Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background Currently, eight species in four genera of parvovirus have been described that infect swine. These include ungulate protoparvovirus 1 (classical porcine parvovirus, PPV), ungulate tetraparvovirus 2 (PPV3), ungulate tetraparvovirus 3 (which includes PPV2, porcine hokovirus, porcine partetravirus and porcine PARV4), ungulate copiparvovirus 2 (which includes PPV4 and PPV5), ungulate bocaparvovirus 2 (which includes porcine bocavirus 1, 2 and 6), ungulate bocaparvovirus 3 (porcine bocavirus 5), ungulate bocaparvovirus 4 (porcine bocavirus 7) and ungulate bocaparvovirus 5 (porcine bocavirus 3, 4–1 and 4–2). PPV6, the most recently described porcine parvovirus, was first identified in China in late 2014 in aborted pig fetuses. Prevalence of PPV6 in China was found to be similar in finishing age pigs from farms with and without evidence of swine reproductive failure. Methods Porcine parvovirus 6 (PPV6) was detected by sequence-independent single primer amplification (SISPA) and confirmed by overlapping and real-time PCR in the serum of porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSv) positive samples. Results Seven nearly complete genomes of PPV6 were identified in PRRSv genotype 2 positive serum samples submitted to state veterinary diagnostic laboratories in 2014. Further testing using overlapping and real-time PCR determined PPV6 to be present in 13.2 % of the serums tested. Additionally, PPV6 was present in samples from all of the geographic locations sampled encompassing nine states in the United States and one state in Mexico. The presence of PPV6 in serum indicates that the PPV6 infection is disseminated and not localized to a specific tissue type. Alignments of the near full length genomes, NS1, and capsid genes identified one of the five PPV6 isolates from China (98.6–99.5 % identity with the North American strains) to be the North American strains nearest relative. Conclusions These results are the first to report the presence of PPV6 in North America and demonstrate that the virus is found in multiple geographic areas in the United States and in Mexico. The overall prevalence of PPV6 in PRRSv viremic animals is relatively low. Further, all of the PPV6 genomes found in North America are most closely related to a PPV6 strain first identified in 2014 in healthy pigs from the Tianjin province of China.

\"Carefully leveled text and vibrant photographs introduce readers to horned animals such as the kudu, yak, and cape buffalo, and explore how they use their horns to defend themselves against predators. Includes activity, glossary, and index.\"-- Provided by publisher.

Migratory ungulates are thought to be declining globally because their dependence on large landscapes renders them highly vulnerable to environmental change. Yet recent studies reveal that many ungulate species can adjust their migration propensity in response to changing environmental conditions to potentially improve population persistence. In addition to the question of whether to migrate, decisions of where and when to migrate appear equally fundamental to individual migration tactics, but these three dimensions of plasticity have rarely been explored together. Here, we expand the concept of migratory plasticity beyond individual switches in migration propensity to also include spatial and temporal adjustments to migration patterns. We develop a novel typological framework that delineates every potential change type within the three dimensions, then use this framework to guide a literature review. We discuss broad patterns in migratory plasticity, potential drivers of migration change, and research gaps in the current understanding of this trait. Our result reveals 127 migration change events in direct response to natural and human-induced environmental changes across 27 ungulate species. Species that appeared in multiple studies showed multiple types of change, with some exhibiting the full spectrum of migratory plasticity. This result highlights that multidimensional migratory plasticity is pervasive in ungulates, even as the manifestation of plasticity varies case by case. However, studies thus far have rarely been able to determine the fitness outcomes of different types of migration change, likely due to the scarcity of long-term individual-based demographic monitoring as well as measurements encompassing a full behavioral continuum and environmental gradient for any given species. Recognizing and documenting the full spectrum of migratory plasticity marks the first step for the field of migration ecology to employ quantitative methods, such as reaction norms, to predict migration change along environmental gradients. Closer monitoring for changes in migratory propensity, routes, and timing may improve the efficacy of conservation strategies and management actions in a rapidly changing world.

Grazers all over the Earth provide nourishment for carnivores and are often valuable to humans for meat, skins, and various domestic uses. This volume provides a view of these varied and complex creatures as well as the features and behaviors that both bind them together and set them apart. --from publisher description

