Zoology最新文献

{"title":"Sexual dimorphism and functional allometry in scorpions: A comparative study from a neotropical species","authors":"Julieta Jazmín Giménez Carbonari ,&nbsp;Mariela A. Oviedo-Diego ,&nbsp;Alfredo V. Peretti,&nbsp;Camilo I. Mattoni","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sexual dimorphism (SD), the divergence of secondary sexual traits between males and females within a species, can arise from diverse evolutionary forces, such as natural selection, mate choice, and intrasexual competition. Allometric scaling patterns of dimorphic traits are related to their functional roles and the different selective pressures that affect each sex. Generally, traits that threaten rivals involved in intrasexual competition tend to exhibit the highest allometric slopes. Conversely, non-sexual traits often display isometric scaling, while genitalia and traits in direct contact between the sexes during courtship and copulation typically show hypoallometry. A good approach to study patterns of SD and allometry is to complement interspecific studies with analyzes of case studies, where the functional aspect is known in detail. Here, we review the occurrence of SD and evaluation of allometry in the Order Scorpiones, allowing us to compare general trends in a broader comparative framework within the group. In addition, we examined SD and allometric slopes of multiple traits (including somatic traits used in sexual and non-sexual interactions, as well as genitalia) in adult individuals of the scorpion <em>Timogenes elegans</em> (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae). We found that at an interspecific level there was a variation in SD between species and morphological traits, with most traits showing a male-biased SD, except for the chelicerae, which were found to be wider in females. Regarding SD studies, we found relatively few reports of functional allometry showing differences in allometric patterns between species. The results in <em>T. elegans</em> follow some of the general patterns found in other scorpions. We found hypoallometry in genital traits and hyperallometry in the pedipalps of both sexes, with steeper allometric slopes observed for pedipalp height in males. These results suggest that genital traits are under stabilizing selective pressure, while pedipalps in both sexes may be under natural and sexual selective pressure. Understanding allometric patterns and their relationship to function in scorpions provides significant insights into the evolutionary pressures driving the divergence of morphological traits used in both sexual and non-sexual contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 126208"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142247326","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":"Multiple cranial pathologies in spotted hyaenas, Crocuta crocuta","authors":"Nikolaos Kargopoulos ,&nbsp;Caitlin Rabe ,&nbsp;Emmanuel Gilissen ,&nbsp;Walter Coudyzer ,&nbsp;Anusuya Chinsamy","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spotted hyaenas are generally considered to have resilience against injuries and pathogens, and the incidence of pathologies is scarcely reported. However, it is important for ecological studies and conservation efforts to have a clear overview of the physical threats that can occur in the life of a species. The present paper describes and interprets several osteopathologies in the crania of the spotted hyaena, <em>Crocuta crocuta</em>, in the collections of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) in Tervuren, Belgium. Of the fifty-two specimens from central Africa examined, twenty-three (i.e., 44 %) of them showed evidence of pathologies, including injuries, congenital pathologies, and disease. Selected specimens were scanned using Computed Tomography and their internal cranial structures were studied. Here we describe and discuss the different types of pathologies evident in the crania of these hyaenas: craniosynostosis, microtia, osteomyelitis and periodontitis, as well as a trauma indicated by cranial fractures, dental fractures, and bite puncture marks. Some pathologies reported herein are novel for hyaenas, and there are some instances of multiple pathologies in the same individual. Implications of these pathologies, including the social interactions of hyenas, conservational threats, as well as biased data sampling, are highlighted. This study improves our knowledge of disease and trauma experienced by hyaenids, and provides a better understanding of their biology, and the potential threats faced by these iconic animals. This case study offers a comparative base for similar studies in other carnivorans, to clarify the pathological background of apex predators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 126201"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142247328","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":"Altitude is correlated with body size differences among Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) wasps collected in two mountain ranges","authors":"Lina V. Lozano-Morales ,&nbsp;Andrés A. Gutiérrez-García ,&nbsp;Leidy Salamanca ,&nbsp;Nancy Barreto-Triana ,&nbsp;Carlos E. Sarmiento","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Living at high altitudes impose physiological and ecological challenges to which species may respond altering