DOCSLIB.ORG

Patterns of Brain Vasopressin Receptor Distribution Associated with Social Organization in Microtine Rodents

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Patterns of Brain Vasopressin Receptor Distribution Associated with Social Organization in Microtine Rodents The Journal of Neuroscience, September 1994, 14(9): 5381-5392 Patterns of Brain Vasopressin Receptor Distribution Associated with Social Organization in Microtine Rodents Thomas R. Insel,’ Zuo-Xin Wang,2 and Craig F. Ferris3 ‘Lab of Neurophystilogy, NIMH, Poolesville, Maryland 20837, *Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, and 3Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts, Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655 Central vasopressin pathways have been implicated in the modulates the isolation call (Winslow and Insel, 1993), and in mediation of paternal behavior, selective aggression, and the squirrel monkey alters the behavioral responseto social affiliation in monogamous prairie voles. Here we demon- separation (Winslow and Insel, 1991a). Remarkably, many of strate markedly different patterns of brain vasopressin re- the AVP effects on social behavior have been reported exclu- ceptor binding in the monogamous prairie vole and the con- shely in males and appear androgen dependent (BluthC et al., generic nonmonogamous (promiscuous) montane vole. 1990; Winslow and Insel, 199lb; Ferris, 1992). Perhaps the Vasopressin binding was assessed with both 3H-vasopres- most ambitious claims for AVP as a peptide facilitating male sin and Y-sarc-AVP using receptor autoradiography. The social behavior come from recent studies with a monogamous specificity of binding was consistent with a V,, receptor, the rodent, Micro&s ochrogaster, the prairie vole. In the male of saturation kinetics were similar in the two species, and nei- this species,AVP hasbeen implicated in mate guarding, paternal ther species showed evidence of sexual dimorphisms. In the behavior, and the development of a preference for one specific prairie vole, highest specific binding was observed in the mate-all critical to the processof pair bonding that character- accessory olfactory bulb, diagonal band, laterodorsal thal- izes monogamous social organization (Winslow et al., 1993; amus, and superior colliculus. In the montane vole, specific Wang et al., in press). binding was observed in the accessory olfactory bulb and If AVP were essentialfor the mediation of pair bonding, one superior colliculus as well, but in several other regions with might predict that neural circuits for this peptide would differ high levels of binding in the prairie vole, binding was low or in monogamousand polygynous species,as pair bonding is ob- undetectable in the montane vole. In this nonmonogamous served in the former and not the latter. Voles of the genus species, specific binding was high in lateral septum. Func- Microtus display diverse patterns of socialorganization and may tional studies demonstrated the induction of phosphoinositol provide some useful comparisonsin which to test this predic- by AVP in the septum of the montane vole but not in the tion. For instance, prairie voles and montane voles (M. mon- prairie vole. The pattern of Y-sarc-AVP binding to lateral tanus), two speciesthat are similar in appearanceand many septum may reflect the social organization of these two spe- aspectsof nonsocial behavior, display marked differences in cies, as similar differences in AVP receptor distribution in social affiliation (Shapiro and Dewsbury, 1990). In their natural the lateral septum were also observed in two related spe- habitat, prairie voles frequently form long-term monogamous cies, pine voles and meadow voles, which are monogamous relationships and show high levels of parental care (Dewsbury, and nonmonogamous, respectively. These results, along with 1981; Getz et al., 1981; Getz and Hofman, 1986). Even in the earlier studies of AVP’s effects on pair bonding, suggest the laboratory, adult prairie voles usually sit side by side with a importance of this neuropeptide for the mediation of behav- mate, attack strange adults, and display intense maternal and iors related to social organization. paternal care (Oliveras and Novak, 1986; Carter et al., 1990; [Key words: vasopressin, AVP, vole, septum, thalamus, Shapiro and Dewsbury, 1990). In contrast, montane vole adults phosphoinositol, monogamy] live in isolated burrows and show no evidence of monogamy (Jannett, 1980). In the laboratory, montane voles appear min- Central administration of the neuropeptide arginine-vasopres- imally parental and generally spend little time in contact with sin (AVP) has been associatedwith a variety of effects from conspecifics(McGuire and Novak, 1986; Shapiro and Dews- enhanced learning to antipyresis (reviewed in de Wied et al., bury, 1990). Speciesdifferences in social behavior are evident 1993). One cluster of central effects of AVP that has received very early in life, as prairie vole young show marked increases recent attention might be best described as the facilitation of in ultrasonic calls and glucocorticoid secretion in responseto species-specificsocial behaviors. AVP in the golden hamster social isolation, whereasmontane vole pups show little, if any, induces flank marking (Ferris et al., 1984) in the adult rat fa- behavioral or physiologic