The study explored the relationship between the performance of calves and calving season in a Mediterranean rangeland-based beef livestock system.Twenty multiparous Sarda cows,grazing on a natural pasture,with two dis...The study explored the relationship between the performance of calves and calving season in a Mediterranean rangeland-based beef livestock system.Twenty multiparous Sarda cows,grazing on a natural pasture,with two distinct calving periods(group A,11 animals,calving date 15/10/2016±16(means±s.d.),and group W,nine animals,calving date 26/01/2017±11)were used.Meteorological data,herbage quality,daily milk yield(DMY),total milk yield(TMY),body weight(BW)of cows and calf,body-weight daily gain(ADG)of calves,body condition score(BCS)and calving interval(CI)of cows were assessed.A mixed-effects model was used to DMY and ADG data while TMY,BCS,weaning weight(WW)and CI data were analyzed by a linear model.The most determining factors in the DMY and ADG were detected by means of partial least square regression(PLSR)procedure.Group W showed higher DMY(6.5±0.3 kg/d vs.4.5±0.3 kg/d,p<0.001)and TMY(1,189±70 kg vs.830±60 kg,p=0.002)than Group A,but this did not result in a greater ADG of calves(Group A:0.83±0.04 kg/d/animal and Group W:0.99±0.09 kg/d/animal,p-value not significant)or WW when adjusted for their age(Group A:216±14 kg/animal and Group W:250±22 kg/animal,p-value not significant).In contrast,the WW actually measured were higher in Group A than in Group W(257±7 kg vs.175±8 kg,p<0.001).The Group W cows experienced a minor CI than Group A cows(288±13 d vs.320±8 d,p=0.04).The results of PLSR suggest that the factors with utmost importance for both DMY and ADG were the age and the body-weight of cows,highlighting the excellent maternal ability of Sarda breed and its good adaptation to environment.展开更多
Recent empirical and theoretical studies suggest that personality and locomotory performance traits linked to dispersal abilities are crucial components of the dispersal syndromes,and that they can evolve during range...Recent empirical and theoretical studies suggest that personality and locomotory performance traits linked to dispersal abilities are crucial components of the dispersal syndromes,and that they can evolve during range expansions and colonization processes.Island colonization is one of the best characterized processes in dispersal biogeography,and its implication in the evolution of phenotypic traits has been investigated over a wide range of temporal scales.However,the effect of island colonization on personality and performance traits of natural populations,and how these traits could drive island colonization,has been little explored.Noteworthy,no studies have addressed these processes in the context of late Pleistocene range expansions.Here,we investigated the contribution of island colonization triggered by postglacial range expansions to intraspecific variation in personality and locomotory performance traits.We compared boldness,exploration,jumping performance,and stickiness abilities in populations from 3 equidistant areas of the Tyrrhenian tree frog Hyla sarda,2 from the main island(Corsica Island),and 1 from the recently colonized island of Elba.Individuals from Elba were significantly bolder than individuals from Corsica,as they emerged sooner from a shelter(P=0.028),while individuals from Corsica showed markedly higher jumping and stickiness performance(both P<0.001),resulting as more performing than those of Elba.We discuss these results in the context of the major microevolutionary processes at play during range expansion,including selection,spatial sorting,founder effects,and their possible interaction with local adaptation processes.展开更多
基金The excellent cooperation of Mr.Gianni Meloni,Stefano Picconi,Salvatore Pintus and Nino Lei as well as the staff of Foresta Burgos research farm and the laboratory staff of AGRIS is highly appreciated.
文摘The study explored the relationship between the performance of calves and calving season in a Mediterranean rangeland-based beef livestock system.Twenty multiparous Sarda cows,grazing on a natural pasture,with two distinct calving periods(group A,11 animals,calving date 15/10/2016±16(means±s.d.),and group W,nine animals,calving date 26/01/2017±11)were used.Meteorological data,herbage quality,daily milk yield(DMY),total milk yield(TMY),body weight(BW)of cows and calf,body-weight daily gain(ADG)of calves,body condition score(BCS)and calving interval(CI)of cows were assessed.A mixed-effects model was used to DMY and ADG data while TMY,BCS,weaning weight(WW)and CI data were analyzed by a linear model.The most determining factors in the DMY and ADG were detected by means of partial least square regression(PLSR)procedure.Group W showed higher DMY(6.5±0.3 kg/d vs.4.5±0.3 kg/d,p<0.001)and TMY(1,189±70 kg vs.830±60 kg,p=0.002)than Group A,but this did not result in a greater ADG of calves(Group A:0.83±0.04 kg/d/animal and Group W:0.99±0.09 kg/d/animal,p-value not significant)or WW when adjusted for their age(Group A:216±14 kg/animal and Group W:250±22 kg/animal,p-value not significant).In contrast,the WW actually measured were higher in Group A than in Group W(257±7 kg vs.175±8 kg,p<0.001).The Group W cows experienced a minor CI than Group A cows(288±13 d vs.320±8 d,p=0.04).The results of PLSR suggest that the factors with utmost importance for both DMY and ADG were the age and the body-weight of cows,highlighting the excellent maternal ability of Sarda breed and its good adaptation to environment.
基金supported by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Education,University and Research(PRIN project 2017KLZ3MA).
文摘Recent empirical and theoretical studies suggest that personality and locomotory performance traits linked to dispersal abilities are crucial components of the dispersal syndromes,and that they can evolve during range expansions and colonization processes.Island colonization is one of the best characterized processes in dispersal biogeography,and its implication in the evolution of phenotypic traits has been investigated over a wide range of temporal scales.However,the effect of island colonization on personality and performance traits of natural populations,and how these traits could drive island colonization,has been little explored.Noteworthy,no studies have addressed these processes in the context of late Pleistocene range expansions.Here,we investigated the contribution of island colonization triggered by postglacial range expansions to intraspecific variation in personality and locomotory performance traits.We compared boldness,exploration,jumping performance,and stickiness abilities in populations from 3 equidistant areas of the Tyrrhenian tree frog Hyla sarda,2 from the main island(Corsica Island),and 1 from the recently colonized island of Elba.Individuals from Elba were significantly bolder than individuals from Corsica,as they emerged sooner from a shelter(P=0.028),while individuals from Corsica showed markedly higher jumping and stickiness performance(both P<0.001),resulting as more performing than those of Elba.We discuss these results in the context of the major microevolutionary processes at play during range expansion,including selection,spatial sorting,founder effects,and their possible interaction with local adaptation processes.
