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Nogués Bravo D. Niches beyond borders. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1210-1211. [PMID: 38811836 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02416-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- David Nogués Bravo
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate. Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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2
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Hu Y, Hu Y, Zhou W, Wei F. Conservation Genomics and Metagenomics of Giant and Red Pandas in the Wild. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2024; 12:69-89. [PMID: 37863091 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-021022-054730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Giant pandas and red pandas are endangered species with similar specialized bamboo diet and partial sympatric distribution in China. Over the last two decades, the rapid development of genomics and metagenomics research on these species has enriched our knowledge of their biology, ecology, physiology, genetics, and evolution, which is crucial and useful for their conservation. We describe the evolutionary history, endangerment processes, genetic diversity, and population structure of wild giant pandas and two species of red pandas (Chinese and Himalayan red pandas). In addition, we explore how genomics and metagenomics studies have provided insight into the convergent adaptation of pandas to the specialized bamboo diet. Finally, we discuss how these findings are applied to effective conservation management of giant and red pandas in the wild and in captivity to promote the long-term persistence of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisi Hu
- College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China;
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yibo Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenliang Zhou
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China;
- Center for Evolution and Conservation Biology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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3
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New remains of Ailuropoda melanoleuca baconi from Yanjinggou, China: Throwing light on the evolution of giant pandas during the Pleistocene. J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09637-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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4
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Comparative analysis of microsatellites in coding regions provides insights into the adaptability of the giant panda, polar bear and brown bear. Genetica 2022; 150:355-366. [DOI: 10.1007/s10709-022-00173-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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5
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Quantifying the Evolution of Giant Panda Habitats in Sichuan Province under Different Scenarios. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14100865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a relic species in China and a flagship species in the field of endangered wildlife conservation. The conservation of the giant panda’s habitat has gained widespread attention for this reason. Historically, Chinese Giant Panda Nature Reserves are surrounded by communities and the resource utilization behavior of households disturbs the giant panda habitat. Changes in these communities and in Giant Panda Nature Reserves began around 2010, with the feminization and aging of the farm labor force. These changes brought different resource utilization behaviors that led to different evolutionary tendencies in giant panda habitats. This research study assesses the impact of these tendencies based on data from the fourth survey of the giant panda in the Sichuan Province and from geographic information data. The paper aims to uncover the internal mechanisms of farmers’ resource utilization behavior in terms of the changes wrought to giant panda habitats. The paper simulates the future habitat of the giant panda based on the LUCC (land use/cover change) model to identify anticipated changes in future landscape patterns and the habitat quality of giant pandas under the current scenarios. The paper analyzes the spatial-temporal change of landscape patterns through the land use transfer matrix, based on the Markov model. The results of the scenario analyses illustrate the spatial and temporal difference in habitat quality. The driving mechanism for landscape pattern change is explored using the logistic regression model. The paper simulates the variation tendency of giant panda habitats under differential labor force structures and resource utilization behavior based on the CA (cellular automata) model, with the robustness of the results verified by participatory experiment. Through four scenarios of simulated farm labor force structure and resource utilization behavior, results suggest that the quality of giant panda habitats in the future will be relatively high when workforce feminization and aging is intense and resource utilization behavior is weakened. The simulated results confirm that the current agricultural labor force structure can reduce the intensity of resource utilization behavior. In this scenario, disturbance to giant panda habitats would decrease and their quality would improve.
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6
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Wu Y, Liu J, Yang Y, Tu S, Liu Z, Wang Y, Peng C, Liu G, Jin Y. Special architecture and anti-wear strategies for giant panda tooth enamel: Based on wear simulation findings. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:985733. [PMID: 36187810 PMCID: PMC9516319 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.985733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Giant pandas are the flagship species in world conservation. Due to bamboo being the primary food source for giant pandas, dental wear is common owing to the extreme toughness of the bamboo fiber. Even though research on tooth enamel wear in humans and domestic animals is well-established, research on tooth enamel wear in giant pandas is scarce. The purpose of this study is to evaluate tooth enamel wear resistance in giant pandas to provide a basis for a better understanding of their evolutionary process. From microscopic and macroscopic perspectives, the abrasion resistance of dental enamel in giant pandas is compared with that of herbivorous cattle and carnivorous dogs in this study. This involves the use of micro-scratch and frictional wear tests. The results show that the boundary between the enamel prism and the enamel prism stroma is well-defined in panda and canine teeth, while bovine tooth enamel appears denser. Under constant load, the tribological properties of giant panda enamel are similar to those of canines and significantly different from those of bovines. Test results show that the depth of micro scratches in giant panda and canine enamel was greater than in cattle, with greater elastic recovery occurring in dogs. Scratch morphology indicates that the enamel substantive damage critical value is greater in pandas than in both dogs and cattle. The analysis suggests that giant panda enamel consists of a neatly arranged special structure that may disperse extrusion stress and absorb impact energy through a series of inelastic deformation mechanisms to cope with the wear caused by eating bamboo. In this study, the excellent wear resistance of giant panda's tooth enamel is verified by wear tests. A possible theoretical explanation of how the special structure of giant panda tooth enamel may improve its wear resistance is provided. This provides a direction for subsequent theoretical and experimental studies on giant panda tooth enamel and its biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanheng Wu
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinxing Liu
- Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence, Nonhuman Primate Research Center Tsingua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongqiang Yang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shaotong Tu
