bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
New observations on the bioluminescence of echinoderms
Authors: Herring Peter J. 
Published: August 2009

Bioluminescence has been observed in two species of Ophiuroidea, six species of Asteroidea, nine species of Holothuroidea and two species of Crinoidea. The luminescent responses are described and the intensities and time courses of the responses of some species are given.Histological investigations have indicated possible luminous cells in the Holothuroidea, but the results in other classes remain equivocal. Preliminary analyses of the chemistry of bioluminescence indicate that a similar system may be responsible for bioluminescence in all four classes, although the visible manifestations of the system vary considerably.
Cementum layers and tooth wear as criteria for ageing Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)*
Authors: Aitken R. J. 
Published: August 2009

This study was based on a collection of 110 Roe deer jaws from Thetford Chase, Norfolk. The cementum of these deer contained broad white cellular bands rich in cementocytes, separated by thin dark layers of acellular material. These bands were clearly defined, of even thickness and appeared to be laid down each summer and autumn. Examination of nine known‐age jaws suggested that the number of white bands in the cementum gave an accurate indication of an animal's age.Tooth wear appeared to be a less reliable ageing technique owing to the variable attrition encountered between animals of the same age class.
The taxonomic and functional significance of overall body proportions in Primates
Authors: Ashton E. H. , Flinn R. M. , Oxnard C. E. 
Published: August 2009

Univariate and multivariate study of 22 dimensions describing overall body proportions in 34 primate genera, has shown that these quantities effect a separation between the principal taxonomic divisions of the Primates: Prosimii, Ceboidea, Cercopithecoidea and Hominoidea. The last three do not, however, link to form a single unit, and the separation between the Ceboidea and Cercopithecoidea is imperfect. Some grouping within these major divisions appears, in certain aspects, to be of functional (locomotor), rather than of purely taxonomic, significance. For instance, within the Prosimii, the genera Microcebus, Galago and Tarsius (the two latter being saltatory forms, while leaping is a component of the locomotor pattern of the first) are associated, while within the apes, the Asiatic forms Hylobates, Symphalangus and Pongo (all brachiators) tend to be grouped, as also do the African forms Pan and Gorilla (both, to a large extent, secondarily terrestrial in habit).The measures especially prominent in effecting this pattern of discrimination are: relative foot length, relative lower limb length and length of foot relative to lower limb length.Similar, if less clearly defined results emerge if groups of dimensions relating to individual body regions (forelimb, hindlimb, head and trunk) are analysed separately.The apparent failure of compounds of the measures of the limbs to give an anticipated close reflection of locomotor function stems possibly from the fact that the available dimensions are of an overall nature rather than a reflection of specific biomechanical functions. Such sub‐division, according with locomotor pattern as seems to emerge from this study, appears, in fact, to be little more than that implied in current taxonomic schemata.
The ethology of Abudefduf luridus and Chromis chromis (Pisces: Pomacentridae) from the Azores*
Authors: Mapstone Gillian M. , Wood Elizabeth M. 
Published: August 2009

The behaviour of the two species of damsel fishes found in the Azores, Abudefduf luridus (Cuvier) and Chromis chromis (L.)** was studied using underwater techniques. A. luridus is a substrate species, whereas C. chromis alternates between a rock dwelling and a mid‐water existence depending on its sexual condition. The male in both species sets up a breeding territory and, after spawning, cares for and protects the eggs. No pair bonds are formed.Social organization and reproductive behaviour in these two species is discussed in relation to other pomacentrids, for which comparable behaviour patterns have been reported.**The taxonomic status of the species is under study.
Arterio‐venous heat exchange systems in the Jackass penguin Spheniscus demersus
Authors: Frost P. G. H. , Siegfried W. R. , Greenwood P. J. 
Published: August 2009

