Microsatellite markers reveal low frequency of natural hybridization between the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) in southern Quebec, Canada

Genome ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 454-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah S.T. Leo ◽  
Virginie Millien

In some parts of southern Quebec, two closely related rodent species — the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) — have recently come in contact because of climate-driven changes in the distribution of the former. Both species share similar morphology, ecology, and life history traits, which suggests that natural hybridization may be possible. Hybridization among these two species can have important implications on the ecological roles these rodents play in disease transmission, yet few researchers have attempted to examine this phenomenon and results from previous hybridization experiments have remained inconclusive and conflicting. In this study, we attempt to investigate the occurrence of hybridization among white-footed mice and deer mice in southern Quebec by genotyping wild caught specimens with selectively neutral, polymorphic microsatellite markers. Our analyses suggest that hybridization may be occurring at extremely low frequency between both species in our study area. The presence of such hybridization events, even at low frequencies, may have implications on disease transmission risk in the region and further detailed studies are necessary.

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (11) ◽  
pp. 1832-1835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Tessier ◽  
Sarah Noël ◽  
François-Joseph Lapointe

Morphometric measurements or biochemical methods are often required to differentiate deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845), from white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque, 1818), particularly when they are found in sympatry. However, these approaches cannot easily be applied to juveniles, or to degraded or ancient museum specimens. In this paper, we propose a rapid and non-invasive molecular approach to discriminate these cryptic species from one another. This technique relies on species-specific primers designed in the COIII mitochondrial region to amplify fragments of different lengths in each species. The method developed proved useful for the identification of ethanol-preserved, frozen, degraded, or dry museum specimens.


2003 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Stewart Lindquist ◽  
Charles F. Aquadro ◽  
Deedra McClearn ◽  
Kevin J. McGowan

Field identification of the White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis) and Long-tailed Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis) is difficult because of their similar external morphology. Peromyscus were sampled by live-trapping during a five-year period (1992-1996) at the Arnot Teaching and Research Forest, Van Etten, New York and identified to species by electrophoresis of their salivary amylase. No electromorphs were shared between P. leucopus and P. maniculatus, thus permitting unambiguous species identification of individuals. Means and ranges of four external measurements (ear, head-body, hind-foot, and tail) and tail to head-body ratio were determined for amylase-genotyped live mice. Although some body measurements did differ on average between the two species (ear, head-body, and tail for adults; hind-foot and tail for juveniles), the ranges of these overlap considerably. When the four external measurements (excluding the tail to head-body ratio) were used to construct two discriminant-function equations, they yielded correct identification of 80% of the adult P. l. noveboracensis and P. m. gracilis assessed excluding juveniles, and 71% of adult and juvenile mice combined. The function reported here allows partial field identification, but genetic analysis remains the only reliable field method for differentiation between live P. l. noveboracensis and P. m. gracilis. Includes erratum for a figure in this article.


2006 ◽  
Vol 87 (7) ◽  
pp. 1997-2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry W. Dragoo ◽  
J. Alden Lackey ◽  
Kathryn E. Moore ◽  
Enrique P. Lessa ◽  
Joseph A. Cook ◽  
...  

Phylogeographical partitioning of Sin Nombre and Monongahela viruses (hantaviruses) may reflect that of their primary rodent host, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Lack of a comprehensive assessment of phylogeographical variation of the host has precluded the possibility of predicting spatial limits of existing strains of these viruses or geographical regions where novel viral strains might emerge. The complete cytochrome b gene was sequenced for 206 deer mice collected from sites throughout North America to provide a foundation for future studies of spatial structure and evolution of this ubiquitous host. Bayesian analyses of these sequences partitioned deer mice into six largely allopatric lineages, some of which may represent unrecognized species. The geographical distributions of these lineages were probably shaped by Quaternary climatic events. Populations of mice were apparently restricted to refugia during glacial advances, where they experienced genetic divergence. Expansion of these populations, following climatic amelioration, brought genetically distinctive forms into contact. Occurrence of parallel changes in virus strains can now be explored in appropriate regions. In New Mexico, for example, near the location where Sin Nombre virus was first discovered, there are three genetically distinctive lineages of deer mice whose geographical ranges need to be delineated precisely. The phylogeography of P. maniculatus provides a framework for interpreting geographical variability, not only in hosts, but also in associated viral variants and disease transmission, and an opportunity to predict the potential geographical distribution of newly emerging viral strains.


2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (9) ◽  
pp. 771-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Cramer

This study explores foraging choices made by seed predators (white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis (Fischer, 1829), and woodland deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis (LeConte, 1855)) presented with seeds of two dominant tree species (sugar maple, Acer saccharum Marsh., and red maple, Acer rubrum L.). I hypothesized that both species would prefer A. saccharum seeds, as they are larger and ostensibly contain more energy. Although P. l. noveboracensis consumed more seed than P. m. gracilis, there was also a species-specific difference in preference. Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis clearly preferred A. rubrum over A. saccharum, whereas preferences of P. l. noveboracensis were less specific. Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis, being a habitat generalist, may demonstrate higher plasticity in response to different food types. Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis may prefer A. rubrum because of differences in nutrition, handling costs, or germination schedules, although this was not explicitly tested. This species-specific difference in preference indicates the common assumption that Peromyscus species are ecologically similar should be made with caution.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Divine Ekwem ◽  
Thomas A. Morrison ◽  
Richard Reeve ◽  
Jessica Enright ◽  
Joram Buza ◽  
...  

