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Nasoori A. Formation, structure, and function of extra-skeletal bones in mammals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:986-1019. [PMID: 32338826 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This review describes the formation, structure, and function of bony compartments in antlers, horns, ossicones, osteoderm and the os penis/os clitoris (collectively referred to herein as AHOOO structures) in extant mammals. AHOOOs are extra-skeletal bones that originate from subcutaneous (dermal) tissues in a wide variety of mammals, and this review elaborates on the co-development of the bone and skin in these structures. During foetal stages, primordial cells for the bony compartments arise in subcutaneous tissues. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition is assumed to play a key role in the differentiation of bone, cartilage, skin and other tissues in AHOOO structures. AHOOO ossification takes place after skeletal bone formation, and may depend on sexual maturity. Skin keratinization occurs in tandem with ossification and may be under the control of androgens. Both endochondral and intramembranous ossification participate in bony compartment formation. There is variation in gradients of density in different AHOOO structures. These gradients, which vary according to function and species, primarily reduce mechanical stress. Anchorage of AHOOOs to their surrounding tissues fortifies these structures and is accomplished by bone-bone fusion and Sharpey fibres. The presence of the integument is essential for the protection and function of the bony compartments. Three major functions can be attributed to AHOOOs: mechanical, visual, and thermoregulatory. This review provides the first extensive comparative description of the skeletal and integumentary systems of AHOOOs in a variety of mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Nasoori
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0818, Japan
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Bhaskar R, Kanaparthi P, Sakthivel R. DNA barcode approaches to reveal interspecies genetic variation of Indian ungulates. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2020; 5:938-944. [PMID: 33366818 PMCID: PMC7748596 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2020.1719912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past two decades, identification of species from noninvasive sampling has turned out to be an important tool for wildlife conservation. In this study a total 93 specimens representing 22 species of ungulates were analyzed from partial sequences of mtDNA COI and Cytb genes. All the species showed unique clades, and sequences divergence within species was between 0.01–3.9% in COI and 0.01–13.7 in Cytb, whereas divergence between species ranged from 2.2 to 29.5% in COI and 2.3 to 28.8% in Cytb. Highest intraspecific divergence was observed within the Ovis aries in COI and Porcula salvania in Cytb. Bayesian (BA) phylogeny analysis of both genes combined distinguishes all the studied species as monophyletic criteria. The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) exhibited closer relation to horse (Equus caballus). No barcode gap was observed between species in COI. This study demonstrates that even short fragments of COI and Cytb generated from fecal pellets can efficiently identify the Indian ungulates, thus demonstrating its high potential for use in wildlife conservation activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjana Bhaskar
- Southern Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Chennai, India
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Oli CB, Panthi S, Subedi N, Ale G, Pant G, Khanal G, Bhattarai S. Dry season diet composition of four-horned antelope Tetracerus quadricornis in tropical dry deciduous forests, Nepal. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5102. [PMID: 29967747 PMCID: PMC6022733 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
It is essential to assess the feeding strategies of threatened species during resource-scarce seasons to understand their dietary niche breadth and inform appropriate habitat management measures. In this study, we examined the diet composition of four-horned antelope (FHA) Tetracerus and quadricornis, one of the least studied ungulate species, in Banke National Park, Nepal. A total of 53 fresh pellet groups were collected between December 2015 and January 2016 and analyzed using micro-histological fecal analysis technique. First, we prepared 133 micro-histological photographs of different parts of 64 reference plant species. Then we compared 1,590 fragments of 53 fecal samples with photographs of reference plants to assess the percentage of occurrence of different plant species in FHA diet. A total of 30 plant species belonging to 18 different families were identified in fecal samples. Chi-square goodness of fit tests showed that FHA appeared not to feed all plant uniformly. Out of 1,520 identified fragments in fecal samples, 1,300 were browse species and 220 were grass species. Browse represented 85.5% of the identified plant fragments, suggesting that FHA might be adopting a browser strategy at least during winter when grasses are low in abundance and their nutritive quality is poor. Tree species had the highest contribution in the diet (46.55%) followed by shrubs (24.52%). The family Gramineae was consumed in the highest proportion (27.68%) followed by Euphorbiaceae (11.95%). Overall, our results suggest that FHA has the feeding plasticity to adapt to resource fluctuation. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend that dicot plant species-particularly fruit trees and shrubs, which are the major source of nutrients for FHA during resource-lean, dry season-be conserved and natural regeneration of these taxa be promoted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chet Bahadur Oli
