| oral papillomatosis in coyotes (canis latrans) and wolves (canis lupus) of alberta. | twelve cases of oral papillomatosis were detected in wild carnivores of alberta, ten in coyotes (canis latrans) and two in wolves (canis lupus). lesions ranged from mild with a few small papillomas to severe with much of the surface of the lips, tongue and buccal cavity covered with papillomas. three of five coyotes with severe papillomatosis were in obvious poor health. the gross and histologic lesions are described and the significance of this disease in wild carnivores is discussed. | 1978 | 650780 |
| masticatory muscle myositis in a gray wolf (canis lupus). | a 10-yr-old male, neutered gray wolf ( canis lupus ) was presented for atrophy of the temporalis and masseter muscles. clinical signs and magnetic resonance imaging were consistent with a myopathy. positive serology for antibody titers directed against type 2m myofibers, and the observation of a mixed mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate along with eosinophils and neutrophils within the temporalis muscle, were diagnostic for masticatory muscle myositis. importantly, protozoal myositis was ex ... | 2017 | 28363075 |
| the longevity of para-aminopropiophenone (papp) wild dog baits and the implications for effective and safe baiting campaigns. | considerable effort goes into mitigating the impacts caused by invasive animals and prohibiting their establishment or expansion. in australia, management of wild dogs (canis lupus dingo and their hybrids) and their devastating impacts is reliant upon poison baiting. the recent release of baits containing the humane toxin para-aminopropiophenone (papp) offers potential improvements for control of wild dogs, but little is known about the environmental persistence of papp in manufactured baits tha ... | 2017 | 28357798 |
| environmental enrichment in kennelled pit bull terriers (canis lupus familiaris). | although social enrichment can be considered beneficial in helping dogs cope with the kennel environment, when taking individual needs into account, it places a large demand on the carers and may not be appropriate in under-resourced kennels. some kennels are also designed in such a way that there is too much social interaction, in that individuals cannot choose to distance themselves from conspecifics. this study therefore aimed to assess the effects of easily accessible enrichment on the behav ... | 2017 | 28333069 |
| a cryptic mitochondrial dna link between north european and west african dogs. | domestic dogs have an ancient origin and a long history in africa. nevertheless, the timing and sources of their introduction into africa remain enigmatic. herein, we analyse variation in mitochondrial dna (mtdna) d-loop sequences from 345 nigerian and 37 kenyan village dogs plus 1530 published sequences of dogs from other parts of africa, europe and west asia. all kenyan dogs can be assigned to one of three haplogroups (matrilines; clades): a, b, and c, while nigerian dogs can be assigned to on ... | 2017 | 28302420 |
| molecular detection of hepatozoon spp. in domestic dogs and wild mammals in southern pantanal, brazil with implications in the transmission route. | hepatozoon parasites comprise intracellular apicomplexan parasites transmitted to vertebrate animals by ingestion of arthropods definitive hosts. the present work aimed to investigate the occurrence of hepatozoon spp. in wild animals, domestic dogs and their respective ectoparasites, in southern pantanal region, central-western brazil, by molecular techniques. between august 2013 and march 2015, 31 coatis (nasua nasua), 78 crab-eating foxes (cerdocyon thous), seven ocelots (leopardus pardalis), ... | 2017 | 28291601 |
| population genetic analysis and genome-wide association study of patellar luxation in a thai population of pomeranian dogs. | the genetics of patellar luxation (pl) were investigated in pomeranian dogs presented at the small animal hospital, faculty of veterinary science, chulalongkorn university. a cohort of 339 pomeranian dogs, part of a four-generation pedigree of 842 pomeranians, was screened for pl from 2006 to 2013. pl was present in 77% of the screened dogs, with 84% having bilateral and 16% unilateral luxation. medial pl was more common (95%) than lateral pl (2%) or bidirectional pl (3%). the risk of pl was sim ... | 2017 | 28266317 |
| longitudinal quasi-static stability predicts changes in dog gait on rough terrain. | legged animals utilize gait selection to move effectively and must re-cover from environmental perturbations. we show that on rough terrain domestic dogs, canis lupus familiaris, spend more time in longitudinal quasi-statically stable patterns of movement. here longitudinal refers to the rostro-caudal, axis. we used an existing model in the literature to quantify the longitudinal quasi-static stability of gaits neighbouring the walk, and found that trot-like gaits are more stable. we thus hypoth ... | 2017 | 28264903 |
| an enhanced grey wolf optimization based feature selection wrapped kernel extreme learning machine for medical diagnosis. | in this study, a new predictive framework is proposed by integrating an improved grey wolf optimization (igwo) and kernel extreme learning machine (kelm), termed as igwo-kelm, for medical diagnosis. the proposed igwo feature selection approach is used for the purpose of finding the optimal feature subset for medical data. in the proposed approach, genetic algorithm (ga) was firstly adopted to generate the diversified initial positions, and then grey wolf optimization (gwo) was used to update the ... | 2017 | 28246543 |
| molecular characterization and in-silico analysis of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (timp-3) gene of canine mammary tumor. | mammary tumors are the second most common tumors (after skin tumors) in female dogs (canis lupus familiaris). tissue inhibitor of metlloproteinases-3 (timp-3) is a matrix associated endogenous inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (mmps). cancer metastasis occurs as a result of imbalance between mmps and timps. timp-3 is involved significantly in regulation of mmps as well as progression of canine mammary tumor. | 2017 | 28215146 |
| pulmonary neuroendocrine tumor in a female wolf (canis lupus lupus). | a 17-year-old female wolf (canis lupus lupus) had a right lung mass that was adhered to the thoracic cavity. histopathological examination revealed that the mass consisted of sheets, cord or ribbon-like structures of monotonous, small, cuboidal cells with round, oval or short-spindle nuclei and scant clear cytoplasm, demarcated by a fine fibrovascular stroma. focal necrosis, congestion and thrombi were observed. immunohistochemically, the tumor cells diffusely expressed cytokeratin ae1/ae3, and ... | 2017 | 28190820 |
| dental pulp as a source of low-contaminated dna. | the in-laboratory contamination of the ancient samples hinders the result interpretation of the investigations in the field of paleomicrobiology. we had promoted the dental pulp as a sample that limits the risks of in-laboratory contamination of the ancient material. in this work, we measured the contamination of the dental pulp manipulated according to paleomicrobiology protocol, used as a source of a total dna for metagenomics. first, total dna extracted from two dog canines was sequenced usin ... | 2017 | 28188902 |
