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18,621 results for “development;”
Data from: Landscape connectivity for wildlife: development and validation of multi-species linkage maps
The ability to identify regions of high functional connectivity for multiple wildlife species is of conservation interest with respect to forest management and corridor planning. We present a method that does not require independent, field-collected data, is insensitive to the placement of source and destination sites (nodes) for modeling connectivity, and does not require the selection of a focal species. In the first step of our approach, we created a cost surface that represented permeability of the landscape to movement for a suite of species. We randomly selected nodes around the perimeter of the buffered study area and used circuit theory to connect pairs of nodes. When the buffer was removed, the resulting current density map represented, for each grid cell, the probability of use by moving animals. We found that using nodes that were randomly located around the perimeter of the buffered study area was less biased by node placement than randomly selecting nodes within the study area. We also found that a buffer of ≥ 20% of the study area width was sufficient to remove the effects of node placement on current density. We tested our method by creating a map of connectivity in the Algonquin to Adirondack region in eastern North America, and we validated the map with independently collected data. We found that amphibians and reptiles were more likely to cross roads in areas of high current density, and fishers (Pekania [Martes] pennanti) used areas with high current density within their home ranges. Our approach provides an efficient and cost-effective method of predicting areas with relatively high functional connectivity.
Data from: Temperature and sex related effects of serine protease alleles on larval development in the Glanville fritillary butterfly
The body reserves of adult Lepidoptera are accumulated during larval development. In the Glanville fritillary butterfly, larger body size increases female fecundity, but in males fast larval development and early eclosion, rather than large body size, increase mating success and hence fitness. Larval growth rate is highly heritable, but genetic variation associated with larval development is largely unknown. By comparing the Glanville fritillary population living in the Åland Islands in northern Europe with a population in Nantaizi in China, within the source of the post-glacial range expansion, we identified candidate genes with reduced variation in Åland, potentially affected by selection under cooler climatic conditions than in Nantaizi. We conducted an association study of larval growth traits by genotyping the extremes of phenotypic trait distributions for 23 SNPs in 10 genes. Three genes in clip-domain serine protease family were associated with larval growth rate, development time and pupal weight. Additive effects of two SNPs in the prophenoloxidase-activating proteinase-3 (ProPO3) gene, related to melanization, showed elevated growth rate in high temperature but reduced growth rate in moderate temperature. The allelic effects of the vitellin-degrading protease precursor gene on development time were opposite in the two sexes, one genotype being associated with long development time and heavy larvae in females but short development time in males. Sexually antagonistic selection is here evident in spite of sexual size dimorphism.
Data from: The distribution of fruit and seed toxicity during development for eleven Neotropical trees and vines in Central Panama
Secondary compounds in fruit mediate interactions with natural enemies and seed dispersers, influencing plant survival and species distributions. The functions of secondary metabolites in plant defenses have been well-studied in green tissues, but not in reproductive structures of plants. In this study, the distribution of toxicity within plants was quantified and its influence on seed survival was determined in Central Panama. To investigate patterns of allocation to chemical defenses and shifts in allocation with fruit development, I quantified variation in toxicity between immature and mature fruit and between the seed and pericarp for eleven species. Toxicity of seed and pericarp was compared to leaf toxicity for five species. Toxicity was measured as reduced hyphal growth of two fungal pathogens, Phoma sp. and Fusarium sp., and reduced survivorship of brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, across a range of concentrations of crude extract. I used these measures of potential toxicity against generalist natural enemies to examine the effect of fruit toxicity on reductions of fruit development and seed survival by vertebrates, invertebrates, and pathogens measured for seven species in a natural enemy removal experiment. The seed or pericarp of all vertebrate- and wind-dispersed species reduced Artemia survivorship and hyphal growth of Fusarium during the immature and mature stages. Only mature fruit of two vertebrate-dispersed species reduced hyphal growth of Phoma. Predispersal seed survival increased with toxicity of immature fruit to Artemia during germination and decreased with toxicity to fungi during fruit development. This study suggests that fruit toxicity against generalist natural enemies may be common in Central Panama. These results support the hypothesis that secondary metabolites in fruit have adaptive value and are important in the evolution of fruit-frugivore interactions.
