scholarly journals Towards Forensic DNA Phenotyping for Predicting Visible Traits in Dogs

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 908
Author(s):  
Cordula Berger ◽  
Josephin Heinrich ◽  
Burkhard Berger ◽  
Werner Hecht ◽  
Walther Parson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
Coat Colour ◽  
The Body ◽  
Blind Test ◽  
Dna Profile ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Coat Pattern ◽  
Two Stages

The popularity of dogs as human companions explains why these pets regularly come into focus in forensic cases such as bite attacks or accidents. Canine evidence, e.g., dog hairs, can also act as a link between the victim and suspect in a crime case due to the close contact between dogs and their owners. In line with human DNA identification, dog individualization from crime scene evidence is mainly based on the analysis of short tandem repeat (STR) markers. However, when the DNA profile does not match a reference, additional information regarding the appearance of the dog may provide substantial intelligence value. Key features of the dog’s appearance, such as the body size and coat colour are well-recognizable and easy to describe even to non-dog experts, including most investigating officers and eyewitnesses. Therefore, it is reasonable to complement eyewitnesses’ testimonies with externally visible traits predicted from associated canine DNA samples. Here, the feasibility and suitability of canine DNA phenotyping is explored from scratch in the form of a proof of concept study. To predict the overall appearance of an unknown dog from its DNA as accurately as possible, the following six traits were chosen: (1) coat colour, (2) coat pattern, (3) coat structure, (4) body size, (5) ear shape, and (6) tail length. A total of 21 genetic markers known for high predicting values for these traits were selected from previously published datasets, comprising 15 SNPs and six INDELS. Three of them belonged to SINE insertions. The experiments were designed in three phases. In the first two stages, the performance of the markers was tested on DNA samples from dogs with well-documented physical characteristics from different breeds. The final blind test, including dogs with initially withheld appearance information, showed that the majority of the selected markers allowed to develop composite sketches, providing a realistic impression of the tested dogs. We regard this study as the first attempt to evaluate the possibilities and limitations of forensic canine DNA phenotyping.

Additional information on Meloidogyne inornata Lordello, 1956 (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae) and its characterisation as a valid species

Nematology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina M.D.G. Carneiro ◽  
Maria de Lourdes Mendes ◽  
Maria Ritta A. Almeida ◽  
Marcilene F.A. dos Santos ◽  
Ana Cristina M.M. Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tail Length ◽  
Original Description ◽  
The Body ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Root Knot Nematode ◽  
Head Region ◽  
Body Contour ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Stylet Length ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract A root-knot nematode parasitising yakon (Polymia sonchifolia) in São Paulo State, Brazil, is identified as Meloidogyne inornata. The species is redescribed from this material and compared with the original description of M. inornata. The female perineal patterns have a distinct, high, dorsal arch composed of smooth to wavy striae, similar to Meloidogyne incognita. The female stylet is 15.0-17.0 μm long with the cone generally slightly curved dorsally and with well developed knobs. DGO is 3.5-4.5 μm. Males have a high, rounded, head cap that is continuous with the body contour and has a large, round, centrally concave, labial disc raised above the medial lips. The head region is never marked by incomplete annulations and the stylet is robust, 20.0-25.0 μm long, with a straight cone, cylindrical shaft with several small projections and pear-shaped, backwardly sloping knobs. The stylet length of second-stage juveniles is 10.0-13.0 μm, DGO is 2.5-3.5 μm, tail length is 35.0-58.0 μm and c = 6.7-13.9. Biochemically, the esterase phenotype I3 (= Y3) is species-specific and is the most useful character for differentiating M. inornata from other Meloidogyne species. Reproduction is by mitotic parthenogenesis, 3n = 54-58. In a soybean test, cv. Abura was susceptible and cv. LA411219 was highly resistant. As the type material is lost, a neotype female is formally designated.

scholarly journals The control of body size in mouse chimaeras

1981 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. S. Falconer ◽  
I. K. Gauld ◽  
R. C. Roberts ◽  
D. A. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Growth Control ◽  
Coat Colour ◽  
Systemic Effect ◽  
Small Extent ◽  
The Body ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Cell Proportion

SUMMARYAggregation chimaeras were made from embryos of strains of mice selected for large and small body size and of unselected controls. The strains were combined in pairs marked by albino coat colour and by allo-zyme variants at the Gpi-1 locus. The proportion of cells derived from each component was scored visually in the coat melanocytes and by electrophoresis in ten other organs or tissues (blood, liver, lung, spleen, spinal cord, brain, pituitary, kidney, adrenal and testis). The object was to find out how body weight is related to cell proportions in the body as a whole and in the separate organs. Individuals varied widely in their mean cell proportions but there were significant differences between organs within individuals. Body weight was linearly related to the mean cell proportions which accounted for most, or possibly all, of the chimaeric variance of body weight. No one of the organs studied could be identified as being solely responsible for growth control, or as having a predominant influence on growth. The weights of some organs were probably influenced to a small extent by their own cell proportions independently of the individual's mean, but the differences of body weight were too great to be accounted for by the summation of localized effects on organs. The mean cell proportion, averaged over individuals, was close to 50%, proving that there was no tendency for cells from the larger component to outgrow those from the smaller. It is concluded that growth control must be systemic, but it was not possible to decide whether the systemic effect comes from some particular organ not studied, or is in some undefined way the consequence of the cell proportions in the body as a whole. There was some evidence, though it was inconclusive, that chimaeras show ‘heterosis’ for body weight.

