Animal body size variation is of particular interest in evolutionary biology,but the genetic basis remains largely unknown.Previous studies have shown the presence of two parallel evolutionary genetic clusters within ...Animal body size variation is of particular interest in evolutionary biology,but the genetic basis remains largely unknown.Previous studies have shown the presence of two parallel evolutionary genetic clusters within the fish genus Epinephelus with evident divergence in body size,providing an excellent opportunity to investigate the genetic basis of body size variation in vertebrates.Herein,we performed phylotranscriptomic analysis and reconstructed the phylogeny of 13 epinephelids originating from the South China Sea.Two genetic clades with an estimated divergence time of approximately 15.4 million years ago were correlated with large and small body size,respectively.A total of 180 rapidly evolving genes and two positively selected genes were identified between the two groups.Functional enrichment analyses of these candidate genes revealed distinct enrichment categories between the two groups.These pathways and genes may play important roles in body size variation in groupers through complex regulatory networks.Based on our results,we speculate that the ancestors of the two divergent groups of groupers may have adapted to different environments through habitat selection,leading to genetic variations in metabolic patterns,organ development,and lifespan,resulting in body size divergence between the two locally adapted populations.These findings provide important insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying body size variation in groupers and species differentiation.展开更多
[Objective]The research aimed to study the polymorphism of intron 1 and its effects on prolactin(PRL) gene and body size traits of Jingjiang Partridge Duck.[Method]Taking 96 Jingjiang partridge ducks as materials,th...[Objective]The research aimed to study the polymorphism of intron 1 and its effects on prolactin(PRL) gene and body size traits of Jingjiang Partridge Duck.[Method]Taking 96 Jingjiang partridge ducks as materials,the polymorphism of intron 1 of PRL gene was detected by PCR-RFLP method.And the relationship between the gene polymorphism and body size traits was analyzed.[Result]Intron 1 in PRL gene of Jingjiang Partridge Duck had sequence polymorphism.Two kinds of genotypes(AB and BB) were detected by DraⅠrestriction and genotype BB was dominant in population(91.67%).The results of Chi-square test indicated that this site was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in Jingjiang Duck(P 〉0.05).The results of least square analysis showed that the ducks with AB genotype had larger pelvis breadth(P 〈0.01) but smaller chest measurement(P 〈0.05) than those of BB ducks.[Conclusion]It was preliminarily concluded that PRL gene could be regarded as useful candidate gene(marker) for part of body size traits of Jingjiang Partridge Duck and part of body size traits can be improved by allele selection.展开更多
In anurans, the outcomes of male-male contests and female choice are often associated with body size. In some species, males evaluate an opponent’s fighting ability and females evaluate male quality on the basis of m...In anurans, the outcomes of male-male contests and female choice are often associated with body size. In some species, males evaluate an opponent’s fighting ability and females evaluate male quality on the basis of male communication signals, which are thought to reflect information concerning male body size. Nevertheless, previous studies reveal that male call structure is not always correlated with body size. In the present study we investigated the relationships between body size and call structure in the large treefrog, Rhacophorus dennysi, as well as the relationship of its calling behavior with air temperature and humidity. The results show that both the dominant and fundamental frequencies are negatively correlated with body size, while inter-note intervals are positively correlated with body size, indicating that call characters could reflect body size in this species.Additionally, calling in this tropical species exhibits a circadian rhythm insofar as relatively high temperature and low humidity during the day is associated with less vocal behavior. Thus, individual variations in call structure are mainly dependent on body size while the temporal rhythm of calling activity is affected by environmental conditions in large treefrogs.展开更多
We acclimated adults of two viviparous (Phrynocephalus guinanens& and P. vlangalii) and one oviparous (P. versicolor) species of toad-headed lizards (Agamidae) to 28 ℃, 33 ℃ and 38 ℃ to examine whether therm...We acclimated adults of two viviparous (Phrynocephalus guinanens& and P. vlangalii) and one oviparous (P. versicolor) species of toad-headed lizards (Agamidae) to 28 ℃, 33 ℃ and 38 ℃ to examine whether thermal preference (preferred body temperature, Tp) and thermal tolerance (critical thermal minimum, CTMin; critical thermal maximum, CTMax) were affected by acclimation temperature, and correlate with body size and habitat use. Both Tp and CTMax were highest in P. versicolor and lowest in P. vlangalii, with P. guinanensis in between. The two viviparous species did not differ in CTMin and thermal tolerance range, and they both were more resistant to low temperatures and had a wider range of thermal tolerance than the oviparous species. Both CTMin and CTMax shifted upward as acclimation temperature increased in all the three species. Tp was higher in the lizards acclimated to 33 ℃ than in those to 28 ℃ or 38 ℃. The range of thermal tolerance was wider in the lizards acclimated to 28 ℃ than in those to 33 ℃ or 38 ℃. The data showed that: 1) thermal preference and tolerance were affected by acclimation temperature, and differed among the three species of Phrynocephalus lizards with different body sizes and habitat uses; 2) both Tp and CTMax were higher in the species exchanging heat more rapidly with the environment, and CTMin was higher in the species using warmer habitats during the active season; and 3) thermal preference and tolerance might correlat with body size and habitat use in Phrynocephalus lizards.展开更多
