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Barrett A, Holder K, Knowles S, LaDouceur EEB. Retrospective review of the pathology of American pikas. J Vet Diagn Invest 2024:10406387241256907. [PMID: 38804174 DOI: 10.1177/10406387241256907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are small lagomorphs that live in mountainous talus areas of western North America. Studies on the histopathology of American pikas are limited. We summarize here the clinical histories, and gross and histologic findings of 12 American pikas, including 9 captive (wild-caught) and 3 wild animals. Death was often attributed to stress (transport, handling, anesthesia) with few-to-no premonitory clinical signs. Infection was the cause of death in 2 cases: 1 had bacterial pyogranulomatous dermatitis, cellulitis, and lymphadenitis with sepsis; the other case had oomycete-induced necrotizing colitis. Incidental parasitic infections included sarcocystosis, nematodosis (oxyurids), and ectoparasitism. Most animals with adequate nutritional status had periportal hepatic lipidosis; this finding was absent in all animals with adipose atrophy, and it is possible that periportal hepatic lipidosis is non-pathologic in American pikas. Three cases had myocardial necrosis that was considered the cause of death; the cause of necrosis was not determined, but it may have been caused by stress or vitamin E-selenium deficiency. Esophageal hyperkeratosis was noted in animals with a history of anorexia and negative energy balance; accumulation of esophageal keratin can result from lack of mucosal abrasion by ingesta. Several histologic findings that are likely normal in American pikas include splenic extramedullary hematopoiesis, thymic tissue in adults, and Clostridium sp. in the enteric lumen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kali Holder
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Susan Knowles
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, USA
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2
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Schmidt DA, Galbreath KE, Russello MA. Phylogenomics of American pika (Ochotona princeps) lineage diversification. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 193:108030. [PMID: 38341008 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108030] [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] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Quaternary climate oscillations have profoundly influenced current species distributions. For many montane species, these fluctuations were a prominent driver in species range shifts, often resulting in intraspecific diversification, as has been the case for American pikas (Ochotona princeps). Range shifts and population declines in this thermally-sensitive lagomorph have been linked to historical and contemporary environmental changes across its western North American range, with previous research reconstructing five mitochondrial DNA lineages. Here, we paired genome-wide data (25,244 SNPs) with range-wide sampling to re-examine the number and distribution of intra-specific lineages, and investigate patterns of within- and among-lineage divergence and diversity. Our results provide genomic evidence of O. princeps monophyly, reconstructing six distinct lineages that underwent multiple rounds of divergence (0.809-2.81 mya), including a new Central Rocky Mountain lineage. We further found evidence for population differentiation across multiple spatial scales, and reconstructed levels of standing variation comparable to those found in other small mammals. Overall, our findings demonstrate the influence of past glacial cycles on O. princeps lineage diversification, suggest that current subspecific taxonomy may need to be revisited, and provide an important framework for investigations of American pika adaptive potential in the face of anthropogenic climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A Schmidt
- Department of Biology, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Kurt E Galbreath
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
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Jones R, Bourn NAD, Maclean IMD, Wilson RJ. Landscape‐scale dynamics of a threatened species respond to local‐scale conservation management. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Jones
- Environment & Sustainability Inst., Univ. of Exeter Cornwall UK
- Butterfly Conservation, Manor Yard East Lulworth Dorset UK
| | | | | | - Robert J. Wilson
- Environment & Sustainability Inst., Univ. of Exeter Cornwall UK
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC) Madrid Spain
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Millar CI, Smith AT. Return of the pika: American pikas re-occupy long-extirpated, warm locations. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9295. [PMID: 36177131 PMCID: PMC9475130 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9295] [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: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
American pikas (Ochotona princeps), small mammals related to rabbits, occur in mountainous regions of western North America, where they live in shattered‐rock habitats (talus). Aspects of their physiology and life history create situations that appear to put pikas at risk from warming climates. Some low‐elevation, warm sites that historically harbored pikas have become extirpated, and the assumption is that these will not be re‐colonized under current climate trends. Unexpectedly, in 2021, we found that pikas had re‐colonized two very warm, low‐elevation, dry sites in eastern California, USA, in the Bodie Mountains and Mono Craters. Resident pikas appear to have been absent at both sites for ≥10 years. These findings suggest that pikas, which are normally diurnally active, are able to overcome thermal dispersal barriers and re‐colonize long‐extirpated sites, perhaps by moving during cool nights. Our data also highlight the often unrecognized suitability of pika habitat in warm regions where the interiors of taluses can remain stably cool even when external air temperatures are hot.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew T Smith
- School of Life Sciences Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
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Marom N, Lazagabaster IA, Shafir R, Natalio F, Eisenmann V, Horwitz LK. The Late Middle Pleistocene mammalian fauna of Oumm Qatafa Cave, Judean Desert: taxonomy, taphonomy and palaeoenvironment. JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE 2022; 37:612-638. [PMID: 35915614 PMCID: PMC9314136 DOI: 10.1002/jqs.3414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Middle Pleistocene archaeological record of the southern Levant has proven key to understanding human evolution and intercontinental faunal biogeography. Knowledge of archaeological sites of that period in the southern Levant is biased, with most Middle Pleistocene localities in the Mediterranean areas in the north, despite the mosaic of environments that mark the entire region. A key Middle Pleistocene location in the Judean Desert - on the eastern margin of the Mediterranean zone - is the site of Oumm Qatafa, excavated in the early 1900s, which yielded a faunal collection spanning an estimated time period of 600-200 kya. Here, we present a revised taxonomy of the macromammalian fauna from the site, discuss the palaeoenvironmental implications of this assemblage, and relate the finds to other Pleistocene sites from the Levant. These data enable a more precise palaeoenvironmental reconstruction which attests to an open landscape, but with the addition of a mesic Mediterranean component close by. In addition, detailed taphonomic observations on butchery marks and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of burnt bone link the fauna for the first time to anthropogenic activities in the cave.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimrod Marom
