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Jojić V, Čabrilo B, Bjelić-Čabrilo O, Jovanović VM, Budinski I, Vujošević M, Blagojević J. Canalization and developmental stability of the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) mandible and cranium related to age and nematode parasitism. Front Zool 2021; 18:55. [PMID: 34689812 PMCID: PMC8543932 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00439-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mammalian mandible and cranium are well-established model systems for studying canalization and developmental stability (DS) as two elements of developmental homeostasis. Nematode infections are usually acquired in early life and increase in intensity with age, while canalization and DS of rodent skulls could vary through late postnatal ontogeny. We aimed to estimate magnitudes and describe patterns of mandibular and cranial canalization and DS related to age and parasite intensity (diversity) in adult yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis). RESULTS We found the absence of age-related changes in the levels of canalization for mandibular and cranial size and DS for mandibular size. However, individual measures of mandibular and cranial shape variance increased, while individual measures of mandibular shape fluctuating asymmetry (FA) decreased with age. We detected mandibular and cranial shape changes during postnatal ontogeny, but revealed no age-related dynamics of their covariance structure among and within individuals. Categories regarding parasitism differed in the level of canalization for cranial size and the level of DS for cranial shape. We observed differences in age-related dynamics of the level of canalization between non-parasitized and parasitized animals, as well as between yellow-necked mice parasitized by different number of nematode species. Likewise, individual measures of mandibular and cranial shape FA decreased with age for the mandible in the less parasitized category and increased for the cranium in the most parasitized category. CONCLUSIONS Our age-related results partly agree with previous findings. However, no rodent study so far has explored age-related changes in the magnitude of FA for mandibular size or mandibular and cranial FA covariance structure. This is the first study dealing with the nematode parasitism-related canalization and DS in rodents. We showed that nematode parasitism does not affect mandibular and cranial shape variation and covariance structure among and within individuals. However, parasite intensity (diversity) is related to ontogenetic dynamics of the levels of canalization and DS. Overall, additional studies on animals from natural populations are required before drawing some general conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vida Jojić
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Borislav Čabrilo
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Olivera Bjelić-Čabrilo
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Vladimir M Jovanović
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.,Bioinformatics Solution Center, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Human Biology and Primate Evolution, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ivana Budinski
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mladen Vujošević
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jelena Blagojević
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Gebremichael G, Tsegaye D, Bunnefeld N, Zinner D, Atickem A. Fluctuating asymmetry and feather growth bars as biomarkers to assess the habitat quality of shade coffee farming for avian diversity conservation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190013. [PMID: 31598226 PMCID: PMC6731696 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Shade coffee farming has been promoted as a means of combining sustainable coffee production and biodiversity conservation. Supporting this idea, similar levels of diversity and abundance of birds have been found in shade coffee and natural forests. However, diversity and abundance are not always good indicators of habitat quality because there may be a lag before population effects are observed following habitat conversion. Therefore, other indicators of habitat quality should be tested. In this paper, we investigate the use of two biomarkers: fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of tarsus length and rectrix mass, and feather growth bars (average growth bar width) to characterize the habitat quality of shade coffee and natural forests. We predicted higher FA and narrower feather growth bars in shade coffee forest versus natural forest, indicating higher quality in the latter. We measured and compared FA in tarsus length and rectrix mass and average growth bar width in more than 200 individuals of five bird species. The extent of FA in both tarsus length and rectrix mass was not different between the two forest types in any of the five species. Similarly, we found no difference in feather growth between shade coffee and natural forests for any species. Therefore, we conclude our comparison of biomarkers suggests that shade coffee farms and natural forests provide similar habitat quality for the five species we examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gelaye Gebremichael
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- College of Natural Sciences, Jimma University, PO Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Diress Tsegaye
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Postboks 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Nils Bunnefeld
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JN, UK
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anagaw Atickem
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Neiswanger K, Cooper ME, Liu YE, Hu DN, Melnick M, Weinberg SM, Marazita ML. Bilateral Asymmetry in Chinese Families with Cleft Lip with or without Cleft Palate. Cleft Palate Craniofac J 2017; 42:192-6. [PMID: 15748111 DOI: 10.1597/03-032.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To determine if Chinese individuals with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) display more bilateral asymmetry than do their unaffected relatives. Design/Subjects A case-control study of 313 individuals with CL/P from Shanghai, China, with 201 unaffected relatives as controls. Methods Size-adjusted asymmetry scores were defined by data on middle-finger length, palm length, palpebral fissure width, and ear length. Case-control comparisons used a multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance, paired t tests, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results The ear-length measure showed a significant increase in fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in individuals with CL/P compared with their unaffected relatives, which was most pronounced in the female cleft lip and palate subgroup (p = .04). No other measures showed any increase in FA. Conclusion Evidence was found for increased FA, as measured by overall ear length, in Chinese individuals with nonsyndromic CL/P, compared with their unaffected family members. The use of bilateral measurements other than dermatoglyphics may prove to be a valuable means of assessing overall developmental stability in individuals with developmental malformations and in their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Neiswanger
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Division of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, USA.