Arctodiaptomus salinus inhabits water bodies across Eurasia and North Africa. Based on our own data and that from the literature, we analyzed the influences of several factors on the intra- and inter-population variab...Arctodiaptomus salinus inhabits water bodies across Eurasia and North Africa. Based on our own data and that from the literature, we analyzed the influences of several factors on the intra- and inter-population variability of this species. A strong negative linear correlation between temperature and average body size in the Crimean and African populations was found, in which the parameters might be influenced by salinity. Meanwhile, a significant negative correlation between female body size and the altitude of habitats was found by comparing body size in populations from different regions. Individuals from environments with highly varying abiotic parameters, e.g. temporary reservoirs, had a larger body size than individuals from permanent water bodies. The changes in average body mass in populations were at 11.4 times, whereas, those in individual metabolic activities were at 6.2 times. Moreover, two size groups of A. salinus in the Crimean and the Siberian lakes were observed. The ratio of female length to male length fluctuated between 1.02 and 1.30. The average size of A. salinus in populations and its variations were determined by both genetic and environmental factors. However, the parities of these factors were unequal in either spatial or temporal scales.展开更多
Gene expression variation can be considered as a phenotype,and it plays an important role in both acclimation and adaption.However,genetic variation of gene expression received much less attention than traditional com...Gene expression variation can be considered as a phenotype,and it plays an important role in both acclimation and adaption.However,genetic variation of gene expression received much less attention than traditional commercial traits in aquaculture.To estimate the genetic variation and heritability of gene transcription in clam Meretrix petechialis,five Vibrio resistance-related genes were selected for gene expression analysis in the digestive gland,and an animal linear model was used to analyze data from quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR).Among the five genes,BIRC7 showed significant additive genetic variations,the heritability of this gene of 12-month-and 15-month-old clams were 0.84±0.32 and 0.91±0.34,respectively.The heritability of other four genes(Bax,NFIL3,Big-Def,and CTL9)expression were low-tomoderate but not significantly expressed.Additionally,no significant phenotypic and genetic correlations between the BIRC7 transcription trait and body size were detected.This study highlights that certain gene expression variation is heritable and provides a reference for indirect selection of M.petechialis with high Vibrio resistance.展开更多
In anurans, body size and age of individuals generally affect male mating success. To test whether body size and age have effects on male mating success in the foam-nesting treefrog Polypedates megacephalus, a species...In anurans, body size and age of individuals generally affect male mating success. To test whether body size and age have effects on male mating success in the foam-nesting treefrog Polypedates megacephalus, a species widely distributed in China, we analyzed differences in body size and age between mated and unmated males for three populations using a Generalized Linear Mixed Model(GLMM). The results showed that mated males did not exhibit larger body size and older age than unmated males, suggesting that large and/or old male individuals did not have greater mating success than small and/or young males. Moreover, we also found a non-significant size-assortative mating pattern for all populations. Our findings suggest that body size and age of the foam-nesting treefrog do not affect male mating success.展开更多
To understand the exact changes in body size and body weight of Jinchuan female yaks within one year,the body size and body weight of 30 Jinchuan female yaks were measured from July 2015 to July 2016. The results show...To understand the exact changes in body size and body weight of Jinchuan female yaks within one year,the body size and body weight of 30 Jinchuan female yaks were measured from July 2015 to July 2016. The results showed that the body weight of Jinchuan female yak declined continuously since October 2015,and the weight loss in November 2015 was the largest. The body weight started to increase in May 2016,and the body weight increased significantly in June and July of 2016.展开更多
Body size and female reproduction in the water adult females larger than 500 mm SVL and 32 adult males Ledong, Hainan under permit to our laboratory in Hainan monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) were studied. Forty-tw...Body size and female reproduction in the water adult females larger than 500 mm SVL and 32 adult males Ledong, Hainan under permit to our laboratory in Hainan monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) were studied. Forty-two larger than 400 mm SVL were donated by local people in in 2013 and 2014. The largest male and female measured 745 and 755 mm SVL, respectively. The mean SVL was greater in adult females than in adult males. Males had larger heads (head width) than females of the same SVL. The smallest reproductive female in our sample was 565 mm SVL. Females produced a single clutch of 17.1 (10-23) pliable-shelled eggs per breeding season stretching from mid-June and mid-September. Clutch size and clutch mass were all positively related to female SVL. However, there was no significant linear relationship between egg mass and female SVL. Larger females generally produced more eggs, and thus heavier clutches than did smaller ones. There was no significant linear relationship between relative clutch mass and female SVL. Phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) analysis, accounting for phylogenetic relationships, showed that clutch size was positively correlated with mean maternal SVL in varanid lizards. PGLS analysis showed that phylogenetic relationships did not affect clutch (or/and egg) mass and the SVL although there were significant linear relationship between clutch (or/and egg) mass and mean maternal SVL. Therefore, we could draw some general conclusions about the body size and reproductive tactics in varanid lizards that larger females generally produced more eggs, larger eggs and thus heavier clutches than did smaller ones.展开更多
