Reproductive effort affects subsequent horn growth in sexually dimorphic male ungulates

Trade-offs between reproductive effort and subsequent growth in males are not well explored, despite their relevance in questions of individual energy allocation. Regarding the growth of sexual secondary characters in polygynous breeding male mammals, indeed, no conclusive studies exist. We investigated in male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) the relationship between their behavioral reproductive effort, current horn size, and subsequent horn growth. While controlling for age, no evidence was found for male behavioral reproductive effort during the rut being affected by their horn size. On the other hand, reproductive effort significantly decreased age-specific horn growth during the following summer. Our study provides evidence that growth of secondary sexual characters is traded against behavioral investments in reproduction in a male mammal. It bears important implications for the understanding of energy allocation between various life-history components and the evolutionary ecology of secondary sexual characters.

Genetic characterisation of wild ungulates: successful isolation and analysis of DNA from widely available bones can be cheap, fast and easy

Genetic characterisation of wild ungulates can be a useful tool in wildlife management and in obtaining a greater understanding of their biological and ecological roles in a wider spatiotemporal context. Different ways of optimising methodologies and reducing the costs of genetic analyses using widely available bone tissues collected within regular hunting allocations were examined. Successful isolation and analysis of DNA from widely available bones can be cheap, fast and easy. In particular, this study explored the possibility of using bones for extracting high quality nuclear DNA for microsatellite analysis. The utility of applying a modified demineralisation process using two commercially available DNA isolation kits, which differ significantly in price, was evaluated. The sample sets included bones and, for comparison, muscle tissues from four wild ungulate species: chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). For the recent bones, these results confirmed that the DNA concentrations and microsatellite amplification were sufficiently high, even when using low-cost kits, after prior demineralisation. For old bones, prior demineralisation and use of a specially designed isolation kit led to a more successful extraction of DNA. Besides reducing kit-related costs, low-cost kits are much faster and therefore make genetic analysis more efficient.

Genetic Mutations in the LTR Region of SRLV Viruses in Capra ibex

The lentivirus (genus of the retroviruses family) can integrate a significant amount of viral cDNA into the DNA of the host cell and can efficiently infect dividing cells. They are able to spill over from their natural host species to induce new infections and pathologies among hosts of new species. This defines the crossing of species barrier that originates emergent viruses causing emergent diseases. The transmission of lentiviruses was observed between different species (domestic & wild). The small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) transmission is accompanied by genetic mutations in the genome of the virus. The study investigated the genetic mutations that accompany the infection and adaptation of SRLV to the new host. Genetic mutations were studied by amplifying and sequencing the Long Terminal Repeat (LTR) region.Blood samples were taken from Capra ibex living in the French Alps. Sera were tested using a commercially available ELISA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated on a Ficoll gradient were cultured in a macrophage differentiation medium to obtain monocyte-derived macrophage (MDM) monolayers for virus isolation. DNAs from non-cultured PBMC were used as templates for the PCR amplification of proviral DNA. PCR products (270 nt) were cloned and sequenced. Sequences were analysed using ClustalW.The alignments of the LTR fragment show three types of nucleotide mutations: replacement, addition, and deletion of nucleotide. Sequence analysis shows that the TATA box and the poly (A) site were highly conserved. The divergence of the LTR region between sequences obtained varied by 0.3 - 5.7 %. These differences were also shown by the phylogenetic tree. It can be seen that proviruses from the Capra ibex sequences are a closely related group, quite distinct from the reference sequence.

Ibex-Associated Malignant Catarrhal Fever in Duikers (Cephalophus Spp)

Eight duikers, representing 3 different species cohoused in a single zoological collection, died in a 10-month period. Black, red-flanked, and yellow-backed duikers were affected, appearing clinically with a combination of anorexia, diarrhea, ataxia, tremors, and/or stupor, followed by death within 72 hours of onset of clinical signs. Consistent gross findings were pulmonary ecchymoses (8/8), generalized lymphadenomegaly (6/8), ascites (5/8), and pleural effusion (4/8). Dense lymphocyte infiltrates and arteritis affected numerous tissues in most animals. Ibex-associated malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) viral DNA was detected in all cases by polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. Identical ibex-MCF virus sequence was detected in spleen of a clinically healthy ibex ( Capra ibex) housed in a separate enclosure 35 meters away from the duikers.