bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seven new species of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriorina) from reptiles in Madagascar
Authors: Upton Steve J. , Freed Paul S. , Burdick Deborah A. , McAllister Chris T.
Published: August 2008

Seven new species of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriorina) are described from reptiles in Madagascar. Oocysts of Caryospora barnardae sp.nov. from 1/1 Liopholidophis stumpffi (Boettger, 1881) were small and spherical, measuring 13.7 (11.2–15.2) μm. Oocysts of C. brygooi sp.nov. from 1/4 Madagascarophis colubrinus (Schlegel, 1837) were spherical or subspherical, 20.2 × 19.7 (18.6–21.6 × 17.6–21.2) μm. Oocysts of C. madagascariensis sp.nov. from 3/4 M. colubrinus (type host) and 1/6 Mimophis mahfalensis (Grandidier, 1867) were large, 26.2 × 24.2 (21.6–30.0 × 21.0–27.2) μm. Oocysts of C. minuta sp.nov. from 1/2 Lioheterodon madagascariensis Duméril and Bibron, 1854 were small and spherical, 11.6 (9.6–13.2) μm. Oocysts of C. serpentis sp.nov. from 1/2 L. madagascariensis (type host), 2/3 M. mahfalensis, and 3/4 Madagascarophis colubrinus were spherical to subspherical, 17.1 × 17.0 (13.6–20.0 × 13.6–20.0) μm. Oocysts of Eimeria furmani sp. nov. from 2/5 Hemidactylus frenatus Schlegel, 1836 measured 20.5 × 16.9 μm and oocysts of Isospora frenatus sp.nov. from 1/5 H. frenatus were large and ellipsoidal, 31.9 × 26.4 μm. In addition, oocysts of a Cryptosporidium species from 1/4 Chamaeleo lateralis Gray, 1831 were seen, and measured 5.5 × 4.8 μm, and sporocysts of three separate Sarcocystis species were noted. Sporocysts from 1/1 Lioheterodon gaeyi Mocquard, 1905 measured 9.2 × 7.9 (8.2–9.8 × 7.2–8.4) μm, those from 1/4 M. colubrinus 9.5 × 7.2 (8.8–9.8 × 6.2–8.0) μm, and those from 1/6 Mimophis mahfalensis 12.0 × 9.1 (11.2–12.8 × 8.6–9.61) μm.
Choanoflagellates from the subarctic North Pacific Ocean, with descriptions of two new species
Authors: Booth Beatrice C.
Published: August 2008

Samples collected over a period of 10 years throughout the euphotic zone of the eastern subarctic Pacific Ocean were analyzed for choanoflagellates; of the 28 species observed, 6 were most abundant. Two new species (Parvicorbicula superpositus and Pleurasiga tricaudata) are described; four other taxa displayed major differences from the most closely related species. All species were found throughout the water column and all specimens were free-living; none were attached to other particles. No endemic species were found.
Invertébrés de la litière dans des érablières saines et dépéries du sud-est du Québec
Authors: Tousignant S. , Martel J. , Mauffette Y.
Published: August 2008

A study was carried out during the summers of 1987 and 1988 in healthy and declining maple forests in southeastern Quebec to estimate the impact of forest decline on the litter's invertebrate mesofauna communities. Insects, arachnids (opilions and spiders), gastropods, and myriapods were the four major groups sampled. The class Insecta represented 50% of all organisms collected. The mean abundance of insects and, for the most part, arachnids and gastropods tended to be lower in declining sites. However, myriapods were always more abundant in these sites. The variability observed in the litter pH and thickness can not alone account for the changes observed in the litter fauna communities. We suggest that temperature and moisture modifications resulting from canopy opening may be responsible for such a variation in abundance.
Short-term responses of small mammals to experimental fire in tallgrass prairie
Authors: Clark Bryon K. , Kaufman Donald W.
Published: August 2008

Short-term responses of small mammals to experimental fire were examined in a 13-ha site on the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Kansas. A 6.1-ha portion was burned in spring 1987, whereas the 6.9-ha control site was left unburned in 1987, as was the entire 13 ha in spring 1986. In the absence of fire, < 1% of all small mammals (n = 130) caught in both March and April 1986 completely shifted from one area to the opposite area. No differences occurred in appearance of new individuals between the two areas in April 1986. In April 1987, all Reithrodontomys megalotis (n = 14) and Microtus ochrogaster (n = 6) caught in the burned area before fire and recaught after fire moved to the unburned area, but no individual from either species moved the opposite way. Most Synaptomys cooperi (75%, n = 4) moved away from the burned area, but no animals were available to test for movements into the burned area. Most new individuals for fire-negative species were captured in the unburned area after fire: 93% of R. megalotis (n = 46), 96% of Blarina hylophaga (n = 27), 100% of M. ochrogaster (n = 4), and 100% of S. cooperi (n = 1). In contrast, Peromyscus maniculatus exhibited a fire-positive response, with one of four moving from unburned to burned and none of five moving the opposite way, and most new individuals recorded after fire were in the burned area (88%, n = 24).
Spatiotemporal use of lairs by ringed seals (Phoca hispida)
Authors: Kelly Brendan P. , Quakenbush Lori T.
Published: August 2008