- School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures & the Recanati Institute for Maritime StudiesUniversity of Haifa, HaifaIsrael
| | - Ignacio A. Lazagabaster
- School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures & the Recanati Institute for Maritime StudiesUniversity of Haifa, HaifaIsrael
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity at the Humboldt University BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Roee Shafir
- School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures & the Recanati Institute for Maritime StudiesUniversity of Haifa, HaifaIsrael
| | | | - Vera Eisenmann
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 5143 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CP 38, Département Histoire de la TerreParisFrance
| | - Liora Kolska Horwitz
- National Natural History CollectionsThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
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Droghini A, Christie KS, Kelty RR, Schuette PA, Gotthardt T. Conservation status, threats, and information needs of small mammals in Alaska. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Droghini
- Alaska Center for Conservation Science University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Katherine S. Christie
- Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program Alaska Department of Fish and Game Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Rachel R. Kelty
- Alaska Center for Conservation Science University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Paul A. Schuette
- Alaska Center for Conservation Science University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
- Marine Mammals Management US Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Tracey Gotthardt
- Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program Alaska Department of Fish and Game Anchorage Alaska USA
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Sjodin BMF, Galbreath KE, Lanier HC, Russello MA. Chromosome-Level Reference Genome Assembly for the American Pika (Ochotona princeps). J Hered 2021; 112:549-557. [PMID: 34036348 PMCID: PMC8558581 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is an alpine lagomorph found throughout western North America. Primarily inhabiting talus slopes at higher elevations (>2000 m), American pikas are well adapted to cold, montane environments. Warming climates on both historical and contemporary scales have contributed to population declines in American pikas, positioning them as a focal mammalian species for investigating the ecological effects of climate change. To support and expand ongoing research efforts, here, we present a highly contiguous and annotated reference genome assembly for the American pika (OchPri4.0). This assembly was produced using Dovetail de novo proximity ligation methods and annotated through the NCBI Eukaryotic Genome Annotation pipeline. The resulting assembly was chromosome- scale, with a total length of 2.23 Gb across 9350 scaffolds and a scaffold N50 of 75.8 Mb. The vast majority (>97%) of the total assembly length was found within 36 large scaffolds; 33 of these scaffolds correlated to whole autosomes, while the X chromosome was covered by 3 large scaffolds. Additionally, we identified 17 enriched gene ontology terms among American pika-specific genes putatively related to adaptation to high-elevation environments. This high-quality genome assembly will serve as a springboard for exploring the evolutionary underpinnings of behavioral, ecological, and taxonomic diversification in pikas as well as broader-scale eco-evolutionary questions pertaining to cold-adapted species in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryson M F Sjodin
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Kurt E Galbreath
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - Hayley C Lanier
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Michael A Russello
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, Canada
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Genome-wide analysis reveals associations between climate and regional patterns of adaptive divergence and dispersal in American pikas. Heredity (Edinb) 2021; 127:443-454. [PMID: 34537819 PMCID: PMC8551249 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-021-00472-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the role of adaptation in species' responses to climate change is important for evaluating the evolutionary potential of populations and informing conservation efforts. Population genomics provides a useful approach for identifying putative signatures of selection and the underlying environmental factors or biological processes that may be involved. Here, we employed a population genomic approach within a space-for-time study design to investigate the genetic basis of local adaptation and reconstruct patterns of movement across rapidly changing environments in a thermally sensitive mammal, the American pika (Ochotona princeps). Using genotypic data at 49,074 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we analyzed patterns of genome-wide diversity, structure, and migration along three independent elevational transects located at the northern extent (Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada) and core (North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA) of the Cascades lineage. We identified 899 robust outlier SNPs within- and among-transects. Of those annotated to genes with known function, many were linked with cellular processes related to climate stress including ATP-binding, ATP citrate synthase activity, ATPase activity, hormone activity, metal ion-binding, and protein-binding. Moreover, we detected evidence for contrasting patterns of directional migration along transects across geographic regions that suggest an increased propensity for American pikas to disperse among lower elevation populations at higher latitudes where environments are generally cooler. Ultimately, our data indicate that fine-scale demographic patterns and adaptive processes may vary among populations of American pikas, providing an important context for evaluating biotic responses to climate change in this species and other alpine-adapted mammals.
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