89 research outputs found
Do insectivorous bird communities decline on land-bridge forest islands in Peninsular Malaysia?
No full textTo assess the impact of habitat fragmentation on tropical avian communities, we sampled lowland forest birds on six land-bridge islands and two mainland forest sites in Lake Kenyir, Peninsular Malaysia using timed point counts, hypothesizing that insectivorous birds are the worst affected guild. We used an information-theoretic approach to evaluate the effects of area, isolation, primary dietary guild (omnivore, frugivore and insectivore) and their interactions in predicting species richness, abundance and diversity. Our analysis showed that a model that considered the effects of area, dietary guild and their interaction best explained observed patterns of species richness. But amodel considering both area and dietary guild best explained the variation in abundance. Notably, insectivorous birds were singled out as the dietary guild most sensitive to fragmentation, followed by frugivorous and omnivorous birds and hence provide support for our hypothesis. Assemblages of insectivorous birds were clearly depauperate on anthropogenic forest islands in Lake Kenyir and are consistent with forest fragmentation studies in the Neotropics. Given their specialized foraging ecology and diversity, conservation of intact communities of insectivorous bird guilds in Malaysia will be critical for maintaining predator–prey interactions in lowland tropical forests.Ding Li Yong, Lan Qie, Navjot S. Sodhi, Lian Pin Koh, Kelvin S.-H. Peh, Tien Ming Lee, Haw Chuan Lim and Susan L.-H. Li
Fig. 4. A in Distribution and prey of migratory shorebirds on the northern coastline of Singapore
No full textFig. 4. A, Plot of transects; and B, polychaete families along NMDS axes one and two. A, transects are labeled as "site name", followed by "transect name" (if there were more than one transect in that site) and sampling cycle (one or two). C, D, Transects belonging to different sites and sampling cycles are connected by lines to form minimum convex polygons (e.g., polygon labeled as MD-1 encompasses all transects from Sungei Mandai sampled during cycle one). In the plotting of polygons, transects from SDN and SDS are combined, and collectively labeled as SD. See Table 1 for full site names.Published as part of Lim, Haw Chuan & Posa, Mary Rose C., 2014, Distribution and prey of migratory shorebirds on the northern coastline of Singapore, pp. 701-717 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 62 on page 709, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.535582
Observations On The Ecology, Distribution And Biogeography Of Forest Birds In Sabah, Malaysia
No full textSheldon, Frederick H., Lim, Haw Chuan, Nais, Jamili, Lakim, Maklarin, Tuuga, Augustine, Malim, Peter, Majuakim, Jaffit, Lo, Albert, Schilthuizen, Menno, Hosner, Peter A., Moyle, Robert G. (2009): Observations On The Ecology, Distribution And Biogeography Of Forest Birds In Sabah, Malaysia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 57 (2): 577-58
Osteochilus spilurus
No full textOsteochilus spilurus (Bleeker 1851) Osteochilus spilurus: Author’ data (Pondok Tanjung).Published as part of Ng, Casey Keat Chuan, Lim, Teow Yeong, Ahmad, Amirrudin & Khaironizam, Md Zain, 2019, Provisional checklist of freshwater fish diversity and distribution in Perak, Malaysia, and some latest taxonomic concerns, pp. 515-545 in Zootaxa 4567 (3) on page 524, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4567.3.5, http://zenodo.org/record/259904
Fig. 5 in Phylogeography of three endemic birds of Maratua Island, a potential archive of Bornean biogeography
No full textFig. 5. ND2 phylogeographic tree and haplotype network of Blacknaped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea) populations. A, Maximum likelihood bootstrap tree. Numbers by branches are bootstrap support (70% and above). B, Haplotype network. Circle size indicates proportion of individuals with a given haplotype, and cross hatches indicate nucleotide changes (larger numbers of changes are noted in square boxes).Published as part of Chua, Vivien L., Phillipps, Quentin, Lim, Haw Chuan, Taylor, Sabrina S., Gawin, Dency F., Rahman, Mustafa Abdul, Moyle, Robert G. & Sheldon, Frederick H., 2015, Phylogeography of three endemic birds of Maratua Island, a potential archive of Bornean biogeography, pp. 259-269 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63 on page 264, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.538483
Evaluating the Relationship between the Gut Microbiome and Health Issues in Captive African and Asian Elephants
No full textAnimals experience novel stressors inherent to captive environments. Some species are able to adapt to new environments with little consequence, while others display behavioral changes and health concerns. The gut microbiome of animals is also impacted by the captive environment. A healthy gut microbiome is important for normal immune function, metabolism, hormone regulation, and even behavior. Captive animals often have less diverse gut microbiomes than their wild counterparts. The shifting of the microbial community in captivity may be connected to prevailing health issues. Zoo managed African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) experience low reproductive rates, obesity, gastrointestinal (GI) issues, and variable stress responses to external and physiological variables. This project aims to examine the relationship between health and reproductive issues in captive elephants and their gut microbiome. To assess the elephant gut microbiome, I leveraged fecal samples and health records from a large Elephant Welfare Project conducted across North American zoos in 2012. Fecal microbiomes of 69 African and 48 Asian elephants from 50 zoos were characterized using Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene. Alpha and beta diversity of gut bacterial microbiomes were assessed with respect to species, zoo, fertility status, obesity, and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations during the study period. I further assessed the gut microbiome of African and Asian elephants to identify indicator bacterial species associated with reproductive status, and tested for correlations between bacterial abundance and reproductive and metabolic hormone concentrations. I found the gut microbiome of African and Asian elephants differed in bacterial species richness and