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Hsieh S, Łaska W, Uchman A. Intermittent and temporally variable bioturbation by some terrestrial invertebrates: implications for ichnology. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2023; 110:11. [PMID: 36881175 PMCID: PMC9992032 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01833-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Bedding planes and vertical sections of many sedimentary rock formations reveal bioturbation structures, including burrows, produced by diverse animal taxa at different rates and durations. These variables are not directly measurable in the fossil record, but neoichnological observations and experiments provide informative analogues. Comparable to marine invertebrates from many phyla, a captive beetle larva burrowing over 2 weeks showed high rates of sediment disturbance within the first 100 h but slower rates afterwards. Tunnelling by earthworms and adult dung beetles is also inconstant-displacement of lithic material alternates with organic matter displacement, often driven by food availability with more locomotion when hungry. High rates of bioturbation, as with locomotion generally, result from internal and external drives, slowing down or stopping when needs are filled. Like other processes affecting sediment deposition and erosion, rates can drastically differ based on measured timescale, with short bursts of activity followed by hiatuses, concentrated in various seasons and ontogenetic stages for particular species. Assumptions of constant velocities within movement paths, left as traces afterward, may not apply in many cases. Arguments about energetic efficiency or optimal foraging based on ichnofossils have often overlooked these and related issues. Single bioturbation rates from short-term experiments in captivity may not be comparable to rates measured at an ecosystem level over a year or generalized across multiple time scales where conditions differ even for the same species. Neoichnological work, with an understanding of lifetime variabilities in bioturbation and their drivers, helps connect ichnology with behavioural biology and movement ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Hsieh
- Faculty of Geography and Geology, Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3a, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Weronika Łaska
- Faculty of Geography and Geology, Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3a, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 101, 02-089, Żwirki i Wigury, Poland
| | - Alfred Uchman
- Faculty of Geography and Geology, Institute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3a, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
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2
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Smereka CA, Frame PF, Edwards MA, Slater OM, Frame DD, Derocher AE. Space use of cougars at the northern edge of their range. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The space use strategies animals use to acquire resources needed for survival and reproduction reflect life history traits and individual behaviors. For large solitary carnivores, such as cougars (Puma concolor), prey, mates, and safe habitat in which to raise offspring, are resources that influence space use. Most animal home range studies investigate differences between sexes but fail to explore the space use patterns among individuals. We first used 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP), kernel density estimate (KDE), and Brownian bridge estimator (BB), to estimate the home range of 43 cougars satellite-collared in west-central Alberta, Canada, in 2016–2018. We found that adult males (MCP = 498 km2; KDE = 623 km2; BB = 547 km2) had home ranges that were more than twice the size of those of adult females (MCP = 181 km2; KDE = 273 km2; BB = 217 km2). We then used net squared displacement, path segmentation analysis, and multi-response permutation procedure, to examine the space use patterns of 27 female and 16 male cougars. We constructed a decision tree and found that 23% of cougars were dispersers (12% of females and 44% of males), 47% were residents (58% of females and 31% of males), 9% were seasonal home range shifters (12% of females and 6% of males), and 19% shifted to a new area during the study period (19% of females and 19% of males). We learned that dispersers all were subadults, whereas all residents, seasonal shifters, and shifters, were adults, except for one subadult male. Our study provides insights on animal home ranges with methods to categorize different space use strategies which could be used to help assess the dynamics of a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey A Smereka
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Paul F Frame
- Alberta Environment and Parks, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mark A Edwards
- Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Owen M Slater
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Andrew E Derocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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3
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Oosthuizen M, Robb G, Harrison A, Froneman A, Joubert K, Bennett N. Flexibility in body temperature rhythms of free-living natal mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus natalensis). J Therm Biol 2021; 99:102973. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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4