their body size, body proportions, and the shape of their body parts. Despite the importance of this topic for understanding the origin of species diversity, little attention has been invested in this phenomenon at the populational level. This paper study the relationship between altitude and body size, body proportions, and forewing shape venation of two populations of the parasitoid wasp <em>Cotesia flavipes</em>. Wasps were collected from <em>Diatraea</em> spp. larvae from sugarcane crops in two Colombian mountain ranges that cover between 600 m and 2143 m of altitude. Linear measurements of different body regions and geometric morphometrics of the forewing were subject to multivariate comparisons and allometric analyses to assess variation and to compare trends between ranges. Central (600 m to 1704 m) and Eastern Cordillera (877 m to 2143 m) populations showed different trends between body size and altitude. Allometric trends were not uniform within or between populations nor between structures. The allometric slopes of five body measurements from a single altitude differed from these from its own mountain range suggesting that body size trends along the cordilleras are a consequence of altitude and not of intrinsic body resource allocation processes. Wing shape between populations differed; however, these changes were poorly related to altitude. In agreement with recent studies in other groups, the observed allometric and wing shape differences between the two <em>C. flavipes</em> populations could be a plasticity response to altitude with interesting implications for posterior genetic differentiation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 126197"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944200624000564/pdfft?md5=6a2936f9f98f0fd698463d89c57e746c&pid=1-s2.0-S0944200624000564-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142128711","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":"Experimental adaptation to pathogenic infection ameliorates negative effects of mating on host post-infection survival in Drosophila melanogaster","authors":"Aabeer Basu,&nbsp;Aparajita Singh,&nbsp;B.G. Ruchitha ,&nbsp;Nagaraj Guru Prasad","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sexual activity (mating) negatively affects immune function in various insect species across both sexes. In <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> females, mating increases susceptibility to pathogenic challenges and encourages within-host pathogen proliferation. This effect is pathogen and host genotype dependent. We tested if mating-induced increased susceptibility to infections is more, or less, severe in hosts experimentally adapted to pathogenic infection. We selected replicate <em>D. melanogaster</em> populations for increased post-infection survival following infection with a bacterial pathogen, <em>Enterococcus faecalis</em>. We found that females from the selected populations were better at surviving a pathogenic infection compared to the females from the control populations. This was true in the case of both the pathogen used for selection and other novel pathogens (i.e., pathogens the hosts have not encountered in recent history). Additionally, the negative effect of mating on post-infection survival was limited to only the females from control populations. Therefore, we have demonstrated that experimental selection for increased post-infection survival ameliorates negative effects of mating on host susceptibility to infections.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 126198"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142020472","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":"Lactating striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) do not decrease the thermogenic capacity to cope with extreme cold temperature","authors":"Wei Liu ,&nbsp;Sha-Sha Liao ,&nbsp;Meng-Huan Bao ,&nbsp;Da-Liang Huo ,&nbsp;Jing Cao ,&nbsp;Zhi-Jun Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126195","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126195","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>For small non-hibernating mammals, a high thermogenic capacity is important to increase activity levels in the cold. It has been previously reported that lactating females decrease their thermogenic activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT), whereas their capacity to cope with extreme cold remains uncertain. In this study we examined food intake, body temperature and locomotor behavior, resting metabolic rate, non-shivering thermogenesis, and cytochrome c oxidase activity, and the rate of state 4 respiration of liver, skeletal muscle, and BAT in striped hamsters (<em>Cricetulus barabensis</em>) at peak lactation and non- breeding hamsters (controls). The lactating hamsters and non- breeding controls were acutely exposed to −15°C, and several markers indicative of thermogenic capacity were examined. In comparison to non-breeding females, lactating hamsters significantly increased food intake and body temperature, but decreased locomotor behavior, and the BAT mass, indicative of decreased BAT thermogenesis at peak lactation. Unexpectedly, lactating hamsters showed similar body temperature, resting metabolic rate, non-shivering thermogenesis with non-breeding females after acute exposure to −15°C. Furthermore, cytochrome c oxidase activity of liver, skeletal muscle and BAT, and serum thyroid hormone concentration, and BAT uncoupling protein 1 expression, in lactating hamsters were similar with that in non-breeding hamsters after acute extreme cold exposure. This suggests that lactating females have the same thermogenic capacity to survive cold temperatures compared to non-breeding animals. This is particularly important for females in the field to cope with cold environments during the period of reproduction. Our findings indicate that the females during lactation, one of the highest energy requirement periods, do not impair their thermogenic capacity in response to acute cold exposure.