responseto separation from the nest cilitates social memory (Dantzer et al., 1987), in the infant rat (Shapiro and Insel, 1990). It appearsthat an inherent difference in the propensity for social contact or affiliation underlies the -differencesin social organization. Received Dec. 10, 1993; revised Feb. 25, 1994; accepted March 9, 1994. We have previously described speciesdifferences in the dis- Correspondence should be addressed to Thomas R. Insel, M.D., National In- stitute of Mental Health, P.O. Box 608, Poolesville, MD 20837. tribution of oxytocin receptors in prairie and montane voles Copyright 0 1994 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/94/145381-12so5.00/0 (Insel and Shapiro, 1992). These differences were of interest 5382 lnsel et al. * Vasopressin Receptors and Social Organization because (1) related species selected for similar contrasts of social Based on previous experience comparing optical density quantification organization showed analogous differences in binding, (2) no to binding values obtained in homogenate assays with other iodinated species differences were detected for opiate or benzodiazepine ligands, we recommend that the absolute values obtained as dpm/tissue equivalent be treated as relative numbers for comparison within an receptors, and (3) in the montane vole female, the pattern of experiment. binding changed postpartum to resemble the pattern in the prai- Saturation and competition studies. In previous studies with rat and rie vole, with the emergence of maternal behavior. In addition, hamster, 1251-sarc-AVP appeared to bind specifically to a vasopressin oxytocin was found to facilitate selective affiliation in the female rather than an oxytocin receptor, as AVP was roughly 1000 times more potent than oxytocin for displacing 1251-sarc-AVPbihding in brain sec- prairie vole (Williams et al., in press). The present study in- tions (Phillips et al., 1988: Ferris et al.. 1993). To comnare the suecificitv vestigated the distribution of vasopressin receptors in both prai- of 12SI-sarc-kVP binding’in prairie and montane voles, 20 adjacent 16 rie and montane voles. To examine the coupling of prairie and pm sections through the laterodorsal thalamus (prairie vole) and the montane vole receptors to a second-messenger system, regional lateral septum (montane vole) were exposed to 1251-sarc-AVP using the binding protocol described above. In each region, the first and last induction of phosphoinositol by vasopressin was measured in sections were compared to ensure consistent binding along the 200 pm both species. Finally, to examine if species differences in recep- in the rostralxaudal plane. Specificity of 1251-sarc-AVP binding (70 PM) tor distribution were related to patterns of social organization, was determined in competition studies using nine concentrations of the the comparison of receptor binding was extended to two other selective V,, ligand d(CH,),[Tyr(Me)]AVP ranging from lo-l2 to 1O-6 congeneric species, pine and meadow voles, which are believed or five concentrations of Thl-LGly70T (oxytocin) and [d(CH,)S,D- Phe2,11e4,Ala9-NH,]-AVP (V,) ranging from 1O-9 to 10m6. Each of these to be monogamous and nonmonogamous, respectively. studies compared adjacent sections from a single animal with three to four animals used for each displacer. Displacer peptides were obtained Materials and Methods from Peninsula (Burlingame, CA). Animals. Both male and female prairie and montane voles from the A similar strategy was used to investigate the saturation kinetics of NIH breeding colonies in Poolesville, MD, were studied. Male pine and i251-sarc-AVP binding in 20 adjacent 10 pm sections through the later- meadow voles were obtained from the breeding colonies of the Uni- odorsal thalamus (prairie vole) and the lateral septum (montane vole). versity of Massachusetts Department of Zoology. All animals were For each species, sections from three or four animals were exposed to weaned at 21 d of age and housed with same-sex littermates until 60- 1 of 10 concentrations of ‘2sI-sarc-AVP, ranging from 2 to 1000 PM. 90 d of age, when they were used for autoradiographic experiments. All Both species were represented in every study. At each concentration, animals were sexually inexperienced. Housing was on a 12: 12 lightdark blanks were generated by adding 1 PM d(CH,),[Tyr(Me)]AVP. To fa- schedule with food and water available ad libitum. cilitate image analysis, slides exposed to the highest
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Young, L.J., & Hammock E.A.D. (2007)
    Update TRENDS in Genetics Vol.23 No.5 Research Focus On switches and knobs, microsatellites and monogamy Larry J. Young1 and Elizabeth A.D. Hammock2 1 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, 954 Gatewood Road, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA 2 Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and Department of Pharmacology, 465 21st Avenue South, MRBIII, Room 8114, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA Comparative studies in voles have suggested that a formation. In male prairie voles, infusion of vasopressin polymorphic microsatellite upstream of the Avpr1a locus facilitates the formation of partner preferences in the contributes to the evolution of monogamy. A recent study absence of mating [7]. The distribution of V1aR in the challenged