| cross-jurisdictional management of a trophy-hunted species. | gray wolves (canis lupus) are managed for competing uses in the greater yellowstone ecosystem (gye). tourism benefits yellowstone national park (ynp) visitors while trophy hunting benefits hunters outside of the park. we investigate the policy scope of gray wolf management across jurisdictional boundaries by incorporating three foundations of the behavioral ecology of wolves: refuge-seeking behavior, optimal foraging group size and territoriality. tradeoffs between and within consumptive and non ... | 2017 | 28188735 |
| "wolves (canis lupus) and dogs (canis familiaris) differ in following human gaze into distant space but respond similar to their packmates' gaze": correction to werhahn et al. (2016). | reports an error in "wolves (canis lupus) and dogs (canis familiaris) differ in following human gaze into distant space but respond similar to their packmates' gaze" by geraldine werhahn, zsófia virányi, gabriela barrera, andrea sommese and friederike range (journal of comparative psychology, 2016[aug], vol 130[3], 288-298). in the article, the affiliations for the second and fifth authors should be wolf science center, ernstbrunn, austria, and comparative cognition, messerli research institute, ... | 2017 | 28182485 |
| competition between apex predators? brown bears decrease wolf kill rate on two continents. | trophic interactions are a fundamental topic in ecology, but we know little about how competition between apex predators affects predation, the mechanism driving top-down forcing in ecosystems. we used long-term datasets from scandinavia (europe) and yellowstone national park (north america) to evaluate how grey wolf (canis lupus) kill rate was affected by a sympatric apex predator, the brown bear (ursus arctos). we used kill interval (i.e. the number of days between consecutive ungulate kills) ... | 2017 | 28179516 |
| manipulated changes in limb mass and rotational inertia in trotting dogs (canis lupus familiaris) and their effect on limb kinematics. | while the mass distribution of limbs is known to influence the metabolic energy consumed during locomotion, it remains unknown how the mass distribution of limbs may influence overall limb kinematics and whether the influence of limb mass distribution on limb kinematics differs between fore- and hindlimbs. to examine limb mass distribution's influence upon fore- and hindlimb kinematics, temporal stride parameters and swing phase joint kinematics were recorded from four dogs trotting on a treadmi ... | 2016 | 28145055 |
| sexually dimorphic aggression indicates male gray wolves specialize in pack defense against conspecific groups. | aggression directed at conspecific groups is common among gregarious, territorial species, and for some species such as gray wolves (canis lupus) intraspecific strife is the leading cause of natural mortality. each individual in a group likely has different measures of the costs and benefits associated with a group task, such as an aggressive attack on another group, which can alter motivation and behavior. we observed 292 inter-pack aggressive interactions in yellowstone national park between 1 ... | 2017 | 28143722 |
| endocrine and paracrine controls of canine follicular development and function. | canid reproduction is unique among other mammals in that females experience long and variable periods of ovarian inactivity. while the domestic dog exhibits a non-seasonal, largely sporadic monoestrus occurring once or twice a year, most wild canids, such as the gray wolf (canis lupus) and red wolf (canis rufus), are seasonal breeders with onset apparently dependent on species, latitudinal location and/or variety of environment factors. neuroendocrine controls of ovarian functions have been most ... | 2017 | 28111799 |
| the geographical distribution of grey wolves (canis lupus) in china: a systematic review. | the grey wolf (canis lupus) is one of the most widely distributed terrestrial mammals, and its distribution and ecology in europe and north america are largely well described. however, the distribution of grey wolf in southern china is still highly controversial. several well-known western literatures stated that there are no grey wolves in southern china, while the presence of grey wolf across china has been indicated in a guide to the mammals of china, published by princeton university press. ... | 2016 | 28105796 |
| commensal in conflict: livestock depredation patterns by free-ranging domestic dogs in the upper spiti landscape, himachal pradesh, india. | in human-populated landscapes worldwide, domestic dogs (canis lupus familiaris) are the most abundant terrestrial carnivore. although dogs have been used for the protection of livestock from wild carnivores, they have also been implicated as predators of livestock. we used a combination of methods (field surveys, interview surveys, and data from secondary sources) to examine the patterns and factors driving livestock depredation by free-ranging dogs, as well as economic losses to local communiti ... | 2017 | 28074403 |
| investigating the function of play bows in dog and wolf puppies (canis lupus familiaris, canis lupus occidentalis). | animals utilize behavioral signals across a range of different contexts in order to communicate with others and produce probable behavioral outcomes. during play animals frequently adopt action patterns used in other contexts. researchers have therefore hypothesized that play signals have evolved to clarify communicative intent. one highly stereotyped play signal is the canid play bow, but its function remains contested. in order to clarify how canid puppies use play bows, we used data on play b ... | 2016 | 28033358 |
| do domestic dogs (canis lupus familiaris) perceive the delboeuf illusion? | in the last decade, visual illusions have been repeatedly used as a tool to compare visual perception among species. several studies have investigated whether non-human primates perceive visual illusions in a human-like fashion, but little attention has been paid to other mammals, and sensitivity to visual illusions has been never investigated in the dog. here, we studied whether domestic dogs perceive the delboeuf illusion. in human and non-human primates, this illusion creates a misperception ... | 2016 | 27999956 |
| where and how wolves (canis lupus) kill beavers (castor canadensis). | beavers (castor canadensis) can be a significant prey item for wolves (canis lupus) in boreal ecosystems due to their abundance and vulnerability on land. how wolves hunt beavers in these systems is largely unknown, however, because observing predation is challenging. we inferred how wolves hunt beavers by identifying kill sites using clusters of locations from gps-collared wolves in voyageurs national park, minnesota. we identified 22 sites where wolves from 4 different packs killed beavers. we ... | 2016 | 27992441 |
| desert pastoralists' negative and positive effects on rare wildlife in the gobi. | in arid regions of the developing world, pastoralists and livestock commonly inhabit protected areas, resulting in human-wildlife conflict. conflict is inextricably linked to the ecological processes shaping relationships between pastoralists and native herbivores and carnivores. to elucidate relationships underpinning human-wildlife conflict, we synthesized 15 years of ecological and ethnographic data from ikh nart nature reserve in mongolia's gobi steppe. the density of argali (ovis ammon), th ... | 2017 | 27976422 |
| a comparison between wolves, canis lupus, and dogs, canis familiaris, in showing behaviour towards humans. | both human and nonhuman primates use imperative pointing to request a desired object from another individual. gaze alternation often accompanies such pointing gestures, and in species that have no hands this can in itself function as imperative pointing. dogs have exceptional skills in communicating with humans. the early development of these skills is suggested to have been facilitated by domestication. adult wolves socialized with humans can use human-provided information to find food in vario ... | 2016 | 27974861 |
