bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationships Among the Birds-of-Paradise (Paradisaeidae) and Bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae) - Protein Evidence
Authors: Christidis L , Schodde R
Published: June 2005

Allozyme differentiation was assessed among nine species of paradisaeine birds-of-paradise and nine species of bowerbirds. In all, 26 enzyme systems representing 38 presumptive loci were screened. Both distance and qualitative cladistic analyses were performed. Genetic distances between the birds-of-paradise and the bowerbirds suggest that the two are closely related. Within the birds-of-paradise, genetic differentiation was low but three lineages were recognisable: (1) the manucodes (Manucodia), (2) the riflebirds (Ptiloris) and (3) the remaining paradisaeine genera screened. The data are in accordance with current views on the biogeography of the Australo-Papuan rainforest avifauna. Genetic distances were higher in the bowerbirds than in the birds-of-paradise. The polygynous avenue-builders (Ptilonorhynchus, Sericulus and Chlamydera) could be separated from the monogamous catbirds (Ailuroedus). The position of the polygynous maypole-builder Amblyornis could not be resolved conclusively; it either represents a third lineage or is linked with the catbirds.
Phylogeny Inferred From Allozymes in the Heterodoxus-Octoseriatus Group of Species (Phthiraptera, Boopiidae)
Authors: Barker SC , Briscoe DA , Close RL
Published: June 2005

Phenetic and phylogenetic relationships in the Heterodoxus octoseriatus group of species were explored with data from 21 putative allozyme loci. The phenetic analyses and some of the cladistic analyses (maximum parsimony) were consistent with a phenetic analysis of morphological characters in that they indicated two main lines of evolution in the H. octoseriatus group. These culminated in two groups of species: (i) H. harrisoni, H. hughendensis, H. closei, H. maynesi, H. octoseriatus, H. lesouefi, H. briscoei and H. insulatus, and (ii) H. murrayi, H. insularis and H. orarius. The allozyme and morphological analyses, however, differed in the arrangement of species within the two main groups. Other cladistic analyses revealed the first group of lice, but not the second group. A hypothesis proposed for the evolution of the H. octoseriatus group involves widespread host-switching followed by the expansion of the geographic ranges of some lice at the expense of others. The evolution of host-parasite associations among rock-wallabies and lice from the H. octoseriatus group demonstrates how tangled the history of host-parasite associations may become.
Relations Among Ringtail Possums (Marsupialia, Pseudocheiridae) Based on Dna-Dna Hybridization
Authors: Springer MS , Mckay GM , Aplin KP , Kirsch JAW
Published: June 2005

Comparison among eight pseudocheirid species and two outgroup petaurids were made by means of the hydroxyapatite chromatography method of DNA hybridisation. Matrices of DELTAT(m) and DELTAT(m)H-C values were analysed with the FITCH algorithm in Felsenstein's PHYLIP (Version 3.3). Jackknifing and bootstrapping were applied to determine the stability of resulting topologies. All the phylogenetic analyses produced trees that support (1) the monophyly of the Pseudocheirus herbertensis complex, (2) the monophyly of Pseudocheirus, (3) a close relationship between Hemibelideus and Petauroides, and (4) a close relationship between Pseudochirops archeri and Pseudochirops cupreus. Rates of single-copy DNA evolution are slightly faster in Pseudocheirus, Hemibelideus, and Petauroides than in Pseudochirops. Hybridisation evidence also provides a framework for understanding the timing of the pseudocheirid radiation and suggests that the divergence between extant genera dates back to about 36 million years ago.
Morphological Variation Between Populations of the Brush-Tailed Tree Rat (Conilurus-Penicillatus) in Northern Australia and New-Guinea
Authors: Kemper CM , Schmitt LH
Published: June 2005

Variation in external and cranial morphology was studied in Conilurus penicillatus from six geographical regions. Sexual dimorphism (males being larger than females) in body weight and pes length was noted. Animals from Bathurst and Melville Is were distinct from other regions in that they had shorter ears, pes and head and body lengths, and dark ventral pelage. The two specimens from New Guinea had large bodies and pes, and short ears when compared with Australian animals, but incomplete data and small sample sizes precluded inclusion in the discriminant function analyses of external features. All animals from the Cobourg Peninsula, eastern Northern Territory and islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria were black-tailed. Up to 42% of animals from other populations had white tail tips. Analysis of cranial variables showed that there was a considerable degree of distinctiveness between populations. Skulls from New Guinea, and Bathurst and Melville Is, were particularly distinct from other populations. Upper and lower molar row and M1 were long in specimens from New Guinea and short in specimens from Bathurst and Melville Is. However, nasal length, braincase width and bulla length were long in specimens from Bathurst and Melville Is. Possible barriers to population interchange include bodies of water (e.g. separating Bathurst and Melville is from the mainland, and New Guinea from Australia) and unsuitable habitat in the east Kimberley and East Alligator-Arnhem Plateau regions. It is suggested that C. penicillatus had a wider distribution during periods of more mesic climate in northern Australia than at present and that its present distribution is a result of northward contraction since the postglacial thermal maximum. Taxonomic conclusions of the study are the retention of subspecific status for C. p. randi (New Guinea), C. p. melibius (Bathurst and Melville Is) and C. p. penicillatus (all other populations) but not C. p. hemileucurus (locality of type given as 'North Australia').
A Phylogeny for Australian Chelid Turtles Based on Allozyme Electrophoresis
Authors: Georges A , Adams M
Published: June 2005

