DOCSLIB.ORG

Identification and Classification of Endogenous Bacteria Within Mole-Rats of The

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Identification and Classification of Endogenous Bacteria Within Mole-Rats of The Identification and classification of endogenous bacteria within mole-rats of the Family Bathyergidae By James Henry du Toit van Sandwyk Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Magister Scientiae (Zoology) in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science University of Pretoria Pretoria March 2007 © University of Pretoria Identification and classification of endogenous bacteria within mole-rats of theFamily Bathyergidae By J.H.d.T. van Sandwyk J.H.d.T van Sandwyk: Mammal Research Institute Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria 0002 South Africa Supervisors: ProfN.C. Bennett: Mammal Research Institute Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria 0002 South Africa Dr A.D.S. Bastos: Mammal Research Institute Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria 0002 South Africa Email: [email protected] i DECLARATION I, James Henry du Toit van Sandwyk, declare that this thesis which I hereby submit for the degree of Magister Scientiae at the University of Pretoria is my own work and has not previouslybeenby me for a degree at this or any other tertiary institution. Signature 2 March 2007 Date ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my thanks my supervisors Nigel Bennett and Amanda Bastos for their help with all the unexpected problems which arose during my thesis. Nigel for all his help with sample collection and funding for the project, and Amanda for all her help with the molecular work, both of you have provided me with a solid foundation for my future pursuits in the field of science. I would also like to thank Dr. Fanus Venter for providing access to his micro-biology laboratory for all my bacterial culturing and for his help with understanding and interpreting the results of the bacterial study. Glen Malherbe and Babsie Potgieter are thanked for all their help with the technical details of my project as well as all the people in the Zoology Molecular Laboratory and Dr. Venter’s Microbiology Laboratory. Special thanks go to all my friends at the university and those in the real world, especially Leanne Hart and Lia Rotherham for all their help in all the various aspects of my project. Leanne and Craig Jackson assisted with the mole-rat pictures. A special word of thanks is given to my best “bud” Brian R. Smith for his help in my project and for helping me get over some hard times when nothing seemed to be going right by always having a spare ear and helping me to take a fresh look at the problem and find a solution. Finally I express my deep gratitude to my family, and in particular my Mom for all her help. iii “Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat” iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration Page ii Acknowledgements Page iii-iv Table of Contents Page v-viii List of Figures Page ix-xi List of Tables Page xii Disclaimer Page xiii Chapter 1: General Introduction Introductory Page Page 1 1. The Family Bathyergidae and distributional range Page 2-3 of the five extant genera 2. The subterranean environment and its effects on the Page 3-11 bathyergids and their levels of sociality. Models put forward to explain how sociality occurs 3. Main Aims of the Project, Thesis structure and Page 11-13 Content 4. Literature Cited Page 14-18 Chapter 2: Identification of associated bacteria in three species of South African Mole-rats (Bathyergidae) v Introductory Page Page 19 Abstract Page 20 1. Introduction Page 20-24 2. Methods and Materials Page 25-27 2.1. Sample collecting Page 25 2.2. Bacterial culture an DNA extraction Page 25-26 2.3. 16S rRNA amplification Page 26-27 3. Results Page 27-40 3.1. Actinobacteria Page 28-29 3.2. Firmicutes Page 30-37 3.3. Proteobacteria Page 37-40 4. Discussion Page 40-44 5. Acknowledgements Page 44 6. Literature Cited Page 45-51 Appendix I Page 52-54 Appendix II Page 55-57 Appendix III Page 58-61 Appendix IV Page 62-65 Appendix V Page 66-68 Appendix VI Page 69-73 Appendix VII Page 74-79 Chapter 3: The recorded incidence of Bartonella infection amongst solitary and social species of South African bathyergids: a multi-gene approach Introductory Page Page 80 vi Abstract Page 81 1. Introduction Page 81-83 2. Methods and Materials Page 83-86 2.1 Sampling Page 83-84 2.2. Extraction of Bartonella genetic material for Page 84 screening 2.3. Primer design and target amplification region Page 84-85 2.4. Amplification of the gltA and inter-generic Page 85 region 2.5. Infection rate and genetic characterization of Page 85-86 positive samples 3. Results Page 86-89 3.1. Nucleotide sequence analysis Page 88 3.2. 