Relationships between external morphology and foraging behaviour: bats in the genus Myotis

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (6) ◽  
pp. 1004-1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Brock Fenton ◽  
Wieslaw Bogdanowicz
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
External Morphology ◽  
Morphometric Study ◽  
Genetic Analyses ◽  
Phylogenetic Perspective

A morphometric study of 41 species of Myotis revealed significant associations between morphological features and foraging styles, namely aerial feeding, gleaning, feeding over water, and trawling. Aerial feeders have small hind feet, short calcars, short ears, and narrow tragi. Gleaners have small hind feet, long ears, and wide tragi and tend to be larger in body size. Bats that feed over water have large hind feet, short calcars, short ears, and narrow tragi and tend to be smaller in body size. Trawlers have large hind feet and long calcars and tend to be larger in body size. The morphometric analysis also confirmed that some species of Myotis were intermediate in morphological features, coincid ing with alternation between foraging styles. The results support the view that the morphological features previously used to assign Myotis species to subgenera are more functional than phylogenetic, a position supported by recent genetic analyses. Examination of foraging styles from a phylogenetic perspective suggests that aerial feeding is ancestral and that subsequent diversification has been associated with partitioning and specialization into either gleaning or foraging over water and trawling. When the predictions from the multivariate analysis of the data for the genus Myotis are used with data from other bats, they suggest that 5 species of Nycteris are gleaners, while 11 species of Eptesicus are either aerial feeders or feed over water.

scholarly journals Localization of DNA in the fibrillar components of the nucleolus: a cytochemical and morphometric study.

1993 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 829-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Derenzini ◽  
F Farabegoli ◽  
D Trerè
Keyword(s):  
Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Morphometric Study ◽  
Dense Fibrillar Component ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Fibrillar Center ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fibrillar Component ◽  
Resting Lymphocytes ◽  
The Relationship

We studied the distribution of DNA in human circulating lymphocyte nucleoli using three different cytochemical methods for selective visualization of DNA in thin sections: the Feulgen-like osmium-ammine reaction, the NAMA-Ur procedure, and the osmium-ammine staining in glycine buffer, pH 1.5. All three methods indicated the presence of uniformly distributed, highly decondensed DNA filaments forming a large solitary agglomerate in the central part of the nucleolar area, corresponding to the solitary large fibrillar center (FC) as revealed by uranium and lead staining. We also studied the relationship between DNA agglomerates and nucleolar fibrillar components in resting and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated lymphocytes by morphometric analysis of the areas occupied by these structures. In resting lymphocytes the mean area of the DNA agglomerates was 0.479 micron 2 +/- 0.161 SD, whereas that of FCs was 0.380 micron 2 +/- 0.149 SD, with a ratio of 1.26. In PHA-stimulated lymphocytes the mean area of the DNA agglomerates was 0.116 micron 2 +/- 0.056 SD, whereas that of the FCs was 0.075 micron 2 +/- 0.032 SD, with a ratio of 1.55. In PHA-stimulated lymphocytes we also measured the area occupied by the FCs plus the closely associated dense fibrillar component (DFC). The mean value of these two fibrillar components was 0.206 micron 2 +/- 0.081 SD. These data demonstrate that decondensed DNA filaments are uniformly distributed in the FCs and that in transcriptionally active nucleoli they are also present in the proximal portion of the DFC surrounding the FCs.

scholarly journals Foraging behaviour and performance of steers from two local breeds (Asturian Valley and Asturian Mountain) grazing in Cantabrian (N Spain) summer pastures

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0601
Author(s):  
Alicia Román-Trufero ◽  
Antonio Martínez ◽  
Luis M. M. Ferreira ◽  
Valentín García-Prieto ◽  
Rocío Rosa-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Nutrient Requirements ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Sward Height ◽  
And Performance

