| mycobacterium tuberculosis: an emerging disease of free-ranging wildlife. | expansion of ecotourism-based industries, changes in land-use practices, and escalating competition for resources have increased contact between free-ranging wildlife and humans. although human presence in wildlife areas may provide an important economic benefit through ecotourism, exposure to human pathogens may represent a health risk for wildlife. this report is the first to document introduction of a primary human pathogen into free-ranging wildlife. we describe outbreaks of mycobacterium tu ... | 2002 | 12023916 |
| radioimmunoassay of prolactin for the meerkat (suricata suricatta), a cooperatively breeding carnivore. | we report the development and validation of a highly specific heterologous radioimmunoassay (ria) to measure meerkat prolactin (prl) by using rabbit antiserum to human prolactin and canine [125i]iodo-prl. dilutions of meerkat pituitary standard and plasma gave parallel inhibition curves in the assay. gel filtration of meerkat pituitary extracts and canine [125i]iodo-prl run separately on a sephadex g-100 generated identical peaks of activity, and western blot analysis of meerkat pituitary extrac ... | 2003 | 12568792 |
| noninvasive monitoring of adrenocortical activity in carnivores by fecal glucocorticoid analyses. | measurement of glucocorticoid metabolites in feces has become an accepted method for the noninvasive evaluation of adrenocortical activity. the objective of this study was to determine if a simple cortisol enzyme immunoassay (eia) was suitable for monitoring adrenocortical activity in a variety of carnivore species. performance of the cortisol eia was gauged by comparison to a corticosterone radioimmunoassay (ria) that has been used for measuring glucocorticoid metabolites in feces of numerous s ... | 2004 | 15158127 |
| intrarenal pelvic nephroblastoma in a meerkat (suricata suricatta). | nephroblastoma is the most common primary renal tumor in children and has also been reported in domestic and nondomestic animal species. intrapelvic renal nephroblastoma is a rare variant of this tumor type in human patients. postmortem examination of a captive meerkat (suricata suricatta), which was found dead, revealed enlargement of the pelvis of the left kidney by a tumor mass. gross, histological, and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with a diagnosis of triphasic intrapelvic ren ... | 2005 | 16475529 |
| a missing model in reproductive skew theory: the bordered tug-of-war. | models of reproductive skew can be classified into two groups: transactional models, in which group members yield shares of reproduction to each other in return for cooperation, and tug-of-war models, in which group members invest group resources in a tug-of-war over their respective reproductive shares. we synthesize these two models to yield a "bordered tug-of-war" model in which the internal tug-of-war is limited ("bordered") by the requirement that group members must achieve a certain amount ... | 2006 | 16717185 |
| teaching in wild meerkats. | despite the obvious benefits of directed mechanisms that facilitate the efficient transfer of skills, there is little critical evidence for teaching in nonhuman animals. using observational and experimental data, we show that wild meerkats (suricata suricatta) teach pups prey-handling skills by providing them with opportunities to interact with live prey. in response to changing pup begging calls, helpers alter their prey-provisioning methods as pups grow older, thus accelerating learning withou ... | 2006 | 16840701 |
| helpers increase the reproductive potential of offspring in cooperative meerkats. | in both animal and human societies, individuals may forego personal reproduction and provide care to the offspring of others. studies aimed at investigating the adaptive nature of such cooperative breeding systems in vertebrates typically calculate helper 'fitness' from relationships of helper numbers and offspring survival to independence. the aim of this study is to use observations and supplemental feeding experiments in cooperatively breeding meerkats, suricata suricatta, to investigate whet ... | 2007 | 17476771 |
| pathology of mycobacterium bovis infection in wild meerkats (suricata suricatta). | pathological lesions associated with mycobacterium bovis infection (bovine tuberculosis; btb) in free-living meerkats (suricata suricatta) in the kalahari desert of south africa are described. the pathology of btb in meerkats was determined through detailed post-mortem examinations of 57 animals (52 meerkats showing clinical signs of btb, and five not showing signs of disease). lymph nodes and tissue lesions thought to be associated with btb were cultured for mycobacteria. all 52 btb-infected me ... | 2009 | 19070868 |
| accuracy of three diagnostic tests for determining mycobacterium bovis infection status in live-sampled wild meerkats (suricata suricatta). | accurate diagnosis of mycobacterium bovis infection (bovine tuberculosis [btb]) in live animals is notoriously problematic. the aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of 2 new serologic tests (multiantigen print immunoassay [mapia] and lateral flow immunoassay rapid test [rt]) in comparison with mycobacterial culture of tracheal washes for determining m. bovis infection status in a free-ranging population of wild meerkats (suricata suricatta). during a longitudinal stu ... | 2009 | 19139498 |
| 'emerging' mycobacteria in south africa. | disease can be caused by various species of the genus mycobacterium. a number of reports, both published and unpublished, of rarely reported mycobacteria have surfaced in south africa in the last few years. some unusual hosts have also been involved, causing concern in some quarters.these include reports on mycobacterium goodii in a spotted hyaena (crocuta crocuta), m. xenopi in a ruffed lemur (varecia variegata), m. intracellulare in wild-caught chacma baboons (papio ursinus), the 'dassie bacil ... | 2009 | 20458859 |
| social learning and the development of individual and group behaviour in mammal societies. | as in human societies, social learning may play an important role in shaping individual and group characteristics in other mammals. here, we review research on non-primate mammals, concentrating on work at our long-term meerkat study site, where longitudinal data and field experiments have generated important insights into the role of social learning under natural conditions. meerkats live under high predation pressure and occupy a difficult foraging niche. accordingly, pups make extensive use o ... | 2011 | 21357220 |
| mycobacterium microti infection in two meerkats (suricata suricatta). | mycobacterium microti is a member of the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (mtc). m. microti is generally considered a pathogen of small rodents, although sporadic infections in a range of other mammals, including domestic animals and man, have been reported. while many human infections have been associated with immunosuppression, an increasing number of cases are being reported in immunocompetent patients. two cases of m. microti infection in meerkats (suricata suricatta) are reported. these a ... | 2011 | 21783200 |