Allozyme electrophoresis was used to explore relationships among the Australian Chelidae in order to test the currently accepted phylogeny and to determine the affinities of several distinctive but undescribed species. The data set was comprehensive, being based on 54 loci for turtles from 76 populations of 22 species (excluding Pseudemydura umbrina and Chelodina novaeguineae). Analysis by both phenetic and phylogenetic methods revealed that the genus Elseya, as currently recognised, is paraphyletic. The closest common ancestor to species of Elseya has Emydura (and possibly Rheodytes) among its living descendants. Five clades among the short-necked taxa were considered distinctive enough to warrant recognition at the generic level, namely (1) Emydura, (2) Elseya (to include only El. novaeguineae, El. dentata and three related but undescribed taxa), (3) Rheodytes, (4) the El. latisternum group (to include El. latisternum and three related but undescribed taxa), and (5) 'short-necked alpha', an undescribed species with no clear affinities. Levels of divergence among these generic groups were similar to levels of divergence among genera of cryptodiran turtles. A phylogeny for the Australian Chelidae, incorporating the results of the allozyme analyses, is presented. Further work is required to firmly establish the affinities of Rheodytes and 'short-necked alpha' in a phylogeny for the Australian chelid turtles.
Influence of Environmental-Conditions on Flight Duration of Epiphyas-Postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae)
Authors: Danthanarayana W , Gu H
Published: June 2005

Flight responses of the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), to changes in air temperature, atmospheric humidity, feeding and mating activities were studied under controlled conditions. Flights occurred within the air temperature range from 10 to 30-degrees-C, with the longest flight duration at 20-degrees-C for both sexes. A change of atmospheric humidity significantly influenced flight duration of females, but not of males, at 20-degrees-C. The longest flight duration of the female moths occurred at a relative humidity of 60%. Provision of honey solution or water improved flight duration of the moths aged three days or older. Mating increased flight duration of females from the age of three days onwards, presumably as a result of reduced body weight associated with oviposition.
Evidence for Individual Female Host Specificity in 2 Australian Bronze-Cuckoos (Chrysococcyx Spp)
Authors: Brooker M , Brooker L
Published: June 2005

Australian evidence suggests that the host segregation of cuckoos has evolved as a result of interspecific competition between cuckoo species. However, this does not explain how female cuckoos manage to deposit their eggs in nests of the correct host. Data are presented on the laying patterns of the cuckoos Chrysococcyx basalis and C. lucidus from an 8-year study of these species in Western Australia and three scenarios for the mechanisms of host selection are discussed.
Aerography of Australian Tetrapods
Authors: Anderson S , Marcus LF
Published: June 2005

The sizes of geographic ranges of species of Australian tetrapod groups form 'hollow curve' frequency distributions, with most species having small ranges. Geometric means for range size (in 10(5) km2 units) are 1.2 for frogs and toads, 1.7 for turtles, 2.2 for lizards, 3.2 for snakes, 6.6 for birds, 2.6 for marsupials, 5.1 for bats and 2.1 for rodents. Species' densities are compared for different groups. A map of superimposed species boundaries for mammals demonstrates some relatively homogeneous faunal areas separated by distinct and narrow faunal boundaries but this is not the general pattern. The principal axes of species ranges for many groups are oriented parallel to and near coasts. Species centred on the interior tend to have larger ranges. Estimates or measurements of range size tend to be better if there are more published records, specimens, known localities of occurrence, and ecological data. Australia, in proportion to its area, has more anurans, lizards (and other reptiles), and marsupials, and it has fewer rodents and bats than North America. The ranking of groups for mean range size is the same in both continents except that Anura have smaller ranges than lizards in Australia.
Genetic-Evidence for Extra-Pair Fertilizations in Socially Monogamous Short-Tailed Shearwaters, Puffinus-Tenuirostris (Procellariiformes, Procellariidae), Using Dna Fingerprinting
Authors: Austin JJ , Carter RE , Parkin DT
Published: June 2005

Genetic relationships between adults and nestlings of the short-failed shearwater, Puffinus tenuirostris, were analysed by multilocus DNA fingerprinting. Short-tailed shearwaters are socially monogamous, forming strong pair bonds, often for many years. The human polycore minisatellite probe, 33-6, revealed sufficient variation in shearwater DNA to allow individual-specific identification. A total of 22 nestlings and 32 adults, comprising 10 trios of nestling and both parents, and 12 pairs of nestling and only one parent, were examined. Analysis of fingerprint profiles revealed four cases where a nestling was not related to one of the attendant adults, and may have resulted from an extra-pair fertilisation. Extra-pair fertilisations, as an alternative breeding strategy, are discussed with respect to the biased and low reproductive output of this long-lived species.
Early Developmental Arrest During Immersion of Eggs of a Tropical Fresh-Water Turtle, Chelodina-Rugosa (Testudinata, Chelidae), From Northern Australia
Authors: Kennett R , Georges A , Palmerallen M
Published: June 2005