| genomic analysis reveals hypoxia adaptation in the tibetan mastiff by introgression of the grey wolf from the tibetan plateau. | the tibetan mastiff, a native of the tibetan plateau, has quickly adapted to the extreme highland environment. recently, the impact of positive selection on the tibetan mastiff genome was studied and potential hypoxia-adaptive genes were identified. however, the origin of the adaptive variants remains unknown. in this study, we investigated the signature of genetic introgression in the adaptation of tibetan mastiffs with dog and wolf genomic data from different altitudes in close geographic prox ... | 2016 | 27927792 |
| dominance relationships in a family pack of captive arctic wolves (canis lupus arctos): the influence of competition for food, age and sex. | dominance is one of the most pervasive concepts in the study of wolf social behaviour but recently its validity has been questioned. for some authors, the bonds between members of wolf families are better described as parent-offspring relationships and the concept of dominance should be used just to evaluate the social dynamics of non-familial captive pack members (e.g., mech & cluff, 2010). however, there is a dearth of studies investigating dominance relationships and its correlates in wolf fa ... | 2016 | 27904806 |
| ecology and demography of free-roaming domestic dogs in rural villages near serengeti national park in tanzania. | free-roaming dogs (canis lupus familiaris) are of public health and conservation concern because of their potential to transmit diseases, such as rabies, to both people and wildlife. understanding domestic dog population dynamics and how they could potentially be impacted by interventions, such as rabies vaccination, is vital for such disease control efforts. for four years, we measured demographic data on 2,649 free-roaming domestic dogs in four rural villages in tanzania: two villages with and ... | 2016 | 27893866 |
| energetic costs of mange in wolves estimated from infrared thermography. | parasites, by definition, extract energy from their hosts and thus affect trophic and food web dynamics even when the parasite may have limited effects on host population size. we studied the energetic costs of mange (sarcoptes scabiei) in wolves (canis lupus) using thermal cameras to estimate heat losses associated with compromised insulation during the winter. we combined the field data of known, naturally infected wolves with a data set on captive wolves with shaved patches of fur as a positi ... | 2016 | 27859195 |
| using network analysis to study behavioural phenotypes: an example using domestic dogs. | phenotypic integration describes the complex interrelationships between organismal traits, traditionally focusing on morphology. recently, research has sought to represent behavioural phenotypes as composed of quasi-independent latent traits. concurrently, psychologists have opposed latent variable interpretations of human behaviour, proposing instead a network perspective envisaging interrelationships between behaviours as emerging from causal dependencies. network analysis could also be applie ... | 2016 | 27853544 |
| comparative locomotor costs of domestic dogs reveal energetic economy of wolf-like breeds. | the broad diversity in morphology and geographic distribution of the 35 free-ranging members of the family canidae is only rivaled by that of the domesticated dog, canis lupus familiaris. considered to be among nature's most elite endurance athletes, both domestic and wild canids provide a unique opportunity to examine the variability in mammalian aerobic exercise performance and energy expenditure. to determine the potential effects of domestication and selective breeding on locomotor gait and ... | 2017 | 27811300 |
| playful activity post-learning improves training performance in labrador retriever dogs (canis lupus familiaris). | situations that are emotional and arousing have an effect on cognitive performance. it is thought that beta adrenergic activation and the release of stress hormones enhance memory consolidation and lead to an increase in memorability of emotional events. this beneficial effect has been shown in humans, non-human primates and rodents. techniques which could enhance memory for learning specific tasks would be highly valuable, especially in dogs, which are extensively trained to aid humans. a pseud ... | 2017 | 27777045 |
| moral dimensions of human-wildlife conflict. | despite increasing support for conservation globally, controversy over specific conservation policies persists among diverse stakeholders. investigating the links between morals in relation to conservation can help increase understanding about why humans support or oppose policy, especially related to human-wildlife conflict or human conflict over wildlife. yet the moral dimension of human-wildlife conflict has mostly gone unconsidered and unmeasured; thus, policy and programmatic efforts to red ... | 2016 | 27062105 |
| computed tomography examination and mitochondrial dna analysis of japanese wolf skull covered with skin. | a canis skull, right half of the mandible and part of the left half of the mandible were subjected to three-dimensional (3d) computed tomography (ct) observation and mitochondrial dna (mtdna) analysis in order to determine whether the specimens belonged to the extinct japanese wolf, canis lupus hodophilax (temminck, 1839). osteometric analysis of the skull and right half of the mandible revealed that the material (jw275) was indeed typical of the japanese wolf. sequence analysis of a 600-bp mtdn ... | 2017 | 27746405 |
| can sleep and resting behaviours be used as indicators of welfare in shelter dogs (canis lupus familiaris)? | previous research on humans and animals suggests that the analysis of sleep patterns may reliably inform us about welfare status, but little research of this kind has been carried out for non-human animals in an applied context. this study explored the use of sleep and resting behaviour as indicators of welfare by describing the activity patterns of dogs (canis lupus familiaris) housed in rescue shelters, and comparing their sleep patterns to other behavioural and cognitive measures of welfare. ... | 2016 | 27732667 |
| expert-based versus habitat-suitability models to develop resistance surfaces in landscape genetics. | landscape genetics aims to investigate functional connectivity among wild populations by evaluating the impact of landscape features on gene flow. genetic distances among populations or individuals are generally better explained by least-cost path (lcp) distances derived from resistance surfaces than by simple euclidean distances. resistance surfaces reflect the cost for an organism to move through particular landscape elements. however, determining the effects of landscape types on movements is ... | 2017 | 27730367 |
| xenotransfusion in an island fox (urocyon littoralis clementae) using blood from a domestic dog (canis lupus familiaris). | successful xenotransfusion in an island fox ( urocyon littoralis clementae) has not been previously reported but may be necessary in an emergency. an 11-yr-old male, intact, captive island fox was exhibiting clinical signs of rattlesnake envenomation including hypoperfusion, tachypnea, facial edema, and multifocal facial and cervical ecchymosis. blood work revealed severe thrombocytopenia (18 k/μl) and anemia (hct 15.8%). a presumptive diagnosis of rattlesnake ( crotalus sp.) envenomation was ma ... | 2016 | 27691973 |