scholarly journals The GWAS Analysis of Body Size and Population Verification of Related SNPs in Hu Sheep

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junfang Jiang ◽  
Yuhao Cao ◽  
Huili Shan ◽  
Jianliang Wu ◽  
Xuemei Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
The Body ◽  
Chest Circumference ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Functional Genes ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Hu Sheep

Body size is an important indicator of growth and health in sheep. In the present study, we performed Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to detect significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with Hu sheep’s body size. After genotyping parental (G1) and offspring (G2) generation of the nucleus herd for meat production of Hu sheep and conducting GWAS on the body height, chest circumference, body length, tail length, and tail width of the two groups, 5 SNPs associated with body height and 4 SNPs correlated with chest circumference were identified at the chromosomal significance level. No SNPs were significantly correlated to body length, tail length, and width. Four out of the 9 SNPs were found to be located within the 4 genes. KITLG and CADM2 are considered as candidate functional genes related to body height; MCTP1 and COL4A6 are candidate functional genes related to chest circumference. The 9 SNPs found in GWAS were verified using the G3 generation of the nucleus herd for meat production. Nine products were amplified around the 9 sites, and 29 SNPs were found; 3 mutation sites, G > C mutation at 134 bp downstream of s554331, T > G mutation at 19 bp upstream of s26859.1, and A > G mutation at 81 bp downstream of s26859.1, were significantly correlated to the body height. Dual-luciferase reporter gene experiments showed that the 3 SNPs could significantly impact dual-luciferase and gene transcription activity.

scholarly journals Morphometric variations of Asian Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Pallas 1777) from Bali Island, Indonesia as the basis of morphometrics diversity data

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
ARIS WINAYA ◽  
MAFTUCHAH ◽  
CARLA MOROS NICOLÁS ◽  
DWI PRASETYO
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Tail Length ◽  
The Body ◽  
Quantitative Character ◽  
Hair Color ◽  
Head Width ◽  
Coffee Beans ◽  
Palm Civet ◽  
Relationship Of

Abstract. Winaya A, Maftuchah, Nicolas CM, Prasetyo D. 2020. Morphometric variations of Asian Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus, Pallas 1777) from Bali Island, Indonesia as the basis of morphometrics diversity data. Biodiversitas 21: 1027-1034. Asian Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Pallas 1777) is one of the small carnivores that also lives in Bali island, Indonesia. Civets can process coffee beans by fermenting them in the digestive tract, so the coffee beans have a unique aroma. This coffee product, commonly known as Kopi Luwak, is the most expensive type of coffee in the world. The purposes of this study were to obtain the morphometric variations, genetic diversity, and genetic relationship of Bali civets. In this study, we involved 73 civets from four different areas (Bangli, Tabanan, Gianyar, and Denpasar) of Bali Islands, Indonesia. The quantitative character was the body size of animals, and the qualitative character was their hair color. The body size among populations was not significantly different (P>0.05). The complete canonical structure analysis showed that tail length (1.04) and body length (0.76) in canonical 1 and body height (0.96) and head width (0.94) in canonical 2 could be used as a group differentiator. The genetic distance among Bali civets was categorized as close except Bangli civets having far distance than others.

The Body Size of Headstarted and Wild Juvenile European Pond Turtles (Emys orbicularis)

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Sławomir Mitrus ◽  
Bartłomiej Najbar ◽  
Adam Kotowicz ◽  
Anna Najbar
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
The Body ◽  
Emys Orbicularis

scholarly journals First record of Pachycrocuta brevirostris (Gervais, 1850) from Ukraine on the background of the European occurrence of the species

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Marciszak ◽  
Yuriy Semenov ◽  
Piotr Portnicki ◽  
Tamara Derkach
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
First Record ◽  
The Body ◽  
Crocuta Crocuta ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Eastern Asia ◽  
South Eastern

AbstractCranial material ofPachycrocuta brevirostrisfrom the late Early Pleistocene site of Nogaisk is the first record of this species in Ukraine. This large hyena was a representative of the Tamanian faunal complex and a single specialised scavenger in these faunas. The revisited European records list ofP.brevirostrisdocumented the presence of this species in 101 sites, dated in the range of 3.5–0.4 Ma. This species first disappeared in Africa, survived in Europe until ca. 0.8–0.7 Ma, and its last, relict occurrence was known from south-eastern Asia. The main reason of extinction ofP.brevirostrisprobably was the competition withCrocuta crocuta. The cave hyena was smaller, but its teeth were proportionally larger to the body size, better adapted to crushing bones and slicing meat, and could also hunt united in larger groups.

