scholarly journals Dietary and body-mass reconstruction of the Miocene neotropical bat Notonycteris magdalenensis (Phyllostomidae) from La Venta, Colombia

Paleobiology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Camilo López-Aguirre ◽  
Nicholas J. Czaplewski ◽  
Andrés Link ◽  
Masanaru Takai ◽  
Suzanne J. Hand

Abstract With 14 species recorded, the Miocene La Venta bat fauna is the most diverse bat paleocommunity in South America. It includes the oldest plant-visiting bat in the New World and some of the earliest representatives of the extant families Phyllostomidae, Thyropteridae, and Noctilionidae. La Venta's Notonycteris magdalenensis is an extinct member of the subfamily Phyllostominae, a group of modern Neotropical animalivorous bats, and is commonly included in studies of the evolution of Neotropical bats, but aspects of its biology remain unclear. In this study, we used multivariate dental topography analysis (DTA) to reconstruct the diet of N. magdalenensis by quantitatively comparing measures of molar complexity with those of 25 modern noctilionoid species representing all major dietary habits in bats. We found clear differences in molar complexity between dietary guilds, indicating that DTA is potentially an informative tool to study bat ecomorphology. Our results suggest N. magdalenensis was probably an omnivore or insectivore, rather than a carnivore like its modern relatives Chrotopterus auritus and Vampyrum spectrum. Also, we reconstructed the body mass of N. magdalenensis to be ~95 g, larger than most insectivorous bats, but smaller than the largest carnivorous bat (V. spectrum). Our results confirm that N. magdalenensis was not a specialized carnivore. It remains to be demonstrated that the specialized carnivory ecological niche was occupied by the same lineage of phyllostomines from at least the middle Miocene. Combining our diet and body-mass reconstructions, we suggest that N. magdalenensis exhibits morphological pre-adaptations crucial for the evolution of specialized carnivory.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilo López-Aguirre ◽  
Nicholas J Czaplewski ◽  
Andrés Link ◽  
Masanaru Takai ◽  
Suzanne J Hand

AbstractThe middle Miocene La Venta bat fauna is the most diverse bat palaeocommunity in South America, with at least 14 species recorded. They include the oldest plant-visiting bat in the New World, and some of the earliest representatives of the extant families Phyllostomidae, Thyropteridae and Noctilionidae. La Venta’s Notonycteris magdalenensis is an extinct member of the subfamily Phyllostominae, a group of modern Neotropical animalivorous and omnivorous bats, and is commonly included in studies of the evolution of Neotropical bats, but aspects of its biology remain unclear. In this study, we used a multivariate dental topography analysis (DTA) to reconstruct the likely diet of N. magdalenensis by quantitatively comparing measures of molar complexity with that of 25 modern phyllostomid and noctilionid species representing all major dietary habits in bats. We found clear differences in molar complexity between dietary guilds, indicating that DTA is potentially an informative tool to study bat ecomorphology. Our results suggest N. magdalenensis was probably an omnivore or insectivore, rather than a carnivore like its modern relatives Chrotopterus auritus and Vampryum spectrum. Also, we reconstructed the body mass of N. magdalenensis to be ∼50 g, which is larger than most insectivorous bats, but smaller than most carnivorous bats. Our results confirm that Notonycteris magdalenensis was probably not a specialised carnivore. It remains to be demonstrated that the specialised carnivory ecological niche was occupied by the same lineage of phyllostomines from at least the middle Miocene. Combining our diet and body mass reconstructions, we suggest that N. magdalenensis exhibits morphological pre-adaptations crucial for the evolution of specialised carnivory.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martín Altuna ◽  
Paul V. Hickner ◽  
Gustavo Castro ◽  
Santiago Mirazo ◽  
Adalberto A. Pérez de León ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundFeral swine (Sus scrofa) are highly invasive and threaten animal and public health in the Americas. New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is listed by the World Organization for Animal Health as a notifiable infestation because myasis cases affect livestock, wildlife, and humans in endemic areas, and outbreaks can be of high socioeconomic consequence in regions where screwworm was eradicated. However, a knowledge gap exists on screwworm infestation of feral swine in South America where C. hominivorax is endemic. Here, we report infestation with C. hominivorax in feral swine harvested in the Department of Artigas where the Republic of Uruguay shares borders with Brazil and Argentina. MethodsMyiasis caused by the larvae of C. hominivorax were identified in feral swine with the support and collaboration of a local feral swine hunting club over a three-year period in the Artigas Department of Uruguay. Harvested feral swine were examined for the presence of lesions where maggots causing the myiasis could be sampled and processed for taxonomic identification. The sites of myiasis on the body of infested feral swine and geospatial data for each case were recorded. Feral swine sex and relative size were registered along with ambient temperature and precipitation.ResultsMyiases caused by screwworms were recorded in 27 of 618 feral swine harvested. Cases detected in males over 40 kg were associated with wounds that, because of their location, were likely caused by aggressive dominance behavior between adult males. The overall prevalence of screwworm infestation in feral swine was associated with ambient temperature, but not precipitation. Case numbers peaked in the warmer spring and summer months. ConclusionThis is the first report for South America of myasis caused by C. hominivorax in feral swine. In contrast to myasis in cattle that can reach deep into host tissues, screwworms in feral swine tended to cause superficial infestation. Feral swine present challenges to control screwworms in endemic areas. Screwworm populations maintained by feral swine may contribute to human cases in rural areas of Uruguay, which highlights the One Health importance of this invasive species-ectoparasite interaction.


