hippopotamus amphibius
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2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinpu Wei ◽  
Xiuxiu Dong ◽  
Bo Wang ◽  
Yajiang Wu ◽  
Wu Chen ◽  
...  

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells and can be isolated from many tissues of the body. Due to their potentials to treat various diseases and be applied in animal breeding, MSCs have been isolated and identified regarding their biological properties. Common hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) are a vulnerable species and yet the cryopreservation of their genetic materials is scare. In this study, we successfully established two MSC lines (UC-MSCs and AT-MSCs) from the umbilical cord and adipose tissue of a neonatal common hippo and comparatively described their features. Both UC-MSCs and AT-MSCs showed fibroblastoid morphology and could be continuously passaged for over 17 passages without dramatic signs of senescence. The cell cultures had normal chromosome composition, say, 17 pairs of autosomes and 1 pair of X chromosomes. UC-MSCs and AT-MSCs displayed similar gene expression profiles. They were positive for CD45, CD73, CD90 and CD105 and negative for HLA-DR. They demonstrated stemness maintenance by expression of classical stem cell markers. UC-MSCs and AT-MSCs manifested different differentiation potentials into other cell lineages. In summary, these two cell lines demonstrated the essential properties of mesenchymal stem cells and might play a role in the future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Shannon ◽  
Phoebe Sadler ◽  
Joanna Smith ◽  
Eleanor Roylance-Casson ◽  
Line S. Cordes

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a common morphological trait in ungulates, with polygyny considered the leading driver of larger male body mass and weapon size. However, not all polygynous species exhibit SSD, while molecular evidence has revealed a more complex relationship between paternity and mating system than originally predicted. SSD is, therefore, likely to be shaped by a range of social, ecological and physiological factors. We present the first definitive analysis of SSD in the common hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius ) using a unique morphological dataset collected from 2994 aged individuals. The results confirm that hippos exhibit SSD, but the mean body mass differed by only 5% between the sexes, which is rather limited compared with many other polygynous ungulates. However, jaw and canine mass are significantly greater in males than females (44% and 81% heavier, respectively), highlighting the considerable selection pressure for acquiring larger weapons. A predominantly aquatic lifestyle coupled with the physiological limitations of their foregut fermenting morphology likely restricts body size differences between the sexes. Indeed, hippos appear to be a rare example among ungulates whereby sexual selection favours increased weapon size over body mass, underlining the important role that species-specific ecology and physiology have in shaping SSD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Godfred Bempah ◽  
Daniel Osei Owusu

Animals apportion time for their daily behavioral activities. We studied the activity budget of Hippopotamus amphibius at the Black Volta River in the Bui National Park, Ghana. We performed instantaneous scan sample using ground count survey between August 2020 to July 2021. We observed that H. amphibius spent most of their day time resting (54.75 %), followed by feeding (22.93 %), walking (19.2 %) and touching (3.12 %). We found significant difference in the time spent between the daily activities (H = 41.67; p < 0.0001). Except activities involving touching, we found no significant seasonal differences in feeding, resting and walking activities by H. amphibius. Understanding the behavioral activities of H. amphibius will enhance management and conservation of the animals.


