scholarly journals Lion and spotted hyena distributions within a buffer area of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanslaus B. Mwampeta ◽  
Clay M. Wilton ◽  
Imani J. Mkasanga ◽  
Lusato M. Masinde ◽  
Peter S. Ranke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Spotted Hyena ◽  
The South ◽  
Large Carnivore ◽  
Serengeti Ecosystem ◽  
Northern Tanzania ◽  
Spotted Hyenas ◽  
Western Border ◽  
Eastern Border ◽  
June July

AbstractMost large carnivore populations are declining due to anthropogenic activities including direct persecution, prey depletion, habitat loss and degradation. protected areas (PAs) can help maintain viable large carnivore populations; however, anthropogenic activities occurring near and within PA borders or edges can reduce their effectiveness. We investigated the influence of edge effects on abundance of lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Maswa Game Reserve (MGR), a part of the Serengeti ecosystem in northern Tanzania. We conducted repeated call-ins to attract and enumerate lions and hyenas at 20 stations in MGR during June–July 2017. We used N-mixture models to estimate hyena and lion abundance in relation to land cover and distance from the south-western MGR borders which are adjacent to villages. We found lowest lion and hyena abundances by the south-western border, with abundance of both species increasing toward the eastern border adjacent to Serengeti National Park. Lions were uniformly distributed among land covers whereas hyenas were more abundant in woodlands. We suggest that reduced lion and hyena abundance near human settlements was in response to depleted prey, due to human actions. We recommend ecologically compatible land uses and effective border patrols to mitigate these adverse effects.

scholarly journals ‘Neanderthal bone flutes’: simply products of Ice Age spotted hyena scavenging activities on cave bear cubs in European cave bear dens

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 140022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cajus G. Diedrich
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Spotted Hyena ◽  
Southeastern Europe ◽  
Cave Bear ◽  
Large Carnivore ◽  
Lower Jaw ◽  
Spotted Hyenas

Punctured extinct cave bear femora were misidentified in southeastern Europe (Hungary/Slovenia) as ‘Palaeolithic bone flutes’ and the ‘oldest Neanderthal instruments’. These are not instruments, nor human made, but products of the most important cave bear scavengers of Europe, hyenas. Late Middle to Late Pleistocene (Mousterian to Gravettian) Ice Age spotted hyenas of Europe occupied mainly cave entrances as dens (communal/cub raising den types), but went deeper for scavenging into cave bear dens, or used in a few cases branches/diagonal shafts (i.e. prey storage den type). In most of those dens, about 20% of adult to 80% of bear cub remains have large carnivore damage. Hyenas left bones in repeating similar tooth mark and crush damage stages, demonstrating a butchering/bone cracking strategy. The femora of subadult cave bears are intermediate in damage patterns, compared to the adult ones, which were fully crushed to pieces. Hyenas produced round–oval puncture marks in cub femora only by the bone-crushing premolar teeth of both upper and lower jaw. The punctures/tooth impact marks are often present on both sides of the shaft of cave bear cub femora and are simply a result of non-breakage of the slightly calcified shaft compacta. All stages of femur puncturing to crushing are demonstrated herein, especially on a large cave bear population from a German cave bear den.

scholarly journals Lifetime selection on a hypoallometric size trait in the spotted hyena

2011 ◽  
Vol 278 (1722) ◽  
pp. 3277-3285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eli M. Swanson ◽  
Ian Dworkin ◽  
Kay E. Holekamp
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Sexual Size Dimorphism ◽  
Phenotypic Selection ◽  
Lifetime Reproductive Success ◽  
Spotted Hyena ◽  
Large Carnivore ◽  
Relative Paucity ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Spotted Hyenas ◽  
Terrestrial Carnivore