- Ministry of Forests and Environment, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Saroj Panthi
- Ministry of Forests and Environment, Department of Forests, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | | | - Gagan Ale
- Tribhuvan University, Central Department of Environmental Science, Nepal
| | - Ganesh Pant
- Ministry of Forests and Environment, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Gopal Khanal
- Ministry of Forests and Environment, Department of Forests, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Post-Graduate Programme in Wildlife Biology & Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society, India Program, National Centre for Biological Sciences, GKVK Campus, Bangalore, India
- Centre for Ecological Studies, Lalitpur, Nepal
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Meghwal R, Bhatnagar C, Koli VK. Activity and social behaviour of four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornisde Blainville, 1816) in tropical deciduous forests of Aravalli mountain range, Western India. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v67.i1.a4.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramchandra Meghwal
- Aquatic Toxicology and Wildlife Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, 313001 Udaipur, Rajasthan, India;, ,
| | - Chhaya Bhatnagar
- Aquatic Toxicology and Wildlife Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, 313001 Udaipur, Rajasthan, India;, ,
| | - Vijay Kumar Koli
- Aquatic Toxicology and Wildlife Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, 313001 Udaipur, Rajasthan, India;, ,
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Foley AM, Goolsby JA, Ortega-S A, Ortega-S JA, Pérez de León A, Singh NK, Schwartz A, Ellis D, Hewitt DG, Campbell TA. Movement patterns of nilgai antelope in South Texas: Implications for cattle fever tick management. Prev Vet Med 2017; 146:166-172. [PMID: 28992923 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife, both native and introduced, can harbor and spread diseases of importance to the livestock industry. Describing movement patterns of such wildlife is essential to formulate effective disease management strategies. Nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) are a free-ranging, introduced ungulate in southern Texas known to carry cattle fever ticks (CFT, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, R. (B.) annulatus). CFT are the vector for the etiological agent of bovine babesiosis, a lethal disease causing high mortality in susceptible Bos taurus populations and severely affecting the beef cattle industry. Efforts to eradicate CFT from the United States have been successful. However, a permanent quarantine area is maintained between Texas and Mexico to check its entry from infested areas of neighboring Mexico states on wildlife and stray cattle. In recent years, there has been an increase in CFT infestations outside of the permanent quarantine area in Texas. Nilgai are of interest in understanding how CFT may be spread through the landscape. Thirty nilgai of both sexes were captured and fitted with satellite radio collars in South Texas to gain information about movement patterns, response to disturbances, and movement barriers. Median annual home range sizes were highly variable in males (4665ha, range=571-20,809) and females (1606ha, range=848-29,909). Female movement patterns appeared to be seasonal with peaks during June-August; these peaks appeared to be a function of break-ups in female social groups rather than environmental conditions. Nilgai, which reportedly are sensitive to disturbance, were more likely to relocate into new areas immediately after being captured versus four other types of helicopter activities. Nilgai did not cross 1.25m high cattle fences parallel to paved highways but did cross other fence types. Results indicate that females have a higher chance of spreading CFT through the landscape than males, but spread of CFT may be mitigated via maintenance of cattle fences running parallel with paved highways. Our results highlight the importance of documenting species-specific behavior in wildlife-livestock interfaces that can be used to develop effective disease management strategies in the United States and worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M Foley
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, United States; Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, 700 University Blvd., Kingsville, TX 78363, United States
| | - John A Goolsby
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 N. Moorefield Rd., Edinburg, TX 78541, United States.