Paleobiology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-611
Author(s):  
Russell K. Engelman ◽  
Darin A. Croft

AbstractIt was once thought that the endemic carnivorous mammals of South America, the metatherian sparassodonts, were driven extinct by North American carnivorans through competitive exclusion. However, sparassodonts went extinct before most groups of carnivorans entered South America; only the endemic Cyonasua-group procyonids (Cyonasua and Chapalmalania), which immigrated to South America nearly 4 million years earlier than other carnivorans, significantly overlapped with sparassodonts in time. In this study, we examine the functional morphology of the dentition of Cyonasua and Chapalmalania through quantitative analysis to determine the dietary habits of these taxa and the degree to which they may have ecologically overlapped sparassodonts and large predatory Neogene didelphimorphians. We find Cyonasua and Chapalmalania to be more carnivorous than extant procyonids, other than Bassariscus, in agreement with previous studies, but more omnivorous than most other carnivorans and all meat-eating South American metatherians, including sparassodonts. The extreme ecological dissimilarity between Cyonasua-group procyonids and members of the endemic South American predator guild may explain why procyonids were able to successfully establish themselves in South America several million years earlier than most other northern mammals (including all other carnivorans): they moved into a previously unoccupied ecological niche (large omnivore) and avoided direct competition with incumbent native species, a situation similar to that documented in historical cases of biological invasion. The omnivorous diets and climbing/swimming abilities of procyonids may have increased their chances for a successful over-water dispersal relative to other carnivorans, further favoring their successful establishment in South America.


2019 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-347
Author(s):  
Tereza Sofková ◽  
Michaela Hřivnová ◽  
Marie Chrásková

Abstract Appropriate dietary habits and healthy nutrition play a part in weight control. Set positive principles make precondition for satisfactory state of the body and its composition. Body mass index (BMI) is most commonly used to assess optimal body mass in relation to health risks. However, BMI does not enable the representation of individual body components and may lead to misdiagnosis in one person. The aim of our study was to evaluate dietary habits and selected body composition parameters based on BMI. Moreover, we evaluated these parameters in relation to the daily frequency of meals. The research group consisted of 318 female students of pedagogical disciplines of Palacký University in Olomouc, aged between 18 and 30 years. (22.3±2.5 years). The survey was conducted in March 2018 and 2019. Data on dietary habits were acquired through a questionnaire survey that focused on the daily frequency of meals. Multi-frequency bioimpedance analysis using InBody 720 analyser was used to determine body composition parameters. In the normal weight BMI (BMI_N) category, the selected parameters (BFP: body fat percentage, VFA: visceral fat, FFM: fat-free mass) based on general recommendations for body composition are met. In the overweight and obesity (BMI_O) category, the mean BFP values fall, as expected, into the obesity category (≥35%). We may conclude that statistically significantly lower relative risk of damage to health assessed by the body fat and visceral fat (BFM, BFP, VFA, BFMI) was found to be significantly lower in women who consume 5 meals per day compared to women who consume 4 or less daily portions of food. The differences between the BMI categories for individual meals during the day were statistically insignificant for the group we investigated. We evaluate the dietary habits positively based on the low frequency of skipping meals.