16S-23S inter-generic region results Page 88 3.3. Phylogenetic analysis and species Page 89-90 identification 4. Discussion Page 91-92 5. Acknowledgements Page 93 6. Literature Cited Page 94-97 Appendix I Page 98-99 Appendix II Page 100-107 Chapter 4: General Conclusion Introductory Page Page 108 General Conclusion Page 109-113 1. Identified bacteria associated with three species of Page 109-110 vii bathyergids 2. Bartonella prevalence in mole-rats species varying in Page 110-112 the degree of sociality and possible implications 3. Pilot studies and continuing research Page 112-113 4. Literature Cited Page 114-115 viii LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER 1: General Introduction Figure 1. A map of the African continent illustrating the distributions of the four species of solitary mole-rats. Page 4 Figure 2. A map of the African continent illustrating the distributions of 9 of the recognized species of the genus Cryptomys. Page 5 Figure 3. A map of the African continent illustrating the distributions of the 4 sub species of Cryptomys hottentotus. Page 7 CHAPTER 2: Identification of associated bacteria in three species of South African Mole-rats (Bathyergidae) Figure 1. Neighbour-joining tree showing the relationship between the two genera; Microbacterium and Arthrobacter ix which were isolated from mole-rat samples as well as and their relatedness to bacterial sequences in the Genbank database. Page 29 Figure 2. Relative positions of the four Firmicutes dataset on the 16S rRNA gene. Page 32 Figure 3. Neighbour-joining tree showing the relationship between the first dataset of the Firmicutes which was isolated from mole-rat samples as well as its relatedness to bacterial sequences in the Genbank database. Page 33 Figure 4. Neighbour-joining tree showing the relationship between the second dataset of the Firmicutes which was isolated from mole-rat samples as well as its relatedness to bacterial sequences in the Genbank database. Page 34 Figure 5. Neighbour-joining tree showing the relationship between the third dataset of the Firmicutes which was isolated from mole-rat samples as well as its relatedness to bacterial sequences in the Genbank database. Page 35 x Figure 6. Neighbour-joining tree showing the relationship between the fourth dataset of the Firmicutes which was isolated from mole-rat samples as well as its relatedness to bacterial sequences in the Genbank database. Page 36 Figure 7. Neighbour-joining tree showing the relationship between the different families recorded from the γ subclass of the Proteobacteria isolated from mole-rat samples as well as and their relatedness to bacterial sequences in the Genbank database. Page 38 CHAPTER 3: The recorded incidence of Bartonella infection amongst solitary and social species of South African bathyergids: a multi-gene approach Figure 1. Neighbour Joining (NJ) tree based on partial gltA sequences inferred using uncorrected p-distances. Bootstrap values from Minimum Evolution (ME), Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Maximum likelihood (ML) analysis that were > 50 % are indicated next to the relevant nodes as follows (NJ/ MP/ ML / ME). Page 90 xi LIST OF TABLES Chapter 3: The recorded incidence of Bartonella infection amongst solitary and social species of South African bathyergids: a multi-gene approach TABLE 1. Summary of Bartonella positives identified with the gltA primer- set identified using a BLASTn search. Page 87 TABLE 2. List of the most closely related Bartonella sequences in the Genbank database to those isolated from mole-rats. Page 87 xii DISCLAIMER This thesis comprises a series of chapters, some of which have beenprepared as stand alone manuscripts that will subsequentlybe submitted forpublicationpurposes. As a consequence there maybe some unavoidable repetition arisingbetween the chapters. xiii CHAPTER 1 General Introduction Contributing Authors: J. H. d. T. van Sandwyk, N. C. Bennett & A. D. Bastos Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa 1 1. The Family Bathyergidae and distributional range of the five genera The family Bathyergidae is a monophyletic group of Hystricomorph rodents which occurs south of the Sahara (Faulkes et al. 2004, Ingram et al. 2004). The family is divided into two sub families, the Bathyerginae consisting solely of the genus Bathyergus (Bennett & Faulkes 2000) and Georychinae (Bennett & Faulkes 2000). Bathyergus is one of two polytypic genera along with the genus Cryptomys. The Bathyerginae comprises two species which are distributed along the western coast of Namibia and South Africa (Jarvis & Bennett 1990, 1991). The first, Bathyergus janetta (the Namaqua Dune mole- rat) is endemic to Namaqualand and the coastal dunes south of Namibia (Herbst & Bennett 2006) and the second, Bathyergus suillus (the Cape Dune mole-rat) occurs in the southern, southwestern and western regions of the Cape Province of South Africa (Bennett & Faulkes 2000). The other four genera within the family Bathyergidae (Figure 1) belong to the subfamily Georychinae (Figure 1, 2 and 3) (Bennett & Faulkes 2000), three of which are monotypic; these include the genus Georychus, which is endemic to the Republic of South Africa, the only species within this genus is Georychus capensis (the Cape Mole-rat), secondly Heterocephalus has its distribution in eastern Africa, the only species being Heterocephalus glaber (the Naked mole-rat).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Research Project Summmary Main Research
    Research project summmary Main research fields: zoology and reproductive physiology specialization fields: Animal reproduction, Behavioural ecology, Behavioural physiology, sociobiology. My research interests focus mainly on the sociobiology of African rodent moles (Bathyergidae) and in particular the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that have led to the evolution of sociality in this remarkable endemic African family. My research group is fundamentally interested in elucidating the modes and mechanisms that are responsible for reproductive suppression in the non-reproductive females of the various species. Research is currently being directed at the neuroendocrine and molecular levels to elucidate the extent, nature and location of GnRH suppression. We are also interested in the photic and thermic input in the control of reproduction in seasonally reproducing mole-rats and the potential lack of a role in aseasonally breeding bathyergids. Long term population studies on social mole-rats from mesic and xeric environments are underway. These studies are providing empirical data on the spatial distribution of colonies, longevities, factors restricting and promoting dispersal, vagility, foraging methods and lifetime reproductive success. We are interested in the genetic relatedness of colonies and also the type of paternal skew operational in the social genera. This work is being carried out in collaboration with Dr Chris Faulkes at Queen Mary and Westfield College, London. Students currently under supervision MSc (research) 1. Ms. Kemba Butler Neuroendocrinology of induced ovulation in the highveld mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae) 2. Mr. Andre Prins What makes a good helper? A behavioural study of cooperation in Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis). 3. Mr. Josh Sarli Seasonal Reproductive Cycle and Parasite Burden of Two Small Mammals from Saudi Arabia.
    [Show full text]
  • Functional, Morphological, and Evolutionary Characterization of Hearing in Subterranean, Eusocial African Mole-Rats
    Article Functional, Morphological, and Evolutionary Characterization of Hearing in Subterranean, Eusocial African Mole-Rats Graphical Abstract Authors Sonja J. Pyott, Marcel van Tuinen, Laurel A. Screven, ..., Joseph Santos-Sacchi, Amanda M. Lauer, Thomas J. Park Correspondence [email protected] In Brief Pyott et al. attribute comparatively poor hearing in African naked and Damaraland mole-rats to lack of cochlear amplification, disrupted hair bundles, and hair bundle proteins bearing deafness- associated amino acid substitutions. Positive selection in some bundle proteins suggests altered hearing is adaptive to subterranean and eusocial lifestyles. Highlights d Hearing is comparatively poor in African naked and Damaraland mole-rats d These mole-rats lack cochlear amplification and have disrupted hair bundles d Hair bundle proteins bear deafness-associated amino acid substitutions d Positive selection in some bundle proteins suggests altered hearing is adaptive Pyott et al., 2020, Current Biology 30, 1–13 November 16, 2020 ª 2020 Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.035 ll Please cite this article in press as: Pyott et al., Functional, Morphological, and Evolutionary Characterization of Hearing in Subterranean, Eusocial Af- rican Mole-Rats, Current Biology (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.035 ll Article Functional, Morphological, and Evolutionary Characterization of Hearing in Subterranean, Eusocial African Mole-Rats Sonja J. Pyott,1,9,* Marcel van Tuinen,1 Laurel A. Screven,2 Katrina M. Schrode,2 Jun-Ping Bai,3 Catherine M. Barone,4 Steven D. Price,5 Anna Lysakowski,5 Maxwell Sanderford,6 Sudhir Kumar,6,7 Joseph Santos-Sacchi,8 Amanda M.