| wolf population genetics in europe: a systematic review, meta-analysis and suggestions for conservation and management. | the grey wolf (canis lupus) is an iconic large carnivore that has increasingly been recognized as an apex predator with intrinsic value and a keystone species. however, wolves have also long represented a primary source of human-carnivore conflict, which has led to long-term persecution of wolves, resulting in a significant decrease in their numbers, genetic diversity and gene flow between populations. for more effective protection and management of wolf populations in europe, robust scientific ... | 2016 | 27682639 |
| correlations between peripheral parasite load and common clinical and laboratory alterations in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis. | intensity of peripheral parasite infection has an important role in the transmission of leishmania spp. from one host to another. as parasite load quantification is still an expensive procedure to be used routinely in epidemiological surveillance, the use of surrogate predictors may be an important asset in the identification of dogs with high transmitting ability. the present study examined whether common clinical and laboratory alterations can serve as predictors of peripheral parasitism in do ... | 2016 | 27664450 |
| vegetarian versus meat-based diets for companion animals. | companion animal owners are increasingly concerned about the links between degenerative health conditions, farm animal welfare problems, environmental degradation, fertilizers and herbicides, climate change, and causative factors; such as animal farming and the consumption of animal products. accordingly, many owners are increasingly interested in vegetarian diets for themselves and their companion animals. however, are vegetarian canine and feline diets nutritious and safe? four studies assessi ... | 2016 | 27657139 |
| accuracy of mandibular force profiles for bite force estimation and feeding behavior reconstruction in extant and extinct carnivorans. | mandibular force profiles apply the principles of beam theory to identify mandibular biomechanical properties that reflect the bite force and feeding strategies of extant and extinct predators. while this method uses the external dimensions of the mandibular corpus to determine its biomechanical properties, more accurate results could potentially be obtained by quantifying its internal cortical bone distribution. to test this possibility, mandibular force profiles were calculated using both exte ... | 2016 | 27634400 |
| identifying a hunter responsible for killing a hunting dog by individual-specific genetic profiling of wild boar dna transferred to the canine during the accidental shooting. | while genetic profiling can be a powerful tool to solve wildlife crime, comparably few examples of individual identification in wildlife forensics are available in the literature. here, we report a case of an accidental shooting of a hunting dog during a wild boar drive hunt. the market value of trained hunting dogs can reach several thousand euro. no one admitted to killing the dog. wild boar hairs were found in the dog's wound, suggesting that the bullet first hit a wild boar and then the dog. ... | 2016 | 27620907 |
| domestic dogs (canis lupus familiaris) and forensic practice. | | 2016 | 27620906 |
| training reduces stress in human-socialised wolves to the same degree as in dogs. | the welfare of animals in captivity is of considerable societal concern. a major source of stress, especially for wild animals, is the lack of control over their environment, which includes not being able to avoid contact with human beings. paradoxically, some studies have shown that interactions with human beings may improve the welfare of wild animals in captivity. here, we investigated the behavioural (behaviours indicative of cooperation or stress) and physiological (variations in salivary c ... | 2016 | 27611784 |
| temporal overlaps of feral cats with prey and competitors in primary and human-altered habitats on bohol island, philippines. | the vertebrate fauna of the philippines, known for its diversity and high proportion of endemic species, comprises mainly small- to medium-sized forms with a few large exceptions. as with other tropical ecosystems, the major threats to wildlife are habitat loss, hunting and invasive species, of which the feral cat (felis catus) is considered the most damaging. our camera-trapping study focused on a terrestrial vertebrate species inventory on bohol island and tempo-spatial co-occurrences of feral ... | 2016 | 27602271 |
| let's stay together? intrinsic and extrinsic factors involved in pair bond dissolution in a recolonizing wolf population. | for socially monogamous species, breeder bond dissolution has important consequences for population dynamics, but the extent to which extrinsic or intrinsic population factors causes pair dissolution remain poorly understood, especially among carnivores. using an extensive life-history data set, a survival analysis and competing risks framework, we examined the fate of 153 different wolf (canis lupus) pairs in the recolonizing scandinavian wolf population, during 14 winters of snow tracking and ... | 2017 | 27559712 |
| dingoes at the doorstep: home range sizes and activity patterns of dingoes and other wild dogs around urban areas of north-eastern australia. | top-predators around the world are becoming increasingly intertwined with humans, sometimes causing conflict and increasing safety risks in urban areas. in australia, dingoes and dingo×domesticdoghybridsarecommoninmanyurbanareas,andposeavarietyofhumanhealth and safety risks. however, data on urban dingo ecology is scant. we gps-collared 37 dingoes in north-easternaustraliaandcontinuouslymonitoredthemeach30minfor11-394days. mostdingoes were nocturnal, with an overall mean home range size of 17.47 ... | 2016 | 27537916 |
| estimating population density and connectivity of american mink using spatial capture-recapture. | estimating the abundance or density of populations is fundamental to the conservation and management of species, and as landscapes become more fragmented, maintaining landscape connectivity has become one of the most important challenges for biodiversity conservation. yet these two issues have never been formally integrated together in a model that simultaneously models abundance while accounting for connectivity of a landscape. we demonstrate an application of using capture-recapture to develop ... | 2016 | 27509753 |
| genetic rescue in a severely inbred wolf population. | natural populations are becoming increasingly fragmented which is expected to affect their viability due to inbreeding depression, reduced genetic diversity and increased sensitivity to demographic and environmental stochasticity. in small and highly inbred populations, the introduction of only a few immigrants may increase vital rates significantly. however, very few studies have quantified the long-term success of immigrants and inbred individuals in natural populations. following an episode o ... | 2016 | 27497431 |
| ensemble ecosystem modeling for predicting ecosystem response to predator reintroduction. | introducing a new or extirpated species to an ecosystem is risky, and managers need quantitative methods that can predict the consequences for the recipient ecosystem. proponents of keystone predator reintroductions commonly argue that the presence of the predator will restore ecosystem function, but this has not always been the case, and mathematical modeling has an important role to play in predicting how reintroductions will likely play out. we devised an ensemble modeling method that integra ... | 2017 | 27478092 |