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Da Costa MJ, Oviedo-Rondón EO, Wineland M, Jeffrey D. Pathogeny of Fatigued Walking Condition in Pekin Ducks. Avian Dis 2017; 60:731-738. [PMID: 27902895 DOI: 10.1637/11292-100315-regr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Fatigued walking condition (FWC) in ducks is an important welfare and processing issue during the loading/unloading to the processing plant that can be related to heart and bone development. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of incubation conditions on duck embryo bone and heart development and their subsequent effects on ducks showing FWC at market age. Four groups of 2500 Pekin duck eggs were subjected to combinations of two incubation temperature profiles (elevated [E] and normal [N]) and two eggshell conductance profiles (G) (reduced [GR] and normal [GN]). At hatch 10 ducklings from each treatment combination were sampled for heart, liver, residual yolk, and total body weight as well as relative weights (organ percentage of whole body weight). Femur, tibia, and tarsus length and weight were also obtained, and relative asymmetry (RA) was calculated for each leg section. At 35 days of age during unloading of the truck at the slaughter plant, five hens and five drakes demonstrating normal walking and FWC were sampled. Body, heart, and ventricular weights were obtained along with femur, tibia and tarsus length, weight, and RA. Bone strength was evaluated using a three-point bending test, and tibia ash content was assessed. At hatch duckling bone characteristics and organ weights were found to be primarily affected by GR conditions, while heart development in older ducks was mainly impacted by E incubation temperatures. Tibia and relative weight at 35 days were also increased by GR and E. Fatigued ducks presented heavier tibias with more RA and cortical thickness but lower ash percentage. In conclusion, the changes in bone development during incubation and posthatch life were related to duck FWC presence during transportation to the processing plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Da Costa
- A Prestage Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - E O Oviedo-Rondón
- A Prestage Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - M Wineland
- A Prestage Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - D Jeffrey
- B Maple Leaf Farms, Milford, IN 46542
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Mendes AS, Paixão SJ, Sikorski RR, Bonamigo DV, Morello MG, Ponzoni RAR. Photogrammetry: a Non-Invasive and Objective Method for Detecting Locomotion Problems in Broiler Chickens. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF POULTRY SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1590/1806-9061-2015-0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- AS Mendes
- Technological Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
| | - SJ Paixão
- Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - RR Sikorski
- Technological Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
| | | | | | - RAR Ponzoni
- Technological Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
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Tobolsky VA, Kurki HK, Stock JT. Patterns of directional asymmetry in the pelvis and pelvic canal. Am J Hum Biol 2016; 28:804-810. [PMID: 27224219 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The human pelvis is unique among modern taxa for supporting both parturition of large brained young and obligate bipedalism. Though much work has focused on pelvic development and variation, little work has explored the presence or absence of asymmetry in the pelvis despite well-known patterns of asymmetry in other skeletal regions. This study investigated whether patterns of directional asymmetry (DA) could be observed in the pelvis or pelvic canal. METHODS Seventeen bilaterally paired osteometric measurements of the os coxae (34 measures in total) were taken from 128 skeletons (female n = 65, male n = 63) from recent human populations in five geographic regions. Paired sample t-tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to investigate DA. RESULTS Results from a pooled sample of all individuals showed that the pelvis exhibited a left-bias in DA. In contrast, the pelvic canal exhibited a pattern in which the anterior canal exhibited a right-bias and the posterior canal exhibited a left-bias. Neither sex nor populational differences in DA were observed in the pelvis or pelvic canal. CONCLUSIONS The varying patterns of asymmetry uncovered here accord with prior work and may indicate that loading from the trunk and legs place differing stresses on the pelvis and canal, yielding these unequal asymmetries. However, this is speculative and the possible influence of genetics, biomechanics, and nutritional status on the development of pelvic and canal asymmetries presents a rich area for future study. Additionally, the potential influence of pelvic canal asymmetry on obstetric measures of pelvic capacity merits future research. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:804-810, 2016. © 2016Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A Tobolsky
- Division of Biological Anthropology, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
| | - Helen K Kurki
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, V8W 3P5
| | - Jay T Stock
- Division of Biological Anthropology, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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7