Data from: Development of nuclear microsatellite loci and mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphisms for the natterjack toad, Bufo (Epidalea) calamita (Bufonidae), using next generation sequencing and Competitive Allele Specific PCR (KASPar)
Amphibians are undergoing a major decline worldwide and the steady increase in the number of threatened species in this particular taxa highlights the need for conservation genetics studies using high-quality molecular markers. The natterjack toad, Bufo (Epidalea) calamita, is a vulnerable pioneering species confined to specialized habitats in Western Europe. To provide efficient and cost-effective genetic resources for conservation biologists, we developed and characterized 22 new nuclear microsatellite markers using next-generation sequencing. We also used sequence data acquired from Sanger sequencing to develop the first mitochondrial markers for KASPar assay genotyping. Genetic polymorphism was then analyzed for 95 toads sampled from 5 populations in France. For polymorphic microsatellite loci, number of alleles and expected heterozygosity ranged from 2 to 14 and from 0.035 to 0.720, respectively. No significant departures from panmixia were observed (mean multilocus F IS = −0.015) and population differentiation was substantial (mean multilocus F ST = 0.222, P < 0.001). From a set of 18 mitochondrial SNPs located in the 16S and D-loop region, we further developed a fast and cost-effective SNP genotyping method based on competitive allele-specific PCR amplification (KASPar). The combination of allelic states for these mitochondrial DNA SNP markers yielded 10 different haplotypes, ranging from 2 to 5 within populations. Populations were highly differentiated (G ST = 0.407, P < 0.001). These new genetic resources will facilitate future parentage, population genetics and phylogeographical studies and will be useful for both evolutionary and conservation concerns, especially for the set-up of management strategies and the definition of distinct evolutionary significant units.
Data from: Influence of in-situ oil sands development on caribou (Rangifer tarandus) movement
In-situ oil sands development (ISD) involves a network of facilities, wells, roads and pipelines to extract and transport subsurface bitumen. This technology is rapidly expanding and there is uncertainty whether ISDs restrict animal movement, leading to increased extinction probabilities for some wide-ranging species. Here we test for effects of simulated future (i.e., 50 years from now) and current ISDs on simulated movements of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus), a threatened species across North America. In simulations of future scenarios, we varied the spacing and permeability of ISDs and the presence/absence of protected areas. Permeability was measured as the number of times simulated caribou crossed ISDs with different levels of modelled permeability. We estimated the effects of these factors on caribou step length and annual home range size, key metrics of small and large spatiotemporal scales of movement, respectively. Current caribou crossings of above-ground pipeline features of ISDs were measured using camera traps and compared to expected caribou crossing rates based on present-day caribou movement simulations. Current crossing rates were evaluated within the context of predicted future crossing success rates necessary to maintain caribou step lengths and home ranges. With few exceptions, permeability across ISDs was the main factor affecting caribou movement, more so than spacing between developments or the presence of protected areas. However, minimal permeability (crossing rates of c. 15% to 60%, relative to an undisturbed site was needed to maintain existing home range size and step lengths. The effect of permeability on home range size and step length was non-linear, suggesting that small increases in permeability would provide a disproportionately greater benefit to caribou movement. Our predictions demonstrate that maintaining permeability across ISDs is more important than spacing between leases or including protected areas, and thus provides clear direction for mitigation efforts for features that will exist on the landscape for decades to come.
Data from: Nest predation risk and growth strategies of passerine species: grow fast or develop traits to escape risk?
Different body components are thought to trade off in their growth and development rates, but the causes for relative prioritization of any trait remains a critical question. Offspring of species at higher risk of predation might prioritize development of locomotor traits that facilitate escaping risky environments over growth of mass. We tested this possibility in 12 altricial passerine species that differed in their risk of nest predation. We found that rates of growth and development of mass, wings, and endothermy increased with nest predation risk across species. In particular, species with higher nest predation risk exhibited relatively faster growth of wings than of mass, fledged with relatively larger wing sizes and smaller mass, and developed endothermy earlier at relatively smaller mass. This differential development can facilitate both escape from predators and survival outside of the nest environment. Tarsus growth was not differentially prioritized with respect to nest predation risk, and instead all species achieved adult tarsus size by age of fledging. We also tested whether different foraging modes (aerial, arboreal, and ground foragers) might explain the variation of differential growth of locomotor modules, but we found that little residual variation was explained. Our results suggest that differences in nest predation risk among species are associated with relative prioritization of body components to facilitate escape from the risky nest environment.
