Lunar Cycle Influences Reproductive Performance of Crossbred Brahman Cows Under Tropical Conditions

2021 ◽  
pp. 074873042098363
Author(s):  
Alejandro A. Aguirre ◽  
Roberto A. Palomares ◽  
Aitor D. De Ondiz ◽  
Eleazar R. Soto ◽  
Mariana S. Perea ◽  
...  

Evidence has accumulated over the years indicating that the moon influences some aspects of the reproductive activity in animals and humans. However, little is known about the influence of the lunar cycle on the reproductive performance of cows under tropical conditions, where the environment strongly affects reproduction. This retrospective study was conducted with the aim of assessing the influence of the lunar cycle on some reproductive traits of tropical crossbred cows managed in a pasture-based system. Data from 5869 reproductive records from two commercial farms localized in the Maracaibo Lake Basin of Zulia State, Venezuela, were analyzed. Variables studied were first service conception rate, calving frequency, first postpartum estrous frequency, and pregnancy frequency. In addition to the lunar cycle, the effects of farm, season, and predominant breed were also considered. Data were analyzed using logistic regression and general linear model from SAS. First service conception was affected by lunar phases and predominant breed, but not by farm or season. For frequencies of calving, first postpartum estrus, and pregnancy, there was no main effect of farm, season, and predominant breed, whereas the effect of lunar phases was highly significant. First service conception was significantly greater in waning than in crescent phase of the lunar cycle. Frequencies of calving, first estrus, and pregnancy were highly correlated and showed greater figures around full moon and new moon. In conclusion, lunar cycle influenced first service conception, attaining greater values in the waning phase of the moon cycle. Frequencies of calving, first postpartum estrus, and pregnancy in crossbred cows showed a clear bimodal rhythm, whose greatest values coincided with new moon and full moon.

The table given in this paper contains the results of calculations relating to the objects specified in the title; cast into periods of six, seven, or eight days, so as to bring the day of the lunar phase belonging to it in the middle of the time. The observations were all made in the neighbourhood of London. It appears from them that in the period of the last quarter of the moon the barometer is highest, the temperature a little above the mean, and the depth of rain the smallest. In the period of the new moon, both the barometer and temperature are considerably depressed, and the rain increased in quantity. The influence of the first quarter shows itself by the further depression of the barometer; but the temperature rises almost to the point from which it had fallen, and the rain still increases, but not in an equal ratio. Lastly, the full moon again reduces the temperature; while the barometer attains its maximum mean height, and the quantity of rain is the greatest. Thus it appears, that during this lunar cycle, the approach of the last quarter is the signal for the clearing up of the air, and the return of sunshine.


1972 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. S. Kettle

The biting rates of Culicoides furens (Poey) and C. barbosai Wirth & Blanton on Florida Beach, Jamaica, were observed in 50 trials conducted 40–115 min after dawn from 5 February 1960 to 10 February 1961. The data were logarithmically transformed and non-zero biting rates standardised. Biting rates of both species varied markedly from week to week but monthly mean rates were significantly higher and lower for C. furens in September (111·4) and March (13·7), respectively. Monthly mean rates for C. barbosai fell into three groups, (i) March-June (15·3); (ii) November–December (9·1); (iii) January–February and July–October (3·1). These changes were negatively correlated with mean sea level. Biting rates of C. barbosai were highest at new moon (10·3) and lower but similar (4·3–5·2) for the other three phases of the moon. Those of C. furens were maximal at new moon (62·8), minimal at full moon (20·4) and intermediate (35·9, 39·5) at the quarters. The lunar effect is assumed to act through the tides. There were no significant differences between the standardised biting rates at different times after dawn. In a comparison of the quantitative effects of ten factors on the biting rates of C. furens, C. barbosai and Leptoconops becquaerti (Kieff.), most important were month of year and wind speed; of less importance were lunar cycle, temperature, collector and limb exposed; while site position, intensity of illumination, time after dawn, saturation deficit were of minor or no importance. It is concluded that the biting rate of L. becquaerti should be the least affected by changes in these factors, C. barbosai more affected and C. furens most affected.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian C Banfield ◽  
Mohamed Abdolell ◽  
Jai S Shankar