BMC Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruben Schols ◽  
Hans Carolus ◽  
Cyril Hammoud ◽  
Kudzai C. Muzarabani ◽  
Maxwell Barson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Humans impose a significant pressure on large herbivore populations, such as hippopotami, through hunting, poaching, and habitat destruction. Anthropogenic pressures can also occur indirectly, such as artificial lake creation and the subsequent introduction of invasive species that alter the ecosystem. These events can lead to drastic changes in parasite diversity and transmission, but generally receive little scientific attention. Results In order to document and identify trematode parasites of the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in artificial water systems of Zimbabwe, we applied an integrative taxonomic approach, combining molecular diagnostics and morphometrics on archived and new samples. In doing so, we provide DNA reference sequences of the hippopotamus liver fluke Fasciola nyanzae, enabling us to construct the first complete Fasciola phylogeny. We describe parasite spillback of F. nyanzae by the invasive freshwater snail Pseudosuccinea columella, as a consequence of a cascade of biological invasions in Lake Kariba, one of the biggest artificial lakes in the world. Additionally, we report an unknown stomach fluke of the hippopotamus transmitted by the non-endemic snail Radix aff. plicatula, an Asian snail species that has not been found in Africa before, and the stomach fluke Carmyerius cruciformis transmitted by the native snail Bulinus truncatus. Finally, Biomphalaria pfeifferi and two Bulinus species were found as new snail hosts for the poorly documented hippopotamus blood fluke Schistosoma edwardiense. Conclusions Our findings indicate that artificial lakes are breeding grounds for endemic and non-endemic snails that transmit trematode parasites of the common hippopotamus. This has important implications, as existing research links trematode parasite infections combined with other stressors to declining wild herbivore populations. Therefore, we argue that monitoring the anthropogenic impact on parasite transmission should become an integral part of wildlife conservation efforts. Graphical abstract


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-101
Author(s):  
Andriwibowo Andriwibowo ◽  
Adi Basukriadi ◽  
Erwin Nurdin

Currently, there are only 2 extant species of hippos including common (Hippopotamus amphibius) and pygmy hippos (Choeropsis liberiensis) . But in prehistoric times, there were several species. During  Pleistocene these species were known to migrate to Java Island from Asian Continent and the species was Hippopotamus sivalensis spp. In this regard, this study aimed to model the habitat of H. sivalensis spp., ecology, and biodiversity of Hippopotamus sivalensis spp. based on the fossil record. The model was developed based on the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method using the R statistical package. The results showed that there were 7 populations of H. sivalensis spp. that lived at various altitudes with an average of 177 m above sea level (95% CI : 123-232 m). According to PCA, there were at least 2 separate populations of H. sivalensis spp. One population occupies the forest while another occupies a habitat close to the coast. Currently the habitat for H. sivalensis spp. already changed. Based on habitat modeling, H. sivalensis spp. inhabit streams with submerged aquatic plants and shrubs and trees growing along river banks.


Author(s):  
Tanya J. Kerr ◽  
Wynand J. Goosen ◽  
Rachiel Gumbo ◽  
Lin‐Mari Klerk‐Lorist ◽  
Oonagh Pretorius ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Wang ◽  
Zelong Li ◽  
Jinpu Wei ◽  
Dongmin Zheng ◽  
Chen Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractThe population decline in the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) has necessitated the preservation of their genetic resources for species conservation and research. Of all actions, cryopreservation of fibroblast cell cultures derived from animal biopsy is considered a simple but efficient means. Nevertheless, preserving viable cell cultures of the common hippopotamus has not been achieved to our knowledge. To this end, we detailed a method to establish fibroblast cell cultures from a female common hippopotamus fetus in this study. By combining the classic tissue explant direct culture and enzymatic digestion methods, we isolated a great number of cells with typical fibroblastic morphology and high viability. Characterization of the fibroblast cultures was carried out using different techniques. In short, neither bacteria/fungi nor mycoplasma was detectable in the cell cultures throughout the study. The population doubling time was 23.9 h according to the growth curve. Karyotyping based on Giemsa staining showed that cultured cells were diploid with 36 chromosomes in all, one pair of which was sex chromosomes. Mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene sequence of the cultured cells was 99.26% identical with the Hippopotamus amphibius complete mitochondrial DNA sequence registered in GenBank, confirming the cells were derived from a common hippopotamus. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining results revealed that the detected cells were positive for fibroblast markers, S100A4 and Vimentin. In conclusion, we isolated and characterized a new fibroblast cell culture from a common hippopotamus skin sample and the cryopreserved cells could be useful genetic materials for the future research.


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