AbstractIn Africa, livestock are important to local and national economies, but their productivity is constrained by infectious diseases. Comprehensive information on livestock movements and contacts is required to devise appropriate disease control strategies; yet, understanding contact risk in systems where herds mix extensively, and where different pathogens can be transmitted at different spatial and temporal scales, remains a major challenge. We deployed Global Positioning System collars on cattle in 52 herds in a traditional agropastoral system in western Serengeti, Tanzania, to understand fine-scale movements and between-herd contacts, and to identify locations of greatest interaction between herds. We examined contact across spatiotemporal scales relevant to different disease transmission scenarios. Daily cattle movements increased with herd size and rainfall. Generally, contact between herds was greatest away from households, during periods with low rainfall and in locations close to dipping points. We demonstrate how movements and contacts affect the risk of disease spread. For example, transmission risk is relatively sensitive to the survival time of different pathogens in the environment, and less sensitive to transmission distance, at least over the range of the spatiotemporal definitions of contacts that we explored. We identify times and locations of greatest disease transmission potential and that could be targeted through tailored control strategies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1864) ◽  
pp. 20171670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly C. Womack ◽  
Jakob Christensen-Dalsgaard ◽  
Luis A. Coloma ◽  
Juan C. Chaparro ◽  
Kim L. Hoke

Sensory losses or reductions are frequently attributed to relaxed selection. However, anuran species have lost tympanic middle ears many times, despite anurans' use of acoustic communication and the benefit of middle ears for hearing airborne sound. Here we determine whether pre-existing alternative sensory pathways enable anurans lacking tympanic middle ears (termed earless anurans) to hear airborne sound as well as eared species or to better sense vibrations in the environment. We used auditory brainstem recordings to compare hearing and vibrational sensitivity among 10 species (six eared, four earless) within the Neotropical true toad family (Bufonidae). We found that species lacking middle ears are less sensitive to high-frequency sounds, however, low-frequency hearing and vibrational sensitivity are equivalent between eared and earless species. Furthermore, extratympanic hearing sensitivity varies among earless species, highlighting potential species differences in extratympanic hearing mechanisms. We argue that ancestral bufonids may have sufficient extratympanic hearing and vibrational sensitivity such that earless lineages tolerated the loss of high frequency hearing sensitivity by adopting species-specific behavioural strategies to detect conspecifics, predators and prey.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eve Afonso ◽  
Rong Fu ◽  
Amaël Dupaix ◽  
Anne-Claude Goydadin ◽  
ZhongHua Yu ◽  
...  

AbstractAn increasing number of studies have found that the implementation of feeding sites for wildlife-related tourism can affect animal health, behaviour and reproduction. Feeding sites can favour high densities, home range overlap, greater sedentary behaviour and increased interspecific contacts, all of which might promote parasite transmission. In the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti), human interventions via provisioning monkeys at specific feeding sites have led to the sub-structuring of a group into genetically differentiated sub-groups. The fed subgroup is located near human hamlets and interacts with domesticated animals. Using high-throughput sequencing, we investigated Entamoeba species diversity in a local host assemblage strongly influenced by provisioning for wildlife-related tourism. We identified 13 Entamoeba species or lineages in faeces of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, humans and domesticated animals (including pigs, cattle, and domestic chicken). In Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, Entamoeba prevalence and OTU richness were higher in the fed than in the wild subgroup. Entamoeba polecki was found in monkeys, pigs and humans, suggesting that this parasite might circulates between the wild and domestic components of this local social–ecological system. The highest proportion of faeces positive for Entamoeba in monkeys geographically coincided with the presence of livestock and humans. These elements suggest that feeding sites might indirectly play a role on parasite transmission in the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. The implementation of such sites should carefully consider the risk of creating hotspots of disease transmission, which should be prevented by maintaining a buffer zone between monkeys and livestock/humans. Regular screenings for pathogens in fed subgroup are necessary to monitor transmission risk in order to balance the economic development of human communities dependent on wildlife-related tourism, and the conservation of the endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.


Geophysics ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 854-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Ming Tang

A new technique for measuring elastic wave attenuation in the frequency range of 10–150 kHz consists of measuring low‐frequency waveforms using two cylindrical bars of the same material but of different lengths. The attenuation is obtained through two steps. In the first, the waveform measured within the shorter bar is propagated to the length of the longer bar, and the distortion of the waveform due to the dispersion effect of the cylindrical waveguide is compensated. The second step is the inversion for the attenuation or Q of the bar material by minimizing the difference between the waveform propagated from the shorter bar and the waveform measured within the longer bar. The waveform inversion is performed in the time domain, and the waveforms can be appropriately truncated to avoid multiple reflections due to the finite size of the (shorter) sample, allowing attenuation to be measured at long wavelengths or low frequencies. The frequency range in which this technique operates fills the gap between the resonant bar measurement (∼10 kHz) and ultrasonic measurement (∼100–1000 kHz). By using the technique, attenuation values in a PVC (a highly attenuative) material and in Sierra White granite were measured in the frequency range of 40–140 kHz. The obtained attenuation values for the two materials are found to be reliable and consistent.


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