| sarcoptic mange in the scandinavian wolf canis lupus population. | sarcoptic mange, a parasitic disease caused by the mite sarcoptes scabiei, is regularly reported on wolves canis lupus in scandinavia. we describe the distribution and transmission of this parasite within the small but recovering wolf population by analysing 269 necropsy reports and performing a serological survey on 198 serum samples collected from free-ranging wolves between 1998 and 2013. | 2016 | 27459965 |
| use of an amplatz canine ductal occluder (acdo) device to close an acquired aortopulmonary fistula with a hybrid approach in a dog. | a 2-year-old recently spayed female rottweiler was referred as an emergency with cardiac tamponade and the presence of an anomalous retrograde flow in the pulmonary artery. echocardiography and angiography demonstrated a left-to-right aortopulmonary fistula. clinical history and data indicated a possible infectious aetiology. antibiotics and heart failure medications were administered for 30 days before intervention. initial attempt at insertion of an amplatz occluder by means of a percutaneous ... | 2016 | 27449901 |
| pathology of gray wolf shoulders: lessons in species and aging. | we examined scapula glenoids (n = 14) and proximal articular humeri (n = 14) of seven gray wolves that were maintained in a sanctuary park setting. immediately after death, observations were made visually in situ and by radiography. further observations were made in a museum laboratory setting, prior to and following clearing of soft tissues. selected dry bone specimens were evaluated using computed tomography. significant cartilage erosion and osteoarthropathy were identified in all shoulder jo ... | 2016 | 27415465 |
| impact of chaos functions on modern swarm optimizers. | exploration and exploitation are two essential components for any optimization algorithm. much exploration leads to oscillation and premature convergence while too much exploitation slows down the optimization algorithm and the optimizer may be stuck in local minima. therefore, balancing the rates of exploration and exploitation at the optimization lifetime is a challenge. this study evaluates the impact of using chaos-based control of exploration/exploitation rates against using the systematic ... | 2016 | 27410691 |
| the morphology of the mandibular coronoid process does not indicate that canis lupus chanco is the progenitor to dogs. | the domestication of wolves is currently under debate. where, when and from which wolf sub-species dogs originated are being investigated both by osteoarchaeologists and geneticists. while dna research is rapidly becoming more active and popular, morphological methods have been the gold standard in the past. but even today morphological details are routinely employed to discern archaeological wolves from dogs. one such morphological similarity between canis lupus chanco and dogs was published in ... | 2017 | 27340333 |
| payments for improved ecostructure (pie): funding for the coexistence of humans and wolves in finland. | the gray wolf (canis lupus) is a source of concern and a cause of damage to people's livelihoods. in finland, as in most countries, actual damages are compensated according to the real lost value. however, often, the suffered damages are larger than what is compensated, and worries and fears are not accounted for at all. the purpose of our transdisciplinary action research is to contribute to the process of modifying the scientific, administrative, and everyday habits of mind in order to meet th ... | 2016 | 27329113 |
| metapopulation effective size and conservation genetic goals for the fennoscandian wolf (canis lupus) population. | the scandinavian wolf population descends from only five individuals, is isolated, highly inbred and exhibits inbreeding depression. to meet international conservation goals, suggestions include managing subdivided wolf populations over fennoscandia as a metapopulation; a genetically effective population size of ne⩾500, in line with the widely accepted long-term genetic viability target, might be attainable with gene flow among subpopulations of scandinavia, finland and russian parts of fennosca ... | 2016 | 27328654 |
| computational intelligence modeling of the macromolecules release from plga microspheres-focus on feature selection. | poly-lactide-co-glycolide (plga) is a copolymer of lactic and glycolic acid. drug release from plga microspheres depends not only on polymer properties but also on drug type, particle size, morphology of microspheres, release conditions, etc. selecting a subset of relevant properties for plga is a challenging machine learning task as there are over three hundred features to consider. in this work, we formulate the selection of critical attributes for plga as a multiobjective optimization problem ... | 2016 | 27315205 |
| wolf (canis lupus) generation time and proportion of current breeding females by age. | information is sparse about aspects of female wolf (canis lupus) breeding in the wild, including age of first reproduction, mean age of primiparity, generation time, and proportion of each age that breeds in any given year. we studied these subjects in 86 wolves (113 captures) in the superior national forest (snf), minnesota (mn), during 1972-2013 where wolves were legally protected for most of the period, and in 159 harvested wolves from throughout mn wolf range during 2012-2014. breeding statu ... | 2016 | 27258193 |
| wolves (canis lupus) and dogs (canis familiaris) differ in following human gaze into distant space but respond similar to their packmates' gaze. | gaze following into distant space is defined as visual co-orientation with another individual's head direction allowing the gaze follower to gain information on its environment. human and nonhuman animals share this basic gaze following behavior, suggested to rely on a simple reflexive mechanism and believed to be an important prerequisite for complex forms of social cognition. pet dogs differ from other species in that they follow only communicative human gaze clearly addressed to them. however ... | 2016 | 27244538 |
| diversifying selection between pure-breed and free-breeding dogs inferred from genome-wide snp analysis. | domesticated species are often composed of distinct populations differing in the character and strength of artificial and natural selection pressures, providing a valuable model to study adaptation. in contrast to pure-breed dogs that constitute artificially maintained inbred lines, free-ranging dogs are typically free-breeding, i.e., unrestrained in mate choice. many traits in free-breeding dogs (fbds) may be under similar natural and sexual selection conditions to wild canids, while relaxation ... | 2016 | 27233669 |
| do gray wolves (canis lupus) support pack mates during aggressive inter-pack interactions? | for group-living mammals, social coordination increases success in everything from hunting and foraging (crofoot and wrangham in mind the gap, springer, berlin, 2010; bailey et al. in behav ecol sociobiol 67:1-17, 2013) to agonism (mosser and packer in anim behav 78:359-370, 2009; wilson et al. in anim behav 83:277-291, 2012; cassidy et al. in behav ecol 26:1352-1360, 2015). cooperation is found in many species and, due to its low costs, likely is a determining factor in the evolution of living ... | 2016 | 27193460 |