    [Show full text]
  • Ectoparasitic Community of the Mahali Mole-Rat, Cryptomys Hottentotus
    Fagir et al. Parasites Vectors (2021) 14:24 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04537-w Parasites & Vectors SHORT REPORT Open Access Ectoparasitic community of the Mahali mole-rat, Cryptomys hottentotus mahali: potential host for vectors of medical importance in South Africa Dina M. Fagir1* , Nigel C. Bennett1†, Eddie A. Ueckermann2, Alexandra Howard1 and Daniel W. Hart1† Abstract Background: The endemic rodent family of Bathyergidae in Africa, particularly South Africa, are understudied as reservoirs of diseases of signifcant medical importance. Considering the diversity and wide distribution of African mole-rats in South Africa, many of these bathyergids could act as carriers of zoonoses. Methods: The present study assessed the ectoparasite community of the Mahali mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus mahali). We aimed to identify possible parasitic arthropods that may infest this mole-rat species and explore host preference, contributions of seasonality, host sex and body mass as well as social class and colony size on ectoparasite assemblage prevalence and abundance. Results: A limited number of ectoparasite species were found on C. h. mahali belonging to two signifcant taxa: mites (Acari) and feas, with mites being the most prevalent and abundant. We recorded the presence of X. philoxera, a fea well known as the principal reservoir of plague in the southern African region on the Mahali mole-rats. Only three mite species were collected: Androlaelaps scapularis, Androlaelaps capensis and Laelaps liberiensis. Seasonal peaks in prevalence and abundance of X. philoxera and A. scapularis were observed during summer. Xenopsylla philoxera abundance and A. scapularis loads signifcantly increased on reproductive mole-rat individuals in comparison to non- reproductive individuals.
    [Show full text]
  • Micromammal Paleoecology
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by CU Scholar Institutional Repository University of Colorado, Boulder CU Scholar Anthropology Graduate Theses & Dissertations Anthropology Spring 1-1-2011 Micromammal Paleoecology: Theory, Methods, and Application to Modern and Fossil Assemblages in The rC adle of Humankind World Heritage Site, South Africa Jennifer Nicole Leichliter University of Colorado at Boulder, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholar.colorado.edu/anth_gradetds Part of the Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Leichliter, Jennifer Nicole, "Micromammal Paleoecology: Theory, Methods, and Application to Modern and Fossil Assemblages in The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, South Africa" (2011). Anthropology Graduate Theses & Dissertations. Paper 7. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Anthropology at CU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology Graduate Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CU Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Micromammal Paleoecology: Theory, Methods, and Application to Modern and Fossil Assemblages in The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, South Africa by Jennifer Leichliter B.A., Colorado College, 2008 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master’s of Anthropology Department of Anthropology 2011 This thesis entitled: Micromammal Paleoecology: Theory, Methods, and Application to Modern and Fossil Assemblages in The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, South Africa written by Jennifer Nicole Leichliter has been approved for the Department Anthropology ________________________________________________ Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Increased Longevity Due to Sexual Activity in Mole-Rats Is Associated
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Increased longevity due to sexual activity in mole-rats is associated with transcriptional changes in the HPA stress axis Arne Sahm1*, Matthias Platzer1, Philipp Koch2, Yoshiyuki Henning3, Martin Bens4, Marco Groth4, Hynek Burda5,6, Sabine Begall5, Saskia Ting7, Moritz Goetz7, Paul Van Daele8, Magdalena Staniszewska9, Jasmin Mona Klose9, Pedro Fragoso Costa9, Steve Hoffmann1†, Karol Szafranski2†, Philip Dammann5,10† 1Computational Biology Group, Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany; 2Core Facility Life Science Computing, Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany; 3Institute of Physiology, University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; 4Core Facility Sequencing, Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany; 5Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; 6Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; 7Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; 8Department of Zoology, University of South Bohemia, Cˇ eske´ Budeˇjovice, Czech Republic; 9Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; 10Central Animal Laboratory, University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany *For correspondence: [email protected] † Sexual activity and/or reproduction are associated with a doubling of life expectancy in These authors contributed Abstract equally to this work the long-lived rodent genus Fukomys. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, we analyzed 636 RNA-seq samples across 15 tissues. This analysis suggests that Competing interests: The changes in the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal stress axis play a key role authors declare that no regarding the extended life expectancy of reproductive vs.