Thirteen ringed seals monitored by radiotelemetry in the shore-fast ice of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas were faithful to subnivean haulout sites from March to June. Each seal frequented as many as four lairs; the distances between lairs used by individual seals were as great as 3438 m. Mean distances between lairs used by individual males and females were 1997 and 634 m, respectively. Seals were not commonly seen resting on the ice outside of lairs until late May or June, but two radio-tagged male seals began basking on 15 April and 7 May, respectively. The proportion of time spent out of the water was 12.1% in March, 18.6% in April, 21.9% in May, and 42.9% in early June. From late March to June, males were out of the water during 13.1% of the monitored periods, and females were out of the water during 24.0% of those periods. Mean hours of haulout bouts were between 18:00 and 02:30 in early spring (except for a lactating female who hauled out most frequently at 11:00) and between 10:00 and 16:30 in late spring.
Food habits of wintering canvasbacks in Louisiana
Authors: Hohman William L. , Woolington Dennis W. , Devries James H.
Published: August 2008

We studied the food habits of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) at Catahoula Lake (inland) and the Mississippi River Delta (coastal), Louisiana, from November 1987 to February 1988. Plant foods comprised >97 aggregate percent dry mass of the canvasback diet. The proportion of plant material eaten did not vary with sex, age, or month, or differ between study sites or nocturnal and diurnal collections. Tubers of chufa flatsedge (Cyperus esculentus) and common arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) made up 94% of the canvasback diet at Catahoula Lake. Common and grassy arrowhead (Sagittaria graminea) tubers and American bulrush (Scirpus americanus) rhizomes and seeds formed 94% of the canvasback diet at the Mississippi River Delta. Consumption of specific food taxa did not vary with sex, age, or month at either study site. Canvasbacks at the Mississippi River Delta preferred seeds of American bulrush over all other foods, but American bulrush rhizomes were underrepresented in the diet. Densities of subterranean plant foods at Catahoula Lake and the Mississippi River Delta are apparently higher than at other major canvasback concentration areas and enable canvasbacks wintering in Louisiana to improve their physical condition before spring migration.
The Idoteidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Valvifera) of the shallow waters of the northeastern North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Rafi F. , Laubitz Diana R.
Published: August 2008

The distribution of the northeastern North Pacific Idoteidae reflects the general eurytopy in the shallow marine environment of the component species. The family is represented by four genera and 20 species in the region between Juan de Fuca Strait, Washington, and Prince William Sound, Alaska. Collections studied from this area contained 16 species of idoteids, of which 3 (Idotea (Pentidotea) recta, Synidotea cornuta, and S. minuta) are new; the new species are fully illustrated and described. The status of nine additional species recorded in the literature from the area is discussed, and four of them are diagnosed and included in the keys. The morphological characters of the four genera were examined in detail and their systematic importance is discussed. All the appendages surveyed showed differences at least at the generic level.
Prolactin-induced hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia in the freshwater snake Natrix piscator
Authors: Srivastav Ajai K. , Rani Ladli
Published: August 2008

The effects of the administration of ovine prolactin (10 IU/100 g body weight) on serum calcium and phosphate levels were investigated in Natrix piscator for 15 days. The hormone evokes a progressive hypercalcemia (from day 3 to day 5) and hyperphosphatemia (from day 5 to day 10). Thereafter, these responses decrease.
Territorial behaviour in males of three North American species of bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Bombus)
Authors: O'Neill Kevin M. , Evans Howard E. , Bjostad Louis B.
Published: August 2008

The behaviour of males of the bumblebees Bombus nevadensis nevadensis, B. griseocollis, and B. rufocinctus was examined at sites in Colorado and Montana, U.S.A. Males of all three species defended individual mating territories on which they scent marked plants with cephalic chemicals, which we hypothesize to be sex pheromones. Males aggressively excluded conspecific males from the vicinity of scent-marked plants for several hours each day. At times on certain B. griseocollis territories, the great number of intruding males resulted in a near breakdown of the territorial system, with repeated aggressive interactions and turnover. In preliminary chemical analyses, dichloromethane extracts of heads of B. nevadensis and B. griseocollis were each dominated by single components, while those of B. rufocinctus, in each population studied, had three major components. Extracts of plant parts scent marked by males reveal the presence of the cephalic chemicals not present on unmarked control plants. Mating is initiated on or near territories. The behavioural and morphological correlates of male mating systems in the genus Bombus and other aculeate Hymenoptera are discussed.
Behaviour of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) summering off the northern California coast, from Patrick's Point to Crescent City
Authors: Mallonée Jay S.
Published: August 2008

This study quantifies basic dive characteristics and behaviour patterns of undisturbed gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) observed summering at four northern California locations: the Big Lagoon – Patrick's Point area, Orick, Klamath River mouth, and Crescent City. Observable behaviours were limited to several locomotions (swim slow, swim moderate, swim fast, and floating) seen in different behavioural contexts (milling, circling, pluming, and transit). Sixteen behaviours were observed and they fit naturally into locomotive–context categories (i.e., swim-milling, swim slow – circling, etc.). Each behaviour was described using behavioural observations and dive characteristics. Behaviours that did not appear goal oriented or directed, i.e., milling and floating, had highly variable dive characteristics. More specific behaviours, such as circling and pluming, were less variable. Some specific and less directed behaviours appeared functionally related and usually occurred together. Apparent bottom feeding was observed and the Big Lagoon – Patrick's Point area appeared to be a favoured feeding site, as evidenced by mud plumes and repetitive circling of surfacing animals. Feeding was composed of at least three observable behaviours: circling, circling with pluming, and milling with pluming. Locomotive–context categories are useful in refining broad behavioural definitions and quantifying basic behaviour patterns. This approach can enhance the interpretation of observable surface behaviours.
Croissance et reproduction de Mya arenaria dans la zone intertidale de l'estuaire du Saint-Laurent
Authors: Roseberry Luc , Vincent Bruno , Lemaire Catherine
Published: August 2008

