Morphological and histochemical features of the duodenal glands in six marsupial species

1973 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Krause
Keyword(s):  
Duodenal Glands ◽  
Marsupial Species

Interspecific variation of zona pellucida glycoconjugates in several species of marsupial

Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 111-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Chapman ◽  
OW Wiebkin ◽  
WG Breed
Keyword(s):  
Glycine Max ◽  
Sialic Acid ◽  
Zona Pellucida ◽  
Fluorescein Isothiocyanate ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Lectin Histochemistry ◽  
Sialic Acids ◽  
Arachis Hypogea ◽  
Marsupial Species ◽  
Similar Intensity

The zona pellucida glycoconjugate content of several marsupial species was investigated using differential lectin histochemistry. Ovaries from fat-tailed dunnarts, a southern brown bandicoot, grey short-tailed opossums, brushtail possums, ringtail possums, koalas and eastern grey kangaroos were fixed, embedded in paraffin wax, sectioned and stained with ten fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated lectins. Sections were also incubated with either neuraminidase or saponified, respectively, before incubation with the lectins to identify saccharide residues masked by sialic acids or O-acetyl groups on sialic acids. The zonae pellucidae surrounding the oocytes of the marsupials demonstrated interspecific variation in glycoconjugate content, with mannose-containing glycoconjugates exhibiting the greatest variation. Some of the zona pellucida glycoconjugates of all species, except those of the opossums, were masked by sialic acid with an increase in fluorescence with lectins from Arachis hypogea (PNA), and Glycine max (SBA), after desialylation. The disaccharide beta-galactose(1-4)N-acetyl-D-glucosamine appeared to be conformationally masked by O-acetyl groups of sialic acids in the zonae pellucidae of all species, with an increase in fluorescence with the lectin from Erythrina cristagalli (ECA), after saponification. Similar intensity and localization of beta-(1-4)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, as shown by staining of the lectin from Triticum vulgaris (WGA), to the inner and outer regions of the zona pellucida, were found to those reported in eutherian species. WGA fluorescence became uniform throughout the zonae pellucidae after saponification, indicating differential O-acetylation of sialic acids on the internal compartment of the zonae pellucidae.

Population and Conservation Genetics of Marsupials

1989 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 161 ◽  
Author(s):  
WB Sherwin ◽  
ND Murray
Keyword(s):  
Population Genetics ◽  
Conservation Genetics ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Effective Size ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Census Size ◽  
Electrophoretic Data ◽  
Marsupial Species ◽  
Small Effective Size ◽  
Census Number

This article summarises current knowledge of marsupial population genetics, and discusses its relevance to the conservation of marsupial species. It has been suggested that there is much lower genetic variation within marsupial populations than in eutherian mammals. This trend is not evident in the electrophoretic data summarised here. However, genetic differentiation between populations, subspecies, and species of marsupials appears to be slightly lower than comparable values for eutherians. Genetic estimates of migration between populations are scarce at present, but show values that are comparable with eutherians. Some studies of marsupial population genetics have used non-electrophoretic characteristics, or have addressed the possibility of selection on the characters analysed. Although few, these studies indicate the suitability of marsupials for such investigations. Recent debate over the theories and applications of conservation genetics has made it clear that more research is required on individual species. Given the record of extinction of marsupials in the last 200 years, it is important to test the applicability of these theories to individual marsupial species. Several examples are discussed emphasising the need for ecological studies that estimate the effective number of reproducing individuals per generation. This figure, called the effective size, is the corner- stone of conservation genetics theory, being an important determinant of both the rate of loss of variation between individuals, and the rate of inbreeding. The effective size of the mainland population of the eastern barred bandicoot, Perameles gunnii, appears to be only about one-tenth of its census number. This result is comparable with estimates made in other vertebrates, and demonstrates that many marsupial species which appear to have an adequate census size on ecological grounds may face genetic problems resulting from small effective size.

scholarly journals Severe Loss of Suitable Climatic Conditions for Marsupial Species in Brazil: Challenges and Opportunities for Conservation

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. e46257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael D. Loyola ◽  
Priscila Lemes ◽  
Frederico V. Faleiro ◽  
Joaquim Trindade-Filho ◽  
Ricardo B. Machado
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Severe Loss ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Marsupial Species

Duodenal Glands of the Pony (Equus caballus)

1991 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Takehana ◽  
J. Masty ◽  
M. Abe ◽  
M. Yamaguchi
Keyword(s):  
Equus Caballus ◽  
Duodenal Glands

scholarly journals Individual variation of the masticatory system dominates 3D skull shape in the herbivory-adapted marsupial wombats

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Weisbecker ◽  
Thomas Guillerme ◽  
Cruise Speck ◽  
Emma Sherratt ◽  
Hyab Mehari Abraha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Variation ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Mandibular Ramus ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Skull Shape ◽  
Marsupial Species ◽  
Masticatory System ◽  
The Individual