Background The lunar cycle and seasons may be associated with rates of rupture of intracranial aneurysms, but the literature is mixed. Studies of the association between the lunar cycle and rates of aneurysm rupture used the eight qualitative moon phases. The purpose of this study was to assess any association of aneurysm rupture with the lunar cycle and with the season. Materials and methods We retrospectively reviewed all cases of subarachnoid haemorrhage secondary to ruptured intracranial aneurysm treated with endovascular coiling in our institution over a 10-year period. We included only cases with a known rupture date. We used the degree of illumination of the moon to quantitatively code the lunar cycle. Results A total of 212 cases were included in our analyses. The odds of aneurysm rupture were significantly greater ( p < 0.001) when the moon was least (new moon) and most (full moon) illuminated, as compared to the middle of the lunar cycle. The odds of rupture tended to be higher ( p = 0.059) in the summer, compared to autumn. Conclusions The odds of aneurysm rupture were greater when the moon was least illuminated (new moon) and most illuminated (full moon), compared to the middle of the lunar cycle.


1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
AJ Courtney ◽  
DJ Die ◽  
JG McGilvray

This study examined the lunar and die1 variation in catch rates and reproductive condition of adult eastern king prawns, Penaeus plebejus, in relatively deep (160 m) coastal waters off south- eastern Queensland. Females numerically dominated catches over most of the lunar cycle and constituted 76% of the weight of the catch. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed an interaction between lunar phase and sex; catches peaked during Lunar Phase 3 (full moon � 3 days) and were particularly marked for males. This was the only period during the lunar cycle when the sex ratio approached 1 : 1. There was also an interaction between trawl-time and sex; male catch rates were at a minimum early in the evening, whereas female catch rates were at a maximum then and declined throughout the night. Trawler logbook catch rate data from the same area over a similar period indicated an interaction between lunar cycle and lunar phase. ANOVA revealed an effect of the interaction between phase and sex on the incidence of soft prawns; the incidence of soft males increased during Phase 4 (half moon waning to new moon � 3 days). Ovary weight also varied between phases and was higher during Phases 2 (half moon waxing to full moon � 3 days) and 4 (half moon waning to new moon � 3 days). Trends in the ovary weight and the incidence of histologically mature and ripe females suggested there are two periods of increased spawning activity during each lunar cycle. A cyclic regression fitted to the data explained 93% of the variation in the incidence of ripe females between samples. The influence of these cyclic trends in catch rate and reproductive condition should be considered when monitoring the spawning stock in the fishery and when planning sampling strategies in any future reproductive studies.


1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Milbrath

AbstractAztec images of decapitated goddesses link the symbolism of astronomy with politics and the seasonal cycle. Rituals reenacting decapitation may refer to lunar events in the context of a solar calendar, providing evidence of a luni-solar calendar. Decapitation imagery also involves metaphors expressing the rivalry between the cults of the sun and the moon. Huitzilopochtli's decapitation of Coyolxauhqui can be interpreted as a symbol of political conquest linked to the triumph of the sun over the moon. Analysis of Coyolxauhqui's imagery and mythology indicates that she represents the full moon eclipsed by the sun. Details of the decapitation myth indicate specific links with seasonal transition and events taking place at dawn and at midnight. Other decapitated goddesses, often referred to as earth goddesses with “lunar connections,” belong to a complex of lunar deities representing the moon within the earth (the new moon). Cihuacoatl, a goddess of the new moon, takes on threatening quality when she assumes the form of a tzitzimime attacking the sun during a solar eclipse. The demonic new moon was greatly feared, for it could cause an eternal solar eclipse bringing the Aztec world to an end.


2022 ◽  
pp. 074873042110694
Author(s):  
Miguel F. Perea ◽  
Daniel A. Perdomo ◽  
Zenaida A. Corredor ◽  
Mario González ◽  
Hugo Hernandez-Fonseca ◽  
...  