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Šklíba J, Vlasatá T, Lövy M, Hrouzková E, Meheretu Y, Sillero‐Zubiri C, Šumbera R. The giant that makes do with little: small and easy‐to‐leave home ranges found in the giant root‐rat. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Šklíba
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - T. Vlasatá
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - M. Lövy
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - E. Hrouzková
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Y. Meheretu
- Department of Biology College of Natural and Computational Sciences University of Mekelle Mekelle Ethiopia
| | - C. Sillero‐Zubiri
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Zoology Department University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Born Free Foundation Horsham UK
| | - R. Šumbera
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
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Fu H, Yuan S, Man D, Chai X, Yang S, Bao D, Wu X. The burrow behavior and influenced factors of a prairie subterranean zokor ( Myospalax psilurus). Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12773-12779. [PMID: 30619581 PMCID: PMC6308893 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The Transbaikal zokor (Myospalax psilurus) is a dominant rodent distributed in the meadow steppe of Inner Mongolia in northern China. Due to long history of evolution in subterranean environment, the zokor has an adaptive behavior: sealing burrow entrances. When a burrow is damaged, exposed entrances appear, and within a relatively short time, the zokor would be active in sealing the entrances to reduce risks to its survival. In general, it is thought that zokors avoid light and wind, which is consistent with their behavior of sealing burrow entrances. However, direct evidence from field experimental research has been lacking. This study set up 68 field sampling points in a meadow steppe in Inner Mongolia from August to September, 2014 and used a wind-light isolator to study the effects of wind and light factors on zokor burrow entrance sealing behavior. The results showed that there were no significant correlations between wind or light factors and the frequency of zokor burrow entrance sealing. Therefore, wind and light factors are not direct factors associated with zokors actively sealing burrow entrances.
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Affiliation(s)
- He‐Ping Fu
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Prataculture and Grassland ResourceMinistry of EducationHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and High Efficient Utilization of the Ministry of AgricultureHohhotChina
| | - Shuai Yuan
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Prataculture and Grassland ResourceMinistry of EducationHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and High Efficient Utilization of the Ministry of AgricultureHohhotChina
| | - Du‐Hu Man
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Prataculture and Grassland ResourceMinistry of EducationHohhotChina
| | - Xiang‐Xian Chai
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Prataculture and Grassland ResourceMinistry of EducationHohhotChina
| | - Su‐Wen Yang
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Prataculture and Grassland ResourceMinistry of EducationHohhotChina
| | - Dar‐Han Bao
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Prataculture and Grassland ResourceMinistry of EducationHohhotChina
| | - Xiao‐Dong Wu
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Prataculture and Grassland ResourceMinistry of EducationHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and High Efficient Utilization of the Ministry of AgricultureHohhotChina
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Malewski S, Begall S, Schleich CE, Antenucci CD, Burda H. Do subterranean mammals use the Earth's magnetic field as a heading indicator to dig straight tunnels? PeerJ 2018; 6:e5819. [PMID: 30402349 PMCID: PMC6215444 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Subterranean rodents are able to dig long straight tunnels. Keeping the course of such "runways" is important in the context of optimal foraging strategies and natal or mating dispersal. These tunnels are built in the course of a long time, and in social species, by several animals. Although the ability to keep the course of digging has already been described in the 1950s, its proximate mechanism could still not be satisfactorily explained. Here, we analyzed the directional orientation of 68 burrow systems in five subterranean rodent species (Fukomys anselli, F. mechowii, Heliophobius argenteocinereus, Spalax galili, and Ctenomys talarum) on the base of detailed maps of burrow systems charted within the framework of other studies and provided to us. The directional orientation of the vast majority of all evaluated burrow systems on the individual level (94%) showed a significant deviation from a random distribution. The second order statistics (averaging mean vectors of all the studied burrow systems of a respective species) revealed significant deviations from random distribution with a prevalence of north-south (H. argenteocinereus), NNW-SSE (C. talarum), and NE-SW (Fukomys mole-rats) oriented tunnels. Burrow systems of S. galili were randomly oriented. We suggest that the Earth's magnetic field acts as a common heading indicator, facilitating to keep the course of digging. This study provides a field test and further evidence for magnetoreception and its biological meaning in subterranean mammals. Furthermore, it lays the foundation for future field experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Malewski
