scholarly journals Morphometrics of a wild Asian elephant exhibiting disproportionate dwarfism

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shermin de Silva ◽  
Udaya S Weerathunga ◽  
Tennekoon Pushpakumara
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Asian Elephant ◽  
Average Height ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Absolute Height ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Free Ranging

Dwarfism is a condition characterized by shorter stature, at times accompanied by differential skeletal growth proportions relative to the species-typical physical conformation. Causes vary and well-documented in humans as well as certain mammalian species in captive or laboratory conditions, but rarely observed in the wild. Here we report on a single case of apparent dwarfism in a free-ranging adult male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in Sri Lanka, comparing physical dimensions to those of other males in the same population, males in other populations, and records in previous literature. The subject was found to have a shoulder height of approximately 195cm, is shorter than the average height of typical mature males, with a body length of 218cm. This ratio of body length to height deviates from what is typically observed, which is approximately 1:1. In absolute height the subject was similar to the attributes of a captive elephant documented in 1955 in Sri Lanka, also said to be a dwarf, however the two specimens differed in the relative proportions of height vs. body length. The subject also exhibits a slight elongation of the skull. We discuss how this phenotype compares to cases of dwarfism in other non-human animals.

scholarly journals Morphometrics of a wild Asian elephant exhibiting disproportionate dwarfism

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shermin de Silva ◽  
U. Sameera Weerathunga ◽  
T. V. Pushpakumara
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Asian Elephant ◽  
Skeletal Growth ◽  
Elephas Maximus ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Physical Conformation

Dwarfism is a condition characterized by shorter stature, at times accompanied by differential skeletal growth proportions relative to the species-typical physical conformation. Causes vary and are well-documented in humans as well as certain mammalian species in captive or laboratory conditions, but rarely observed in the wild. Here we report on a single case of apparent dwarfism in a free-ranging adult male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in Sri Lanka, comparing physical dimensions to those of other males in the same population, males in other populations, and previous records. The subject was shorter than typical mature males, with a shoulder height of approximately 195cm and a body length of 218cm. This ratio of body length to height also deviates from what is typically observed, which is nearly 1:1. The subject also exhibits a slight elongation of the skull. We discuss how this phenotype compares to cases of dwarfism in other non-human animals.

scholarly journals Morphometrics of a wild Asian elephant exhibiting disproportionate dwarfism

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shermin de Silva ◽  
U. Sameera Weerathunga ◽  
T. V. Pushpakumara
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Asian Elephant ◽  
Skeletal Growth ◽  
Elephas Maximus ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Physical Conformation

Dwarfism is a condition characterized by shorter stature, at times accompanied by differential skeletal growth proportions relative to the species-typical physical conformation. Causes vary and are well-documented in humans as well as certain mammalian species in captive or laboratory conditions, but rarely observed in the wild. Here we report on a single case of apparent dwarfism in a free-ranging adult male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in Sri Lanka, comparing physical dimensions to those of other males in the same population, males in other populations, and previous records. The subject was shorter than typical mature males, with a shoulder height of approximately 195cm and a body length of 218cm. This ratio of body length to height also deviates from what is typically observed, which is nearly 1:1. The subject also exhibits a slight elongation of the skull. We discuss how this phenotype compares to cases of dwarfism in other non-human animals.

scholarly journals How tall is an elephant? Two methods for estimating elephant height

Web Ecology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Della Rocca
Keyword(s):  
Field Studies ◽  
Height Distribution ◽  
African Elephants ◽  
Linear Distance ◽  
Elephant Population ◽  
Photo Camera ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Absolute Height ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Geometric Formula

Abstract. Shoulder height is a reliable indicator of age for African elephants (Loxodonta africana), and is therefore an important parameter to be recorded in field studies of population ecology of these pachyderms. However, it can be somewhat difficult to estimate with precision the shoulder height of free-ranging elephants because of several reasons, including the presence of drops and vegetation cover and the potential dangerousness of approaching them in the wild. Here I test two alternative models for estimating shoulder height of elephants. In both models, the equipment needed to generate the height estimates is minimal, and include a telemeter and a digital photo-camera furnished with an ×16 zoom. The models are based respectively on a linear regression approach and on a geometric formula approach, and put into a relationship the linear distance between the observer and the animal, the number of pixels of an elephant silhouette as taken from digital photos, and the absolute height of the animal. Both methods proved to have a very small measurement error, and were thus reliable for field estimates of elephant shoulder heights. The model based on a geometric formula was used to estimate the shoulder height distribution of an elephant population in a savannah region of West Africa (Zakouma National Park, Chad). I demonstrated that Zakouma elephants were among the tallest populations in Africa, with growth rates being highest throughout the first five years of life.