Steer meat production in northern Spain is deficient to attend market demand. This research aimed to compare the foraging behaviour and production of yearling steers from two local breeds differing in body weight (BW), Asturian Valley (AV, 372 kg) and Asturian Mountain (AM, 307 kg), grazing in summer pastures consisting of 70% grassland and 30% heathland. Bodyweight gains from a total of 42 steers were recorded during four grazing seasons (from June to October). In two years, in July and September, plant community selection and diet composition were estimated by direct observation and using faecal markers, respectively. Grazing time increased from July to September (488 vs. 557 min/day; p<0.001) as sward height in the grassland decreased. Although AV steers grazed proportionally for longer on herbaceous pastures than AM steers (81.3 vs. 73.3%; p<0.05), no differences between breeds were found in diet composition. AM steers showed greater mean daily BW gains than AV steers (252 vs. 133 g/day; p<0.01). From June to August, steers from both breeds gained BW (487 vs. 360 g/day for AM and AV, respectively; p<0.01), but thereafter BW gains decreased (120 vs. –12 g/day for AM and AV, respectively; p<0.05), because of reduced availability of grassland herbage. Yearling steers from AM breed seem to be better suited to mountain conditions than those from AV breed, probably because of their smaller body size and lower total nutrient requirements for maintenance.

scholarly journals Diet of Ameerega braccata (Steindachner, 1864) (Anura: Dendrobatidae) from Chapada dos Guimarães and Cuiabá, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
LR. Forti ◽  
ASO. Tissiani ◽  
T. Mott ◽  
C Strüssmann
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Phylogenetic Perspective ◽  
Toxic Alkaloids ◽  
Two Populations

The understanding of feeding habits is important for anurans in general, both from an ecological and a phylogenetic perspective. For diurnal poison frogs belonging to the Dendrobatidae family, diet aspects play a crucial role in their defense and survival. Herein, we investigated feeding habits, foraging behaviour, and overall effects of habitat, sex, and body size on the diet of individuals of Ameerega braccata, a poorly known dendrobatid species. Specimens were observed and collected in the type-locality, Chapada dos Guimarães, and in the neighbouring municipality of Cuiabá, both in the State of Mato Grosso, Midwestern Brazil. The most important prey categories for A. braccata were Formicidae, Isoptera, and Acari, whose representatives were caught during active foraging. Individuals from Chapada dos Guimarães population consumed more Acari but fewer Isoptera than individuals from Cuiabá. Despite this, niche breadth values were narrow and similar for the two populations. Individuals from two distinct habitats (campo sujo and cerrado stricto sensu) showed differences in their diet, probably as an effect of differential prey availability. Females consumed more Isoptera than males. The number of prey categories used as food was not influenced by the variation of body size of the target species. However, the abundance and the volume of consumed Acari were statistically correlated with body size. The main results suggest that Ameerega braccata has a narrow niche breadth, as well as a specialised diet in ants, termites, and mites, which reinforces the hypotheses of close association between Acari consumption and the presence of skin toxic alkaloids, already found in other species of Dendrobatidae. Although differences in prey consumption between sexes are uncommon among poisonous frogs, differences in the diet composition between age classes, which probably reduce intraspecific competition, are frequently reported.

MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PLEOMORPHIC ADENOMAS OF SALIVARY GLANDS (ANALYSIS OF THE SURGICAL MATERIAL)

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 2339-2344
Author(s):  
Igor S. Brodetskyi ◽  
Olena O. Dyadyk ◽  
Mykhailo S. Myroshnychenko ◽  
Valentina I. Zaritska
Keyword(s):  
Salivary Glands ◽  
Pleomorphic Adenoma ◽  
Tumor Tissue ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Absolute Number ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Morphometric Study ◽  
Pleomorphic Adenomas ◽  
Active Processes