Cette étude caractérise la structure de population de Mya arenaria d'une baie de l'estuaire du Saint-Laurent et dégage certains facteurs biotiques et abiotiques agissant sur les stratégies et les tactiques de croissance et de reproduction. En 1985, la population avait une classe d'âge modale de 10 ans résultant d'un recrutement massif en 1975. La distribution spatiale est contagieuse avec une moyenne de 177 individus/m2. La croissance linéaire annuelle varie selon les années. Le sex-ratio de la population n'est pas différent de 1:1 et la croissance pondérale et la reproduction sont indépendantes du sexe. Bien qu'une deuxième gamétogénèse ait lieu à l'automne, il n'y a qu'une seule ponte par année. Les indices gonado-somatiques sont plus grands pour les individus du bas de plage. Pour un même âge, les individus du bas de plage ont une fécondité plus grande. Par contre, pour une même longueur, il n'y a pas de différence de fécondité entre les niveaux altimétriques. Mya arenaria investit donc préférentiellement dans sa croissance, ce qui assure une reproduction plus jeune. La masse fraîche somatique et celle des gonades sont plus élevées chez les individus de bas de plage. Les myes de bas de plage semblent réagir rapidement aux variations des conditions du milieu et présentent une tactique d'opportunistes. La tactique des myes de haut de plage est de répondre aux conditions minimales du milieu sans chercher à exploiter des conditions plus favorables mais de courte durée. Une expérience in situ montre que, dans des conditions favorables, M. arenaria investit plus dans la reproduction que dans la croissance.
Diurnal activity patterns within female herds of isard around parturition time
Authors: Pépin Dominique , Abegg Christophe , Richard Cécile
Published: August 2008

We compared diurnal activity patterns of isards (Rupicapra pyrenaica) within female herds around the time of parturition in a Pyrenean reserve. From mid-April to mid-May, i.e., at the end of the gestation period, adult females spent significantly more time foraging (76 vs. 65%) and less time resting than yearlings did. From mid-June to mid-July, after the birth of kids, adult females and yearlings had exactly the same time budget (62% for foraging) and the same activity pattern, with a well-marked resting phase at midday. Analysis of data at 15-min intervals indicated synchronism in activity when animals leave the area by crossing the crest line, or when arriving at their foraging or resting phases. During the 2 first months of their life, kids had a polyphasic diurnal activity pattern characterized by four distinct foraging phases 4 h apart, and three peaks in resting activity between midday and evening. Nevertheless, some behavioural and physiological mechanisms permitted kids to synchronize their activity with that of other herd members.
Immunogold labelling of FMRFamide-like neuropeptide in neurons of Aglantha digitale (Hydromedusae: Trachylina)
Authors: Singla C. L. , Mackie G. O.
Published: August 2008

FMRFamide-like neuropeptides have been implicated in transmitter roles in cnidarians. This study was undertaken to determine the ultrastructural distribution of FMRFamide-like immunoreactive material in jellyfish neurons. Immunoreactivity was found to be restricted to large dense cored vesicles. These vesicles were only rarely found at synapses while the small clear vesicles that are found clustered at synapses were not immunoreactive. These results suggest that FMRFamide-like neuropeptides are not released at conventional synapses in cnidarians but at other, unknown sites, and that the synaptic vesicles observed contain a different, presumably fast neurotransmitter.
Somatotrop, gonadotrop, and prolactin cells in the pars distalis of juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus): an immunocytochemical study
Authors: Cook Harry , Zuidhof Andrew , Kaneko Toyoji , Lin Hao-Ren , Zhang Mei Li , Peter Richard E.
Published: August 2008

The grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) is an important aquaculture species which is grown in many areas of the world. Because the species is the focus of basic and applied endocrinological studies, it is important to establish whether antibodies raised against common carp hormones will recognize hormones of the grass carp. Immunocytochemistry at the light-microscopic level, using the avidin–biotin complex method, and at the electron-microsopic level, using the protein A – gold method, revealed that rabbit anticarp prolactin, growth hormone, and gonadotropin each reacted with one cell type in an appropriate location in the grass carp pituitary gland. The results of these immunocytochemical studies support the suitability of antibodies raised against common carp hormones in immunocytochemical studies on the grass carp, and, by implication, in radioimmunoassay studies.
Levels of cause and effect as organizing principles for research in animal behaviour
Authors: Armstrong Doug P.
Published: August 2008

