Journal of Zoology最新文献

{"title":"‘Knocking’ on armadillo's door: Uncovering the use of an ecosystem engineer's burrow by the lesser anteater","authors":"M. Yan,&nbsp;A. Bertassoni,&nbsp;G. F. Massocato,&nbsp;A. L. J. Desbiez","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Armadillos are considered important ecosystem engineers as their burrows can benefit many species. Monitoring burrows with camera traps allows us to obtain relevant biological data on the species that utilize this resource. Our goal in this study was to examine the lesser anteater's (<i>Tamandua tetradactyla</i>) use of giant armadillo (<i>Priodontes maximus</i>) burrows as a first attempt to assess how user species benefit from them. We took camera trap data from a long-term monitoring study (2011–2020) in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland. We then evaluated and classified the frequency and way in which the burrows were used by the individual lesser anteaters. We also assessed the time of entrance and exit from the burrows related to sleep, the period of activity and activity pattern. This species used most monitored burrows, and these were used more than once by the same individuals or by more than one individual at different times. We described four types of uses: inspection of the burrow entrance, inspection of the interior of the burrow, exploratory/resting and sleeping. The lesser anteater was active on average 7 h 42 m per day with a primarily nocturnal activity pattern, which started in the early evening and ended at dawn. This is the first study to evaluate a focal species' use of giant armadillo burrows. Our data suggest that burrows are a valuable resource for the lesser anteater as shelter. Burrow monitoring proved to be effective in obtaining records and key information on the ecology and behaviour of the lesser anteater. New studies may explore this approach to acquire data on other species who frequently use these burrows, including agoutis, tayras, ocelots and coatis.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 2","pages":"121-129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex-specific behavioural patterns significantly affect the phylogeographic process of secondary contact in the red fox: male dispersibility and female philopatry","authors":"T. Watanabe,&nbsp;Y. Yamazaki","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Secondary contact is a key evolutionary event in understanding biodiversity formation. Elucidating the spatiotemporal effects of sex-specific behavioural patterns on gene flow associated with secondary contact provides valuable perspectives into population dynamics of organisms. The red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) is highly dispersible and adaptable, possessing the broadest natural distribution range among the Carnivora. The Hondo red fox (<i>V. v. japonica</i>) is an endemic subspecies inhabiting three predominant islands of the Japanese Archipelago and is believed to have experienced secondary contact between eastern and western ancestral populations after the Last Glacial. Because their dispersal patterns exhibit sexual dimorphism characterised by male mobility and female philopatry, patrilineal and matrilineal genes are expected to reflect different aspects of the distributional fusion process. Here, we estimated the phylogeographic structure based on 11 Y-chromosome-specific microsatellite loci using 50 males and compared it to that based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from 153 individuals. The phylogeny of Y-chromosomal DNA (yDNA) diverged into two clades with a high support rate and was analogous to that of mtDNA. However, no phylogeographic pattern was observed in yDNA, unlike mtDNA, which exhibited a distinct east–west structuring. In contrast to mtDNA clades, both yDNA clades were distributed across the three islands. These findings indicate that secondary contact of paternal lineages progressed earlier (prior to island segmentation through marine transgression in the post-glacial stage) and more broadly than that of maternal lineages. Historical east–west vicariance probably isolated not only females but also males over a long duration, resulting in similar phylogenetic divergence between yDNA and mtDNA. Subsequently, male-biased dispersal likely enhanced gene flow between the ancestral populations, whereas female natal philopatry restricted it. This study offers crucial insights into the evolutionary dynamics of terrestrial mammals with sex-specific life histories and underscores the significance of incorporating multifaceted markers in phylogeographic studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 2","pages":"185-195"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Monkeying around with bat scapulae: Old World fruit bats show arboreal adaptations of primates lacking in New World fruit bats","authors":"R. A. Adams,&nbsp;R. T. Carter,&nbsp;A. J. Hardgrave","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Comparative analysis of nonflight morphologies can give important insight into the early ancestral origin of bats by revealing locomotor adaptations that may have predated wings. Because the scapula of bats is not directly involved in flight mechanics but does retain a primary role in walking and climbing, morphological analysis may help resolve if the ancestor to bats was