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Analyzing Fluctuating Asymmetry with Geometric Morphometrics: Concepts, Methods, and Applications. Symmetry (Basel) 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/sym7020843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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8
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Is there a link between shell morphology and parasites of zebra mussels? J Invertebr Pathol 2012; 109:229-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2011.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Revised: 11/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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9
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vanEngelsdorp D, Evans JD, Saegerman C, Mullin C, Haubruge E, Nguyen BK, Frazier M, Frazier J, Cox-Foster D, Chen Y, Underwood R, Tarpy DR, Pettis JS. Colony collapse disorder: a descriptive study. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6481. [PMID: 19649264 PMCID: PMC2715894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 598] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2009] [Accepted: 06/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over the last two winters, there have been large-scale, unexplained losses of managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies in the United States. In the absence of a known cause, this syndrome was named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) because the main trait was a rapid loss of adult worker bees. We initiated a descriptive epizootiological study in order to better characterize CCD and compare risk factor exposure between populations afflicted by and not afflicted by CCD. Methods and Principal Findings Of 61 quantified variables (including adult bee physiology, pathogen loads, and pesticide levels), no single measure emerged as a most-likely cause of CCD. Bees in CCD colonies had higher pathogen loads and were co-infected with a greater number of pathogens than control populations, suggesting either an increased exposure to pathogens or a reduced resistance of bees toward pathogens. Levels of the synthetic acaricide coumaphos (used by beekeepers to control the parasitic mite Varroa destructor) were higher in control colonies than CCD-affected colonies. Conclusions/Significance This is the first comprehensive survey of CCD-affected bee populations that suggests CCD involves an interaction between pathogens and other stress factors. We present evidence that this condition is contagious or the result of exposure to a common risk factor. Potentially important areas for future hypothesis-driven research, including the possible legacy effect of mite parasitism and the role of honey bee resistance to pesticides, are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis vanEngelsdorp
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jay D. Evans
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Claude Saegerman
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Epidemiology and Risk analysis applied to the Veterinary Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Chris Mullin
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Eric Haubruge
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agricultural University, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Bach Kim Nguyen
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agricultural University, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Maryann Frazier
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jim Frazier
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Diana Cox-Foster
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yanping Chen
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robyn Underwood
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David R. Tarpy
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The aetiology of the three-dimensional spinal deformity of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is unknown. Progressive adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) that mainly affects girls is generally attributed to relative anterior spinal overgrowth from a mechanical mechanism (torsion) during the adolescent growth spurt. Established biological risk factors to AIS are growth velocity and potential residual spinal growth assessed by maturity indicators. Spine slenderness and ectomorphy in girls are thought to be risk factors for AIS. Claimed biomechanical susceptibilities are (1) a fixed lordotic area and hypokyphosis and (2) concave periapical rib overgrowth. MRI has revealed neuroanatomical abnormalities in approximately 20% of younger children with IS. A neuromuscular cause for AIS is probable but not established. Possible susceptibilities to AIS in tissues relate to muscles, ligaments, discs, skeletal proportions and asymmetries, the latter also affecting soft tissues (e.g. dermatoglyphics). AIS is generally considered to be multi-factorial in origin. The many anomalies detected, particularly left-right asymmetries, have led to spatiotemporal aetiologic concepts involving chronomics and the genome altered by nurture without the necessity for a disease process. Genetic susceptibilities defined in twins are being evaluated in family studies; polymorphisms in the oestrogen receptor gene are associated with curve severity. A neurodevelopmental concept is outlined for the aetiology of progressive AIS. This concept involves lipid peroxidation and, if substantiated, has initial therapeutic potential by dietary anti-oxidants. Growth saltations have not been evaluated in IS.