    [Show full text]
  • Extended Longevity of Reproductives Appears to Be Common in Fukomys Mole-Rats (Rodentia, Bathyergidae)
    Extended Longevity of Reproductives Appears to be Common in Fukomys Mole-Rats (Rodentia, Bathyergidae) Philip Dammann1,3*, Radim Sˇ umbera2, Christina Maßmann1, Andre´ Scherag4, Hynek Burda1 1 Department of General Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany, 2 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Cˇ eske´ Budeˇjovice, Czech Republic, 3 Central Animal Laboratory, University of Duisburg-Essen Medical School, Essen, Germany, 4 Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemology, University of Duisburg-Essen Medical School, Essen, Germany Abstract African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) contain several social, cooperatively breeding species with low extrinsic mortality and unusually high longevity. All social bathyergids live in multigenerational families where reproduction is skewed towards a few breeding individuals. Most of their offspring remain as reproductively inactive ‘‘helpers’’ in their natal families, often for several years. This ‘‘reproductive subdivision’’ of mole-rat societies might be of interest for ageing research, as in at least one social bathyergid (Ansell’s mole-rats Fukomys anselli), breeders have been shown to age significantly slower than non- breeders. These animals thus provide excellent conditions for studying the epigenetics of senescence by comparing divergent longevities within the same genotypes without the inescapable short-comings of inter-species comparisons. It has been claimed that many if not all social mole-rat species may have evolved similar ageing patterns, too. However, this remains unclear on account of the scarcity of reliable datasets on the subject. We therefore analyzed a 20-year breeding record of Giant mole-rats Fukomys mechowii, another social bathyergid species. We found that breeders indeed lived significantly longer than helpers (ca.
    [Show full text]
  • RESEARCH ARTICLE Magnetic Compass Orientation in Two Strictly Subterranean Rodents: Learned Or Species-Specific Innate Directional Preference?
    3649 The Journal of Experimental Biology 215, 3649-3654 © 2012. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd doi:10.1242/jeb.069625 RESEARCH ARTICLE Magnetic compass orientation in two strictly subterranean rodents: learned or species-specific innate directional preference? Ludmila Oliveriusová1, Pavel Nemec2,*, Zuzana Králová2 and Frantisek Sedlácek1 1Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic and 2Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, CZ-128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic *Author for correspondence ([email protected]) SUMMARY Evidence for magnetoreception in mammals remains limited. Magnetic compass orientation or magnetic alignment has been conclusively demonstrated in only a handful of mammalian species. The functional properties and underlying mechanisms have been most thoroughly characterized in Ansellʼs mole-rat, Fukomys anselli, which is the species of choice due to its spontaneous drive to construct nests in the southeastern sector of a circular arena using the magnetic field azimuth as the primary orientation cue. Because of the remarkable consistency between experiments, it is generally believed that this directional preference is innate. To test the hypothesis that spontaneous southeastern directional preference is a shared, ancestral feature of all African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia), we employed the same arena assay to study magnetic orientation in two other mole-rat species, the social giant mole-rat, Fukomys mechowii, and the solitary silvery mole-rat, Heliophobius argenteocinereus. Both species exhibited spontaneous western directional preference and deflected their directional preference according to shifts in the direction of magnetic north, clearly indicating that they were deriving directional information from the magnetic field.