scholarly journals Insect body size changes under future warming projections: a case study of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera)

Hydrobiologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rungtip Wonglersak ◽  
Phillip B. Fenberg ◽  
Peter G. Langdon ◽  
Stephen J. Brooks ◽  
Benjamin W. Price
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
The Body ◽  
Mesocosm Experiments ◽  
Future Warming ◽  
Increasing Temperature ◽  
Emergence Date ◽  
Average Body

AbstractChironomids are a useful group for investigating body size responses to warming due to their high local abundance and sensitivity to environmental change. We collected specimens of six species of chironomids every 2 weeks over a 2-year period (2017–2018) from mesocosm experiments using five ponds at ambient temperature and five ponds at 4°C higher than ambient temperature. We investigated (1) wing length responses to temperature within species and between sexes using a regression analysis, (2) interspecific body size responses to test whether the body size of species influences sensitivity to warming, and (3) the correlation between emergence date and wing length. We found a significantly shorter wing length with increasing temperature in both sexes of Procladius crassinervis and Tanytarsus nemorosus, in males of Polypedilum sordens, but no significant relationship in the other three species studied. The average body size of a species affects the magnitude of the temperature-size responses in both sexes, with larger species shrinking disproportionately more with increasing temperature. There was a significant decline in wing length with emergence date across most species studied (excluding Polypedilum nubeculosum and P. sordens), indicating that individuals emerging later in the season tend to be smaller.

scholarly journals Potential host ranges of three Asian larval parasitoids of Drosophila suzukii

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent M. Daane ◽  
Xingeng Wang ◽  
Brian N. Hogg ◽  
Antonio Biondi
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Classical Biological Control ◽  
Developmental Time ◽  
The Body ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Egg Load ◽  
Drosophila Suzukii ◽  
Larval Parasitoids ◽  
Female Body Size

AbstractAsobara japonica (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Ganaspis brasiliensis and Leptopilina japonica (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) are Asian larval parasitoids of spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae). This study evaluated these parasitoids’ capacity to attack and develop from 24 non-target drosophilid species. Results showed that all three parasitoids were able to parasitize host larvae of multiple non-target species in artificial diet; A. japonica developed from 19 tested host species, regardless of the phylogenetic position of the host species, L. japonica developed from 11 tested species; and G. brasiliensis developed from only four of the exposed species. Success rate of parasitism (i.e., the probability that an adult wasp successfully emerged from a parasitized host) by the two figitid parasitoids was low in hosts other than the three species in the melanogaster group (D. melanogaster, D. simulans, and D. suzukii). The failure of the figitids to develop in most of the tested host species appears to correspond with more frequent encapsulation of the parasitoids by the hosts. The results indicate that G. brasiliensis is the most host specific to D. suzukii, L. japonica attacks mainly species in the melanogaster group and A. japonica is a generalist, at least physiologically. Overall, the developmental time of the parasitoids increased with the host’s developmental time. The body size of female A. japonica (as a model species) was positively related to host size, and mature egg load of female wasps increased with female body size. We discuss the use of these parasitoids for classical biological control of D. suzukii.

Prey Body Size and Ranking in Zooarchaeology: Theory, Empirical Evidence, and Applications from the Northern Great Basin

2011 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack M. Broughton ◽  
Michael D. Cannon ◽  
Frank E. Bayham ◽  
David A. Byers
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Great Basin ◽  
Diet Breadth ◽  
Foraging Theory ◽  
Return Rate ◽  
The Body ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Large Prey ◽  
Abundance Indices ◽  
Game Hunting

The use of body size as an index of prey rank in zooarchaeology has fostered a widely applied approach to understanding variability in foraging efficiency. This approach has, however, been critiqued—most recently by the suggestion that large prey have high probabilities of failed pursuits. Here, we clarify the logic and history of using body size as a measure of prey rank and summarize empirical data on the body size-return rate relationship. With few exceptions, these data document strong positive relationships between prey size and return rate. We then illustrate, with studies from the Great Basin, the utility of body size-based abundance indices (e.g., the Artiodactyl Index) when used as one component of multidimensional analyses of prehistoric diet breadth. We use foraging theory to derive predictions about Holocene variability in diet breadth and test those predictions using the Artiodactyl Index and over a dozen other archaeological indices. The results indicate close fits between the predictions and the data and thus support the use of body size-based abundance indices as measures of foraging efficiency. These conclusions have implications for reconstructions of Holocene trends in large game hunting in western North America and for zooarchaeological applications of foraging theory in general.

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