Insecticide exposure during brood or early-adult development reduces brain growth and impairs adult learning in bumblebees
<p>For social bees, an understudied step in evaluating pesticide risk is how contaminated food entering colonies affects residing offspring development and maturation. For instance, neurotoxic insecticide compounds in food could affect central nervous system development predisposing individuals to become poorer task performers later-in-life. Studying bumblebee colonies provisioned with neonicotinoid spiked nectar substitute, we measured brain volume and learning behaviour of 3 or 12-day old adults that had experienced in-hive exposure during brood and/or early-stage adult development. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) scanning and segmentation of multiple brain neuropils showed exposure during either developmental stage caused reduced mushroom body calycal growth relative to unexposed workers. Associated with this, was a lower probability of responding to a sucrose reward and lower learning performance in an olfactory conditioning test. Whilst calycal volume of control workers positively correlated with learning score, this relationship was absent for exposed workers indicating neuropil functional impairment. Comparison of 3 and 12-day adults exposed during brood development showed a similar degree of reduced calycal volume and impaired behaviour highlighting lasting and irrecoverable effects from exposure despite no adult exposure. Our findings help explain how the onset of pesticide exposure to whole colonies can lead to lag-effects on growth and resultant dysfunction.</p>
Data from: Harsh conditions during early development influence telomere length in an altricial passerine: links with oxidative stress and corticosteroids
Stress during early development can induce substantial long-term effects in organisms. In the case of birds, despite growth compensations, nestlings reared under harsh conditions typically show reduced survival chances in adulthood. It has been proposed that environmental early-life stressors could affect longevity via effects on telomere length, possibly mediated through oxidative stress. However, the link between these processes is not clear. In this study, we experimentally manipulated brood size in spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor) to test the causal relationship between early stress, oxidative and corticosterone-mediated stress and telomere shortening. Our results show that experimentally enlarged brood sizes led to a reduction in morphometric development on nestlings, the effect being stronger for females than males. Additionally, basal corticosterone levels increased with increasing brood size in female nestlings. Neither plasma antioxidant status nor malondialdehyde levels (a marker of lipid peroxidation) were affected by experimental brood size, although the levels of a key intracellular antioxidant (glutathione) decreased with increasing brood size. We found that the treatment showed a quadratic effect on nestling telomere lengths, that were shortened either by increases or decreases of the original brood size. Our study provides experimental evidence for a link between developmental stress and telomere length, but does not support a direct causal link of this reduction with corticosterone or oxidative stress. We suggest that future studies should focus on how telomere length responds to additional markers of allostatic load.
Data from: Development of a simple, practice-based tool to assess quality of paediatric emergency care delivery in resource-limited settings: identifying critical actions via a Delphi study
Objective: Provision of timely, high-quality care for the initial management of critically ill children in African hospitals remains a challenge. Monitoring the completion of critical actions during resuscitations can inform efforts to reduce variability and improve outcomes. We sought to develop a practice-based tool based on contextually relevant actions identified via a Delphi process. Our goal was to develop a tool that could identify gaps in care, facilitate identification of training and standardized assessment to support quality improvement efforts. Design: Six sentinel conditions were selected based on disease epidemiology and mortality at rural and urban African emergency departments. Potential critical actions were identified through focused literature review. These actions were evaluated within a three-round modified Delphi process. A set of logistical filters was applied to the candidate list to derive a practice-based tool. Setting and participants: Attendees at an international emergency medicine conference comprised an expert panel of 25 participants, with 84% working primarily in African settings. Consensus rounds allowing novel responses were conducted via online and in-person surveys. Results: The expert panel generated 199 actions that apply to six conditions in emergently ill children. Application of appropriateness criteria refined this to 92 candidate actions across seven categories: core skills, active seizure, altered mental status, diarrheal illness, febrile illness, respiratory distress, polytrauma. From these, we identified 28 actions for inclusion in a practice-based tool contextually relevant to the initial management of critically ill children in Africa. Conclusions: A group consensus process identified critical actions for severely ill children with select sentinel conditions in emergency paediatric care in an African setting. Absence of these actions during resuscitation might reflect modifiable gaps in quality of care. The resulting practice-based tool is context-relevant and can serve as a foundation for training and quality improvement efforts in African hospitals and emergency departments.
