Nest site selection by Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis in the Ruoergai Wetland, China

From 5 May 2003 to early June 2005, nest site selection of Black-necked Cranes Grits nigricollis was studied at the Ruoergai Wetland Nature Reserve (RWNR), an important breeding area for the species in China. Results showed that the crane nests only in we

ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF WILD BLACK-CRESTED GIBBONS (HYLOBATES-CONCOLOR) IN CHINA WITH A RECONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE FOR POLYGYNY

The black-crested gibbon, Hylobates concolor, is one of the few species of gibbons that has not yet been the subject of a long term field study. Field observations in the Ai Lao and Wu Liang Mountains of Yunnan Province, China indicate that in this area the habitat and ecology of this species differ markedly from those of other gibbons that have been studied to date. These differences are correlated with some behavioral differences. In particular, these gibbons apparently have greater day ranges than other gibbons. It has also been suggested that this species lives in polygynous groups. To demonstrate this requires observation of groups with two or more females with young. Our own observations and those from other recent studies suggest that there are alternative explanations consistent with available data.

First direct evidence of infanticide and cannibalism in wild snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti)

Although infanticide has been witnessed in many species of Colobinae, and a case was observed in a captive group of golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana), observed cases of infanticide in wild snubnosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus spp.) have not

Seasonality of mating and birth in wild black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) at Xiaochangdu, Tibet

Data on mating and birth seasonality were recorded in wild black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) at Xiaochangdu in the Honglaxueshan National Nature Reserve, Tibet. This represents one of the harshest habitats utilized by any nonhuman p

Elevated ability to compete for limited food resources by 'all-fish' growth hormone transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio

Food consumption, number of movements and feeding hierarchy of juvenile transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio and their size-matched non-transgenic conspecifics were measured under conditions of limited food supply. Transgenic fish exhibited 73 center dot 3% more movements as well as a higher feeding order, and consumed 1 center dot 86 times as many food pellets as their non-transgenic counterparts. After the 10 day experiment, transgenic C. carpio had still not realized their higher growth potential, which may be partly explained by the higher frequency of movements of transgenics and the 'sneaky' feeding strategy used by the non-transgenics. The results indicate that these transgenic fish possess an elevated ability to compete for limited food resources, which could be advantageous after an escape into the wild. It may be that other factors in the natural environment (i.e. predation risk and food distribution), however, would offset this advantage. Thus, these results need to be assessed with caution.

Detection of hybridization between two loach species (Paramisgurnus dabryanus and Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) in wild populations

Artificial interspecific hybrids between large scale loach P. dabryanus and tetraploid pond loach M. anguillicaudatus (Cobitidae, Cypriniformes) are viable. To detect the occurrence of possible natural hybridization, genetic analyses by using microsatellite markers were performed for natural populations of large scale loach and pond loach, the reciprocal laboratory hybrids, and "supposed hybrids" with ambiguous morphology. The fertility of the artificial hybrids was also tested. At one diagnostic microsatellite (Mac50), one out of 20 "supposed hybrids" was identified to be F-1 hybrid between the two loach species because it had the same genotype as that of the laboratory hybrids. The triploid hybrids between the two species were confirmed to be female-sterile. The results show that rare hybridization has occurred between diploid large scale loach and tetraploid pond loach in nature although it may have little effect in genetic introgression. This study is helpful for fish conservation and encourages further investigation on natural hybridization and introgression of loaches.

Effects of damming on population sustainability of Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis: evaluation of optimal conservation measures

The numbers of spawning sites for Chinese sturgeon have been drastically reduced since the construction of the Gezhouba Dam across the Yangtze River. This dam has blocked migration of Chinese sturgeon to their historic spawning ground causing a significant decline of the Chinese sturgeon population. We conducted a VORTEX population viability analysis to estimate the sustainability of the population and to quantify the efficiency of current and alternative conservation procedures. The model predicted the observed decline of Chinese sturgeon, resulting from the effect of the Gezhouba Dam. These simulations demonstrated the potential interest of two conservation measures: increasing spawning area and reducing predation on sturgeon eggs. The simulations also demonstrated that the actual restocking program is not sufficient to sustain sturgeon population as the artificial reproduction program induce the loss of more wild mature adults that the recruitment expected by the artificial reproduction.

