Journal of Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Is it beneficial to be a city dweller? Impacts of urban conditions on red fox reproduction","authors":"M. Jackowiak,&nbsp;K. D. Jasińska,&nbsp;J. Gryz,&nbsp;E. Guzowska,&nbsp;K. Szyc,&nbsp;D. Krauze-Gryz","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13234","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13234","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Various species inhabit cities around the world, and numerous changes in their biology can be observed. Among them, changes in the time of reproduction or productivity are often recorded in urban populations. Firstly, we compared selected reproductive features (i.e., litter size and time of breeding) of two red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) populations, one living in the city of Warsaw and the other inhabiting a forest-field mosaic in Central Poland. Secondly, we investigated fox reproductive and social behaviour in an extensive camera trap study in Warsaw (2018–2021). By means of generalized linear mixed effects models, we identified which factors (fox social group size, share of natural food, and level of urbanization, created by using principal components analysis for habitat and landscape variables) affected the reproduction and/or social group size of urban foxes. We found that urban foxes started breeding about 2 weeks earlier than their rural counterparts and produced bigger litters (3.98 vs. 3.48 cubs). Opposite to rural foxes where only pairs of adult foxes were reported, in the urban population, social groups were observed with a mean number of 2.37 individuals. Interestingly, none of the studied factors affected group size or litter size in urban foxes, while breeding time was influenced by the level of urbanization and share of natural food. Earlier reproduction in urban areas is fairly frequently observed and may be attributed to altered environmental conditions in urban habitats, while higher productivity is probably a consequence of higher food availability.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 2","pages":"155-165"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446830","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":"Review of osteoderm function and future research directions","authors":"R. Ebel,&nbsp;A. Herrel,&nbsp;T. M. Scheyer,&nbsp;J. S. Keogh","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13224","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Osteoderms, bone plates in the skin, are widely but discontinuously distributed across the phylogeny of tetrapods. This and their pronounced morphological disparity has inspired many hypotheses on possible osteoderm functions. Most of these have not been systematically studied or summarised based on the published disparate literature. We provide here a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in this field with a focus on extant non-avian reptiles. We also discuss functions in other extant osteoderm-bearing taxa and those inferred from the fossil record. The hypotheses are categorised into protection, lifestyle and locomotion, physiology, and visual functions. A comprehensive overview of future directions in this field is provided. With this review, we hope to encourage future research to investigate the functional aspect of osteoderms. This might inspire biomimetics and shed light on the role that osteoderm expression may have played in shaping present-day biodiversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 1","pages":"1-24"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13224","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143113289","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":"Flight initiation distance differs among eumelanin-based color morphs in feral pigeons","authors":"A. Frantz,&nbsp;M. Baneux,&nbsp;L. Pichon,&nbsp;S. Renier,&nbsp;J. Vilanova","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13235","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Organisms facing anthropogenic activities usually exhibit phenotypic responses assumed to enhance coping with disturbance. These responses include a decreasing degree of reaction toward potentially risky situations (“behavioral tolerance”) with increasing disturbance. Though melanin is associated with many phenotypic traits, including pigmentation and behavior, the potential relationship between behavioral tolerance and melanin has never been explored. Such relationship may potentially result from either direct association between melanin and behavior (e.g., genetic correlation) or indirectly through a coloration-dependent behavior-modulating factor (e.g., differential predation or human preferences in cities toward color morphs). Feral pigeons (<i>Columba livia</i>) represent an ideal biological system to test for these hypotheses, due to their presence in cities worldwide, their considerable variation in eumelanin-based coloration, ranging from white to black plumage, and their close proximity to humans. We measured Flight Initiation Distance (FID, classically used for behavioral tolerance assessment) of feral pigeons of 4 different eumelanin-based color morphs in sites differing in their urbanization rate and pedestrian traffic within the restricted scale of a city center (Paris). Urbanization rate and pedestrian traffic had no effect on FID, maybe because of the small spatial scale considered. FID varied with eumelanin-based coloration: white pigeons had lower FID (104.6 cm; i.e., higher behavioral tolerance) than darker morphs (232.3 cm for Blue bar, 184.4 cm for T-pattern &amp; Checker, and 181.8 cm for Spread color morphs). Though the exact underlying causes remain to be identified, we propose different possible mechanisms for this relationship that remain to be investigated in future work.