Variation in body size and sexual size dimorphism(SSD) can have important consequences for animal ecology, behavior, population dynamics and the evolution of life-history traits. Organisms are expected to be larger ...Variation in body size and sexual size dimorphism(SSD) can have important consequences for animal ecology, behavior, population dynamics and the evolution of life-history traits. Organisms are expected to be larger in colder climate(i.e., Bergmann's rule) and SSD varies with body size(i.e., Rensch's rule). However, the underlying mechanisms are still elusive. The plateau brown frog(Rana kukunoris), a medium-sized anuran species with femalebiased SSD, is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau(QTP). From 1797 m(Maoxiang'ping) to 3453 m(Heihe'qiao) in the eastern margin of the QTP, we surveyed 10 populations of R. kukunoris and collected phalanges and snout vent length(SVL) data for 258 adult individuals(199 males versus 59 females). Based on these data, we explored how body size and SSD varying along the altitudinal gradient and examined the corresponding effects of temperature. We found body size to be larger at higher altitude for males but not for females, with likely effects from the temperature on the variation in male body size. Sex differences in growth rates may be the main cause of the variation in SSD. Our results suggested that only males follow the Bergmann's rule and variation in SSD of R. kukunoris do not support the Rensch's rule and its inverse. Therefore, the variations of body size can be different between sexes and the applicability of both Bergmann's rule and Rensch's rule should depend on species and environment where they live.展开更多
[ Objective] The study was to explore whether the body size, sexual behavior of male donkey had certain correlation with reproductive traits. [ Method] The data of body weight, body size and sexual behavior of male do...[ Objective] The study was to explore whether the body size, sexual behavior of male donkey had certain correlation with reproductive traits. [ Method] The data of body weight, body size and sexual behavior of male donkey during production were collected, combining with the semen quality data of ejaculation volume, density, motility and frozen-thawed semen motility were conducted the statistical analysis. [ Results] ( 1 ) Single ejaculation volume had a positive correlation with body height (r = 0. 423, P = 0. 044) and penis circumference (r = 0. 495, P = 0. 043 ) , and total number of sperm per ejaculate had a positiw: correlation with body weight (r = 0. 444, P = 0. 036) and scrotal circumference (r = 0. 520, P = 0. 039) ; (2) Ejaculation volume was negatively correlated with mount times (r = -0. 159, P = 0. 035) and erection time (r = -0. 181, P = 0. 023), semen density was negatively correlated with mating time (r = - 0.211, P = 0.004), and total sperm count was negatively correlated with erection time (r = - 0. 159 , P = 0. 047). [Condusion ] The quality of semen had a certain correlation with body size, body weight and sexual behavior.展开更多
In order to study the meat development value of princess chicken,the body size traits and slaughter performance of 12-week-old F1 hybrid offspring of princess chicken(♂) and kirin chicken(♀) were measured and the co...In order to study the meat development value of princess chicken,the body size traits and slaughter performance of 12-week-old F1 hybrid offspring of princess chicken(♂) and kirin chicken(♀) were measured and the correlations between different traits were analyzed. The results showed that body length,keel length and shank length of male F1 hybrid offspring were significantly higher than those of female chickens(P 【 0. 05). The live weight,carcass weight,semi-eviscerated weight,semi-eviscerated ratio,eviscerated weight,chest muscle weight,the leg muscle weight and heart weight of male chickens were extremely significantly higher than that of female chickens(P 【 0. 01),and the leg muscle ratio and wings weight were significantly higher than that of female chickens(P 【 0. 05),but sebum thickness of male chickens was extremely significantly lower than that of female chickens(P 【 0. 01). Other indicators failed to reach the significant difference level. There were extremely significant or significant correlations between the slaughter performance and body size in F1 hybrid offspring. The regression equations between different indicators were identified and developed. The results provided a certain theoretical reference to predict slaughter performance indicators through a living body size measurement,and revealed an improved production performance of F1 hybrid offspring.展开更多
We explored the effects of land-cover configuration, body size and trophic diversity in determining avian species richness on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Data on avian species richness were obtained from the Maritim...We explored the effects of land-cover configuration, body size and trophic diversity in determining avian species richness on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Data on avian species richness were obtained from the Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas data. Prince Edward Island was divided into 97 sampling cells of 10 × 10 km. Land-cover metrics were calculated using a forest inventory database, Fragstats and ArcView version 8.1. The relationships between avian species richness and explanatory variables were explored using correlation analysis, mixed forward-backward stepwise analysis, generalized linear models and Akaike’s information criterion. Models predicted between 27% and 63% of the variability in species richness, attributing substantial explanatory power to both the average body size and the range of body size spanned by the avian community. The body-size frequency distribution showed that avian communities were dominated by species weighing between 50 and 80 g. Habitat metrics associated with forests were more important to the avifauna than those related to agriculture. Avian species richness also decreased with both the fragmentation and isolation of wetlands. The total area covered by the human infrastructure land-cover and its subdivision were also important. Clearly, body size plays a key role in determining the diversity of birds on Prince Edward Island. In particular, species weighing 50 - 80 g appear to have sufficient resources to be successful on Prince Edward Island’s landscapes. Our findings also highlighted the importance of controlling the expansion of human infrastructure and both the fragmentation and reduction in size of wetlands to maintain avian species richness patterns.展开更多
