BMC Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Reproductive pattern and biochemical composition of the sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) in west Aegean Sea-Türkiye.","authors":"Aysun Küçükdermenci, Aynur Lök, Ali Kırtık, Evrim Kurtay, Serpil Serdar, Selçuk Yiğitkurt","doi":"10.1186/s40850-026-00256-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-026-00256-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study focuses on the annual reproductive cycle and biochemical of Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816). Sixty sea urchins were collected monthly from July 2018 to June 2019 in Karaburun, Aegean Sea. The reproductive cycle was divided into six stages, with mature gonads observed in October-November and February-March, coinciding with spawning. Despite a decrease in gonadosomatic index, the gut index remained relatively stable, indicating sufficient environmental food. The reduced gonadosomatic index suggests the potential prioritization of gut use for survival over reproduction. The maximum gonadosomatic index of female was 5.01 ± 2.10% (at 24 °C) in July while the maximum value of male was observed in July (4.02 ± 0.57%). There was no correlation found between gonadosomatic indices and temperature or photoperiod (r= -0.123- 0.177, p > 0.05). Gender differences were observed in gonadosomatic index and perivisceral index (p < 0.05), but not in gut index, Aristotle’s lantern index, or test index. Biochemical analysis indicated higher protein levels preceding the primary egg-laying period in spring, while glycogen and lipids were utilized before other periods of egg laying throughout the year. Understanding the annual reproductive cycle and nutritional dynamics of P. lividus offers valuable insights for effective reproduction management, opening increasing opportunities for aquaculture globally in the foreseeable future.</p>","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":" ","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12892755/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146114630","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":"From least concerned to endangered? An integrated approach to determine the distribution, suitable habitat, and future of Dryophytes immaculatus.","authors":"Amaël Borzée, Xiaoli Zhang, Vishal Kumar Prasad, Ruiyang Wang, Zhenqi Wang, Shujie Qin, Kevin R Messenger, Taoran Guo, Yikweon Jang, Jiechen Wang","doi":"10.1186/s40850-025-00248-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-025-00248-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The immaculate treefrogs, Dryophytes immaculatus, were reported to be abundant in the plains of southern Jiangsu, China, until the 1980s. However, the species has scarcely been seen since the beginning of the century. RESULTS: We conducted field surveys at more than 6000 independent sites between 2017 and 2025, citizen science surveys resulting in more than 1300 entries, and questioned farmers, when possible, to determine the occurence and presence of D. immaculatus. We detected the species at 210 independent sites, obtained 12 additional independent sites from the citizen science data, and confirmed its local extinction at eight additional sites. Based on the accumulated data, we applied a suite of species distribution models, including some with putative absence, to determine the current suitable habitat for D. immaculatus. Finally, we used models to predict future shifts in suitable habitats based on climate change scenarios. The current model identified suitable habitat in an area marginally broader than the one where the species is currently found. The climate change scenario models highlighted a shift in the location of the suitable habitat for all scenarios and time periods tested, with a weak overlap with the current distribution of the species. Based on the data accumulated, we could also apply the categories and criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and we suggest the species to be listed as Endangered under both criteria B2ab (i, ii, iii, v) based on geographic range, and C2a (i) based on the small and declining population size. CONCLUSION: The range of D. immaculatus has contracted over the last decades, fast enough for people sharing their land with the species to remember them. In addition, the habitat suitable for the species keeps on declining, and it is predicted to entirely collapse in all future climatic scenarios. While not Critically Endangered yet, D. immaculatus is in need of conservation actions, especially to prevent future decline in habitat quality due to human activities. </p>","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":"11 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12781737/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145935855","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":"Morphology of the midgut and hindgut and pollen-feeding ecology of Eulasia arctos anatolica (Reitter, 1903) (Coleoptera: Glaphyridae).","authors":"Doğan Erhan Ersoy, Nurcan Özyurt Koçakoğlu, Hicret Arslan, Selami Candan","doi":"10.1186/s40850-025-00254-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-025-00254-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aims to investigate the morphological structure of the midgut and hindgut of Eulasia arctos anatolica (Reitter, 1903) and to reveal, for the first time, the relationship between the pollen grains found in the digestive system and the feeding of E. arctos anatolica. According to the results obtained, the longest section of the digestive system of E. arctos anatolica, the midgut, has a single layer of columnar epithelial cells with a striated border and secretory vesicles, indicating apocrine secretion. Regenerative cells were found at the base of epithelial folds, and Scrophulariaceae pollen grains were present in the midgut lumen. The hindgut consists of the ileum, colon, and rectum. SEM and LM analyses showed that a cuticular intima, a single-layered cuboidal epithelium, and a muscle layer surround these sections. Spore-like granular structures and crystals were observed in the lumens of the ileum and colon. In the rectum, six rectal pads were identified, along with pollen grains from the Scrophulariaceae and Compositae families, as well as spore-like structures and crystals. The most important finding of the study is the direct observation of pollen grains in both the midgut and rectum lumens. This provides the first morphological evidence that E. arctos anatolica actively feeds on plants from the Scrophulariaceae and Compositae families. The results reveal not only the structural features of the digestive system but also functional adaptations to a diet based on pollen. Therefore, this study offers original contributions to the morphological and ecological understanding of the species’ feeding relationships.</p>","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":" ","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12805768/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145896909","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":"Extreme spatial confinement and high site fidelity in a crevice-dwelling lizard with a minimal home range.","authors":"R Isaac Rojas-González, Isaac E Diaz-Ortega","doi":"10.1186/s40850-025-00253-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-025-00253-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Body size has traditionally been regarded as a key predictor of home-range extent. However, it remains unclear whether habitat specialisation can alter the expected allometric relationship between body size and home range. Crevice-dwelling lizards of the genus Xenosaurus provide an excellent system for addressing this question due to their extremely restricted habitat use. Using Bayesian generalised linear models-which allow explicit comparison of alternative hypotheses-we focused on (I) characterising the spatial behaviour of X. platyceps, (II) testing whether the home range of X. platyceps deviates from allometric expectations within a comparative dataset of 100 lizard species, and (III) evaluating whether the thermal environment helps explain its reduced movement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We report one of the smallest and most temporally consistent home ranges documented for an adult lizard. It was observed in a female X. platyceps that remained in the same crevice for more than 43 months, with an estimated minimum home range of 0.014 m². Bayesian allometric analyses showed that the observed value was over two orders of magnitude smaller than predictions based on body-size allometry. Thermal modelling revealed no differences between body, ambient and crevice temperatures. Moreover, body temperature was best explained by crevice temperature. These results indicate a thermally homogeneous microhabitat and thermoconforming behaviour. This pattern may help explain the reduced movement observed in X. platyceps.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings suggest that, in species with extreme habitat specialisation, home-range extent may be better explained by environmental stability and foraging strategy than by the classical body-size relationship. These results highlight the potential for tight microhabitat coupling to decouple spatial use from allometric expectations. Moreover, because microhabitat specialists are particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and refuge loss, it is essential to consider spatial use patterns when assessing conservation status and designing management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":" ","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12805705/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145844435","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":"Tropical cyclone activity predicts autumn vagrancy of Nearctic birds on a remote North Atlantic island.","authors":"David Monticelli","doi":"10.1186/s40850-025-00252-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-025-00252-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Wind drift has long been invoked as a primary driver of the seasonal appearance in Europe of long-distance migrants from North America (‘Nearctic vagrants’), presumed to be displaced beyond their normal range by westerly crosswinds and tropical storms encountered during migration. Yet few studies have tested how tropical cyclone (TC) activity shapes long-term patterns in offshore vagrancy. I assembled a 20-year autumn time series (2005–2024) from the small oceanic island of Corvo (Azores, Portugal) and used generalized linear models (GLMs) to relate fluctuations in Nearctic vagrancy