Extensive arterio‐venous associations occur in the head, axillae and legs of the Jackass penguin Spheniscus demersus. These vascular arrangements appear to facilitate counter‐current heat exchange. The major heat exchange system in the head is the post orbital rete mirabile formed by the superior orbital artery. Blood from this rete supplies the eye, nasal passages and superficial jaw muscles. Other blood vessels supplying the superficial areas of the head and mouth associate closely with their corresponding veins.In the axilla the brachial artery divides to form a humeral plexus of parallel running arteries each associating with up to three interlinking veins. Only the marginal vein does not associate with an artery. It appears that a shunt mechanism, which bypasses the veins in the humeral plexus, functions to permit heat loss when required; for instance in a heat‐stressed bird breeding or moulting on land.In both the upper and lower leg all the major arteries and their branches associate closely with corresponding veins.The development of these arterio‐venous associations indicates that Spheniscus demersus is adapted to a cool aquatic environment in which heat retention is of prime importance.
Moult, flight muscle “hypertrophy” and premigratory lipid deposition of the juvenile Willow warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus
Authors: Baggott G. K. 
Published: August 2009

In England juvenile Willow warblers undergo premigratory lipid deposition in August. Prior to this there is a moult of the juvenile plumage which results in a reduction in both the glycogen content and the wet weight of the pectoralis muscles, the latter reflecting a decrease in the lipid‐free dry weight. Muscle lipid levels are apparently unaffected by this moult. The decrease in the weight of the lipid‐free dry fraction of the body extends also to components other than these muscles at this time. A correlation between the wet weight and the glycogen content of the pectoralis muscles suggests that cold stress may be the cause of the low glycogen levels found in the middle of the moult; part of this increased demand for thermogenesis may be due to lower body insulation brought about by feather loss during the moult. The muscle “hypertrophy” found in the premigratory period is simply a return to pre‐moult weights.The uniformity of total body weights during and after the moult indicates that at the end of this moult the water fraction of the body decreases in weight. The pectoralis muscles of juvenile Willow warblers are not fully grown on fledging; these unmoulted birds may also have higher body lipid levels than during the following moult.
Foods and foraging places of rats (Rodentia: Muridae) in the lowland evergreen forest of Ghana
Authors: Cole L. R. 
Published: August 2009

A study was made of the foods and ground‐zone foraging places of Muridae in little‐disturbed moist evergreen forest in Ghana, West Africa. Data were obtained by means of baited traps operated for about 8000 trap‐nights, and by the examination of the contents of 218 stomachs.Seven species of rats were found, of which six are believed to be members of the natural forest fauna. Foraging places of rats of some species were found to be related to features of the topography and the structure of the vegetation. Diets consisted of vegetable materials, insects and soft‐bodied invertebrates. The relative importance of these categories is estimated for each species on the basis of a non‐microscopical volumetric method. Plant tissues were recognized by histological features, but were not identified. The variety of vegetable foods, numbers and sizes of food masses in the stomachs, and sharing of vegetable foods between species are analysed. Cases of ecological isolation are pointed out, and a brief comparison made with the Central African forest murid fauna.
The morphology and distribution of Xenopus vestitus (Anura: Pipidae) in Central Africa
Authors: Tinsley R. C. 
Published: August 2009

Studies on the collections of the Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale and the Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique have shown that Xenopus kigesiensis Tinsley, 1973 is synonymous with X. vestitus Laurent, 1972. Previously unrecognized representatives of the species have been found in the museum collections and these considerably enlarge the known geographical distribution of X. vestitus. Samples have been recorded principally from highland areas adjacent to the western Rift in Zaire, Uganda and Ruanda; comprehensive morphological analysis demonstrates relatively limited intraspecific variation throughout the known range.The distribution of X. vestitus overlaps with that of three other Xenopus taxa: X. laevis victorianus, X. bunyoniensis and a new Xenopus species. There is evidence from a large number of collections from widely separated localities that X. vestitus is commonly sympatric with X. l. victorianus. On the other hand, it is postulated that X. vestitus has recently invaded Lake Mutanda, Uganda, and has replaced the original X. bunyoniensis population during the past 30 years. The museum record provides a potential origin of this invasion: X. vestitus populations are well documented at Rutshuru, only 25 km downstream from Lake Mutanda.A comparison of the morphological characters of X. vestitus, X. l. victorianus and X. bunyoniensis is presented to provide information on the systematic relationships and possible ecological adaptations of the overlapping species.
Ecological genetics of an island population of the House mouse (Mus musculus)
Authors: Berry R. J. , Jakobson M. E. 
Published: August 2009