Fitness costs of reproduction are expected when resources are limited. Costs drive the evolution of life‐history strategies and can affect population dynamics if females change their allocation of resources to reproduction. We studied fitness costs of reproduction in mountain ungulates in Alberta, Canada. We monitored two populations of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) for 44 and 30 years, and one of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) for 30 years. Both species are highly iteroparous. Heterogeneity in individual reproductive potential makes fitness costs of reproduction difficult to detect and quantify without manipulations. In capital breeders, individual differences can be partly accounted for by considering body mass and other correlates of reproductive potential. Long‐term monitoring can reveal costs that only manifest under stressful conditions such as disease or resource scarcity. Despite individual differences in reproductive potential, we detected fitness costs of reproduction in females. Costs, in terms of mass gain and survival, are almost entirely born by subsequent offspring, as mothers prioritize their own maintenance and survival. Costs are greater for primiparous females, decrease with increasing body mass and increase as resource availability declines, and sons are costlier than daughters. Costs may increase for senescent females that appear to reduce allocation to reproduction. In bighorn sheep, costs mostly involve reduced mass gain and lower survival of subsequent offspring. In mountain goats, costs include reductions in mass gain, subsequent fecundity and juvenile survival. In males, fitness costs derive mostly from attempts to reproduce rather than from siring success and likely depend upon individual competitiveness. In the absence of selective harvests, dominant males may enjoy high fitness and possibly lower costs compared to subordinates. The conservative reproductive tactic of mountain ungulate females likely explains why density dependence mostly involves later primiparity and lower recruitment, but rarely affects adult survival. Future research will seek to better account for heterogeneity in reproductive potential, assess cumulative reproductive costs and investigate the potential effects of fathers on maternal allocation tactics. Fitness costs of reproduction affect the evolution of life histories, morphology and population dynamics of wild species. They are key to the consequences of different forms of exploitation. The authors combine 104 population‐years of monitoring two species of mountain ungulates to show that fitness costs are mostly transferred to subsequent offspring. Résumé Les coûts de la reproduction émergent lorsque les ressources sont limitées et influencent l’évolution des stratégies d’histoire de vie. Si les femelles modifient l’allocation des ressources dans la reproduction pour mitiger ces coûts, ils peuvent aussi affecter la dynamique de population. Nous avons étudié les coûts de la reproduction chez des ongulés en Alberta, Canada. Nous avons suivi deux populations de mouflons d’Amérique (Ovis canadensis) pour 44 et 30 ans, et une de chèvre de montagne (Oreamnos americanus) pour 30 ans. Ces deux espèces sont itéropares. L’hétérogénéité dans le potentiel reproducteur des individus peut masquer les coûts en fitness liés à la reproduction. Ils sont donc plus souvent détectables à l’aide de manipulation expérimentale. Chez les espèces avec reproduction « sur capital », il est possible de contrôler pour les différences individuelles en incluant des variables liées au potentiel reproducteur telles que la masse corporelle. Les suivis à long terme permettent de détecter des coûts qui se manifestent seulement lors de conditions environnementales défavorables. Malgré les différences en potentiel reproducteur, nous avons détecté des coûts chez les femelles. Ces coûts, tels qu’une réduction en croissance ou en survie, sont presque toujours subis par les jeunes nés lors d’épisodes de reproduction subséquents. En effet, les mères priorisent leur propre maintien et leur survie. Les coûts sont supérieurs pour les femelles primipares et dans les conditions défavorables. Ils sont plus faibles pour les femelles plus lourdes et il semble que les fils soient plus coûteux que les filles. Les coûts augmentent aussi chez les femelles sénescentes qui semblent réduire leur allocation dans la reproduction. Chez les mouflons, les coûts impliquent une réduction du gain en masse et une survie plus faible des jeunes nés lors de reproductions subséquentes. Chez les chèvres de montagne, ces coûts sont accompagnés d’une réduction de la fécondité future. Chez les mâles, les coûts sont surtout influencés par l’investissement en temps et en énergie dans le rut plutôt que par le succès d’accouplement. Ces coûts devraient donc surtout dépendre de l’habileté compétitive individuelle. En absence de chasse sélective, les mâles dominants devraient avoir un fort succès reproducteur avec des coûts potentiellement plus faibles comparativement aux subordonnées. La tactique conservative adoptée par les ongulés de montagne femelles peut expliquer pourquoi les effets densité‐dépendant mènent à un retard dans l’âge à la primiparité et à un recrutement plus faible, mais affectent rarement la survie adulte. Nos recherches futures tenteront de mieux quantifier l’hétérogénéité individuelle, évalueront les coûts cumulatifs à la reproduction et investigueront l’effet potentiel des pères sur les tactiques d’allocation maternelles.