| | - Alfonso Ortega-S
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, United States
| | - J Alfonso Ortega-S
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, 700 University Blvd., Kingsville, TX 78363, United States
| | - A Pérez de León
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, 2700 Fredericksburg Rd., Kerrville, TX 78028, United States
| | - Nirbhay K Singh
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141004, India
| | - Andy Schwartz
- Texas Animal Health Commission, 2105 Kramer Lane, Austin, TX 78758, United States
| | - Dee Ellis
- Texas Animal Health Commission, 2105 Kramer Lane, Austin, TX 78758, United States
| | - David G Hewitt
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, 700 University Blvd., Kingsville, TX 78363, United States
| | - Tyler A Campbell
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, United States
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Goolsby JA, Singh NK, Ortega-S A, Hewitt DG, Campbell TA, Wester D, Pérez de León AA. Comparison of natural and artificial odor lures for nilgai ( Boselaphus tragocamelus) and white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) in South Texas: Developing treatment for cattle fever tick eradication. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2017; 6:100-107. [PMID: 28580297 PMCID: PMC5447508 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cattle fever ticks (CFT), vectors of bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis, were eradicated from the United States by 1943, but are frequently reintroduced from neighboring border states of Mexico via stray cattle and wildlife hosts including white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (WTD) and nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus). Nilgai antelope are exotic bovids from India that are hosts of CFT, have large home ranges as compared to WTD, thus have the potential to spread CFT through the landscape. Currently, there are no methods to control CFT on nilgai. Odor lures were evaluated to determine if nilgai could be attracted to a central point for development of control methods. Four treatments, nilgai offal a natural odor lure was used as the positive control; and compared to three artificial odors; screw worm lure, volatile fatty acids, citronella oil. Studies were conducted on a free-ranging population of nilgai at the East Foundation's Santa Rosa Ranch (Kenedy Co., near Riviera, Texas, USA). Game cameras were used to document visitation to the lures. In the ten randomly placed transects, 110 nilgai and 104 WTD were photographed. Offal had significantly more visits by nilgai (71% of total visits) than screwworm (15%), VFA (11%), and citronella (4%). For WTD, there was no significant difference in visitation at the lure treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Goolsby
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 N. Moorefield Rd, Edinburg, TX 78541, United States
| | - Nirbhay K. Singh
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 N. Moorefield Rd, Edinburg, TX 78541, United States
- Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141004, India
| | - Alfonso Ortega-S
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, United States
| | - David G. Hewitt
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, 700 University Blvd, Kingsville, TX 78363, United States
| | - Tyler A. Campbell
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, United States
| | - David Wester
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, 700 University Blvd, Kingsville, TX 78363, United States
| | - Adalberto A. Pérez de León
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, 2700 Fredericksburg Rd., Kerrville, TX 78028, United States
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Pokharel KP, Ludwig T, Storch I. Predicting potential distribution of poorly known species with small database: the case of four-horned antelope Tetracerus quadricornis on the Indian subcontinent. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:2297-307. [PMID: 27069584 PMCID: PMC4782261 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Information gaps on the distribution of data deficient and rare species such as four-horned antelope (FHA) in Nepal may impair their conservation. We aimed to empirically predict the distribution of FHA in Nepal with the help of data from the Indian subcontinent. Additionally, we wanted to identify core areas and gaps within the reported range limits and to assess the degree of isolation of known Nepalese populations from the main distribution areas in India. The tropical part of the Indian subcontinent (65°-90° eastern longitude, 5°-30° northern latitude), that is, the areas south of the Himalayan Mountains. Using MaxEnt and accounting for sampling bias, we developed predictive distribution models from environmental and topographical variables, and known presence locations of the study species in India and Nepal. We address and discuss the use of target group vs. random background. The prediction map reveals a disjunct distribution of FHA with core areas in the tropical parts of central to southern-western India. At the scale of the Indian subcontinent, suitable FHA habitat area in Nepal was small. The Indo-Gangetic Plain isolates Nepalese from the Indian FHA populations, but the distribution area extends further south than proposed by the current IUCN map. A low to intermediate temperature seasonality as well as low precipitation during the dry and warm season contributed most to the prediction of FHA distribution. The predicted distribution maps confirm other FHA range maps but also indicate that suitable areas exist south of the known range. Results further highlight that small populations in the Nepalese Terai Arc are isolated from the Indian core distribution and therefore might be under high extinction risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Prasad Pokharel