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 2","pages":"115-123"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13235","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446680","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":"Long-term monitoring reveals sex- and age-related survival patterns in griffon vultures","authors":"G. Gómez-López,&nbsp;F. Martínez,&nbsp;A. Sanz-Aguilar,&nbsp;M. Carrete,&nbsp;G. Blanco","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13232","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Survival is a key demographic parameter for long-lived bird species as it strongly influences their population dynamics and persistence. In recent decades, several studies have focused on unravelling differential patterns of survival by sex or age in bird populations, as each group may be affected by different ecological and anthropogenic pressures. Vultures are a highly threatened group of birds where age- and especially sex-dependent survival patterns have been understudied, and therefore, obtaining robust estimates and understanding which factors modulate them is crucial for developing management and conservation strategies. Here, we used a long-term dataset (1990–2023) from a wild colony of griffon vultures <i>Gyps fulvus</i> in central Spain and a capture-mark-recapture framework to address potential sex- and age-mediated patterns of apparent survival and resighting. Resighting probabilities were lower for individuals in their first year of life than for older individuals. Apparent survival probabilities increased with age and were generally higher for males than for females, particularly in subadults. Disentangling whether an unequal survival between sexes is due to female-biased dispersal or to true mortality is necessary to understand population dynamics and to be able to implement adequate conservation management actions. Our research underlines the importance of considering sex and age interactions in demographic analyses of long-lived, usually threatened species.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 1","pages":"49-60"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13232","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112897","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":"Temporal relationships between the red fox and the European badger in a Mediterranean protected area","authors":"R. Oliveira,&nbsp;L. Lazzeri,&nbsp;R. Mouton,&nbsp;V. Gomez,&nbsp;F. Ferretti","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13229","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Niche partitioning according to time, space, or resources is the key to interspecific coexistence. Interactions among carnivore species are complex: interference is common, although positive relationships may develop through trophic facilitation. In turn, different behavioral responses to coexistence may be reported, ranging from avoidance to attraction, the outcome of which is highly dependent on the local environmental context. Here, we evaluated the temporal partitioning by analyzing spatiotemporal relationships between the red fox <i>Vulpes vulpes</i> and the European badger <i>Meles meles</i> in a Mediterranean?protected area for three full years, using intensive camera trapping. The two species showed similar temporal activity patterns, with a nocturnal activity and peaks at dawn and dusk. We found a substantial temporal overlap between red fox and badger (Δ &gt; 0.78, on a 0-1 scale). However, we detected some differences in temporal activity patterns across these species and no evidence of interspecific spatiotemporal avoidance. Previous work provided no evidence supporting spatial avoidance among the study species. Our results suggest a role of temporal partitioning at a finer scale during the night to facilitate interspecific coexistence.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 1","pages":"71-79"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112756","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":"Cascading effects driven by population recovery of sika deer on habitat use of sympatric mammals under heavy snow conditions","authors":"J. Yamashita,&nbsp;M. Akamatsu,&nbsp;H. S. Enari,&nbsp;Y. Sembongi,&nbsp;H. Enari","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13233","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Unlike the top-down cascading effects driven by apex predators, the bottom-up effects on biological interactions originating from herbivory by large mammals, especially within mammalian assemblages, have received less attention. This study aimed to identify the multifaceted impacts driven by sika deer (<i>Cervus nippon</i>) during midwinters, when their herbivory impacts were expected to be strong due to deficient dietary resources. We focused on interference and exploitative competition caused by deer on the habitat use of four sympatric mammal species, namely two herbivores (Japanese serow, <i>Capricornis crispus</i>, and Japanese hare, <i>Lepus brachyurus angustidens</i>) and two mesocarnivores (red fox, <i>Vulpes vulpes</i>, and Japanese marten, <i>Martes melampus melampus</i>). To estimate the wintering behaviors of these mammals and deer herbivory pressure, we performed snow tracking and counted the fresh feeding marks of deer during midwinter in 2022 and 2023. We conducted surveys on 201-km transects with different stages of deer population recovery (i.e., different deer population densities) in heavy snowfall regions of Japan. We then systematically quantified the deer-driven effects on sympatric mammals using piecewise structural equation modeling (SEM). We recorded 1700 tracks of target mammals and 1327 trees with deer feeding marks. Based on these records, we constructed an SEM with acceptable performance (Fisher's <i>C</i> = 27.1, <i>P</i> = 0.30). The SEM suggested some possibilities that exploitative competition mediated by deer herbivory constrained the habitat use of mammals with dietary habits similar to that of deer, i.e., serow (effect size, −0.13) and hares (−0.14). In addition, through constricting the habitat use of hares, the deer-driven cascading effects reduced the occurrence of their key predators, i.e., foxes (−0.12) and martens (−0.10). Thus, our observations provide novel evidence that food webs are regulated by herbivore-driven bottom-up cascading effects in cases where plant primary productivity is limited by heavy snowfall.