Freshly laid. eggs of Chelodina rugosa survived for up to 12 weeks when immersed in water and subsequently underwent successful incubation and normal hatching. Embryonic development was arrested during immersion, remained arrested in an atmosphere of nitrogen, and recommenced when eggs were exposed to air. The hypoxic conditions during immersion appear to extend the arrest typical of turtle embryos during their period in the oviducts. Freshly laid eggs of the temperate-zone C. longicollis died when immersed for longer than one week and eggs of both species died when immersed after post-laying embryonic development had commenced. These results, supported by anecdoctal and experimental evidence, suggest that C. rugosa lays its eggs in saturated or flooded ground in the late wet or early dry monsoonal season. Embryonic development presumably remains arrested until water levels drop and oxygen tensions in the nest rise by diffusion through the drying soil. Partly developed embryos in nests that are flooded after laying would perish. In contrast, C. longicollis of temperate Australia nests only in relatively dry substrates, and its eggs appear not be have evolved the capacity to withstand immersion.
The Structure of the Trap and Trap-Building Behavior in Callistoleon-Manselli New (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae)
Authors: Matsura T , Kitching RL
Published: June 2005

Larvae of the antlion Callistoleon manselli New build pitfall traps that have attached radiating furrows. In order to evaluate this unique trap-building behaviour from an evolutionary viewpoint, we analysed the shape of,traps in the field, then examined the process of trap construction and the efficiency of the pitfalls in prey capture. Larvae of C manselli construct the radiating furrows after building the central pit. Larvae provided with food ad libitum tend not to construct furrows at all. Capture efficiency for the pits with furrows was greater than for pits without furrows. The pitfall traps constructed by C. manselli evidently represent a more advanced development than the simple pits of other species.
Morphology and Function of the Digestive-Tract in New Guinean Possums
Authors: Hume ID , Jazwinski E , Flannery TF
Published: June 2005

The digestive tracts of preserved specimens of six species of New Guinean pseudocheirid (ringtail) possums (body mass 148-1250 g) and four species of New Guinean phalangerids (cuscuses) (730-2400 g) were compared. A preliminary study on Australian common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) suggested that, within certain limits, data from preserved material were applicable to fresh specimens. The New Guinean ringtails were primarily folivorous, but the diet of the two smallest species contained more non-leaf material and was of higher quality, on the basis of higher (P<0.05) nitrogen levels in their gastric contents. Like P. peregrinus, New Guinean ringtail possums selectively retain fine feed particles and bacteria in their caecum, and may also be caecotrophic. The New Guinean phalangerids are less specialised in their diets, taking a wide range of leaves, bark and fruits. There was no evidence for caecotrophy or selective retention of bacteria in their caecum, but there was evidence for selective retention of fine feed particles. In the latter characteristic they differ from the Australian phalangerid Trichosurus vulpecula (the common brushtail possum).
Hybridization Between the Western and Northern Call Races of the Limnodynastes-Tasmaniensis Complex (Anura, Myobatrachidae) on the Murray River in South Australia
Authors: Roberts JD
Published: June 2005

The Limnodynastes tasmaniensis complex consists of three call races: northern, southern and western. This paper documents differences in call structure between the western and northern races: differences in note repetition rate, dominant frequency, average number of notes per call and pulses per second note, but not in pulse repetition rate. The races also differ in egg size (smaller in northern) and egg number (higher in northern). There are zones of overlap between these two races west from Morgan and along the Marne River in South Australia. Mixed populations contain both parental and hybrid phenotypes. Hybrids were identified by a hybrid index based on the three call components that overlapped least (note repetition rate, dominant frequency and average number of notes per call). Temporary range expansions, associated with flooding on the Murray River, are documented for the northern call race. Artificial hybridisations revealed no evidence of hybrid inviability and this was supported by estimates of egg viability in field-collected egg masses from the Morgan zone of overlap. The hybrid zones are interpreted as zones of overlap with hybridisation where introgression is likely to occur. Biogeographic data suggest that the northern call race may be spreading south and west, displacing the western call race.
Growth-Rates of the Bandicoot Isoodon-Macrourus and the Brushtail Possum Trichosurus-Vulpecula
Authors: Gemmell RT , Hendrikz JK
Published: June 2005