| validation of a fecal glucocorticoid assay to assess adrenocortical activity in meerkats using physiological and biological stimuli. | in mammals, glucocorticoid (i.e. gc) levels have been associated with specific life-history stages and transitions, reproductive strategies, and a plethora of behaviors. assessment of adrenocortical activity via measurement of glucocorticoid metabolites in feces (fgcm) has greatly facilitated data collection from wild animals, due to its non-invasive nature, and thus has become an established tool in behavioral ecology and conservation biology. the aim of our study was to validate a fecal glucoc ... | 2016 | 27077741 |
| h5n1 influenza virus-like particle vaccine protects mice from heterologous virus challenge better than whole inactivated virus. | the highly pathogenic avian influenza (hpai) h5n1 virus has become highly enzootic since 2003 and has dynamically evolved to undergo substantial evolution. clades 2.3.2.1 and 2.3.4 have become the most dominant lineage in recent years, and h5n8 avian influenza outbreaks have been reported asia. the current approach to generate influenza virus vaccines uses embryonated chicken eggs for large-scale production, although such vaccines have been poorly immunogenic to heterologous virus challenge. in ... | 2015 | 25599603 |
| whole genome sequence analysis of mycobacterium suricattae. | tuberculosis occurs in various mammalian hosts and is caused by a range of different lineages of the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (mtbc). a recently described member, mycobacterium suricattae, causes tuberculosis in meerkats (suricata suricatta) in southern africa and preliminary genetic analysis showed this organism to be closely related to an mtbc pathogen of rock hyraxes (procavia capensis), the dassie bacillus. here we make use of whole genome sequencing to describe the evolution of th ... | 2015 | 26542221 |
| novel cause of tuberculosis in meerkats, south africa. | the organism that causes tuberculosis in meerkats (suricata suricatta) has been poorly characterized. our genetic analysis showed it to be a novel member of the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and closely related to the dassie bacillus. we have named this epidemiologically and genetically unique strain m. suricattae. | 2013 | 24274183 |
| thermoregulation in the meerkat (suricata suricatta schreber, 1776). | tre of the suricates exhibits a marked diurnal rhythm (mean tre at night 36.3 +/- 0.6 degrees c and 38.3 +/- 0.5 degrees c during the day). oxygen consumption is lowest at ta 30-32.5 degrees c (mean 0.365 +/- 0.022 ml o2 g-1 hr-1); this is 42% below the value expected from body mass. at ta below the tnz, oxygen uptake rises rapidly, minimal thermal conductance (0.040 ml o2 g-1 h-1 degrees c-1) being 18% above the mass-specific level. lowest heart rates occur at ta 30 degrees c (mean 109.6 +/- 9. ... | 2002 | 2869862 |
| integrating contact network structure into tuberculosis epidemiology in meerkats in south africa: implications for control. | empirical studies that integrate information on host contact patterns with infectious disease transmission over time are rare. the aims of this study were to determine the relative importance of intra-group social interactions in the transmission of tuberculosis (tb; mycobacterium bovis infection) in a population of wild meerkats (suricata suricatta) in south africa, and to use this information to propose an evidence-based intervention strategy to manage this disease. detailed behavioural observ ... | 2011 | 21683459 |
| ebstein anomaly in the tsushima leopard cat (prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus). | ebstein anomaly is a rare congenital heart disease that has been described in domestic dogs, a meerkat, a pygmy goat, and a lion. an 11-mo-old tsushima leopard cat presented to osaka prefecture university veterinary hospital for diagnosis and treatment of right-sided congestive heart failure. echocardiography showed a dilated right atrium and ventricle with an enlarged tricuspid valve annulus and apical displacement of the tricuspid valve leaflets. the cat was diagnosed with ebstein anomaly. to ... | 2017 | 28749297 |
| the function of nonlinear phenomena in meerkat alarm calls. | nonlinear vocal phenomena are a ubiquitous feature of human and non-human animal vocalizations. although we understand how these complex acoustic intrusions are generated, it is not clear whether they function adaptively for the animals producing them. one explanation is that nonlinearities make calls more unpredictable, increasing behavioural responses and ultimately reducing the chances of habituation to these call types. meerkats (suricata suricatta) exhibit nonlinear subharmonics in their pr ... | 2011 | 20659926 |
| identifying teaching in wild animals. | after a long period of neglect, the study of teaching in nonhuman animals is beginning to take a more prominent role in research on social learning. unlike other forms of social learning, teaching requires knowledgeable individuals to play an active role in facilitating learning by the naive. casting aside anthropocentric requirements for cognitive mechanisms assumed to underpin teaching in our own species, researchers are now beginning to discover evidence for teaching across a wide range of ta ... | 2010 | 20628167 |
| who infects whom? social networks and tuberculosis transmission in wild meerkats. | transmission of infectious diseases is strongly influenced by who contacts whom. despite the global distribution of tuberculosis (tb) in free-living wild mammal populations, little is known of the mechanisms of social transmission of mycobacterium bovis between individuals. here, i use a network approach to examine for correlations between five distinct types of intra- and intergroup social interaction and changes in tb status of 110 wild meerkats (suricata suricatta) in five social groups over ... | 2010 | 19889705 |
| isolation and molecular characterization of toxoplasma gondii from captive slender-tailed meerkats (suricata suricatta) with fatal toxoplasmosis in argentina. | in this study, the diagnosis of fatal disseminated toxoplasmosis in three captive slender-tailed meerkats (suricata suricatta) in the zoo of la plata, argentina and the invitro isolation and molecular characterization of toxoplasma gondii are reported. the animals showed depression, dyspnea and hypothermia, and also ataxia in one case, and died within 1-5 days. the main histopathological lesions included interstitial pneumonia, non-suppurative inflammatory changes and focal necrosis in liver, sp ... | 2009 | 19201541 |
| lessons from animal teaching. | many species are known to acquire valuable life skills and information from others, but until recently it was widely believed that animals did not actively facilitate learning in others. teaching was regarded as a uniquely human faculty. however, recent studies suggest that teaching might be more common in animals than previously thought. teaching is present in bees, ants, babblers, meerkats and other carnivores but is absent in chimpanzees, a bizarre taxonomic distribution that makes sense if t ... | 2008 | 18657877 |
| subordinate male meerkats prospect for extra-group paternity: alternative reproductive tactics in a cooperative mammal. | in cooperatively breeding species, subordinates typically suffer strong constraints on within-group reproduction. while numerous studies have highlighted the additional fitness benefits that subordinates might accrue through helping, few have considered the possibility that subordinates may also seek extra-group matings to improve their chances of actually breeding. here, we show that subordinate males in cooperative meerkat, suricata suricatta, societies conduct frequent extraterritorial forays ... | 2007 | 17456454 |