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zichen Liu
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingyun Wang
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Peng
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Gang Liu
| | - Yipeng Jin
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Yipeng Jin
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7
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Wang X, Su DF, Jablonski NG, Ji X, Kelley J, Flynn LJ, Deng T. Earliest giant panda false thumb suggests conflicting demands for locomotion and feeding. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10538. [PMID: 35773284 PMCID: PMC9246853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13402-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Of the many peculiarities that enable the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), a member of the order Carnivora, to adapt to life as a dedicated bamboo feeder, its extra “thumb” is arguably the most celebrated yet enigmatic. In addition to the normal five digits in the hands of most mammals, the giant panda has a greatly enlarged wrist bone, the radial sesamoid, that acts as a sixth digit, an opposable “thumb” for manipulating bamboo. We report the earliest enlarged radial sesamoid, already a functional opposable “thumb,” in the ancestral panda Ailurarctos from the late Miocene site of Shuitangba in Yunnan Province, China. However, since the late Miocene, the “thumb” has not enlarged further because it must be balanced with the constraints of weight bearing while walking in a plantigrade posture. This morphological adaptation in panda evolution thus reflects a dual function of the radial sesamoid for both bamboo manipulation and weight distribution. The latter constraint could be the main reason why the panda’s false thumb never evolved into a full digit. This crude “thumb” suggests that the origin of the panda’s dedicated bamboo diet goes back to as early as 6–7 Ma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Wang
- Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA. .,Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China.
| | - Denise F Su
- Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Nina G Jablonski
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Xueping Ji
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.,Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, 15-1, Chunmingli, Chunyuan Xiaoqu, Kunming, 650118, Yunnan, China
| | - Jay Kelley
- Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA.,Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Lawrence J Flynn
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Tao Deng
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
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8
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Sales LP, Galetti M, Carnaval A, Monsarrat S, Svenning JC, Pires MM. The effect of past defaunation on ranges, niches, and future biodiversity forecasts. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3683-3693. [PMID: 35246902 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Humans have reshaped the distribution of biodiversity across the globe, extirpating species from regions otherwise suitable and restricting populations to a subset of their original ranges. Here, we ask if anthropogenic range contractions since the Late Pleistocene led to an under-representation of the realized niches for megafauna, an emblematic group of taxa often targeted for restoration actions. Using reconstructions of past geographic distributions (i.e., natural ranges) for 146 extant terrestrial large-bodied (>44 kg) mammals, we estimate their climatic niches as if they had retained their original distributions and evaluate their observed niche dynamics. We found that range contractions led to a sizeable under-representation of the realized niches of several species (i.e., niche unfilling). For 29 species, more than 10% of the environmental space once seen in their natural ranges has been lost due to anthropogenic activity, with at least 12 species undergoing reductions of more than 50% of their realized niches. Eighteen species may now be confined to low-suitability locations, where fitness and abundance are likely diminished; we consider these taxa 'climatic refugees'. For those species, conservation strategies supported by current ranges risk being misguided if current, suboptimal habitats are considered baseline for future restoration actions. Because most climate-based biodiversity forecasts rely exclusively on current occurrence records, we went on to test the effect of neglecting historical information on estimates of species' potential distribution - as a proxy of sensitivity to climate change. We found that niche unfilling driven by past range contraction leads to an overestimation of sensitivity to future climatic change, resulting in 50% higher rates of global extinction, and underestimating the potential for megafauna conservation and restoration under future climate change. In conclusion, range contractions since the Late Pleistocene have also left imprints on megafauna realized climatic niches. Therefore, niche truncation driven by defaunation can directly affect climate and habitat-based conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian P Sales
- Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
- Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Ana Carnaval
- Department of Biology and Biology Ph.D. Program, The Graduate Center of CUNY, The City University of New York, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Sophie Monsarrat
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) and Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) and Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mathias M Pires
- Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
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9
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Falconi N, Carlo TA, Fuller TK, Destefano S, Organ JF. Bear diets and human–bear conflicts: insights from isotopic ecology. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nereyda Falconi
- Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts Amherst MA01003USA
- Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Massachusetts Amherst MA01003USA
| | - Tomás A. Carlo
- Department of Biology The Pennsylvania State University State College PA16801USA
| | - Todd K. Fuller
- Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts Amherst MA01003USA
| | - Stephen Destefano
- Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit University of Massachusetts Amherst MA01003USA
| | - John F. Organ
- U. S. Geological Survey Cooperative Research Units Program Reston VA20192USA
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10
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Abstract
Habitat modeling is one of the most common practices in ecology today, aimed at understanding complex associations between species and an array of environmental, bioclimatic, and anthropogenic factors. This review of studies of seven species of terrestrial bears (Ursidae) occupying four continents examines how habitat models have been employed, and the functionality of their predictions for management and conservation. Bear occurrence data have been obtained at the population level, as presence points (e.g., sign surveys or camera trapping), or as locations of individual radio-collared animals. Radio-collars provide greater insights into how bears interact with their environment and variability within populations; they are more commonly used in North America and Europe than in South America and Asia. Salient problematic issues apparent from this review included: biases in presence data; predictor variables being poor surrogates of actual behavioral drivers; predictor variables applied at a biologically inappropriate scale; and over-use of data repositories that tend to detach investigators from the species. In several cases, multiple models in the same area yielded different predictions; new presence data occurred outside the range of predicted suitable habitat; and future range projections, based on where bears presently exist, underestimated their adaptability. Findings here are likely relevant to other taxa.
