesviruses. PMID:17706378
Nature and nurture: A step towards investigating their interactions in the wild.
Fríre, Celine H; Mann, Janet; Krützen, Michael; Connor, Richard C; Bejder, Lars; Sherwin, William B
The debate about the relative importance of nature versus nurture has been around for decades, but despite this, there has been very little evidence about how these might in fact interact to drive evolution in the wild. Recently, the identification of a comparable methodology for analyzing both genetic and social effects of phenotypic variation revealed that fitness variation in a free-living population of dolphin was driven by a strong social and genetic interaction. This study not only provides evidence that nature and nurture do interact to drive phenotypic evolution but also represents a step towards partitioning the effects of genetic, social, environmental factors and their multiway interactions to better understand phenotypic evolution in the wild. PMID:21655437
Comparison of biogas production from wild and cultivated varieties of reed canary grass.
Oleszek, Marta; Król, Aleksandra; Tys, Jerzy; Matyka, Mariusz; Kulik, Mariusz
The chemical composition and efficiency of biogas production in the methane fermentation process of silages of wild and cultivated varieties of reed canary grass were compared. An attempt was made to answer the question on how the habitat and the way of utilization of plants affect chemical composition and biogas yield. Physicochemical properties such as dry matter, organic dry matter, protein, fat, crude fiber fraction, macro- and microelements content were considered. The anaerobic digestion process and FTIR analysis were also carried out. The results showed that the two varieties differ essentially in their physical and chemical properties. The cultivated variety was characterized by higher biogas yield (406Ndm(3)kg(-1) VS) than the wild one (120Ndm(3)kg(-1) VS). This was probably related to the chemical composition of plants, especially the high content of indigestible crude fiber fractions and ash. These components could reduce biogas quantity and quality. PMID:24518439
Cytochemical Analysis of Pollen Development in Wild-Type Arabidopsis and a Male-Sterile Mutant.
Regan, SM; Moffatt, BA
Microsporogenesis has been examined in wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana and the nuclear male-sterile mutant BM3 by cytochemical staining. The mutant lacks adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, an enzyme of the purine salvage pathway that converts adenine to AMP. Pollen development in the mutant began to diverge from wild type just after meiosis, as the tetrads of microspores were released from their callose walls. The first indication of abnormal pollen development in the mutant was a darker staining of the microspore wall due to an incomplete synthesis of the intine. Vacuole formation was delayed and irregular in the mutant, and the majority of the mutant microspores failed to undergo mitotic divisions. Enzyme activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and esterases decreased in the mutant soon after meiosis and were undetectable in mature pollen grains of the mutant. RNA accumulation was also diminished. These results are discussed in relation to the possible role(s) of adenine salvage in pollen development. PMID:12354970
Environmental factors affecting thyroid function of wild sea bass (Dicentrarchuslabrax) from European coasts.
Schnitzler, Joseph G; Klaren, Peter H M; Bouquegneau, Jean-Marie; Das, Krishna
Thyroid functional status of wild fish in relation with the contamination of their environment deserves further investigation. We here applied a multi-level approach of thyroid function assessment in 87 wild sea bass collected near several estuaries: namely the Scheldt, the Seine, the Loire, the Charente and the Gironde. Thyroxine (T(4)) and triiodothyronine (T(3)) concentrations in muscle were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. The activity of hepatic enzymes involved in extrathyroidal pathways of thyroid hormone metabolism, viz. deiodination, glucuronidation and sulfatation were analyzed. Last, follicle diameter and epithelial cell heights were measured. We observed changes that are predicted to lead to an increased conversion of T(4)-T(3) and lowered thyroid hormone excretion. The changes in the metabolic pathways of thyroid hormones can be interpreted as a pathway to maintain thyroid hormone homeostasis. From all compounds tested, the higher chlorinated PCBs seemed to be the most implicated in this perturbation. PMID:22169207
Many experts have concluded that wild salmon recovery efforts in western North America (especially California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and southern British Columbia), as earnest, expensive, and socially disruptive as they currently are, do not appear likely to sustain biologic...