Animal behaviour can be explained from several complementary perspectives, and these explanations can be formally categorized into "levels of analysis." Recognizing levels of analysis may prevent unnecessary conflict between complementary explanations and promote the understanding of behaviour from all possible perspectives. However, there is considerable room for debate as to the best framework of levels. The current framework is based on the concept of "proximate and ultimate causes," which merges the functional consequences of a behaviour with its evolutionary causes. Consequently, the use of this framework leads to confusion between causes and effects of behaviours, and leaves no room for studies of the effects of a behaviour other than those with adaptive significance for the animal performing it. A more balanced approach can be encouraged by considering questions about causes and effects of behaviours to be in separate categories, with their own analytical levels. Causes of behaviours can be explained by processes on at least four levels: evolution, ontogeny, fluctuations in an animal's state, and occurrence of behaviour-eliciting stimuli. Effects of behaviour may also occur on several levels, but the levels will depend on what is being affected (i.e., the animal performing the behaviour, other organisms, or the physical environment). The causes of behaviours can be influenced by their effects through feedback mechanisms such as reinforcement and natural selection. However, we should not assume such feedback mechanisms to be important in the causation of all behaviours. If we use the effects of behaviours to explain why they occur, it is important to explicitly recognize the feedback mechanism(s) invoked.
The distribution, external morphology, and presumptive function of the surface microstructures of Gammarus pseudolimnaeus (Crustacea: Amphipoda), with emphasis on the calceolus
Authors: Read A. Thomas , Williams D. Dudley
Published: August 2008

The entire cuticular surface of Gammarus pseudolimnaeus Bousfield was examined by means of scanning electron microscopy and, to a limited degree, transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy. A large array of microstructures was found, including calceoli, microtrich arrays, aesthetascs, sensory spines (cone- and club-shaped), pores, type A pegs, setae (simple, hamate, serrate, serrulate, fin type, plumoserrate, plumose, cuspidate, and simple flat), and apical spine teeth. The morphological characteristics, location, and pattern of distribution of each structure are described. Possible functions of each structure are presented.
Mamaevodiclidophora nom. nov. proposed for Neodiclidophora Mamaëv, 1987, with a redescription of Mamaevodiclidophora pugetensis (Robinson, 1961) comb.nov. (Monogenea: Diclidophoridae)
Authors: Rubec Louise A.
Published: August 2008

Mamaevodiclidophora nom.nov. is proposed as a generic replacement name for Neodiclidophora Mamaëv, 1987, a junior homonym of Neodiclidophora Gupta and Krisha, 1979. The detailed morphology of the male genital terminalia and the clamp in Mamaevodiclidophora pugetensis (Robinson, 1961) comb.nov. is redescribed and illustrated from specimens collected from the gills of Atherestes stomias (Pleuronectidae) in the northeastern Pacific. The generic diagnosis is emended to include, in the male genital terminalia, a prostatic vesicle and, in the clamp, a partially developed lamellate extension, b, with a complete proximal border between sclerites a2 and c2. Neodiclidophora Gupta and Krishna, 1979 is briefly discussed. The description of the type species, Neodiclidophora simhai Gupta and Krisha, 1979, from the gills of Takifugu (= Tetradon) oblongus (Tetraodontidae) in India, is compared with another species reported from the same host and locality, Diclidophora indica Tripathi, 1959, species incertae sedis. Neodiclidophora Khoche, 1969 from the gills of Saurida tumbil (Synodontidae) in India, is probably Osphyobothrus bychowskyi Khoche and Chauhan, 1969 and is dismissed as a nomen nudum.
Positive associations among riparian bird species correspond to elevational changes in plant communities
Authors: Finch Deborah M.
Published: August 2008

Bird count data were used to characterize patterns of abundance and distribution among 20 bird species occupying streamside habitats of the central Rocky Mountains. Cluster analysis classified bird assemblages from 10 study plots into three elevational zones that varied in bird species diversity. Monotonic declines in total bird densities over the elevational gradient corresponded to spatial fluctuations in population levels of a few numerically dominant species. Of 190 correlations in counts of species pairs, 48 were significant, a much greater proportion than that expected by chance. Only 12 of the 48 associations were negative, suggesting that current competition may be less important than other processes in structuring these communities. Five suites of the positively associating species were detected using cluster, correlational, and variance analyses. Aggregated species responded to habitat ecotones by simultaneously increasing or decreasing in abundance. Group composition was dependent on patterns of species distribution among elevational zones, and on whether species were specialists or generalists in habitat use. Abundances of 19 species were related to five habitat gradients created by principal components analysis of habitat structure. A reasonable explanation for positive covariance in bird abundance is that species responded similarly to limiting resources that were associated with elevational zones.
Physical and behavioral postnatal development of woodchucks (Marmota monax)
Authors: Ferron J. , Ouellet J.-P.
Published: August 2008

The physical and behavioral postnatal development of woodchucks (Marmota monax) was analyzed from birth to 42 days of age, the age at which weaning begins. Postnatal growth was evaluated by means of daily measurements of body weight, body length, tail length, and length of hind foot. Data on length of ear pinnae, vibrissae, and fur, and on the timing of appearance of some events of physical development are also presented. We considered postnatal development of locomotion, alertness, exploratory behavior, feeding, and comfort and social behavior. Our results indicate no sexual dimorphism in body size in young woodchucks, despite its occurrence in adults. Intraspecific comparisons reveal that woodchucks from different populations show marked variation in growth rate. The high level of intraspecific variation in developmental rates of sciurid rodents provides a warning to those performing interspecific comparisons. The data also suggest that the ratio of growth rate to adult body weight is not related to environmental severity. Behavioral development in M. monax is similar to that of ground squirrels but faster than that of tree squirrels and flying squirrels. There is also no direct relationship between size and timing of behavioral development in sciurid rodents. The behavioral repertoire of young woodchucks is simpler than that of young Spermophilus lateralis, another asocial species. It is possible that specific differences in rates of development of social interactions led to such differentiation in the repertoire of social behavior.
The reproductive life history of the predacious, sand-burrowing mayfly Dolania americana (Ephemeroptera: Behningiidae) and comparisons with other mayflies
Authors: Fink Thomas J. , Soldán Tomás , Peters Janice G. , Peters William L.
Published: August 2008

