The impact of extreme skull morphology in domestic dogs on cribriform plate shape

Domestic dogs are common amongst communities in sub-Saharan Africa and may serve as important reservoirs for infectious agents that may cause diseases in wildlife. Two agents of concern are canine parvovirus (CPV) and canine distemper virus (CDV), which may infect and cause disease in large carnivore species such as African wild dogs and African lions, respectively. The impact of domestic dogs and their diseases on wildlife conservation is increasing in Zimbabwe, necessitating thorough assessment and implementation of control measures. In this study, domestic dogs in north-western Zimbabwe were evaluated for antibodies to CDV, CPV, and canine adenovirus (CAV). These dogs were communal and had no vaccination history. Two hundred and twenty-five blood samples were collected and tested using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antibodies to CPV, CDV, and CAV. Of these dogs, 75 (34%) had detectable antibodies to CDV, whilst 191 (84%) had antibodies to CPV. Antibodies to canine adenovirus were present in 28 (13%) dogs. Canine parvovirus had high prevalence in all six geographic areas tested. These results indicate that CPV is circulating widely amongst domestic dogs in the region. In addition, CDV is present at high levels. Both pathogens can infect wildlife species. Efforts for conservation of large carnivores in Zimbabwe must address the role of domestic dogs in disease transmission.

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Monitoring program for mammals in a protected area of Colombia

Universitas Scientiarum ◽

10.11144/javeriana.sc22-1.mpfm ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 9

Author(s):

Germán Jiménez ◽

Natalia López-Cepeda ◽

Andrea Delgado ◽

Ana María Guevara ◽

Laura Lozano

Keyword(s):

Activity Patterns ◽

Monitoring Program ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Domestic Dogs ◽

Sampling Effort ◽

Wild Mammals ◽

First Semester ◽

Independent Events ◽

Set Up ◽

The Impact

Between the second semester of 2009 and the first semester of 2011, camera traps were set up in conserved and disturbed habitats in the Otún Quimbaya Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. From a sampling effort of 2,066 camera-days, 673 photographs of 157 independent events were obtained for eight species of wild mammals and a domestic one. Their activity patterns were mainly nocturnal even for those species reported as diurnal. The impact of human interference and exotic species was evident for two species: Tapirus pinchaque and Cerdocyon thous. The former was observed below its altitudinal range with activity patterns mainly crepuscular and nocturnal. The second was observed in the same habitats where domestic dogs were found, with activity patterns mainly crepuscular and nocturnal. These findings suggest that both species have altered their activity patterns. Actions must be focused on decreasing the interaction of these mammals with humans and domestic dogs.

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Synchronous cycles of domestic dog rabies in sub-Saharan Africa and the impact of control efforts

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.0609122104 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 104 (18) ◽

pp. 7717-7722 ◽

Cited By ~ 89

Author(s):

Katie Hampson ◽

Jonathan Dushoff ◽

John Bingham ◽

Gideon Brückner ◽

Y. H. Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Domestic Dogs ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Domestic Dog ◽

Eastern Africa ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

Persistent Problem ◽

Canine Rabies ◽

Continental Scale ◽

The Impact

Rabies is a fatal neurological pathogen that is a persistent problem throughout the developing world where it is spread primarily by domestic dogs. Although the disease has been extensively studied in wildlife populations in Europe and North America, the dynamics of rabies in domestic dog populations has been almost entirely neglected. Here, we demonstrate that rabies epidemics in southern and eastern Africa cycle with a period of 3–6 years and show significant synchrony across the region. The observed period is shorter than predictions based on epidemiological parameters for rabies in domestic dogs. We find evidence that rabies prevention measures, including vaccination, are affected by disease prevalence and show that a simple model with intervention responses can capture observed disease periodicity and host dynamics. We suggest that movement of infectious or latent animals combined with coordinated control responses may be important in coupling populations and generating synchrony at the continental scale. These findings have important implications for rabies prediction and control: large-scale synchrony and the importance of intervention responses suggest that control of canine rabies in Africa will require sustained efforts coordinated across political boundaries.

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The impact of plate shape and organization on Americans’ perceptions of Korean restaurants

Journal of Foodservice Business Research ◽

10.1080/15378020.2021.1924415 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Jung Kuk Jang ◽

Bi Yang ◽

Anna Mattila

Keyword(s):

Plate Shape ◽

The Impact

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Size and shape of plates and size of wine glasses and bottles: impact on selection of food and alcohol

10.31234/osf.io/gzsa3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Natasha Clarke ◽

Emily Pechey ◽

Rachel Pechey ◽

Minna Ventsel ◽

Eleni Mantzari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Considerable Uncertainty ◽