Aim Central part of Iran harbours populations of wild ungulates that are threatened or extinct over large parts of the region, and are likely to be impacted by climate change. In this study, we predicted the impact of climate change on the distribution of three vulnerable ungulates in central Iran. We then evaluated future suitability of corridors connecting the protected areas for movement of the ungulates in response to climate change. Location Central Iran. Methods Impact of climate change on distribution of goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), wild sheep (Ovis spp) and wild goat (Capra aegagrus) was predicted adapting an ensemble modelling approach and under the RCP 8.5 emission scenario. We then used CIRCUITSCAPE software with current and future distribution maps to identify corridors for movement of the three ungulates, and evaluate likely changes in their suitability under climate change. Results Our results revealed that climate change might result in loss of 55%, 69% and 76% of suitable habitats for goitered gazelle, wild sheep and wild goat by 2070, respectively. These losses also resulted in some protected areas to become unsuitable for the ungulates. However, we identified key protected areas with the potential for future protection of these ungulates. For the three species, we also identified corridors which would persist into the future, allowing the impacted populations to move in response to climate change. Main conclusions Conservation of ungulate populations in Iran mainly depends on the protected areas. To maintain the role of the protected areas in conserving these mammals under climate change, we recommend the incorporation of their potential future distribution into conservation plans, increasing protection status of the key protected areas, and maintain critical corridors. In this regard, combining results of distribution and connectivity models provides useful information for effective management of these ungulates in the future.

Illuminating the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of parasites is one of the most pressing issues facing modern science, and is critical for basic science, the global economy, and human health. Extremely important to this effort are data on the disease-causing organisms of wild animal hosts (including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, helminths, arthropods, and fungi). Here we present an updated version of the Global Mammal Parasite Database, a database of the parasites of wild ungulates (artiodactyls and perissodactyls), carnivores, and primates, and make it available for download as complete flat files. The updated database has more than 24,000 entries in the main data file alone, representing data from over 2700 literature sources. We include data on sampling method and sample sizes when reported, as well as both \"reported\" and \"corrected\" (i.e., standardized) binomials for each host and parasite species. Also included are current higher taxonomies and data on transmission modes used by the majority of species of parasites in the database. In the associated metadata we describe the methods used to identify sources and extract data from the primary literature, how entries were checked for errors, methods used to georeference entries, and how host and parasite taxonomies were standardized across the database. We also provide definitions of the data fields in each of the four files that users can download.

More than a quarter of earth's land surface is used for grazing domestic livestock. Livestock grazing is generally assumed to negatively affect wildlife, however, a number of studies have found positive impacts as well. We conducted an evidence-based review of the existing literature using a series of livestock- and wildlife-related search words to systematically query Google Scholar and Web of Science. A total of 807 sources were included in the final list, including 646 primary sources which reported original data. The majority of studies were conducted in North America (338) or Europe (123), with many fewer from Africa (57), Australia (54), Central/South America (43), or Asia (31). Most studies examined birds (330) and mammals (262), with fewer including reptiles (91) or amphibians (58). We extracted further information from studies that included mammals on positive, negative, and neutral effects of livestock grazing on mammals. We found that livestock change vegetation structure and cover in ways important to small mammals, while ungulates may be affected more by interference competition and changes in forage quantity and quality. Community-level total abundance of small mammals typically declines with grazing. Species richness of small mammals either declines or stays the same, as many studies found a change in species composition from ungrazed to grazed sites while the number of species remained similar. Individual species responses of small mammals vary. Voles, harvest mice, cotton rats, and shrews show consistently negative responses to grazing while deer mice, kangaroo rats, ground squirrels, and lagomorphs show positive or variable responses. In general, species adapted to open habitats are often positively affected by grazing, while species needing denser cover are negatively affected. Studies of wild ungulates are more variable in methodology and quality than those for small mammals. We found more negative (n = 86) than positive (n = 34) ungulate responses overall, however, most studies have been on browsers and mixed feeders, namely deer and elk, and there is little available data for other groups. Although data is limited, several of the grazing species in Africa may show a trend toward positive responses, suggesting possible facilitation. For a number of species, responses varied by season. We find a strong need for additional research on ungulates of varying diets and body sizes, especially in the developing world, and across longer time scales to examine possible tradeoffs between competition and facilitation from livestock.

Plants inhabiting open landscapes are often dispersed by ungulates and are expected to be adapted to this type of dispersal through their seed traits. To find which traits help seeds survive the passage through digestion of wild ungulates, we conducted a comprehensive feeding experiment with almost forty species of plants and three species of ungulates. We fed specified numbers of seeds to the animals, collected the dung, and germinated the dung content. We explored whether seed morphological traits and seed nutrient contents are good predictors of seed survival after passage through the ungulate digestive system. We also tested how the seed survival differed after the passage through different ungulate species. To find answers, we used GLMM with beta-binomial distribution and animal and plant species as random factor, respectively. We found that species survival and germination success were negatively correlated to seed elongation and the thickness of the seed coat. Even though phylogenetically correct GLMM did not yield significant results, when we tested species from commonly represented families, separately (legumes and grasses compared to all other species) different traits had statistically significant effects. In the case of seed elongation, the effect changed direction from negative to positive when legumes and grasses were left out. Our results suggest that seed traits enabling species survival after passage through the digestive tract are strongly phylogenetically conserved and different groups of plants evolved different ways of adapting to grazing pressure and utilize it for dispersal.