this hypothesis by reporting that there is no brain differs markedly between the socially monogamous relationship between microsatellite structure and mon- and socially nonmonogamous vole species [8]. Site-specific ogamy in 21 vole species. Although the study demon- pharmacological manipulations and viral-vector-mediated strates that the microsatellite is not a universal genetic gene-transfer experiments in prairie, montane and mea- switch that determines mating strategy, the findings do dow voles suggest that the species differences in Avpr1a not preclude a substantial role for Avpr1a in regulating expression in the brain underlie the species differences in social behaviors associated with monogamy. social bonding among these three closely related species of vole [3,6,9,10]. Single genes and social behavior Microsatellites and monogamy The idea that a single gene can markedly influence Analysis of the Avpr1a loci in the four vole species complex social behaviors has recently received consider- mentioned so far (prairie, montane, meadow and pine voles) able attention [1,2].
    [Show full text]
  • Habitat, Home Range, Diet and Demography of the Water Vole (Arvicola Amphibious): Patch-Use in a Complex Wetland Landscape
    _________________________________________________________________________Swansea University E-Theses Habitat, home range, diet and demography of the water vole (Arvicola amphibious): Patch-use in a complex wetland landscape. Neyland, Penelope Jane How to cite: _________________________________________________________________________ Neyland, Penelope Jane (2011) Habitat, home range, diet and demography of the water vole (Arvicola amphibious): Patch-use in a complex wetland landscape.. thesis, Swansea University. http://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa42744 Use policy: _________________________________________________________________________ This item is brought to you by Swansea University. Any person downloading material is agreeing to abide by the terms of the repository licence: copies of full text items may be used or reproduced in any format or medium, without prior permission for personal research or study, educational or non-commercial purposes only. The copyright for any work remains with the original author unless otherwise specified. The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder. Permission for multiple reproductions should be obtained from the original author. Authors are personally responsible for adhering to copyright and publisher restrictions when uploading content to the repository. Please link to the metadata record in the Swansea University repository, Cronfa (link given in the citation reference above.) http://www.swansea.ac.uk/library/researchsupport/ris-support/ Habitat, home range, diet and demography of the water vole(Arvicola amphibius): Patch-use in a complex wetland landscape A Thesis presented by Penelope Jane Neyland for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Conservation Ecology Research Team (CERTS) Department of Biosciences College of Science Swansea University ProQuest Number: 10807513 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
    [Show full text]
  • Oxytocin Receptor Distribution Reflects Social Organization in Monogamous and Polygamous Voles (Microtine/Affiliation/Parental Behavior/Amygdala/Septum) THOMAS R
    Proc. Nati. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 89, pp. 5981-5985, July 1992 Neurobiology Oxytocin receptor distribution reflects social organization in monogamous and polygamous voles (microtine/affiliation/parental behavior/amygdala/septum) THOMAS R. INSEL AND LAWRENCE E. SHAPIRO Laboratory of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health, P.O. Box 289, Poolesville, MD 20837 Communicated by Peter Marler, March 20, 1992 ABSTRACT The neuropeptide oxytocin has been impli- form long-term monogamous relationships and show high cated in the mediation of several forms of affiliative behavior levels of parental care (5-7). Even in the laboratory, adult including parental care, grooming, and sex behavior. Here we prairie voles usually sit side-by-side with a mate and attack demonstrate that species from the genusMicrotus (voles) selected unfamiliar adults; both sexes display parental care (8-10). In for differences in social affiliation show contrasting patterns of contrast, montane vole adults live in isolated burrows and oxytocin receptor expression in brain. By in vitro receptor show no evidence of monogamy (11). In the laboratory, autoradiography with an iodinated oxytocin analogue, specific montane voles appear minimally parental and generally binding to brain oxytocin receptors was observed in both the spend little time in contact with conspecifics (10, 12). Species monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and the polyg- differences in social behavior are evident very early in life, as amous montane vole (Microtus montanus). In the prairie vole, prairie vole young show marked increases in ultrasonic calls oxytocin receptor density was highest in the prelimbic cortex, and glucocorticoid secretion in response to social isolation, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, nucleus accumbens, midline whereas montane vole pups show little if any behavioral or nuclei of the thalamus, and the lateral aspects of the amygdala.