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Nääs IA, Sonoda LT, Romanini CEB, Morello GM, Neves HAF, Baracho MS, Souza SRLS, Menezes AG, Mollo Neto M, Moura DJ, Almeida Paz ICL. Morphological asymmetry and broiler welfare. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF POULTRY SCIENCE 2008. [DOI: 10.1590/s1516-635x2008000400003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- IA Nääs
- State University of Campinas
| | - LT Sonoda
- State University of Londrina, Brazil
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12
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Measuring Fluctuating Asymmetry in Plastron Scutes of Yellow-bellied Sliders: the Importance of Gender, Size and Body Location. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2008. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031(2008)159[340:mfaips]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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13
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Van Nuffel A, Tuyttens F, Van Dongen S, Talloen W, Van Poucke E, Sonck B, Lens L. Fluctuating Asymmetry in Broiler Chickens: A Decision Protocol for Trait Selection in Seven Measuring Methods. Poult Sci 2007; 86:2555-68. [DOI: 10.3382/ps.2006-00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Van Poucke E, Van Nuffel A, Van Dongen S, Sonck B, Lens L, Tuyttens FAM. Experimental Stress Does Not Increase Fluctuating Asymmetry of Broiler Chickens at Slaughter Age. Poult Sci 2007; 86:2110-6. [PMID: 17878439 DOI: 10.1093/ps/86.10.2110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is increasingly applied as a putative indicator of animal welfare. Yet its sensitivity to measure welfare of ad libitum-fed farm animals (that presumably have little or no energy allocation constraints) remains largely untested. This study was conducted to examine whether FA is sensitive to experimentally induced stress in broiler chickens and whether effect sizes differ between emotional and physical stressors. Broiler chickens were randomly assigned to emotional stress treatments (pain or frustration), physical stress treatments (wet litter or high temperature and density), or no stress treatment (control). Both physical stressors, unlike the emotional stressors, were known to affect a number of conventional welfare indicators measured at slaughter age. Left-right asymmetry of 14 bilateral traits was measured at slaughter age and compared between treatments. Seven of the 14 bilateral traits proved unsuitable for the study of FA, either due to the presence of directional asymmetry or high measurement error. Fluctuating asymmetry tended to be lowest in the control group and highest in the high temperature and density treatment. However, either when modeling traits as repeated measures at individual broiler level or when performing trait-by-trait analysis, no significant differences between treatments were detected. This negative result may indicate that FA is not a suitable indicator to detect variations of welfare status in fast-growing broiler chickens because of strong past selection for increased BW and improved feed efficiency, which can mask additional stress effects on developmental processes. Alternatively, FA is not a sensitive indicator of welfare in ad libitum-fed animals because of absence of energy allocation constraints. Finally, FA may still be a suitable indicator of welfare under such conditions, but differences between treatments may remain undetected due to insufficient statistical power, which was estimated at 35% for our study.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Van Poucke
- Animal Husbandry and Welfare, Animal Sciences, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, 9090 Melle, Belgium.