Although the bandicoot Isoodon macrourus and the brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula give birth to similar-size young, about 200 mg, the pouch young of the bandicoot grow more quickly than those of the possum. The bandicoot is weaned at 59 days when the body weight is between 90 and 250 g. A young possum weighs about 20 g at Day 60 and between 780 and 1031 g when weaned at Day 170-180 post partum. The body weight of both species has been described previously as a continuous curve expressed by a quadratic equation. In this study, instead of assuming the growth curve to be continuous, the growth curve has been expressed as two components. The growth rates of both species were similar from birth until Day 12 post partum; the bandicoot then had a faster growth rate. The results from iterative analysis indicated a change in growth rate at Day 30 (data for Days 31 and 32 were missing) and Day 96 post partum for the bandicoot and possum, respectively. Thus, both marsupials showed a change in growth rate as hair appeared, eyes opened and the young first left the pouch.
The Developmental Stages of the Sphagnum Frog, Kyarranus-Sphagnicolus Moore (Anura, Myobatrachidae)
Authors: Debavay JM
Published: June 2005

The external features of development of the sphagnum frog, Kyarranus sphagnicolus, are described. K. sphagnicolus produces large unpigmented eggs (3.35 +/- 0.21 mm). The mean number of eggs per clutch was 58-3 (range 30-91). The eggs are embedded in a foamy jelly and deposited in a shallow burrow excavated by the male in clumps of sphagnum moss, under stones on the forest floor and in similar wet situations. Field-collected spawn was raised at constant temperature. Duration of development is approximately 55 days at 18-degrees-C and 80 days at 15-degrees-C. Cleavage is holoblastic and unequal and the third cleavage plane is vertical, as in many large-yolked amphibians. The animal hemisphere of the blastula is unpigmented and semitransparent and permits direct observation of the involution of the chorda-mesoderm during gastrulation. Neurular rotation was not observed. Later development results in a normal-looking but nonfeeding tadpole with reduced mouth parts. The hindlimb rudiments appear precociously shortly after the heartbeat stage. The tadpoles possess an extensive but transitory vitelline circulation which may have a respiratory function, are relative immobile and metamorphose within the nest. The dorsal caudal venous return is carried by hitherto unreported superficial vessels, the 'dorsal vitelline veins'. In K. sphagnicolus terrestrial oviposition is followed by the completion of tadpole development within the nest. This mode of anuran development occurs also on other continents, but in Australia is unique to the closely related genera Kyarranus and Philoria.
Indexes of Condition for Small Mammals
Authors: Krebs CJ , Singleton GR
Published: June 2005

Estimates of body condition in mammals may be constructed from measures of skeletal size and body mass. We illustrate the methodology for doing this using data from two populations of feral house mice (Mus domesticus) in Australia, and point out an erroneous method that has commonly been used in the literature. Indices of condition for individual house mice were not correlated with the fat content of their carcasses. Indices of condition for house mice have a relatively low repeatability because of variation from day to day in body mass and because of variation in length measurements taken by different observers. Bias in measurements among observers must be eliminated to make indices of condition from live animals useful.
Sources of Host-Location Cues for the Parasitic Wasp Orgilus-Lepidus (Braconidae)
Authors: Keller MA , Horne PA
Published: June 2005

The responses of the parasitic wasp Orgilus lepidus to potato plants infested by its host Phthorimae, operculella were investigated. Wasps flew to both undamaged and mechanically damaged potatoes when they were presented alone in a flight tunnel, indicating that the odour of potato alone is attractive to them. When given a choice, females flew preferentially to either mechanically damaged plants or to plants infested by P. operculella rather than to intact plants. Thus, when O. lepidus is searching for hosts, it first flies toward the odour of plants, especially those that are damaged. There was no difference in the behaviour of wasps on either undamaged or mechanically damaged potato leaves, but they spent considerably more time probing with their ovipositor on leaves infested by their host. Wasps responded similarly to leaves infested with hosts and leaves from which hosts were removed, indicating that plant damage caused by their host or host products are the primary cues used to discriminate different kinds of damage.
Factors Influencing Flight Activity of Colonies of the Stingless Bee Trigona-Carbonaria (Hymenoptera, Apidae)
Authors: Heard TA , Hendrikz JK
Published: June 2005

Temporal patterns of flight activity and influence of climatic variables on activity of colonies of the potentially useful crop pollinator, Trigona carbonaria Smith, were investigated. Colonies of T. carbonaria were active all the year at the experimental site but the daily activity period was longer in the warmer months. Intensity of daily flight activity was greatest in September and least in May. Temperature and radiation were the most important variables affecting flight activity. They impose thresholds on activity, with flight occurring only at temperatures greater than 18-degrees-C and radiation greater than 15 W m-2. Temperature and radiation also influence the intensity of activity above the thresholds. Relative humidity, vapour pressure, cloud cover and wind speed had no significant effect. A variable measuring the hours from daily peak of activity was significantly correlated with flight activity, indicating an intrinsic diel pattern of activity. Daily variation in flight activity, representing the influence of unmeasured variables, was also significant.
Demography of the Cooperatively Breeding Splendid Fairy-Wren, Malurus-Splendens (Maluridae)
Authors: Russell EM , Rowley I
Published: June 2005

