scholarly journals Temporomandibular joint and Giant Panda’s (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) adaptation to bamboo diet

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pekka K. Vallittu ◽  
Juha Varrela ◽  
Jukka Salo ◽  
Li Rengui ◽  
Ling Shanshan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporomandibular Joint ◽  
Giant Panda ◽  
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca ◽  
Outer Skin ◽  
Morphological Adaptations ◽  
Bamboo Shoots ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Masticatory System ◽  
New Evidence

AbstractHere, we present new evidence that evolutionary adaptation of the Ailuripodinae lineage to bamboo diet has taken place by morphological adaptations in the masticatory system. The giant panda in the wild and in captivity removes without an exception the outer skin of all bamboo shoots, rich in abrasive and toxic compounds, by the highly adapted premolars P3 and P4. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) allows sidewise movement of the jaw and the premolars can, in a cusp-to-cusp position, remove the poorly digestible outer skin of the bamboo before crushing the bamboo with molars. Based on the evidence presented here, we suggest that adaptation of TMJ to lateral movement for enabling cusp-to-cusp contact of premolars is the crucial evolutionary factor as which we consider the key to understand the Ailuropodinae lineage adaptive pathway to utilize the bamboo resource.

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) spermatozoon decondensation in vitro is not compromised by cryopreservation

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca E. Spindler ◽  
Huang Yan ◽  
JoGayle Howard ◽  
Wang PengYan ◽  
Zhang Hemin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Giant Panda ◽  
Acrosome Reaction ◽  
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca ◽  
Genetic Management ◽  
Giant Pandas ◽  
Before And After ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Oocyte Cytoplasm ◽  
Natural Breeding

Natural breeding of giant pandas in captivity is compromised, making artificial insemination and spermatozoa cryopreservation essential for genetic management. This study examined the influence of freeze–thawing on traditional parameters such as motility and spermatozoon functionality, specifically decondensation in vitro. Giant panda spermatozoa were assessed before and after rapid cryopreservation (4°C to –130°C over 2 min) in liquid nitrogen vapour. Spermatozoa pre-incubated in medium for 6 h were co-incubated with cat zonae (2 zonae μL–1) for 30 min to effect capacitation and an acrosome reaction. Spermatozoa were then mixed with mature cat oocyte cytoplasm (2 cytoplasm μL–1) for 4 h and evaluated for decondensation. Frozen spermatozoa were less motile (P < 0.05) than fresh counterparts immediately post-thawing, but not after 6 h incubation. There were more (P < 0.05) spermatozoa with completely diffused chromatin post-thaw (10.4 ± 1.3%; mean ± s.e.m.) compared to fresh counterparts (5.1 ± 1.0%). However, there was no overall difference (P > 0.05) in the incidence of decondensation between fresh (4 h, 69.8 ± 5.9%) and thawed (4 h, 71.5 ± 4.9%) spermatozoa after exposure to cat oocyte cytoplasm. It is concluded that the ‘rapid’ method now used to cryopreserve giant panda spermatozoa has little impact on spermatozoon decondensation.

Electroretinography (ERG) in the wild giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca )

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaotong Tu ◽  
Yipeng Jin ◽  
Jiaqi Wei ◽  
Shiyue Pan ◽  
Xingping Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Giant Panda ◽  
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca ◽  
In The Wild

scholarly journals First detection and molecular identification of Babesia sp. from the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chanjuan Yue ◽  
Zeshuai Deng ◽  
Dunwu Qi ◽  
Yunli Li ◽  
Wenlei Bi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Giant Panda ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Pcr Amplification ◽  
Ixodid Ticks ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca ◽  
Giant Pandas ◽  
In The Wild