Data from: Functional response of wolves to human development across boreal North America
Aim: The influence of humans on large carnivores, including wolves, is a worldwide conservation concern. In addition, human‐caused changes in carnivore density and distribution might have impacts on prey and, indirectly, on vegetation. We therefore tested wolf responses to infrastructure related to natural resource development (i.e., human footprint). Location: Our study provides one of the most extensive assessments of how predators like wolves select habitat in response to various degrees of footprint across boreal ecosystems encompassing over a million square kilometers of Canada. Methods: We deployed GPS‐collars on 172 wolves, monitored movements and used a generalized functional response (GFR) model of resource selection. A functional response in habitat selection occurs when selection varies as a function of the availability of that habitat. GFRs can clarify how human‐induced habitat changes are influencing wildlife across large, diverse landscapes. Results: Wolves displayed a functional response to footprint. Wolves were more likely to select forest harvest cutblocks in regions with higher cutblock density (i.e., a positive functional response to high‐quality habitats for ungulate prey) and to select for higher road density in regions where road density was high (i.e., a positive functional response to human‐created travel routes). Wolves were more likely to use cutblocks in habitats with low road densities, and more likely to use roads in habitats with low cutblock densities, except in winter when wolves were more likely to use roads regardless of cutblock density. Main conclusions: These interactions suggest that wolves trade‐off among human‐impacted habitats, and adaptively switch from using roads to facilitate movement (while also risking encounters with humans), to using cutblocks that may have higher ungulate densities. We recommend that conservation managers consider the contextual and interacting effects of footprints when assessing impacts on carnivores. These effects likely have indirect impacts on ecosystems too, including on prey species.
The sustainable development of coal mines by new cutting roof technology
<p>China consumes more than 3.6 billion tons of coal every year, accounting for over 60% of the energy consumption. Therefore, the sustainable development of coal mine is a problem needed to be solved by the Chinese government. During the coal resources recovery, the protective coal pillars between the adjacent working faces cause the serious loss for coal resources. In order to solve the problem, it was put forward that the new technology of roof cutting with chain arm to retain roadway in the paper. Firstly, the process of retaining roadway, roof-cutting parameters and the damage ranges of roadway surrounding rock induced by roof cutting with chain arm were analyzed. Then, it was given that the working resistance of the temporary support equipment in technology of roof cutting with chain arm to retain roadway. Next, the roof-cutting height, the type of temporary support equipment, working resistance of portal support and support parameters of the bolt and anchor cables were optimized by the numerical calculation. Finally, the industrial experiment of retaining roadway by roof cutting with chain arm was carried out in a working face. The surrounding rock damage was minimal with the use of chain arm-roof cutting technology, and the variation range of the uniaxial compressive strength was only 5%, resulting in the roof damage rate to 82 mm. From the studies, it was concluded that this technology could be of a great asset to the coal mining community.</p>
Data from: A pipeline for metabarcoding and diet analysis from fecal samples developed for a small semi-aquatic mammal
Metabarcoding allows the genetic analysis of pooled samples of various sources. It is becoming popular in the study of animal diet, especially because it allows the analysis of the composition of feces without the need of handling animals. In this work, we studied the diet of the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus), a small semi-aquatic mammal endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and the Pyrenees, by sequencing COI minibarcodes from feces using next-generation sequencing techniques. For the identification of assembled sequences, we employed a tree-based identification method that used a reference tree of sequences of freshwater organisms. The comparison of freshly collected fecal samples and older samples showed that fresh samples produced significantly more sequencing reads. They also rendered more operational taxonomical units (OTUs), but not significantly. Our analyses of 41 samples identified 224 OTUs corresponding to species of the reference tree. Ephemeroptera, Diptera excl. Chironomidae, and Chironomidae were the most highly represented groups in terms of reads as well as samples. Other groups of freshwater organisms detected were Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Neuropteroida, Coleoptera, Crustacea, and Annelida. Our results are largely in line with previous morphological and genetic studies on the diet of the Pyrenean desman, but allowed the identification of a higher diversity of OTUs in each sample. Additionally, the bioinformatic pipeline we developed for deep sequencing of fecal samples will enable the quantitative analysis of the diet of this and other species, which can be highly useful to determine their ecological requirements.
