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The masked palm civet (Paguma larvata) in Japan is considered as an alien species; however, the details on introduction routes to Japan and the expansion history are still unclear. In the present study, to further solve these questions, we analyzed the mitochondrial DNA control region (523 base-pairs) of 226 individuals from Japan and Taiwan, and identified 13 haplotypes, which are phylogenetically closely related to each other. Then, we combined the present control region data with the previously reported cytochrome b sequences, and found multiple haplotypes in Shikoku, Gunma, and Tokyo. The population in Shikoku was formed by several genetic lineages, one of which was not found in other areas, indicating the differentiation of the Shikoku population from those in Central Honshu. In addition, animals with the major cytochrome b haplotype in Eastern Japan in the previous study were found to have three different haplotypes in control region. The results strongly show multiple introduced routes of P. larvata in Eastern Japan. Our study much contributes to further understanding of the expansion history of P. larvata on the Japanese islands, in conjunction with previous genetic data.

In order to investigate the detailed zoogeographical history of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Bulgaria and their relationships with populations in neighboring regions of Europe and Asia, the amplified product length polymorphism (APLP) method for the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogrouping was applied to ancient bone remains. The results showed that haplogroups for 12 of 31 samples (38.7%) were successfully classified using the APLP method, although partial sequences of the mtDNA control region were determined with PCR product-direct sequencing for only 6 samples (19.4%). Even among 25 samples, of which nucleotide sequences could not be determined, the APLP method successfully classified haplogroups of 6 samples (6/25, 24.0%), indicating an advantage of the APLP method. In Bulgaria, although both the Balkan/Italian lineage of mtDNA (clade 1b) and the Eastern European lineage (clade 3a1) have been identified from modern bears as reported in other studies, all bear remains examined in the present study had APLP haplogroup W. The mtDNA phylogenetic analysis showed that the ancient Bulgarian brown bears had clade 1b. This indicates that clade 1b was originally distributed in Bulgaria, whereas those with clade 3a1 could have entered from Romania to Bulgaria. In addition, the APLP and phylogenetic analysis of recent skin samples from Turkey showed that they have mtDNA of the Middle Eastern/Turkish lineage (referred to clade 7a). Therefore, Bulgaria on the Balkan Peninsula might have been located between two distribution borders: one is between clades 1b and 3a1, and the other is between clades 1b and 7.

Accurately quantifying species’ area requirements is a prerequisite for effective area‐based conservation. This typically involves collecting tracking data on species of interest and then conducting home‐range analyses. Problematically, autocorrelation in tracking data can result in space needs being severely underestimated. Based on the previous work, we hypothesized the magnitude of underestimation varies with body mass, a relationship that could have serious conservation implications. To evaluate this hypothesis for terrestrial mammals, we estimated home‐range areas with global positioning system (GPS) locations from 757 individuals across 61 globally distributed mammalian species with body masses ranging from 0.4 to 4000 kg. We then applied block cross‐validation to quantify bias in empirical home‐range estimates. Area requirements of mammals 1, meaning the scaling of the relationship changed substantially at the upper end of the mass spectrum., Article impact statement: Due to autocorrelation‐induced bias, conventional methods severely underestimate the area requirements of GPS‐tracked large mammals.

The painted dog, Lycaon pictus, has been visually identified by their tricolor patterns in surveys and whilst computerised recognition methods have been used in other species, they have not been used in painted dogs. This study compares results achieved from Hotspotter software against human recognition. Fifteen individual painted dogs in Yokohama Zoo, Japan were photographed using camera-traps and hand-held cameras from October 17–20, 2017. Twenty examinees identified 297 photos visually, and the same images were identified using Hotspotter. In the visual identification, mean accuracy rate was 61.20%, and a mean finish time was 4,840 seconds. At 90.57%, the accuracy rate for Hotspotter was significantly higher, with a mean finish time of 3,168 seconds. This highlights that visual photo-recognition may not be of value for untrained eyes, while software recognition can be useful for this species. For visual identification there was a significant difference in accuracy rates between hand-held cameras and camera-traps whereas for software identification there was no significant difference. This result shows that the accuracy of software identification may be unaffected by the type of photographic device. With software identification there was a significant difference with camera-trap height. This may be because the images of one camera-trap at a lower position became dark due to it being in a shadow.

Two closely related species of Meles (Carnivora), the European badger (M. meles) and the Asian badger (M. leucurus), are distributed allopatrically in continental Eurasia but show a narrow contact zone around the Volga and Kama Rivers, Russia. We analyzed maternally (mitochondrial DNA), paternally (SRY gene and CAN-SINEs on the Y chromosome), and biparentally (CFTR gene and nine microsatellite loci) inherited genes for evidence of hybridization between the two species in the contact zone. Of 71 badgers examined, we identified 17 individuals as hybrids with mixed genotypes for the first time. Some hybrids appeared to have resulted from repeated backcrossing with the parental species. In addition, the hybridization was symmetric between the two species. Compared with previous palaeontological data, the hybridization between the two species could have resulted from secondary contact due to western expansion in distribution by the Asian badgers.

p97ATPase-mediated membrane fusion is required for the biogenesis of the Golgi complex. p97 and its cofactor p47 function in soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) attachment protein receptor (SNARE) priming, but the tethering complex for p97/p47-mediated membrane fusion remains unknown. In this study, we identified formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase (FTCD) as a novel p47-binding protein. FTCD mainly localizes to the Golgi complex and binds to either p47 or p97 via its association with their polyglutamate motifs. FTCD functions in p97/p47-mediated Golgi reassembly at mitosis in vivo and in vitro via its binding to p47 and to p97. We also showed that FTCD, p47, and p97 form a big FTCD-p97/p47-FTCD tethering complex. In vivo tethering assay revealed that FTCD that was designed to localize to mitochondria caused mitochondria aggregation at mitosis by forming a complex with endogenous p97 and p47, which support a role for FTCD in tethering biological membranes in cooperation with the p97/p47 complex. Therefore, FTCD is thought to act as a tethering factor by forming the FTCD-p97/p47-FTCD complex in p97/p47-mediated Golgi membrane fusion.