Abstract Background Parasitic infections are among the important causes of death of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) that hamper their survival in the wild. There are about 35 species of parasites which have been identified in giant pandas, but no information is currently available regarding the infection of Babesia in giant pandas. Babesia spp. are common intraerythrocytic parasite in wildlife, transmitted by ixodid ticks, which cause babesiosis. Clinical signs of babesiosis include fever, hemolysis, anemia, jaundice and death. Methods A species of Babesia was detected in the blood of a giant panda based on morphology and PCR amplification of the 18S rRNA gene. The phylogenetic relationship of Babesia sp. infecting giant panda was assessed by gene sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. Results Our analysis revealed that the Babesia isolate detected was most similar to an unidentified species of Babesia identified in black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) from Japan (Babesia sp. Iwate, AB586027.1) with a 99.56% sequence similarity, followed by Babesia sp. EBB (AB566229.1, 99.50%) and Babesia sp. Akita (AB566229.1, 99.07%). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report of Babesia detected in the giant panda. The results indicate that this Babesia sp. may be a novel species, currently named Babesia sp. strain EBP01.

scholarly journals Influence of Farming Conditions on the Rumen of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 601
Author(s):  
Federico Mason ◽  
Bartosz Fotschki ◽  
Alessia Di Rosso ◽  
Anna Korzekwa
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Anaerobic Bacteria ◽  
Acid Detergent Fiber ◽  
Morphological Adaptations ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Food Residues ◽  
Limited Choice ◽  
Campylobacter Spp

The red deer is an intermediate feeder, showing a marked degree of forage selectivity, with seasonal morphological adaptations due to changes in food quality and availability. In captivity, deer have a limited choice of habitat and food, and we hypothesize that this condition affects the rumen environment. Rumen samples were collected from 20 farmed and 11 wild red deer in autumn 2018 in Poland, and analyzed for chemical composition, food residues, microbial population, and rumen papillation. Farmed deer had the highest Campylobacter spp., and total anaerobic bacteria, but lower Clostridium spp. Moreover, they showed a decrease in Diplodininae protozoa, and the presence of holotrichs that were absent in the wild animals. The rumen digesta of farmed animals had lower dry matter and acid detergent fiber than the wild ones. The analysis of food residues underlined the poor variety of the diet for animals in the farm. This apparently affected the papillation of the rumen, with animals of the farm having the shortest papillae of the Atrium ruminis. Overall, results suggest that red deer kept in farms, with a diet based mainly on grass, tree leaves, and some concentrate supplements, undergo a small modification of the rumen compared to the wild conspecifics.

scholarly journals The giant panda is cryptic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ossi Nokelainen ◽  
Nicholas E. Scott-Samuel ◽  
Yonggang Nie ◽  
Fuwen Wei ◽  
Tim Caro
Keyword(s):  
Giant Panda ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Human Vision ◽  
Visual Environment ◽  
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca ◽  
Giant Pandas ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Background Matching ◽  
Protective Coloration ◽  
In The Wild

AbstractThe giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an iconic mammal, but the function of its black-and-white coloration is mysterious. Using photographs of giant pandas taken in the wild and state-of-the-art image analysis, we confirm the counterintuitive hypothesis that their coloration provides camouflage in their natural environment. The black fur blends into dark shades and tree trunks, whereas white fur matches foliage and snow when present, and intermediate pelage tones match rocks and ground. At longer viewing distances giant pandas show high edge disruption that breaks up their outline, and up close they rely more on background matching. The results are consistent across acuity-corrected canine, feline, and human vision models. We also show quantitatively that the species animal-to-background colour matching falls within the range of other species that are widely recognised as cryptic. Thus, their coloration is an adaptation to provide background matching in the visual environment in which they live and simultaneously to afford distance-dependent disruptive coloration, the latter of which constitutes the first computational evidence of this form of protective coloration in mammals.