The aim of the study is to reveal the morphological features of pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary glands during a comprehensive examination of the surgical material. Materials and methods: Surgical material from 30 patients with pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary glands was studied. Microspecimens stained with hematoxylin and eosin were studied, using an Olympus BX-41 microscope (Japan) with subsequent processing with the Olympus DP-soft version 3.1 software, which was used to conduct a morphometric study. By morphometry in the tumor tissue, the specific volumes of the parenchyma and stroma, the thickness of the capsule located between the tumor tissue and the tissue of the salivary gland were determined; the absolute number of vessels in the field of view of the microscope was counted at × 100 magnification. Results: Comprehensive morphological analysis of the surgical material of removed neoplasms of the salivary glands has showed that mesenchymal (15 cases, 50.0%) and mixed (10 cases, 33.3%) variants of pleomorphic adenomas are more common, and less often epithelial variants (5 cases, 16.7%). Pleomorphic adenoma is characterized by a different ratio of the epithelial (parenchymal) and mesenchymal (stromal) components forming this tumor, structural diversity and heterogeneity of the structure of these components, which do not have clear boundaries and are mixed with each other. A characteristic feature of pleomorphic adenoma is also the combination in each case of different types of epithelial cells and the structures that they form, as well as areas of various differentiation of the mesenchymal component. Mesenchymal and mixed variants of pleomorphic adenomas, in comparison with the epithelial variant, are more prone to progression and recurrence, as evidenced by our identified active processes of angiogenesis in tumor tissue, frequent tumor invasion of the capsule, thinning of the capsule or the absence of the capsule, less pronounced infiltration of the capsule by immune cells. Conclusions: The morphological features of mesenchymal, mixed and epithelial variants of pleomorphic adenomas of the salivary glands revealed by the authors should be taken into account by clinicians during choosing the tactics for treating the patient, which will undoubtedly help to reduce the incidence of tumor malignization and its recurrence.

Metacarpals and manual phalanges

2020 ◽  
pp. 106-143
Author(s):  
Tracy L. Kivell ◽  
Kelly R. Ostrofsky ◽  
Brian G. Richmond ◽  
Michelle S.M. Drapeau
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
South African ◽  
Index Finger ◽  
External Morphology ◽  
Australopithecus Africanus ◽  
Fossil Evidence ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Locomotor Behaviors ◽  
Fossil Hominin

This chapter presents description and analysis of the metacarpals and manual phalanges from Sterkfontein. Although the morphology is generally similar across the sample where there are duplicates of the same element, there are differences in size that are quite remarkable within the context of all South African hominins. Some very large specimens suggest the presence of individuals at Sterkfontein with much larger hands, and presumably larger body size, at Sterkfontein than those of A. sediba MH2, H. naledi and the Swartkrans hominins. Australopithecus africanus had human-like proportions, but this may be plesiomorphic within the hominoid clade. The potentially less mobile trapezium-Mc1 joint, absence of a fully developed palmar pulp on the distal thumb, more limited pronation of the index finger, and potentially more wedge-shaped trapezoid inferred from the preserved external morphology, is consistent with lower manipulative loading of the thumb than is typical of later Homo. As for other forelimb elements, moderately curved manual phalanges suggests a greater reliance on forelimb-dominated locomotor behaviors and perhaps selection for more frequent use of an arboreal environment in A. africanus than is found in A. afarensis. Thus, within this broader context, the Sterkfontein fossil hominin remains are not unusual. The Sterkfontein hand fossils suggest an overall manipulative and locomotor loading regime that was more similar to that of other South African australopiths and distinct from that of later Homo, but more refined functional interpretations require additional fossil evidence, particularly from associated hand skeletons

Size-related foraging behaviour of the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1530-1533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Shutler ◽  
Adele Mullie
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Foraging Theory ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Foraging Trail ◽  
Atta Colombica ◽  
Load Mass

In a Costa Rican forest adjacent to cattle pasture, larger individuals of the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica carried heavier loads and foraged farther from the colony, as predicted by foraging theory. Counter to foraging theory, individual ants did not increase their load mass if they foraged farther from the colony. However, the colony avoided this apparent inefficiency by sending larger ants to more distant trees. The colony harvested simultaneously from several individuals of the same tree species, even though distant trees were twice as far from the colony as nearby trees. The reasons for this behaviour require further investigation. In a wide foraging trail, larger ants travelled faster than their smaller counterparts. In addition, ant velocity was reduced when loads were experimentally supplemented, and increased when loads were experimentally reduced. Ants using narrow trails in the leaf litter may all be constrained to travel at the same speed, irrespective of load or body size, simply because they get in each other's way.

scholarly journals A Revision of the Taxonomy and Identification of Epipactis greuteri (Orchidaceae, Neottieae)

