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271 results for “zebra”
Physiological constraints and cognitive chunking in Zebra Finch songs: Data and R script
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Reduced parental brood visit rate in wild zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis) is correlated with high maximum daily ambient temperature
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Epigenetic models developed for plains zebras predict age in domestic horses and endangered equids
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Data set for: Experimentally reduced feather microbial loads improve reproductive performance in captive Zebra Finches
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Investigating mirror responses in adult male zebra finches and house crows
<p>Earlier evidence suggests that besides humans, some species of mammals and birds demonstrate visual self-recognition, assessed by the controversial 'mark' test. Whereas there are high levels of inter-individual differences amongst a single species, some species such as macaques and pigeons which do not spontaneously demonstrate mirror self-recognition (MSR) can be trained to do so. We were surprised to discover that despite being widely used as a model system for avian research, the performance of zebra finches (<i>Taenopygia guttata</i>) on the mark test had not been studied earlier. Additionally, we studied the behavior of another species of passerine songbirds (Indian house crows; <i>Corvus splendens</i>) on the mark test and other self-exploratory behaviors. Although, a small number of adult male zebra finches appeared to display heightened responses towards the mark while observing their reflections, we could not rule out the possibility that these were specific to the mirror and not a part of general grooming. In contrast, none of the house crows demonstrated mark-directed behavior or increased self-exploratory behaviors when facing mirrors. Our study suggests that self-directed behaviors need to be tested more rigorously in adult male zebra finches while facing their reflections and these findings need to be replicated in a larger population, given the high degree of variability in mirror-directed behaviors. We have also shown that house crows demonstrate early stages of self-awareness but do not pass the mark test.</p>
DNA methylation regulates transcription factor specific neurodevelopmental but not sexually dimorphic gene expression dynamics in zebra finch telencephalon
<p>Supplementary Information for the manuscript: "DNA methylation regulates transcription factor specific neurodevelopmental but not sexually dimorphic gene expression dynamics in zebra finch telencephalon"</p>
Data from: Foraging zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are public information users rather than conformists
<p>Social learning enables adaptive information acquisition provided that it is not random but selective. To understand species typical decision-making and to trace the evolutionary origins of social learning, the heuristics social learners use need to be identified. Here, we experimentally tested the nature of majority influence in the zebra finch. Subjects simultaneously observed two demonstrator groups differing in relative and absolute numbers (ratios 1:2 / 2:4 / 3:3 / 1:5) foraging from two novel food sources (black and white feeders). We find that demonstrator groups influenced observers' feeder choices (social learning), but that zebra finches did not copy the majority of individuals. Instead, observers were influenced by the pecks of their demonstrators, and in an anti-conformist fashion. These results indicate that zebra finches are not conformist, but are public information users.</p>
Incubation attentiveness in zebra finches
<p>In birds ambient temperature can influence adult incubation behaviour, energy budget, egg temperature, and embryonic development with downstream effects on offspring survival. Surprisingly, experimental manipulations of the whole nesting environment to test causes and consequences of variation in incubation pattern, energy balance, egg temperature, and the duration of development are lacking to date. Here, we bred pairs of Zebra Finches <i>Taeniopygia guttata</i>under controlled conditions at 18°and 30°C and measured clutch size, temperature, hatching success, parental attentiveness and the length of the embryonic period. We found that when breeding at the higher temperature, males, but not females, increased the number of incubation bouts on the nest. Instead, females, but not males, reduced their attentiveness towards the clutch overall. Eggs showed no temperature differences between the two treatments and bigger clutches experienced lower temperatures. This suggests that parental behaviour may buffer the effect of ambient conditions on the thermal profile of eggs, including species with high rates of parental attentiveness. Warmer conditions yielded higher hatching rates but did not cause measurable differences in the length of embryonic development. Still, smaller clutches hatched earlier in accordance with the higher temperature experienced. Additionally, we used data from the literature to calculate parental energy expenditure and demonstrate that this was substantially different across the two treatments, although predicted energy savings from reduced attentiveness at 30°C appeared negligible. These results suggest that when food is available, ambient temperature and not energy trade-offs may explain variation in incubation behaviour. </p>
Data from: Aquatic animals promote antibiotic resistance gene dissemination in water via conjugation: role of different regions within the zebra fish intestinal tract, and impact on fish intestinal microbiota
The aqueous environment is one of many reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Fish, as important aquatic animals which possess ideal intestinal niches for bacteria to grow and multiply, may ingest antibiotic resistance bacteria from aqueous environment. The fish gut would be a suitable environment for conjugal gene transfer including those encoding antibiotic resistance. However, little is known in relation to the impact of ingested ARGs or antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) on gut microbiota. Here, we applied the cultivation method, qPCR, nuclear molecular genetic marker and 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing technologies to develop a plasmid-mediated ARG transfer model of zebrafish. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate the dissemination of ARGs in microbial communities of zebrafish guts after donors carrying self-transferring plasmids that encode ARGs were introduced in aquaria. On average, 15% of faecal bacteria obtained ARGs through RP4-mediated conjugal transfer. The hindgut was the most important intestinal region supporting ARG dissemination, with concentrations of donor and transconjugant cells almost 25 times higher than those of other intestinal segments. Furthermore, in the hindgut where conjugal transfer occurred most actively, there was remarkable upregulation of the mRNA expression of the RP4 plasmid regulatory genes, trbBp and trfAp. Exogenous bacteria seem to alter bacterial communities by increasing Escherichia and Bacteroides species, while decreasing Aeromonas compared with control groups. We identified the composition of transconjugants and abundance of both cultivable and uncultivable bacteria (the latter accounted for 90.4%–97.2% of total transconjugants). Our study suggests that aquatic animal guts contribute to the spread of ARGs in water environments.