Oogenesis in Dolania is unique among Ephemeroptera, with one oocyte developing per ovariole, low numbers of ovarioles, and routine resorption of one-third to one-half of ovarioles. Fecundity is 20 times smaller than in mayflies from other families, and mature egg dry weight is approximately 32 times the values of non-Behningiidae mayflies. Seventy percent of the linear growth of maturing oocytes occurs in a 2- to 3-week period during the late penultimate to early final larval stadia. The gut does not atrophy fully, and nonmaturing oocytes remain small and are not resorbed until the other oocytes reach maturity. Thus, resorbing oocytes are probably not an important energy source for the maturing oocytes. Starvation can further reduce Dolania fecundity from a normal 100 eggs to 6. Limited oocyte resorption appears common in mayflies. Callibaetis ferrugineus female imagos, which are ovoviviparous, resorb much of their abdominal muscle. Some ovulation and even egg development may occur in the adult stage of many oviparous species. The thick chorion and thick, sticky fibrous suprachorionic layer of Dolania's egg probably resist damage from sand and fungi for nearly 1 year in a coarse rolling sand habitat. The large egg produces a well-developed first-instar larva 2.5–5 times the length of any other mayfly first instar. The reproductive strategy of Dolania and Behningia, unlike that of other mayflies, is to produce large eggs and thereby large predatory early-instar larvae capable of exploiting a large size range of prey.
Monitoring ringed seal (Phoca hispida) activity by means of acoustic telemetry
Authors: Lydersen Christian
Published: August 2008

This study was conducted in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (78°55′N, 12°30′E), from May 6 to 13, 1989. An adult ringed seal (Phoca hispida) female was live captured and equipped with an acoustic depth–time transmitter to obtain information on diving and haul-out activities. A total of 153 h continuous activity, including 1321 diving cycles, was recorded. Of the total time, 38.2% was spent underwater, 16.6% breathing at the surface, and 45.2% hauling out on the ice. Excluding haul-out periods, the seal was submerged for 69.7% and at the surface for 30.3% of the total time spent in the water. Mean dive duration was 2.7 ± 2.7 (SD) min, and mean dive depth was 10.6 ± 9.0 m. Maximum recorded dive duration was 17 min, and maximum recorded dive depth was 40 m. Recorded activities showed a diurnal pattern, with most of the diving activities in the late afternoon and at night and most of the haul-out activity in the morning and during the day.
Effect of temperature on the development, oviposition, and mortality of Tribolium audax Halstead and Tribolium madens (Charpentier) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Authors: Smith L. B. , Barker P. S.
Published: August 2008

The effect of temperature on development time, oviposition, and mortality of the sibling species Tribolium audax Halstead and Tribolium madens (Charpentier) was investigated in the laboratory. The mean development times of T. madens, not including slow-developing larvae, ranged from 54 days at 25 °C and 75% RH to 24 days at 35 °C and 75% RH. The corresponding mean development times for T. audax were 50.5–27.4 days. At 25 °C and below, the larvae of each species separated into two groups, one continuing to the adult stage and the other entering a resting stage. The resting stage could not be broken by a period of 2 weeks at −5 °C. The slow-developing larvae required 4 to 5 times as long to complete their development as those that developed rapidly. Slow-developing larvae of T. madens that had been at 17.5 °C and 75% RH for 658 days, and of T. audax that had been in the same conditions for 908 days, could complete development when placed at 27.5 °C and 75% RH. Peak oviposition for T. madens occurred at 17 weeks after adult emergence at both 27.5 and 30 °C; the total oviposition period was 47 weeks at 30 °C and 60 weeks at 27.5 °C. Peak oviposition for T. audax occurred at 6 weeks at both 27.5 and 30 °C; the total oviposition period was 36 weeks at 30 °C and 59 weeks at 27.5 °C. Larval and pupal mortality was low at 25 °C or above in T. madens and T. audax. Below 25 °C the survival rate of T. madens was somewhat higher than that for T. audax.
Tydeid mites associated with stored grain and oilseeds in Canada, with descriptions of a new genus and five new species (Acari: Tydeidae)
Authors: Momen F. M. , Sinha R. N.
Published: August 2008

Ten species of mites of family Tydeidae are recorded from stored grain in Canada. A new genus, Oakvillea, and five new species, Paratydaeolus canadensis, Tydeus manitobensis, Tydeus hughesea, Tydeus brusti, and Oakvillea eglalea, are described. Five other previously described species are diagnosed and illustrated: Orthotydeus kochi Oudemans, Paratrio-phtydeus coineaui André, Tydeus oregonensis Baker, Tydeus reticulata (Oudemans), and Proctotydeus sinhai Momen. A key to the genera and species of the family Tydeidae associated with stored grain and oilseeds is given.
Provisioning time and central-place foraging in beavers
Authors: Fryxell J. M. , Doucet C. M.
Published: August 2008