| serologic responses after vaccination of fennec foxes (vulpes zerda) and meerkats (suricata suricatta) with a live, canarypox-vectored canine distemper virus vaccine. | fennec foxes (vulpes zerda) and meerkats (suricata suricatta) are considered to be susceptible to canine distemper virus (cdv) infection. although no definitive clinical cases of natural cdv infections have been reported, mortalities due to cdv have been suspected and are reported in other closely related species. a commercially available monovalent, live, canarypox-vectored cdv vaccine induced neutralizing antibody titers that were maintained for at least a year in both fennec foxes and meerkat ... | 2005 | 17323579 |
| intrasexual competition and sexual selection in cooperative mammals. | in most animals, the sex that invests least in its offspring competes more intensely for access to the opposite sex and shows greater development of secondary sexual characters than the sex that invests most. however, in some mammals where females are the primary care-givers, females compete more frequently or intensely with each other than males. a possible explanation is that, in these species, the resources necessary for successful female reproduction are heavily concentrated and intrasexual ... | 2006 | 17183322 |
| dispersal, eviction, and conflict in meerkats (suricata suricatta): an evolutionarily stable strategy model. | decisions regarding immigration and emigration are crucial to understanding group dynamics in social animals, but dispersal is rarely treated in models of optimal behavior. we developed a model of evolutionarily stable dispersal and eviction strategies for a cooperative mammal, the meerkat suricata suricatta. using rank and group size as state variables, we determined state-specific probabilities that subordinate females would disperse and contrasted these with probabilities of eviction by the d ... | 2004 | 15729644 |
| fatal disseminated toxoplasmosis in a zoological collection of meerkats (<i>suricata suricatta</i>). | two confirmed cases of fatal disseminated toxoplasmosis occurred in an urban zoological collection of meerkats (suricata suricatta). both cases are suspected to be the result of feral cats gaining access to the enclosure. toxoplasmosis has rarely been documented in meerkats. subsequent to prophylactic treatment of all the animals and structural changes being implemented within the enclosure, no new cases have been recorded to date. very little information is available on the disease in viverrids ... | 2017 | 28397514 |
| discrete call types referring to predation risk enhance the efficiency of the meerkat sentinel system. | sentinel behaviour, a form of coordinated vigilance, occurs in a limited range of species, mostly in cooperative breeders. in some species sentinels confirm their presence vocally by giving a single sentinel call type, whereby the rate and subtle acoustic changes provide graded information on the variation of perceived predation risk. in contrast, meerkat (suricata suricatta) sentinels produce six different sentinel call types. here we show that manipulation of perception of danger has different ... | 2017 | 28303964 |
| adaptive size modification by dominant female meerkats. | in species of cooperative insects that live in large groups, selection for increased fecundity has led to the evolution of an increased body size among female reproductives, but whether this is also true of cooperative vertebrates is unknown. among vertebrates, morphological modification of female breeders has only been documented in a single species; in naked mole rats (heterocephalus glaber), acquisition of alpha status is associated with a significant increase in body size through an elongati ... | 2004 | 15341161 |
| meaning and emotion in animal vocalizations. | historically, a dichotomy has been drawn between the semantic communication of human language and the apparently emotional calls of animals. current research paints a more complicated picture. just as scientists have identified elements of human speech that reflect a speaker's emotions, field experiments have shown that the calls of many animals provide listeners with information about objects and events in the environment. like human speech, therefore, animal vocalizations simultaneously provid ... | 2003 | 14766619 |
| epizootic disseminated toxoplasmosis in captive slender-tailed meerkats (suricata suricatta). | fatal disseminated toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in seven captive slender-tailed meerkats (suricata suricatta) according to clinicopathologic findings and immunohistochemistry. five of nine meerkats died during an outbreak in late 1994. these included four kits (2.5 to 4.5 months old) and a 4-year-old meerkat. two other meerkats, both adults, died in 1992 and 1995. respiratory insufficiency (4/7) and incoordination (3/7) were the most consistent clinical signs. although two of seven meerkats died ... | 1997 | 9150539 |
| reproductive success is predicted by social dynamics and kinship in managed animal populations. | kin and group interactions are important determinants of reproductive success in many species. their optimization could, therefore, potentially improve the productivity and breeding success of managed populations used for agricultural and conservation purposes. here we demonstrate this potential using a novel approach to measure and predict the effect of kin and group dynamics on reproductive output in a well-known species, the meerkat suricata suricatta. variation in social dynamics predicts 30 ... | 2016 | 27990255 |
| the neurobiological causes and effects of alloparenting. | alloparenting, defined as care provided by individuals other than parents, is a universal behavior among humans that has shaped our evolutionary history and remains important in contemporary society. dysfunctions in alloparenting can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences for vulnerable infants and children. in spite of the importance of alloparenting, they still have much to learn regarding the underlying neurobiological systems governing its expression. here, they review how a lack of a ... | 2017 | 27804277 |
| ospreys do not teach offspring how to kill prey at the nest. | there is strong evidence for teaching in only a handful of species, most of which are cooperative breeders, leading some researchers to suggest that teaching may be more likely to evolve in such species. alternatively, this initial distribution could be an artefact of the popularity and tractability of cooperative breeders as behavioural study systems. therefore, establishing or refuting this potential evolutionary link requires researchers to assess potential cases of teaching in more non-coope ... | 2017 | 28835470 |
| stature signals status: the association of stature, status and perceived dominance - a thought experiment. | background: there is a common perception that tall stature results in social dominance. evidence in meerkats suggests that social dominance itself may be a strong stimulus for growth. relative size serves as the signal for individuals to induce strategic growth adjustments. aim: we construct a thought experiment to explore the potential consequences of the question: is stature a social signal also in humans? we hypothesize that (1) upward trends in height in the lower social strata are perceived ... | 2016 | 27643683 |