Data from: Adaptive developmental plasticity in a butterfly: mechanisms for size and time at pupation differ between diapause and direct development
Diapause (overwintering) and direct development are alternative developmental pathways in temperate insects. Diapause necessitates physiological preparations for dormancy, while direct development is associated with strong time constraints, resulting in selection for fast development under the direct development pathway. Physiological and behavioural preparations for pupation contribute to development time, so divergent selection in them is expected between the alternative developmental pathways. Critical mass for pupation induction is a central physiological parameter for the pupation process. Here, we compare the critical masses and the characteristics of the wandering stage – wandering taking place after the cessation of growth and before pupation – between diapausing and directly developing larvae in the butterfly Pieris napi. Critical mass estimation succeeded only for diapausing individuals, among which it was lower in females than in males, indicating an inter-pathway difference in the physiology of critical mass. Directly developing individuals wandered for a shorter time and distance and lost less mass before pupation than diapausing individuals. These physiological and behavioural differences represent adaptive phenotypic plasticity and contribute to fast development under direct development. Thus, the observed developmental plasticity in physiology offers a mechanistic explanation for adaptive life-history variation between alternative developmental pathways and sexual dimorphism.
Data from: Developing nuclear DNA phylogenetic markers in the angiosperm genus Leucadendron (Proteaceae): a next-generation sequencing transcriptomic approach
Despite the recent advances in generating molecular data, reconstructing species-level phylogenies for non-models groups remains a challenge. The use of a number of independent genes is required to resolve phylogenetic relationships, especially for groups displaying low polymorphism. In such cases, low-copy nuclear exons and non-coding regions, such as 3′ untranslated regions (3′-UTRs) or introns, constitute a potentially interesting source of nuclear DNA variation. Here, we present a methodology meant to identify new nuclear orthologous markers using both public-nucleotide databases and transcriptomic data generated for the group of interest by using next generation sequencing technology. To identify PCR primers for a non-model group, the genus Leucadendron (Proteaceae), we adopted a framework aimed at minimizing the probability of paralogy and maximizing polymorphism. We anchored when possible the right-hand primer into the 3′-UTR and the left-hand primer into the coding region. Seven new nuclear markers emerged from this search strategy, three of those included 3′-UTRs. We further compared the phylogenetic potential between our new markers and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS). The sequenced 3′-UTRs yielded higher polymorphism rates than the ITS region did. We did not find strong incongruences with the phylogenetic signal contained in the ITS region and the seven new designed markers but they strongly improved the phylogeny of the genus Leucadendron. Overall, this methodology is efficient in isolating orthologous loci and is valid for any non-model group given the availability of transcriptomic data.
Data from: Sociosexual and communication deficits after traumatic injury to the developing murine brain
Despite the life-long implications of social and communication dysfunction after pediatric traumatic brain injury, there is a poor understanding of these deficits in terms of their developmental trajectory and underlying mechanisms. In a well-characterized murine model of pediatric brain injury, we recently demonstrated that pronounced deficits in social interactions emerge across maturation to adulthood after injury at postnatal day (p) 21, approximating a toddler-aged child. Extending these findings, we here hypothesized that these social deficits are dependent upon brain maturation at the time of injury, and coincide with abnormal sociosexual behaviors and communication. Age-dependent vulnerability of the developing brain to social deficits was addressed by comparing behavioral and neuroanatomical outcomes in mice injured at either a pediatric age (p21) or during adolescence (p35). Sociosexual behaviors including social investigation and mounting were evaluated in a resident-intruder paradigm at adulthood. These outcomes were complemented by assays of urine scent marking and ultrasonic vocalizations as indices of social communication. We provide evidence of sociosexual deficits after brain injury at p21, which manifest as reduced mounting behavior and scent marking towards an unfamiliar female at adulthood. In contrast, with the exception of the loss of social recognition in a three-chamber social approach task, mice that received TBI at adolescence were remarkably resilient to social deficits at adulthood. Increased emission of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) as well as preferential emission of high frequency USVs after injury was dependent upon both the stimulus and prior social experience. Contrary to the hypothesis that changes in white matter volume may underlie social dysfunction, injury at both p21 and p35 resulted in a similar degree of atrophy of the corpus callosum by adulthood. However, loss of hippocampal tissue was greater after p21 compared to p35 injury, suggesting that a longer period of lesion progression or differences in the kinetics of secondary pathogenesis after p21 injury may contribute to observed behavioral differences. Together, these findings indicate vulnerability of the developing brain to social dysfunction, and suggest that a younger age-at-insult results in poorer social and sociosexual outcomes.