Field studies suggest that beavers are increasingly selective the farther they forage from the lodge. This could result either from spatial variation in food availability (as predicted by classic contingency foraging models) or from the provisioning time (as predicted by central-place foraging models). We tested the effect of provisioning time by providing beavers in experimental enclosures with equal frequencies of saplings at various distances from the lodge and we compared the patterns of resource use with the predictions from an explicit model of central-place foraging. The model qualitatively predicted the observed patterns of increase in the mean size of aspen and maple saplings utilized and the decrease in the variance of saplings utilized, at distances ranging between 10 and 40 m, but there was evidence that the degree of selectivity by beavers increased more rapidly with distance than predicted by the model. No size–distance relations were apparent when beavers were presented with alders. Our results suggest that provisioning time is an important determinant of resource exploitation patterns by beavers, at least in some forage species.
Interspecific dominance relationship and aggressive interactions in the freshwater crayfishes Astacus astacus (L.) and Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana)
Authors: Söderbäck Björn
Published: August 2008

Interspecific and intraspecific aggressive interactions in the coexisting crayfish species Astacus astacus and Pacifastacus leniusculus were experimentally studied in the laboratory. Pacifastacus leniusculus strongly dominated aggressive interactions with similar-sized A. astacus in heterospecific pairs of juveniles and adults. Pairs of young-of-the-year were considerably less aggressive than the larger body-size groups, and in this size group neither species was aggressively dominant. The two species showed substantial differences in patterns of aggressive behaviour. A higher frequency of unilateral aggressive acts and much lower frequency and shorter duration of fights in P. leniusculus pairs indicate that this species is more inclined to establish a dominance order than A. astacus. The aggressive dominance of P. leniusculus over A. astacus indicates that P. leniusculus might be able to competitively exclude A. astacus when the species are competing for a limited resource.
Characterization of prolactin secretion in gray wolves (Canis lupus)
Authors: Kreeger Terry J. , Seal Ulysses S. , Cohen Yosef , Plotka Edward D. , Asa Cheryl S.
Published: August 2008

From 1980 to 1989, experiments were conducted on 28 intact (13 females, 15 males) and 10 neutered wolves (5 females, 5 males) to characterize prolactin (PRL) release. From these studies, we have (i) adapted and validated the canine PRL radioimmunoassay of Parlow for wolves; (ii) determined that the plasma half-life of PRL is 44 min; (iii) demonstrated that anesthesia with 400 mg ketamine plus 50 mg promazine, 400 mg ketamine plus 30 mg xylazine, or 7.5 μg∙kg−1 etorphine plus 0.5 mg∙kg−1 xylazine, administered intramuscularly, does not alter PRL rhythms or control mechanisms; (iv) indicated that PRL is not secreted in response to handling stress (P ≥ 0.78) or by activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis simulated by intravenous injection of 50 μg ovine corticotropin-releasing factor (P = 0.28); (v) demonstrated a circannual rhythm in intact and neutered wolves characterized by elevated PRL levels just prior to summer solstice; (vi) detected a circadian PRL rhythm in females; (vii) provided evidence for dopaminergic control of PRL secretion by injecting 2.0 mg∙kg−1 promazine, a dopaminergic antagonist, which increased PRL levels significantly (P = 0.0001); (viii) shown that intravenous injection of 100 μg thyrotropin-releasing hormone results in PRL release (P = 0.0001), but that this release could not be attenuated by prior administration of 1.0 mg∙kg−1 of the opioid antagonist naloxone; (ix) determined that feeding 2.0 mg of melatonin daily reduced basal PRL levels in May and June (P = 0.03), but not in October–December (P = 0.42), and that PRL stimulation with 100 μg thyrotropin-releasing hormone was consistently lower in melatonin-fed wolves; and (x) shown that pinealectomy does not abolish the circadian PRL rhythm nor alter absolute PRL levels relative to sham-operated control wolves (P = 0.33).
Immunoreactivity to the antiserum to the mammalian neuropeptide substance P in the central nervous system of the house fly, Musca domestica
Authors: Sivasubramanian P.
Published: August 2008

Localization of immunoreactivity to the antiserum to the mammalian neuropeptide substance P in the central nervous system of the house fly, Musca domestica, was investigated by immunocytochemical methods. In both the larva and the adult a total of 16 neurons reacted positively against substance P antiserum. Of these, 10 were in the brain and 6 in the thoracic ganglia. The neurons were arranged in bilateral pairs. In the larval nervous system each brain lobe contained a cluster of four pairs of immunoreactive neurons in the dorsal protocerebrum, and the subesophageal ganglion and each of the thoracic neuromeres contained one pair each. The adult nervous system possessed the same number of imunoreactive neurons with identical distribution within the subesophageal and thoracic ganglia. However, the position of the protocerebral neurons was slightly altered. The pattern of immunoreactive axonal processes as well as the very high immunoreactivity observed in the dorsal neural sheath of the adult thoracic ganglion suggest a neurohormonal–neuromodulator role for substance P in this insect.
Calving and early mortality in the western Mediterranean striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba
Authors: Aguilar Alex
Published: August 2008