Throughout the Pacific Northwest (northern California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and the Columbia Basin portion of British Columbia), many wild salmon "stocks" (a group of interbreeding individuals that is roughly equivalent to a "population") have declined and some have been ...
Throughout the Pacific Northwest (northern California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and the Columbia Basin portion of British Columbia), many wild salmon "stocks" (a group of interbreeding individuals that is roughly equivalent to a "population) have declined and some have been e...
Habitat Appraisal Guide for Rio Grande Wild Turkey
Cathey, James; Locke, Shawn; Ransom, Dean; DeMaso, Stephen; Schwertner, T. Wayne; Collier, Bret
The Rio Grande wild turkey habitat appraisal guide gives landowners and managers a standardized, systematic way to evaluate current habitat conditions. It can be used to identify limiting factors. It also contains suggestions for improving...
Wild Ones Handbook: A Voice for the Natural Landscaping Movement
NSDL National Science Digital Library
If you've decided this is the year to try something in the yard other than lawn, the Wild Ones Handbook is a good place to start. Wild Ones is a non-profit group that began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1977 It promotes and supports the use of natural landscaping as an alternative to lawns. The Handbook contains short essays written by natural landscaping designers and enthusiasts, as well as professional prairie nursery representatives. Topics covered include background information on prairies, how not to aggravate neighbors and village officials, preparing a yard for planting and landscaping for wildlife. Several of the essays provide lists of suggested plants native to the Midwest. The online version of the Wild Ones Handbook is a cooperative effort of Wild Ones - Natural Landscapers, Ltd., and the US Envrionmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program (GLNP).
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Wild and cultivated potatoes (Solanum section Petota) present challenges to taxonomists arising from lack of clearly defined morphological character differences among many species, phenotypic plasticity, a range of ploidy levels from diploid to hexaploid, and hybrid speciation and introgression. Tax...
FRANz: Fast reconstruction of wild pedigrees Markus Riester1
Stadler, Peter F.
FRANz: Fast reconstruction of wild pedigrees Markus Riester1 , Peter F. Stadler1,2,3,4 , Konstantin, Fraunhofer Institut for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Deutscher Platz 5e, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany 3
Salmonella enteritidis and Arizona hinshawii isolated from wild sandhill cranes.
Windingstad, R M; Trainer, D O; Duncan, R
Salmonella enteritidis serotype Rubislaw and Arizona hinshawii were isolated from cloacal swabs of "healthy" live-trapped sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) in Indiana and Wisconsin. These respective isolations were the first reported from wild sandhill cranes. PMID:343779
Muffler, L.J. Patrick; Denton, David K., Jr.
The results of geologic, geochemical, and geophysical surveys in Wild Cattle Mountain and Heart Lake Roadless Areas in California indicate little promise for the occurrence of metallic, nonmetallic, or fossil fuel resources. However, Wild Cattle Mountain Roadless Area and part of Heart Lake Roadless Area lie in Lassen Known Geothermal Resources Area, and noncompetitive geothermal lease applications have been filed on much of the rest of Heart Lake Roadless Area. Both areas are adjacent to Lassen Volcanic National Park. Geochemical and geologic data indicate that the thermal manifestations in the Park and at Growler and Morgan Hot Springs just southwest of Wild Cattle Mountain Roadless Area are part of the same large geothermal system. Consequently, the entire Wild Cattle Mountain Roadless Area and part of the Heart Lake Roadless Area have a substantiated geothermal resource potential; the rest of the Heart Lake Roadless Area has a probable geothermal resource potential.
Lymphoproliferative disease virus in wild turkeys in southeast United States
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Previously, retroviral neoplasms reported in wild upland game birds in the United States of America have typically been associated with reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) infection. The information presented herein described the first reports of lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) infection in ...
Nutritional and antioxidant contributions of Laurus nobilis L. leaves: would be more suitable a wild or a cultivated sample?