Author(s):  
Saba Tariq ◽  
Sundus Tariq ◽  
Saffee Tariq ◽  
Rehana Rehman

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the relationship of body mass index of healthy teenafers with junk food, sleep pattern, exam performance and awareness about its ill effects. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2017 at University Medical and Dental College, University of Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan, and comprised subjects aged 13-19. Data was collected using face-to-face interviews, getting the examnation results from respective educational insititutions and calculating the body mass index, Data was abalysed using SPSS 22. Results: Of the 226 subjects, 96(42.5%) were boys with a mean age of 15.68 ± 1.83 years, and 130(57.5%) were girls with a mean age of 17.00±1.74 years. Based on body mass index, 35(15.5%) subjects were underweight, 88(39%) were normal, 28(12.4%) overweight, 56(24.7%) pre-obese and 19(8.4%) were obese. The independent predictors of body mass index were higher consumption of soft drinks in males and higher consumption of soft drinks and salt in females (p<0.05). Conclusion: Teenagers were found ot be well aware of the ill effects of junk food, but they were found to be happy with their dietary habits and unwilling to change it. Key Words: Teenagers, BMI, Food habits, Fast food, Soft drinks. Continuous...


2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryszard Jasiński ◽  
Małgorzata Socha ◽  
Ludmiła Sitko ◽  
Katarzyna Kubicka ◽  
Marek Woźniewski ◽  
...  

Abstract Nordic walking and water aerobics are very popular forms of physical activity in the elderly population. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of regular health training on the venous blood flow in lower extremities and body composition in women over 50 years old. Twenty-four women of mean age 57.9 (± 3.43) years, randomly divided into three groups (Nordic walking, water aerobics, and non-training), participated in the study. The training lasted 8 weeks, with one-hour sessions twice a week. Dietary habits were not changed. Before and after training vein refilling time and the function of the venous pump of the lower extremities were measured by photoplethysmography. Body composition was determined by bioelectrical impedance. Eight weeks of Nordic walking training improved the venous blood flow in lower extremities and normalized body composition in the direction of reducing chronic venous disorder risk factors. The average values of the refilling time variable (p = 0.04, p = 0.02, respectively) decreased in both the right and the left leg. After training a statistically significant increase in the venous pump function index was found only in the right leg (p = 0.04). A significant increase in fat-free mass, body cell mass and total body water was observed (p = 0.01), whereas body mass, the body mass index, and body fat decreased (p < 0.03). With regard to water aerobic training, no similar changes in the functions of the venous system or body composition were observed.


Author(s):  
Priyam Sharma ◽  
Akshay Berad

Obesity is increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world and has become a global problem. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared overweight as one of the top 10 health risks in the world and one of the top five in developed nations (WHO, 2002) In many developing countries, with increasing urbanization, mechanization of jobs and transportation, availability of processed and fast foods, and dependence on television for leisure, people are fast adopting less physically active lifestyles and consuming more “energy-dense, nutrient-poor” diets .The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of overweight issues and obesity by recording the body mass index (BMI) and explore the dietary habits, physical activities (PAs), and lifestyles of  females between 20-40 years of age. Questionnaire was used in this study for data collection about general information, body mass index, dietary habits and Lifestyle of 20 female subjects. It was observed that 3 females were underweight, 9 were normal weight and 8 were overweight and obese. From the results of the study, we can conclude that the incidence of being overweight and obese is increasing .The awareness about Physical activities healthy diet/lifestyle, and consequences of overweight and obesity on their health and profession must be increased among the young females to avoid future complications. Key words: Body Mass index, lifestyle, dietary habits, Physical activity