Foetal growth and associated calving parameters for the northwestern Mediterranean striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) population were studied using data from 437 strandings. Births occurred during autumn and length of calves was estimated as 92.5 cm, which corresponds to a weight of 11.3 kg. Calving was estimated to peak in mid-October according to the Huggett and Widdas model, and in mid-September according to the mean date of births for the population. In the western Mediterranean, calving in autumn coincides with the time of year when waters are warmest and precedes a peak of productivity, both of which provide optimum conditions for feeding and coping with the energetic demands of lactation. The frequency of strandings shows a clear peak in September–November, which suggests that mortality of neonates and of calves early in lactation is much higher than that of juveniles and calves during mid or late lactation. Consistent with previous studies on the genus Stenella, the sex ratio favoured males, falling from an initial value of 1.4 in foetuses to almost 1 postweaning.
Costs of nutritional constraints on the vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) along a time gradient
Authors: Bergeron J. M. , Jodoin L.
Published: August 2008

Voles were fed diets low in protein, fat, sodium, and calcium, the pellets being coated with a chemical additive: 0.5% gramine, 5% quercetin, or 5% tannic acid. Survivorship, changes in body mass and food intake, and variations in kidney and liver masses and histopathology were measured. All diets caused a reduction in body mass. Duration of treatment and sex were the most important factors affecting mass loss. Mineral deficiencies affected kidney structure more severely than other dietary factors, but addition of secondary metabolites and a longer period of treatment did not accentuate the trend. The capacity of voles for long-term survival on diets that are nutritionally deficient and with secondary metabolites added shows their great ability to use low-quality food.
Natal pterylosis of the northwestern crow, Corvus caurinus
Authors: Verbeek Nicolaas A. M.
Published: August 2008

The number of natal down feathers (neossoptiles) and their arrangement in specific feather tracts of the body (pterylosis) are given for 19 nestlings of the northwestern crow, Corvus caurinus, from the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia. The natal pterylosis of the northwestern crow is compared with that of other members of the genus Corvus in the Nearctic and Palearctic regions. This comparison points out several differences in the capital, abdominal, and caudal tracts within the genus.
The genus Anonyx (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in the North Pacific and Arctic oceans: the Anonyx bispinosus group
Authors: Steele D. H.
Published: August 2008

The Anonyx bispinosus group consists of medium to large species which are characterized by the morphology of the inner ramus of the second uropod. This is notably shorter than the outer ramus, narrowed throughout its length, and bears a long spine near its midpoint. This group consists of eight species, of which four, A. grebnitzkii, A. pseudeous, A. eousides, and A. pareous, are described as new. All eight species have been collected in the North Pacific, and only one, A. bispinosus, has been found as far way as the Barents Sea.
Food habits of Yellowstone grizzly bears, 1977–1987
Authors: Mattson David J. , Blanchard Bonnie M. , Knight Richard R.
Published: August 2008

Food habits of grizzly bears were studied for 11 years in the Yellowstone area of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho by analyzing scats. Ungulate remains constituted a major portion of early-season scats, graminoids of May and June scats, and whitebark pine seeds of late-season scats. Berries composed a minor portion of scats during all months. The diet varied most among years during May, September, and October, and was most diverse during August. Defecation rates peaked in July and were low in April through June. Among-years differences in scat content were substantial; estimates of average scat composition took 4–6 years to stabilize. Major trends in diet were evident and reflected long-term variation. We suggest that long-term studies are necessary to adequately document bears' food habits in variable environments; the Yellowstone grizzly bears' diet varied with seasonal and yearly availability of high-quality foods, lack of berries and large fluctuations in the size of pine seed crops were major factors limiting bear density in the Yellowstone area, and the availability of edible human refuse buffered the limitations imposed by inadequate berry and pine seed crops prior to the 1970s.
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the lower Nastapoka River, Quebec: distribution and origins of salmon in eastern Hudson Bay
Authors: Morin Roderick
Published: August 2008

Atlantic salmon have been occasionally reported along eastern Hudson Bay, north of Richmond Gulf; however, in the Nastapoka River estuary they dominated gill-net catches over a 3-year period. The results of surveys of native fishermen suggest that this is the only anadromous stock in eastern Hudson Bay. Salmon are also present in the Nastapoka River above a 35-m coastal escarpment. It is proposed that they colonized the river from Ungava Bay by headwater exchange with the Koksoak River following deglaciation. Atlantic salmon and brook trout accounted for >80% of gill-net catches in the lower Nastapoka River and estuary. Salmon and trout were similar in size up to age 7. Trout growth was linear whereas salmon growth slowed, resulting in a smaller maximum size, but longevity was greater in salmon than in trout. Salmon matured at a greater age and had lower fecundity and reproductive potential than trout. In the estuary, both species consumed mainly littoral marine amphipods and marine fishes. The salmon population is located at the northern limit of the thermal optimum reported for the species. Habitat in the lower Nastapoka River may favour salmon over trout because of the rapid current in the restricted freshwater zone below the coastal waterfall. This habitat is threatened by the proposed diversion of headwaters for hydroelectric development.
Scent-marking behavior of sympatric wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (C. latrans) in Riding Mountain National Park
Authors: Paquet Paul C.
Published: August 2008