Dias, Maria Inęs; Barros, Lillian; Dueńas, Montserrat; Alves, Rita C; Oliveira, M Beatriz P P; Santos-Buelga, Celestino; Ferreira, Isabel C F R
Medicinal and aromatic plants are used since ancient times in folk medicine and traditional food, but also in novel pharmaceutical preparations. The controversy lies in the use of cultivated and/or wild plants presenting both advantages and disadvantages in biological, ecological but also economic terms. Herein, cultivated and wild samples of Laurus nobilis L. were chemically characterized regarding nutritional value, free sugars, organic acids, fatty acids and tocopherols. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity (scavenging activity, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition) and individual phenolic profile of L. nobilis extracts and infusions were evaluated. Data showed that the wild sample gave higher nutritional contribution related to a higher content of proteins, free sugars, organic acids, PUFA and tocopherols. It also gave better PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios. Regarding antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds, it was the cultivated sample (mostly the infusion) that showed the highest values. The present study supports the arguments defending the use of wild and cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants as both present very interesting features, whether nutritional or antioxidant, that can be an assessed by their consumption. In vitro culture could be applied to L. nobilis as a production methodology that allows combination of the benefits of wild and cultivated samples. PMID:24629978
Victims and vectors: highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 and the ecology of wild birds
Takekawa, John Y.; Prosser, Diann J.; Newman, Scott H.; Muzaffar, Sabir Bin; Hill, Nichola J.; Yan, Baoping; Xiao, Xiangming; Lei, Fumin; Li, Tianxian; Schwarzbach, Steven E.; Howell, Judd A.
The emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses has raised concerns about the role of wild birds in the spread and persistence of the disease. In 2005, an outbreak of the highly pathogenic subtype H5N1 killed more than 6,000 wild waterbirds at Qinghai Lake, China. Outbreaks have continued to periodically occur in wild birds at Qinghai Lake and elsewhere in Central China and Mongolia. This region has few poultry but is a major migration and breeding area for waterbirds in the Central Asian Flyway, although relatively little is known about migratory movements of different species and connectivity of their wetland habitats. The scientific debate has focused on the role of waterbirds in the epidemiology, maintenance and spread of HPAI H5N1: to what extent are they victims affected by the disease, or vectors that have a role in disease transmission? In this review, we summarise the current knowledge of wild bird involvement in the ecology of HPAI H5N1. Specifically, we present details on: (1) origin of HPAI H5N1; (2) waterbirds as LPAI reservoirs and evolution into HPAI; (3) the role of waterbirds in virus spread and persistence; (4) key biogeographic regions of outbreak; and (5) applying an ecological research perspective to studying AIVs in wild waterbirds and their ecosystems.
Population Structure and Domestication Revealed by High-Depth Resequencing of Korean Cultivated and Wild Soybean Genomes†
Chung, Won-Hyong; Jeong, Namhee; Kim, Jiwoong; Lee, Woo Kyu; Lee, Yun-Gyeong; Lee, Sang-Heon; Yoon, Woongchang; Kim, Jin-Hyun; Choi, Ik-Young; Choi, Hong-Kyu; Moon, Jung-Kyung; Kim, Namshin; Jeong, Soon-Chun
Despite the importance of soybean as a major crop, genome-wide variation and evolution of cultivated soybeans are largely unknown. Here, we catalogued genome variation in an annual soybean population by high-depth resequencing of 10 cultivated and 6 wild accessions and obtained 3.87 million high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) after excluding the sites with missing data in any accession. Nuclear genome phylogeny supported a single origin for the cultivated soybeans. We identified 10-fold longer linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the wild soybean relative to wild maize and rice. Despite the small population size, the long LD and large SNP data allowed us to identify 206 candidate domestication regions with significantly lower diversity in the cultivated, but not in the wild, soybeans. Some of the genes in these candidate regions were associated with soybean homologues of canonical domestication genes. However, several examples, which are likely specific to soybean or eudicot crop plants, were also observed. Consequently, the variation data identified in this study should be valuable for breeding and for identifying agronomically important genes in soybeans. However, the long LD of wild soybeans may hinder pinpointing causal gene(s) in the candidate regions. PMID:24271940
Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus in Wild Birds in Far Eastern Russia Using a Focus Reduction Neutralization Test