Impact of activity space on the reproductive behaviour of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in captivity

2007 ◽  
Vol 104 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 151-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianjun Peng ◽  
Zhigang Jiang ◽  
Guangyong Qin ◽  
Qunce Huang ◽  
Yuxiao Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Giant Panda ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Activity Space ◽  
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca ◽  
In Captivity

Non-invasive determination of fecal steroid hormones relating to conservation practice in giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

2011 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Liang Yang ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Xing-Fang Ge ◽  
Xue-Lin Jin ◽  
De-Fu Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steroid Hormones ◽  
Giant Panda ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Sex Ratios ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Fecal Steroid ◽  
Fecal Cortisol ◽  
In The Wild

AbstractThe endangered giant panda is the flagship species of wildlife conservation, a status that results in heightened attention to their well-being. However, one factor that hinders the ability to monitor this species in the wild is the difficulty to measure relevant physiological parameters which quantify the survival status in conservation research. In this study, we employed a non-invasive sampling method and immunochemical assays to determine if measurement of fecal steroid hormones is a viable option in monitoring the sex ratios and stress levels of a giant panda population. The results indicate that 1) the yearly concentration of fecal testosterone is a possible biomarker for distinguishing gender, and 2) invasive methods of artificial insemination and semen collection as well as parturition, cause an increase in fecal cortisol concentration. This study suggests that the noninvasive sampling of feces can be a practical tool to monitor physiological stress in free-ranging and fenced giant panda populations, and could be useful in the forthcoming giant panda census in determining sex ratios in the wild.

Asociación entre hábitos parafuncionales de la cavidad bucal y los transtornos temporomandibulares en adolescentes

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Muñoz Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Temporomandibular Joint ◽  
Temporomandibular Disorders ◽  
Temporomandibular Disorder ◽  
Neuromuscular System ◽  
Jaw Movements ◽  
Nail Biting ◽  
Palabras Clave ◽  
Masticatory System ◽  
Objective Being

La musculatura del sistema masticatorio y la articulación temporomandibular (ATM) están protegidos por reflejos nerviosos básicos y sistema neuromuscular a través de la coordinación de fuerzas musculares, todo lo que produce sobrecarga muscular repetitiva como los hábitos parafuncionales (HPF) pueden ocasionar trastornos temporomandibulares (TTM)1. Los HPF se caracterizan por movimientos anormales a la función mandibular normal sin objetivo funcional, al estar alterados constituyen una fuente productora de fuerzas traumáticas caracterizadas por dirección anormal, intensidad excesiva y repetición frecuente y duradera (Rolando Castillo Hernández, 2001)4. El objetivo del estudio fue identificar la asociación entre la presencia de hábitos parafuncionales de la cavidad bucal y los TTM en adolescentes de la ciudad de Puebla. Estudio observacional descriptivo. Se incluyeron 258 adolescentes, 132 (51.2%) mujeres y 126 (48.8%) hombres, con una edad promedio de 12.5±.73 y quienes fueron diagnosticados con los CDI/TTM y los HPF fueron auto-reportados por los pacientes. Se encontró una prevalencia de los TTM del 39.9% y una prevalencia de HPF del 86%. Los HPF más frecuentemente reportados fueron la succión labial y la onicofagia. Se encontró una asociación significativa (x2=7.31, p=0.007) entre los hábitos parafuncionales y los TTM en adolescentes. Palabras clave: Trastornos temporomandibulares, hábitos parafuncionales, adolescentes, articulación temporomandibular. Abstract The muscles of the masticatory system and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) are protected by basic nerve reflex and neuromuscular system through the coordination of muscle forces, all that repetitive muscle overload occurs as habit parafunctional (HPF) can cause temporomandibular disorder TMD)1. The characteristics of HPF are abnormal jaw movements without a functional objective. Being the jaw movements altered, they constitute a source of traumatic forces with an abnormal direction, excessive intensity and long-lasting and frequent duration. (Rolando Hernandez Castillo 2001)4. Objective: was to identify the association between the presences of parafunctional habits of the oral cavity and TMD in adolescents in the Puebla city in Mexico. Material and methods: Is a observational study, we included 258 adolescents 132 (51%) females and 126 (48.8%) were men, mean age 12.5±.73 and who were diagnosed with CDI/TTM and HPF were self- reported by patients. Results: The prevalence of TMD was 39.9% and a prevalence of 86% HPF. The most frequently reported HPF were lip sucking and nail biting. We found a significant association (x2= 7.31, p = 0,007) between HPF and TMD in adolescents. Key words: Parafunctional habits of oral cavity, temporomandibular disorders, temporomandibular joint. (Odontol Pediatr 2011;10(2): 90-94).