The House mouse (Mus musculus L.) population on the small Welsh island of Skokholm was founded in the 1890s when a few animals were inadvertently introduced. It has thrived ever since. The animals breed from late March to early October, during which time the population increases 8–10 fold. Winter survival is related to temperature: the spring population can be as low as 100 individuals after a cold winter; if the winter is warm, so many animals survive that high numbers may occur in the following autumn. There are no resident predators of the mice, and no other small mammals on the island.The population was sampled on 20 occasions between 1957 and 1972, and genetical changes measured by the incidences of non‐metrical skeletal variants (which describe a substantial proportion of the genome) and (from 1968–72) by allele and genotype frequencies of electrophoretically detected genes. Two sorts of changes occurred: an irregular but increasing deviation from the genetical composition of the population at the beginning of the study period, and an annual cycle with frequencies changing in one direction during the breeding season and the opposite direction in the winter. Samples collected in the autumn were more similar to each other than spring caught samples, which conforms with independent evidence about the differing environmental contributors to death in different winters, as compared with general homogeneity of mortality factors during the summers. It is concluded that the genetical composition of the population is largely dependent on natural selection, although the agents and intensity of selection change with both seasons and years.
A study of oestrus and fecundity in a laboratory colony of Mouse opossums (Marmosa robinsoni)
Authors: Godfrey Gillian K. 
Published: August 2009

Twenty wild caught Mouse opossums Marmosa robinsoni Bangs 1898 formed the basis of a laboratory colony which was maintained at the Brookfield Zoo during 1971–3. Approximately 250 young including 3rd‐generation descendants were produced. M. robinsoni is polyoestrous with a mean cycle length of 25.5±0.5 days. Vaginal oestrus, which normally lasts three days, is accompanied by a pronounced cycle of cornification and mucification. During this period large numbers of desquamated epithelial cells and mucus are found in the urine. Females are sexually receptive 24 hours before cornified cells first appear in the urine and receptivity lasts two to four days. Fertile copulation takes place throughout this period. Ovulation is spontaneous and occurs late in oestrus. The mean number of corpora lutea recorded was 19.8±0.9 (n=23).Anovular cycles, associated with atresia of mature Graafian follicles, were found in approximately 25% of the females. The sterile cycles, which had a mean length of 15.6±0.7 days, were not always accompanied by a behavioural oestrus. Observations on the behaviour of introduced pairs provided direct evidence of sexual incompatibility. Sexual incompatibility was found to have been responsible for at least 10% of the unsuccessful pairings recorded during the study.There were no indications in the Brookfield colony of the decline in productivity among laboratory‐bred animals reported in other Marmosa colonies. Litter‐sizes and litter‐rates in the F1 and F2 generations did not differ from those in the wild‐caught generation. However, the fact that only one out of three pairings produced young suggests that productivity in the colony was lower than in the wild. The cause of this low productivity was not established.
Non‐resinous secretions of the lac insect Kerria lacca (Homoptera‐Coccoidea)
Authors: Haque M. S. 
Published: August 2009