We studied the demography of the splendid fairy-wren, Malurus splendens, a group-territorial, cooperative-breeding passerine, near Perth, Western Australia, from 1973 to 1990. This period included 13 years of below-average rainfall, a number of minor wildfires and one that burnt 95% of the study area in January 1985. Annual survival of breeding males (mean = 70%) and females (mean = 59%) was higher during a period without fire. Survival of breeding females fell to less than 50% from 1987 to 1989, two years after the major fire. Survival of adults did not vary with age, but survival of juveniles was lower (mean=31%) and variable (range 11-59%), particularly among those produced in the first breeding season after the fire in 1985. Splendid fairy-wrens bred during the Austral spring, with minor variation in length of the breeding season depending on rainfall at the start and temperature at the end of the breeding season. Clutch size varied little, but females laid more clutches in years when predation or brood parasitism were high, particularly in the two years after the major fire. Females produced a mean of 2.9 fledglings each season (4.7 in the best year), but productivity was low for several years after the 1985 fire. Helpers attended 60% of all nests but overall had little effect on annual fledgling production. Experienced females were more productive than novices, both with and without helpers. High reproductive effort, indexed by days nesting and caring for fledglings, did not reduce a female's chance of survival to the next breeding season, and annual reproductive effort was not correlated with female survival. Differential dispersal and mortality produced variation in the adult sex ratio. During the fire-free period 1978-84, the numbers of non-breeding males and females increased, because of a lack of available territories rather than a lack of available partners. Variation in natality and survival caused large variations in population density but the density of breeders was more constant (C.V. = 24%) than than of helpers (C.V. = 57%). No decline in the population after the major fire of January 1985 was apparent until the 1988 breeding season; the number of groups declined from 1988 to 1990, some previously occupied territories became vacant and group size decreased. This delayed decline in population is attributed to decreased production of fledglings in the years after the fire and the gradual replacement of experienced breeding females by novices, which were less productive and suffered higher mortality. The major causes of demographic variation (brood parasites and fire) directly affected natality and juvenile survival; indirectly, population density, age structure, sex ratio and group composition were affected. Delayed dispersal, the proximate cause of cooperative breeding in splendid fairy-wrens, is favoured by this demographic environment. The widespread occurrence of similar demographic profiles may in part explain the high frequency of cooperative breeding in Australian birds.
Endothermy and Flight Thresholds for Helicoverpa-Punctigera and Helicoverpa-Armigera (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)
Authors: Coombs M
Published: June 2005

Patterns of endothermic warm-up and flight thresholds were determined for Helicoverpa punctigera and H. armigera. Both species utilise endothermic mechanisms of heat gain to raise thoracic temperature (T(th)) to a level at which flight is possible. Endothermic warm-up, accomplished by wing shivering, was possible from a minimum of 3-5-degrees-C. Time taken to warm-up is inversely related to ambient temperature (T(amb)). At T(amb) higher than 28-degrees-C, flight was spontaneous. At T(amb) of 10-25-degrees-C, both species maintain T(th) of 20-30-degrees-C during flight. During free flight both species display independence of T(th) from T(amb) and a narrowing of the thoracic excess (T(exc)) with increasing T(amb). Tethered-flight methodologies are intrusive on normal thermoregulatory balance, manifested as increased dependence Of T(th) on T(amb). Thoracic scales act as thermal insulation, removal of scales acts to increase thermal conductance. Warm-up for both species is energetically more expensive at low T(amb) than at high T(amb). The increased energy requirements for warm-up at low ambients may limit the frequency of warm-up and flight.
Microbiological Studies of the Intestinal Microflora of the Koala, Phascolarctos-Cinereus .1. Colonization of the Cecal Wall by Tannin-Protein-Complex-Degrading Enterobacteria
Authors: Osawa R , Bird PS , Harbrow DJ , Ogimoto K , Seymour GJ
Published: June 2005

The tannin-protein-complex-degrading enterobacterium (T-PCDE), which specifically colonises the caecal wall of the koala, was investigated immunohistologically. Polyclonal antisera were raised against three strains of T-PCDE. Tissue from six koalas was subjected to immunogold staining using a pooled, absorbed antiserum. Numerous T-PCDE cells were observed in the bacterial layer attached to the caecal wall of five of the animals. The distribution pattern of T-PCDE varied: cells were either scattered throughout the bacterial layer or congregated in areas that apparently contained debris of digesta. The sixth animal, which had been treated with oxytetracycline and showed severe loss of body weight, did not have any bacterial layer attached to the caecal wall and did not stain positive for T-PCDE. The evidence suggests a symbiotic association between T-PCDE and the koala; the caecal wall and the wall of the proximal colon were 'strategically' colonised by the bacterium, which may facilitate access, although it is likely to be indirect, for the host animal to the nitrogen moiety liberated from breakdown of tannin-protein complexes.
Microbiological Studies of the Intestinal Microflora of the Koala, Phascolarctos-Cinereus .2. Pap, a Special Maternal Feces Consumed by Juvenile Koalas
Authors: Osawa R , Blanshard WH , Ocallaghan PG
Published: June 2005