Size And Shape ◽

Main Effect ◽

Plate Size ◽

Plate Shape ◽

Within Subjects ◽

Wine Glass ◽

Size Interaction ◽

The Impact ◽

Selection Of

BackgroundThe physical properties of tableware could influence selection and consumption of food and alcohol. There is considerable uncertainty, however, around the potential effects of different sizes and shapes of tableware on how much food and alcohol people self-serve. AimsTo estimate the impact of: 1. Plate size and shape on amount of food self-served; 2. Wine glass and bottle size on amount of wine self-poured.Methods 140 adults participated in two laboratory studies – each using randomised within-subjects factorial designs – where they self-served food (Study 1) and wine (Study 2):Study 1: 3 plate sizes (small; medium; large) x 2 plate shapes (circular; square). Study 2: 3 wine glass sizes (small; medium; large) x 2 wine bottle sizes (75cl; 50cl). ResultsStudy 1: There was a main effect of plate size: less was self-served on small (-76 grams, p<0.001) and medium (-41 grams, p<0.001) plates, compared to large plates. There was no evidence for a main effect of plate shape (p=0.46) or a size and shape interaction (p=0.47). Study 2: There was a main effect of glass size: less was self-served in small (-34ml, p<0.001) and medium (-17ml, p<0.001) glasses, compared to large glasses. There was no evidence of a main effect of bottle size (p=0.20) or a glass and bottle size interaction (p=0.18). ConclusionSmaller tableware (i.e. plates and wine glasses) decreases the amount of food and wine self-served – a close proxy for consumption. Future studies are required to generate estimates of effects on consumption in real world settings.

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Cranial shape diversification in horses: variation and covariation patterns under the impact of artificial selection

BMC Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1186/s12862-021-01907-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Pauline Hanot ◽

Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan ◽

Claude Guintard ◽

Ashleigh Haruda ◽

Enkhbayar Mijiddorj ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Artificial Selection ◽

Large Scale ◽

Phenotypic Diversity ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

Rapid Evolution ◽

Time Interval ◽

Short Time Interval ◽

Skull Morphology ◽

Domestic Species ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe potential of artificial selection to dramatically impact phenotypic diversity is well known. Large-scale morphological changes in domestic species, emerging over short timescales, offer an accelerated perspective on evolutionary processes. The domestic horse (Equus caballus) provides a striking example of rapid evolution, with major changes in morphology and size likely stemming from artificial selection. However, the microevolutionary mechanisms allowing to generate this variation in a short time interval remain little known. Here, we use 3D geometric morphometrics to quantify skull morphological diversity in the horse, and investigate modularity and integration patterns to understand how morphological associations contribute to cranial evolvability in this taxon. We find that changes in the magnitude of cranial integration contribute to the diversification of the skull morphology in horse breeds. Our results demonstrate that a conserved pattern of modularity does not constrain large-scale morphological variations in horses and that artificial selection has impacted mechanisms underlying phenotypic diversity to facilitate rapid shape changes. More broadly, this study demonstrates that studying microevolutionary processes in domestic species produces important insights into extant phenotypic diversity.

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Olfaction written in bone: cribriform plate size parallels olfactory receptor gene repertoires in Mammalia

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2018.0100 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 285 (1874) ◽

pp. 20180100 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Deborah J. Bird ◽

William J. Murphy ◽

Lester Fox-Rosales ◽

Iman Hamid ◽

Robert A. Eagle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Olfactory Receptor ◽

Receptor Gene ◽

Measurement Data ◽

Cribriform Plate ◽

Digital Measurement ◽

Olfactory Pathway ◽

Skull Morphology ◽

Plate Size ◽

Discrete Population

The evolution of mammalian olfaction is manifested in a remarkable diversity of gene repertoires, neuroanatomy and skull morphology across living species. Olfactory receptor genes (ORGs), which initiate the conversion of odorant molecules into odour perceptions and help an animal resolve the olfactory world, range in number from a mere handful to several thousand genes across species. Within the snout, each of these ORGs is exclusively expressed by a discrete population of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), suggesting that newly evolved ORGs may be coupled with new OSN populations in the nasal epithelium. Because OSN axon bundles leave high-fidelity perforations (foramina) in the bone as they traverse the cribriform plate (CP) to reach the brain, we predicted that taxa with larger ORG repertoires would have proportionately expanded footprints in the CP foramina. Previous work found a correlation between ORG number and absolute CP size that disappeared after accounting for body size. Using updated, digital measurement data from high-resolution CT scans and re-examining the relationship between CP and body size, we report a striking linear correlation between relative CP area and number of functional ORGs across species from all mammalian superorders. This correlation suggests strong developmental links in the olfactory pathway between genes, neurons and skull morphology. Furthermore, because ORG number is linked to olfactory discriminatory function, this correlation supports relative CP size as a viable metric for inferring olfactory capacity across modern and extinct species. By quantifying CP area from a fossil sabertooth cat ( Smilodon fatalis ), we predicted a likely ORG repertoire for this extinct felid.