| pervasive effects of aging on gene expression in wild wolves. | gene expression levels change as an individual ages and responds to environmental conditions. with the exception of humans, such patterns have principally been studied under controlled conditions, overlooking the array of developmental and environmental influences that organisms encounter under conditions in which natural selection operates. we used high-throughput rna sequencing (rna-seq) of whole blood to assess the relative impacts of social status, age, disease, and sex on gene expression le ... | 2016 | 27189566 |
| blood does not buy goodwill: allowing culling increases poaching of a large carnivore. | quantifying environmental crime and the effectiveness of policy interventions is difficult because perpetrators typically conceal evidence. to prevent illegal uses of natural resources, such as poaching endangered species, governments have advocated granting policy flexibility to local authorities by liberalizing culling or hunting of large carnivores. we present the first quantitative evaluation of the hypothesis that liberalizing culling will reduce poaching and improve population status of an ... | 2016 | 27170719 |
| decoding group vocalizations: the acoustic energy distribution of chorus howls is useful to determine wolf reproduction. | population monitoring is crucial for wildlife management and conservation. in the last few decades, wildlife researchers have increasingly applied bioacoustics tools to obtain information on several essential ecological parameters, such as distribution and abundance. one such application involves wolves (canis lupus). these canids respond to simulated howls by emitting group vocalizations known as chorus howls. these responses to simulated howls reveal the presence of wolf litters during the bre ... | 2016 | 27144887 |
| implications of harvest on the boundaries of protected areas for large carnivore viewing opportunities. | the desire to see free ranging large carnivores in their natural habitat is a driver of tourism in protected areas around the globe. however, large carnivores are wide-ranging and subject to human-caused mortality outside protected area boundaries. the impact of harvest (trapping or hunting) on wildlife viewing opportunities has been the subject of intense debate and speculation, but quantitative analyses have been lacking. we examined the effect of legal harvest of wolves (canis lupus) along th ... | 2016 | 27124729 |
| unveiling the "secret" of play in dogs (canis lupus familiaris): asymmetry and signals. | due to their playful propensity, dogs are a good model to test some hypotheses about play dynamics (length, asymmetry, features of players) and communication (play bow [pbow]; relaxed open-mouth [rom] display). we video-recorded 203 play sessions between dogs in an off-leash dog park in palermo, italy. contrary to the expectation, play asymmetry (particularly high in this species) did not differ between stranger and familiar dogs, thus suggesting the limited role of play in forming dominance rel ... | 2016 | 27124401 |
| sarcocystis arctica (apicomplexa: sarcocystidae): ultrastructural description and its new host record, the alaskan wolf (canis lupus). | sarcocystis sarcocysts are common in muscles of herbivores but are rare in muscles of carnivores. here, we report sarcocysts in the muscles of a gray wolf (canis lupus) from alaska, usa, for the first time. sarcocysts extracted from the tongue of the wolf were up to 900 μm long and slender and appeared to have a relatively thin wall by light microscope. by transmission electron microscopy, the sarcocyst wall most closely resembled "type 9c," and had a wavy parasitophorous vacuolar membrane folde ... | 2016 | 27112760 |
| the concerted impact of domestication and transposon insertions on methylation patterns between dogs and grey wolves. | the process of domestication can exert intense trait-targeted selection on genes and regulatory regions. specifically, rapid shifts in the structure and sequence of genomic regulatory elements could provide an explanation for the extensive, and sometimes extreme, variation in phenotypic traits observed in domesticated species. here, we explored methylation differences from >24 000 cytosines distributed across the genomes of the domesticated dog (canis familiaris) and the grey wolf (canis lupus). ... | 2016 | 27112634 |
| admixture mapping identifies introgressed genomic regions in north american canids. | hybrid zones typically contain novel gene combinations that can be tested by natural selection in a unique genetic context. parental haplotypes that increase fitness can introgress beyond the hybrid zone, into the range of parental species. we used the affymetrix canine snp genotyping array to identify genomic regions tagged by multiple ancestry informative markers that are more frequent in an admixed population than expected. we surveyed a hybrid zone formed in the last 100 years as coyotes exp ... | 2016 | 27106273 |
| quantification of brown dog tick repellents, 2-hexanone and benzaldehyde, and release from tick-resistant beagles, canis lupus familiaris. | we have recently shown that repellency of the tick rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato by the tick resistant dog breed, the beagle, is mediated by volatile organic compounds (vocs) 2-hexanone and benzaldehyde present in beagle odour. ectoparasite location of animal hosts is affected by variation in these odour components and their ratios. the aim of this study was to quantify the release rate, and the ratio, of 2-hexanone and benzaldehyde from beagles. the odour of three beagles was collected, f ... | 2016 | 27085013 |
| reconciling the conflicts between mitochondrial dna haplogroup trees of canis lupus. | | 2016 | 27042801 |
| rapid mimicry and emotional contagion in domestic dogs. | emotional contagion is a basic form of empathy that makes individuals able to experience others' emotions. in human and non-human primates, emotional contagion can be linked to facial mimicry, an automatic and fast response (less than 1 s) in which individuals involuntary mimic others' expressions. here, we tested whether body (play bow, pbow) and facial (relaxed open-mouth, rom) rapid mimicry is present in domestic dogs (canis lupus familiaris) during dyadic intraspecific play. during their fre ... | 2015 | 27019737 |
| demographic and component allee effects in southern lake superior gray wolves. | recovering populations of carnivores suffering allee effects risk extinction because positive population growth requires a minimum number of cooperating individuals. conservationists seldom consider these issues in planning for carnivore recovery because of data limitations, but ignoring allee effects could lead to overly optimistic predictions for growth and underestimates of extinction risk. we used bayesian splines to document a demographic allee effect in the time series of gray wolf (canis ... | 2016 | 26930665 |
| investigating the function of play bows in adult pet dogs (canis lupus familiaris). | play bows are a common, highly stereotyped canine behavior widely considered to be a 'play signal,' but only one study has researched their function. bekoff (1995) found that play bows function as behavioral modifiers to help clarify playful intent before or after easily misinterpretable behaviors, such as bite-shakes. to further examine the function of play bows, the current study analyzed five types of behaviors displayed by the bower and the partner immediately before and after a play bow dur ... | 2016 | 26923096 |