Nonlinear phenomena are commonly shown in the vocalization of animals and exerts different adaptive functions.Although some studies have pointed out that nonlinear phenomena can enhance the individual identification o...Nonlinear phenomena are commonly shown in the vocalization of animals and exerts different adaptive functions.Although some studies have pointed out that nonlinear phenomena can enhance the individual identification of male Odorrana tormota,whether the nonlinear phenomena play a specific role in the sexual selection of O.tormota remain unclear.Here we presented evidence that there was a significant negative correlation(Pearson:n=30,r=0.65,P<0.001)between the nonlinear phenomena content and snout-vent length in the male O.tormota,and two-choice amplexus experiments showed that female O.tormota preferred male with smaller body size containing higher nonlinear phenomena content in its calls.Phonotaxis experiments also revealed that females preferred calls with higher nonlinear phenomena content.Additionally,compared to the calls with lower nonlinear phenomena content and higher fundamental frequency,there was shorter response time in phonotactic behaviour of female induced by the calls with higher nonlinear phenomena content and lower fundamental frequency.We argue that the nonlinear phenomena content in the calls of male O.tormota can convey its body size information and may provide important clues for female frogs in darkened surroundings to identify males’body size during mate choice,meanwhile,higher nonlinear phenomena content in males’calls may increase the attractiveness of males to females.The results of this study provide confirmation that,for O.tormota,nonlinear phenomena have specific function in mate choice.展开更多
A 21-d laboratory experiment was conducted to study, the phosphorus (P) utilization of two different diets by redlip mullet Liza haematocheila T. & S. Sand-filtered water in salinity 30 and temperatare 25℃ was use...A 21-d laboratory experiment was conducted to study, the phosphorus (P) utilization of two different diets by redlip mullet Liza haematocheila T. & S. Sand-filtered water in salinity 30 and temperatare 25℃ was used. Twenty-nine fish individuals were divided into three groups: 11 to group 1 (G1) fed on diet 1, 11 to group 2 (G2) fed on diet 2, and 7 to contrast group. Diet 1 was a commercial feed, more valuable in nutrition than diet 2 that similar to natural detritus. The results show the intake phosphorus (IP) of G1 was significantly higher than that of G2, and both increased linearly with body size at a certain amount of diet. The retention phosphorus (RP) in fish of G1 was lower than G2. The relationship between retention phosphorus and body size was positive and stronger in G2. Significant difference in faecal phosphorus (FP) was found between G1 and G2. Body size significantly impacted the excretion phosphorus (EP) in G1 but G2. The loss of intake phosphorus in G1 was 10.83-20.27 mg per g fish weight gain, higher than that in G2 for 6.63-9.56. Of the phosphorus, about 10% was allocated into growth, 50% in faeces, and the rest lost in excretion. The main part of phosphorus was lost in faeces but excretion. The phosphorus budget of the fish could be described as 100IP = 7.40RP + 47.39FP + 36.63EP (Diet 1) or 100IP = 11.93RP + 56.64FP + 21.76EP (Diet 2).展开更多
This paper was designed to analyze on the data, which was obtained from 'National Physique Fitness Investigation Report (2000)'. In order to get the typical body form and figure type of the middle age and aged...This paper was designed to analyze on the data, which was obtained from 'National Physique Fitness Investigation Report (2000)'. In order to get the typical body form and figure type of the middle age and aged people, it was focused on the body form data of this group (age 40 - 60). After calculation and analyzing, the distinguishing feature of body form and the distribution of figure type were deduced. Finally, the re-classification of body form for Chinese middle age and aged people was suggested. It as also suggested that a new garment size series especially for the middle age and aged should be built to fit for these people. This conclusion would be useful and significant to design and production for clothing company, especially that who take the aged people as their target consumer.展开更多
Gazetted in 1997, The TCMP (Tobago Cays Marine Park) is the only marine protected area within the territorial boundaries of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Sea turtles are an important species in TCMP, and because t...Gazetted in 1997, The TCMP (Tobago Cays Marine Park) is the only marine protected area within the territorial boundaries of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Sea turtles are an important species in TCMP, and because their globally endangered status have become the focus of an in-water monitoring program, primarily for green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Preliminary assessment indicated that the TCMP contains an important foraging aggregation of sub-adult green turtles. Since then two additional years of data has been collected; this data was analyzed to assess the health of the turtle population. The data also indicated that the weight was predictable according to carapace width and length and that the population is dominated by larger sub-adults.展开更多
This work is concerned with a kind of optimal control problem for a size-structured biological population model.Well-posedness of the state system and an adjoint system are proved by means of Banach's fixed point the...This work is concerned with a kind of optimal control problem for a size-structured biological population model.Well-posedness of the state system and an adjoint system are proved by means of Banach's fixed point theorem.Existence and uniqueness of optimal control are shown by functional analytical approach.Optimality conditions describing the optimal strategy are established via tangent and normal cones technique.The results are of the first ones for this novel structure.展开更多
Cephalopods play key roles in global marine ecosystems as both predators and preys.Regressive estimation of original size and weight of cephalopod from beak measurements is a powerful tool of interrogating the feeding...Cephalopods play key roles in global marine ecosystems as both predators and preys.Regressive estimation of original size and weight of cephalopod from beak measurements is a powerful tool of interrogating the feeding ecology of predators at higher trophic levels.In this study,regressive relationships among beak measurements and body length and weight were determined for an octopus species(Octopus variabilis),an important endemic cephalopod species in the northwest Pacific Ocean.A total of 193 individuals(63 males and 130 females) were collected at a monthly interval from Jiaozhou Bay,China.Regressive relationships among 6 beak measurements(upper hood length,UHL;upper crest length,UCL;lower hood length,LHL;lower crest length,LCL;and upper and lower beak weights) and mantle length(ML),total length(TL) and body weight(W) were determined.Results showed that the relationships between beak size and TL and beak size and ML were linearly regressive,while those between beak size and W fitted a power function model.LHL and UCL were the most useful measurements for estimating the size and biomass of O.variabilis.The relationships among beak measurements and body length(either ML or TL) were not significantly different between two sexes;while those among several beak measurements(UHL,LHL and LBW) and body weight(W) were sexually different.Since male individuals of this species have a slightly greater body weight distribution than female individuals,the body weight was not an appropriate measurement for estimating size and biomass,especially when the sex of individuals in the stomachs of predators was unknown.These relationships provided essential information for future use in size and biomass estimation of O.variabilis,as well as the estimation of predator/prey size ratios in the diet of top predators.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32273136,31872572)Agriculture Research System of China (ARS-47)+1 种基金Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province (2023B1212060023)Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai) (SML2023SP201)。