arboreal or terrestrial as well as if bats are indeed monophyletic. We compared the scapulae of species representing the body mass range of Old World fruit bats (Pteropodidae) with those spanning the body mass range and diverse diets of New World fruit bats (Phyllostomidae), with a focus on the subfamily Stenodermatinae whose members have very similar niches to pteropodids. Because we were interested in scapular traits associated with climbing versus walking, we analyzed characters known to differentiate arboreal from terrestrial primates, in both contemporary and extinct lineages. We hypothesized that the scapulae of both fruit bat families would show similar adaptations, either for terrestrial or arboreal locomotion, especially if they were derived monophyletically. We found that pteropodids scapulae showed overall adaptations associated with climbing and suspensory locomotion similar to arboreal primates, whereas phyllostomids possessed character states indicating terrestrially adapted scapular morphology. Comparing the scapulae of contemporary species with the scapulae from full-bodied fossil bats from the Eocene and Oligocene epochs showed alignments that may depict the evolutionary underpinnings of each group's adaptations.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 1","pages":"54-64"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144126066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual dichromatism increases with altitude in birds with ultraviolet sensitive vision","authors":"D. A. Villar,&nbsp;Jorgelina Marino,&nbsp;Andrew G. Gosler","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The harsher environment of higher altitudes increases selection for biparental care and increases extrinsic mortality, both of which are expected to reduce the strength of sexual selection. The intensity of sexual selection is often studied using sexual dimorphism as a proxy, especially sexual dichromatism. In birds, multiple studies have shown that sexual dichromatism decreases with increasing altitude. However, those studies have either used small datasets or have used human scoring of sexual dichromatism, potentially missing out on significant levels of cryptic dichromatism. This study includes the measure of subjective sexual dichromatism of the Vorobyev-Osorio colour discrimination model of sexual dichromatism in 758 species of bird with UV-sensitive visual systems and tests whether a relationship exists between altitude and sexual dichromatism. We found a significant positive relation between altitude and sexual dichromatism when accounting for the UV-sensitive vision of Passeriformes, Charadriiformes, Psittaciformes and Struthioniformes, but not when dichromatism is measured using human scoring. This suggests that there might be a greater selection pressure for females to select high-quality males in harsher, higher altitude, environments and that this signalling is primarily done in the ultraviolet range. We suggest that macroecologists should pay closer attention to the receiver psychology of signals even when studying a large number of species and that not doing so could lead to misleading or spurious macroecological and/or macroevolutionary patterns.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 1","pages":"77-88"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70002","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144126067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Population dynamics and morphometrics of Nile monitors along a gradient of urbanization in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa","authors":"E. E. Z. Genevier,&nbsp;C. Price,&nbsp;N. Evans,&nbsp;J. P. Streicher,&nbsp;C. T. Downs","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13258","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13258","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Globally, with the continuous increase in human populations, land use is changing at an unprecedented rate. Little is known about how African reptiles respond to urbanization. We used mark-resight and baited camera traps to compare population density and demographics of Nile monitors (<i>Varanus niloticus</i>) on a gradient of land use, namely a golf course, a farm and a nature reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, during 2022–2023. We also collected detailed morphometrics on 112 Nile monitors throughout KwaZulu-Natal. We compared morphometric data on limbs, head, body and mass to establish whether the different ecological factors in urban and rural environments and associated behavioural shifts have resulted in unique phenotypes. No significant morphometric differences were found, but urban individuals were generally smaller and lighter than their rural counterparts. Population size estimates varied between sites. Overall, population size estimates increased with anthropogenic disturbance between our three focal sites, while the mean estimated snout-vent length decreased. The naïve presence of competing diurnal mammals did not follow a specific pattern. The overall insignificant variations in morphometrics in urban and rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal suggest that Nile monitors have adapted to urban mosaic landscapes with natural and managed (e.g. gardens, parks, golf courses, etc.) green spaces but are not as successful as some urban-exploiting