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 126195"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141918506","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":"Eye morphology in four species of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)","authors":"Federica Talarico ,&nbsp;Yavuz Koçak ,&nbsp;Rachele Macirella ,&nbsp;Settimio Sesti ,&nbsp;Eşref Yüksel ,&nbsp;Elvira Brunelli","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126173","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126173","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Compound eyes undoubtedly represent the widespread eye architecture in the animal kingdom. The insects' compound eye shows a wide variety of designs, and insects use their visual capacity to accomplish several tasks, including avoiding enemies, searching for food and shelter, locating a mate, and acquiring information about the environment and its surroundings. Broad literature data support the concept that visual ability lies in the way the eyes are built. Since the resolution and sensitivity of the compound eye are partly determined by the density of the ommatidia and the size of the facets. Morphological parameters of the compound eyes could influence the function of the visual organ and its capacity to process information, also representing a sensitive indicator of different habitat demands. In this study, we compared compound eyes' parameters in four closely related species of tiger beetles to disclose differences arising from different habitats. Furthermore, to investigate whether there are consistent intersexual differences, we also compared the most relevant parameters of the eye in males and females of four selected species. Our results show sex-related and interspecific differences that occur in examined species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 126173"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944200624000321/pdfft?md5=6e2cb020945091cde2dfc980e9d38b39&pid=1-s2.0-S0944200624000321-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141185090","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":"A new type of spermiogenesis in teleost fish: Formation of the aflagellate sperm in Campylomormyrus compressirostris (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae)","authors":"Anna M. Dymek ,&nbsp;Frank Kirschbaum ,&nbsp;Ralph Tiedemann ,&nbsp;Krzysztof Siemiński ,&nbsp;Anna Pecio","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126186","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126186","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Osteoglossomorpha, the bony tongue fishes, show great variation in morphology, behavioural strategies, reproductive biology and gamete ultrastructure. The order Osteoglossiformes is the only vertebrate taxon, in which four types of sperm (monoflagellate, biflagellate and aflagellate aquasperm and the complex introsperm) have been described. It is also the only vertebrate lineage in which aflagellate spermatozoa exist. The aim of this study was to analyse the structure of the testis and the process of spermiogenesis in the mormyrid <em>Campylomormyrus compressirostris</em> during the breeding season using light and electron microscopy (transmission and scanning). Males of this species have a single testis of the anastomosing tubular type. The tubules of the anterior part of the testis contain cysts with developing germ cells, and this region is much wider than the posterior part, which consists of efferent ducts filled with sperm cells. The cysts are filled with single or mitotic spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocytes and early spermatids. At the stage of spermatids with fine granular chromatin, the cysts rupture and successive stages of spermatid differentiation take place in the testicular lumen; we therefore characterise this process as ‘extracystic spermiogenesis’. Sperm development in <em>C. compressirostris</em> is extremely simple and involves chromatin condensation in the central region of the nucleus, a slight decrease in nuclear volume, the appearance of numerous vesicles in the cytoplasm that form a tubular-vesicular system at the base of the nucleus. Both centrioles and mitochondria are translocated to the peripheral region of the midpiece, which forms the opposite pole to the nucleus. There are many differences between the types of spermiogenesis described so far in teleosts and that found in <em>C. compressirostris,</em> including the loss of flagellum formation. This unique type of spermiogenesis is restricted to species of the families Mormyridae and Gymnarchidae, all of which possess aflagellate spermatozoa. Our data demonstrate that the spermatid differentiation and existence of the aflagellate spermatozoon are a unique phenomena not only among teleosts but also in the whole vertebrate lineage.