AbstractBackgroundWithin-species skull shape variation of marsupial mammals is widely considered low and strongly size-dependent (allometric), possibly due to developmental constraints arising from the altricial birth of marsupials. However, species whose skulls are impacted by strong muscular stresses – particularly those produced through mastication of tough food items – may not display such intrinsic patterns very clearly because of the known plastic response of bone to muscle activity of the individual. In such cases, shape variation should not be dominated by allometry; ordination of shape in a geometric morphometric context through principal component analysis (PCA) should reveal main variation in areas under masticatory stress (incisor region/zygomatic arches/mandibular ramus); but this main variation should emerge from high individual variability and thus have low eigenvalues.ResultsWe assessed the evidence for high individual variation through 3D geometric morphometric shape analysis of crania and mandibles of thre species of grazing-specialized wombats, whose diet of tough grasses puts considerable strain on their masticatory system. As expected, we found little allometry and low Principal Component 1 (PC1) eigenvalues within crania and mandibles of all three species. Also as expected, the main variation was in the muzzle, zygomatic arches, and masticatory muscle attachments of the mandibular ramus. We then implemented a new test to ask if the landmark variation reflected on PC1 was reflected in individuals with opposite PC1 scores and with opposite shapes in Procrustes space. This showed that correspondence between individual and ordinated shape variation was limited, indicating high levels of individual variability in the masticatory apparatus.DiscussionOur results are inconsistent with hypotheses that skull shape variation within marsupial species reflects a constraint pattern. Rather, they support suggestions that individual plasticity can be an important determinant of within-species shape variation in marsupials (and possibly other mammals) with high masticatory stresses, making it difficult to understand the degree to which intrinsic constraint act on shape variation at the within-species level. We conclude that studies that link micro- and macroevolutionary patterns of shape variation might benefit from a focus on species with low-impact mastication, such as carnivorous or frugivorous species.

scholarly journals Cortical plasticity following stripe rearing in the marsupialMonodelphis domestica: neural response properties of V1

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 566-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Dooley ◽  
Michaela S. Donaldson ◽  
Leah A. Krubitzer
Keyword(s):  
Visual System ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Sensory Experience ◽  
Monodelphis Domestica ◽  
Visual Environment ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Response Properties ◽  
Dependent Plasticity ◽  
Marsupial Species

The functional organization of the primary visual area (V1) and the importance of sensory experience in its normal development have been well documented in eutherian mammals. However, very few studies have investigated the response properties of V1 neurons in another large class of mammals, or whether sensory experience plays a role in shaping their response properties. Thus we reared opossums ( Monodelphis domestica) in normal and vertically striped cages until they reached adulthood. They were then anesthetized using urethane, and electrophysiological techniques were used to examine neuronal responses to different orientations, spatial and temporal frequencies, and contrast levels. For normal opossums, we observed responses to the temporal and spatial characteristics of the stimulus to be similar to those described in small, nocturnal, eutherian mammals such as rats and mice; neurons in V1 responded maximally to stimuli at 0.09 cycles per degree and 2.12 cycles per second. Unlike other eutherians, but similar to other marsupials investigated, only 40% of the neurons were orientation selective. In stripe-reared animals, neurons were significantly more likely to respond to vertical stimuli at a wider range of spatial frequencies, and were more sensitive to gratings at lower contrast values compared with normal animals. These results are the first to demonstrate experience-dependent plasticity in the visual system of a marsupial species. Thus the ability of cortical neurons to alter their properties based on the dynamics of the visual environment predates the emergence of eutherian mammals and was likely present in our earliest mammalian ancestors.NEW & NOTEWORTHY These results are the first description of visual response properties of the most commonly studied marsupial model organism, the short-tailed opossum ( Monodelphis domestica). Further, these results are the first to demonstrate experience-dependent plasticity in the visual system of a marsupial species. Thus the ability of cortical neurons to alter their properties based on the dynamics of the visual environment predates the emergence of eutherian mammals and was likely present in our earliest mammalian ancestors.

Histochemistry of the duodenal glands of the cat and horse

1976 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Oduor-Okelo
Keyword(s):  
Duodenal Glands

Conservation of a chromosome arm in two distantly related marsupial species

2009 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mohammadi ◽  
M.L. Delbridge ◽  
P.D. Waters ◽  
J.A. Marshall Graves
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Arm ◽  
Marsupial Species

Gonadal sex differentiation in the neonatal marsupial, Monodelphis domestica

Development ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 699-703
Author(s):  
P.J. Baker ◽  
H.D. Moore ◽  
L.M. Penfold ◽  
A.M. Burgess ◽  
U. Mittwoch
Keyword(s):  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Tunica Albuginea ◽  
Histological Study ◽  
Sex Differentiation ◽  
In Utero ◽  
Monodelphis Domestica ◽  
Gonadal Differentiation ◽  
Marsupial Species

A quantitative and histological study of the gonads of newborn grey short-tailed opossums, Monodelphis domestica, is described. The pups were karyotyped, and comparisons were made within litters segregating for XX and XY sex chromosomes. A total of four litters including 25 pups were available. On the day of birth, developing testes were significantly larger than the ovaries of litter mates, and testes could be histologically distinguished by the formation of sex cords and a tunica albuginea. The data suggest that in this marsupial species gonadal differentiation may be initiated in utero.

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