Size-related traits are common targets of natural selection, yet there is a relative paucity of data on selection among mammals, particularly from studies measuring lifetime reproductive success (LRS). We present the first phenotypic selection analysis using LRS on size-related traits in a large terrestrial carnivore, the spotted hyena, which displays a rare pattern of female-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD). Using path analysis, we investigate the operation of selection to address hypotheses proposed to explain SSD in spotted hyenas. Ideal size measures are elusive, and allometric variation often obfuscates interpretation of size proxies. We adopt a novel approach integrating two common methods of assessing size, and demonstrate lifetime selection on size-related traits that scale hypoallometrically with overall body size. Our data support selection on hypoallometric traits in hyenas, but not on traits exhibiting isometric or hyperallometric scaling relationships, or on commonly used measures of overall body size. Our results represent the first estimate of lifetime selection on a large carnivore, and suggest a possible route for maintenance of female-biased SSD in spotted hyenas. Finally, our results highlight the importance of choosing appropriate measures when estimating animal body size, and suggest caution in interpreting selection on size-related traits as selection on size itself.

The forest margin vegetation of the South Urals (Bashkortostan Republic)

2009 ◽  
pp. 54-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Yamalov ◽  
S. V. Kucherova
Keyword(s):  
Southern Urals ◽  
South Urals ◽  
The South ◽  
The Southern Urals ◽  
New Associations ◽  
Class Distribution ◽  
Forest Margin ◽  
Eastern Border

The syntaxonomy of the Southern Urals’ forest margins in Bashkortostan Republic is presented. Three new associations and four communities are described. The criteria of identifying the forest margins communities to belong to the class Trifolio-Geranietea and the eastern border of the class distribution are discussed.

Saudi ejection of Yemeni workers may have dire results

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Mutual Trust ◽  
The South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Western Border ◽  
Unskilled Workers ◽  
Initial Focus

Significance The initial focus was on professionals employed in the south-western border governorates; however, there are growing reports of an impact across the country, also including unskilled workers. This comes as the Saudi-led coalition continues its intervention in the Yemen conflict that began in 2015. The Riyadh-based government-in-exile has protested. Impacts Anti-Saudi sentiments will strengthen among Yemenis of all political affiliations. Mutual trust between Riyadh and the internationally recognised government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansur al-Hadi will decline further. In south-western Saudi Arabia, fear and anger between people of Yemeni origin and nationals will rise, undercutting long-term cultural ties.

scholarly journals Pakistans Security Dilemma with Afghanistan and India

2019 ◽  
Vol IV (IV) ◽  
pp. 70-77
Author(s):  
Muhammad Tariq ◽  
Arif Khan ◽  
Bakhtiar Khan
Keyword(s):  
National Interest ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Security Dilemma ◽  
Power Theory ◽  
Internal Dimension ◽  
Western Border ◽  
Eastern Border ◽  
External Dimension ◽  
State Relations

Security dilemma plays an important part in determining state relations when particularly they are next door neighbors. In such a condition, it becomes difficult for the states to keep their security protected. Nations have to adopt policies that are beneficial for their national interest. An important function of security dilemma is that it also supports the balance of power theory which helps in balancing and counterbalancing of the countries. As far as, Pakistans security is concerned, it has two dimensions; the internal dimension which has greatly subsided during the present government while external dimension has always been like a Hanging Sword of Damocles. Pakistan is faced with this dilemma on both its eastern and western borders. The eastern border has caused three wars against India while the western border created trouble for Pakistan in the post-9/11 scenario. This paper discusses Pakists security dilemma with Afghanistan and India.