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15
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Knierim U, Van Dongen S, Forkman B, Tuyttens FAM, Spinka M, Campo JL, Weissengruber GE. Fluctuating asymmetry as an animal welfare indicator -- a review of methodology and validity. Physiol Behav 2007; 92:398-421. [PMID: 17448508 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2006] [Revised: 01/22/2007] [Accepted: 02/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that fluctuating asymmetry (FA) reflects an animal's ability to cope with the sum of challenges during its growing period and, thus, is a potential welfare indicator. In this review we investigate the evidence of associations between FA and other welfare indicators measured at the level of the individual and of effects of welfare-relevant environmental conditions on FA in populations of captive birds and mammals including humans. As the question of validity cannot be treated independently from the quality of the available data, first a checklist for the proper measurement and analysis of FA is drafted and used to evaluate the methodological quality of the various studies. We recommend this checklist to be used as a standard for future FA studies. We found 17 relevant studies on associations between FA and other welfare indicators, and 36 studies on effects of welfare-relevant factors on FA. Frequent methodological shortcomings or insufficient methodological information allow for only cautious conclusions. The proportion of significant results supporting the link between higher FA and poorer welfare is only moderately high. Independent from statistical significance, almost all studies found the relationship between FA and welfare to be prevailingly in the expected direction. FA is a promising measure of animal welfare, despite a great number of open questions, e.g. relating to the ontogeny of FA or its sensitivity to various stressors. The considerable potential of FA as a welfare indicator makes it worthwhile to pursue more intensely validation studies as well as applied studies. These studies should pay particular attention to an appropriate methodological approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Knierim
- Department of Farm Animal Behaviour and Husbandry, University of Kassel, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany.
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Yeyati PL, Bancewicz RM, Maule J, van Heyningen V. Hsp90 selectively modulates phenotype in vertebrate development. PLoS Genet 2007; 3:e43. [PMID: 17397257 PMCID: PMC1839141 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.0030043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2006] [Accepted: 02/07/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Compromised heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) function reveals cryptic phenotypes in flies and plants. These observations were interpreted to suggest that this molecular stress-response chaperone has a capacity to buffer underlying genetic variation. Conversely, the protective role of Hsp90 could account for the variable penetrance or severity of some heritable developmental malformations in vertebrates. Using zebrafish as a model, we defined Hsp90 inhibitor levels that did not induce a heat shock response or perturb phenotype in wild-type strains. Under these conditions the severity of the recessive eye phenotype in sunrise, caused by a pax6b mutation, was increased, while in dreumes, caused by a sufu mutation, it was decreased. In another strain, a previously unobserved spectrum of severe structural eye malformations, reminiscent of anophthalmia, microphthalmia, and nanophthalmia complex in humans, was uncovered by this limited inhibition of Hsp90 function. Inbreeding of offspring from selected unaffected carrier parents led to significantly elevated malformation frequencies and revealed the oligogenic nature of this phenotype. Unlike in Drosophila, Hsp90 inhibition can decrease developmental stability in zebrafish, as indicated by increased asymmetric presentation of anophthalmia, microphthalmia, and nanophthalmia and sunrise phenotypes. Analysis of the sunrise pax6b mutation suggests a molecular mechanism for the buffering of mutations by Hsp90. The zebrafish studies imply that mild perturbation of Hsp90 function at critical developmental stages may underpin the variable penetrance and expressivity of many developmental anomalies where the interaction between genotype and environment plays a major role. Genetic variation is not always expressed as a single consistent phenotype even in familial diseases. Unilateral malformations in paired organs, such as the failure of an eye to develop on one side only, also remind us that gene function is often modified by environmental factors. Following observations by others in fruit flies, we explored the underlying mechanisms for such phenotypic fluctuation, using zebrafish as a vertebrate model. Earlier work suggested involvement of chaperone proteins like Hsp90, which assist with normal protein folding during development and also work overtime to keep proteins functional in response to environmental stress. Using specific drugs at defined times in early development for the limited reduction of Hsp90 activity, we showed that different cryptic genetic variants could be revealed consistently in genetically distinct fish strains. Once uncovered, the frequency of these variants was increased by inbreeding, confirming the role of underlying genetic factors. Similarly, we could modify the phenotypic severity of some—but not all—known gene variants, worsening some and improving others. It emerged that the most susceptible variants were those carrying amino acid alterations, in which assisted protein folding may either restore near normal function or facilitate malfunction, thus worsening phenotype. This insight may allow us to prevent recurrent malformations by minimizing or perhaps even counteracting the effects of exposure to environmental stress during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L Yeyati