    [Show full text]
  • Fossil Rodents from Bone Cave at the Koanaka Hills Locality
    FOSSIL RODENTS FROM BONE CAVE AT THE KOANAKA HILLS LOCALITY, BOTSWANA _____________ A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences Sam Houston State University _____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science _____________ by Zachary W. Pierce May, 2020 FOSSIL RODENTS FROM BONE CAVE AT THE KOANAKA HILLS LOCALITY, BOTSWANA by Zachary W. Pierce ______________ APPROVED: Patrick J. Lewis, PhD Thesis Director Monte L. Thies, PhD Committee Member Jeffrey R. Wozniak, PhD Committee Member John B. Pascarella, PhD Dean, College of Science and Engineering Technology DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my mom and dad, Drs. Maria and Robert Pierce. None of this is possible without the hard work and perseverance exhibited throughout their lives, and I am eternally grateful for this sacrifice. This work is also dedicated to my wife Lillian Pierce who provided constant love and support during this process which gave me the perseverance and motivation to finish. iii ABSTRACT Pierce, Zachary W, Fossil rodents from Bone Cave at the Koanaka Hills locality, Botswana. Master of Science (Biology), May, 2020, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. In this study I analyze a Middle Pleistocene rodent fauna from Bone Cave locality, Koanaka Hills, northwestern Botswana and attempt to reconstruct the paleoenvironment of the surrounding area. Only a few Pliocene and Pleistocene fossil localities exist between eastern and southern Africa, and the fossil rodents collected from within the Koanaka Hills partially fills this significant geographic and temporal gap in the paleontological record of Africa. Rodent remains from owl accumulations are frequently found in the fossil record and used to reconstruct the paleoenvironment Similarly, prey remains from owl accumulations are used to reconstruct modern community composition.
    [Show full text]
  • Implications for Small Mammal Taphonomy
    Acta zoologica cracoviensia, 45(special issue): 341-355, Kraków, 29 Nov., 2002 Owls, multirejection and completeness of prey remains: implications for small mammal taphonomy Frédéric LAUDET, Christiane DENYS and Frank SENEGAS Received: 11 Sep., 2001 Accepted for publication: 21 Dec., 2001 LAUDET F., DENYS Ch., SENEGAS F. 2002. Owls, multirejection and completeness of prey remains: implications for small mammal taphonomy. In: Proceedings of the 4th Meeting of the ICAZ Bird Working Group Kraków, Poland, 11-15 September, 2001. Acta zoologica cracoviensia, 45(special issue): 341-355. Abstract. For more than twenty years, taphonomic studies have focused on bone and teeth modifications from owl prey remains due to digestion (fragmentation, dissolution by gas- tric juices) in order to recognize which predator(s) has (have) originated fossil bone as- semblages and which bias could have occurred in terms of paleoenvironmental and archaeological interpretations. Such studies have neglected the fact that meals, particu- larly when large prey individuals are eaten, are sometimes spread within several pellets. This study aims to estimate the occurrence and the taphonomic consequences of prey mul- tirejection within modern Barn Owl pellet samples recovered in the wild from France and South Africa, and establish their different diets. The taphonomic observation of the con- tents of each pellet has displayed patterns of completeness of prey skeleton proportionate to the size of prey per pellets. In the African owl pellets 60% of the largest rodents are rep- resented by the postcranial parts without the skull and/or some complete limbs, or are rep- resented by the skull only. The pattern for small prey species is less than 20%.