The objectives of this study were to describe the scent-marking behavior of sympatric wolves and coyotes, and determine whether scent marking has an interspecific behavioral significance and, if so, whether it is involved in maintaining ecological separation of the two species. The hypotheses tested were that coyotes travelling within active wolf areas reduce their frequency of marking and avoid wolf scent marks, and that wolves react to sympatric coyotes as transgressing conspecifics, and increase their scent marking. Marking by the two species was similar, both canids using the same scent mounds. Coyotes did not avoid areas marked by wolves, nor did they minimize evidence of their own activity. Coyotes increased their marking significantly in response to wolves. Wolves, however, did not respond to marks by coyotes.
Duration of snow cover and its influence on life-history variation in yellow-bellied marmots
Authors: Vuren Dirk Van , Armitage Kenneth B.
Published: August 2008

We evaluated the relationship between growing-season phenology, as indicated by time of snow melt, and intrapopulation variation in reproduction and growth of yellow-bellied marmots. The time of snow melt explained significant proportions of the variation in frequency of reproduction (78%), litter size (79%), and estimated body mass of young of the year (68%), but not growth rate. We suggest that the duration of snow cover, through its effect on the length of the growing season, influences habitat quality; marmots living at localities with prolonged snow cover have a shorter season of access to food. The variation in life-history traits is attributed to phenotypic plasticity and not to local genetic variation.
DNA fingerprinting of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina concolor): male mating behaviour may not be a reliable indicator of reproductive success
Authors: Harris Andrew S. , Young John S. F. , Wright Jonathan M.
Published: August 2008

We describe a parternity test in a captive group of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina concolor), using two of the commonly available fingerprint probes, Jeffreys' probes 33.6 and 33.15. We show that informative DNA fingerprints can be produced from harbour seals and that band patterns are inherited in a Mendelian fashion. We also show that behavioural observations during courtship and mating may not be an effective discriminator of paternity in captive seals.
A new species of Diphascon from New Brunswick, Canada (Tardigrada)
Authors: Nelson Diane R.
Published: August 2008

A new tardigrade species, Diphascon (Diphascon)burti, is described from lichens and mosses in New Brunswick, Canada. It differs from other species of the genus Diphascon by the presence of two macroplacoids, a large flared septulum, and a transverse pseudoseptulum. A pseudoseptulum has been reported previously in only one species from Antarctica. The description of D. burti increases the number of Diphascon species recorded from Canada to 15.
Lesion of the maxillary gland of spirochete-infected brine shrimp: high-voltage electron microscopy of focal epithelial-cell injury
Authors: Tyson Greta E. , Song Min J.
Published: August 2008

High-voltage electron microscopy of serial sections (0.25 μm thick) was used to find and study lesions of the efferent tubule of the maxillary gland in a spirochete-infected brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana). The efferent-tubule lesion consists of a cluster of spirochetes and small vesicles situated in an indentation of the base of the epithelium and often involves discontinuity of the basal lamina. Of 12 lesions examined, 2 revealed obvious signs of focal epithelial-cell injury. In both cases a large vacuole was located in the epithelium adjacent to the basal cluster of spirochetes and appeared to be a damaged, swollen epithelial-cell process. In the larger of the two lesions the vacuole contained spirochetes, vesicles, altered mitochondria, and abnormal membranous configurations. It is postulated that host-cell injury was initiated by spirochetes entering a cellular process by direct penetration of the plasmalemma (i.e., by diacytosis). Observations of spirochetes inside a damaged process and intracytoplasmic spirochetes devoid of a host-derived membrane support the hypothesis that diacytosis occurred. It is also suggested that each lesion of the efferent tubule originated from one or more spirochetes that migrated from the hemolymph into the basal lamina and underwent replication to form a microcolony beneath the basal surface of the epithelium.
Tissue-specific patterns of synthesis of heat-shock proteins and thermal tolerance of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)
Authors: Dyer Scott D. , Dickson Kenneth L. , Zimmerman Earl G. , Sanders Brenda M.
Published: August 2008

Qualitative and quantitative differences in the heat-shock response in brain, gill, and striated muscle tissues of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) were investigated. The maximum sublethal heat-shock temperature was 34 °C. The heat-shock proteins (hsps) induced, their biosynthetic rates, minimum temperatures required for induction, and maximum temperatures at which each tissue synthesized hsps were tissue specific. Six hsps were induced in gill tissue (100, 90, 78, 70, 68, and 60 kDa), four in muscle tissue (100, 90, 78, and 70 kDa), and three in brain tissue (90, 70, and 68 kDa). Minimum temperatures required for inducing the stress response in gill, muscle, and brain were 28, 31, and 32 °C, respectively. Maximum hsp synthesis and accumulation occurred at 33 °C for the brain and 34°C for muscle and gill. Synthesis and accumulation of hsps decreased to near pre-exposure levels in the brain at 34 °C. The fact that brain tissue synthesized the fewest hsps and had the lowest capacity for synthesis at the upper thermal limits of the organism supports the hypothesis that the central nervous system governs the thermal limits to survival in poikilotherms.
Splenectomy impairs aerobic swim performance in trout
Authors: Pearson M. P. , Stevens E. Don
Published: August 2008

Critical swim speed (Ucrit) measurements show that trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with an intact spleen perform aerobic exercise better than those without (control: Ucrit = 2.19 body lengths/s; splenectomized: Ucrit = 1.84 body lengths/s). Their better performance is correlated with higher blood haemoglobin concentration at exhaustion (control: 9.92 g/dL; splenectomized: 7.96 g/dL), derived from release of red cells from the spleen.