Journal of Zoology最新文献

{"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":"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":1.6,"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":"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":"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":1.6,"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":"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":1.6,"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":"10.1111/jzo.13260","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"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":"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":1.6,"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":"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":1.6,"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":"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":1.6,"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}

{"title":"Cues inducing non-sexual conspecific attraction in an invasive shrimp","authors":"María Guadalupe Vázquez,&nbsp;Claudia Cristina Bas","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13256","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.13256","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The aggregation of conspecifics in the invasive shrimp <i>Palaemon macrodactylus</i> could be driven by either patchy environmental conditions or conspecific attraction. This study aimed to determine whether the observed grouped distribution in natural conditions results from gregarious behavior and the type of cue used by shrimp to locate conspecifics. Four experiments were conducted during the non-reproductive season in which a focal shrimp was given the choice between a zone with cues of conspecifics or an empty zone. The cues permitted in each experiment encompassed visual and chemical cues, exclusively visual cues, exclusively chemical cues and a control devoid of any visual or chemical cues. The results indicated that focal shrimps exhibited a preference for conspecific zones when exposed to chemical cues alone or in combination with visual cues. However, visual cues alone were insufficient to induce grouping with their peers. The value of this trait is discussed along with other behavioral characteristics of the species as a possible explanation for its success as an invader.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 4","pages":"294-300"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143866007","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":"Changes in marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) heart rates suggest reduced metabolism during El Niño events","authors":"S. Dubiner,&nbsp;J. P. Muñoz Pérez,&nbsp;D. Alarcón-Ruales,&nbsp;E. Cohen,&nbsp;D. Deresienski,&nbsp;M. Hirschfeld,&nbsp;E. Levin,&nbsp;K. J. Lohmann,&nbsp;S. Meiri,&nbsp;G. Lewbart","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13254","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.13254","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Marine iguanas occasionally face severe food shortages because of algal dieback during El Niño events. Research on their adaptations to these periods has highlighted their unique ability to shrink in body length, which reduces their energetic needs. Additional mechanisms, like sustaining lower body temperatures and metabolic rates, could potentially also lower energy consumption, but have never been examined. We measured 665 iguanas over an 11-year period including three El Niño events, and examined how heart rates (a proxy for metabolic rates) and body temperatures change with sea-surface temperature oscillations (Oceanic Niño Index, ONI). Heart rate (adjusting for body size, temperature, season, and study site) was negatively correlated with ONI and lower during El Niño, whereas the adjusted body temperature did not correlate with ONI or differ between El Niño and other periods. We therefore hypothesize that marine iguanas can depress their metabolic rates in response to the harsh conditions, an adaptation that is complementary to shrinking and may further enhance their survival through periods of limited food. Direct metabolic measurements are needed to test this hypothesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 4","pages":"276-282"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13254","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143865646","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":"Low socioeconomic status is an under-recognised source of challenges in academia","authors":"K. Arbuckle,&nbsp;E. J. Bethell,&nbsp;D. J. Hawthorn,&nbsp;K. Hunt,&nbsp;M. Khera,&nbsp;Z. Lewis,&nbsp;J. Mitchell,&nbsp;M. H. Nicholl,&nbsp;L. A. Reynolds","doi":"10.1111/jzo.13250","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.13250","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Barriers faced by underrepresented groups in academia have increasingly formed the basis of serious discussion, consideration, and policies, recently (in the UK) under the mantle of equality, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI). While such recognition has not solved the challenges encountered by, for instance, women and ethnic minorities, it has at least ensured that consideration of such issues is becoming a normal part of policy and practice. One underrepresented group in academia is low socioeconomic status (working class) backgrounds, a characteristic that intersects widely with other more commonly considered EDI groups. However, socioeconomic status is not a legally protected characteristic in the UK, which has resulted in it receiving less attention in terms of consideration of the barriers it imposes and possible mitigations needed. Moreover, unlike often more salient EDI characteristics such as gender and ethnicity, outward-facing cues of socioeconomic status are less visible at a glance, although they are often detectable in more subtle or indirect ways. Coupled with the attempts many working-class academics make to ‘mask’ cues of their background, this creates a situation whereby low socioeconomic status is a ‘hidden’ barrier that commonly remains unrecognised and unaddressed throughout much of academia. Here, we provide an overview of the challenges faced by working-class academic scientists based partly on the literature, which is currently limited, and partly from the experiences of our diverse working-class authorship team. In doing so, we hope to bring greater awareness of working-class backgrounds to the table in EDI discussions, and we provide suggestions for future research on and mitigation of the challenges faced by academic scientists from low socioeconomic status backgrounds.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"325 4","pages":"267-275"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.13250","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143865910","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}