Search

Checklists represent a basic tool for conservation and management of regional faunas. However, our knowledge on species composition in a territory changes over time due to species movements across borders, extinctions, introductions, as well as to new taxonomic evidence. We aimed to provide the most updated data on native and non-native species of mammals occurring, or that used to occur until recently, on the Italian political territory and seas. The checklist only includes species whose taxonomic status was explicitly agreed in the most recent peer-reviewed literature and based on the most updated taxonomic approaches. For each species, we provided the following information: scientific and common name, global and Italian range, relevant information for management and conservation (e.g. whether it is endemic, allochthonous, or listed in international regulations and red list assessments), as well as remarks on taxonomy and distribution. This new check list of Italian mammal fauna includes nine marine and 114 terrestrial species, belonging to seven orders (Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Chiroptera, Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, Rodentia, Lagomorpha), and 28 families. Vespertilionidae represents the richest family (n=27 species), followed by Cricetidae (n=12) and Soricidae (n=11). The list includes 15-16 allocthonous species. Considering the relative small size of the country, Italy is confirmed as a hotspot of mammal diversity in Europe, hosting the highest species richness in relation to the total area.

Multi-element analyses determine the content of 17 trace elements (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, Pb, U) and 14 rare earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, Lu, Y) in whey samples from cow and goat milk by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometry. A total of 261 milk whey samples were collected from four locations in the Veneto region of northeastern (NE) Italy. These samples contain a wide range concentration of 17 trace elements (0.06–1530 μg kg−1) and 14 rare earth elements (0.16–28.2 ng kg−1) in whey samples, but do not reach toxic concentrations. Elemental fingerprinting of trace and rare earth elements in cow and goat milk whey provide information on the dairy quality and, as they reflect the local environmental conditions, result in an excellent indicator of their geographical origin.

The amgdaloid complex consists of different nuclei, each with unique cytoarchitectonic, chemoarchitectonic and connectional characteristics. Most of the inputs coming from cortical and subcortical areas enter the amygdala via the lateral nucleus, which makes it the main receiving structure of the complex. The activity of its neurons is coordinated and modulated by different inhibitory, GABAergic-interneurons, which can be classified for their expression of various calcium-binding proteins, as well as by morphological characteristics. This research based on the analysis of the amygdala of three bottlenose dolphins, provides the first description of the topography, cytoarchitecture and distribution of calretinin immunoreactivity of the lateral nucleus. Our observations on the bottlenose dolphin confirmed the general topography of the mammalian amygdala and of the lateral nucleus. Notably, we identified six subdivision of the nucleus, more than those reported until now in the rat, monkey and human lateral nucleus. This could reveal an outstanding capability of integration and elaboration of external stimuli. In addition, we observed a strong presence of CR-immunoreactive (-ir) neurons and fibres. CR-ir neurons were mainly non-pyramidal inhibitory neurons; in particular, 80% of IR-cells were represented by large and small polygonal neurons. In the lateral nucleus of the human amygdala, CR-ir neurons form inhibitory synapses on calbindin-D28k-IR inhibitory interneurons. Since calbindin-D28k-ir interneurons make inhibitory synapses on the pyramidal cells, the final goal of the CR-ir interneurons could be the synchronization of cells activity, thus playing an important role in the control of information flow in the lateral amygdalar nucleus. Anat Rec, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 300:2008-2016, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

RIASSUNTO Il Museo di Anatomia degli Animali Domestici dell’Università di Bologna espone circa 2000 preparati, risalenti per la maggior parte ad un periodo che va dalla fine del 1800 ai primi del 1900. Annovera preparati a secco, modelli in gesso e carta pesta dei diversi apparati appartenenti a Mammiferi ed Uccelli domestici. Recentemente la collezione si è arricchita di uno scheletro di Tursiops truncatus, dono del Museo di Medicina Veterinaria del Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione dell’Università di Padova. ABSTRACT The skeleton of Tursiops truncatus of the Anatomy Museum of Domestic Animals of the University of Bologna. The Anatomy Museum of Domestic Animals of the University of Bologna exhibits about 2000 preparations, for the most part dating back to a period that goes between the late 1800s and early 1900s. It includes preparations of different apparatuses belonging to domestic Mammals and Birds. Recently, the collection has been enriched by a skeleton of Tursiops truncatus, a gift to the Museum of Veterinary Medicine of the Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food, University of Padova.