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-171
Author(s):  
V Bhavani ◽  
N Prabhavathy Devi

Background: Obesity remains to be a serious problem in all parts of the world and is not restricted to adults but also found in children, teenagers, and young adults. Consumption of snacks and junk foods high in fat and sugars constitutes a risk factor for obesity and cardiovascular diseases.Aim: To study the influence of the dietary habits on the Body Mass Index of the selected population Methods: About 1000 samples were selected using a stratified and simple random sampling technique. Height, weight, and BMI were measured for the subjects using appropriate methods. An interview schedule was used to collect the details. Food frequency questionnaire and three-day dietary recall was used to collect the food consumption pattern. The obtained details were coded and subjected to statistical analysis. The required data were correlated.Results: In the present study, BMI increases with an increased frequency of outside food consumption. BMI was higher among the vegetarian population compared to the mixed vegetarian diet and ova- vegetarian population. At the same time, underweight population (BMI less than 18.4kcal/m2) was less in the mixed diet population. Calorie-dense foods, namely packet foods, fried foods, noodles, parota, and chocolates, were consumed more by overweight participants, and it is highly significant at a 1% level.Conclusion: Effective policies and programs are urgently required to reduce overweight and obesity. Consumption of wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, greens must be encouraged. The importance of antioxidants in the diet must be educated among the general public. Going back to traditional foods must be encouraged, such as ragi gruel, millets based food stuff, and fermented traditional recipes could be incorporated in the daily menu.


Author(s):  
Min Jung Sun ◽  
Mi Heui Jang

This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome in 100 community-dwelling people with schizophrenia registered in mental health facilities in Seoul, Korea. This study was conducted between 12 September and 15 November 2019. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive design. The data included were general and disease-related characteristics, diagnostic tests for metabolic syndrome, lifestyles, depression, and social support. The analysis of collected data was done by using the SPSS 24.0 program. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 42.0%. Higher body mass index (odds ratio [OR] = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.16–2.18, p = 0.004), and depression (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.06–1.42, p = 0.008) were associated with higher risks of metabolic syndrome, while physical activity and weight control (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.54–0.94, p = 0.018), dietary habits (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.54–0.93, p = 0.011), and medication and health management (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.31–0.86, p = 0.012) were associated with lower risks. Mental health care nurses need to recognize the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in people with schizophrenia in the community and provide differentiated, customized lifestyle improvement programs based on the body mass index and depression status of each person with schizophrenia. Furthermore, comprehensive lifestyle improvement programs and health examination services that people with schizophrenia can easily adhere to should be developed.


Bionatura ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 872-875
Author(s):  
Concepción Magdalena Espín Capelo ◽  
Secundino González Pardo ◽  
Juan Carlos Folleco Guerrero ◽  
Rosa Ana Quintanilla Bedón ◽  
Silvia Marcela Baquero Cárdena ◽  
...  

The aim of the present study was to determine the dietary habits and nutritional status of workers in a dairy company in northern Ecuador. Observational, descriptive and transversal research, which used the survey through a questionnaire with sociodemographic and anthropometric variables to determine the nutritional status; and, the frequency of consumption to identify eating habits. The results report a preponderance of the masculine sex and mestizo ethnicity among the workers, with an age range between 30 and 60 years. Regarding the nutritional status, according to the Body Mass Index, 56.0% of workers are overweight, 8.2% Obesity level I, and 0.5% Obesity level II. In the Waist Circumference according to sex, it was found that in women (82-88 cm) there is a high risk in 32.7%; very high risk (> 88 cm) and 26.5%; in men 13.5% high risk (95-102 cm) and 5.3% very high risk (> 102 cm). In terms of eating habits, according to the frequency of consumption survey, 78.0% consume 3 to 4 meal times; being the less consumed refreshments, the foods that ingest the most are rice, potatoes, bread, sugar, eggs and dairy with frequent daily consumption and the less consumed are fruits, vegetables and legumes with a frequency of 1 week consumption. It is concluded that body mass index and waist circumference increase in relation to the advance of age and eating habits due to excess and nutritional imbalance.


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