to meteorological indices of TC activity. Across ~900 days of sampling, 126 TC events coincided with field effort, during which 1,660 individuals representing 111 Nearctic taxa were recorded. Both TC frequency and vagrant counts increased over the study period, and autumns with more sustained, basin-wide North Atlantic cyclonic activity tended to yield more species and individuals on Corvo. To assess short-term timing, I fitted GLMs to a focused subset of October landbirds from 2017 onward (8 years), comparing candidate temporal lags; the best-supported model incorporated a 5-day lagged response to TC activity. Overall, these results indicate that vagrancy on this remote island is, at least in part, cyclone-driven. Given projections of greater variability and more active TC seasons under climate change, Nearctic vagrancy in the North Atlantic may correspondingly increase in the years ahead.</p>","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":" ","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12781799/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145821230","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":"Correction: New Miocene litoptern remains from Colombia and ecological structure of American Neogene herbivore guilds.","authors":"Andrew J McGrath, Darin A Croft, Juan D Carrillo, M Gabriela Suárez, Andres Vanegas, Siobhan B Cooke, Andres Link","doi":"10.1186/s40850-025-00251-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-025-00251-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":"10 1","pages":"28"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12720430/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145811477","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":"\"King of the Riverside\", a multi-proxy approach offers a new perspective on mosasaurs before their extinction.","authors":"Melanie A D During, Nathan E Van Vranken, Clint A Boyd, Per E Ahlberg, Suzan J A Warmerdam-Verdegaal, Jeroen H J L Van der Lubbe","doi":"10.1186/s40850-025-00246-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-025-00246-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The discovery of a mosasaurine tooth (NDGS 12217) in the Hell Creek Formation, Morton County, North Dakota, adds to the growing evidence that mosasaurs, traditionally considered marine reptiles, could inhabit freshwater environments. This tooth was found in a context devoid of other marine taxa, suggesting the individual may have ventured into freshwater environments. The morphology of the tooth supports a conservative referral to the tribe Prognathodontini, and stable isotope analyses on carbonate and phosphate fractions of tooth enamel, along with 87Sr/86Sr ratios, indicate a freshwater origin. These findings challenge the notion of mosasaurs as exclusively marine predators, highlighting their potential ecological flexibility during the Late Maastrichtian. This study employs a multi-proxy approach to compare the tooth’s isotopic signatures with other taxa from the same and nearby formations (including teeth of other mosasaurines), providing insights into the environmental transitions of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS) towards the end of the Cretaceous. This comprehensive approach aims to provide deeper insights into the behavior, ecology, and potential migratory patterns of mosasaurs beyond their known marine habitats, enhancing our understanding of their adaptation to rapidly changing environments during the Late Cretaceous.</p>","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":"10 1","pages":"25"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12699810/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145744977","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":"From dispenser to nest: collection of fumigated material repels parasites across behavioural traits in Darwin's finches.","authors":"Lauren K Common, Sonia Kleindorfer, Andrew C Katsis, Katherine Albán Morales, Dominique M E Quirola, Birgit Fessl","doi":"10.1186/s40850-025-00250-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-025-00250-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the midst of a biodiversity crisis, it is important to conserve diversity at all levels, including species, genetic, and behavioural diversity. Animals with different behavioural traits can interact with their environment in distinct ways; hence, the distribution of behavioural traits within a population can influence the efficacy and outcome of conservation interventions. On the Galápagos Islands, Darwin’s finches are threatened by an invasive parasite, the avian vampire fly, Philornis downsi. Avian vampire fly larvae develop in the base of the nest, where they feed on the blood and tissue of developing nestlings, causing high mortality. In this study on Floreana Island, we deployed dispensers filled with insecticide-treated nesting material, a conservation method that has been found to decrease parasite load and increase fledging success. We then assessed whether individual differences in Darwin’s finch neophilia (response to a novel object) and aggressiveness (response to a simulated territory intrusion) affected their use of treated material. We found that ~57% of nests contained treated nesting material and that increasing volumes of treated material were associated with decreased parasite load. We found no effect of neophilia or aggressiveness on the probability of using treated material or amount of treated material used. Our results support nesting material dispensers as an effective conservation measure that conserves the full range of behavioural responses. To increase the efficacy of this method, future research should consider species- and individual-level preferences for material type and dispenser location.