A robust body of evidence has demonstrated that the lunar cycle plays an important role in the reproduction of fish living in natural environments. However, little is known about the influence of the moon on tilapia reproductive activity in intensive fish farming systems. This study aims to evaluate the influence of the lunar cycle on the reproductive performance of tilapias in an intensive outdoor tropical production system in Latin America. Records of two tilapia strains (Nile tilapia [ Oreochromis niloticus; n = 75] and Red tilapia [ Oreochromis spp.; n = 1335]) reared in concrete tanks in a commercial fish farm were analyzed. Over a 3-year period, 60,136 captures were made in intervals of 12 to 14 days and 6,600 females were manually spawned. The number of females spawned and the volume of eggs collected from each tank ( n = 9) were recorded. Data was analyzed by the general linear model and means were compared by least squares means method. A very slight or no variation was observed when the lunar cycle was split into two halves (crescent and waning). The proportions of females spawned and the volume of eggs per spawned female and per female in the tank varied considerably across the eight periods of the lunar cycle, with greater values in the waning than in the crescent phase. A significantly greater proportion of tilapia spawned and yielded more eggs around the full moon than around the new moon and remaining days of the lunar cycle. The moon cycle affected the reproductive activity of tilapia, which were more reproductively active around the full moon and most of the waning phase.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munasik ◽  
Suharsono ◽  
J. Situmorang ◽  
H. N. Kamiso

Monthly larval release by the coral Pocillopora damicornis at Panjang Island, Central Java was investigated. Corals were collected from windward and leeward and maintained in outdoor, flow-trough system to quantify nightly release of larvae. Larval release of the coral occurs every month throughout the year, and its planulation increased during dry monsoon. Monthly planulation occurs from new moon to full moon and possesses in different pattern between single and paired colonies. Planulation in paired colonies occurred in single peak and more synchronized in each colony however single colonies planulated in double peaks and less synchronized in each colony. This study confirmed that planulation period of P. damicornis at Panjang Island over a range of lunar phases with shorter periods of peak release which predominantly controlling by tidal range rather than lunar cycle.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Shima ◽  
CW Osenberg ◽  
SH Alonzo ◽  
EG Noonburg ◽  
P Mitterwallner ◽  
...  

© 2020 by the Ecological Society of America Most organisms reproduce in a dynamic environment, and life-history theory predicts that this can favor the evolution of strategies that capitalize on good times and avoid bad times. When offspring experience these environmental changes, fitness can depend strongly upon environmental conditions at birth and at later life stages. Consequently, fitness will be influenced by the reproductive decisions of parents (i.e., birth date effects) and developmental decisions (e.g., adaptive plasticity) of their offspring. We explored the consequences of these decisions using a highly iteroparous coral reef fish (the sixbar wrasse, Thalassoma hardwicke) and in a system where both parental and offspring environments vary with the lunar cycle. We tested the hypotheses that (1) reproductive patterns and offspring survival vary across the lunar cycle and (2) offspring exhibit adaptive plasticity in development time. We evaluated temporal variation in egg production from February to June 2017, and corresponding larval developmental histories (inferred from otolith microstructure) of successful settlers and surviving juveniles that were spawned during that same period. We documented lunar-cyclic variation in egg production (most eggs were spawned at the new moon). This pattern was at odds with the distribution of birth dates of settlers and surviving juveniles—most individuals that successfully survived to settlement and older stages were born during the full moon. Consequently, the probability of survival across the larval stage was greatest for offspring born close to the full moon, when egg production was at its lowest. Offspring also exhibited plasticity in developmental duration, adjusting their age at settlement to settle during darker portions of the lunar cycle than expected given their birth date. Offspring born near the new moon tended to be older and larger at settlement, and these traits conveyed a strong fitness advantage (i.e., a carryover effect) through to adulthood. We speculate that these effects (1) are shaped by a dynamic landscape of risk and reward determined by moonlight, which differentially influences adults and offspring, and (2) can explain the evolution of extreme iteroparity in sixbars.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-210
Author(s):  
Errizal Machmud Putra ◽  
Rini Pramesti ◽  
Gunawan Widi Santosa

