Abstract The Philippine island of Mindoro is a moderately large (ca. 9,735 km2) oceanic island surrounded by deep seas, with no known history of dry-land connection to potential sources of terrestrial biodiversity. This makes it ideal for investigating the occurrence of over-water colonization events from other land masses, and the impact of post-colonization speciation on species richness. A previous study of Apomys (Muridae) showed that a single colonization event ca. 4.7 mya resulted in subsequent diversification that produced 4 extant, currently allopatric species, making Mindoro the smallest island known to have supported within-island speciation by mammals. We now report a second case of speciation on Mindoro, involving the genus Crunomys (Muridae; now including all species formerly known as Maxomys). Field work in 2013 produced 40 specimens of Crunomys from 2 separate montane areas on Mindoro; these 2 populations differ in external features, and in discrete and quantitative craniodental characters. Genetic data from mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) and nuclear ultraconserved elements (UCEs) demonstrate that each forms a reciprocally monophyletic unit, and species delimitation analysis of UCEs supports their distinctiveness. These analyses also show that the 2 Mindoro populations are sister-species that diverged from their relatives on the Sunda Shelf of Southeast Asia about 5.7 mya, with subsequent in situ speciation occurring about 1.3 mya. The 2 Crunomys species are currently allopatric on isolated mountain regions on Mindoro. The 2 cases of speciation within Mindoro (in Apomys and Crunomys) account for a total of 4 species in excess of those resulting from direct colonization; these 4 are 22% of the 18 extant, native, non-volant mammals on the island. This pattern reinforces the importance of within-island speciation by mammals in determining species richness on islands large enough to support the process. Nomenclatural statement: A Life Science Identifier (LSID) number was obtained for this publication: urn: lsid: zoobank.org: pub: E5D479F2-215C-41AD-8633-8D9339AB3D27
Abstract Allonursing, or the nursing of non-filial offspring, is a widespread but little-understood phenomenon in many mammalian species. It is a costly behavior, but several hypotheses have been proposed to explain it. In our study, we report the first occurrence of allonursing in 3 species of the genus Capra: Western Tur (C. caucasica), Siberian Ibex (C. siberica), and Markhor (C. falconeri). Over a 4-yr period (2018 to 2021), we observed a total of 44 individual females and 81 calves in 3 zoos. We recorded 1,841 suckling bouts (103 non-filial; 5.6%) and 390 suckling attempts (58 non-filial; 14.9%). The incidence of allonursing varied among species, being most common in Markhor (61.5% of females) and least common in Western Tur (18.8% of females). The duration of suckling bouts was similar for filial (43.9 s) and non-filial (47.5 s) calves. Our data support the milk evacuation hypothesis and the parenting hypothesis but do not support the kin selection or milk theft hypotheses. The misdirected care hypothesis could be an alternative explanation for younger, primiparous females. Our findings suggest that allonursing in Caprinae is not driven by a single hypothesis, but it is rather a complex phenomenon with different motivations depending on the age and experience of the female.
The impacts of free-ranging rural dogs on wildlife conservation, including predation and disease transmission, vary by context, highlighting the need to assess their specific effects. This study examines home range size and native habitat use of free-ranging owned rural dogs (FRORD) within protected areas and fragments of the Cerrado biome, Brazil. We monitored each of the 105 FRORDs once over a 2-mo period using GPS collars, between August 2022 and January 2024. Home range sizes were estimated using 95% autocorrelated kernel density estimates, with predictor variables analyzed through generalized linear mixed models. Most FRORD exhibited restricted home ranges (mean = 30.74 ha), with larger home ranges correlated with dogs accompanying owners in daily activities. Native habitat use was also analyzed through generalized linear mixed models, and FRORD primarily occupied farming areas, with only 4% of locations in native habitats. Both home range size and native habitat use were associated with household-level factors, suggesting that local context plays a more important role than individual characteristics. Dog movement patterns are strongly influenced by socio-environmental contexts. These findings facilitate targeted management strategies for specific local contexts, reducing biodiversity impacts and promoting animal welfare.
Abstract Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite transmitted by triatomine insects and causes a range of clinical outcomes in mammalian hosts. Infections can be asymptomatic or cause chronic cardiovascular or gastrointestinal disease or death. The gut microbiome was recently identified as a potential target to further understand Chagas disease pathology due to its connections with cardiovascular and infectious disease severity. We used the Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor; hereafter, raccoon), a synanthropic wildlife reservoir for T. cruzi in the southern United States, as a model species for characterizing gut microbiota in relation to T. cruzi infection status. Among hunter-harvested raccoons in central Texas, we report a high infection prevalence in which 40 of 45 (88.9%) of individuals were infected with T. cruzi, including several animals with parasite DNA in the colon, a precedent for gastrointestinal Chagas disease, which is infrequently reported in the US. We conducted the first characterization of the fecal and colonic mucosa-bound bacterial community of raccoons via 16S rRNA V4 sequencing and found that T. cruzi infection status explained between 8.14% and 11.63% of the variation in the colonic mucosa-bound microbial community of raccoons (P-value = 0.027, 0.012). The bacterial families Helicobacteraceae and Erysipelotrichaceae (commonly associated with host immune response modulation and inhibition of gut microbial dysbiosis and inflammation, respectively) were significantly less abundant in the colonic mucosa-bound microbial community of T. cruzi-infected raccoons (P-value = 0.047, Log fold change = −1.058). The bacterial family Enterococcaceae (associated with inflammatory disorders in humans and dogs) was a core colonic mucosa-bound microbiota member in T. cruzi-infected raccoons. These preliminary results provide evidence that T. cruzi presence is associated with variation in microbial communities of mammals and incentivize additional evaluation of mammalian gut microbiomes to better understand T. cruzi infections and Chagas disease risk and progression.
The Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is the most frequently reported bat killed at North American wind energy facilities, driving the United States and Canada to consider regulatory protections for the species. The Hoary Bat is a widely distributed, long-distance migratory bat, but gaps remain about the species' ecology to inform best practices for conservation and management. We synthesize information on Hoary Bat ecology in the context of the full annual cycle, with specific attention paid to the species' interactions with wind turbines. Hoary bats generally hibernate through winter, especially at lower latitudes and in coastal areas. In spring, hoary bats migrate from winter to summer habitat. Spring is also characterized by pregnancy for females; pups are born in summer. Migration to overwintering sites and mating both occur in late summer and autumn, with adults searching for mating opportunities over large spatial expanses. Late summer and early autumn coincide with a peak in wind turbine fatalities. This seasonality in fatality events provides an opportunity to concentrate conservation efforts to reduce collision risk. While various fatality minimization strategies are under development, curtailment is currently the most effective strategy available. Systematic sampling at wind energy facilities for turbine-related fatalities, acoustic and genetic sampling, and better data sharing offer opportunities to better estimate the species' population status and trends. While questions remain, enough information exists to make informed decisions to reduce the impact of wind turbines on hoary bats as scientists pursue research to better inform future management decisions. The Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is a widely distributed, long-distance migratory bat, but gaps in the species' ecology make it difficult to inform best practices for conservation and management. Hoary bats generally hibernate through winter, especially at lower latitudes and in coastal areas. Spring is characterized by pregnancy and movement toward pup rearing sites for females; pups are born in summer. Migration to overwintering sites and mating both occur in late summer and autumn, with adults searching for mating opportunities over large spatial expanses. Late summer and early autumn also coincide with a peak in wind turbine fatalities. Males and females have distinct seasonal behaviors and movements based on sex-specific needs, which may also influence how individuals are affected by specific threats. Regardless, seasonality in wind turbine fatalities provides an opportunity to concentrate conservation efforts to reduce collision risk. While questions remain, enough information exists to make informed decisions to reduce the impact of wind turbines on hoary bats as scientists pursue research to better inform future management decisions. El murci & eacute;lago canoso (Lasiurus cinereus) es la especie de murci & eacute;lago que se reporta con mayor frecuencia como muerta en instalaciones de energ & iacute;a e & oacute;lica en Norteam & eacute;rica, lo que ha llevado a Estados Unidos y Canad & aacute; a considerar protecciones regulatorias para la especie. El murci & eacute;lago es ampliamente distribuido y migrador de larga distancia; sin embargo, a & uacute;n existen vac & iacute;os de informaci & oacute;n sobre su ecolog & iacute;a que limitan el desarrollo de mejores pr & aacute;cticas para su conservaci & oacute;n y manejo. Sintetizamos la informaci & oacute;n disponible sobre la ecolog & iacute;a del murci & eacute;lago canoso a lo largo de su ciclo anual completo, con especial & eacute;nfasis en su interacci & oacute;n con turbinas e & oacute;licas. Generalmente, estos murci & eacute;lagos hibernan durante el invierno, especialmente en latitudes m & aacute;s bajas y en zonas costeras. En primavera, los murci & eacute;lagos canosos migran desde sus & aacute;reas de invernada hacia sus h & aacute;bitats de verano. En las hembras, esta estaci & oacute;n tambi & eacute;n se caracteriza por la gestaci & oacute;n y el desplazamiento hacia sitios de crianza; las cr & iacute;as nacen en verano. La migraci & oacute;n hacia los sitios de invernada y el apareamiento ocurren a finales del verano y en oto & ntilde;o, cuando los adultos buscan oportunidades reproductivas en amplias & aacute;reas geogr & aacute;ficas. Este periodo coincide con un pico en la mortalidad asociada a turbinas e & oacute;licas. Esta estacionalidad en los eventos de mortalidad brinda una oportunidad para concentrar los esfuerzos de conservaci & oacute;n en la reducci & oacute;n del riesgo de colisi & oacute;n. Aunque diversas estrategias para minimizar la mortalidad est & aacute;n en desarrollo, la reducci & oacute;n operativa de turbinas es actualmente la m & aacute;s efectiva. El muestreo sistem & aacute;tico en instalaciones e & oacute;licas, junto con el uso de herramientas ac & uacute;sticas y gen & eacute;ticas, as & iacute; como una mejor colaboraci & oacute;n en el intercambio de datos, ofrecen oportunidades para estimar con mayor precisi & oacute;n el estado y las tendencias poblacionales de la especie. Si bien a & uacute;n quedan preguntas por resolver, existe suficiente informaci & oacute;n para tomar decisiones informadas que reduzcan el impacto de las turbinas e & oacute;licas sobre el murci & eacute;lago canoso, mientras la comunidad cient & iacute;fica contin & uacute;a generando conocimiento que permita mejorar las pr & aacute;cticas de manejo en el futuro.