The amygdala plays a key role in emotional learning and behavior. Calbindin-D28k (CB) is a calcium-binding protein located in a variety of neuronal cell types in many regions of the brain. Despite previous studies in rat (Kemppainen, J. Comp. Neurol. 426, 2000) and Primates (Sorvari, Neuroscience 75, 1996), there are no reports concerning the distribution of CB immunoreactivity in the dolphin amygdala. Thus, we studied the distribution, morphology, and size of CB-immunoreactive (IR) neurons as well as the distribution of CB-IR neuropil in the deep nuclei of the bottlenose dolphin amygdala. The results obtained showed that in the deep nuclei CB-IR neurons were numerous and could be divided into two major cell types: pyramidal and nonpyramidal neurons. Pyramidal cells were large, lightly stained and without an evident immunostained dendritic tree. Nonpyramidal neurons could be subdivided into three types on the basis on the shapes and sizes of their somata and on their dendritic morphology. Type 1 neurons had a small spheroidal somata from which arose thin primary dendrites. Type 2 neurons were large cells with angular somata and evident primary dendrites. Type 3 neurons had a fusiform somata originating the primary dendrites from their opposite pole. These data suggest that in the deep nuclei neuronal microcircuit activity is controlled also by different cell types that contain CB.

The amygdala plays a key role in emotional learning and behavior. Calbindin-D28k (CB) is a calcium-binding protein located in a variety of neuronal cell types in many regions of the brain. Despite previous studies in rat (Kemppainen, J Comp Neurol 426, 2000) and Primates (Sorvari, Neuroscience 75, 1996), there are no reports concerning the distribution of CB immunoreactivity in the dolphin amygdala. Thus, we studied the distribution, morphology, and size of CB-immunoreactive (IR) neurons as well as the distribution of CB-IR neuropil in the deep nuclei of the bottlenose dolphin amygdala. The results obtained showed that in the deep nuclei CB-IR neurons were numerous and could be divided into two major cell types: pyramidal and onpyramidal neurons. Pyramidal cells were large, lightly stained and without an evident immunostained dendritic tree. Nonpyramidal neurons could be subdivided into three types on the basis on the shapes and sizes of their somata and on their dendritic morphology. Type 1 neurons had a small spheroidal somata from which arose thin primary dendrites. Type 2 neurons were large cells with angular somata and evident primary dendrites. Type 3 neurons had a fusiform somata originating the primary dendrites from their opposite pole. These data suggest that in the deep nuclei neuronal microcircuit activity is controlled also by different cell types that contain CB.

Stranded cetaceans offer a unique opportunity for collecting data on the health status of dolphins and whale free-living populations. We report the post-mortem findings observed in18 odontocetes found stranded between 2000 and 2005 on the Italian coastline. Pneumonia was one of the most encountered lesion. additional findings were nephritis, epatitis and Pholeter gastrophilus-associasted gastritis. In a few cases, putative zoonotic agents, such as Vibrio alginolyticus, were isolated from these stranded dolphins.

We report a morphological and biochemical analysis on the presence, distribution and quantification of vasotocin in the hypothalamus and limbic region of the budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus, using immunohistochemistry on serial sections and competitive enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay measurements on tissue extracts. Analysis of the sections showed large vasotocin-immunoreactive neurons in three main regions of the diencephalon, of both male and female specimens. Vasotocinergic cell bodies were located in the ventral and lateral areas of the hypothalamus, dorsal to the lateral thalamus and medial to the nucleus geniculatus lateralis. Immunoreactive neurons were placed also periventricularly, close to the walls of the third ventricle, at the level of the magnocellular paraventricular nucleus. Well evident bundles of immunoreactive fibers were placed ventral to the anterior commissure in the same regions of the hypothalamus and thalamus where vasotocinergic perikarya are localized. Fibers were identified close to the third ventricle, and in the lateral hypothalamic area along the lateral forebrain bundle. In contrast to what reported for other oscine and non-oscine avian species, we were not able to identify immunopositive neurons in any region above the anterior commissure, or detect relevant differences on the distribution of the vasotocin immmunoreactivity between sexes. Competitive enzyme linked immunoadsorption assay and image analysis of the extension of immunoreactivity in the tissue sections were consistent with the qualitative observations and indicated that there is no statistically significant dimorphism in the content of vasotocin or in the location and distribution of vasotocinergic elements in the investigated areas of male and female parrot brains.

2-[125I]iodomelatonin was used to study the distribution and properties of the melatonin receptor in the Japanese quail brain. High receptor density was detected in the major targets of direct retinal input (optic tectum, nucleus of the optic basal rout, ventrolateral geniculate nucleus), as well as areas representing terminals in the visual pathways (nucleus rotundus, ectostriatum, thalamo-hyperstriatal pathway). Binding was also found in the piriform cortex, the hypophyseal pars tuberalis, the oculomotorius nucleus and the associated Edinger-Westphal nucleus, and in the nuclei of the third, fourth and sixth cranial nerves. A comparison of the receptor pharmacological profile to that of the mammalian brain demonstrated pharmacological identity of the two binding sites. In the saturation experiments, GPT gamma S decreased the binding affinity, numerical Kd values increasing from approximately 35 pM to approximately 150 pM.

International audience