Data from: Noninvasive physiological markers demonstrate link between habitat quality, adult sex ratio and poor population growth rate in a vulnerable species, the Cape mountain zebra
Effective conservation and species management requires an understanding of the causes of poor population growth. Conservation physiology uses biomarkers to identify factors that contribute to low individual fitness and population declines. Building on this, macrophysiology can use the same markers to assess how individual physiology varies with different ecological or demographic factors over large temporal and spatial scales. Here, we use a macrophysiological approach to identify the ecological and demographic correlates of poor population growth rates in the Cape mountain zebra metapopulation. We use two non-invasive biomarkers: faecal glucocorticoids as a measure of chronic stress, and faecal androgens as an indicator of male physiological status. We found that faecal glucocorticoid concentrations were highest in the spring prior to summer rainfall, and were elevated in individuals from populations associated with low quality habitat (lower grass abundance). In addition, faecal androgen concentrations were higher in populations with a high proportion of non-breeding stallions (where male:female adult sex ratios exceed 2:1) suggesting sex ratio imbalances may intensify male competition. Finally, population growth rate was negatively associated with faecal glucocorticoid concentrations and female fecundity was negatively associated with faecal androgens, indicating a relationship between hormone profiles and fitness. Together, our results provide cross population evidence for how poor population growth rates in Cape mountain zebra can be linked to individual physiological biomarkers. More broadly, we advocate physiological biomarkers as indicators of population viability, and as a way to evaluate the impact of variable ecological and demographic factors. In addition, conservation physiology can be used to assess the efficacy of management interventions for this subspecies, and this approach could inform models of species' responses to future environmental change.
Data from: How the zebra got its stripes: a problem with too many solutions
The adaptive significance of zebra stripes has thus far eluded understanding. Many explanations have been suggested, including social cohesion, thermoregulation, predation evasion and avoidance of biting flies. Identifying the associations between phenotypic and environmental factors is essential for testing these hypotheses and substantiating existing experimental evidence. Plains zebra striping pattern varies regionally, from heavy black and white striping over the entire body in some areas to reduced stripe coverage with thinner and lighter stripes in others. We examined how well 29 environmental variables predict the variation in stripe characteristics of plains zebra across their range in Africa. In contrast to recent findings, we found no evidence that striping may have evolved to escape predators or avoid biting flies. Instead, we found that temperature successfully predicts a substantial amount of the stripe pattern variation observed in plains zebra. As this association between striping and temperature may be indicative of multiple biological processes, we suggest that the selective agents driving zebra striping are probably multifarious and complex.
Data from: Female zebra finches prefer the songs of males who quickly solve a novel foraging task to the songs of males unable to solve the task
Correlative evidence suggests that high problem-solving and foraging abilities in a mate are associated with direct fitness advantages, so it would benefit females to prefer problem-solving males. Recent work has also shown that females of several bird species who directly observe males prefer those that can solve a novel foraging task over those that cannot. In addition to or instead of direct observation of cognitive skills, many species utilize assessment signals when choosing a mate. Here we test whether females can select a problem-solving male over a non-solving male when presented only with a signal known to be used in mate assessment: song. Using an operant conditioning assay, we compared female zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) preference for the songs of males that could quickly solve a novel foraging task to the songs of males that could not solve the task. Females were never housed with the test subject males whose song they heard, and the only information provided about the males was their song. We found that females elicited more songs of problem-solving males than of non-solvers, indicating that song may contain information about a male's ability to solve a novel foraging task and that naïve females prefer the songs of problem-solving males.
Data from: Patterns of call communication between group-housed Zebra finches change during the breeding cycle
Vocal signals such as calls play a crucial role for survival and successful reproduction, especially in group-living animals. However, call interactions and call dynamics within groups remain largely unexplored because their relation to relevant contexts or life-history stages could not be studied with individual-level resolution. Using on-bird microphone transmitters, we recorded the vocalisations of individual zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) behaving freely in social groups, while females and males previously unknown to each other passed through different stages of the breeding cycle. As birds formed pairs and shifted their reproductive status, their call repertoire composition changed. The recordings revealed that calls occurred non-randomly in fine-tuned vocal interactions and decreased within groups while pair-specific patterns emerged. Call-type combinations of vocal interactions changed within pairs and were associated with successful egg-laying, highlighting a potential fitness relevance of calling dynamics in communication systems.