Quantitative and qualitative studies on the microflora in the faeces of 10 female koalas, Phascolarctos cinereus, were conducted with specific reference to 'pap', a special maternal faeces consumed by the juvenile at about the time of first emergence from the pouch. This specific coprophagy, called 'pap feeding', occurred multiple times in all of the females examined. Pap was higher in water content (81.8%) and pH (7.0) than normal faeces produced by the females before and after pap feeding (54.6-56.4% and 5.5, respectively), suggesting that it is derived directly from the contents of the caecum. Pap had higher (23-41-fold) viable counts of tannin-protein-complex-degrading enterobacteria (T-PCDE) than the normal faeces; in four of the females examined, viable T-PCDE were found in pap but never in the normal faeces. The evidence indicates that pap feeding is an essential physiological activity for the juvenile koala to prepare it for an imminent dietary transition from maternal milk to tannin-rich eucalypt leaves.
Localization of Insect Calls by the Bat Nyctophilus-Geoffroyi (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) - a Laboratory Study
Authors: Hosken DJ , Bailey WJ , Oshea JE , Roberts JD
Published: June 2005

Many insects use acoustic signals to attract mates but their calls may be exploited by predators. This laboratory study showed that the lesser long-eared bat, Nyctophilus geoffroyi, was attracted to both (a) calling tettigoniids and (b) synthesised calls broadcast through loud-speakers. Playback experiments, using synthetic calls, demonstrated that bats were more attracted to calls of longer duration than to calls of short duration, while high calling rates and high call intensities had no special attraction. Two-speaker choruses appeared to be more attractive than a single speaker. These results are discussed in the context of predation as a selective force on calling strategies.
Effect of Temperature and Hostplants on Survival, Development and Body-Size in 3 Tropical Satyrine Butterflies From North-Eastern Australia
Authors: Braby MF , Jones RE
Published: June 2005

The influence of temperature on egg survival and development rate, and the effect of two hostplant species, native kangaroo grass, Themeda triandra, and introduced Guinea grass, Panicum maximum, on larval survival, development and pupal weight, were examined in three species of tropical satyrine butterflies of the genus Mycalesis (the bushbrowns) under laboratory conditions. In all three species maximum egg survival occurred at 26 degrees C. Eggs of M. perseus survived well between 17 and 35 degrees C, whereas those of M. terminus and M. sirius survived poorly above 30 degrees C and, in the case of the latter species, below 23 degrees C. Maximum egg development rate occurred at 35 degrees C in M. perseus and about 30 degrees C in the two other species. Thus, optimal temperatures for development and survival were in the range of 30-35 degrees C for M. perseus and 25-30 degrees C for both M. terminus and M. sirius. Temperature thresholds were similar in all three, about 11 degrees C. Larvae of the three species survived significantly better on Themeda but took substantially longer to develop and attained lower pupal weights than when reared on Panicum, especially those of M. sirius. On the latter host at 25 degrees C, development from egg to adult varied from 40.4 days (male M. perseus) to 50.4 days (female M. terminus). Development in M. sirius was more variable, with larvae completing either five or six larval instars. Overall, males developed significantly faster than females, and males were smaller in size than females in all three species. Under field conditions populations are thus seasonally multivoltine, protandrous and sexually dimorphic with respect to body size. When reared on Panicum at 25 degrees C, a positive correlation between mean development time (from egg to adult) and mean body size (pupal weight), between species within the genus, revealed that smaller adult size in M. perseus was associated with faster maturation, while larger adult size in M. terminus was associated with slower development. Despite body-size effects, differences in rate of development and embryonic survival in these satyrines are closely tied to ecological differences in geographic distribution, habitat preference and resource durational stability. Potential selective pressures likely to influence size and development amongst these species, and between males and females, are discussed.
Seasonal-Changes in Hematocrit in Captive Koalas (Phascolarctos-Cinereus)
Authors: Cleva GM , Stone GM , Dickens RK
Published: June 2005

Six males and nine females, members of a group of 15 captive koalas, were examined for changes in haematocrit for 22 and 11 months respectively. Plasma protein concentration and plasma osmolarity were also measured in samples that varied widely in haematocrit. Body weight was routinely recorded. In both sexes there were pronounced changes in microhaematocrit with time of year, with elevated values in winter and low values in summer. Microhaematocrit was thus significantly and negatively correlated with maximum and minimum daily temperature. These changes in haematocrit were not associated with changes in body weight, plasma protein concentration or plasma osmolarity. It is suggested that the higher winter haematocrit is a physiological adaptation to the higher energy demands when ambient temperature is reduced.
Lactation and Energetics of Growth in the Brush-Tailed Bettong, Bettongia-Penicillata (Marsupialia, Potoroidae) in Captivity
Authors: Merchant JC , Libke JA , Smith MJ
Published: June 2005

Milk samples were collected from 20 captive bettongs at various times during the 140 days of lactation to determine milk composition. Milk consumption rates of young were measured, using Na-22 turnover, up to the time of their permanent emergence from the pouch and before solid food was consumed. Milk composition followed the general patterns of change observed previously in other marsupials and included the characteristic drop in carbohydrate concentrations associated with permanent exit from the pouch. Milk consumption rates increased from about 1.0 mL day(-1) at 35 days to about 23 mL day(-1) at 90 days, just before permanent emergence from the pouch. Increases in milk consumption were paralleled by changes in the size of the mammary glands, which reached their maximum size at about 100-110 days. The efficiency with which young used milk to accumulate body tissue ranged from 0.39 to 0.51 g mL(-1). Milk energy and protein were converted to body tissue with efficiencies of 21.3-29 6% and 70.1-93 5% respectively.
Evolution in New-Guinean Muridae (Rodentia) Assessed by Microcomplement Fixation of Albumin
Authors: Watts CHS , Baverstock PR
Published: June 2005