Murata, Ryo; Hashiguchi, Kazuaki; Yoshii, Kentaro; Kariwa, Hiroaki; Nakajima, Kensuke; Ivanov, Leonid I.; Leonova, Galina N.; Takashima, Ikuo
West Nile (WN) virus has been spreading geographically to non-endemic areas in various parts of the world. However, little is known about the extent of WN virus infection in Russia. Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus, which is closely related to WN virus, is prevalent throughout East Asia. We evaluated the effectiveness of a focus reduction neutralization test in young chicks inoculated with JE and WN viruses, and conducted a survey of WN infection among wild birds in Far Eastern Russia. Following single virus infection, only neutralizing antibodies specific to the homologous virus were detected in chicks. The neutralization test was then applied to serum samples from 145 wild birds for WN and JE virus. Twenty-one samples were positive for neutralizing antibodies to WN. These results suggest that WN virus is prevalent among wild birds in the Far Eastern region of Russia. PMID:21363987
Microsatellite Loci in Wild-Type and Inbred Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
R. Andrew Cameron; Patrick S. Leahy; Roy J. Britten; Eric H. Davidson
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus,a major research model in developmental molecular biology, has been inbred through six generations of sibling matings. Though viability initially decreased, as described earlier, the inbred line now consists of healthy, fertile animals. These are intended to serve as a genomic resource in which the level of polymorphism is decreased with respect to wildS. purpuratus.To genotype the inbred animals
Mortality factors and lead contamination of wild birds from Korea
Dong-Ha Nam; Doo-Pyo Lee
Wild birds have frequently been found dead in their natural habitats, but little is known about what ecological stressors\\u000a may impact health of wild populations. Here, we report the potentially harmful lead (Pb) levels in tissues along with necropsies\\u000a on 69 individuals of cranes, raptors, and waterfowl found dead between 2000 and 2003 in Korea. In all samples diagnosed, trauma
Worldwide occurrence of feline hemoplasma infections in wild felid species.
Willi, Barbara; Filoni, Claudia; Catăo-Dias, José L; Cattori, Valentino; Meli, Marina L; Vargas, Astrid; Martínez, Fernando; Roelke, Melody E; Ryser-Degiorgis, Marie-Pierre; Leutenegger, Christian M; Lutz, Hans; Hofmann-Lehmann, Regina
While hemoplasma infections in domestic cats are well studied, almost no information is available on their occurrence in wild felids. The aims of the present study were to investigate wild felid species as possible reservoirs of feline hemoplasmas and the molecular characterization of the hemoplasma isolates. Blood samples from the following 257 wild felids were analyzed: 35 Iberian lynxes from Spain, 36 Eurasian lynxes from Switzerland, 31 European wildcats from France, 45 lions from Tanzania, and 110 Brazilian wild felids, including 12 wild felid species kept in zoos and one free-ranging ocelot. Using real-time PCR, feline hemoplasmas were detected in samples of the following species: Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx, European wildcat, lion, puma, oncilla, Geoffroy's cat, margay, and ocelot. "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum" was the most common feline hemoplasma in Iberian lynxes, Eurasian lynxes, Serengeti lions, and Brazilian wild felids, whereas "Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis" was the most prevalent in European wildcats; hemoplasma coinfections were frequently observed. Hemoplasma infection was associated with species and free-ranging status of the felids in all animals and with feline leukemia virus provirus-positive status in European wildcats. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA and the partial RNase P gene revealed that most hemoplasma isolates exhibit high sequence identities to domestic cat-derived isolates, although some isolates form different subclusters within the phylogenetic tree. In conclusion, 9 out of 15 wild felid species from three different continents were found to be infected with feline hemoplasmas. The effect of feline hemoplasma infections on wild felid populations needs to be further investigated. PMID:17301277
MICROBIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION: Modulating Mutation Rates in the Wild
NSDL National Science Digital Library
Susan M. Rosenberg (Baylor College of Medicine; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics)
Access to the article is free, however registration and sign-in are required. What happens to wild isolates of Escherichia coli bacteria from all walks of life when you put them in a laboratory and starve them? In their Perspective, Rosenberg and Hastings discuss just such a scenario and explain the increased rate of stress-induced mutagenesis--a strategy that may hasten evolution--in starved, aging bacterial colonies derived from wild isolates (Bjedov et al.).