- Department of General Zoology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sabine Begall
- Department of General Zoology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Czech University of Agriculture, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Cristian E. Schleich
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - C. Daniel Antenucci
- Laboratorio de Ecología Fisiológica y del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Hynek Burda
- Department of General Zoology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Czech University of Agriculture, Prague, Czech Republic
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Sociality does not drive the evolution of large brains in eusocial African mole-rats. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9203. [PMID: 29907782 PMCID: PMC6003933 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26062-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The social brain hypothesis (SBH) posits that the demands imposed on individuals by living in cohesive social groups exert a selection pressure favouring the evolution of large brains and complex cognitive abilities. Using volumetry and the isotropic fractionator to determine the size of and numbers of neurons in specific brain regions, here we test this hypothesis in African mole-rats (Bathyergidae). These subterranean rodents exhibit a broad spectrum of social complexity, ranging from strictly solitary through to eusocial cooperative breeders, but feature similar ecologies and life history traits. We found no positive association between sociality and neuroanatomical correlates of information-processing capacity. Solitary species are larger, tend to have greater absolute brain size and have more neurons in the forebrain than social species. The neocortex ratio and neuronal counts correlate negatively with social group size. These results are clearly inconsistent with the SBH and show that the challenges coupled with sociality in this group of rodents do not require brain enlargement or fundamental reorganization. These findings suggest that group living or pair bonding per se does not select strongly for brain enlargement unless coupled with Machiavellian interactions affecting individual fitness.
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Visser JH, Bennett NC, Jansen van Vuuren B. Spatial genetic diversity in the Cape mole-rat, Georychus capensis: Extreme isolation of populations in a subterranean environment. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194165. [PMID: 29543917 PMCID: PMC5854370 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The subterranean niche harbours animals with extreme adaptations. These adaptations decrease the vagility of taxa and, along with other behavioural adaptations, often result in isolated populations characterized by small effective population sizes, high inbreeding, population bottlenecks, genetic drift and consequently, high spatial genetic structure. Although information is available for some species, estimates of genetic diversity and whether this variation is spatially structured, is lacking for the Cape mole-rat (Georychus capensis). By adopting a range-wide sampling regime and employing two variable mitochondrial markers (cytochrome b and control region), we report on the effects that life-history, population demography and geographic barriers had in shaping genetic variation and population genetic patterns in G. capensis. We also compare our results to information available for the sister taxon of the study species, Bathyergus suillus. Our results show that Georychus capensis exhibits low genetic diversity relative to the concomitantly distributed B. suillus, most likely due to differences in habitat specificity, habitat fragmentation and historical population declines. In addition, the isolated nature of G. capensis populations and low levels of population connectivity has led to small effective population sizes and genetic differentiation, possibly aided by genetic drift. Not surprisingly therefore, G. capensis exhibits pronounced spatial structure across its range in South Africa. Along with geographic distance and demography, other factors shaping the genetic structure of G. capensis include the historical and contemporary impacts of mountains, rivers, sea-level fluctuations and elevation. Given the isolation and differentiation among G. capensis populations, the monotypic genus Georychus may represent a species complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacobus H. Visser
- Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Bettine Jansen van Vuuren
- Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
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Kubiak BB, Maestri R, Borges LR, Galiano D, de Freitas TRO. Interspecific interactions may not influence home range size in subterranean rodents: a case study of two tuco-tuco species (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae). J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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10