The interrelationships of 19 genera and 28 species of New Guinean rodents representing 80% of the currently recognised New Guinean genera, were studied using microcomplement fixation of albumin to measure immunological distances among genera. The phylogenetic distinctiveness of Rattus and the closely related Stenomys from all other genera was confirmed. The remaining genera fall into three groups: (i) Lorentzimys; (ii) Anisomys, Coccymys, Chiruromys, Hyomys, Macruromys, Mallomys and Pogonomys; and (iii) Crossomys, Hydromys, Leptomys, Mayermys, Melomys, Neohydromys, Parahydromys, Pseudohydromys and Uromys. Solomys, from the Solomon islands, and Leggadina, Mesembriomys and Xeromys, from Australia, were shown to belong to this latter group. Groups (i) and (ii) are essentially endemic to New Guinea, while the third shares genera and species with Australia.
Virulence of Strains of Myxoma Virus and the Resistance of Wild Rabbits, Oryctolagus-Cuniculus (L), From Different Locations in Australasia
Authors: Parer I , Sobey WR , Conolly D , Morton R
Published: June 2005

Wild rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), caught at six locations in Australia and one in New Zealand in 1976-80, were bred in Canberra and their offspring (n=1392) challenged with seven strains of myxoma virus. Innate resistance varied between locations and was higher in rabbits from inland Australia. The virulence (lethality) of the myxoma strains in the rabbits from the different localities was not correlated with mean survival times. As the correlation between survival time and virulence has previously been the basis for the allocation of virulence grades by survival times, it is suggested that the virulence of field strains may be different from, and higher than, published results. On the basis of survival rates of unselected New Zealand wild rabbits the field strains collected in 1973-78 were allocated virulence grades of I and II.
Mitochondrial-Dna Phylogeography of Birds in Eastern Australian Rain-Forests - First Fragments
Authors: Joseph L , Moritz C
Published: June 2005

We studied the historical biogeography of eastern Australian rainforests, in particular whether Plio-Pleistocene rainforest refugia existed, through phylogeography of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in seven bird species. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in four species endemic to northeastern Queensland rainforests showed that within-species differentiation was concordantly structured in two of these (grey-headed robin, Poecilodryas albispecularis, and chowchilla, Orthonyx spaldingii) but not in the others (Australian fernwern, Oreoscopus gutturalis, and Atherton scrubwren, Sericornis keri). Between two more geographically widespread species not confined to rainforests (yellow-throated scrubwren, S. citreogularis, and large-billed scrubwren, S. magnirostris), phylogeographic patterns in north-eastern Queensland were not structured; in the same two species, however, mtDNA diversity was clearly apportioned between south-eastern and north-eastern Queensland, so showing phylogeographic congruence at that geographic scale. A seventh species (white-browed scrubwren, S. frontalis), a wide-ranging habitat-generalist, showed no phylogeographic structure at any geographical scale. The refuge hypothesis is supported in that the location of the genetic break in the grey-headed robin and the chowchilla is identical to that previously reported for mammals and skinks. However, the lack of complete congruence across all endemic species suggests that species with broadly similar current ecologies were not affected in the same way. Evolutionary histories that are more complex and idiosyncratic than previously thought are implicated rather than outright rejection of the refuge hypothesis.
Comparisons of Community Structure Among Small Mammals of North-American and Australian Deserts
Authors: Morton SR , Brown JH , Kelt DA , Reid JRW
Published: June 2005

Data on the presence of small mammal species at 201 sites in North American deserts and 245 in arid Australia were used to quantify similarities and differences in community structure between the two continents. In all, 41 species of rodents were sampled in North America and 26 species, both rodents and marsupials, in Australia. On both continents, each species occurred throughout its geographic range with many other species and as a member of many different combinations. The number of species with which each species coexisted was positively correlated with its area of geographic range, although most species occurred at less than half the sites within their ranges. The median number of species at a site was three in North America and two in Australia, but the numbers of species per site on the two continents were not significantly different. Despite the relatively small numbers of species per site, numerous different combinations of species were observed (North America, 158; Australia, 108). Communities in North America were dominated by granivores and in Australia by omnivores; insectivores were also prominent in Australia. These results support conclusions of an earlier study of granivorous rodents in North America, in suggesting that there is substantial spatial variation in the composition of small mammal communities. The magnitude of this variation indicates that species and communities tend to be individualistic in spatial distribution, such that communities are not tightly restricted to particular specific combinations. There is evidence from North America that deterministic processes play a limited role in determining community structure; no such analyses have yet been undertaken for communities in arid Australia. Trophic structure of communities is markedly different on the two continents. Not all trophic differences can presently be explained, but they may be due to differences between the continents in temporal patterns of food supply.
Diversity of Small Mammals in the Pacific Coastal Desert of Peru and Chile and in the Adjacent Andean Area - Biogeography and Community Structure
Authors: Marquet PA
Published: June 2005