    [Show full text]
  • Seasonal Variation in the Dietary Preferences of the Montane Vole
    Pinter et al.: Seasonal Variation in the Dietary Preferences of the Montane Vole SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE DIETARY PREFERENCES OF THE MONTANE VOLE, MICROTUS MONTANUS . • AELITA J. PINTER + DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS + NEW ORLEANS NORMAN C. NEGUS+ PATRICIA]. BERGER BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT + UNIVERSITY OF UTAH SALT LAKE CITY ,. + OBJECTIVES this project are twofold: (i) to identify the plant species that constitute the diet in natural populations From 1987 through 1989 we undertook a of M. montanus and (2) to determine seasonal food study in Grand Teton National Park and on the upper preferences in relation to the availability of plant Green River, Sublette County, Wyoming, to measure species and to the age, sex and cohorts of the growth rates of cohorts of montane voles, (Microtus montane vole. montanus) born in May, June, July, and August. We documented dramatic differences in growth rate among cohorts, in a given year and between years + METHODS (Negus, Berger and Pinter, 1992). We hypothesized that these are flexible responses to several The work was carried out at two field sites, environmental cues. Is this, however, a phenotypic approximately 160 km apart, in northwestern response to an array of environmental cues, or is it Wyoming. One study area is within Grand Teton actually a reflection of differential utilization of plant National Park (GTNP site). The other is located species that may exhibit different nutritional levels? along the upper Green River (GR site}, near the This question cannot be answered at the present since boundary of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, virtually nothing is known about dietary preferences Sublette County, Wyoming.
    [Show full text]
  • Sky Mountain Park Management Plan
    SKY MOUNTAIN PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN May 2012 table of contents Introduction 4 Planning Process 5 Planning Area 6 History 7 Existing Conditions 9 Vision 16 Management Actions 20 Appendices as Separate Documents 2 Sky Mountain Park Management Plan acknowlegements The partnerships to create a 2,500 acre mountain park have been tremendous. It has been a multi-jursidictional and community effort to preserve this place for future generations of people and wildlife. This plan is the cumulation of all this effort and thanks goes to everyone who provided input into the plans creation. Partners Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Town of Snowmass Village City of Aspen Great Outdoors Colorado Aspen Valley Land Trust Planning Team Assistance By Dale Will, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Colorado Parks and Wildlife Gary Tennenbaum, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Roaring Fork Conservancy Hunt Walker, Town of Snowmass Village Roaring Fork Horse Council Jeff Woods, City of Aspen Parks and Recreation Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association Stephen Ellsperman, City of Aspen Parks and Recreation Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers Austin Weiss, City of Aspen Parks and Recreation Town of Snowmass Village Trails Committee Brian Flynn, City of Aspen Parks and Recreation Sky Mountain Park Management Plan 3 introduction The prominent pristine ridgeline between the Owl Creek and Brush Creek valleys, and from Shale Bluffs to North Mesa, includes critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors, and spectacular “Sky” vistas for those who would seek them. Earlier this year, this 2500 acre haven was christened Sky Mountain Park. While future generations may celebrate our Mountain Park, it must be remembered what lengthy efforts were required to secure this treasure.
    [Show full text]
  • Ultrasonic Vocalization in Prairie Voles (Microtus Ochrogaster): Evidence for Begging Behavior in Infant Mammals?