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 1","pages":"92-99"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112335","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":"Exploring the protective role of jelly capsules in jelly-nest tree frog eggs based on proteomic and peptidomic studies","authors":"S. Wang,&nbsp;Y. Gao,&nbsp;S. Wei,&nbsp;J. Ben,&nbsp;F. Yan","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13230","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Typically, frog eggs are aquatic, being deposited and undergoing development within freshwater habitats. However, certain species within the Rhacophoridae have evolved reproductive modes that are non-aquatic. The jelly-nest tree frog (<i>Feihyla palpebralis</i>) has terrestrial eggs that are enclosed in gel, with embryos detaching from the aquatic milieu during the embryonic phase. The jelly enveloping these embryos performs a critical role in defense against biotic and abiotic threats in the terrestrial environment. To investigate the protective function of the jelly, we characterized its proteome and peptidome. In total, 83 proteins were identified and categorized into eight main groups: protease inhibitors, glycoproteins, cytoskeleton proteins, nucleotide-binding proteins, regulatory proteins, metabolic enzyme, glycoprotein hormones, and oxidative stress-related proteins. These proteins are believed to play a role in protecting the eggs by creating biochemical and physical barriers, maintaining moisture and structural integrity, and preventing oxidative damage. In addition, 1642 peptides were isolated from tree frog jelly envelopes. Among these, RPPGFSPFR showed predator deterrent properties, LPF and AVPYPQ performed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, and IYSP functioned as a proteinase inhibitor. These findings help to clarify the protective mechanisms involved in the egg development process of the jelly-nest tree frog.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"324 4","pages":"363-370"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142867834","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":"Influence of captive breeding environment on the locomotor performance and metabolism of the threatened Alcatraz Snouted Treefrog, Ololygon alcatraz","authors":"C. S. Lisboa,&nbsp;J. E. de Carvalho,&nbsp;F. C. de Barros,&nbsp;J. B. da Cruz,&nbsp;C. A. Brasileiro","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13228","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Ex situ</i> conservation is a complementary strategy to <i>in situ</i> efforts and is vital for safeguarding endangered species through maintenance and breeding in captivity with potential for reintroductions into natural environments. However, it is crucial to recognize that prolonged captivity can lead to diminished abilities of organisms over generations. Factors linked to the impact of phenotypic plasticity during development, such as restricted movement, may affect organism performance during <i>ex situ</i> conservation efforts, potentially making reintroduction into the wild unfeasible. Consequently, it is imperative to analyze physiological differences between captive-bred and wild individuals. Therefore, this study investigates how captivity influences locomotor performance, morphology, and metabolic capacities of adults and juveniles of the threatened treefrog <i>Ololygon alcatraz,</i> in comparison to natural populations. We obtained proportional measurements of individuals and assessed their locomotor performance through jumping exercise. We also measured the metabolic capacities of the frogs by examining the activity of enzymes involved in energetic metabolic pathways in their skeletal muscle fibers. We found that wild adult frogs had larger limbs, greater jumping abilities, and a more glycolytic profile, while captive adult frogs had smaller limbs and increased aerobic enzyme activity compared to their wild counterparts. These differences probably arise from phenotypic plasticity in ontogenetic development that differs between captive and natural environments, as juveniles do not show such differences. These results highlight the need for innovative strategies in managing captive <i>O. alcatraz</i> populations, which will aid in their successful translocation to the wild and strengthen <i>ex situ</i> conservation efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 1","pages":"61-70"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143112336","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":"Variation in white-tailed and mule deer dental metrics is associated with precipitation gradients in the Americas","authors":"J. Dagher,&nbsp;E. Greiner","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13220","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Investigating the relationship between the physical environment and organismal adaptation is crucial to understanding the selective pressures that drive mammalian evolution. Of the varied approaches to exploring this relationship, macroscopic tooth wear analyses have become widely used due to their economic and simple methodologies. However, more work is needed to understand how assessments of wear patterns operate within finer levels of dietary and environmental contexts. It is specifically unclear if and how tooth wear differs inter- and intraspecifically between geographically widespread, large-bodied mammalian populations. This project characterizes molar hypsodonty indices and mesowear scores of white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>) and mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) populations across North and Central America, investigating if and how molar wear and morphology vary over the deer's large and ecologically variable geographic distribution. While mesowear scores generally do not strongly track environmental signals within and between <i>Odocoileus</i> species, hypsodonty indices reveal a strong correlation between crown height and aridity, which likely represents an adaptive response to abrasive diets in areas with low precipitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"324 4","pages":"325-338"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13220","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142862302","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":"Mammal coloration as a social signal—the debate is still open: a comment on Howell and Caro (2024)","authors":"V. Penteriani","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13210","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.13210","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"324 2","pages":"97-100"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142555309","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}