Species diversity patterns of small mammals (sigmodontine rodents) in the Chilean-Peruvian Pacific coastal desert and adjacent Andean area (Puna) were analysed by means of latitudinal and altitudinal transects. The statistical analyses of the patterns show: (1) a wide variation in latitudinal species diversity, with a peak in the region where the Puna reaches its greatest areal extent; (2) the differentiation of at least four groups of distinct faunal elements resulting from the interaction of large-scale biogeographic, geological and evolutionary processes; (3) a positive correlation between species richness and altitude for the altitudinal transects located within the Pacific coastal desert area and Puna; and (4) a highly individualistic pattern of community structure at a regional scale. These results are discussed considering biogeographic, palaeoclimatic and evolutionary processes, such as the establishment of the Pacific coastal desert, and the existence of a major centre of species diversification in the Puna area. Similarities and differences between these community-level patterns and those in North American deserts are discussed.
Desert-Dwelling Small Mammals as Granivores - Intercontinental Variations
Authors: Kerley GIH , Whitford WG
Published: June 2005

Deserts are, by definition, environmentally similar, and this has lead to hypotheses of convergence in the properties of desert biotic communities as well as the components of these communities. There is considerable evidence for convergence in some characteristics of desert biota, ranging from plant growth forms to the well-known bipedal, nocturnal rodents. One area that has received considerable attention has been granivory by desert rodents, largely because of the effort focused on the North American desert heteromyids, and also because the process of granivory has far-reaching ramifications for desert plant communities. Specific tests for convergence in the impact of rodents as granivores, by means of bait-removal experiments, however, have shown that the high levels of seed removal by rodents in the North American deserts differs from that of rodents in the South American, Australian and South African deserts, where ants are the most important seed harvesters. The only studies to measure the impact of rodents on desert seed fluxes confirm these patterns, with rodents consuming up to 86% of seed production in North American deserts, but less than 1% of seed production in South African deserts. A review of dietary data for desert rodents confirms these trends, with little evidence for the presence of granivores in deserts besides those of North America. A variety of hypotheses have attempted to explain these variations in desert rodent granivory. These include recent extinctions of granivores, that seed burial, low soil nutrients and/or limiting seed production prevented the radiation of granivorous small mammals, and that particular deserts are too young or too recently colonised by rodents for granivorous rodents to have evolved. However, none of these hypotheses are supported by available evidence. Alternative hypotheses suggesting that climate variability may have precluded the development of specialised granivores need to be tested. In particular, more data are needed to confirm these patterns of granivory, and gain an understanding of the effects of Pleistocene and recent desert climate variability on seed production. An alternative perspective suggests that the presence of the heteromyid rodents may explain the high levels of granivory by small mammals in North American deserts. The variability in granivory by small mammals between deserts suggests that deserts will also differ in terms of anti-granivore adaptations of plants, seed fluxes and the mechanisms whereby small mammals coexist.
Agnostic Behavior in Final-Instar Larvae of the Damselfly Neosticta-Fraseri (Odonata, Isostictidae)
Authors: Rowe RJ
Published: June 2005

Larval agonistic displays are reported from an isostictid damselfly, Neosticta fraseri. Twenty major displays were distinguished. Display motor patterns showed a general similarity with those recognised in larval Coenagrionidae (a family regarded on adult characters as being closely allied to the Isostictidae). The agonistic behaviour repertoire of N. fraseri is contrasted with published information on coenagrionid larvae and also with the behaviours of Diphlebia euphoeoides (Amphipterygidae), a superficially similar larva occurring in the same habitat. The use of larval agonistic display characters in phylogenetic analysis is discussed.
Sperm Morphology of Murid Rodents From New-Guinea and the Solomon-Islands - Phylogenetic Implications
Authors: Breed WG , Aplin KP
Published: June 2005

Observations on sperm morphology from most species of murid rodents from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, based on light microscopy, are presented. Transmission electron microscopy of spermatozoa for three species in two genera are also given. All Rattus species, Melomys lanosus, M. rattoides, Lorentzimys nouhuysi and Coccymys ruemmleri have sickle-shaped sperm heads and long sperm tails. In contrast, most of the other species have sperm with a broader lateral face and three ventral processes. These processes vary somewhat in size and shape, and in two Pogonomys and one Chiruromys species there is an extension of the nucleus into the most caudal of the three processes. Species of Anisomys and Hyomys have a sperm head with a broad lateral face but with only a single apical process. Abeomelomys sevia and Solomys salebrosus each have a distinct sperm head morphology unlike that of any other Australian murid; the latter species also has an extremely short sperm tail. Taxonomic and phylogenetic inferences are drawn from these data. Some of the phylogenetic conclusions are markedly divergent from traditional views, which are based on craniodental anatomy.