</p>","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":" ","pages":"27"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12703940/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145726753","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":"Sexual size dimorphism and morphological sex determination in the Yellow-browed Bunting (Emberiza chrysophrys).","authors":"Seyoung Park, Hyun-Young Nam, Hwayeon Kang, Seulgi Seo, Sejeong Han, Chang-Yong Choi","doi":"10.1186/s40850-025-00247-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-025-00247-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Sex-differential migration patterns may coevolve with sexual size dimorphism, and reliable field sexing is necessary to understand this relationship. At stopover sites near the wintering grounds, Yellow-browed Buntings (Emberiza chrysophrys) exhibit relatively low levels of protandry and sexual size dimorphism among bunting species. Plumage-based criteria for this species are further complicated at autumn stopovers, where molt progression varies, and the difficulty of sexing and ageing can vary across sites and seasons. Although sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in this species has been reported, morphological sexing has not been validated with molecular methods, and large-scale ringing programs are unable to feasibly genotype all individuals. We therefore aimed to quantify SSD and develop practical morphometric discriminant functions using molecularly validated sex determinations, thereby enabling a better assessment of sex differential migration patterns and their relationship with morphology in this species. RESULTS: We measured 50 migratory first-year Yellow-browed Buntings captured during autumn stopover on Daecheong Island, South Korea, and confirmed sex through molecular assays. Among the 50 first-year birds (24 males, 26 females), sexual size dimorphism was strongest in wing length (Cohen’s d = 3.00) and tail length (d = 2.11). For discriminant function analysis, a simplified wing-only model (D0) achieved 92.0% leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy, as did the wing-and-tail model (D2) and the stepwise-selected model (D3, wing-only). All models relied principally on wing length as the primary discriminator. CONCLUSIONS: These morphometric discriminant functions enable accurate, rapid sexing of Yellow-browed Buntings in the field without genetic testing. They facilitate demographic monitoring and sex-specific ecological studies at stopover sites and can be applied to individuals with ambiguous field identification characteristics, thereby improving our understanding of sex differential migration patterns and their coevolutionary relationship with morphology in Yellow-browed Buntings. </p>","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":"10 1","pages":"26"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12683813/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145709670","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":"Genetic diversity assessment of Camelus ferus based on CYTB gene and D-loop region.","authors":"Fengxin Chen, Jinming Yu, Jia Sun, Weiliang Wang, Kaiping Liu, Tianyun Hao, Cunyuan Li, Wei Ni, Shengwei Hu","doi":"10.1186/s40850-025-00249-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40850-025-00249-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The wild camel (Camelus ferus) is a globally endangered species, and China has the largest number of wild camels. To determine the current level of genetic diversity of wild camels in various protected areas in China, we collected 30 samples of wild camel feces or tissue (individuals that had died naturally) from the Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve, the Annanba Reserve, and the Wuwei Endangered Animal Protection Center.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We obtained mitochondrial CYTB and D-loop sequences of the wild camels and conducted various genetic diversity analyses. The level of genetic diversity among the three groups of wild camels was in the order Lop Nur > Wuwei > Annanba. Three phylogenetic tree (NJ, BI, and ML) using the sequences of both genes indicated that the Annanba samples and some individuals from Lop Nur belonged to the same clade.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings reveal a distinct genetic structure among the reserves and underscore that, despite conservation successes in restoring population numbers, targeted genetic management is crucial to mitigate the risks of genetic erosion and preserve the long-term evolutionary potential of this critically endangered species.</p>","PeriodicalId":48590,"journal":{"name":"BMC Zoology","volume":" ","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12763999/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145641582","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}