Morphological variability between wild populations and inbred stocks of a Chinese minnow, Gobiocypris rarus

Gobiocypris rarus, a small, native cyprinid fish, is currently widely used in research on fish pathology, genetics, toxicology, embryology, and physiology in China. To develop this species as a model laboratory animal, inbred strains have been successfully created. In this study, to explore a method to discriminate inbred strains and evaluate inbreeding effects, morphological variation among three wild populations and three inbred stocks of G. rarus was investigated by the multivariate analysis of eight meristic and 30 morphometric characters. Tiny intraspecific variations in meristic characters were found, but these were not effective for population distinction. Stepwise discriminant analysis and cluster analysis of conventional measures and truss network data showed considerabe divergence among populations, especially between wild populations and inbred stocks. The average discriminant accuracy for all populations was 82.1% based on conventional measures and 86.4% based on truss data, whereas the discriminant accuracy for inbred strains was much higher. These results suggested that multivariate analyses of morphometric characters are an effective method for discriminating inbred strains of G. rarus. Morphological differences between wild populations and inbred strains appear to result from both genetic differences and environmental factors. Thirteen characters, extracted from stepwise discriminant analysis, played important roles in morphological differentiation. These characters were mainly measures related to body depth and head size.

Echolocation click sounds from wild inshore finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides sunameri) with comparisons to the sonar of riverine N. p. asiaeorientalis

Acoustic signals from wild Neophocaena phocaenoides sunameri were recorded in the waters off Liao-dong-wan Bay located in Bohai Sea, China. Signal analysis shows that N. p. sunameri produced "typical" phocoenid clicks. The peak frequencies f(p), of clicks ranged from. 113 to 131 kHz with an average of 121 +/- 3.78 kHz (n=71). The 3 dB bandwidths Delta f ranged from 10.9 to 25.0 kHz with an average of 17.5 +/- 3.30 kHz. The signal durations At ranged from 56 to 109 mu s with an average 80 +/- 11.49 mu s. The number of cycles N, ranged from 7 to 13 with an average of 9 +/- 1.48. With increasing peak frequency there was a faint tendency of decrease in bandwidth, which implies a nonconstant value of f(p)/Delta f. On occasion there were some click trains with faint click energy presenting below 70 kHz, however, it was possibly introduced by interference effect from multiple pulses structures. The acoustic parameters of the clicks were compared between the investigated population and a riverine population of finless porpoise. (c) 2007 Acoustical Society of America.

Research on the ultrafast fluorescence property of thylakoid membranes of the wild-type and mutant rice

A high yielding rice variety mutant (Oryza sativa L., Zhenhui 249) with low chlorophyll b (Chl b) has been discovered in natural fields. It has a quality character controlled by a pair of recessive genes (nuclear gene). The partial loss of Chl b in content affects the efficiency of light harvest in a light harvest complex (LHC), thus producing the difference of the exciting energy transfer and the efficiency of photochemistry conversion between the mutant and wild-type rice in photosynthetic unit. The efficiency of utilizing light energy is higher in the mutant than that in the wildtype rice relatively. For further discussion of the above-mentioned difference and learning about the mechanism of the increase in the photochemical efficiency of the mutant, the pico-second resolution fluorescence spectrum measurement with delay-frame-scanning single photon counting technique is adopted. Thylakoid membranes of the mutant and the wild-type rice are excited by an Ar+ laser with a pulse width of 120 ps, repetition rate of 4 MHz and wavelength of 514 nm. Compared with the time and spectrum property of exciting fluorescence, conclusions of those ultrafast dynamic experiments are: 1) The speeds of the exciting energy transferred in photo-system I are faster than that in photo-system II in both samples. 2) The speeds of the exciting energy transfer of mutant sample are faster than those of the wildtype. This might be one of the major reasons why the efficiency of photosynthesis is higher in mutant than that in the wild-type rice.