Mites and internal parasites associated with the common dung beetle Geotrupes (Anoplotrupes) stercorosus (Hartmann in Scriba, 1791) in Poland

2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Sulgostowska ◽  
Krzysztof Solarz ◽  
Grażyna Madej ◽  
Krzysztof Klimaszewski
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Parasites ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Internal Parasites ◽  
Eastern Border ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Rich ◽  
June July

AbstractCommon dung beetles collected in the "Sobieski Forest" (eastern border of Warsaw suburbs) were examined for the occurrence and prevalence of infections or infestations with intestinal parasites and phoretic mites in relation to soil characteristics and quality of the forest habitat. Endoparasitic fauna was represented by gregarines Didymophyes paradoxa, microsporidians Plistophora geotrupina and cysticerkoids of 2 tapeworms - Ditestolepis diaphana and Staphylocystis furcate. Prevalence of these infections was higher for beetles collected from rich habitats. Acarofauna was represented by hypopodes of Sancassania geotruporum (Astigmatina, Acaridae) and the following taxa of mesostigmatic mites: Alliphis halleri, Macrocheles glaber, Parasitus coleoptratorum and unidentified juvenile Laelapidae representative. Mites were most abundant in June, July and September. They were only slightly more numerously found on dung beetles from the rich habitats. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling, MDS (2D stress = 0.13) revealed significant similarities in the distribution of mite taxa between poor and rich sites and among the investigated months (June, July and September).

scholarly journals On the Pleistocene Snow-Line Depression in the Arid Regions of the South American Andes

1971 ◽  
Vol 10 (59) ◽  
pp. 255-267
Author(s):  
Stefan L. Hastenrath
Keyword(s):  
Arid Regions ◽  
South American ◽  
The South ◽  
Temperate Latitude ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Western Cordillera ◽  
Snow Line ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Arid Regions ◽  
June July

AbstractField observations during a journey through the arid regions of the South American Andes in June-July 1969 are evaluated in conjunction with available air photographs and reports from adjacent regions of the High Andes. Results indicate an increase of the Pleistocene snow-line depression in the western Cordillera from about 700 m at lat. 12° S. to more than 1 500 m at lat. 30° S. The Pleistocene snow-line depression decreases from the Pacific to the Atlantic side of the Andes, but particularly strongly so on the poleward fringe of the arid region. From this geomorphic evidence it is suggested that the atmospheric circulation during the glacial period was characterized by an Equatorward displacement of the boundary between tropical easterlies and temperate-latitude westerlies.

Taphonomic and zooarchaeological implications of spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) bone accumulations in Kenya: a modern behavioral ecological approach

Paleobiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah W. Lansing ◽  
Susan M. Cooper ◽  
Erin E. Boydston ◽  
Kay E. Holekamp
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Ecology ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Crocuta Crocuta ◽  
Site Formation ◽  
Behavioral Variability ◽  
Spotted Hyena ◽  
Site Formation Processes ◽  
Spotted Hyenas ◽  
Bone Accumulation

The significant impact of extant carnivores, particularly spotted hyenas, on the depositional history and physical characteristics of archaeofaunal and paleontological assemblages is well recognized. We focus on the behavioral ecology of extant spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in relation to bone accumulations produced by one East African clan at communal dens. Limbs and skulls of prey animals more frequently appear at dens than do other carcass portions. These items reflect the relative abundance of prey species near dens; carnivore remains are poorly represented. Comparative analysis reveals that bones are deposited far more slowly (<7 carcass portions per month) and accumulations tend to be smaller at Crocuta dens than at dens of either brown (Parahyaena brunnea) or striped (Hyaena hyaena) hyenas. We propose that extant Crocuta bone accumulation rates and sizes are likely affected by prey species abundance, clan size, social interactions within the clan, and the type and availability of den sites. We also suggest that the potential for intraspecific behavioral variability in bone accumulation patterns is important when comparisons are made among spotted hyena populations and across hyena species. For example, accumulation patterns may be dramatically influenced by the temporal span, potentially ranging from days to hundreds or thousands of years, in which bones are collected, depending on the species-specific history of occupation at a given site. Understanding the behavioral and ecological variability likely to influence bone accumulation patterns at dens used by different hyaenids will allow taphonomists and zooarchaeologists to refine their knowledge of mechanisms underlying site formation processes and potential causes of variability in deeper-time den assemblages.

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