Zoology Commons^™

Mesomermis Devii Sp. Nov. (Nematoda: Mermithidae),A New Species Of Nematode From Devi Cave In Georgia, Olegi Gorgadze, Shalva Barjadze

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Adult female individuals of the nematode Mesomermis devii sp. nov. (Nematoda: Mermithidae) have been described. The host organism is not determined. The individuals were isolated from moist guano obtained in the dark zone of Devi Cave (West Georgia). The new species is characterized by the following: rounded and symmetrical apical end of the head; mouth aperture is located in the middle of the head terminus; 6 cephalic papillae are arranged in a single row; each papilla is equipped with 2 or 3 sensilla; stoma has uneven width and the pharyngeal tube is of even width along the whole length; small …

Amylase In The Hepatopancreas Of A Euryhaline Burrowingcrab: Characteristics And Modulation, Antonela Asaro, Roberto Paggi, Rosana De Castro, Alejandra Lopez Mañanes

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In spite of its inherent physiological importance, studies on the occurrence, characteristics, and modulation of amylase in euryhaline crabs are lacking. We investigated the occurrence of amylase forms and the effect of acclimation to different salinities on their number and made a partial purification and characterization of the major form present in the hepatopancreas of Neohelice granulata. Zymogram analysis revealed 5 amylase forms in crabs acclimated to 35 psu (seawater) and 37 psu, and an additional band at 10 psu, but with a major form (29 kDa) in all cases, which was partially purified and characterized. Amylolytic activity was maximal …

Review Of The Brachypterous Species Of Alloxysta Förster, 1869(Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae: Charipinae) With A Description Of Two New Species, Mar Ferrer Suay, Jesus Selfa, Maria Victoria Seco-Fernandez, Jili Pujade-Villar

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The aim of this study is to review the brachypterous species within the genus Alloxysta Förster, 1869. The known brachypterous species of Alloxysta have been compared with fully winged species in order to establish hypotheses regarding dimorphism for wing length and shape. This analysis is based only on the morphological features shared between species; breeding and genetic analyses will be necessary to test and refine these hypotheses. Two new brachypterous species are described here: Alloxysta curta Ferrer-Suay sp. nov. and Alloxysta pseudoconsobrina Ferrer-Suay sp. nov. Six species are revised. In total, there are now 8 brachypterous species known in this …

Heterochromatin Distribution And Localization Of Nors In The 2n = 48cytotypes Of Nannospalax Xanthodon And N. Ehrenbergi, Ati̇lla Arslan, Jan Zima

Turkish Journal of Zoology

We compared the C-banding pattern and the NOR distribution in 3 populations of N. xanthodon and N. ehrenbergi with 48 chromosomes from Turkey, with the aim to reveal variations between and within species. We have found distinct variation in the C-banding and the NOR distribution pattern among the 3 populations compared; each of them possessed its own specific chromosomal features. However, it is not possible to distinguish between intra- and interspecific variation, and the observed patterns cannot be utilized for unequivocal species recognition.

Neobisium (N.) Tothi Sp. Nov., A New Species From Hungary Andromania, And First Records Of Neobisium (N.) Noricum Beier, 1939 From Hungary (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae), János Novák

Turkish Journal of Zoology

A new pseudoscorpion species, Neobisium (Neobisium) tothi sp. nov., is described from Hungary and Romania. In addition, Neobisium (N.) noricum Beier, 1939 is reported from Hungary for the first time. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the new species and the new specimens of N. (N.) noricum are presented here.

Fine Structure Of The Malpighian Tubules In Gryllus Campestris(Linnaeus, 1758) (Orthoptera, Gryllidae), Irmak Polat, Nurcan Özyurt, Damla Amutkan, Zeki̇ye Suludere, Selami̇ Candan

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The Malpighian tubules are responsible for excretion and osmoregulation in insects. The Malpighian system consists of tubules that are closed at the distal end and extend from the point of junction of the midgut and hindgut. This organ helps the water and electrolyte balance of the internal metabolism by filtration with absorption of water and soluble materials as mineral salts from the hemolymph. In this study, the histology of Malpighian tubules in Gryllus campestris (Orthoptera, Gryllidae) has been examined in detail by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The distal ends of the Malpighian tubules in G. …

Identification Of Thyroid Hormone Receptors α And β Genes And Their Expression Profiles During Metamorphosis In Rana Chensinensis, Chuan-Chuan Du, Xin-Yi Li, Hua-Xin Wang, Kai Liang, Hong-Yuan Wang, Yuhui Zhang