    ULTRASONIC VOCALIZATION IN PRAIRIE VOLES (MICROTUS OCHROGASTER): EVIDENCE FOR BEGGING BEHAVIOR IN INFANT MAMMALS? Brian N. Lea A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Department of Psychology University of North Carolina Wilmington 2006 Approved by Advisory Committee Dr. Katherine E. Bruce Dr. Carol A. Pilgrim Dr. D. Kim Sawrey . Chair Accepted by Dean, Graduate School TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. vi LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1 Ultrasonic Vocalizations......................................................................................................1 Begging................................................................................................................................6 Prairie Voles........................................................................................................................8
    [Show full text]
  • Information to Users
    Molecular phylogenetics of arvicoline rodents Item Type Thesis Authors Conroy, Christopher John Download date 24/09/2021 20:10:57 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/9519 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type o f computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back o f the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.
    [Show full text]
  • Grand Teton Moose, Wyoming 83012 John D
    National Park P.O. Drawer 170 Grand Teton Moose, Wyoming 83012 John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway 307 739-3300 Mammal-Finding Guide "Why do we so delight in the wild creatures of the forest, some of us so passionately that it colors our whole life?" —Wlldlife biologist Olaus Murie in Wapiti Wilderness. General Information Habitat Types The diversity of wildlife communities in Alpine Forests Grand Teton National Park and the John Wind and snow limit life above treeline From treeline to valley floor, forests provide D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway (about 10,000 feet). Some plants and cover and food for many mammal species. complements the spectacular scenery. animals have adapted to the harsh Lodgepole pines dominate, but forests also Part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosys- conditions. Plants are mat-like, animals are contain firs, aspens and spruces. Look for tem, the two National Park Service areas few. Look for yellow-bellied marmots, pikas elk, mule deer, martens, red squirrels, black offer wildlife a variety of habitats. Each and bighorn sheep. bears and snowshoe hares. habitat must supply the basic needs of wildlife: food, water, cover and living Sagebrush Rivers, Lakes and Ponds space. Familiarity with the habitats and The most widespread habitat type in the Aquatic habitats and adjacent forests, habits of park and parkway wildlife results park, sagebrush flats occur on dry, porous marshes and meadows fulfill the needs of in increased viewing opportunities. soils. More than 100 species of grasses many forms of wildlife. Diverse and abun- and wildflowers grow along with abundant dant vegetation offers excellent food and sagebrush.
    [Show full text]
  • Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
    Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Control Operator Training Manual Revised March 31, 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 1 Page # Introduction 5 Wildlife “Damage” and Wildlife “Nuisance” 5 Part 2 History 8 Definitions 9 Rules and Regulations 11 Part 3 Business Practices 13 Part 4 Methods of Control 15 Relocation of Wildlife 16 Handling of Sick or Injured Wildlife 17 Wildlife That Has Injured a Person 17 Euthanasia 18 Transportation 19 Disposal of Wildlife 20 Migratory Birds 20 Diseases (transmission, symptoms, human health) 20 Part 5 Liabilities 26 Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements 26 Live Animals and Sale of Animals 26 Complaints 27 Cancellation or Non-Renewal of Permit 27 Part 6 Best Management Practices 29 Traps 30 Bodygrip Traps 30 Foothold Traps 30 Box Traps 31 Snares 31 Specialty Traps 32 Trap Sets 33 Bait and Lures 33 Equipment 33 Trap Maintenance and Safety 34 Releasing Nontarget Wildlife 34 2 Resources 36 Part 7 Species: Bats 38 Beaver 47 Coyote 49 Eastern Cottontail 52 Eastern Gray Squirrel 54 Eastern Fox Squirrel 56 Western (Silver) Gray Squirrel 58 Gray Fox 60 Red Fox 62 Mountain Beaver 64 Muskrat 66 Nutria 68 Opossum 70 Porcupine 72 Raccoon 74 Striped Skunk 77 Oregon Species List 79 Part 8 Acknowledgements 83 References and Resources 83 3 Part 1 Introduction Wildlife “Damage” and Wildlife “ Nuisance” 4 Introduction As Oregon becomes more urbanized, wildlife control operators are playing an increasingly important role in wildlife management. The continued development and urbanization of forest and farmlands is increasing the chance for conflicts between humans and wildlife.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Dynamics of the Montane Vole, Microtus Montanus, and Their
    Jannett, Jr.: Social Dynamics of the Montane Vole, Microtus Montanus, and their 20 SOCIAL DYNAMICS OF THE MONTANE VOLE, MICROTUS MONTANUS, AND THEIR POPULATION CONSEQUENCES Frederick J. Jannett, Jr. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology New York State Wildlife Research Unit Cornell University Project Number 183 The social structure of a mammalian species is a basic feature of its life history. Although a knowledge of the social system is prerequisite to understanding various reproductive and endocrinologic phenomena seen by other workers studying Microtus, Mus, and Peromyscus in the laboratory, behavior and sociality of Microtus in the field have been overlooked because they are difficult to study and because emphasis in microtine 11 11 research has been placed on the microtine population cycle • There are two general areas of interest in my work: the description of the social system and how it changes with changing density; and the docu­ mentation of the initiation and cessation of breeding seasonally and of the reproductive parameters which I believe are related to the ~ social environment. The work includes the following specific endeavors: 1. Observations and experimtnets to describe the social relation- ships within the population. 2. Expe r i menta 1 work on behavior in a large enclosure and in open fields. 3. Population estimates made from capture-recapture programs in grided areas. An index of density changes in other fields which have been trapped can be figured from a trap-night yield. 4. Trap-out of grids in mid-season and during the fal ~· An aging scheme has been worked out in the lab utilizing eye lens weights of known-age animals.