The place of origin, sequence of appearance and the shape of various non‐resinous secretions during the entire life cycle of both male and female lac insects, have been described here. Properties of the secretions found in the adult female are also given.A total of 20 non‐resinous secretions has been found in Kerria lacca. Fourteen of these secretions–dorsal relic, pencils, brachial mass, large anal hairs, short anal hairs, brachial core, major spiracular secretion, minor spiracular secretion, non‐stalked girdle fibres, stalked girdle fibres, thin ventral patch, oral lobe secretion, brachial marginal secretion and cavaera secretion–are present both in male and female lac insects. Three secretions– opercular secretion, canella secretion and caudal filaments–occur only in the male while the remaining three–ventrolateral compact flat fibres, ventrolateral long coiled threads and perivaginal fine filaments–occur only in the female.Two types of non‐resinous secretions, 13 waxy and four non‐waxy, occur in female K. lacca. The dorsal relic, pencils and their modifications (anal tubercular splint and anal tubercular shield), brachial mass, large anal hairs, short anal hairs, major spiracular secretion, minor spiracular secretion, non‐stalked girdle fibres, thin ventral patch, oral lobe secretion, brachial marginal secretion, cavaera secretion and ventrolateral compact flat fibres are waxy in nature, whereas the brachial core, stalked girdle fibres, ventrolateral long coiled threads and perivaginal fine filaments are non‐waxy.
The Green sea turtle (Chelonia my das); collection, incubation and hatching of eggs from natural rookeries
Authors: Simon Marlin H. 
Published: August 2009

In the absence of existing farm stocks to draw on, a pioneer farm must obtain its foundation material from the wild, but with as little disturbance to wild populations as possible.This paper describes the collection in 1971–73, with the approval of the appropriate authorities, of 188,568 eggs of the Green sea turtle from beaches on Ascension Island, Guyana, Surinam and Costa Rica for hatching at the Mariculture Ltd farm on Grand Cayman Island, BWI. Almost all of these eggs came from nests doomed by tidal washout or volcanic sand so that the loss of hatchlings to the wild was small in comparison with the number of eggs collected.
The jump of Petrobius (Thysanura, Machilidae)
Authors: Evans M. E. G. 
Published: August 2009

The jump of the sea‐shore bristletails, Petrobius brevistylis and P. maritimus, has been investigated. A brief study of jumping distance and orientation showed that jumping behaviour was partly random, particularly with regard to the direction of a jump. A high speed cine camera was used to analyse both forward and backward jumps. The jumping action consists of a tail beat which reflects the strong depression of the posterior abdomen. This swings up the anterior part of the body, including the centre of gravity. The model suggested to explain this action proposes two movements spreading from either end of the bristletail: 1. A straightening of the abdomen starting posteriorly, 2. An increasing ventral curvature of the thorax starting anteriorly. Movement 1 will account for the raising of the centre of gravity, and the rapidity of movement 2 will determine the final direction of the jump.The muscular basis of these movements has been discussed using the data of Manton (1972), Barlet (1967) and Bitsch (1973). A catapult system was proposed which depended on the dynamic balance between two abdominal muscular systems. It was suggested that the dorsal longitudinal muscles were antagonised by the deep oblique muscles. A short study of the energetics of jumping was made in order to estimate the times needed for sufficient energy to be stored for particular jumps. These times were then compared with known times spent by Petrobius in the cocked (energy storing) pre‐jump position.
Blood volume of the ascidian Pyura praeputialis
Authors: GODDARD C. K. 
Published: August 2009

Blood dilution curves have been obtained by injecting 125I labelled albumin and 125I labelled gamma‐globulin into the blood of Pyura praeputialis. After mixing is complete the dilution curve shows a two‐stepped pattern.There is some question as to how the two steps of the curve should be interpreted. The first step has been extrapolated to give blood volume s.s., i.e. volume of the vessels, sinuses and lacunae of the vascular system. Values for this range from 30% to 45 % of body weight, with a mean value of 35%.The second step has been extrapolated to give total extracellular fluid volume, i.e. blood volume plus interstitial fluid volume. Values for this range from 21 % to 52 % of body weight, the average being 38 %.The interstitial space ranges from 15 % to 32 % of the weight of the visceral mass, the average being 23 %.The rationale for the above interpretation of the dilution curve is stated and discussed. Most reliable is extracellular fluid volume which probably corresponds to the blood volume of other invertebrates with open systems.An attempt was made to assess the relative importance of (a) the visceral circuit and (b) the tunic circuit, by comparing the specific activities of the visceral mass and the tunic. The specific activities indicate little or no blood in the tunic circuit: this result is suspect.
Macquarie Island House mice: A genetical isolate on a sub‐Antarctic island
Authors: BERRY R. J. , PETERS JOSEPHINE 
Published: August 2009