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11
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Xia W, Liu G, Wang D, Chen H, Zhu L, Li D. Functional convergence of Yunnan snub-nosed monkey and bamboo-eating panda gut microbiomes revealing the driving by dietary flexibility on mammal gut microbiome. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:685-699. [PMID: 35140888 PMCID: PMC8814018 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiomes of non-human primates have received a great deal of attention due to their close relationship to humans. In recent years, these studies have mainly focused on the gut microbiome of wild primates, which will be helpful to understanding the evolution of primates and their gut microbiomes (e.g., gut microbiome plasticity and diet flexibility). However, there is still a lack of basic information on the gut microbiomes from wild populations. Here, we investigated the gut microbial composition (16S rRNA gene) and function (metagenome and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs)) of Yunnan snub-nosed monkey populations in Weixi County, Yunnan Province, China, that had diets either completely based on wild-foraging or were regularly supplemented with human provisioned food. We found a significant difference in the gut microbiome between these two populations: the gut microbiome of the wild-foraging (no food provision) population was enriched genes involved in the detoxification of bamboo cyanide (high proportion of bamboo shoot intake) and chitin (from insect diet) digestion, while the gut microbiome of the food provisioned (e.g., fruits) wild populations were enriched genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Moreover, the gut microbiome of the wild-foraging population shared a putatively functional convergence with the gut microbiome of wild bamboo-eating pandas: such as microbes and genes involved in the cyanide detoxification. Therefore, the gut microbiome of the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey displayed the potential plasticity in response to diet flexibility. Long-term food-provisioning of the wild population has led to dramatic changes in gut microbial composition, function, and even antibiotic resistance. The antibiotic resistance profile for the wild Yunnan snub-nosed monkey population could be considered the baseline and an important piece of information for conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wancai Xia
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Rare Animals and Plants, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
| | - Guoqi Liu
- Mingke Biotechnology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dali Wang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Rare Animals and Plants, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
| | - Hua Chen
- Mingke Biotechnology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lifeng Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
- Corresponding authors at: College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China (L. Zhu); Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), Nanchong, China West Normal University, China (D. Li).
| | - Dayong Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Rare Animals and Plants, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
- Corresponding authors at: College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China (L. Zhu); Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), Nanchong, China West Normal University, China (D. Li).
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12
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Chen Z, Tian Z, Liu X, Sun W. The potential risks and exposure of Qinling giant pandas to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 292:118294. [PMID: 34626712 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Rapid industrialization and urbanization have created a substantial urban-rural gradient for various pollutants. The Qinling Mountains are highly important in terms of biodiversity, providing habitat for giant pandas, which are endemic to China and are a widely recognized symbol for conservation. Whether polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure risks regarding in situ animal conservation zones are affected by environmental pollution or even enhanced by the mountain-trapping effect requires further research. Our group carried out a large-scale investigation on the area ranging from Xi'an to Hanzhong across the giant panda habitat in the Qinling Mountains by collecting atmosphere, soil, bamboo, and fecal samples from different sites over a two-year period. The total toxicity of atmospheric PAHs and the frequencies of soil PAHs above effect range low (ERL) values showed a decreasing trend from urban areas to the central mountains, suggesting a distance effect from the city. The proportions of total 5- and 6-ring PAHs in the atmosphere were higher in the central mountainous areas than in the urban areas, while this difference was reversed in the soil. Health risk assessments showed that the incremental lifetime carcinogenic risks (ILCR) of PAH exposure by bamboo ingestion ranged from 2.16 × 10-4 to 3.11 × 10-4, above the critical level of 10-4. Bamboo ingestion was the main driver of the PAH exposure risks. The concentration difference between bamboo and fecal samples provided a reference for the level of PAHs absorbed by the panda digestive system. Since the Qinling Mountains possess the highest density of giant pandas and provide habitats to many other endangered animal and plant species, we should not ignore the probability of health risks posed by PAHs. Monitoring the pollution level and reducing the atmospheric emissions of toxic pollutants are recommended actions. Further detailed research should also be implemented on pandas' health effects of contaminant exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Chen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, And School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Zhaoxue Tian
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, And School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xuehua Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, And School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Wanlong Sun
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, And School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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13
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Hu Y, Bernatchez L. Fuwen Wei-Recipient of the 2021 Molecular Ecology Prize. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:31-36. [PMID: 34962012 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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14