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Kubiak BB, Galiano D, Freitas TRO. Can the environment influence species home‐range size? A case study on
Ctenomys minutus
(Rodentia, Ctenomyidae). J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- B. B. Kubiak
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biologia Animal Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
| | - D. Galiano
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ciências Ambientais Área de Ciências Exatas e Ambientais Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó Chapecó Brazil
| | - T. R. O. Freitas
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biologia Animal Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
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Vlasatá T, Šklíba J, Lövy M, Meheretu Y, Sillero-Zubiri C, Šumbera R. Daily activity patterns in the giant root rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus
), a fossorial rodent from the Afro-alpine zone of the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Vlasatá
- Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - J. Šklíba
- Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology; Biology Centre CAS; České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - M. Lövy
- Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Y. Meheretu
- Department of Biology; College of natural and computational sciences; University of Mekelle; Mekelle Ethiopia
| | - C. Sillero-Zubiri
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit; Zoology Department; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - R. Šumbera
- Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; České Budějovice Czech Republic
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12
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Šklíba J, Lövy M, Burda H, Šumbera R. Variability of space-use patterns in a free living eusocial rodent, Ansell's mole-rat indicates age-based rather than caste polyethism. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37497. [PMID: 27922127 PMCID: PMC5138616 DOI: 10.1038/srep37497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Eusocial species of African mole-rats live in groups cooperating on multiple tasks and employing division of labour. In captivity, individuals of the same group differ in cooperative contribution as well as in preference for a particular task. Both can be viewed as polyethism. However, little information is available from free-ranging mole-rats, which live in large burrow systems. We made an attempt to detect polyethism in the free-living Ansell's mole-rat (Fukomys anselli) as differences in individuals' space-use patterns. We radio-tracked 17 adults from five groups. Large individuals, including breeding males, spent more time inside the nest than smaller individuals. Breeding females were more often located <10 m from the nest in comparison to non-breeding females, who were relatively more often located 30-90 m and exclusively >90 m from the nest. One non-breeding female even conducted a brief intrusion into a neighbouring group's territory via an open tunnel connection. A significant part of the variability in mole-rat space-use patterns was explained by body mass which is probably related to age in this species. This result can therefore be attributed to age polyethism. There was no apparent discontinuity in the space-use patterns of non-breeders that would indicate existence of castes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Šklíba
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre CAS, Branišovská 1160, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Matěj Lövy
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Hynek Burda
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Radim Šumbera
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Convergent Traits in Mammals Associated with Divergent Behaviors: the Case of the Continuous Dental Replacement in Rock-Wallabies and African Mole-Rats. J MAMM EVOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-016-9348-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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14
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Thomas HG, Swanepoel D, Bennett NC. Burrow architecture of the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) from South Africa. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2015.1128355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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15
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Burrow systems of mole-rats as refuges for frogs in the Miombo woodlands of south-east Africa. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467415000644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Frogs are known to occasionally utilize the burrow systems of subterranean rodents, but this phenomenon has previously attracted little attention. We recorded frogs in burrows and in/under the molehills of three African mole-rat species (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) during burrow system mapping in Malawi and Zambia during the dry season. Eight frog species were detected. The most abundant of them,Kassina senegalensis, was found in large numbers in active Ansell's mole-rat nest areas, obviously tolerated by the hosts. We speculate that in areas with prolonged dry seasons mole-rats may increase anuran abundances and diversity.