scholarly journals Non-breeding feather concentrations of testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol are associated with subsequent survival in wild house sparrows

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1733) ◽  
pp. 1560-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Koren ◽  
Shinichi Nakagawa ◽  
Terry Burke ◽  
Kiran K. Soma ◽  
Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Darwinian Fitness ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Subject ◽  
As Stress

Potential mechanistic mediators of Darwinian fitness, such as stress hormones or sex hormones, have been the focus of many studies. An inverse relationship between fitness and stress or sex hormone concentrations has been widely assumed, although empirical evidence is scarce. Feathers gradually accumulate hormones during their growth and provide a novel way to measure hormone concentrations integrated over time. Using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, we measured testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol in the feathers of house sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) in a wild population which is the subject of a long-term study. Although corticosterone is considered the dominant avian glucocorticoid, we unambiguously identified cortisol in feathers. In addition, we found that feathers grown during the post-nuptial moult in autumn contained testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol levels that were significantly higher in birds that subsequently died over the following winter than in birds that survived. Thus, feather steroids are candidate prospective biomarkers to predict the future survival of individuals in the wild.

scholarly journals Improved Trapping and Handling of an Arboreal, Montane Mammal: Red Panda Ailurus fulgens

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 921
Author(s):  
Damber Bista ◽  
Sonam Tashi Lama ◽  
Janno Weerman ◽  
Ang Phuri Sherpa ◽  
Purushotam Pandey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Success Rate ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Morphometric Data ◽  
Field Identification ◽  
Red Panda ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Chest Girth ◽  
Ailurus Fulgens

It is sometimes essential to have an animal in the hand to study some of their ecological and biological characteristics. However, capturing a solitary, cryptic, elusive arboreal species such as the red panda in the wild is challenging. We developed and successfully tested a protocol for tracking, trapping, immobilization, and handling of red pandas in the wild in eastern Nepal. We established a red panda sighting rate of 0.89 panda/day with a capture success rate of 0.6. We trapped and collared one animal in 3.7 days. On average, we took nearly 136 (range 50–317) min to capture an animal after spotting it. Further processing was completed in 38.5 (21–70) min. Before capture, we found it difficult to recognize the sex of the red panda and to differentiate sub-adults above six months from adults. However, body weight, body length, tail length, shoulder height, and chest girth can be used for diagnosis, as these attributes are smaller in sub-adults. Our method is a welfare-friendly way of trapping and handling wild red pandas. We report new morphometric data that could serve as a guide for field identification.

scholarly journals Evaluación del discurso narrativo en pacientes con daño cerebral leve

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Ana María Cachón
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Speech Analysis ◽  
Recovery Stage ◽  
Language Therapist ◽  
Speech Evaluation ◽  
Mild Brain Injury ◽  
Oral Speech ◽  
The Subject

In clinical practice there are few test that language therapist can use for the oral speech evaluation. The battery that has been frecuently used for the aphasia assessment, doesn´t usually give us this type of data, and when it happens, it is just a global description of the language of the subject, which doesn't make possible a detailed pursuit of the evolution. The relevance of linguistic production´s assessment becomes more evident in the study of patients with mild injury as well as when patient is in an advanced recovery stage. An assessment without a speech analysis uses to overestimate the subject's capacities and usually ends in an incomplete and inadequate intervention. The aim of the present work was to review different studies that include the narrative speech as part of the assessment, and to explore, with the study of a single case, some applications in this kind of studies for language evaluation in mild brain injury patients.

scholarly journals Correlation of morphological parameters of donkey from Austria

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Darko Drobnjak ◽  
Radka Vlaeva ◽  
Goran Stanišić ◽  
Radomir Mandić ◽  
Natalija Grittner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Good Reason ◽  
Statistical Correlation ◽  
Head Length ◽  
Chest Circumference ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Face Width ◽  
Equus Asinus ◽  
Almost All

