scholarly journals Modeling current and potential distributions of mammal species using presence‐only data: A case study on British deer

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (15) ◽  
pp. 8724-8735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Croft ◽  
Alastair I. Ward ◽  
James N. Aegerter ◽  
Graham C. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Mammal Species ◽  
Current And Potential Distributions

scholarly journals Pervasive adaptation in Plasmodium-interacting proteins in mammals

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily R. Ebel ◽  
Natalie Telis ◽  
Sandeep Venkataram ◽  
Dmitri A. Petrov ◽  
David Enard
Keyword(s):  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Interacting Proteins ◽  
Mammalian Evolution ◽  
Immune Functions ◽  
Host Proteins ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasites ◽  
Alpha Spectrin ◽  
Fold Excess

AbstractThe protozoan genus Plasmodium causes malaria in dozens of mammal species, including humans, non-human primates, rodents, and bats. In humans, Plasmodium infections have caused hundreds of millions of documented deaths, imposing strong selection on certain populations and driving the emergence of several resistance alleles. Over the deep timescale of mammalian evolution, however, little is known about host adaptation to Plasmodium. In this work, we expand the collection of known Plasmodium-interacting-proteins (PIPs) in mammalian hosts from ~10 to 410, by manually curating thousands of scientific abstracts. We use comparative tests of adaptation to show that PIPs have experienced >3 times more positive selection than similar mammalian proteins, consistent with Plasmodium as a major and long-standing selective pressure. PIP adaptation is strongly linked to gene expression in the blood, liver, and lung, all of which are clinically relevant tissues in Plasmodium infection. Interestingly, we find that PIPs with immune functions are especially enriched for additional interactions with viruses or bacteria, which together drive a 3.7-fold excess of adaptation. These pleiotropic interactions with unrelated pathogens, along with pressure from other Plasmodium-like Apicomplexan parasites, may help explain the PIP adaptation we observe in all clades of the mammalian tree. As a case study, we also show that alpha-spectrin, the major membrane component of mammalian red blood cells, has experienced accelerated adaptation in domains known to interact specifically with Plasmodium proteins. Similar interactions with Plasmodium-like parasites appear to have driven substantial adaptation in hundreds of host proteins throughout mammalian evolution.

scholarly journals Assessing Risks to Wildlife from Free-Roaming Hybrid Cats: The Proposed Introduction of Pet Savannah Cats to Australia as a Case Study

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. Dickman ◽  
Sarah M. Legge ◽  
John C. Z. Woinarski
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Felis Catus ◽  
Domestic Cat ◽  
Australian Government ◽  
Decision Framework ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Terrestrial Mammal ◽  
The Family ◽  
Different Levels

Hybrid cats—created by crossing different species within the family Felidae—are popular pets, but they could potentially threaten native species if they escape and establish free-roaming populations. To forestall this possibility, the Australian government imposed a specific ban on importation of the savannah cat, a hybrid created by crossing the domestic cat Felis catus and serval Leptailurus serval, in 2008. We develop a decision–framework that identifies those species of non-volant native mammals in Australia that would likely have been susceptible to predation by savannah cats if importation and establishment had occurred. We assumed that savannah cats would hunt ecologically similar prey to those that are depredated by both the domestic cat and the serval, and categorised native mammals as having different levels of susceptibility to predation by savannah cats based on their size, habitat range, and behaviour. Using this framework, we assessed savannah cats as likely to add at least 28 extant native mammal species to the 168 that are known already to be susceptible to predation by the domestic cat, posing a risk to 91% of Australia’s extant non-volant terrestrial mammal species (n = 216) and to 93% of threatened mammal species. The framework could be generalised to assess risks from any other hybrid taxa.

scholarly journals The Estimation Loss and Gain of Mammal Species Diversity due to Oil Palm Plantations: A Case Study of BPME Estate, Riau, Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 00042
Author(s):  
Satrio Suryadi Nugroho ◽  
Yanto Santosa
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Data Retrieval ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Plantation Development ◽  
Mammal Diversity

The existence of palm oil plantation development allegedly resulted in a ecological losses, including the sustainability of mammalian diversity. So far the ecological losses to the diversity of wildlife species, especially mammals, have not been widely known. Therefore, in February 2018 a direct observation was conducted at 5 observation paths with Strip Transect Method and simultaneous data retrieval, three repetitions at 8.00-10.00 a.m. and 16.00-18.00 p.m. In addition, there are 10 Rodentia traps and 15 camera traps on each observation path. The analysis results obtained the total number of species and wealth of the highest species on oil palm plantation cover. The highest similarity index was obtained from young-aged oil palm (IS = 0.67) and the lowest commonality index was in old-aged oil palm (IS = 0.50). On the other hand, the old-aged oil palm has the highest value of mammal diversity and the lowest loss value, while the young-aged oil palm has the lowest mammal diversity value. Overall, land cover changes to oil palm plantations have a positive impact due to the addition of two species of mammals and the value of species diversity did not change significantly.

scholarly journals Accuracy of identifications of mammal species from camera trap images: A northern Australian case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa C. Potter ◽  
Christopher J. Brady ◽  
Brett P. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Camera Trap ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Australian Case

scholarly journals Priority ranking of road sites for mitigating wildlife roadkill

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 149-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Bager ◽  
Clarissa Alves da Rosa
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Government Institutions ◽  
Priority Ranking ◽  
Trained Personnel ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Ranking Index

We propose a ranking index to assign priorities to sites for implementation of measures to mitigate wildlife roadkill. We conducted a case study along 34 km of highway BR 392 in Southern Brazil. We compared priority sites established only according to roadkill rates, with those defined by our index. The index used four parameters: the richness of target species, diversity of roadkilled species, roadkill rate of target species, and presence of endangered species. Although it is impossible to protect the entire community of vertebrates affected by roadkill, we defined nine target species, five mammals and four reptiles. For each parameter, we defined coefficients ranging between 0 and 3. There was a significant change in the priorities of sites for implementing mitigation devices, which caused changes in the species that were protected. The definition of priority sites by considering only the roadkill rate protected reptiles especially, to the detriment of all mammal species, including endangered species. Sites with high roadkill rates continued to be among the most important for conservation, but the index diluted the effect of this parameter, changing the ranking. This ranking index can be an effective tool to aid government institutions in decision-making, especially when more elaborate analyses are not feasible for reasons of time, resources, or lack of trained personnel.

The Genesis and Internal Dynamics of El Salvador's People's Revolutionary Army, 1970–1976

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (01) ◽  
pp. 102-129
Author(s):  
ALBERTO MARTÍN ÁLVAREZ ◽  
EUDALD CORTINA ORERO
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
El Salvador ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Internal Dynamics ◽  
Internal Coherence ◽  
The 1960S

AbstractUsing interviews with former militants and previously unpublished documents, this article traces the genesis and internal dynamics of the Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo (People's Revolutionary Army, ERP) in El Salvador during the early years of its existence (1970–6). This period was marked by the inability of the ERP to maintain internal coherence or any consensus on revolutionary strategy, which led to a series of splits and internal fights over control of the organisation. The evidence marshalled in this case study sheds new light on the origins of the armed Salvadorean Left and thus contributes to a wider understanding of the processes of formation and internal dynamics of armed left-wing groups that emerged from the 1960s onwards in Latin America.

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