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and ManagementUniversity of FreiburgTennenbacher Str. 4D – 79106FreiburgGermany
| | - Tobias Ludwig
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and ManagementUniversity of FreiburgTennenbacher Str. 4D – 79106FreiburgGermany
| | - Ilse Storch
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and ManagementUniversity of FreiburgTennenbacher Str. 4D – 79106FreiburgGermany
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Pokharel KP, Ludwig T, Storch I. Spatial niche partitioning in sub-tropical solitary ungulates: four-horned antelope and barking deer in Nepal. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0117917. [PMID: 25714092 PMCID: PMC4340944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential resource use allows a diversity of species to co-exist in a particular area by specializing in individual ecological niches. Four-horned antelope Tetracerus quadricornis is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and has a restricted distribution in Nepal and India; however, the barking deer Muntiacus vaginalis is relatively common throughout its wide distribution range. We wanted a better understanding of their habitats and how these two similarly sized solitary ungulates manage to coexist in lowland Nepal. We used fecal pellet belt transect surveys in the Babai valley, Bardia National Park to study the habitat associations of both species. We found empirical evidence that four-horned antelope prefer hill sal forest and deciduous hill forest at higher elevations, whereas barking deer preferred riverine and sal forest in lower elevations. We found a clear niche differentiation of four-horned antelope and barking deer that made the coexistence of these similarly sized solitary ungulates possible. Hence, resource partitioning is the key to coexistence of these solitary ungulates, and the fine-grained habitat mosaic of different forest types in the study landscape appears to be the underlying feature. Therefore, maintaining the habitat mosaic and preserving valuable hill sal and deciduous hill forests will facilitate the coexistence of herbivores in sub-tropical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Prasad Pokharel
- Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Ludwig
- Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ilse Storch
- Wildlife Ecology and Management, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Understanding the patchy distribution of four-horned antelope Tetracerus quadricornis in a tropical dry deciduous forest in Central India. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467413000722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:At the landscape level, the four-horned antelope is confined to tropical dry deciduous forests and within these, their distribution is patchy. Various factors have been proposed as determinants for their patchy distribution within landscapes, but none provided an adequate explanation. We hypothesized that availability of a constant supply of forage influenced the species distribution. We found that the four-horned antelope mainly fed on fruits and flowers, and that a total of 60% of the tree species in Panna Tiger Reserve bore fruits at different times of the year. High tree species richness in habitat patches was considered a surrogate for constant supply of forage for the four-horned antelope. Data from 547 sighting locations between 2002 and 2006 and six spatial layers were analysed using maximum entropy to produce a probability distribution model for the four-horned antelope in Panna Tiger Reserve. Our model predicted that habitat patches summing up to only 9.5% of the 543 km2 of Panna Tiger Reserve had high probability of distribution (>0.5) of four-horned antelope. Although all variables contributed to the distribution model of the four-horned antelope, explanatory power was highest for tree species richness within habitat patches. The distribution of four-horned antelope within tropical dry deciduous forests can be treated as an indicator of high tree diversity and hence habitat quality.
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Baskaran N, Kannan V, Thiyagesan K, Desai AA. Behavioural ecology of four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis de Blainville, 1816) in the tropical forests of southern India. Mamm Biol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2011.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Rao BS, Mahesh YU, Suman K, Charan KV, Lakshmikantan U, Gibence HRW, Shivaji S. Meiotic maturation of vitrified immature chousingha (Tetracerus quadricornis) oocytes recovered postmortem. Cryobiology 2011; 62:47-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2010.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2010] [Revised: 12/10/2010] [Accepted: 12/13/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Groves CP, Leslie DM. Rhinoceros sondaicus (Perissodactyla: Rhinocerotidae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/887.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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