| a comparison of zoo animal behavior in the presence of familiar and unfamiliar people. | as recorded in domestic nonhuman animals, regular interactions between animals in zoos and keepers and the resulting relationship formed (human-animal relationship [har]) are likely to influence the animals' behaviors with associated welfare consequences. har formation requires that zoo animals distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people. this ability was tested by comparing zoo animal behavioral responses to familiar (routine) keepers and unfamiliar keepers (participants in the "keeper f ... | 2016 | 26960022 |
| whole-genome sequencing reveals diverse models of structural variations in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. | comprehensive identification of somatic structural variations (svs) and understanding their mutational mechanisms in cancer might contribute to understanding biological differences and help to identify new therapeutic targets. unfortunately, characterization of complex svs across the whole genome and the mutational mechanisms underlying esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (escc) is largely unclear. to define a comprehensive catalog of somatic svs, affected target genes, and their underlying mecha ... | 2016 | 26833333 |
| gastrointestinal parasites in relation to host traits and group factors in wild meerkats suricata suricatta. | meerkats are one of the most endearing of south african's wildlife celebrities and one of the most highly studied social mammals. however, although parasites are widely recognized as important regulatory factors in animal population, basic knowledge on meerkats' parasites is lacking. here 100 fresh fecal samples of wild meerkats were examined for the presence of endoparasitic infection. endoparasitic taxa identified by the presence of eggs or oocysts included toxocara suricattae, oxynema suricat ... | 2014 | 24560215 |
| molecular characterization of babesia and cytauxzoon species in wild south-african meerkats. | piroplasms, including babesia, cytauxzoon and theileria species, frequently infect domestic and wild mammals. at present, there is no information on the occurrence and molecular identity of these tick-borne blood parasites in the meerkat, one of south africa's most endearing wildlife celebrities. meerkats live in territorial groups, which may occur on ranchland in close proximity to humans, pets and livestock. blood collected from 46 healthy meerkats living in the south-african kalahari desert w ... | 2015 | 25374302 |
| topography of the chorda tympani nerve and the tensor tympani muscle in carnivores provides a new synapomorphy for herpestidae (carnivora, mammalia). | the topographical relationship of the chorda tympani nerve (chorda tympani) to the tensor tympani muscle in the middle ear of carnivores provides new phylogenetic information. the examination of histological serial sections of 16 carnivore species representing most families revealed two distinct character states concerning the course of the chorda tympani: a hypotensoric state with the nerve running below the insertion tendon of the tensor tympani muscle, and an epitensoric state with the nerve ... | 2010 | 20017207 |
| fork-tailed drongos use deceptive mimicked alarm calls to steal food. | despite the prevalence of vocal mimicry in animals, few functions for this behaviour have been shown. i propose a novel hypothesis that false mimicked alarm calls could be used deceptively to scare other species and steal their food. studies have previously suggested that animals use their own species-specific alarm calls to steal food. however none have shown conclusively that these false alarms are deceptive, or that mimicked alarm calls are used in this manner. here, i show that wild fork-tai ... | 2011 | 21047861 |
| the yellow mongoose (cynictis penicillata) as a latent focus of rabies in south africa. | the role of c. penicillata as a latent focus of rabies in south africa is discussed. a description of the colony life, feeding and breeding habits and the relationship of the yellow mongoose to the suricate meerkat and ground squirrel is given. observations on the epidemiology and symptomatology of rabies in the yellow mongoose are reported and various methods of control are suggested. | 1976 | 994142 |
| lipid components in anal scent sacs of three mongoose species (helogale parvula, crossarchus obscurus, suricata suricatta). | anal sac secretions of three social mongoose species (helogale parvula, crossarchus obscurus, andsuricata suricatta) were chemically analyzed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. compounds with high molecular weights (greater than 250) were found to distinguish the three species. differences in composition suggest a possible species-specific role in scent marking. maleh. parvula had vitamin e present in the anal sac, whereas it was absent in the females. this suggests a possible sex ... | 1992 | 24254283 |
| an ambusher's arsenal: chemical crypsis in the puff adder (bitis arietans). | ambush foragers use a hunting strategy that places them at risk of predation by both visual and olfaction-oriented predators. resulting selective pressures have driven the evolution of impressive visual crypsis in many ambushing species, and may have led to the development of chemical crypsis. however, unlike for visual crypsis, few studies have attempted to demonstrate chemical crypsis. field observations of puff adders (bitis arietans) going undetected by several scent-orientated predator and ... | 2015 | 26674950 |
| yersiniosis due to infection by yersinia pseudotuberculosis 4b in captive meerkats (suricata suricatta) in japan. | two meerkats (suricata suricatta) housed in the same zoological garden in japan died due to yersinia pseudotuberculosis serotype 4b infection. gross and microscopic lesions included necrotizing enteritis and enlargement of the spleen and liver with multifocal necrosis. inflammatory cells, primarily neutrophils, and nuclear debris were associated with clusters of gram-negative bacilli. additionally, there were aberrant organism forms that were larger than bacilli and appeared as basophilic globul ... | 2015 | 26179097 |
| fatal angiostrongylus dujardini infection in callitrichid monkeys and suricates in an italian zoological garden. | this paper reports four fatal cases of metastrongylid nematode angiostrongylus dujardini infection observed in a saguinus oedipus and a callimico goeldii monkey and in two suricates (suricata suricatta). all animals were kept in captivity in a zoo of central italy. the two monkeys died with no premonitory signs, while the two-month-old suricates showed malaise, anorexia and tachypnea for a few days prior to death. cardiomegaly and/or granulomatous pneumonia were the major anatomo-pathological fi ... | 2016 | 27094227 |
| dominance, reproduction and survival in banded mongooses: towards an egalitarian social system? | the banded mongoose, mungos mungo, is a social species that forms multimale and multifemale family groups. earlier studies suggest these family groups are relatively egalitarian with small differences in reproductive opportunities among individuals of different rank. in contrast, previous studies of other social mongooses have focused on species with more despotic control of reproduction (meerkats, suricata suricatta, dwarf mongooses, helogale parvula). in these species, the distribution of repr ... | 2001 | 11170693 |