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The faded stripes of Bengal: a historical perspective on the easternmost distribution of the striped hyena. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01552-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is an understudied large carnivore with no known historic range map. Knowledge of the past and present extent of its easternmost distribution beyond 85° east longitude is dubious. Through a comprehensive review of historical evidence and contemporary records, we investigated striped hyena presence in Bengal, i.e., Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal in South Asia. We found 14 historical records, with the oldest one dating to 1876. Our review establishes Bangladesh as a former striped hyena range country and the striped hyena as one of the first large carnivores to go extinct in Bangladesh. We identified northern Bangladesh as part of its historical range (until ~1965), and south-central Bangladesh as a possible part of its historical range. In West Bengal, India, hyenas were historically present up to the southern tributaries of the Brahmaputra River, but the present range is reduced. The area south of the Damodar River is its last refuge in Bengal. We also found 15 contemporary records (2010–2021) in Bengal, from sites situated on the eastern limit of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. These records noted 25 sightings including 9 deaths due to poaching, train accidents, and retaliatory killings. Our review demonstrates that hyenas are currently present up to 87° east longitude, which extends the currently documented easternmost range for the species by almost 1,000 km. We recommend methods which can be applied to delineate the historical extent of striped hyenas elsewhere as well as for other poorly understood species.
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15
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Liu G, Zhang S, Zhao X, Li C, Gong M. Advances and Limitations of Next Generation Sequencing in Animal Diet Analysis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12121854. [PMID: 34946803 PMCID: PMC8701983 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Diet analysis is a critical content of animal ecology and the diet analysis methods have been constantly improving and updating. Contrary to traditional methods of high labor intensity and low resolution, the next generation sequencing (NGS) approach has been suggested as a promising tool for dietary studies, which greatly improves the efficiency and broadens the application range. Here we present a framework of adopting NGS and DNA metabarcoding into diet analysis, and discuss the application in aspects of prey taxa composition and structure, intra-specific and inter-specific trophic links, and the effects of animal feeding on environmental changes. Yet, the generation of NGS-based diet data and subsequent analyses and interpretations are still challenging with several factors, making it possible still not as widely used as might be expected. We suggest that NGS-based diet methods must be furthered, analytical pipelines should be developed. More application perspectives, including nutrient geometry, metagenomics and nutrigenomics, need to be incorporated to encourage more ecologists to infer novel insights on they work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Function and Restoration in Beijing City, Wetland Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100091, China; (G.L.); (X.Z.); (C.L.)
| | - Shumiao Zhang
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing 100076, China;
| | - Xinsheng Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Function and Restoration in Beijing City, Wetland Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100091, China; (G.L.); (X.Z.); (C.L.)
| | - Chao Li
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Function and Restoration in Beijing City, Wetland Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100091, China; (G.L.); (X.Z.); (C.L.)
| | - Minghao Gong
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Function and Restoration in Beijing City, Wetland Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100091, China; (G.L.); (X.Z.); (C.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-010-62884159
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16
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Navarro AB, Magioli M, Bogoni JA, Silveira LF, Moreira MZ, Alexandrino ER, da Luz DTA, Silva WR, Pizo MA, de Oliveira VC, Ferraz KMPMDB. Isotopic niches of tropical birds reduced by anthropogenic impacts: a 100‐year perspective. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Beatriz Navarro
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
- Seção de Aves, Museu de Zoologia da Univ. de São Paulo São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Marcelo Magioli
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Inst. Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Atibaia SP Brazil
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Inst. Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Atibaia SP Brazil
| | - Juliano André Bogoni
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
| | | | - Marcelo Zacharias Moreira
- Laboratório de Ecologia Isotópica, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura – Univ. de São Paulo Piracicaba SP Brazil
| | - Eduardo Roberto Alexandrino
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
- Inst. Nacional da Mata Atlântica Santa Teresa ES Brazil
- Univ. de São Paulo Piracicaba SP Brazil
- Inst. Nacional da Mata Atlântica Santa Teresa ES Brazil
| | - Daniela Tomasio Apolinario da Luz
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
| | - Wesley Rodrigues Silva
- Laboratório de Interações Vertebrados Plantas, Depto de Biologia Animal, Inst. de Biologia, Univ. Estadual de Campinas Campinas SP Brazil
| | - Marco Aurelio Pizo
- Inst. de Biociências, Depto de Zoologia, Univ. Estadual Paulista Rio Claro SP Brazil
| | - Vanessa Cristina de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Manejo e Conservação de Fauna Silvestre (LEMaC), Depto de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura ‘Luiz de Queiroz’
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17