文摘Animal body size variation is of particular interest in evolutionary biology,but the genetic basis remains largely unknown.Previous studies have shown the presence of two parallel evolutionary genetic clusters within the fish genus Epinephelus with evident divergence in body size,providing an excellent opportunity to investigate the genetic basis of body size variation in vertebrates.Herein,we performed phylotranscriptomic analysis and reconstructed the phylogeny of 13 epinephelids originating from the South China Sea.Two genetic clades with an estimated divergence time of approximately 15.4 million years ago were correlated with large and small body size,respectively.A total of 180 rapidly evolving genes and two positively selected genes were identified between the two groups.Functional enrichment analyses of these candidate genes revealed distinct enrichment categories between the two groups.These pathways and genes may play important roles in body size variation in groupers through complex regulatory networks.Based on our results,we speculate that the ancestors of the two divergent groups of groupers may have adapted to different environments through habitat selection,leading to genetic variations in metabolic patterns,organ development,and lifespan,resulting in body size divergence between the two locally adapted populations.These findings provide important insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying body size variation in groupers and species differentiation.
基金Supported by Science and Technology Development of Hubei Province during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan Period (2006AA202A04)~~
文摘[Objective]The research aimed to study the polymorphism of intron 1 and its effects on prolactin(PRL) gene and body size traits of Jingjiang Partridge Duck.[Method]Taking 96 Jingjiang partridge ducks as materials,the polymorphism of intron 1 of PRL gene was detected by PCR-RFLP method.And the relationship between the gene polymorphism and body size traits was analyzed.[Result]Intron 1 in PRL gene of Jingjiang Partridge Duck had sequence polymorphism.Two kinds of genotypes(AB and BB) were detected by DraⅠrestriction and genotype BB was dominant in population(91.67%).The results of Chi-square test indicated that this site was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in Jingjiang Duck(P 〉0.05).The results of least square analysis showed that the ducks with AB genotype had larger pelvis breadth(P 〈0.01) but smaller chest measurement(P 〈0.05) than those of BB ducks.[Conclusion]It was preliminarily concluded that PRL gene could be regarded as useful candidate gene(marker) for part of body size traits of Jingjiang Partridge Duck and part of body size traits can be improved by allele selection.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(3090014131270042)+1 种基金the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KSCX2-EW-J-22Y2C3011) to Jianguo CUI
文摘In anurans, the outcomes of male-male contests and female choice are often associated with body size. In some species, males evaluate an opponent’s fighting ability and females evaluate male quality on the basis of male communication signals, which are thought to reflect information concerning male body size. Nevertheless, previous studies reveal that male call structure is not always correlated with body size. In the present study we investigated the relationships between body size and call structure in the large treefrog, Rhacophorus dennysi, as well as the relationship of its calling behavior with air temperature and humidity. The results show that both the dominant and fundamental frequencies are negatively correlated with body size, while inter-note intervals are positively correlated with body size, indicating that call characters could reflect body size in this species.Additionally, calling in this tropical species exhibits a circadian rhythm insofar as relatively high temperature and low humidity during the day is associated with less vocal behavior. Thus, individual variations in call structure are mainly dependent on body size while the temporal rhythm of calling activity is affected by environmental conditions in large treefrogs.
基金supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31071910 and 31200282)the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions
文摘We acclimated adults of two viviparous (Phrynocephalus guinanens& and P. vlangalii) and one oviparous (P. versicolor) species of toad-headed lizards (Agamidae) to 28 ℃, 33 ℃ and 38 ℃ to examine whether thermal preference (preferred body temperature, Tp) and thermal tolerance (critical thermal minimum, CTMin; critical thermal maximum, CTMax) were affected by acclimation temperature, and correlate with body size and habitat use. Both Tp and CTMax were highest in P. versicolor and lowest in P. vlangalii, with P. guinanensis in between. The two viviparous species did not differ in CTMin and thermal tolerance range, and they both were more resistant to low temperatures and had a wider range of thermal tolerance than the oviparous species. Both CTMin and CTMax shifted upward as acclimation temperature increased in all the three species. Tp was higher in the lizards acclimated to 33 ℃ than in those to 28 ℃ or 38 ℃. The range of thermal tolerance was wider in the lizards acclimated to 28 ℃ than in those to 33 ℃ or 38 ℃. The data showed that: 1) thermal preference and tolerance were affected by acclimation temperature, and differed among the three species of Phrynocephalus lizards with different body sizes and habitat uses; 2) both Tp and CTMax were higher in the species exchanging heat more rapidly with the environment, and CTMin was higher in the species using warmer habitats during the active season; and 3) thermal preference and tolerance might correlat with body size and habitat use in Phrynocephalus lizards.