scholarly journals On the modulation and maintenance of hibernation in captive dwarf lemurs

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina B. Blanco ◽  
Lydia K. Greene ◽  
Robert Schopler ◽  
Cathy V. Williams ◽  
Danielle Lynch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Restriction ◽  
Metabolic Disorders ◽  
Biological Rhythms ◽  
Food Ingestion ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Cheirogaleus Medius ◽  
Save Energy ◽  
Metabolic Strategies

AbstractIn nature, photoperiod signals environmental seasonality and is a strong selective “zeitgeber” that synchronizes biological rhythms. For animals facing seasonal environmental challenges and energetic bottlenecks, daily torpor and hibernation are two metabolic strategies that can save energy. In the wild, the dwarf lemurs of Madagascar are obligate hibernators, hibernating between 3 and 7 months a year. In captivity, however, dwarf lemurs generally express torpor for periods far shorter than the hibernation season in Madagascar. We investigated whether fat-tailed dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleus medius) housed at the Duke Lemur Center (DLC) could hibernate, by subjecting 8 individuals to husbandry conditions more in accord with those in Madagascar, including alternating photoperiods, low ambient temperatures, and food restriction. All dwarf lemurs displayed daily and multiday torpor bouts, including bouts lasting ~ 11 days. Ambient temperature was the greatest predictor of torpor bout duration, and food ingestion and night length also played a role. Unlike their wild counterparts, who rarely leave their hibernacula and do not feed during hibernation, DLC dwarf lemurs sporadically moved and ate. While demonstrating that captive dwarf lemurs are physiologically capable of hibernation, we argue that facilitating their hibernation serves both husbandry and research goals: first, it enables lemurs to express the biphasic phenotypes (fattening and fat depletion) that are characteristic of their wild conspecifics; second, by “renaturalizing” dwarf lemurs in captivity, they will emerge a better model for understanding both metabolic extremes in primates generally and metabolic disorders in humans specifically.

scholarly journals Previously unknown behavior in parasitic cuckoo females: male-like vocalization during migratory activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Swetlana G. Meshcheryagina ◽  
Alexey Opaev
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Harmonic Spectrum ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Neck Extension ◽  
Migratory Activity ◽  
Call Production ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Combined Features ◽  
Female Call

Abstract Background In the last decade, enigmatic male-like cuckoo calls have been reported several times in East Asia. These calls exhibited a combination of vocal traits of both Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus) and Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) advertising calls, and some authors therefore suggested that the enigmatic calls were produced by either Common × Oriental Cuckoo male hybrids or Common Cuckoo males having a gene mutation. However, the exact identity of calling birds are still unknown. Methods We recorded previously unknown male-like calls from three captive Oriental Cuckoo females, and compared these calls with enigmatic vocalizations recorded in the wild as well as with advertising vocalizations of Common and Oriental Cuckoo males. To achieve this, we measured calls automatically. Besides, we video-recorded captive female emitting male-like calls, and compared these recordings with the YouTube recordings of calling males of both Common and Oriental Cuckoos to get insight into the mechanism of call production. Results The analysis showed that female male-like calls recorded in captivity were similar to enigmatic calls recorded in the wild. Therefore, Oriental Cuckoo females might produce the latter calls. Two features of these female calls appeared to be unusual among birds. First, females produced male-like calls at the time of spring and autumn migratory activity and on migration in the wild. Because of this, functional significance of this call remained puzzling. Secondly, the male-like female call unexpectedly combined features of both closed-mouth (closed beak and simultaneous inflation of the ‘throat sac’) and open-mouth (prominent harmonic spectrum and the maximum neck extension observed at the beginning of a sound) vocal behaviors. Conclusions The Cuculus vocalizations outside the reproductive season remain poorly understood. Here, we found for the first time that Oriental Cuckoo females can produce male-like calls in that time. Because of its rarity, this call might be an atavism. Indeed, female male-like vocalizations are still known in non-parasitic tropical and apparently more basal cuckoos only. Therefore, our findings may shed light on the evolution of vocal communication in avian brood parasites.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document