| arginine vasopressin plasma levels change seasonally in african striped mice but do not differ between alternative reproductive tactics. | arginine vasopressin (avp) is an important hormone for osmoregulation, while as a neuropeptide in the brain it plays an important role in the regulation of social behaviors. dry habitats are often the home of obligately sociable species such as meerkats and damaraland mole-rats, leading to the hypothesis that high plasma avp levels needed for osmoregulation might be associated with the regulation of social behavior. we tested this in a facultative sociable species, the african striped mouse (rha ... | 2014 | 24842715 |
| effects of early-life competition and maternal nutrition on telomere lengths in wild meerkats. | early-life adversity can affect health, survival and fitness later in life, and recent evidence suggests that telomere attrition may link early conditions with their delayed consequences. here, we investigate the link between early-life competition and telomere length in wild meerkats. our results show that, when multiple females breed concurrently, increases in the number of pups in the group are associated with shorter telomeres in pups. given that pups from different litters compete for acces ... | 2017 | 28855370 |
| hepatocellular carcinoma in captive slender tailed meerkats (suricata suricatta): 5 cases. | hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed in five slender tailed meerkats (suricata suricatta) housed at the smithsonian institution's national zoological park between 1980 and 2013. animals included four females and one male, ranging from 7 to 15 yr of age. common clinical signs included weight loss and lethargy. three of the neoplasms originated from the right medial liver lobe and were located adjacent to or partially incorporated in the gall bladder. three animals had solitary masses, and two a ... | 2014 | 24712172 |
| meerkats (suricata suricatta) fail to prosocially donate food in an experimental set-up. | although humans are usually believed to be prosocial, the evolutionary origins of prosociality are largely debated. one hypothesis is that cooperative breeding has been one major precursor to the emergence of prosociality. in vertebrates, however, experimental evidence of prosociality has been mainly gathered in non-human primates. in this study, we tested the cooperative breeding hypothesis in cooperative breeding meerkats (suricata suricatta). in particular, we tested whether meerkats take int ... | 2017 | 28766161 |
| comparison of isoflurane and sevoflurane for short-term anesthesia in meerkats (suricata suricatta)-are there benefits that outweigh costs? | meerkats ( suricata suricatta ) are routinely anesthetized with isoflurane in zoo and field settings. twenty healthy adult meerkats of mixed age and sex held in the zoological society of london's collection were anesthetized with 4% isoflurane by face mask for routine health examinations. the procedure was repeated 5 mo later in the same group of animals utilizing sevoflurane at 5% for induction, and again 3 mo later with sevoflurane at 6.5% for induction to approximate equipotency with isoflura ... | 2017 | 28749267 |
| discrimination factors of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in meerkat feces. | stable isotope analysis of feces can provide a non-invasive method for tracking the dietary habits of nearly any mammalian species. while fecal samples are often collected for macroscopic and genetic study, stable isotope analysis can also be applied to expand the knowledge of species-specific dietary ecology. it is somewhat unclear how digestion changes the isotope ratios of animals' diets, so more controlled diet studies are needed. to date, most diet-to-feces controlled stable isotope experim ... | 2017 | 28626611 |
| social odours covary with bacterial community in the anal secretions of wild meerkats. | the fermentation hypothesis for animal signalling posits that bacteria dwelling in an animal's scent glands metabolize the glands' primary products into odorous compounds used by the host to communicate with conspecifics. there is, however, little evidence of the predicted covariation between an animal's olfactory cues and its glandular bacterial communities. using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we first identified the volatile compounds present in 'pure' versus 'mixed' anal-gland secreti ... | 2017 | 28607369 |
| group cohesion in foraging meerkats: follow the moving 'vocal hot spot'. | group coordination, when 'on the move' or when visibility is low, is a challenge faced by many social living animals. while some animals manage to maintain cohesion solely through visual contact, the mechanism of group cohesion through other modes of communication, a necessity when visual contact is reduced, is not yet understood. meerkats (suricata suricatta), a small, social carnivore, forage as a cohesive group while moving continuously. while foraging, they frequently emit 'close calls', sof ... | 2017 | 28484628 |
| persimmon phytobezoars in meerkats (suricata suricatta). | two meerkats (suricata suricatta) died acutely and gastric bezoars were found at necropsy. four of the eight remaining meerkats had bezoars identified radiographically. surgical gastrotomies were performed and bezoars containing orange fibrous material were removed. histologic examination of the bezoars and persimmon fruit from a tree in the exhibit revealed that the materials were identical. tannins found in ripe persimmons are known to coagulate in the presence of gastric acid, and the resulta ... | 2013 | 23805577 |
| group size and visitor numbers predict faecal glucocorticoid concentrations in zoo meerkats. | measures of physiological stress in zoo animals can give important insights into how they are affected by aspects of their captive environment. we analysed the factors influencing variation in glucocorticoid metabolites in faeces (fgcs) from zoo meerkats as a proxy for blood cortisol concentration, high levels of which are associated with a stress response. levels of fgcs in captive meerkats declined with increasing group size. in the wild, very small groups of meerkats are at a higher risk of p ... | 2017 | 28484620 |
| meerkat close calling patterns are linked to sex, social category, season and wind, but not fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations. | it is well established that animal vocalizations can encode information regarding a sender's identity, sex, age, body size, social rank and group membership. however, the association between physiological parameters, particularly stress hormone levels, and vocal behavior is still not well understood. the cooperatively breeding african meerkats (suricata suricatta) live in family groups with despotic social hierarchies. during foraging, individuals emit close calls that help maintain group cohesi ... | 2017 | 28467419 |
| increased food availability raises eviction rate in a cooperative breeding mammal. | in group-living mammals, the eviction of subordinate females from breeding groups by dominants may serve to reduce feeding competition or to reduce breeding competition. here, we combined both correlational and experimental approaches to investigate whether increases in food intake by dominant females reduces their tendency to evict subordinate females in wild meerkats (suricata suricatta). we used 20 years of long-term data to examine the association between foraging success and eviction rate, ... | 2017 | 28404820 |
| odour-based kin discrimination in the cooperatively breeding meerkat. | kin recognition is a useful ability for animals, facilitating cooperation among relatives and avoidance of excessive kin competition or inbreeding. in meerkats, suricata suricatta, encounters between unfamiliar kin are relatively frequent, and kin recognition by phenotype matching is expected to avoid inbreeding with close relatives. here, we investigate whether female meerkats are able to discriminate the scent of unfamiliar kin from unfamiliar non-kin. dominant females were presented with anal ... | 2013 | 23234867 |