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Luna-Aranguré C, Vázquez-Domínguez E. Of pandas, fossils, and bamboo forests: ecological niche modeling of the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) during the Last Glacial Maximum. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is the most basal living species in the phylogeny of the family Ursidae, with a specialized diet composed of a variety of bamboo species. The evolutionary history and past distribution patterns of the giant panda remain poorly understood. Our aim was to integratively apply distinct methods to evaluate the evolutionary history and distributional patterns of the giant panda; these included phylogeography, ecological niche modeling (ENM), and fossil data. To this end, we characterized the panda’s past and present ecological niches and the environmental conditions that define them. To estimate the panda’s phylogeographic patterns and the environmental conditions (precipitation and temperature) available across its historical geographic range, we evaluated its past distribution during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Considering that modeling biotic interactions (e.g., foraging, predation) is still an enormous challenge, we propose a novel modeling strategy based on the panda’s specialized diet, using an ensemble of three bamboo genera with distribution across the panda’s historical geographic range. Finally, we tested the accuracy of our approach by evaluating its ability to predict the LGM fossils. Our results support that the panda’s diversification across its distribution happened ca. 2.7 million years (Mya), coinciding with the likely period when the panda changed from a carnivorous to a vegetarian diet (from the Pleistocene to the Pliocene), acquiring its exclusively bamboo-feeding habits until the mid-Holocene. Our findings provide evidence of a historical directional niche change along which the panda has currently reached the lower limits of temperature and precipitation conditions existing on the geography where its food is available. Our proposed ENM based on the panda’s food habits accurately predicted 85.7% of the LGM fossils, in stark contrast with the traditional approach of modeling the distribution of species by using exclusively its own occurrences. These results provide insights on how to include Eltonian components to undertake more robust ENM when only abiotic variables are available. We emphasize the importance of integrating fossil information, whenever available, into the niche modeling process to include the historical component when estimating species ecological niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Luna-Aranguré
- Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, México
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Edificio D, 1er Piso, Unidad de Posgrado, Ciudad de México 04510, México
| | - Ella Vázquez-Domínguez
- Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, México
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18
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Fowler NL, Spady TJ, Wang G, Leopold BD, Belant JL. Denning, metabolic suppression, and the realisation of ecological opportunities in Ursidae. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas L. Fowler
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY13210USA
| | - Thomas J. Spady
- Department of Biological Sciences California State University San Marcos San Marcos CA92096USA
| | - Guiming Wang
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State Box 9690MS39762USA
| | - Bruce D. Leopold
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State Box 9690MS39762USA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Global Wildlife Conservation Center State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY13210USA
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19
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Cheeseman AE, Tanis BP, Finck EJ. Quantifying temporal variation in dietary niche to reveal drivers of past population declines. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian P. Tanis
- Department of Biological Sciences Fort Hays State University Hays KS USA
| | - Elmer J. Finck
- Department of Biological Sciences Fort Hays State University Hays KS USA
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20
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Montgomery RA, Carr M, Booher CR, Pointer AM, Mitchell BM, Smith N, Calnan K, Montgomery GM, Ogada M, Kramer DB. Characteristics that make trophy hunting of giant pandas inconceivable. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:915-924. [PMID: 31916271 PMCID: PMC7522670 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In November 1928, Theodore Jr. and Kermit Roosevelt led an expedition to China with the expressed purpose of being the first Westerners to kill the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The expedition lasted 8 months and resulted in the brothers shooting a giant panda in the mountains of Sichuan Province. Given the concurrent attention in the popular press describing this celebrated expedition, the giant panda was poised to be trophy hunted much like other large mammals around the world. Today, however, the killing of giant pandas, even for the generation of conservation revenue, is unthinkable for reasons related to the species itself and the context, in time and space, in which the species was popularized in the West. We found that the giant panda's status as a conservation symbol, exceptional charisma and gentle disposition, rarity, value as a nonconsumptive ecotourism attraction, and endemism are integral to the explanation of why the species is not trophy hunted. We compared these intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics with 20 of the most common trophy-hunted mammals to determine whether the principles applying to giant pandas are generalizable to other species. Although certain characteristics of the 20 trophy-hunted mammals aligned with the giant panda, many did not. Charisma, economic value, and endemism, in particular, were comparatively unique to the giant panda. Our analysis suggests that, at present, exceptional characteristics may be necessary for certain mammals to be excepted from trophy hunting. However, because discourse relating to the role of trophy hunting in supporting conservation outcomes is dynamic in both science and society, we suspect these valuations will also change in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Montgomery
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State University480 Wilson Road, 13 Natural Resources BuildingEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
| | - Madeline Carr
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State University480 Wilson Road, 13 Natural Resources BuildingEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
| | - Charlie R. Booher
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State University480 Wilson Road, 13 Natural Resources BuildingEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
- College of Social SciencesMichigan State University509 E. Circle Drive, Berkey HallEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
| | - Abigail M. Pointer
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State University480 Wilson Road, 13 Natural Resources BuildingEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
| | - Brendan M. Mitchell
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State University480 Wilson Road, 13 Natural Resources BuildingEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
| | - Natalie Smith
- James Madison CollegeMichigan State University842 Chestnut Rd Room S369LEast LansingMI48825U.S.A.
| | - Keegan Calnan
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State University480 Wilson Road, 13 Natural Resources BuildingEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
| | - Georgina M. Montgomery
- Lyman Briggs CollegeMichigan State University919 E Shaw LnEast LansingMI48825U.S.A.