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Comparison of two mammalian surveys made with camera traps in southeastern Brazil, focusing the abundance of wild mammals and domestic dogs

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842013000100005 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 73 (1) ◽

pp. 29-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

WD. Carvalho ◽

CH. Adania ◽

CEL. Esbérard

Keyword(s):

Human Activities ◽

Camera Traps ◽

Domestic Dogs ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Sampling Effort ◽

Wild Mammals ◽

Capture Success ◽

The Difference ◽

Mammal Communities ◽

The Impact

Sampling allows assessing the impact of human activities on mammal communities. It is also possible to assess the accuracy of different sampling methods, especially when the sampling effort is similar. The present study aimed at comparing two mammalian surveys carried out over a three-year interval, in terms of sampling effort, capture success, abundance of domestic dogs, impact of human activities, and relative biomass using camera traps, in the Serra do Japi Biological Reserve and surroundings, located in Jundiaí, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The total richness recorded was 13 species, one domestic and 12 wild mammals. Sampling effort in both surveys was similar, but capture success and number of captures differed. The abundance of wild mammals and dogs did also differ between surveys. There was a highly significant correlation between abundance of wild mammals and capture effort for the survey performed in 2006/2007, but not for the survey performed in 2009/2010. The difference between samples may be related to human disturbance, since the number of domestic mammals photographed was higher in the second survey, three years after the first survey. Despite being a reserve, the area is still under pressure from urbanization, biological invasion, environmental degradation, and hunting, which may reduce the abundance of wild mammals.

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Human activity negatively affects stone tool-using Burmese long-tailed macaquesMacaca fascicularis aureain Laem Son National Park, Thailand

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605312000130 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 535-543 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Michael D. Gumert ◽

Yuzuru Hamada ◽

Suchinda Malaivijitnond

Keyword(s):

Social Learning ◽

National Park ◽

Anthropogenic Impact ◽

Macaca Fascicularis ◽

Canis Familiaris ◽

Stone Tools ◽

Domestic Dogs ◽

Stone Tool ◽

Invertebrate Prey ◽

The Impact

AbstractAnimal traditions can affect survival by improving how individuals use their environment. They are inherited through social learning and are restricted to small subpopulations. As a result, traditions are rare and their preservation needs to be considered in biodiversity conservation. We studied Burmese long-tailed macaquesMacaca fascicularis aurealiving on Piak Nam Yai Island in Laem Son National Park, Thailand, which maintain a rare stone tool-using tradition for processing hard-shelled invertebrate prey along the island's shores. We found the population had 192 individuals in nine groups and most individuals used stone tools. This population is under pressure from the local human community through the development of farms and release of domestic dogsCanis familiarisonto the island. The level of anthropogenic impact varied in each macaque groups' range and juvenile–infant composition varied with impact. The proportion of young was smaller in groups overlapping farms and was negatively correlated with the amount of dog activity in their range. We also found that coastal use by macaques was negatively related to living near plantations and that the dogs displaced macaques from the shores in 93% of their encounters. We conclude that human impact is negatively affecting Piak Nam Yai's macaques and are concerned this could disrupt the persistence of their stone-use tradition. we discuss the impact and the potential consequences, and we recommend better protection of coastal areas within Laem Son National Park.

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Friendship or Competition? Symmetry in Social Play within the Two Packs of German Shepherd Puppies

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10091627 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1627

Author(s):

Jana Kottferová ◽

Lenka Skurková ◽

Lýdia Mesarčová ◽

Lenka Lešková ◽

Alena Demeová ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Social Play ◽

Domestic Dogs ◽

Chest Circumference ◽

Dyadic Interactions ◽

German Shepherd ◽

Play Interactions ◽

Free Ranging ◽

The Impact ◽

Competition Symmetry

The symmetry of social play in Canids has been previously studied, especially in wolves, free-ranging dogs, and within mixed-aged groups, however our study focused on symmetry and asymmetry within play interactions in two litters (14 puppies) of German Shepherd dogs (GSDs). At the age of 7 weeks, we evaluated 1287 dyadic interactions (litter 1: n = 339 interactions, litter 2: n = 948 interactions), and at the age of 9 weeks we evaluated 1255 dyadic interactions (litter 1: n = 433 interactions, litter 2: n = 822 interactions). Dyadic interactions were observed and the winning indexes were calculated for 43 pairs (dyads). The groups of puppies studied were all the same age, therefore we focused on the aspects of sex and body size as primary variables. The weight and chest circumference of all puppies were measured. The distribution of interactions showed a slight inclination to mixed-sex dyads, but we did not obtain any statistically significant results concerning the impact of body size on play interactions. Symmetry in play was observed within litter 1 at the age of 7 weeks and at the age of 9 weeks, and within litter 2 at the age of 7 weeks. Since the number of puppies in this study was too small, these results should be interpreted regarding this limitation, and cannot be generalized to a larger population of domestic dogs nor the GSD breed. In further studies, it would be interesting to compare larger samples of different breeds, under different breeding conditions, and the effect of the environment on the style of social play.

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