Fitness of breeders in social Damaraland mole-rats is independent of group size

Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) are usually viewed as an obligatorily group living eusocial species in which successful reproduction is dependent on reproductive altruism of closely related group members. However, the reproductive ecology of social mole-rats in their natural environment remains poorly understood and it is unclear to what extent successful reproduction is dependent on assistance from other group members. Using data from a 7-year field study of marked individuals, we show that, after dispersal from their natal group, individuals typically settled alone in new burrow systems where they enjoyed high survival rates, and often remained in good body condition for several years before finding a mate. Unlike most other eusocial or singular cooperative breeders, we found that Damaraland mole-rats reproduced successfully in pairs without helpers and experimentally formed pairs had the same reproductive success as larger established groups. Overall there was only a weak increase in reproductive success with increasing group size and no effect of group size on adult survival rates across the population. Juveniles in large groups grew faster early in life but their growth rates declined subsequently so that they eventually plateaued at a lower maximum body mass than juveniles from small groups. Taken together, our data suggest that the fitness benefits of group living to breeders are small and we suggest that extended philopatry in Damaraland mole-rats has evolved because of the high costs and constraints of dispersal rather than because of strong indirect benefits accrued through cooperative behaviour.

Individual tracking reveals first breeding of Oriental Storks at age 2 years in the wild

In this study, we report the first ever documented instances of attempted and successful reproduction (rearing two offspring) of Oriental Storks (Ciconia boyciana) at age 2 years in a wild population in the middle Heilongjiang-Amur River Basin in Russia, using a combination of GPS-GSM tracking, DNA sex identification and field verification.

Nutritional Effects on Dairy Cattle Fertility

Dairy cow fertility has declined in recent decades, coincidental with large increases in milk production. The problem is often considered being nutritional and can be corrected through dietary adjustment. The interaction between nutrition and reproduction is poorly tuned, and study results are often contradictory. Nutrition is an important component of successful reproduction, but dietary change to improve pregnancy rates is complicated, and merely offering pastured cows a supplement is unlikely to result in large effects, say authors. The effect of energy balance, carbohydrate type, protein and fat on reproductive outcomes will be considered.

Special Issue: Ecology of Sex and Sexual Communication in Insects

Sexual reproduction places constraints on both the place and time in which individuals can reproduce, as the sperm and ova need to meet in a certain location within a specific time frame for successful reproduction [...]

Successful reproduction of Trachemys scripta in the Altrhein of Kehl (Germany) and simultaneous increase in population estimate

The European Union categorises pond sliders (Trachemys scripta) as invasive species for which all member countries have to develop an action plan. To date it has been assumed that the climate in Germany is too cold for T. scripta to survive or reproduce. Data collected annually from 2016 to 2020 show that the population of exotic pond turtles in an oxbow lake (Althrein of Kehl, Germany) did not decrease but increased. In addition, the diversity of species released was found to be high, five other exotic species in addition to T. scripta were observed. The population of T. scripta in particular appears to be increasing, with no indication of high mortality due to cold winters and apparently regular successful reproduction (hatchlings observed in four out of five study years and caught in two years). The current action plan in Germany for T. scripta will have to change if potential negative impacts are to be avoided. Other west and central European countries might also have to modify their action plans accordingly.

PECULIARITIES OF TRANSLATION OF THE UKRAINIANLANGUAGE CULTURAL-SPECIFIC TEXT INTO ENGLISH

The article deals with the ways and methods of cultural specific vocabulary in Mariia Skrypnyk`s translation of the novel On Sunday morning she gathered herbs by Olha Kobylianska in English. It was shown that different methods and means of translation should be combined for successful rendering of national coloring.The relevance of this work is based on the rapid development of Ukrainian culture, literature and economy on the world stage.The aim of the work is to study the peculiarities of the translation of cultural realities of the Ukrainian text.The research is based on the translation-comparative method, the comparative method, the method of translation analysis.Each language group has its own cultural and specific feature.It is established that the cultural-specific vocabulary includes realities, non-equivalent vocabulary, exclamations, proper names, geographical names. The following translation transformations were used for their transmission: transcription, transliteration, tracing, descriptive translation and explanations in the commentary. All these translation transformations are aimed at the successful transfer of nationally marked vocabulary and the preservation of the national colors of a certain nation.Despite the fact that many works by various scholars have been devoted to the translation of non-equivalent vocabulary, translators still have difficulty in conveying the meaning and understanding of realities. Accurate translation of national vocabulary is very important for understanding the text, especially fiction, because it is an important way of intercultural communication.For the successful reproduction of nationally marked vocabulary, the translator must have the necessary knowledge of the semantics and meaning of words in the original language.Because language is dynamic and can change quite rapidly, the translation of culturally specific vocabulary is an inexhaustible topic for research.

Planet migration, resonant locking, and accretion streams in PDS 70: comparing models and data

ABSTRACT The disc surrounding PDS 70, with two directly imaged embedded giant planets, is an ideal laboratory to study planet–disc interaction. We present 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of the system. In our simulations, planets, which are free to migrate and accrete mass, end up in a locked resonant configuration that is dynamically stable. We show that features observed at infrared (scattered light) and millimetre (thermal continuum) wavelengths are naturally explained by the accretion stream on to the outer planet, without requiring a circumplanetary disc around Planet c. We post-processed our near-infrared synthetic images in order to account for observational biases known to affect high-contrast images. Our successful reproduction of the observations indicates that planet–disc dynamical interactions alone are sufficient to explain the observations of PDS 70.