文摘Arctodiaptomus salinus inhabits water bodies across Eurasia and North Africa. Based on our own data and that from the literature, we analyzed the influences of several factors on the intra- and inter-population variability of this species. A strong negative linear correlation between temperature and average body size in the Crimean and African populations was found, in which the parameters might be influenced by salinity. Meanwhile, a significant negative correlation between female body size and the altitude of habitats was found by comparing body size in populations from different regions. Individuals from environments with highly varying abiotic parameters, e.g. temporary reservoirs, had a larger body size than individuals from permanent water bodies. The changes in average body mass in populations were at 11.4 times, whereas, those in individual metabolic activities were at 6.2 times. Moreover, two size groups of A. salinus in the Crimean and the Siberian lakes were observed. The ratio of female length to male length fluctuated between 1.02 and 1.30. The average size of A. salinus in populations and its variations were determined by both genetic and environmental factors. However, the parities of these factors were unequal in either spatial or temporal scales.
基金Supported by the China Agriculture Research System(No.CARS-49)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31772845)+1 种基金the Science and Technology Service Network Initiative of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.KFJ-STS-ZDTP-049)the Foundation of Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Exploitation and Preservation of Coastal Bio-Resource(No.J2018001)
文摘Gene expression variation can be considered as a phenotype,and it plays an important role in both acclimation and adaption.However,genetic variation of gene expression received much less attention than traditional commercial traits in aquaculture.To estimate the genetic variation and heritability of gene transcription in clam Meretrix petechialis,five Vibrio resistance-related genes were selected for gene expression analysis in the digestive gland,and an animal linear model was used to analyze data from quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR).Among the five genes,BIRC7 showed significant additive genetic variations,the heritability of this gene of 12-month-and 15-month-old clams were 0.84±0.32 and 0.91±0.34,respectively.The heritability of other four genes(Bax,NFIL3,Big-Def,and CTL9)expression were low-tomoderate but not significantly expressed.Additionally,no significant phenotypic and genetic correlations between the BIRC7 transcription trait and body size were detected.This study highlights that certain gene expression variation is heritable and provides a reference for indirect selection of M.petechialis with high Vibrio resistance.
基金the Sichuan Province Outstanding Youth Academic Technology Leaders Program(2013JQ0016)the Students Science and Technology Innovation Fund of China(201510638016)+1 种基金Sichuan Province Department of Education Innovation Team Project(14TD001515TD0019) for providing for financial support
文摘In anurans, body size and age of individuals generally affect male mating success. To test whether body size and age have effects on male mating success in the foam-nesting treefrog Polypedates megacephalus, a species widely distributed in China, we analyzed differences in body size and age between mated and unmated males for three populations using a Generalized Linear Mixed Model(GLMM). The results showed that mated males did not exhibit larger body size and older age than unmated males, suggesting that large and/or old male individuals did not have greater mating success than small and/or young males. Moreover, we also found a non-significant size-assortative mating pattern for all populations. Our findings suggest that body size and age of the foam-nesting treefrog do not affect male mating success.
基金Supported by Key Technology R&D Program of Sichuan Department of Science and Technology "Germplasm Characteristics Studies of Multi-rib Yak"(2014NZ0094)National Beef Cattle Yak Industrial Technology System(CARS-38)
文摘To understand the exact changes in body size and body weight of Jinchuan female yaks within one year,the body size and body weight of 30 Jinchuan female yaks were measured from July 2015 to July 2016. The results showed that the body weight of Jinchuan female yak declined continuously since October 2015,and the weight loss in November 2015 was the largest. The body weight started to increase in May 2016,and the body weight increased significantly in June and July of 2016.
基金Financial supports were provided by grants from Natural Science Foundation of China (31270571)Hainan Key Program of Science and Technology (ZDXM20110008)131 Talent Project of Hangzhou City
文摘Body size and female reproduction in the water adult females larger than 500 mm SVL and 32 adult males Ledong, Hainan under permit to our laboratory in Hainan monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) were studied. Forty-two larger than 400 mm SVL were donated by local people in in 2013 and 2014. The largest male and female measured 745 and 755 mm SVL, respectively. The mean SVL was greater in adult females than in adult males. Males had larger heads (head width) than females of the same SVL. The smallest reproductive female in our sample was 565 mm SVL. Females produced a single clutch of 17.1 (10-23) pliable-shelled eggs per breeding season stretching from mid-June and mid-September. Clutch size and clutch mass were all positively related to female SVL. However, there was no significant linear relationship between egg mass and female SVL. Larger females generally produced more eggs, and thus heavier clutches than did smaller ones. There was no significant linear relationship between relative clutch mass and female SVL. Phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) analysis, accounting for phylogenetic relationships, showed that clutch size was positively correlated with mean maternal SVL in varanid lizards. PGLS analysis showed that phylogenetic relationships did not affect clutch (or/and egg) mass and the SVL although there were significant linear relationship between clutch (or/and egg) mass and mean maternal SVL. Therefore, we could draw some general conclusions about the body size and reproductive tactics in varanid lizards that larger females generally produced more eggs, larger eggs and thus heavier clutches than did smaller ones.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.3127056831572290)+1 种基金the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS(2015304)the Sichuan Province Distinguished Youth Fund(2014JQ0056)
文摘Variation in body size and sexual size dimorphism(SSD) can have important consequences for animal ecology, behavior, population dynamics and the evolution of life-history traits. Organisms are expected to be larger in colder climate(i.e., Bergmann's rule) and SSD varies with body size(i.e., Rensch's rule). However, the underlying mechanisms are still elusive. The plateau brown frog(Rana kukunoris), a medium-sized anuran species with femalebiased SSD, is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau(QTP). From 1797 m(Maoxiang'ping) to 3453 m(Heihe'qiao) in the eastern margin of the QTP, we surveyed 10 populations of R. kukunoris and collected phalanges and snout vent length(SVL) data for 258 adult individuals(199 males versus 59 females). Based on these data, we explored how body size and SSD varying along the altitudinal gradient and examined the corresponding effects of temperature. We found body size to be larger at higher altitude for males but not for females, with likely effects from the temperature on the variation in male body size. Sex differences in growth rates may be the main cause of the variation in SSD. Our results suggested that only males follow the Bergmann's rule and variation in SSD of R. kukunoris do not support the Rensch's rule and its inverse. Therefore, the variations of body size can be different between sexes and the applicability of both Bergmann's rule and Rensch's rule should depend on species and environment where they live.