- Department of HistoryMichigan State University506 E. Circle DrEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
| | - Mordecai Ogada
- Department of HistoryMichigan State University506 E. Circle DrEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
- Conservation Solutions AfrikaMuthaiga Estate P.O. Box 880–10400NanyukiKenya
| | - Daniel B. Kramer
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State University480 Wilson Road, 13 Natural Resources BuildingEast LansingMI48824U.S.A.
- James Madison CollegeMichigan State University842 Chestnut Rd Room S369LEast LansingMI48825U.S.A.
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21
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Hu X, Wang G, Shan L, Sun S, Hu Y, Wei F. TAS2R20 variants confer dietary adaptation to high-quercitrin bamboo leaves in Qinling giant pandas. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5913-5921. [PMID: 32607200 PMCID: PMC7319149 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitivity to bitter tastes provides animals with an important means of interacting with their environment and thus, influences their dietary preferences. Genetic variants encoding functionally distinct receptor types contribute to variation in bitter taste sensitivity. Our previous study showed that two nonsynonymous sites, A52V and Q296H, in the TAS2R20 gene are directionally selected in giant pandas from the Qinling Mountains, which are speculated to be the causative base-pair changes of Qinling pandas for the higher preference for bamboo leaves in comparison with other pandas. Here, we used functional expression in engineered cells to identify agonists of pTAS2R20 (i.e., giant panda's TAS2R20) and interrogated the differences in perception in the in vitro responses of pTAS2R20 variants to the agonists. Our results show that pTAS2R20 is specifically activated by quercitrin and that pTAS2R20 variants exhibit differences in the sensitivity of their response to the agonist. Compared with pTAS2R20 in pandas from other areas, the receptor variant with A52V and Q296H, which is most commonly found in Qinling pandas, confers a significantly decreased sensitivity to quercitrin. We subsequently quantified the quercitrin content of the leaves of bamboo distributed in the Qinling Mountains, which was found to be significantly higher than that of the leaves of bamboo from panda habitats in other areas. Our results suggest that the decreased sensitivity to quercitrin in Qinling pandas results in higher-quercitrin-containing bamboo leaves to be tasting less bitter to them and thus, influences their dietary preference. This study illustrates the genetic adaptation of Qinling pandas to their environments and provides a fine example of the functional effects of directional selection in the giant panda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangxu Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Guan Wang
- Department of Laboratory MedicineBoston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Lei Shan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and BiotechnologyCollege of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Shuyan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and GeneticsChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and GeneticsChinese Academy of SciencesKunmingChina
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22
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Kerley GIH, Beest M, Cromsigt JPGM, Pauly D, Shultz S. The Protected Area Paradox and refugee species: The giant panda and baselines shifted towards conserving species in marginal habitats. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Graham I. H. Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Mariska Beest
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
- Department of Wildlife, Fish & Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Daniel Pauly
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Susanne Shultz
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Manchester Manchester UK
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23
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Guo W, Chen Y, Wang C, Ning R, Zeng B, Tang J, Li C, Zhang M, Li Y, Ni Q, Ni X, Zhang H, li D, Zhao J, Li Y. The carnivorous digestive system and bamboo diet of giant pandas may shape their low gut bacterial diversity. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coz104. [PMID: 32190328 PMCID: PMC7066643 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The gut microbiota diversity of eight panda cubs was assessed during a dietary switch.Gut microbiota diversity of panda cubs significantly decreased after bamboo consumption.Carnivorous species living on a plant-based diet possess low microbial diversity.Mice were fed a bamboo diet but did not display low gut microbiota diversity. Giant pandas have an exclusive diet of bamboo; however, their gut microbiotas are more similar to carnivores than herbivores in terms of bacterial composition and their functional potential. This is inconsistent with observations that typical herbivores possess highly diverse gut microbiotas. It is unclear why the gut bacterial diversity of giant pandas is so low. Herein, the dynamic variations in the gut microbiota of eight giant panda cubs were measured using 16S rRNA gene paired-end sequencing during a dietary switch. Similar data from red panda (an herbivorous carnivore) and carnivorous species were compared with that of giant pandas. In addition, mice were fed a high-bamboo diet (80% bamboo and 20% rat feed) to determine whether a bamboo diet could lower the gut bacterial diversity in a non-carnivorous digestive tract. The diversity of giant panda gut microbiotas decreased significantly after switching from milk and complementary food to bamboo diet. Carnivorous species living on a plant-based diet, including giant and red pandas, possess a lower microbial diversity than other carnivore species. Mouse gut microbiota diversity significantly increased after adding high-fibre bamboo to their diet. Findings suggest that a very restricted diet (bamboo) within a carnivorous digestive system might be critical for shaping a low gut bacterial diversity in giant pandas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine/Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, Chengdu Medical College, 783 Xindu Road, Xindu, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610500, China
| | - Yinfeng Chen
- Department of Animal Science, Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Chengdong Wang
- Department of Feeding, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 155 Xianfeng Road, Ya’an, Sichuan, 611830, China
| | - Ruihong Ning
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine/Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, Chengdu Medical College, 783 Xindu Road, Xindu, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610500, China