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Jakubska-Busse ◽  
Elżbieta Żołubak ◽  
Marcin Górniak ◽  
Zbigniew Łobas ◽  
Spyros Tsiftsis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internal Transcribed Spacer ◽  
Phenotypic Variability ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Nuclear Marker ◽  
Genetic Analyses ◽  
Orchid Species ◽  
Taxonomic Treatment ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Distribution In Europe

Epipactis greuteri is an obligate autogamous orchid species. Due to large differences in the interpretation of the diagnosis of this species, it is often mistakenly identified by botanists, which results in erroneous information provided in the literature about its distribution in Europe. In the present paper we review its description, including flower details, gynostemium features, and papillae morphology and compare it to E. helleborine, with which it is often confused. Based on thorough study of herbarium material (including holotype and isotype) and field research in Greece, Romania, and Poland, we confirm that gynostemium of E. greuteri has strongly reduced clinandrium and does not produce viscidium. We also discuss taxonomic treatment of E. preinensis and E. flaminia, two recently described taxa related to E. greuteri. The results of genetic analyses, as well as the range of phenotypic variability of E. greuteri individuals from various regions of Europe were presented and discussed. The analysis based on the ITS (internal transcribed spacer) nuclear marker showed no differences among E. helleborine, E. purpurata, E. albensis, and E. greuteri, which probably indicates their close relationship. Based on the analysis of plastid regions, six haplotypes were detected in all investigated samples. An exhaustive description of morphological features of E. greuteri is provided.

scholarly journals Taxonomy of the lesser jerboa Jaculus jaculus (Dipodidae, Rodentia) based on allozymic and morphological variation

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abderraouf Ben Faleh ◽  
Abdelwaheb Ben Othmen ◽  
Khaled Said
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Genetic Distance ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Restricted Area ◽  
Meeting Point

Abstract The lesser Egyptian jerboa Jaculus jaculus, is a member of the subfamily Dipodinae, known to have a number of subspecies. Previous studies of J. jaculus from North Africa found various morphological forms of unknown taxonomic status, which are frequently grouped into two taxa: J. jaculus and J. deserti. We assessed the taxonomic status of this taxon in Tunisia using allozymic (phylogenetic analysis of 23 genetic loci encoding 16 enzymatic proteins) and morphological (multivariate analysis of 13 craniodental characters) analyses of 136 J. jaculus specimens collected from seven localities within its distribution range. Allozymic analysis clearly indicated the existence of two distinct groups of J. jaculus, with a mean genetic distance (D) value of 0.99 and FST=0.52. Individuals within the two groups did not show any obvious geographical structuration, even within the Matmata locality which represents the meeting point for the two groups where they were found in sympatry. Additionally, morphometric analysis of 13 craniodental characters was clearly separated the two groups. These results were obtained over a very restricted area of the total distribution of J. jaculus and strongly suggest the occurrence of two separate and often sympatric species within the currently accepted J. jaculus in Tunisia: J. jaculus and J. deserti .

scholarly journals Cultivar Discrimination of Single Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Seed via Multispectral Imaging Combined with Multivariate Analysis

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 6575
Author(s):  
Lingjie Yang ◽  
Zuxin Zhang ◽  
Xiaowen Hu
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Multispectral Imaging ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Nondestructive Method ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Linear Discrimination ◽  
Vector Machines ◽  
Alfalfa Seed ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

Rapid and accurate discrimination of alfalfa cultivars is crucial for producers, consumers, and market regulators. However, the conventional routine of alfalfa cultivars discrimination is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this study, the potential of a new method was evaluated that used multispectral imaging combined with object-wise multivariate image analysis to distinguish alfalfa cultivars with a single seed. Three multivariate analysis methods including principal component analysis (PCA), linear discrimination analysis (LDA), and support vector machines (SVM) were applied to distinguish seeds of 12 alfalfa cultivars based on their morphological and spectral traits. The results showed that the combination of morphological features and spectral data could provide an exceedingly concise process to classify alfalfa seeds of different cultivars with multivariate analysis, while it failed to make the classification with only seed morphological features. Seed classification accuracy of the testing sets was 91.53% for LDA, and 93.47% for SVM. Thus, multispectral imaging combined with multivariate analysis could provide a simple, robust and nondestructive method to distinguish alfalfa seed cultivars.

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