varanids globally. Future research should investigate Nile monitor interactions with people and pets as well as conflict mitigation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 1","pages":"23-36"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13258","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144126064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining alterations in fGCM concentrations post-defaecation across three animal feeding classes (ruminants, hindgut fermenters and carnivores)","authors":"K. R. Osburn,&nbsp;B. Crossey,&nbsp;T. L. Majelantle,&nbsp;A. Ganswindt","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13257","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13257","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Quantification of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) is a popular non-invasive technique for monitoring wildlife's response to stressors, demanding an understanding of the stability of fGCM concentrations post-defaecation to ensure comparability of determined fGCM values across samples. To provide species-specific recommendations for the duration within which sampling can take place, we measured the rate at which the fGCM concentrations of nine different species changed throughout a 7-day period post-defaecation. In this study, we explored the temporal dynamics of fGCM concentrations in nine species across three feeding classes (ruminants, hindgut fermenters and carnivores): impala (<i>Aepyceros melampus</i>), giraffe (<i>Giraffa camelopardalis</i>), blue wildebeest (<i>Connochaetes taurinus</i>), plains zebra (<i>Equus quagga</i>), African elephant (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>), white rhino (<i>Ceratotherium simum</i>), cheetah (<i>Acinonyx jubatus</i>), spotted hyena (<i>Crocuta crocuta</i>) and leopard (<i>Panthera pardus</i>). Utilizing enzyme immunoassays already established for each of the focal species, we identified broader feeding class-specific patterns. All herbivores exhibited a significant decrease in fGCM concentrations over time, starting from 6 h (impala) to 48 h (giraffe, blue wildebeest, white rhino and African elephant) post-defaecation. For carnivores, concentrations remained fairly comparable for 12–24 h, after which fGCM concentrations either decreased (spotted hyena), increased (leopard) or remained stable (cheetah), with notable variation in triplicate concentrations (cheetah and leopard). These findings offer insights into scheduling faecal sampling for endocrine monitoring, particularly from free-roaming wildlife, to ensure comparability of determined hormone metabolite concentrations. Furthermore, the species-specific variation in fGCM concentration post-defaecation demonstrated in this study underlines the necessity to investigate every new species to ensure accurate and comparable results. Future studies ought to investigate how the mass of collected material, sex and drying methodologies affect the measurement of fGCMs post-defaecation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 1","pages":"37-44"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13257","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Journal of Zoology: Highlights of the year 2024","authors":"E. Z. Cameron","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13260","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 2","pages":"101"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disruption and irruption shape genetic variation and population structure of the common rock-rat in north-western Australia","authors":"C. H. Wale,&nbsp;S. McConnell,&nbsp;S. van Leeuwen,&nbsp;M. A. Cowan,&nbsp;P. B. S. Spencer,&nbsp;R. A. How,&nbsp;L. H. Schmitt","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13253","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13253","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Endemic rodents constitute 19% of Australian terrestrial mammal species and this proportion is higher in arid zones and the north. We report substantial genetic diversity and population structure in the common rock-rat <i>Zyzomys argurus</i>, a saxicoline murid whose range extends across northern Australia and into the continent's interior. Samples of 686 individuals from 68 locations, encompassing the western half of the species' range, provide one of the most geographically and numerically extensive genetic studies of an Australian rodent. The Great Sandy Desert, a prominent feature over the last 0.5 my bp acts as a significant barrier to gene flow. Continental islands, formed during the past 10 000 years following the end of the most recent Pleistocene glacial maximum, have populations with lower heterozygosity and marked differentiation from each other and the adjacent mainland. On the mainland, despite considerable differentiation between locations, there is only weak evidence for isolation by distance and where it occurs it is associated with drainage basins. In the Pilbara, analyses of genetic structure within localized sub-locations, just a few kilometres apart, indicate considerable variation between them (<i>F</i>_<i>ST</i>) and inbreeding within (<i>F</i>_<i>IS</i>). We interpret this in the context of cyclonic and other extreme rainfall events that occur episodically, leading to boom-bust population cycles. Populations decline into refugia of isolated rock patches during extended periods of poor resources with consequent low genetic diversity (<i>H</i>_<i>e</i>) and large differentiation from others. Populations that irrupt after major episodic rainfall increases resource states, have a more extensive distribution with greater heterozygosity because of gene flow between previously isolated refugia and less differentiation between the locations. These observations have conservation significance for threatened congeneric species and other Australian arid rodents by demonstrating, in this common exemplar, the reduced evolutionary potential imposed by both transient isolation due to climatic variation and longer term disruptions by geographic barriers.