Data from: Anthropogenic changes in sodium affect neural and muscle development in butterflies
The development of organisms is changing drastically because of anthropogenic changes in once-limited nutrients. Although the importance of changing macronutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, is well-established, it is less clear how anthropogenic changes in micronutrients will affect organismal development, potentially changing dynamics of selection. We use butterflies as a study system to test whether changes in sodium availability due to road salt runoff have significant effects on the development of sodium-limited traits, such as neural and muscle tissue. We first document how road salt runoff can elevate sodium concentrations in the tissue of some plant groups by 1.5–30 times. Using monarch butterflies reared on roadside- and prairie-collected milkweed, we then show that road salt runoff can result in increased muscle mass (in males) and neural investment (in females). Finally, we use an artificial diet manipulation in cabbage white butterflies to show that variation in sodium chloride per se positively affects male flight muscle and female brain size. Variation in sodium not only has different effects depending on sex, but also can have opposing effects on the same tissue: across both species, males increase investment in flight muscle with increasing sodium, whereas females show the opposite pattern. Taken together, our results show that anthropogenic changes in sodium availability can affect the development of traits in roadside-feeding herbivores. This research suggests that changing micronutrient availability could alter selection on foraging behavior for some roadside-developing invertebrates.
Data from: Survival to independence in relation to pre-fledging development and latitude in songbirds across the globe
Species differ strongly in their life histories, including the probability of survival. Annual adult survival was investigated extensively in the past, whereas juvenile survival, and especially survival to independence, received much less attention. Yet, they are critical for our understanding of population demography and life-history evolution. We investigated post-fledging survival to independence (i.e. survival upon leaving the nest until nutritional independence) in 74 species of passerine birds worldwide based on 100 population level estimates extracted from published literature. Our comparative analyses revealed that survival to independence increased with the length of nestling period and relative fledging mass (ratio of fledging mass to adult body mass). At the same time, species with higher nest predation rates had shorter nestling periods and lower relative fledging mass. Thus, we identify an important trade-off in life history strategies: staying longer in the nest may improve post-fledging survival due to enhanced flight ability and sensory functions, but at the cost of a longer exposure to nest predators and increased mortality due to nest predation. Additionally, post-fledging survival to independence did not differ between species from the northern temperate zone vs species from the tropics and southern hemisphere. However, analyses of post-fledging survival curves suggest that 1) daily survival rates are not constant and improve quickly upon leaving the nest, and 2) species in the tropics and southern hemisphere have higher daily post-fledging survival rates than northern temperate species. Nevertheless, due to the accumulation of mortality risk during their much longer periods of post-fledging care, overall survival until independence is comparable across latitudes. Obtaining high-quality demographic data across latitudes to evaluate the generality of these findings and mechanisms underlying them should be a research priority.