Patterns of nucleotide diversity in wild and cultivated rice
Xianran Li; Lubin Tan; Zuofeng Zhu; Haiyan Huang; Ying Liu; Songnian Hu; Chuanqing Sun
There are few reports of the patterns of polymorphism in the non-coding regions of plant genomes. In this study, we explored\\u000a nucleotide diversity and linkage disequilibrium (LD) in 47 non-coding regions on chromosome 4 of wild and cultivated rice.\\u000a The cultivated rice retained about 70% of the diversity of wild rice, which was verified by coalescent simulations with one\\u000a population
Viruses other than arenaviruses from West African wild mammals
Kemp, Graham E.
At least thirty-seven different viruses have been isolated from wild mammals in West Africa since 1962. Some of these, including Lassa virus, are already known to cause serious human morbidity and mortality. Crimean haemorrhagic fever-Congo virus, Dugbe virus, Mokola virus, and a smallpox-like agent from a gerbil in Dahomey are briefly discussed. An account of social and ecologic factors affecting man, domestic animals, and their interaction with wild mammals is given. PMID:1085217
Ratio of mutated versus wild-type coat protein sequences in Pepino mosaic virus determines the nature and severity of yellowing symptoms on tomato plants.
Hasiów-Jaroszewska, Beata; Paeleman, Anneleen; Ortega-Parra, Nelia; Borodynko, Natasza; Minicka, Julia; Czerwoniec, Anna; Thomma, Bart P H J; Hanssen, Inge M
Recently, Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) infections causing severe yellowing symptoms in tomato plants have been reported in glasshouse tomato crops. When studying this phenomenon in commercial glasshouses, two different types of yellowing symptoms, occurring in adjacent plants, were distinguished: interveinal leaf yellowing and yellow mosaics. After several weeks, the interveinal leaf yellowing symptoms gradually disappeared and the plant heads became green again, with yellow mosaic patterns on the leaves as an intermediate stage. The sequencing of multiple isolates causing interveinal leaf yellowing identified two point mutations, occurring in positions 155 and 166 of the coat protein (CP), as unique to the yellowing pathotype. Site-directed mutagenesis of infectious clones confirmed that both CP mutations are determinants of the interveinal leaf yellowing symptoms. Sequencing of CP clones from plants or plant parts with the yellow mosaic symptoms resulted in a mixture of wild-type and mutated sequences, whereas sequencing of CP clones from the green heads of recovered plants resulted in only wild-type sequences. Yellow mosaic symptoms could be reproduced by inoculation of an artificial 1:1 mixture of RNA transcripts from the wild-type and mutated infectious clones. These results show that the ratio of mutated versus wild-type sequences can determine the nature and severity of symptom development. The gradual recovery of the plants, which coincides with the disappearance of the yellowing mutations, suggests that selection pressure acts to the advantage of the wild-type virus. Experiments with wild-type and mutated infectious clones showed that reverse mutation events from mutant to wild-type occur and that the wild-type virus does not have a replicative advantage over the mutant. These results suggest that reverse mutation events occur, with subsequent selection pressure acting in favour of the wild-type virus in the growing plant parts, possibly related to a lower long-distance movement efficiency of the mutant. PMID:23855964
The TIE1 Transcriptional Repressor Links TCP Transcription Factors with TOPLESS/TOPLESS-RELATED Corepressors and Modulates Leaf Development in Arabidopsis[W
Tao, Qing; Guo, Dongshu; Wei, Baoye; Zhang, Fan; Pang, Changxu; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Jinzhe; Wei, Tong; Gu, Hongya; Qu, Li-Jia; Qin, Genji
Leaf size and shape are mainly determined by coordinated cell division and differentiation in lamina. The CINCINNATA (CIN)-like TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) transcription factors are key regulators of leaf development. However, the mechanisms that control TCP activities during leaf development are largely unknown. We identified the TCP Interactor containing EAR motif protein1 (TIE1), a novel transcriptional repressor, as a major modulator of TCP activities during leaf development. Overexpression of TIE1 leads to hyponastic and serrated leaves, whereas disruption of TIE1 causes epinastic leaves. TIE1 is expressed in young leaves and encodes a transcriptional repressor containing a C-terminal EAR motif, which mediates interactions with the TOPLESS (TPL)/TOPLESS-RELATED (TPR) corepressors. In addition, TIE1 physically interacts with CIN-like TCPs. We propose that TIE1 regulates leaf size and morphology by inhibiting the activities of TCPs through recruiting the TPL/TPR corepressors to form a tertiary complex at early stages of leaf development. PMID:23444332