| identification of learning mechanisms in a wild meerkat population. | vigorous debates as to the evolutionary origins of culture remain unresolved due to an absence of methods for identifying learning mechanisms in natural populations. while laboratory experiments on captive animals have revealed evidence for a number of mechanisms, these may not necessarily reflect the processes typically operating in nature. we developed a novel method that allows social and asocial learning mechanisms to be determined in animal groups from the patterns of interaction with, and ... | 2012 | 22905113 |
| social and environmental factors affect tuberculosis related mortality in wild meerkats. | tuberculosis (tb) is an important and widespread disease of wildlife, livestock and humans world-wide, but long-term empirical datasets describing this condition are rare. a population of meerkats (suricata suricatta) in south africa's kalahari desert have been diagnosed with mycobacterium suricattae, a novel strain of tb, causing fatal disease in this group-living species. this study aimed to find characteristics associated with clinical tb in meerkats. these characteristics could subsequently ... | 2017 | 28186336 |
| androgens predict parasitism in female meerkats: a new perspective on a classic trade-off. | the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis posits that androgens in males can be a 'double-edged sword', actively promoting reproductive success, while also negatively impacting health. because there can be both substantial androgen concentrations in females and significant androgenic variation among them, particularly in species portraying female social dominance over males or intense female-female competition, androgens might also play a role in mediating female health and fitness. we examined t ... | 2016 | 28120802 |
| development and evaluation of a diagnostic cytokine-release assay for mycobacterium suricattae infection in meerkats (suricata suricatta). | sensitive diagnostic tools are necessary for the detection of mycobacterium suricattae infection in meerkats (suricata suricatta) in order to more clearly understand the epidemiology of tuberculosis and the ecological consequences of the disease in this species. we therefore aimed to develop a cytokine release assay to measure antigen-specific cell-mediated immune responses of meerkats. | 2017 | 28052763 |
| competitive growth in a cooperative mammal. | in many animal societies where hierarchies govern access to reproduction, the social rank of individuals is related to their age and weight and slow-growing animals may lose their place in breeding queues to younger 'challengers' that grow faster. the threat of being displaced might be expected to favour the evolution of competitive growth strategies, where individuals increase their own rate of growth in response to increases in the growth of potential rivals. although growth rates have been sh ... | 2016 | 27225127 |
| beyond aggression: androgen-receptor blockade modulates social interaction in wild meerkats. | in male vertebrates, androgens are inextricably linked to reproduction, social dominance, and aggression, often at the cost of paternal investment or prosociality. testosterone is invoked to explain rank-related reproductive differences, but its role within a status class, particularly among subordinates, is underappreciated. recent evidence, especially for monogamous and cooperatively breeding species, suggests broader androgenic mediation of adult social interaction. we explored the actions of ... | 2016 | 26545817 |
| embodying animals: body-part compatibility in mammalian, reptile and aves classes. | the purpose of the present study was to determine how humans code homologous body parts of nonhuman mammal, reptilian, and aves animals with respect to the representation of the human body. to this end, participants completed body-part compatibility tasks in which responses were executed to colored targets that were superimposed over the upper limbs, lower limbs or head of different animals in different postures. in experiment 1, the images were of meekats and lizards in bipedal and quadrupedal ... | 2015 | 26233729 |
| no apparent benefits of allonursing for recipient offspring and mothers in the cooperatively breeding meerkat. | cooperative behaviours by definition are those that provide some benefit to another individual. allonursing, the nursing of non-descendent young, is often considered a cooperative behaviour and is assumed to provide benefits to recipient offspring in terms of growth and survival, and to their mothers, by enabling them to share the lactation load. however, these proposed benefits are not well understood, in part because maternal and litter traits and other ecological and social variables are not ... | 2015 | 25640744 |
| anatomical and scanning electron microscopic study of the tongue in the meerkat (suricata suricatta, schreber, 1776). | this research presents the first anatomical description of the tongue and lingual papillae of the meerkat and compares the different information on the morphology of the other carnivore species. for this purpose, three tongues were used as material. the tongue was elongated with an oval or rounded apex. on the dorsal and ventrolateral surfaces of the tongue, filiform papillae had extent variations in morphology. papillary body of each filiform papilla on the ventrolateral surface of the lingual ... | 2016 | 25588707 |
| the thoracic limb of the suricate (suricata suricatta): osteology, radiologic anatomy, and functional morphologic changes. | the purpose of the study was to identify unique features of the normal osteology and radiologic anatomy of the thoracic limb of the meerkat or suricate (suricata suricatta), as no comprehensive information has been published. bone specimens of 19 suricates were studied. individual bones of the manus of one preserved carcass were studied in situ. radiographic evaluation was performed in six animals. comparisons to domestic carnivores were made and functional morphologic changes were identified. a ... | 2014 | 25314813 |
| mean fecal glucocorticoid metabolites are associated with vigilance, whereas immediate cortisol levels better reflect acute anti-predator responses in meerkats. | adrenal hormones likely affect anti-predator behavior in animals. with experimental field studies, we first investigated associations between mean fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fgc) excretion and vigilance and with behavioral responses to alarm call playbacks in free-ranging meerkats (suricata suricatta). we then tested how vigilance and behavioral responses to alarm call playbacks were affected in individuals administered exogenous cortisol. we found a positive association between mean fgc c ... | 2014 | 25218254 |
| suppressing subordinate reproduction provides benefits to dominants in cooperative societies of meerkats. | in many animal societies, a small proportion of dominant females monopolize reproduction by actively suppressing subordinates. theory assumes that this is because subordinate reproduction depresses the fitness of dominants, yet the effect of subordinate reproduction on dominant behaviour and reproductive success has never been directly assessed. here, we describe the consequences of experimentally preventing subordinate breeding in 12 groups of wild meerkats (suricata suricatta) for three breedi ... | 2014 | 25047446 |