| multimethod, multistate bayesian hierarchical modeling approach for use in regional monitoring of wolves. | in many cases, the first step in large-carnivore management is to obtain objective, reliable, and cost-effective estimates of population parameters through procedures that are reproducible over time. however, monitoring predators over large areas is difficult, and the data have a high level of uncertainty. we devised a practical multimethod and multistate modeling approach based on bayesian hierarchical-site-occupancy models that combined multiple survey methods to estimate different population ... | 2016 | 26864259 |
| japanese wolves are genetically divided into two groups based on an 8-nucleotide insertion/deletion within the mtdna control region. | the mitochondrial dna (mtdna) control region (198- to 598-bp) of four ancient canis specimens (two canis mandibles, a cranium, and a first phalanx) was examined, and each specimen was genetically identified as japanese wolf. two unique nucleotide substitutions, the 78-c insertion and the 482-g deletion, both of which are specific for japanese wolf, were observed in each sample. based on the mtdna sequences analyzed, these four specimens and 10 additional japanese wolf samples could be classified ... | 2016 | 26853868 |
| response to stimulus relations by a dog (canis lupus familiaris). | a malamute-husky mixed-breed dog was trained to distinguish one object that differed from three others that were identical to each other. the dog progressed rapidly after an effective shaping procedure, requiring 37 training sessions to master 20 such problems to a criterion of 90 %. the dog subsequently scored 80 % correct on the first trials with new problems that required a reversal of previously correct choices. the dog then scored 70 % correct on his first trials with 20 new problems compos ... | 2016 | 26850761 |
| identification of genomic variants putatively targeted by selection during dog domestication. | dogs [canis lupus familiaris] were the first animal species to be domesticated and continue to occupy an important place in human societies. recent studies have begun to reveal when and where dog domestication occurred. while much progress has been made in identifying the genetic basis of phenotypic differences between dog breeds we still know relatively little about the genetic changes underlying the phenotypes that differentiate all dogs from their wild progenitors, wolves [canis lupus]. in pa ... | 2016 | 26754411 |
| using domestic and free-ranging arctic canid models for environmental molecular toxicology research. | the use of sentinel species for population and ecosystem health assessments has been advocated as part of a one health perspective. the arctic is experiencing rapid change, including climate and environmental shifts, as well as increased resource development, which will alter exposure of biota to environmental agents of disease. arctic canid species have wide geographic ranges and feeding ecologies and are often exposed to high concentrations of both terrestrial and marine-based contaminants. th ... | 2016 | 26730740 |
| the complete mitochondrial genome of hequ tibetan mastiff canis lupus familiaris (carnivora: canidae). | the hequ tibetan mastiff canis lupus familiaris (carnivora: canidae) is a primitive breed of large dogs native to the northeastern qinghai-tibetan plateau of china. in this study, its complete mitochondrial genome sequence has been assembled and characterized using high-throughput illumina sequencing technology. the circular genome is 16 730 bp in length, and possesses all genomic components as typically found in most other metazoan mitogenomes. the gene arrangement is identical to those of most ... | 2016 | 26709544 |
| transmissible tumors: breaking the cancer paradigm. | transmissible tumors are those that have transcended the bounds of their incipient hosts by evolving the ability to infect another individual through direct transfer of cancer cells, thus becoming parasitic cancer clones. coitus, biting, and scratching are transfer mechanisms for the two primary species studied, the domestic dog (canis lupus familiaris) and the tasmanian devil (sarcophilus harrisii). canine transmissible venereal tumors (ctvt) are likely thousands of years old, and have successf ... | 2016 | 26686413 |
| interference in the tundra predator guild studied using local ecological knowledge. | the decline or recolonization of apex predators such as wolves and lynx, often driven by management decisions, and the expansion of smaller generalist predators such as red foxes, can have important ecosystem impacts. the mesopredator release hypothesis proposes that apex predators control medium-sized predator populations through competition and/or intraguild predation. the decline of apex predators thus leads to an increase in mesopredators, possibly with a negative impact on prey populations. ... | 2016 | 26686344 |
| worldwide patterns of genomic variation and admixture in gray wolves. | the gray wolf (canis lupus) is a widely distributed top predator and ancestor of the domestic dog. to address questions about wolf relationships to each other and dogs, we assembled and analyzed a data set of 34 canine genomes. the divergence between new and old world wolves is the earliest branching event and is followed by the divergence of old world wolves and dogs, confirming that the dog was domesticated in the old world. however, no single wolf population is more closely related to dogs, s ... | 2016 | 26680994 |
| natural and experimental tests of trophic cascades: gray wolves and white-tailed deer in a great lakes forest. | herbivores can be major drivers of environmental change, altering plant community structure and changing biodiversity through the amount and species of plants consumed. if natural predators can reduce herbivore numbers and/or alter herbivore foraging behavior, then predators may reduce herbivory on sensitive plants, and a trophic cascade will emerge. we have investigated whether gray wolves (canis lupus) generate such trophic cascades by reducing white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) herbiv ... | 2016 | 26670677 |
| genome-wide analyses suggest parallel selection for universal traits may eclipse local environmental selection in a highly mobile carnivore. | ecological and environmental heterogeneity can produce genetic differentiation in highly mobile species. accordingly, local adaptation may be expected across comparatively short distances in the presence of marked environmental gradients. within the european continent, wolves (canis lupus) exhibit distinct north-south population differentiation. we investigated more than 67-k single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) loci for signatures of local adaptation in 59 unrelated wolves from four previously ... | 2015 | 26664688 |
| effects of surgical and chemical sterilization on the behavior of free-roaming male dogs in puerto natales, chile. | population management of free-roaming domestic dogs (canis lupus familiaris) is of interest due to the threat these animals pose to people, other animals and the environment. current sterilization procedures for male dogs include surgical and chemical methods. however, little is known about how these procedures affect their behavior. the primary objective of this study was to investigate changes in selected behaviors following chemical and surgical sterilization in a male free-roaming dog (frd) ... | 2016 | 26657528 |
| plastic response of fearful prey to the spatiotemporal dynamics of predator distribution. | ecological theory predicts that the intensity of antipredator responses is dependent upon the spatiotemporal context of predation risk (the risk allocation hypothesis). however, most studies to date have been conducted over small spatial extents, and did not fully take into account gradual responses to predator proximity. we simultaneously collected spatially explicit data on predator and prey to investigate acute responses of a threatened forest ungulate, the boreal caribou (rangifer tarandus), ... | 2015 | 26649384 |