Turkish Journal of Zoology

To explore the role of thyroid hormones in organ remodeling during the metamorphosis of amphibians, the cDNAs of two thyroid hormone receptors (TRα and TRβ) in Rana chensinensis were identified. The 1257 bp of rcTRα cDNA encoding 418 amino acids and the 1122 bp of rcTRβ cDNA encoding 373 amino acids were cloned. Their polypeptide sequences contain two highly conserved cysteine-rich zinc fingers in the DNA-binding domain, while rcTRβ is 42 amino acids shorter in its A/B domain when compared with rcTRα. Fifty-five amino acids differed between the TRα and TRβ domains. The rcTRα and rcTRβ mRNA levels in the …

Key To The Species Of Megachernes Beier (Pseudoscorpiones: Chernetidae),With Notes On M. Afghanicus And M. Pavlovskyi, Mahrad Nassirkhani, Reza Vafai Shoushtari

Turkish Journal of Zoology

An identification key is presented for all described species of the pseudoscorpions belonging to the genus Megachernes. Megachernes afghanicus Beier, 1959 is also considered as a junior subjective synonym of M. pavlovskyi Redikorzev, 1949.

The First Record Of Macrobiotus Vladimiri Bertolani, Biserov, Rebecchi & Cesari, 2011 (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Macrobiotidae: Hufelandi Group) From Poland, Bernadeta Nowak, Daniel Stec

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Tardigrade studies in Poland have been carried out for more than a century and to date, 102 species have been reported from this central European country. This constitutes nearly 9% of all known species within the phylum. Although previous studies have been thorough, a number of taxa now known to belong to species complexes have been treated in only a very general way. One such complex is the Macrobiotus hufelandi group, which has a worldwide distribution. To date, only three hufelandi group species have been recorded from Poland: M. hufelandi hufelandi C.A.S. Schultze, 1834; M. macrocalix Bertolani & Rebecchi, 1993; …

Proximate Analysis Of Indian Flying Fox's (Pteropus Giganteus) Natural Food, With A Note On Its Roost Variations In Urban Areas Of Lahore, Pakistan, Arshad Javid, Tayiba Gulraiz, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Nadeem, Syed Makhdoom Hussain, Muhammad Altaf, Irfan Babu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Food habits, nutrient preferences, and roost variations of Indian flying fox Pteropus giganteus were investigated for a period of 1 year in two public parks in Lahore, Pakistan. Bolus and guano samples of P. giganteus were collected on a monthly basis, and seeds of 32 plant species belonging to 23 genera and 15 families were identified from the ejecta samples. Of these 32 food species, 8 were native and 24 were exotic; 13 were commercially important, while 19 species had no mercantile value. Proximate analysis of the food items revealed that fruits with comparatively higher moisture content were utilized during …

Human Activity Mediates Reciprocal Distribution And Niche Separationof Two Sympatric Mongoose Species On The Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan, Riaz Hussain, Tariq Mahmood, Faraz Akrim, Hira Fatima, Muhammad Sajid Nadeem

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Ecologically and morphologically similar species living in sympatry are predicted to partition their resources, although the resources themselves may vary in time and space and in relation to extrinsic factors. We studied two sympatric species of carnivores that vary in their distribution along a gradient of human activity, and one species exploits a wider range of food sources. We recorded the distribution of the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) and the gray mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii) through reconnaissance surveys within high, medium, and low human activity areas of the Pothwar Plateau from November 2011 to June 2013. We found that the …

Macroinvertebrate Composition In The Metarhithral Zones Of The Munzur And Pülümür Rivers: A Preliminary Study, Zuhal Gülteki̇n, Rahmi̇ Aydin, Carola Winkelmann

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The aim of this work was the determination of the macroinvertebrate community in the metarhithral zones of the Munzur and Pülümür rivers. This is the first documented research on macroinvertebrates in the metarhithral zone of the Munzur and Pülümür rivers in the region of the city of Tunceli. In total, 30 taxa of 9 orders of benthic invertebrates were recorded at the four sampling sites. Larvae of Taeniopteryx caucasica (Plecoptera), Oligoneuriella baskale, and Ecdyonurus dispar (Ephemeroptera) were recorded for the first time in the province of Tunceli.