| anaplastic mandibular carcinoma in a meerkat (suricata suricatta). | an 8-yr-old female slender-tailed meerkat (suricata suricatta) presented with a necrotic sublingual mass and osteolysis of the mandible. after 1 mo of palliative care, the meerkat was euthanized. the mass was diagnosed histologically as an anaplastic carcinoma with extensive rostral mandibular destruction. immunohistochemistry for vimentin and cytokeratin was validated in this nontypical species and showed that neoplastic cells expressed both mesenchymal and epithelial characteristics, suggestiv ... | 2014 | 25000710 |
| territoriality and home-range dynamics in meerkats, suricata suricatta: a mechanistic modelling approach. | multiple approaches exist to model patterns of space use across species, among them resource selection analysis, statistical home-range modelling and mechanistic movement modelling. mechanistic home-range models combine the benefits of these approaches, describing emergent territorial patterns based on fine-scale individual- or group-movement rules and incorporating interactions with neighbours and the environment. these models have not, to date, been extended to dynamic contexts. using mechanis ... | 2015 | 24995457 |
| additive genetic variance and developmental plasticity in growth trajectories in a wild cooperative mammal. | individual variation in growth is high in cooperative breeders and may reflect plastic divergence in developmental trajectories leading to breeding vs. helping phenotypes. however, the relative importance of additive genetic variance and developmental plasticity in shaping growth trajectories is largely unknown in cooperative vertebrates. this study exploits weekly sequences of body mass from birth to adulthood to investigate sources of variance in, and covariance between, early and later growth ... | 2014 | 24962704 |
| linking body mass and group dynamics in an obligate cooperative breeder. | social and environmental factors influence key life-history processes and population dynamics by affecting fitness-related phenotypic traits such as body mass. the role of body mass is particularly pronounced in cooperative breeders due to variation in social status and consequent variation in access to resources. investigating the mechanisms underlying variation in body mass and its demographic consequences can help elucidate how social and environmental factors affect the dynamics of cooperati ... | 2014 | 24749732 |
| cooperative personalities and social niche specialization in female meerkats. | the social niche specialization hypothesis predicts that group-living animals should specialize in particular social roles to avoid social conflict, resulting in alternative life-history strategies for different roles. social niche specialization, coupled with role-specific life-history trade-offs, should thus generate between-individual differences in behaviour that persist through time, or distinct personalities, as individuals specialize in particular nonoverlapping social roles. we tested fo ... | 2014 | 24666630 |
| early growth, dominance acquisition and lifetime reproductive success in male and female cooperative meerkats. | in polygynous species, variance in reproductive success is higher in males than females. there is consequently stronger selection for competitive traits in males and early growth can have a greater influence on later fitness in males than in females. as yet, little is known about sex differences in the effect of early growth on subsequent breeding success in species where variance in reproductive success is higher in females than males, and competitive traits are under stronger selection in fema ... | 2013 | 24340181 |
| maternal, social and abiotic environmental effects on growth vary across life stages in a cooperative mammal. | resource availability plays a key role in driving variation in somatic growth and body condition, and the factors determining access to resources vary considerably across life stages. parents and carers may exert important influences in early life, when individuals are nutritionally dependent, with abiotic environmental effects having stronger influences later in development as individuals forage independently. most studies have measured specific factors influencing growth across development or ... | 2014 | 24102215 |
| intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in a captive meerkat (suricata suricatta). | a 9-yr-old male meerkat (suricata suricatta) living in captivity, with a history of anorexia, lethargy, and weight loss, was examined postmortem. physical examination revealed poor body condition, dehydration, and icteric mucous membranes. macroscopically, white to yellowish, multinodulated masses were found protruding from the liver. these multinodular masses were also observed in all lobes of the lungs and the mediastinal lymph nodes. microscopic examination revealed tumors with well-circumscr ... | 2013 | 24063104 |
| social monitoring via close calls in meerkats. | social monitoring of the actions of group members is thought to be a key development associated with group living. humans constantly monitor the behaviour of others and respond to them in a flexible way depending on past interactions and the current social context. while other primates have also been reported to change their behaviour towards other group members flexibly based on the current state of their relationship, empirical evidence is typically linked to contextually specific events such ... | 2013 | 23825208 |
| social structure mediates environmental effects on group size in an obligate cooperative breeder, suricata suricatta. | population dynamics in group-living species can be strongly affected both by features of sociality per se and by resultant population structure. to develop a mechanistic understanding of population dynamics in highly social species we need to investigate how processes within groups, processes linking groups, and external drivers act and interact to produce observed patterns. we model social group dynamics in cooperatively breeding meerkats, suricata suricatta, paying attention to local demograph ... | 2013 | 23687885 |
| mating strategies in dominant meerkats: evidence for extra-pair paternity in relation to genetic relatedness between pair mates. | rates of extra-pair paternity (epp) have frequently been associated with genetic relatedness between social mates in socially monogamous birds. however, evidence is limited in mammals. here, we investigate whether dominant females use divorce or extra-pair paternity as a strategy to avoid the negative effects of inbreeding when paired with a related male in meerkats suricata suricatta, a species where inbreeding depression is evident for several traits. we show that dominant breeding pairs seldo ... | 2013 | 23675879 |
| calling in the gap: competition or cooperation in littermates' begging behaviour? | offspring are frequently raised alongside their siblings and are provisioned early in life by adults. adult provisioning is stimulated by offspring begging, but it is unclear how each offspring should beg, given the begging behaviour of their siblings. it has previously been suggested that siblings may compete directly through begging for a fixed level of provisioning, or that siblings may cooperate in their begging in order to jointly elevate the level of provisioning by adults. we studied the ... | 2009 | 19129139 |