Using Reduced Herbicide Rates Effective wild oat control can be obtained in spring wheat and barley,
Minnesota, University of
Using Reduced Herbicide Rates Effective wild oat control can be obtained in spring wheat and barley important when applying reduced herbicide rates. Postemergence wild oat herbicides require application to wild oats and crops at precise leaf stages. Leaf number on wild oats is determined by counting
Wild coffee production in Ethiopia: the role of coffee certification for forest conservation
Christine Schmitt; Ulrike Grote
The Ethiopian rainforests are internationally renowned for their high biodiversity and their wild coffee (Coffea arabica) populations, but are severely threatened by deforestation. The remaining rainforests are used for wild coffee production. This study quantifies wild coffee yields from local management systems without artificial inputs, and analyses the impact of wild coffee management on the natural forest vegetation. Subsequently, the
Identification of a novel salt tolerance gene in wild soybean by whole-genome sequencing.
Qi, Xinpeng; Li, Man-Wah; Xie, Min; Liu, Xin; Ni, Meng; Shao, Guihua; Song, Chi; Kay-Yuen Yim, Aldrin; Tao, Ye; Wong, Fuk-Ling; Isobe, Sachiko; Wong, Chi-Fai; Wong, Kwong-Sen; Xu, Chunyan; Li, Chunqing; Wang, Ying; Guan, Rui; Sun, Fengming; Fan, Guangyi; Xiao, Zhixia; Zhou, Feng; Phang, Tsui-Hung; Liu, Xuan; Tong, Suk-Wah; Chan, Ting-Fung; Yiu, Siu-Ming; Tabata, Satoshi; Wang, Jian; Xu, Xun; Lam, Hon-Ming
Using a whole-genome-sequencing approach to explore germplasm resources can serve as an important strategy for crop improvement, especially in investigating wild accessions that may contain useful genetic resources that have been lost during the domestication process. Here we sequence and assemble a draft genome of wild soybean and construct a recombinant inbred population for genotyping-by-sequencing and phenotypic analyses to identify multiple QTLs relevant to traits of interest in agriculture. We use a combination of de novo sequencing data from this work and our previous germplasm re-sequencing data to identify a novel ion transporter gene, GmCHX1, and relate its sequence alterations to salt tolerance. Rapid gain-of-function tests show the protective effects of GmCHX1 towards salt stress. This combination of whole-genome de novo sequencing, high-density-marker QTL mapping by re-sequencing and functional analyses can serve as an effective strategy to unveil novel genomic information in wild soybean to facilitate crop improvement. PMID:25004933
Dynamics of among-individual behavioral variation over adult lifespan in a wild insect
Fisher, David N.; David, Morgan; Rodríguez-Muńoz, Rolando
Investigating patterns of among and within-individual trait variation in populations is essential to understanding how selection shapes phenotypes. Behavior is often the most flexible aspect of the phenotype, and to understand how it is affected by selection, we need to examine how consistent individuals are. However, it is not well understood whether among-individual differences tend to remain consistent over lifetimes, or whether the behavior of individuals relative to one another varies over time. We examined the dynamics of 4 behavioral traits (tendency to leave a refuge, shyness, activity, and exploration) in a wild population of field crickets (Gryllus campestris). We tagged individuals and then temporarily removed them from their natural environment and tested them under laboratory conditions. All 4 traits showed among-individual variance in mean levels of expression across the adult lifespan, but no significant differences in how rapidly expression changed with age. For all traits, among-individual variance increased as individuals got older. Our findings reveal seldom examined changes in variance components over the adult lifetime of wild individuals. Such changes will have important implications for the relationship between behavioral traits, life-histories, and fitness and the consequences of selection on wild individuals.