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Šklíba J, Lövy M, Koeppen SCW, Pleštilová L, Vitámvás M, Nevo E, Šumbera R. Activity of free-living subterranean blind mole ratsSpalax galili(Rodentia: Spalacidae) in an area of supposed sympatric speciation. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Šklíba
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branišovská 31 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Matěj Lövy
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branišovská 31 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Stephan C. W. Koeppen
- Department of General Zoology; Faculty of Biology; University of Duisburg-Essen; Universitätsstr. 5 45141 Essen Germany
| | - Lucie Pleštilová
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branišovská 31 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Vitámvás
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branišovská 31 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Eviatar Nevo
- Institute of Evolution; University of Haifa; Haifa 31905 Israel
| | - Radim Šumbera
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branišovská 31 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
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Visser JH, Bennett NC, Jansen van Vuuren B. Local and regional scale genetic variation in the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107226. [PMID: 25229558 PMCID: PMC4167993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The distribution of genetic variation is determined through the interaction of life history, morphology and habitat specificity of a species in conjunction with landscape structure. While numerous studies have investigated this interplay of factors in species inhabiting aquatic, riverine, terrestrial, arboreal and saxicolous systems, the fossorial system has remained largely unexplored. In this study we attempt to elucidate the impacts of a subterranean lifestyle coupled with a heterogeneous landscape on genetic partitioning by using a subterranean mammal species, the Cape dune mole-rat (Bathyergus suillus), as our model. Bathyergus suillus is one of a few mammal species endemic to the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of the Western Cape of South Africa. Its distribution is fragmented by rivers and mountains; both geographic phenomena that may act as geographical barriers to gene-flow. Using two mitochondrial fragments (cytochrome b and control region) as well as nine microsatellite loci, we determined the phylogeographic structure and gene-flow patterns at two different spatial scales (local and regional). Furthermore, we investigated genetic differentiation between populations and applied Bayesian clustering and assignment approaches to our data. Nearly every population formed a genetically unique entity with significant genetic structure evident across geographic barriers such as rivers (Berg, Verlorenvlei, Breede and Gourits Rivers), mountains (Piketberg and Hottentots Holland Mountains) and with geographic distance at both spatial scales. Surprisingly, B. suillus was found to be paraphyletic with respect to its sister species, B. janetta-a result largely overlooked by previous studies on these taxa. A systematic revision of the genus Bathyergus is therefore necessary. This study provides a valuable insight into how the biology, life-history and habitat specificity of animals inhabiting a fossorial system may act in concert with the structure of the surrounding landscape to influence genetic distinctiveness and ultimately speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacobus H. Visser
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Šklíba J, Lövy M, Hrouzková E, Kott O, Okrouhlík J, Šumbera R. Social and Environmental Influences on Daily Activity Pattern in Free-Living Subterranean Rodents. J Biol Rhythms 2014; 29:203-214. [DOI: 10.1177/0748730414526358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Predictable daily activity patterns have been detected repeatedly even in mammals living in stable environments, as is the case for subterranean rodents. Whereas studies on activity of these rodents under laboratory conditions almost exclusively have concerned themselves with the influence of light, many field studies have revealed signs of an association between the activity pattern and daily fluctuations of temperature under the ground. This would assume that behavioral thermoregulation is probably involved. The only exceptions to the relationship between temperature and activity are 2 eusocial mole-rats of the genus Fukomys (Bathyergidae, Rodentia), which indicates that activity patterns could be affected also by social cues. To better understand how social and environmental factors influence the activity pattern in a eusocial mole-rat, we monitored the outside-nest activity in another species of this genus, the Ansell’s mole-rat ( Fukomys anselli), which has a relatively small body mass, high conductance, and more superficially situated burrows. Its daily activity had 1 prominent peak (around 1400 h), and it was tightly correlated with the temperature measured at depth of foraging burrows. Since F. anselli has high thermoregulatory requirements to maintain stable body temperature below the lower critical temperature, we conclude that the observed pattern is probably the result of minimizing the cost of thermoregulation. There were no significant differences in the daily activity patterns of breeding males and females and nonbreeders. Members of the same family group tended to have more similar activity patterns, but consistent activity synchronization between individuals was not proven. From the comparison of available data on all subterranean rodents, we assume that social cues in communally nesting mole-rats may disrupt (mask) temperature-related daily activity rhythms but probably only if the additional cost of thermoregulation is not too high, as it likely is in the Ansell’s mole-rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Šklíba
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Cˇeské Budeˇjovice, Czech Republic
| | - Matěj Lövy
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Cˇeské Budeˇjovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ema Hrouzková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Cˇeské Budeˇjovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Kott