    [Show full text]
  • ( Microtus Richardsoni) and the Montane Vole
    DATARELEASE Genomic Resources for the North American Water Vole (Microtus richardsoni) and the Montane Vole (Microtus montanus) Drew J. Duckett1,*, Jack Sullivan2, Stacy Pirro3 and Bryan C. Carstens1 1 Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 1315 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, OH 43212, USA 2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Box 443051, Moscow, ID 83844-3051, USA 3 Iridian Genomes, Inc., 6213 Swords Way, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA ABSTRACT Voles of the genus Microtus are important research organisms, yet genomic resources are lacking. Such resources would benefit future studies of immunology, phylogeography, cryptic diversity, and more. We sequenced and assembled nuclear genomes from two subspecies of water vole (Microtus richardsoni) and from the montane vole (Microtus montanus). The water vole genomes were sequenced with Illumina and 10× Chromium plus Illumina sequencing, resulting in assemblies with ∼1600,000 and ∼30,000 scaffolds, respectively. The montane vole was also assembled into ∼13,000 scaffolds using Illumina sequencing. Mitochondrial genome assemblies were also performed for both species. Structural and functional annotation for the best water vole nuclear genome resulted in ∼24,500 annotated genes, with 83% of these having functional annotations. Assembly quality statistics for our nuclear assemblies fall within the range of genomes previously published in the genus Microtus, making the water vole and montane vole genomes useful additions to currently available genomic resources. Subjects Genetics and Genomics, Animal Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Functional Genomics DATA DESCRIPTION Submitted: 22 January 2021 Accepted: 04 May 2021 Background Published: 06 May 2021 The genus Microtus comprises 62 species of voles, distributed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia [1].
    [Show full text]
  • Checklist of North American Mammals North of Mexico
    OCCASIONAL PAPERS THE MUSEUM TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY NUMBER 12 2 FEBRUARY 1973 CHECKLIST OF NORTH AMERICAN MAMMALS NORTH OF MEXICO J. KNOX JONES, JR., DILFORD C. CARTER, AND HUGH H. GENOWAYS Since the publication of "Vernacular names of North American mammals north of Mexico" by Hall et al. (1957) and its subsequent revision (Hall, 1965), systematic and other studies have contributed materially to a better understanding of the nomenclature of North American mammals. For this reason, and because of the usefulness, principally to students, of checklists that record both scientific and vernacular names, an up-dated listing of New World mammalian species north of Mexico is timely. As in the previous lists, a specific vernacular name applies to all populations of that species. The present checklist includes all species of North American mam­ mals recognized as of the close of 1972 and is based on the relevant published literature. Insofar as practicable, we have avoided personal taxonomic judgements. By way of example, some recent studies re­ flected in the list include those of Mitchell (1968), who reduced the Odobenidae to subfamilial status under Otariidae, van Zyll de Jong (1972), who separated New World otters from those of the Old World under the generic name Lontra, and Lee et al. (1972), who elevated to specific status Peromyscus attwateri and P comanche. On-going sys­ tematic studies will result in fiiture additions and deletions to the list; this is particularly true for the Cetacea, where our provisional arrange­ ment follows closely that proposed by Rice and Scheffer (1968). Various species of non-native mammals have been introduced into North America over the years—both accidentally, as in the case of Old World murid rodents, or for some purpose, as in the case of un­ gulates imported as big game.
    [Show full text]