phylogenetic diversity (alpha diversity), as well as in microbial composition (beta diversity: with host species explaining 10.2% of variation). Asian elephants had greater bacterial species richness and phylogenetic diversity than African elephants. Bacterial species richness and phylogenetic diversity also varied by zoo facility. Microbial composition was strongly influenced by zoo facility and explained 65.1% of variation. I found most health metrics were not linked to the gut microbiome in African elephants; however older elephants had higher bacterial phylogenetic diversity than younger individuals, and age was connected to differences in gut microbial composition. Similarly, in Asian elephants, most health metrics were not linked to the gut microbiome, except for age and fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations; older elephants had lower bacterial phylogenetic diversity, and changes in the gut microbiome composition were related to FGM. I found 16 and 17 indicator bacterial species associated with reproductive status in African and Asian elephants, respectively. In African elephants, three of the indicator bacterial taxa were correlated with metabolic hormones. In Asian elephants, one indicator bacterial taxa was correlated with a metabolic hormone, and one with a reproductive hormone. These bacterial species should be further studied to quantify their relationship with reproductive status, reproductive and metabolic hormones, and for potential microbial therapy applications in captive elephants. African and Asian elephants have distinct gut microbial communities and differ in how age and stress are related to their gut microbiomes. The strong influence of zoo on the gut microbiome highlights the importance of the environment in shaping the gut microbiome. My results provide insight into the relationship between captive African and Asian elephant gut microbiomes and host species, zoo institution, and health issues. These findings contribute to a better understanding of overall health and welfare of captive elephants in North America
Prevalence and Cross Infection of Eukaryotic and RNA Pathogens of Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, and Mason Bees
No full textPollinators worldwide are in decline, and honey bees (Apis mellifera), bumble bees (Bombus spp.), and mason bees (Osmia spp.) are no exception. Research implicates pollinator pathogens as one of the main reasons for decline, and studies suggest shared floral resources and spillover from commercially managed bees as mechanisms for the spread of infection. The goal of my research was to document the prevalence of viral infection and potential for cross-infection of bee pathogens in local populations of honey bees, bumble bees, and mason bees in the Northern Virginia and Northern Shenandoah area. I sought to observe the presence or absence of two groups of eukaryotic pathogens (Nosema spp. and Trypanosomatids) and the levels of infection of three RNA viruses (acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), and deformed wing virus (DWV). Overall, 166 bees were sampled for DNA analysis. Sixty three percent of bees collected for DNA analysis were infected with at least one pathogen. Nosema spp. were found in 12.7% and trypanosomatids in 60.2% of samples. Mason bees are poorly studied compared to Apis and Bombus; this research is the first instance of recorded Crithidia bombi infections in mason bees. I sampled 136 bees for RNA analysis. Results indicated that 84.9% of bees collected for RNA analysis were infected with at least one virus, 39.7% of bees were infected with two viruses, and 19.9% were infected with all three viruses tested. BQCV was the most prevalent of the three viruses with 75% of bees infected. In my study, high levels of prevalence were found in all samples. Infection was widespread across all sites tested, and a higher percentage of bees were infected with at least two viruses than bees infected with just one virus. This is one of the first studies to example the prevalence and incidence of multiple eukaryotic and RNA pathogens in Northern Virginia and the northern Shenandoah region
Population Genetic Structure of Early-Stage Parapatric Ecological Speciation in the Atlantic Song Sparrow
No full textThe most basic model of speciation requires two main components: divergent natural selection and isolation. But how does natural selection facilitate the rise of new species without isolation? If a species occupies different habitats across its range, then parapatric (i.e. adjacent) populations can be exposed to divergent selection, possibly leading to speciation. The song sparrow (Passerellidae: Melospiza melodia) is a common songbird with a variety of subspecies found across North America. One subspecies, the Atlantic song sparrow (M. m. atlantica), is a habitat specialist found in the dunes and saltmarshes of the east coast. We investigated the genetic differences of this subspecies from parapatric populations of the eastern song sparrow (M. m. melodia), a widespread generalist. Ecologically-driven parapatric divergence is a fundamental mechanism of speciation, but previous studies have had difficulty characterizing parapatric divergence at the genomic level due to limitations in resolution. We used a contemporary genomic method, RADseq, in conjunction with an assay of a mitochondrial gene to assess how the genomic differentiation of these divergently-adapted, parapatric subspecies have been shaped by ecological selection. We found that a putatively neutral genetic marker did not exhibit divergence between the subspecies, which suggests that they may interbreed frequently in their contact zone and/or have not been reproductively isolated for long enough for divergence to occur, as would be expected in the early stages of parapatric divergence. Analysis of RADmarkers revealed a clinal relationship in the proportion of genetic ancestry assignment with what appears to be extensive intergradation in transitional habitats, which may be due to hybrid superiority or an influx of genes from both parental types in these habitats. These patterns are consistent with our current understanding of parapatric ecological divergence and provide a framework for further investigations into the genomics of ecological speciation
arachnothera.bam.tar.gz
No full textBam and index files of Arachnothera reads mapped to pseudo-reference genom
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