| estimating demographic parameters using a combination of known-fate and open n-mixture models. | accurate estimates of demographic parameters are required to infer appropriate ecological relationships and inform management actions. known-fate data from marked individuals are commonly used to estimate survival rates, whereas n-mixture models use count data from unmarked individuals to estimate multiple demographic parameters. however, a joint approach combining the strengths of both analytical tools has not been developed. here we develop an integrated model combining known-fate and open n-m ... | 2015 | 26649379 |
| on the origin of mongrels: evolutionary history of free-breeding dogs in eurasia. | although a large part of the global domestic dog population is free-ranging and free-breeding, knowledge of genetic diversity in these free-breeding dogs (fbds) and their ancestry relations to pure-breed dogs is limited, and the indigenous status of fbds in asia is still uncertain. we analyse genome-wide snp variability of fbds across eurasia, and show that they display weak genetic structure and are genetically distinct from pure-breed dogs rather than constituting an admixture of breeds. our r ... | 2015 | 26631564 |
| autoantibodies against cytochrome p450 side-chain cleavage enzyme in dogs (canis lupus familiaris) affected with hypoadrenocorticism (addison's disease). | canine hypoadrenocorticism likely arises from immune-mediated destruction of adrenocortical tissue, leading to glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid deficiency. in humans with autoimmune addison's disease (aad) or autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome (aps), circulating autoantibodies have been demonstrated against enzymes associated with adrenal steroid synthesis. the current study investigates autoantibodies against steroid synthesis enzymes in dogs with spontaneous hypoadrenocorticism. coding regi ... | 2015 | 26618927 |
| choosy wolves? heterozygote advantage but no evidence of mhc-based disassortative mating. | a variety of nonrandom mate choice strategies, including disassortative mating, are used by vertebrate species to avoid inbreeding, maintain heterozygosity and increase fitness. disassortative mating may be mediated by the major histocompatibility complex (mhc), an important gene cluster controlling immune responses to pathogens. we investigated the patterns of mate choice in 26 wild-living breeding pairs of gray wolf (canis lupus) that were identified through noninvasive genetic methods and gen ... | 2016 | 26610365 |
| what counts for dogs (canis lupus familiaris) in a quantity discrimination task? | numerous studies have reported that animals reliably discriminate quantities of more or less food. however, little attention has been given to the relative salience of numerosity compared to the total amount of food when animals are making their choices. here we investigated this issue in dogs. dogs were given choices between two quantities of food items in three different conditions. in the congruent condition, the total amount of food co-varied with the number of food items; in the incongruent ... | 2016 | 26601897 |
| targeted capture and resequencing of 1040 genes reveal environmentally driven functional variation in grey wolves. | in an era of ever-increasing amounts of whole-genome sequence data for individuals and populations, the utility of traditional single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) array-based genome scans is uncertain. we previously performed a snp array-based genome scan to identify candidate genes under selection in six distinct grey wolf (canis lupus) ecotypes. using this information, we designed a targeted capture array for 1040 genes, including all exons and flanking regions, as well as 5000 1-kb nongeni ... | 2016 | 26562361 |
| dietary items as possible sources of (137)cs in large carnivores in the gorski kotar forest ecosystem, western croatia. | the mountain forest ecosystem of gorski kotar is distant from any significant sources of environmental pollution, though recent findings have revealed that this region is among the most intense (137)cs contaminated area in croatia. therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate (137)cs and (40)k load in three large predator species in the mountain forest ecosystem. radionuclides mass activities were determined by the gamma-spectrometric method in the muscle tissue of brown bear (47), wolf ( ... | 2016 | 26556746 |
| the role of oxytocin in relationships between dogs and humans and potential applications for the treatment of separation anxiety in dogs. | the hormone oxytocin plays an important role in attachment formation and bonding between humans and domestic dogs. recent research has led to increased interest in potential applications for intranasal oxytocin to aid with the treatment of psychological disorders in humans. while a few studies have explored the effects of intranasally administered oxytocin on social cognition and social bonding in dogs, alternative applications have not yet been explored for the treatment of behavioural problems ... | 2017 | 26548910 |
| brain, craniofacial, and dental lesions of a free-ranging gray wolf (canis lupus) implicated in a human attack in minnesota, usa. | we describe significant brain, craniofacial, and dental lesions in a free-ranging wolf (canis lupus) involved in a human attack. on postmortem examination, the wolf presented asymmetric atrophy and bone remodeling affecting the mandible, incisive, maxilla, lacrimal, palatine, frontal, and ethmoid bones. there was an asymmetrical skeletal malocclusion and dental abnormalities including rotated, malpositioned, partially erupted teeth, and an odontogenic cyst associated with an unerupted canine too ... | 2016 | 26540333 |
| novel papillomaviral sequence detected within epidermal plaques in a wolf (canis lupus). | we describe numerous pale plaques affecting the inguinal skin of a grey wolf (canis lupus). histologically, these were consistent with papillomaviral plaques. immunohistochemistry confirmed papillomavirus antigens, and partial sequencing of the l1 gene suggests this is a novel papillomavirus most-closely related to canis familiaris papillomavirus 5. | 2016 | 26540181 |
| predators and the public trust. | many democratic governments recognize a duty to conserve environmental resources, including wild animals, as a public trust for current and future citizens. these public trust principles have informed two centuries of u.s.a. supreme court decisions and environmental laws worldwide. nevertheless numerous populations of large-bodied, mammalian carnivores (predators) were eradicated in the 20th century. environmental movements and strict legal protections have fostered predator recoveries across th ... | 2017 | 26526656 |
| identification of putative snps in progressive retinal atrophy affected canis lupus familiaris using exome sequencing. | progressive retinal atrophy (pra) is one of the major causes of retinal photoreceptor cell degeneration in canines. the inheritance pattern of pra is autosomal recessive and genetically heterogeneous. here, using targeted sequencing technology, we have performed exome sequencing of 10 pra-affected (spitz=7, cocker spaniel=1, lhasa aphso=1 and spitz-labrador cross breed=1) and 6 normal (spitz=5, cocker spaniel=1) dogs. the high-throughput sequencing using 454-roche titanium sequencer generated ab ... | 2015 | 26515695 |