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Cˇeské Budeˇjovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Okrouhlík
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Cˇeské Budeˇjovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Šumbera
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Cˇeské Budeˇjovice, Czech Republic
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Katandukila JV, Chimimba CT, Bennett NC, Makundi RH, Le Comber SC, Faulkes CG. Sweeping the house clean: burrow architecture and seasonal digging activity in the
E
ast
A
frican root rat from
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anzania. J Zool (1987) 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. V. Katandukila
- Mammal Research Institute Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria Gauteng South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation College of Natural and Applied Sciences University of Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam Tanzania
| | - C. T. Chimimba
- Mammal Research Institute Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria Gauteng South Africa
| | - N. C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria Gauteng South Africa
- South African Research Chair of Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria Gauteng South Africa
| | - R. H. Makundi
- Pest Management Centre Sokoine University of Agriculture Morogoro Tanzania
| | - S. C. Le Comber
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - C. G. Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
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20
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Seasonal changes in burrow geometry of the common mole rat (Rodentia: Bathyergidae). Naturwissenschaften 2013; 100:1023-30. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-013-1105-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Revised: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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21
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Lövy M, Sklíba J, Sumbera R. Spatial and temporal activity patterns of the free-living giant mole-rat (Fukomys mechowii), the largest social bathyergid. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55357. [PMID: 23383166 PMCID: PMC3559640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the considerable attention devoted to the biology of social species of African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia), knowledge is lacking about their behaviour under natural conditions. We studied activity of the largest social bathyergid, the giant mole-rat Fukomys mechowii, in its natural habitat in Zambia using radio-telemetry. We radio-tracked six individuals during three continuous 72-h sessions. Five of these individuals, including a breeding male, belonged to a single family group; the remaining female was probably a solitary disperser. The non-breeders of the family were active (i.e. outside the nest) 5.8 hours per 24h-day with the activity split into 6.5 short bouts. The activity was more concentrated in the night hours, when the animals also travelled longer distances from the nest. The breeding male spent only 3.2 hours per day outside the nest, utilizing less than 20% of the whole family home range. The dispersing female displayed a much different activity pattern than the family members. Her 8.0 hours of outside-nest activity per day were split into 4.6 bouts which were twice as long as in the family non-breeders. Her activity peak in the late afternoon coincided with the temperature maximum in the depth of 10 cm (roughly the depth of the foraging tunnels). Our results suggest that the breeding individuals (at least males) contribute very little to the work of the family group. Nevertheless, the amount of an individual's activity and its daily pattern are probably flexible in this species and can be modified in response to actual environmental and social conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matěj Lövy
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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22
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Possible incipient sympatric ecological speciation in blind mole rats (Spalax). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:2587-92. [PMID: 23359700 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1222588110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Sympatric speciation has been controversial since it was first proposed as a mode of speciation. Subterranean blind mole rats (Spalacidae) are considered to speciate allopatrically or peripatrically. Here, we report a possible incipient sympatric adaptive ecological speciation in Spalax galili (2n = 52). The study microsite (0.04 km(2)) is sharply subdivided geologically, edaphically, and ecologically into abutting barrier-free ecologies divergent in rock, soil, and vegetation types. The Pleistocene Alma basalt abuts the Cretaceous Senonian Kerem Ben Zimra chalk. Only 28% of 112 plant species were shared between the soils. We examined mitochondrial DNA in the control region and ATP6 in 28 mole rats from basalt and in 14 from chalk habitats. We also sequenced the complete mtDNA (16,423 bp) of four animals, two from each soil type. Remarkably, the frequency of all major haplotype clusters (HC) was highly soil-biased. HCI and HCII are chalk biased. HC-III was abundant in basalt (36%) but absent in chalk; HC-IV was prevalent in basalt (46.5%) but was low (20%) in chalk. Up to 40% of the mtDNA diversity was edaphically dependent, suggesting constrained gene flow. We identified a homologous recombinant mtDNA in the basalt/chalk studied area. Phenotypically significant divergences differentiate the two populations, inhabiting different soils, in adaptive oxygen consumption and in the amount of outside-nest activity. This identification of a possible incipient sympatric adaptive ecological speciation caused by natural selection indirectly refutes the allopatric alternative. Sympatric ecological speciation may be more prevalent in nature because of abundant and sharply abutting divergent ecologies.