基金Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(No.ZR2015PC010)Fiscal Application of Agricultural Technology Innovation Project of Shandong Province+1 种基金Gluse TCM industry upgrate key technology research and developmentNational Standardization Project of Traditional Chinese Medicine(No.ZYBZH-Y-SD-31)
文摘[ Objective] The study was to explore whether the body size, sexual behavior of male donkey had certain correlation with reproductive traits. [ Method] The data of body weight, body size and sexual behavior of male donkey during production were collected, combining with the semen quality data of ejaculation volume, density, motility and frozen-thawed semen motility were conducted the statistical analysis. [ Results] ( 1 ) Single ejaculation volume had a positive correlation with body height (r = 0. 423, P = 0. 044) and penis circumference (r = 0. 495, P = 0. 043 ) , and total number of sperm per ejaculate had a positiw: correlation with body weight (r = 0. 444, P = 0. 036) and scrotal circumference (r = 0. 520, P = 0. 039) ; (2) Ejaculation volume was negatively correlated with mount times (r = -0. 159, P = 0. 035) and erection time (r = -0. 181, P = 0. 023), semen density was negatively correlated with mating time (r = - 0.211, P = 0.004), and total sperm count was negatively correlated with erection time (r = - 0. 159 , P = 0. 047). [Condusion ] The quality of semen had a certain correlation with body size, body weight and sexual behavior.
基金Supported by Fund Project for Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements(2012GB2E000341)Science and Technology Program of Guangdong Province(2012B020305008)
文摘In order to study the meat development value of princess chicken,the body size traits and slaughter performance of 12-week-old F1 hybrid offspring of princess chicken(♂) and kirin chicken(♀) were measured and the correlations between different traits were analyzed. The results showed that body length,keel length and shank length of male F1 hybrid offspring were significantly higher than those of female chickens(P 【 0. 05). The live weight,carcass weight,semi-eviscerated weight,semi-eviscerated ratio,eviscerated weight,chest muscle weight,the leg muscle weight and heart weight of male chickens were extremely significantly higher than that of female chickens(P 【 0. 01),and the leg muscle ratio and wings weight were significantly higher than that of female chickens(P 【 0. 05),but sebum thickness of male chickens was extremely significantly lower than that of female chickens(P 【 0. 01). Other indicators failed to reach the significant difference level. There were extremely significant or significant correlations between the slaughter performance and body size in F1 hybrid offspring. The regression equations between different indicators were identified and developed. The results provided a certain theoretical reference to predict slaughter performance indicators through a living body size measurement,and revealed an improved production performance of F1 hybrid offspring.
文摘We explored the effects of land-cover configuration, body size and trophic diversity in determining avian species richness on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Data on avian species richness were obtained from the Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas data. Prince Edward Island was divided into 97 sampling cells of 10 × 10 km. Land-cover metrics were calculated using a forest inventory database, Fragstats and ArcView version 8.1. The relationships between avian species richness and explanatory variables were explored using correlation analysis, mixed forward-backward stepwise analysis, generalized linear models and Akaike’s information criterion. Models predicted between 27% and 63% of the variability in species richness, attributing substantial explanatory power to both the average body size and the range of body size spanned by the avian community. The body-size frequency distribution showed that avian communities were dominated by species weighing between 50 and 80 g. Habitat metrics associated with forests were more important to the avifauna than those related to agriculture. Avian species richness also decreased with both the fragmentation and isolation of wetlands. The total area covered by the human infrastructure land-cover and its subdivision were also important. Clearly, body size plays a key role in determining the diversity of birds on Prince Edward Island. In particular, species weighing 50 - 80 g appear to have sufficient resources to be successful on Prince Edward Island’s landscapes. Our findings also highlighted the importance of controlling the expansion of human infrastructure and both the fragmentation and reduction in size of wetlands to maintain avian species richness patterns.