| why did the meerkat cross the road? flexible adaptation of phylogenetically-old behavioural strategies to modern-day threats. | risk-sensitive adaptive spatial organisation during group movement has been shown to efficiently minimise the risks associated with external ecological threats. whether animals can draw on such behaviours when confronted with man-made threats is generally less clear. we studied road-crossing in a wild, but habituated, population of meerkats living in the kalahari desert, south africa. we found that dominant females, the core member in meerkat social systems, led groups to the road significantly ... | 2013 | 23441144 |
| individual contributions to territory defence in a cooperative breeder: weighing up the benefits and costs. | while investment in territory defence is expected to be influenced by its benefits, the additional role that costs may play is rarely considered. here, we quantify both benefits and costs of repelling prospecting males in cooperative meerkats, and demonstrate that both are required to explain the substantial variation in individual contributions to the defence observed. males benefit more from repelling prospectors than females, as males may lose dominance and be expelled during intrusions. acco ... | 2012 | 22810429 |
| peripheral blood hemoglobin concentrations in wild meerkats (suricata suricatta). | | 2012 | 22740556 |
| | in cooperatively breeding animals, in which nonbreeding subordinates assist in rearing offspring born to dominants, breeders and helpers may be in conflict over their respective contributions to offspring care and selection may favour breeders that use aggression to elevate the work rates of helpers. we tested the prediction that dominant female meerkats, suricata suricatta, should increase aggression towards subordinates when the need for help is higher, by playing back recordings of pup beggin ... | 2012 | 22505769 |
| exceptional endocrine profiles characterise the meerkat: sex, status, and reproductive patterns. | in vertebrates, reproductive endocrine concentrations are strongly differentiated by sex, with androgen biases typifying males and estrogen biases typifying females. these sex differences can be reduced in female-dominant species; however, even the most masculinised of females have less testosterone (t) than do conspecific males. to test if aggressively dominant, female meerkats (suricata suricatta) may be hormonally masculinised, we measured serum androstenedione (a4), t and estradiol (e2) in b ... | 2016 | 27752129 |
| reproductive rate, not dominance status, affects fecal glucocorticoid levels in breeding female meerkats. | glucocorticoid hormones (gcs) have been studied intensively to understand the associations between physiological stress and reproductive skew in animal societies. however, we have little appreciation of the range of either natural levels within and among individuals, or the associations among dominance status, reproductive rate and gcs levels during breeding. to address these shortcomings, we examined variation in fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fgc) during breeding periods in free-ranging fem ... | 2012 | 22210199 |
| density dependence in group dynamics of a highly social mongoose, suricata suricatta. | 1. for social species, the link between individual behaviour and population dynamics is mediated by group-level demography. 2. populations of obligate cooperative breeders are structured into social groups, which may be subject to inverse density dependence (allee effects) that result from a dependence on conspecific helpers, but evidence for population-wide allee effects is rare. 3. we use field data from a long-term study of cooperative meerkats (suricata suricatta; schreber, 1776) - a species ... | 2012 | 22117843 |
| lifetime growth in wild meerkats: incorporating life history and environmental factors into a standard growth model. | lifetime records of changes in individual size or mass in wild animals are scarce and, as such, few studies have attempted to model variation in these traits across the lifespan or to assess the factors that affect them. however, quantifying lifetime growth is essential for understanding trade-offs between growth and other life history parameters, such as reproductive performance or survival. here, we used model selection based on information theory to measure changes in body mass over the lifes ... | 2012 | 22108854 |
| a simple test of vocal individual recognition in wild meerkats. | individual recognition is thought to be a crucial ability facilitating the evolution of animal societies. given its central importance, much research has addressed the extent of this capacity across the animal kingdom. recognition of individuals vocally has received particular attention due, in part, to the insights it provides regarding the cognitive processes that underlie this skill. while much work has focused on vocal individual recognition in primates, there is currently very little data s ... | 2012 | 21992821 |
| competition, breeding success and ageing rates in female meerkats. | competition between females is particularly intense in cooperatively breeding mammals, where one female monopolises reproduction in each group. chronic competition often affects stress and may therefore have long-term consequences for fitness, but no studies have yet investigated whether intrasexual competition has effects of this kind and, in particular, whether it affects rates of reproductive senescence. here, we use long-term data from a wild population of meerkats to test whether reproducti ... | 2011 | 21599775 |
| moving calls: a vocal mechanism underlying quorum decisions in cohesive groups. | members of social groups need to coordinate their behaviour when choosing between alternative activities. consensus decisions enable group members to maintain group cohesion and one way to reach consensus is to rely on quorums. a quorum response is where the probability of an activity change sharply increases with the number of individuals supporting the new activity. here, we investigated how meerkats (suricata suricatta) use vocalizations in the context of movement decisions. moving calls emit ... | 2011 | 21047853 |
| experimental peripheral administration of oxytocin elevates a suite of cooperative behaviours in a wild social mammal. | the evolution and expression of different forms of cooperative behaviour (e.g. feeding, guarding, sentinel duties, etc.) are usually studied independently, with few studies considering them as a single syndrome. however, studies investigating individuals' investment across a suite of different behaviours reveal that they are correlated, suggesting a single mechanism determining the evolution and expression of cooperative behaviours. a hormonal mechanism could achieve this, and one possibility is ... | 2011 | 20926437 |
| stress and the suppression of subordinate reproduction in cooperatively breeding meerkats. | in many animal societies, dominant individuals monopolize reproduction, but the tactics they employ to achieve this are poorly understood. one possibility is that aggressive dominants render their subordinates infertile by inducing chronic physiological "stress." however, this hypothesis has been discarded largely for cooperatively breeding species, where reproductive monopolies are often extreme. here we provide strong support for the stress-related suppression hypothesis in a cooperative mamma ... | 2006 | 16894179 |
| meningeal cholesterol granulomas in two meerkats (suricata suricatta). | | 2006 | 16679485 |