Were Fertile Crescent crop progenitors higher yielding than other wild species that were never domesticated?
Preece, Catherine; Livarda, Alexandra; Wallace, Michael; Martin, Gemma; Charles, Michael; Christin, Pascal-Antoine; Jones, Glynis; Rees, Mark; Osborne, Colin P
During the origin of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, the broad spectrum of wild plant species exploited by hunter-gatherers narrowed dramatically. The mechanisms responsible for this specialization and the associated domestication of plants are intensely debated. We investigated why some species were domesticated rather than others, and which traits they shared. We tested whether the progenitors of cereal and pulse crops, grown individually, produced a higher yield and less chaff than other wild grasses and legumes, thereby maximizing the return per seed planted and minimizing processing time. We compared harvest traits of species originating from the Fertile Crescent, including those for which there is archaeological evidence of deliberate collection. Unexpectedly, wild crop progenitors in both families had neither higher grain yield nor, in grasses, less chaff, although they did have larger seeds. Moreover, small-seeded grasses actually returned a higher yield relative to the mass of seeds sown. However, cereal progenitors had threefold fewer seeds per plant, representing a major difference in how seeds are packaged on plants. These data suggest that there was no intrinsic yield advantage to adopting large-seeded progenitor species as crops. Explaining why Neolithic agriculture was founded on these species, therefore, remains an important unresolved challenge. PMID:25758766
Expression and distribution of sialic acid influenza virus receptors in wild birds
França, M.; Stallknecht, D. E.; Howerth, E. W.
Avian influenza (AI) viruses have been detected in more than 105 wild bird species from 12 different orders but species-related differences in susceptibility to AI viruses exist. Expression of ?2,3-linked (avian-type) and ?2,6linked (human type) sialic acid (SA) influenza virus receptors in tissues is considered to be one of the determinants of the host range and tissue tropism of influenza viruses. We investigated the expression of these SA receptors in 37 wild bird species from 11 different orders by lectin histochemistry. Two isoforms of Maackia amurensis (MAA) lectin, MAA1 and MAA2, were used to detect ?2,3-linked SA and Sambucus nigra (SNA) lectin was used to detect ?2,6-linked SA. All species evaluated expressed ?2,3-linked and ?2,6-linked SA receptors in endothelial cells and renal tubular epithelial cells. Both ?2,3-linked and ?-2,6-linked SA receptors were expressed in respiratory and intestinal tract tissues of aquatic and terrestrial wild bird species from different taxa, but differences in SA expression and in the predominant isoform of MAA lectin bound were observed. With a few possible exceptions, these observed differences were not generally predictive of reported species susceptibility to AI viruses based on published experimental and field data. PMID:23391183
Copper status of muskoxen: a comparison of wild and captive populations.
Barboza, Perry S; Rombach, Emmajean P; Blake, John E; Nagy, John A
We compared wild muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) on Banks Island (Northwest Territories, Canada) with captive animals maintained on grass (Bromus sp.) hay and supplemental minerals. We measured copper (Cu) in liver, whole serum, and deproteinated serum (unbound Cu) as well as serum activity of the Cu-enzyme ceruloplasmin. Unbound serum Cu concentrations did not change with season in captive animals (n = 53). Ceruloplasmin activity was similar between seasons in females but elevated in males during breeding in autumn. Increasing concentrations of Cu in whole sera were mainly associated with protein whereas unbound Cu predominated at low concentrations of whole serum Cu. Ceruloplasmin activity and serum Cu concentration were linearly related to liver Cu in female muskoxen. Measures of copper status in females were lower in the wild (n = 19) than in captivity (n = 16): 8 vs. 160 ug Cu.g-1 of whole liver; 0.67 vs. 1.15 microgram unbound Cu.ml-1 whole serum and; 22 vs. 33 IU.l-1 ceruloplasmin activity. Bioavailability of Cu may limit the population on Banks Island especially when density of animals is high. The wide range of hepatic Cu concentrations in muskoxen indicated accumulation of Cu without apparent ill effect in captive animals. Hepatic storage of Cu may allow wild muskoxen to contend with low and fluctuating availability of Cu in small foraging areas at high latitudes. PMID:14567223