Data from: Intra-ejaculate sperm selection in female zebra finches
Among internal fertilizers, typically fewer than 1% sperm survive the journey through the oviduct. Several studies suggest that the sperm reaching the ovum—the 'fertilizing set'—comprise a non-random sub-population, but the characteristics of this group remain unclear. We tested whether oviductal selection in birds results in a morphologically distinct subset of sperm, by exploiting the fact that the fertilizing set are trapped by the perivitelline layer of the ovum. We show that these sperm have remarkably low morphological variation, as well as smaller head size and greater tail length, compared with those inseminated. Our study shows that the morphological composition of sperm—rather than length alone—influences success in reaching the ovum.
Data from: Mass production of SNP markers in a nonmodel passerine bird through RAD sequencing and contig mapping to the zebra finch genome
Here, we present an adaptation of restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to the Illumina HiSeq2000 technology that we used to produce SNP markers in very large quantities at low cost per unit in the Réunion grey white-eye (Zosterops borbonicus), a nonmodel passerine bird species with no reference genome. We sequenced a set of six pools of 18–25 individuals using a single sequencing lane. This allowed us to build around 600 000 contigs, among which at least 386 000 could be mapped to the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) genome. This yielded more than 80 000 SNPs that could be mapped unambiguously and are evenly distributed across the genome. Thus, our approach provides a good illustration of the high potential of paired-end RAD sequencing of pooled DNA samples combined with comparative assembly to the zebra finch genome to build large contigs and characterize vast numbers of informative SNPs in nonmodel passerine bird species in a very efficient and cost-effective way.
FIGURE 4. Nannocharax zebra, MRAC 87-24-P-87, 40.7 in Description of two new species of Nannocharax Günther, 1867 (Teleostei: Characiformes: Distichodontidae) from the Cross River, Cameroon
FIGURE 4. Nannocharax zebra, MRAC 87-24-P-87, 40.7 mm SL, Nigeria, Sombreiro River at Odieke, showing preserved coloration in alcohol.
FIGURE 5. Munida zebra Macpherson, 1994 in New records of the squat lobster genus Munida Leach, 1820 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Munididae) from deep-water off Okinawa Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, with description of a new species
FIGURE 5. Munida zebra Macpherson, 1994, female (cl 17.5 mm), CBM-ZC 11349, habitus in dorsal view, showing colouration in life.
FIGURE 4. Munida zebra Macpherson, 1994 in New records of the squat lobster genus Munida Leach, 1820 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Munididae) from deep-water off Okinawa Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, with description of a new species
FIGURE 4. Munida zebra Macpherson, 1994, female (cl 17.5 mm), CBM-ZC 11349. A, left cheliped, merus and carpus, ventral view (setae omitted); B, same, chela, ventral view; C, left second pereopod, lateral view; D, same, dactylus and distal part of propodus, lateral view; E, left third pereopod, lateral view (setae omitted); F, left fourth pereopod, lateral view (setae omitted). Scale bars: A–C, E, F = 5 mm; D = 2 mm.
FIGURE 3. Munida zebra Macpherson, 1994 in New records of the squat lobster genus Munida Leach, 1820 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Munididae) from deep-water off Okinawa Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, with description of a new species
FIGURE 3. Munida zebra Macpherson, 1994, female (cl 17.5 mm), CBM-ZC 11349. A, carapace, pleon and cephalic appendages, dorsal view (setae on carapace ridges and striae omitted; distal 2 articles of antennular peduncles omitted); B, thoracic sternite, ventral view; C, pleomere 6, telson and right uropod, outer view (setae on striae on pleomere 6 shown); D, basal article of left antennular peduncle, antennal peduncle and anterior part of pterygostomial flap, ventral view; E, left third maxilliped, lateral view (setae omitted); F, left cheliped, merus, dorsal view (setae omitted); G, same, carpus and chela, ventral view (setae omitted). Scale bars: A, F, G = 5 mm; C–E = 2 mm.
FIGURE 11 in A Cryptic Invasion in the Western Atlantic: Presence of the Fouling Barnacle Megabalanus zebra (Darwin, 1854) (Crustacea, Cirripedia) in the Caribbean Sea
FIGURE 11. Maximum Likelihood-based molecular phylogenetic analysis of Megabalanus species using a Cytochrome Oxidase I gene fragment (426bp) obtained from GenBank and two sequenced specimens from Curaçao (MNRJ25256 / KX538961, MNRJ25257 / KX538962). Bootstrap values below nodes and number of sequences in brackets. GenBank accession numbers are listed in Appendix II.
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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.