Macquarie Island (54°37'S; 158°54'E) lies half‐way between Australia and the Antarctic Continent, 400 miles from the nearest land. Its climate is wet, windy, cool and cloudy. The mean annual temperature is 4.7°C, and ranges only from 3.1°C in the coldest month to 6.7°C in the warmest. Despite these inclement conditions, House mice (Mux museulus) live over most of the island (up to at least 1000 feet), and apparently thrive. They breed all the year round. Their diet seems to be largely the seeds of the Macquarie cabbage (Stilocarpa polaris), supplemented by insects.The object of the study was to determine the effect of life in an equable but stressful environment for the mice. The animals were not remarkable in any morphological traits, although they were fairly large and had relatively short tails. However six of 17 gene‐loci investigated electrophoretically were polymorphic. The average heterozygosity was 6.8%, similar to mice living under much more fluctuating conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. The frequency of the Hbbd allele decreased from 71 ± 6 % in mice under three months of age to 54±5% in older ones. This change was most marked in animals caught well away from human habitation.
Adaptation and adaptability in wild‐living House mice (Mus musculus)
Authors: BERRY R. J. , JAKOBSON M. E. 
Published: August 2009

House mice (Mus musculus L.) have successfully colonized a wide variety of habitats throughout the world. In part this is due to their ability to adapt genetically to new situations; in part to their physiological flexibility. The most important part of this individual adaptability is the response to low temperatures.Cold tolerance seems to be largely metabolic in mice, and can be detected by an increase in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and an ability to mobilize body reserves, to some extent indicated by the amount of brown fat. In addition, the relative surface area of the body, and the amount of heat radiating tissue (especially tail length) are important. The paper presents data from both feral and commensal populations of mice, and from a range of habitats which are likely to be stressful to the animals. Most of these (from Macquarie Island in the Australian sub‐Antarctic, from islands in the Faroe, Shetland and Orkney groups, from Skokholm off the Welsh coast, and localities on the British mainland) are based on single samples, but we have also included data from one genetically closed population (the Isle of May) where we have sampled the same population on a number of different occasions throughout the year.All the haematocrit values except one (a mid‐winter value from the Isle of May) fall within the range in different inbred mouse strains, although the haemoglobin concentrations were mostly higher than those in laboratory mice. However the wide range of haematological values in genetically different strains kept in a constant environment shows the fallacy of using absolute physiological values as measures of adaptability. This in turn highlights the importance of using a range of phenotypic traits to indicate response to environmental pressures–both physiological and genetical. We obtained a greater accuracy of allocation of individuals into age, genetical, or survivorship groups when using a number of traits in a multiple discriminant analysis, than when only considering single characters.
The diet and dentition of Smooth newt larvae (Triturus vulgaris)
Authors: BELL GRAHAM 
Published: August 2009

This paper describes the dentition and diet of a population of Smooth newt larvae. The development of the teeth and their increase in number with age are discussed. The number of teeth on all five tooth‐bearing bones appear to be controlled by a single developmental system. Young larvae eat chydorids, daphniids and cyclopoid copepods; after they reach a total length of about 15 mm, chironomid larvae comprise the greater part of the diet. In the study population, ostracods were not eaten, and cannibalism was not observed. There was no tendency for larger larvae to select larger individuals of a given species of prey.It is suggested that the exponential rate of growth in weight forces larvae of more than about 15 mm total length to switch from passive to active hunting. This enables them to catch larger prey, at the expense of incurring a higher rate of mortality. This increase in mortality is associated with a reduction in the variation of morphological characters, including dentition, which is thought to be caused by natural selection. The function of different components of the dentition are discussed. It was found that larvae of a given age which have more teeth than average have in their guts fewer prey than average, and an explanation is suggested.