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: (PLY); (VvH)
| | - Ruth M Bancewicz
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - John Maule
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Veronica van Heyningen
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: (PLY); (VvH)
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Campo JL, Gil MG, Dávila SG, Muñoz I. Genetic and phenotypic correlation between fluctuating asymmetry and two measurements of fear and stress in chickens. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2006.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Tuyttens FAM, Maertens L, Van Poucke E, Van Nuffel A, Debeuckelaere S, Creve J, Lens L. Measuring fluctuating asymmetry in fattening rabbits: a valid indicator of performance and housing quality? J Anim Sci 2006; 83:2645-52. [PMID: 16230664 DOI: 10.2527/2005.83112645x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) has been advocated as the preferred measure of developmental instability and a reliable indicator of the quality of an animal (performance/fitness) and of its environment during its growing life. Empirical studies, however, are too scant or equivocal to consider this assumption adequately validated, which is partly due to the lack of a robust methodological framework for collecting and analyzing FA data. Therefore, we conducted an experiment in which 306 weaned rabbits were housed either in welfare-friendly pens (n = 6) or barren pens (n = 6). The size of both types of pen was similar (1.91 m2), but the welfare-friendly pens were equipped with suitable enrichment material (gnawing stick, elevated platform, and hiding box) and were stocked with one-half of the number of rabbits compared with the barren pens (17 vs. 34 rabbits per pen). Performance data (BW gain, ADFI, and G:F) were collected every 14 d. After slaughter (d 63 to 72), we measured twice the left- and right-hand side of 11 presumed bilateral traits on intact carcasses and 50 traits on fleshed bones. Using a stringent decision process, an optimal combination of morphological traits for estimating FA in fattening rabbits was determined. This combination consisted of five traits (fleshed bones) that showed no directional asymmetry or antisymmetry and showed a high level of FA relative to the measurement error; also, these traits were not correlated in their signed FA values. Measurements on intact carcasses seemed inappropriate for estimating FA. Using this robust FA measuring protocol, rabbits housed in the welfare-friendly pens were less asymmetric than were rabbits from the barren pens. Except for a greater daily BW gain in the welfare-friendly pens during the first 14 d after weaning, there were no effects of housing conditions on performance traits. The FA was negatively correlated with BW gain in rabbits from the barren pens, whereas in the welfare-friendly pens, there was no correlation. These results support the application of FA as an indicator of animal welfare and performance; however, FA seems to be a more reliable estimator of the underlying developmental instability when living conditions are suboptimal.
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Affiliation(s)
- F A M Tuyttens
- Department of Mechanization, Labor, Buildings, Animal Welfare and Environmental Protection, Agricultural Research Center, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Hocking PM, Jones EKM, Picard M. Assessing the welfare consequences of providing litter for feed-restricted broiler breeders. Br Poult Sci 2006; 46:545-52. [PMID: 16359106 DOI: 10.1080/00071660500254813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
1. Broiler breeder females were fed restricted allocations of a standard wheat-soy ration to meet target body weights. They were housed on raised plastic slotted floors (S) or wood shavings litter (L) from hatch to 8 weeks when each pen of 12 birds was transferred to another pen in the same block in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment (LL, LS, SL and SS). Measures of bird welfare were taken at 4 weeks of age, and at 9 and 10 weeks following transfer to the new pens. 2. At 4 weeks of age, birds reared on S spent more time standing, pecking the feeder, the wall and other birds and less time pecking the floor compared with those on L. Gentle feather pecks, strong feather pecks and strong feather pulls were more common in S than L. 3. Mean body weight was higher and coefficient of variation lower in birds on L than S at the end of the experiment. Feather loss and damage scores at 10 weeks were higher for birds reared from hatch to 8 weeks on S. 4. Birds that were reared on S continued to peck more at the pen walls after transfer to new pens but there was no other carry-over effect on behaviour. Birds on S at 9 and 10 weeks pecked more at the walls and less often at the floor, and rested less often. There was more feather pecking on S than on L in the second week post transfer. 5. Tonic immobility was greater and plasma corticosterone concentrations were lower at the end of the experiment in birds on L than S at 9 and 10 weeks of age. The heterophil-lymphocyte ratio was similar between treatments at 4 weeks and after the birds were moved to a new pen. 6. The results are consistent with the view that litter and wall pecking has de-arousing properties and that this activity is re-directed foraging that diminishes the stress of feed restriction.