Data from: Ascertaining gene flow patterns in livestock populations of developing countries: a case study in Burkina Faso goat
BACKGROUND: Introgression of Sahel livestock genes southwards in West Africa may be favoured by human activity and the increase of the duration of the dry seasons since the 1970's. The aim of this study is to assess the gene flow patterns in Burkina Faso goat and to ascertain the most likely factors influencing geographic patterns of genetic variation in the Burkina Faso goat population. RESULTS: A total of 520 goat were sampled in 23 different locations of Burkina Faso and genotyped for a set of 19 microsatellites. Although overall differentiation is poor (FST = 0.067 ± 0.003), the goat population of Burkina Faso is far from being homogeneous. Barrier analysis pointed out the existence of: a) genetic discontinuities in the Central and Southeast Burkina Faso; and b) genetic differences within the goat sampled in the Sahel or the Sudan areas of Burkina Faso. Principal component analysis and admixture proportion scores were computed for each population sampled and used to construct interpolation maps. Furthermore, Population Graph analysis revealed that the Sahel and the Sudan environmental areas of Burkina Faso were connected through a significant number of extended edges, which would be consistent with the hypothesis of long-distance dispersal. Genetic variation of Burkina Faso goat followed a geographic-related pattern. This pattern of variation is likely to be related to the presence of vectors of African animal trypanosomosis. Partial Mantel test identified the present Northern limit of trypanosome vectors as the most significant landscape boundary influencing the genetic variability of Burkina Faso goat (p = 0.008). The contribution of Sahel goat genes to the goat populations in the Northern and Eastern parts of the Sudan-Sahel area of Burkina Faso was substantial. The presence of perennial streams explains the existence of trypanosome vectors. The South half of the Nakambé river (Southern Ouagadougou) and the Mouhoun river loop determined, respectively, the Eastern and Northern limits for the expansion of Sahelian goat genes. Furthermore, results from partial Mantel test suggest that the introgression of Sahelian goat genes into Djallonké goat using human-influenced genetic corridors has a limited influence when compared to the biological boundary defined by the northern limits for the distribution of the tsetse fly. However, the genetic differences found between the goat sampled in Bobo Dioulasso and the other populations located in the Sudan area of Burkina Faso may be explained by the broad goat trade favoured by the main road of the country. CONCLUSIONS: The current analysis clearly suggests that genetic variation in Burkina Faso goat: a) follows a North to South clinal; and b) is affected by the distribution of the tsetse fly that imposes a limit to the Sahelian goat expansion due to their trypanosusceptibility. Here we show how extensive surveys on livestock populations can be useful to indirectly assess the consequences of climate change and human action in developing countries.
Data from: Conserved genetic regions across angiosperms as tools to develop single copy nuclear markers in gymnosperms: an example using cycads
Several individuals of the Caribbean Zamia clade and other cycad genera were used to identify single copy nuclear genes for phylogeographic and phylogenetic studies in Cycadales. Two strategies were employed to select target loci: 1) a tblastX search of Arabidopsis conserved ortholog sequence (COS) set and, 2) a tblastX search of Arabidopsis-Populus-Vitis-Oryza Shared Single Copy genes (APVO SSC) against the EST Zamia databases in Genbank. From the first strategy, 30 loci were selected, and from the second, 16 loci. In both cases the matching Genbank accessions of Zamia were used as a query for retrieving highly similar sequences from Cycas, Picea, Pinus species or Ginko biloba. After retrieving and aligning all the sequences in each locus, intron predictions were completed to assist in primer design. PCR was carried out in three rounds to detect paralogous loci. A total of 29 loci were successfully amplified as a single band of which 20 were likely single copy loci. These loci showed different diversity and divergence levels. A preliminary screening allowed us to select 8 promising loci (40S, ATG2, BG, GroES, GTP, LiSH, PEX4 and TR) for the Z. pumila complex and 4 loci (COS26, GroES, GTP and HTS) for all other cycad genera.
Data from: Development of microsatellite markers for buffalograss (Buchloë dactyloides; Poaceae), a drought-tolerant turfgrass alternative
Premise of the study: Buchloë dactyloides is an important component of Great Plains prairies and a popular drought-tolerant turfgrass alternative in North America. This species comprises an autopolyploid series, and microsatellite primers were developed in order to understand the distribution of genetic variation among cytotypes and across its large geographic range. Methods and Results: Fifteen microsatellite loci were designed and successfully amplified in six B. dactyloides populations. Within-population genetic diversity was comparatively high, consistent with B. dactyloides' life history. Allelic variation at 13 loci was consistent with cytotype established in chromosome-counted samples. Conclusions: This variable, interpretable set of loci allows for the determination of multi-locus genotype in B. dactyloides individuals of varying cytotype. Data such as these from a range-wide sample set can provide important insights for germplasm conservation and crop improvement in this ecologically and economically important species.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.