基金a grant from the Chinese Natural Science Foundation to Fang ZHANG(NSFC grants 3187223031640073)Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources(No.591601)。
文摘Nonlinear phenomena are commonly shown in the vocalization of animals and exerts different adaptive functions.Although some studies have pointed out that nonlinear phenomena can enhance the individual identification of male Odorrana tormota,whether the nonlinear phenomena play a specific role in the sexual selection of O.tormota remain unclear.Here we presented evidence that there was a significant negative correlation(Pearson:n=30,r=0.65,P<0.001)between the nonlinear phenomena content and snout-vent length in the male O.tormota,and two-choice amplexus experiments showed that female O.tormota preferred male with smaller body size containing higher nonlinear phenomena content in its calls.Phonotaxis experiments also revealed that females preferred calls with higher nonlinear phenomena content.Additionally,compared to the calls with lower nonlinear phenomena content and higher fundamental frequency,there was shorter response time in phonotactic behaviour of female induced by the calls with higher nonlinear phenomena content and lower fundamental frequency.We argue that the nonlinear phenomena content in the calls of male O.tormota can convey its body size information and may provide important clues for female frogs in darkened surroundings to identify males’body size during mate choice,meanwhile,higher nonlinear phenomena content in males’calls may increase the attractiveness of males to females.The results of this study provide confirmation that,for O.tormota,nonlinear phenomena have specific function in mate choice.
基金the NNSF of China (No.40206001)the Key Laboratory of Mariculture of Ministry of Education,Ocean University of China (No.200404)
文摘A 21-d laboratory experiment was conducted to study, the phosphorus (P) utilization of two different diets by redlip mullet Liza haematocheila T. & S. Sand-filtered water in salinity 30 and temperatare 25℃ was used. Twenty-nine fish individuals were divided into three groups: 11 to group 1 (G1) fed on diet 1, 11 to group 2 (G2) fed on diet 2, and 7 to contrast group. Diet 1 was a commercial feed, more valuable in nutrition than diet 2 that similar to natural detritus. The results show the intake phosphorus (IP) of G1 was significantly higher than that of G2, and both increased linearly with body size at a certain amount of diet. The retention phosphorus (RP) in fish of G1 was lower than G2. The relationship between retention phosphorus and body size was positive and stronger in G2. Significant difference in faecal phosphorus (FP) was found between G1 and G2. Body size significantly impacted the excretion phosphorus (EP) in G1 but G2. The loss of intake phosphorus in G1 was 10.83-20.27 mg per g fish weight gain, higher than that in G2 for 6.63-9.56. Of the phosphorus, about 10% was allocated into growth, 50% in faeces, and the rest lost in excretion. The main part of phosphorus was lost in faeces but excretion. The phosphorus budget of the fish could be described as 100IP = 7.40RP + 47.39FP + 36.63EP (Diet 1) or 100IP = 11.93RP + 56.64FP + 21.76EP (Diet 2).
文摘This paper was designed to analyze on the data, which was obtained from 'National Physique Fitness Investigation Report (2000)'. In order to get the typical body form and figure type of the middle age and aged people, it was focused on the body form data of this group (age 40 - 60). After calculation and analyzing, the distinguishing feature of body form and the distribution of figure type were deduced. Finally, the re-classification of body form for Chinese middle age and aged people was suggested. It as also suggested that a new garment size series especially for the middle age and aged should be built to fit for these people. This conclusion would be useful and significant to design and production for clothing company, especially that who take the aged people as their target consumer.
文摘Gazetted in 1997, The TCMP (Tobago Cays Marine Park) is the only marine protected area within the territorial boundaries of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Sea turtles are an important species in TCMP, and because their globally endangered status have become the focus of an in-water monitoring program, primarily for green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Preliminary assessment indicated that the TCMP contains an important foraging aggregation of sub-adult green turtles. Since then two additional years of data has been collected; this data was analyzed to assess the health of the turtle population. The data also indicated that the weight was predictable according to carapace width and length and that the population is dominated by larger sub-adults.
基金Supported by the ZPNSFC (LY12A01023)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11271104,11061017)
文摘This work is concerned with a kind of optimal control problem for a size-structured biological population model.Well-posedness of the state system and an adjoint system are proved by means of Banach's fixed point theorem.Existence and uniqueness of optimal control are shown by functional analytical approach.Optimality conditions describing the optimal strategy are established via tangent and normal cones technique.The results are of the first ones for this novel structure.
基金funded by The National Natural Science Foundation of China(41006083)The Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,China(ZR2010DQ026)+1 种基金The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(201022001,201262004)The Specialized Research Program for Marine Public Welfare Industry from the State Oceanic Administration,P.R.China(200805066)
文摘Cephalopods play key roles in global marine ecosystems as both predators and preys.Regressive estimation of original size and weight of cephalopod from beak measurements is a powerful tool of interrogating the feeding ecology of predators at higher trophic levels.In this study,regressive relationships among beak measurements and body length and weight were determined for an octopus species(Octopus variabilis),an important endemic cephalopod species in the northwest Pacific Ocean.A total of 193 individuals(63 males and 130 females) were collected at a monthly interval from Jiaozhou Bay,China.Regressive relationships among 6 beak measurements(upper hood length,UHL;upper crest length,UCL;lower hood length,LHL;lower crest length,LCL;and upper and lower beak weights) and mantle length(ML),total length(TL) and body weight(W) were determined.Results showed that the relationships between beak size and TL and beak size and ML were linearly regressive,while those between beak size and W fitted a power function model.LHL and UCL were the most useful measurements for estimating the size and biomass of O.variabilis.The relationships among beak measurements and body length(either ML or TL) were not significantly different between two sexes;while those among several beak measurements(UHL,LHL and LBW) and body weight(W) were sexually different.Since male individuals of this species have a slightly greater body weight distribution than female individuals,the body weight was not an appropriate measurement for estimating size and biomass,especially when the sex of individuals in the stomachs of predators was unknown.These relationships provided essential information for future use in size and biomass estimation of O.variabilis,as well as the estimation of predator/prey size ratios in the diet of top predators.