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Weinberg SM, Neiswanger K, Martin RA, Mooney MP, Kane AA, Wenger SL, Losee J, Deleyiannis F, Ma L, De Salamanca JE, Czeizel AE, Marazita ML. The Pittsburgh Oral-Facial Cleft study: expanding the cleft phenotype. Background and justification. Cleft Palate Craniofac J 2006; 43:7-20. [PMID: 16405378 DOI: 10.1597/04-122r1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Pittsburgh Oral-Facial Cleft study was begun in 1993 with the primary goal of identifying genes involved in nonsyndromic orofacial clefts in a variety of populations worldwide. Based on the results from a number of pilot studies and preliminary genetic analyses, a new research focus was added to the Pittsburgh Oral-Facial Cleft study in 1999: to elucidate the role that associated phenotypic features play in the familial transmission patterns of orofacial clefts in order to expand the definition of the nonsyndromic cleft phenotype. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of phenotypic features associated with nonsyndromic orofacial clefts. These features include fluctuating and directional asymmetry, non-right-handedness, dermatoglyphic patterns, craniofacial morphology, orbicularis oris muscle defects, dental anomalies, structural brain and vertebral anomalies, minor physical anomalies, and velopharyngeal incompetence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth M Weinberg
- Department of Anthropology, Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, USA
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Møller AP. A review of developmental instability, parasitism and disease. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2006; 6:133-40. [PMID: 16269271 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2005.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2004] [Revised: 03/18/2005] [Accepted: 03/21/2005] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Developmental instability is reflected in imprecise development caused by perturbations of the developmental process, while developmental stability reflects the ability to avoid or reduce such perturbations by developmental means. Developmental instability has been hypothesized to reflect overall individual condition, and asymmetric or otherwise aberrant individuals have thus been predicted to be particularly severely affected by disease and parasitism. An extensive review of the literature on animals, including humans, revealed consistent relationships between increased bilateral asymmetry and elevated risk of parasitism. Parasitism, including parasitism of mothers, is a cause of asymmetry as shown by a number of experiments, and asymmetric individuals are differentially susceptible to a range of different parasites. Extensive studies of humans have shown that asymmetric individuals also suffer disproportionately from a range of different diseases including mental diseases. Studies of transgenic organisms have now demonstrated that single genes associated with disease is a sufficient cause of increased asymmetry. A number of studies have also shown that activation of the immune system causes increased asymmetry in developing individuals, and that asymmetry and immunity show negative covariation. These findings may have important implications for the study of susceptibility of hosts to infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Pape Møller
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 7103, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Bât. A, 7ème étage, 7 quai St. Bernard, Case 237, F-75252 Paris Cedex 05, France.
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SHINE R, LANGKILDE T, WALL M, MASON RT. The fitness correlates of scalation asymmetry in garter snakes Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis. Funct Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2005.00963.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Measures of Developmental Instability as Integrated, A Posteriori Indicators of Farm Animal Welfare: A Review. Anim Welf 2003. [DOI: 10.1017/s0962728600026142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
AbstractDevelopmental instability, of which fluctuating asymmetry is the most commonly used and recommended measure, has recently been claimed to be an objective, integrated and retrospective indicator of animal welfare. The theoretical and empirical grounds for these claims are reviewed. In theory, carefully selected composite indices of fluctuating asymmetry are valid indicators of animal welfare in the sense that they reflect the ability of the developmental processes of an animal, with a given genetic constitution, to cope with environmental stressors. Relevant scientific experiments are scant and are mainly restricted to poultry, but they are on the increase and they largely support the application of developmental instability for assessing animal welfare. A scheme for monitoring farm animal welfare based purely on measures of developmental instability would have important advantages, but cannot be recommended yet. It cannot be ruled out that certain factors are clearly relevant to the welfare status of an animal but do not notably/proportionally affect its morphogenesis. Moreover, such a monitoring scheme would not be appropriate for applications with an emphasis on problem analysis/management.
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