| | - Bo Zeng
- Department of Animal Science, Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Jingsi Tang
- Department of Animal Science, Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Caiwu Li
- Department of Feeding, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 155 Xianfeng Road, Ya’an, Sichuan, 611830, China
| | - Mingwang Zhang
- Department of Animal Science, Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Animal Science, Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Qingyong Ni
- Department of Animal Science, Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Xueqin Ni
- Department of animal medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- Department of Feeding, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 155 Xianfeng Road, Ya’an, Sichuan, 611830, China
| | - Desheng li
- Department of Feeding, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, 155 Xianfeng Road, Ya’an, Sichuan, 611830, China
| | - Jiangchao Zhao
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, 2404 North University Avenue Little Rock, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72207, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Animal Science, Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China
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24
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De Cuyper A, Meloro C, Abraham AJ, Müller DWH, Codron D, Janssens GPJ, Clauss M. The uneven weight distribution between predators and prey: Comparing gut fill between terrestrial herbivores and carnivores. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 243:110683. [PMID: 32097716 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The general observation that secondary consumers ingest highly digestible food and have simple short guts and small abdominal cavities intuitively results in the assumption that mammalian carnivores carry less digesta in their gut compared to herbivores. Due to logistic constraints, this assumption has not been tested quantitatively so far. In this contribution, we estimated the dry matter gut contents (DMC) for 25 species of the order Carnivora (including two strictly herbivorous ones, the giant and the red panda) using the physical 'Occupancy Principle', based on a literature data collection on dry matter intake (DMI), apparent dry matter digestibility (aD DM) and retention time (RT), and compared the results to an existing collection for herbivores. Scaling exponents with body mass (BM) for both carnivores and herbivores were in the same range with DMI ~ BM0.75; aD DM ~ BM0; RT ~ BM0.11 and DMC ~ BM0.88. The trophic level (carnivore vs herbivore) significantly affected all digestive physiology parameters except for RT. Numerically, the carnivore DMI level reached 77%, the RT 32% and DMC only 29% of the corresponding herbivore values, whereas the herbivore aD DM only reached 82% of that of carnivores. Thus, we quantitatively show that carnivores carry less inert mass or gut content compared to herbivores, which putatively benefits them in predator-prey interactions and might have contributed to the evolution towards unguligradism in herbivores. As expected, the two panda species appeared as outliers in the dataset with low aD DM and RT for a herbivore but extremely high DMI values, resulting in DMC in the lower part of the herbivore range. Whereas the difference in DMI and DMC scaling in herbivores might allow larger herbivores to compensate for lower diet quality by ingesting more, this difference may allow larger carnivores not to go for less digestible prey parts, but mainly to increase meal intervals, i.e. not having to hunt on a daily basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelies De Cuyper
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Carlo Meloro
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, England, UK
| | - Andrew J Abraham
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA
| | | | - Daryl Codron
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Geert P J Janssens
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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25
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Jensen DA, Ma K, Svenning J. Steep topography buffers threatened gymnosperm species against anthropogenic pressures in China. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1838-1855. [PMID: 32128120 PMCID: PMC7042744 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
China is one of the most species-rich countries in the world, harboring many rare gymnosperms. Following recent human-led loss of forests, China is now experiencing increases in forest cover resulting from efforts of reforestation schemes. As anthropogenic activities have previously been found to interact with topography in shaping forest cover in China and considering the large human population and the ongoing population increase of the country, it is important to understand the role of anthropogenic pressures relative to environmental drivers for shaping species distributions here. Based on the well-established relationship between human population density and topography, we propose a hypothesis for explaining species distributions in a country dominated by human activities, predicting that species are more likely to occur in areas of steep topography under medium human population densities compared to low and high human population densities. Using species occurrence data from the Chinese Vascular Plant Distribution Database along with a common SDM method (maximum entropy modeling), we tested this hypothesis. Our results show that steep topography has the highest importance for predicting Chinese gymnosperm species occurrences in general, and threatened species specifically, in areas of medium human population densities. Consequently, these species are more often found in areas of steep terrain, supporting the proposed hypothesis. Results from this study highlight the need to include topographically heterogeneous habitats when planning new protected areas for species conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ditte Arp Jensen
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE)Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and BiodiversityDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
- Sino‐Danish Center for Education and Research (SDC)Water and Environment Programme, Eastern Yanqihu CampusUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jens‐Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE)Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and BiodiversityDepartment of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
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26