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 126186"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141536343","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":"Publishers Note","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126187","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 126187"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944200624000461/pdfft?md5=5cd0c1cc3da0a197f52987d0af185691&pid=1-s2.0-S0944200624000461-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142130142","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":"Spotting mistakes: Reappraisal of Spotted Drum Stellifer punctatissimus (Meek & Hildebrand, 1925) (Teleostei: Sciaenidae) reveals species misidentification trends and suggests latitudinal sexual dimorphism","authors":"Jonas Andrade-Santos ,&nbsp;Ricardo S. Rosa ,&nbsp;Telton P.A. Ramos","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126180","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126180","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A major part of the described species is understudied, falling into the Linnean shortfall. This is a major concern for cryptic species, which require integrative approaches to better evaluate their diversity. We conducted morphological analyses using specimens of <em>Stellifer punctatissimus</em>, <em>S</em>. <em>gomezi</em>, and <em>S</em>. <em>menezesi</em> to reassess their taxonomical identity. We evaluated the allometric and sexual components of the morphology of the <em>Stellifer punctatissimus</em> species complex, and tested and discussed species hypotheses. The combined evidence of our work and previous studies agrees with the current morphological hypothesis of three species, as opposed to the two-lineage molecular hypothesis. However, as cryptic species, they overlap in most their traits, especially females and juveniles. Previously unaccounted variation of allometric and sexually dimorphic characters in this species complex revealed a confounding effect that might explain past and current taxonomic errors. Taxonomical practice of using body depth as a diagnostic character had led to juveniles and females being, respectively, described as a different species or wrongfully identified. Hence, taxonomical studies demand better assessment of allometric and sexual dimorphism components. Herein, we present new characters in a key to the Atlantic species of <em>Stellifer</em>, which disclose size and sexual variation unnoticed in previous studies. The contrasting growth patterns among these species could imply distinct habitat use. As a result, it could be suggested that such species are under different threats, which highlights the need of differential management and conservation strategies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 126180"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141280123","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":"The morphology of the branchial skeleton of heterocongrines (Anguilliformes: Congridae) and its relation to their diet","authors":"João Paulo Capretz Batista da Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.zool.2024.126185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2024.126185","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Members of the subfamily Heterocongrinae (Congridae) are a peculiar group of anguilliform eels that construct sandy borrows, form large colonies, and are popularly recognized as garden eels. They live with most of their bodies inside self-constructed borrows exposing their heads and trunk to feed on zooplankton, preferably copepods, that are brought passively by currents. As plankton feeders there was a suspicion that their branchial skeleton would have structures that could aid in the filtering process, such as highly developed or modified branchial rakers, which are observed in other suspension-feeding fishes, such as anchovies and sardines. Branchial rakers, however, were considered to be absent across Anguilliformes (except for <em>Protanguilla</em>). Nonetheless, specimens that were examined using clearing and staining and computed tomography showed, in all cases, branchial rakers associated with their gill arches. Heterocongrines have branchial rakers across their first to fourth branchial arches. These rakers are conical and apparently unossified, but further studies are necessary to attest its degree of ossification or its complete absence. Their pharyngeal tooth plates are reduced, a condition that may reflect their preference for smaller food items. Additionally, they may use crossflow filtering to feed, although detailed studies are necessary to clarify if hydrosol sieving may also aid in food capture. Furthermore, the present study proposes that the presence of branchial rakers should be better investigated in Anguilliformes with similar feeding habits as heterocongrines, considering that these structures may be more widespread within the group than previously considered.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49330,"journal":{"name":"Zoology","volume":"165 ","pages":"Article 126185"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141438382","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}