    [Show full text]
  • Bathyergid Gape Submitted
    This is a repository copy of The impact of gape on the performance of the skull in chisel- tooth digging and scratch digging mole-rats (Rodentia: Bathyergidae). White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104173/ Article: McIntosh, Andrew and Cox, Philip Graham orcid.org/0000-0001-9782-2358 (2016) The impact of gape on the performance of the skull in chisel-tooth digging and scratch digging mole-rats (Rodentia: Bathyergidae). Royal Society Open Science. 160568. ISSN 2054- 5703 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160568 Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Royal Society Open Science: For review only The impact of gape on the performance of the skull in chisel-tooth digging and scratch digging mole-rats (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) Journal: Royal Society Open Science Manuscript ID RSOS-160568.R1 Article Type: Researc Date Submitted by t e
    [Show full text]
  • Micromammais Barn Owls in the Free State.Pdf
    ISSN 0067-9208 NAVORSINGE VAN DIE NASIONALE MUSEUM BLOEMFONTEIN NATURAL SCIENCES VOLUME 19, PART 1 APRIL 2003 MICROMAMMALS AND BARN OWLS IN THE FREE STATE, SOUTH AFRICA: PREY DISTRmUTION AND PREDATOR BEHAVIOUR by D.M. AVERyl*, G. AVERyl & B.D. COLAHAN1 IJziko Museums ofCape Town, P. 0. Box 61, Cape Town, 8000 South Africa. *E-mail for correspondence: !!JILI!..f..!J!ff11{:;'!/U2.,Q!"..'S... !..(!. 2 Free State Dept of Tourism, Environment & Economic Affairs, PO Box 264, Bloemfontein, 9300 South Africa ABSTRACT Avery, D.M., Avery, G. & CoIahan, B.D. 2003. MicromammaIs and bam owls in the Free State, South Africa: prey distribution and predator behaviour. Navors. nas. Mus., Bloemfontein 19(1): 1-18. Barn owl pellets were collected from Koppies Darn, Soetdoring and Tussen die Riviere Nature Reserves between 1992 and 2000. The micromammalian component included 25 species (16 rodents, six insectivores, two bats, one elephant shrew), of which the most prominent were the multimammate mouse Mastomys coucha in Koppies Dam and Soetdoring, and the highveld gerbil Tatero brantsii at Tussen die Riviere. More support is provided for the inclusion of Saunders's vlei rat Otomys saundersiae in the Free State species list and range extensions are recorded for the tiny musk shrew Crocidura foscomurina and the forest shrew Myosorex varius. Regular collections from Soetdoring Silo during 1992-5 show a change in dominance from the Cape serotine bat Neuromicia capensis during the early part of the series to Mastomys coucha thereafter. Variation in representation of age classes in the latter species agrees with previous evidence for year-round breeding but with a peak immediately following the main summer rainfall season .
    [Show full text]
  • Zeitschrift Für Säugetierkunde
    © Biodiversity Heritage Library, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ Z. Säugetierkunde 54 (1989) 360-376 © 1989 Verlag Paul Parey, Hamburg und Berlin ISSN 0044-3468 Reproductive biology (behaviour, breeding, and postnatal development) in subterranean mole-rats, Cryptomys hottentotus (Bathyergidae)^ By H. Burda Institute of Zoology, J. W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, FRG Receipt of Ms. 7. 4. 1988 Abstract Described for the first time breeding and reproductive biology of Cryptomys hottentotus in captivity. Social behaviour (greeting, hierarchy) involves features of mating behaviour. Mating and breeding in established groups were not recorded. In order to stimulate copulation and estrus, the animals were kept in pairs and re-paired daily. Gestation lasted 98 days (SD = 9, ränge 84-112). Next estrus after parturition was in 78 days (SD = 9). Litter size was 2 (SD = 0.7, ränge 1-3); male/female ratio of neonates was 1:1. Neonates weighed 7.9 g (SD = 0.5) each. They are altricial (hairless, with closed eyes), with prominent incisors, vibrissae, and partly developed physical coordination (limited active mobihty, hfting head, self-scratching). Growth rate was slow: 0.36 g/day from birth to weaning and still slower afterwards. After birth of the next sibling litter, the growth rate of the juveniles of the previous litter: 1 . decreased and the animals were undersized still at the age of one year if left with the family, or 2. increased and the animals were grown-up at the age of 210 days if separated from their parents. Many developmental events correlated with the attained body mass (and the age after conception?) but not with the age after birth: hair cover with mass of 10 g (SD = 1) at the postnatal age of 8-10 days; eye opening: 12.9 g (SD = 0.7), 24 (ränge 13-50) days; weaning: 34 g (SD = 0.3), 82 (72-105) days.
    [Show full text]