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Monsarrat S, Jarvie S, Svenning JC. Anthropocene refugia: integrating history and predictive modelling to assess the space available for biodiversity in a human-dominated world. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190219. [PMID: 31679484 PMCID: PMC6863493 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
During periods of strong environmental change, some areas may serve as refugia, where components of biodiversity can find protection, persist and potentially expand from should conditions again become favourable. The refugia concept has previously been used in the context of climatic change, to describe climatically stable areas in which taxa survived past Quaternary glacial-interglacial oscillations, or where they might persist in the future under anthropogenic climate change. However, with the recognition that Earth has entered the Anthropocene, an era in which human activities are the dominant driving force on ecosystems, it is critical to also consider human pressures on the environment as factors limiting species distributions. Here, we present a novel concept, Anthropocene refugia, to refer to areas that provide spatial and temporal protection from human activities and that will remain suitable for a given taxonomic unit in the long-term. It integrates a deep-time perspective on species biogeography that provides information on the natural rather than current-day relictual distribution of species, with spatial information on modern and future anthropogenic threats. We define the concept and propose a methodology to effectively identify and map realized and potential current and future refugia, using examples for two megafaunal species as a proof of concept. We argue that identifying Anthropocene refugia will improve biodiversity conservation and restoration by allowing better prediction of key areas for conservation and potential for re-expansions today and in the future. More generally, it forms a new conceptual framework to assess and manage the impact of anthropogenic activities on past, current and future patterns of species distributions. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The past is a foreign country: how much can the fossil record actually inform conservation?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Monsarrat
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Scott Jarvie
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Turvey ST, Walsh C, Hansford JP, Crees JJ, Bielby J, Duncan C, Hu K, Hudson MA. Complementarity, completeness and quality of long-term faunal archives in an Asian biodiversity hotspot. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190217. [PMID: 31679488 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term baselines on biodiversity change through time are crucial to inform conservation decision-making in biodiversity hotspots, but environmental archives remain unavailable for many regions. Extensive palaeontological, zooarchaeological and historical records and indigenous knowledge about past environmental conditions exist for China, a megadiverse country experiencing large-scale biodiversity loss, but their potential to understand past human-caused faunal turnover is not fully assessed. We investigate a series of complementary environmental archives to evaluate the quality of the Holocene-historical faunal record of Hainan Island, China's southernmost province, for establishing new baselines on postglacial mammalian diversity and extinction dynamics. Synthesis of multiple archives provides an integrated model of long-term biodiversity change, revealing that Hainan has experienced protracted and ongoing human-caused depletion of its mammal fauna from prehistory to the present, and that past baselines can inform practical conservation management. However, China's Holocene-historical archives exhibit substantial incompleteness and bias at regional and country-wide scales, with limited taxonomic representation especially for small-bodied species, and poor sampling of high-elevation landscapes facing current-day climate change risks. Establishing a clearer understanding of the quality of environmental archives in threatened ecoregions, and their ability to provide a meaningful understanding of the past, is needed to identify future conservation-relevant historical research priorities. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The past is a foreign country: how much can the fossil record actually inform conservation?'
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel T Turvey
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Connor Walsh
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK
| | - James P Hansford
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.,Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
| | - Jennifer J Crees
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Jon Bielby
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 8PY, UK
| | - Clare Duncan
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Kaijin Hu
- School of Sociology and Anthropology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Michael A Hudson
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.,Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, Trinity, Jersey JE3 5BP, UK
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Assessment of seasonal variation of diet composition in rodents using DNA barcoding and Real-Time PCR. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14124. [PMID: 31575934 PMCID: PMC6773709 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50676-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of animal diet and feeding behaviour is a fundamental tool for the illustration of the ecological role of species in the ecosystem. However, size and quality of food intake samples make it hard for researchers to describe the diet composition of many small species. In our study, we exploited genomic tools for the analysis of the diet composition of the Savi’s pine vole (Microtus savii) using DNA barcoding and qPCR techniques for the identification of ingested plant species retrieved from stomach contents. In contrast with previous studies, we found that, despite being a fossorial species, the Savi’s pine vole is a selective feeder that undergoes intense superficial activity in search for food. In addition, our study shows that with a a priori knowledge of the candidate plant species included in animal diet, qPCR is a powerful tool to assess presence/absence, frequency of occurrence and electivity of ingested species. We conclude that this approach offers new opportunities to implement the analysis of food selection in small animals, thereby revealing a detailed picture of plant-animal interactions.
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Battle over when giant pandas started their bamboo diet heats up. Nature 2019. [DOI: 10.1038/d41586-019-00301-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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