The donkey, as a work animal, is gradually losing its value. Agriculture industrialization, mechanization of many processes on mountain and valley farms have lead to a reduction of donkey livestock. This reduction gives cause for concern, and is good reason to study all aspects of these domestic animals in order to revive its role, to restart livestock growth in its familiar habitats, and to introduce it into new environments. This study focuses on these aspects. The domestic donkey (Equus asinus) originated from Africa, and there are two kinds of African donkeys: Nubian and Somali. Their enormous, almost mystical, endurance is well known. There is no place in the world where a donkey is not able to perform the most difficult work, above all in transporting goods. A donkey has an amazing capability of stable movement through the most difficult places. For study sample consisted of 44 donkeys (28 males and 16 females) from Austria. The following morphometric parameters were analysed: height at the withers, height at the back, height of the croup, body length, chest depth, chest width, chest circumference anterior, chest circumference posterior, shin circumference, head length, skull length, face length, skull width, face width, length of ears. Measurements were performed using a ruler, tape measure and vernier callipers. The average height at the withers of males was 116.40 cm, ranging from 99.60 to 140.60 cm, while for females, the average was 102.38 cm, ranging from 90.50 to 125.70 cm. Body length of males was on average 121.85 cm with a standard deviation of 11.79, while the mean body length for females is 115.80 cm, with a range of 101.00 to 131.00 cm. Male head length ranged from 48.00 to 71.00 cm, with an average of 55.60 cm, while in females, head length was on average 50.06 cm, ranging from 43.00 to 56.00 cm. Using the Pearson correlation, a very significant or significant positive statistical correlation was observed between almost all parameters of males, while for females, Pearson correlation values had slightly different values than for males. There was no statistically significant correlation between chest width and anterior chest circumference with nearly any other parameters. For females, a negative correlation between the skull width and all other parameters was also observed.

scholarly journals Interim European surveillance case definition for anthrax

2001 ◽  
Vol 5 (44) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Nicoll
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
European Union ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
National Surveillance ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Health Centres ◽  
The Subject

The heads of national surveillance and public health centres, at a meeting in Luxembourg on 30 October 2001, agreed an interim surveillance case definition for anthrax for Europe (box). While anthrax is not formally notifiable internationally at the present time (click here), it was agreed that ascertainment of a single case of confirmed or probable human anthrax should be the subject of an “early warning” within the European Union under the provision of Decision no. 2119/98/EC of 24 September 1998 (Network Decision).

Social Constructionism and the Role of the Unconscious in Hypnotic Responding: A Single Case Experiment

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-163
Author(s):  
David P. Fourie
Keyword(s):  
Social Constructionism ◽  
Cognitive Process ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Wide Acceptance ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Unconscious Mind

AbstractThere seems to be wide acceptance by both professionals and lay people that hypnotic and especially hypnotherapeutic responding is based on the long-standing but still hypothetical dichotomy between the conscious and unconscious minds. In this simplistic view, hypnotic suggestions are considered to bypass consciousness to reach the unconscious mind, there to have the intended effect. This article reports on a single-case experiment investigating the involvement of the unconscious in hypnotherapeutic responding. In this case the subject responded positively to suggestions that could not have reached the unconscious, indicating that the unconscious was not involved in such responding. An alternative view is proposed, namely that hypnotherapeutic responding involves a cognitive process in which a socially constructed new understanding of the problem behaviour and of hypnosis, based on the client's existing attribution of meaning, is followed by action considered appropriate to the new understanding and which then confirms this understanding, leading to behaviour change.

Letters to the Editor

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1958 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 1023-1023
Author(s):  
PAUL K. LOSCH
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Letters To The Editor ◽  
The Subject

Unfortunately, we have not kept records, which would justify publication under the critical eye of the statistician, on the subject of frenectomy. Nonetheless, I believe the fact that we have not seen a single case in this clinic in over 14 years where we felt justified in interfering surgically supports our strong clinical conviction against this operation. We have not closed our minds completely but are convinced that in most cases the diastema existing between the superior central incisors is an inherent congenital pattern rather than a developmental accident due to the insertion of the frenulum.

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