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 4","pages":"334-349"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13253","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143865767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multidimensional niche partitioning allows coexistence of multiple snake species","authors":"K. Sawada,&nbsp;Y. Watanabe,&nbsp;K. Kobayashi,&nbsp;Y. Magome,&nbsp;H. Abe,&nbsp;T. Kamijo","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13259","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13259","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Investigations on resource use by predators are important for understanding the mechanisms of biological coexistence. Although time, habitat, and diet are considered the three major dimensions for niche partitioning, studies that comprehensively investigate these dimensions in predator guilds are limited. Snakes are one of the predators whose populations have been reported to be declining worldwide. While diet has been considered as a fundamental variable that allows snakes to coexist, the importance of spatiotemporal resources has also been noted especially in temperate regions. To clarify the coexistence mechanisms of terrestrial snakes, we assessed the niche partitioning patterns of snakes on Sado Island, a Japanese island rich in snake species, from the perspectives of spatiotemporal and dietary resources. Specifically, we investigated the daily and seasonal occurrences as temporal niches, landscape-level distribution as a spatial niche, and stomach content as a dietary niche. We found that niche partitioning in all three major resources occurred among snake species on the island. Daily occurrence was partitioned into three groups: completely diurnal, nocturnal, and active during both periods. Seasonal occurrence was partitioned into three groups: widely active from spring to autumn, mainly active in summer, and mainly active in autumn. Distribution was partitioned into two groups: mainly distributed in lowlands and distributed even in mountainous areas. Food habits were partitioned into three groups: rodents, frogs, and earthworms as main prey, respectively. Our results provide empirical evidence that snakes can coexist through multidimensional niche partitioning, and that spatiotemporal resources are also an important force in terrestrial snake coexistence. Furthermore, we suggest that snakes on the island coexist through subtle differences along the three major niche axes, and that conservation of a variety of niches, rather than a single niche, will increase the species diversity of local snakes.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 4","pages":"323-333"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13259","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143866008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shell abandonment by a hermit crab is an effective antipredator behavior against a portunid crab","authors":"M. Harada,&nbsp;K. Yoshino,&nbsp;T. Koga","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13255","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13255","url":null,"abstract":"<p>When hermit crabs recognize the risk of predation, they generally hide inside their shells or flee from the area, and little is known about their escape behaviors after being captured by a predator. We discovered that the hermit crab <i>Pagurus filholi</i> abandons its shell and attempts to flee when captured by the predatory crab <i>Charybdis japonica</i>, and we examined the effectiveness of this behavior in laboratory experiments. We fed captive <i>C. japonica</i> with <i>P. filholi</i> occupying gastropod shells. When the <i>C. japonica</i> could not break the shell even a little, it gave up and the <i>P. filholi</i> neither abandoned its shell nor was eaten. However, when the predator succeeded in partially breaking the shell, the hermit crab often abandoned the shell, and when it did so, it often survived. Once the predator had completely broken the shell open (implying that the shell has been broken to the extent that it no longer has any structural integrity), all hermit crabs that remained back in the shell (22/22) were consumed, and those that abandoned the shell were also often consumed (3/5). Therefore, hermit crabs do not need to abandon their shells if a predator is unable to break the shell even slightly, but if a predator begins to break the shell, they have a better chance of survival if they abandon their shells at an early stage.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 1","pages":"16-22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}