Rajungan (Portunus pelagicus) merupakan komoditas unggulan Indonesia. Perairan Betahwalang, Kabupaten Demak memiliki sumberdaya rajungan yang  potensial dengan tingkat eksploitasi yang tinggi. Rajungan ini ditangkap setiap hari tanpa memperhatikan faktor alam berupa fase bulan yang menyebabkan menurunnya populasi. Informasi penangkapan berdasarkan fase bulan diperlukan agar populasi rajungan dapat terjaga. Tujuan Penelitian ini adalah mengkaji jumlah dan sebaran morfometri rajungan yang tertangkap pada fase bulan purnama dan bulan baru di perairan Betahwalang. Penelitian ini dilakukan dari November 2017 sampai Februari 2018 di perairan Betahwalang. Metode penelitian yang digunakan yaitu metode deskriptif. Penentuan lokasi penelitian berdasarkan area penangkapan rajungan di perairan Betahwalang. Pengambilan data dilakukan 8 kali dari tanggal 5 November 2017 sampai 18 Februari 2018. Pengambilan data berupa jumlah, lebar karapas, berat, jenis kelamin rajungan, dan parameter lingkungan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan total rajungan tertangkap yaitu 448 ekor, 296 ekor pada Bulan Purnama dan 152 ekor pada Bulan Baru. Morfometri rajungan ukuran ≤ 10 cm pada Bulan Purnama 190 ekor lebih banyak dari Bulan Baru 90 ekor. Rajungan ukuran > 10 cm pada Bulan Baru 106 ekor lebih banyak dari Bulan Baru 62 ekor. Blue Swimming Crab (Portunus pelagicus) is Indonesia's flagship commodity. The waters of Betahwalang, Demak Regancy have potential Blue Swimming Crab resources with high levels of exploitation.  The crabs are catched every day regardless of natural factors, such as the moon phase that causes the population to decline. Blue Swimming Crab catch’s information based on the moon phase is required for the population to sustaine. The purpose of this research is to study the amount and distribution of Blue Swimming Crab morphometry catched on the full and new moon phase in Betahwalang waters. The study was conducted from November  2017 till February 2018 in the waters of Betahwalang. The research method used was descriptive method. Determination of research location based on Blue Swimming Crab catching area in Betahwalang waters. The data were collected 8 times from November 5, 2017 till February 18, 2018. Data were collected in number, width of carapace, weight, sex, and environmental parameters. The results showed total of catched crabs, were 296 crabs on Full Moon, and 152 crabs on New Moon. Blue Swimming Crab morphometry size ≤ 10 cm on Full Moon was 190 crabs more than New Moon was 90 crabs. Then, in Size> 10 cm on New Moon was 106 crabs more than New Moon was 62 crabs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Willy Vila Nova Pessoa ◽  
Jonas de Assis Almeida Ramos ◽  
Paulo Guilherme Vasconcelos de Oliveira

ABSTRACT The influence of the moon cycles on the ichthyofauna has been little studied in the surf zone. In this study, the number of species, density and biomass were evaluated as a function of the moon. A total of 49 species distributed in 24 families were captured in two areas of Miramar beach. The mean density was significant high in the weaning and low in the new moon, while density and biomass together showed differences for areas. The most abundant species were Anchoa tricolor and Trachinotus falcatus (new moon), and Anchovia clupeoides showed significant differences in the waning moon. The RDA indicates that turbidity influenced significantly the presence of two species group. The group I were represented by Stellifer brasiliensis, Trachinotus goodei, A. clupeoides, Chilomycterus spinosus and Conodon nobilis that occurred on the waning and new phases in both areas, while the group II were represented by Polydactylus virginicus and Haemulopsis corvinaeformis in the full moon. The surf zones may also be strongly governed by the lunar phases. Therefore, the results found in this study, showed that the biological interactions between the species with turbidity and moon might explain the density and biomass variations for some species in the surf zone.


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