Distribution And Conservation Of Acomys Cilicicus (Mammalia: Rodentia) In Turkey, Ortaç Çeti̇ntaş, Ferhat Matur, Mustafa Sözen

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Acomys cilicicus is endemic to Turkey and known from a very restricted area. The exact distribution of the species was not known up to now and the IUCN status of the species was Data Deficient (DD). To determine the exact distribution area of the species, 39 localities within the historical distribution were surveyed by using 3243 Sherman traps between 2013 and 2016. Turkish spiny mouse samples were obtained from 14 of these 39 localities and the current distribution of the species was determined. We found that the Turkish spiny mouse has two isolated populations in the area between Silifke and …

First Results Of A Faunistic Survey On The Orthoptera Of Jadovnik Mountain, Southwestern Serbia, With Data On The Calling Songs Of Some Bush Cricket Species, Slobodan Ivkovic

Turkish Journal of Zoology

During field trips conducted in 2015 and 2016 at 22 different localities on Jadovnik Mountain, 68 species were recorded. The calling songs of 4 species were studied in detail, and a new song type of Isophya clara was described. Metrioptera brachyptera and Locusta migratoria are rerecorded for the first time in 40 years for the Serbian fauna.

Three New Truncatelloidean Gastropod Species From Turkey(Caenogastropoda: Littorinimorpha), Mustafa Emre Gürlek

Turkish Journal of Zoology

New species of Bithyniidae (Pseudobithynia adiyamanensis sp. nov.), Hydrobiidae (Pseudorientalia ceriti sp. nov.), and Bythinellidae (Bythinella yerlii sp. nov.) are described from three different locations in Turkey. Samples were collected in 2013 and 2016 and the shell and male genital tract morphology of the new species were studied. All of these new taxa were compared to congeners that live in Turkey and adjacent countries.

A Comparative Analysis Of Geometric Morphometrics Across Two Pseudemys Turtle Species In East Central Virginia, Kristin C. Dillard

Theses and Dissertations

The phylogeny of the turtle genus Pseudemys is poorly understood. In Virginia, many turtles have been found with indicator traits of both eastern river cooters (Pseudemys concinna concinna) and northern red bellied cooters (Pseudemys rubriventris). This study explores morphological evidence for hybridization between the two species across three riverine sites in east central Virginia.

Museum voucher groups for each species were analyzed for relative shell height and plastron length. The shape of the plastral scutes and upper jaw were analyzed using landmark-based morphometric software. These metrics were compared with measurements taken from 188 field-caught Pseudemys specimens. …

Dissonance Reduction In Nonhuman Animals: Implications For Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Cindy Harmon-Jones, Nick Haslam, Brock Bastian

Animal Sentience

We review the evidence for dissonance reduction in nonhuman animals and examine the alternative explanations for these effects. If nonhuman animals engage in dissonance reduction, this supports the original theory as proposed by Festinger (1957) over the revisions to the theory that focused on the self-concept. Evidence of animal sentience, including dissonance reduction, may be a source of cognitive dissonance.

Clarifying Concepts In Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Eddie Harmon-Jones

Animal Sentience

This commentary on Zentall’s target article focuses primarily on clarifying some postulates and variables in cognitive dissonance theory. I discuss the adaptive motivational functions of dissonance arousal and dissonance reduction, and attempt to clarify some past dissonance experiments and to tease apart a dissonance theory and contrast explanation of effort-justification-type effects. The evidence and arguments reviewed here support the explanatory power of cognitive dissonance theory in a wide variety of circumstances in human and nonhuman animals, but they depend on first defining concepts such as “cognitions” quite broadly, as Festinger did when he originally proposed the theory.

The Potential For Sentience In Fishes, Jay R. Stauffer Jr.

Animal Sentience

Balcombe’s book is filled with information on the biology, behavior, and life history of fishes. I do not agree with all his premises. I am still somewhat perplexed about the discussion of whether fish feel pain; I am not sure whether the distinction between nociception and pain makes any difference. Overall, however, his treatment of the principles of both natural and sexual selection is comprehensive and accurate, and has greatly increased my knowledge and awareness of the biology, ethology, and potential for sentience in fishes. In summary, this work has exposed me to new ideas about how to examine fishes …

Daily Distance Moved And Home Range Analysis Of Female Cheetahs On Namibia's Commercial Farmland, Elisabeth Nicole Wise

Honors Theses and Capstones

Fewer then 10,000 cheetahs remain in Sub-Saharan Africa. Namibia has the largest population, estimated to be 4,000. Habitat fragmentation and prey depletion from human expansion for agriculture has pushed 90% of cheetahs to reside on commercial farmland where there is an absence of larger predators. Radio telemetry was used to investigate the seasonal variation in home range size among nine female cheetahs on commercial farmlands on or near the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Otjiwarongo, Namibia. ArcGIS 10.3 and Geospatial Modeling Environment were used to calculate the overall and core home range size. This was estimated for the overall, annual, monthly, …