Burrow structural charactersitcs and microhabitat use of the Turpan wonder gecko Teratoscincus roborowskii （Gekkonidae） were studied between April and September of 2013 in the Turpan Eremophytes Botanic Garden, in t...Burrow structural charactersitcs and microhabitat use of the Turpan wonder gecko Teratoscincus roborowskii （Gekkonidae） were studied between April and September of 2013 in the Turpan Eremophytes Botanic Garden, in the Turpan Depression of Western China. Burrow depth, entrance orientation, entrance height and width were observed. We assessed microhabitat selection and noted differences in microhabitat use among males, females, and juveniles. The magnitude of selection was measured using Jacobs＇ index of selectivity. Entrance height and width of the burrows of adults were significantly larger than those of juveniles, but the difference in burrow depth was not significant. The directional orientation of the burrow entrance showed a preference for the north-northeast and south-southeast, which were likely influenced by local prevailing winds and sunlight. Both the adult and juvenile geckos prefer to construct their burrows in sandy soil within a layer of loose soil whose thickness is greater than 30 cm. A majority of the burrows were located within 20 m of the nearest plant. Nearly half （48%） of the entrances of juveniles were located within 5 m of the nearest vegetation, significantly different from those of the adults. Results showed that the Turpan wonder gecko did not utilize microhabitats according to their availability, but rather that it preferred rnicrohabitats which contained dead wood or the caper bush. Our results suggested that burrow characteristics and microhabitat selection were important factors in T. roborowskii adaptation to harsh and arid desert habitats.展开更多
Hog deer(Axis porcinus)is a small mammal and listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature.However,phylogenetic position of hog deer within Axis genus has remained controversial.In the present study,we ...Hog deer(Axis porcinus)is a small mammal and listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature.However,phylogenetic position of hog deer within Axis genus has remained controversial.In the present study,we first assembled complete mitochondrial genome of Chinese hog deer reared in Chengdu Zoo,Sichuan,by the second-generation sequencing technology.This newly assembled mitochondrial genome of hog deer is 16376 bp in length and consists of 13 protein-encoding genes,23 transfer RNA genes and 2 ribosomal RNA genes.Phylogenetic analyses based on complete mitochondrial genome and cytochrome b gene sequences revealed that hog deer is closely clustered together and placed with sister taxon of spotted deer(A.Axis),which therefore supported monophyletic statue of Axis genus.Furthermore,considerable genetic differentiation,up to 139 mutations of complete mitochondrial genome was revealed between geographical populations of hog deer in France and Southeast Asia.However,only six variable sites(nucleotide diversity of 0.00007)and four haplotypes(haplotype diversity of 0.533)were totally detected among ten newly sequenced Chinese hog deer.The results provide a better understanding on the phylogeny of hog deer.展开更多
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31260511,31660613)
文摘Burrow structural charactersitcs and microhabitat use of the Turpan wonder gecko Teratoscincus roborowskii （Gekkonidae） were studied between April and September of 2013 in the Turpan Eremophytes Botanic Garden, in the Turpan Depression of Western China. Burrow depth, entrance orientation, entrance height and width were observed. We assessed microhabitat selection and noted differences in microhabitat use among males, females, and juveniles. The magnitude of selection was measured using Jacobs＇ index of selectivity. Entrance height and width of the burrows of adults were significantly larger than those of juveniles, but the difference in burrow depth was not significant. The directional orientation of the burrow entrance showed a preference for the north-northeast and south-southeast, which were likely influenced by local prevailing winds and sunlight. Both the adult and juvenile geckos prefer to construct their burrows in sandy soil within a layer of loose soil whose thickness is greater than 30 cm. A majority of the burrows were located within 20 m of the nearest plant. Nearly half （48%） of the entrances of juveniles were located within 5 m of the nearest vegetation, significantly different from those of the adults. Results showed that the Turpan wonder gecko did not utilize microhabitats according to their availability, but rather that it preferred rnicrohabitats which contained dead wood or the caper bush. Our results suggested that burrow characteristics and microhabitat selection were important factors in T. roborowskii adaptation to harsh and arid desert habitats.
基金The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research(CPF2017-07)。
文摘Hog deer(Axis porcinus)is a small mammal and listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature.However,phylogenetic position of hog deer within Axis genus has remained controversial.In the present study,we first assembled complete mitochondrial genome of Chinese hog deer reared in Chengdu Zoo,Sichuan,by the second-generation sequencing technology.This newly assembled mitochondrial genome of hog deer is 16376 bp in length and consists of 13 protein-encoding genes,23 transfer RNA genes and 2 ribosomal RNA genes.Phylogenetic analyses based on complete mitochondrial genome and cytochrome b gene sequences revealed that hog deer is closely clustered together and placed with sister taxon of spotted deer(A.Axis),which therefore supported monophyletic statue of Axis genus.Furthermore,considerable genetic differentiation,up to 139 mutations of complete mitochondrial genome was revealed between geographical populations of hog deer in France and Southeast Asia.However,only six variable sites(nucleotide diversity of 0.00007)and four haplotypes(haplotype diversity of 0.533)were totally detected among ten newly sequenced Chinese hog deer.The results provide a better understanding on the phylogeny of hog deer.