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Thomas HG, Bateman PW, Scantlebury M, Bennett NC. Season but not sex influences burrow length and complexity in the non-sexually dimorphic solitary Cape mole-rat (Rodentia: Bathyergidae). J Zool (1987) 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2012.00944.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H. G. Thomas
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; Pretoria; South Africa
| | | | | | - N. C. Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute; University of Pretoria; Pretoria; South Africa
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Continuous dental replacement in a hyper-chisel tooth digging rodent. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:17355-9. [PMID: 21987823 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1109615108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrary to their reptilian ancestors, which had numerous dental generations, mammals are known to usually develop only two generations of teeth. However, a few mammal species have acquired the ability to continuously replace their dentition by the constant addition of supernumerary teeth moving secondarily toward the front of the jaw. The resulting treadmill-like replacement is thus horizontal, and differs completely from the vertical dental succession of other mammals and their extinct relatives. Despite the developmental implications and prospects regarding the origin of supernumerary teeth, this striking innovation remains poorly documented. Here we report another case of continuous dental replacement in an African rodent, Heliophobius argenteocinereus, which combines this dental system with the progressive eruption of high-crowned teeth. The escalator-like mechanism of Heliophobius constitutes an original adaptation to hyper-chisel tooth digging involving high dental wear. Comparisons between Heliophobius and the few mammals that convergently acquired continuous dental replacement reveal that shared inherited traits, including dental mesial drift, delayed eruption, and supernumerary molars, comprise essential prerequisites to setting up this dental mechanism. Interestingly, these dental traits are present to a lesser extent in humans but are absent in mouse, the usual biological model. Consequently, Heliophobius represents a suitable model to investigate the molecular processes leading to the development of supernumerary teeth in mammals, and the accurate description of these processes could be a significant advance for further applications in humans, such as the regeneration of dental tissues.
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Šumbera R, Mazoch V, Patzenhauerová H, Lövy M, Šklíba J, Bryja J, Burda H. Burrow architecture, family composition and habitat characteristics of the largest social African mole-rat: the giant mole-rat constructs really giant burrow systems. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-011-0059-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Resource characteristics and foraging adaptations in the silvery mole-rat (Heliophobius argenteocinereus), a solitary Afrotropical bathyergid. Ecol Res 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-011-0860-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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27
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Šklíba J, Šumbera R, Chitaukali WN. What determines the way of deposition of excavated soil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.4098/j.at.0001-7051.099.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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28
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Kott O, Šumbera R, Němec P. Light perception in two strictly subterranean rodents: life in the dark or blue? PLoS One 2010; 5:e11810. [PMID: 20676369 PMCID: PMC2911378 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2010] [Accepted: 06/23/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) are strictly subterranean, congenitally microphthalmic rodents that are hardly ever exposed to environmental light. Because of the lack of an overt behavioural reaction to light, they have long been considered to be blind. However, recent anatomical studies have suggested retention of basic visual capabilities. In this study, we employed behavioural tests to find out if two mole-rat species are able to discriminate between light and dark, if they are able to discriminate colours and, finally, if the presence of light in burrows provokes plugging behaviour, which is assumed to have a primarily anti-predatory function. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING We used a binary choice test to show that the silvery mole-rat Heliophobius argenteocinereus and the giant mole-rat Fukomys mechowii exhibit a clear photoavoidance response to full-spectrum ("white"), blue and green-yellow light, but no significant reaction to ultraviolet or red light during nest building. The mole-rats thus retain dark/light discrimination capabilities and a capacity to perceive short to medium-wavelength light in the photopic range of intensities. These findings further suggest that the mole-rat S opsin has its absorption maximum in the violet/blue part of the spectrum. The assay did not yield conclusive evidence regarding colour discrimination. To test the putative role of vision in bathyergid anti-predatory behaviour, we examined the reaction of mole-rats to the incidence of light in an artificial burrow system. The presence of light in the burrow effectively induced plugging of the illuminated tunnel. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE Our findings suggest that the photopic vision is conserved and that low acuity residual vision plays an important role in predator avoidance and tunnel maintenance in the African mole-rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Kott
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Šumbera
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Němec
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
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