Animal tracking data are being collected more frequently, in greater detail, and on smaller taxa than ever before. These data hold the promise to increase the relevance of animal movement for understanding ecological processes, but this potential will only be fully realized if their accompanying location error is properly addressed. Historically, coarsely-sampled movement data have proved invaluable for understanding large scale processes (e.g., home range, habitat selection, etc.), but modern fine-scale data promise to unlock far more ecological information. While GPS location error can often be ignored in coarsely sampled data, fine-scale data require more care, and tools to do this have not kept pace. Current approaches to dealing with location error largely fall into two categories—either discarding the least accurate location estimates prior to analysis or simultaneously fitting movement and error parameters in a hidden-state model. In some cases these approaches can provide a level of correction, but they have known limitations, and in some cases they can be worse than doing nothing. Here, we provide a general framework to account for location error in the analysis of triangulated and trilatcralizcd animal tracking data, which includes GPS, Argos Doppler-shift, triangulated VHF, trilatcralized acoustic and cellular location data. We apply our error-modelselection framework to 190 GPS, cellular, and acoustic devices representing 27 models from 14 manufacturers. Collectively, these devices were used to track a wide range of taxa comprising birds, fish, reptiles, and mammals of different sizes and with different behaviors, in urban, suburban, and wild settings. In almost half of the tested device models, error-model selection was necessary to obtain the best performing error model, and in almost a quarter of tested device models, the reported DOP values were actually misinformative. Then, using empirical tracking data from multiple species, we provide an overview of modern, error-informed movement analyses, including continuous-time path reconstruction, home-range distribution, home-range overlap, speed, and distance estimation. Adding to these techniques, we introduce new error-informed estimators for outlier detection and autocorrelation visualization. Because error-induced biases depend on many factors—sampling schedule, movement characteristics, tracking device, habitat, etc.—differential bias can easily confound biological inference and lead researchers to draw false conclusions. We demonstrate how error-informed analyses on calibrated tracking data can provide more accurate estimates are that are insensitive to location error, and allow researchers to use all of their data.

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis) is one of the most widely distributed carnivorans. While previous studies have identified distinct western and eastern mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages of the species in the western Palearctic, their broader distributions across the Palearctic have remained unknown. To address the broad-scale phylogeographical structure, we expanded the sampling to populations in Eastern Europe, the Urals, the Russian Far East, and Japan, and analyzed the mtDNA control region and cytochrome b, the final intron of the zinc finger protein on Y chromosome (ZFY), and the autosomal agouti signaling protein gene (ASIP). The mtDNA data analysis exposed the previous western lineage (Clade I) but poorly supported assemblage extending across Palearctic, whereas the previous eastern lineage (Clade II) was reconfirmed and limited in the south western part of the Palearctic. The ZFY phylogeny showed a distinctive split that corresponding to the mtDNA lineage split, although less phylogeographical structure was seen in the ASIP variation. Our data concur with the previous inference of the Black Sea–Caspian Sea area having an ancestral character. The Urals region harbored high mitochondrial diversity, with an estimated coalescent time of around 100,000 years, suggesting this could have been a cryptic refugium. Based on the coalescent-based demographic reconstructions, the expansion of Clade I across the Palearctic was remarkably rapid, while Clade II was relatively stable for a longer time. It seems that Clade II has maintained a constant population size in the temperate region, and the expansive Clade I represents adaptation to the cold regions. © 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JSPS Russian Foundation for Basic Research, RFBR Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JSPS AAAA‐A17‐117022810195‐3 We would like to thank T. Saitoh, Y. Masuda, H. Yanagawa, F. Sekiyama, M. Takahashi, M. Hisasue, the Finnish Museum of Natural History, and the Museum at the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology (Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) for providing samples, and Y. Nishita for suggestions. This study was supported in part by Joint Research Project Grants from the Japan Society of the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Russian State program AAAA‐A17‐117022810195‐3, and a grant from the Joint Research Program of the Japan Arctic Research Network Center.

The marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna, is a small marten-like mustelid distributed from southeastern Europe to western China. Since the individual numbers of this species have declined, it has bee...

Of thirteen extant species of true badger, eleven have a distribution in Asia, as do the more loosely affiliated stink- and honey-badgers. Even though these badgers show superficial similarities, they exhibit very different societies, even within same species under different circumstances, and provide an informative model to advance understanding of socio-ecology. They illustrate how group-living is promoted by natal philopatry, and food security; enabled by omnivory and hibernation in cold-winter regions. Conversely predatory, carnivorous species, and those competing for food security within a broader trophic guild, tend to be more solitary. This socio-ecological diversity poses conservation challenges, with Asian badgers vulnerable to habitat loss, urban and road development, direct conflict with people, culling to manage zoonotic disease transmission, and hunting pressure – often for traditional medicine. These threats are ever-more prevalent in expanding Asian economies, where cultural and attitudinal changes are urgently needed to safeguard biodiversity for the future.

The range of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Europe has expanded from southern regions northward and westward, raising concerns of increased competitive interactions with other carnivores. In E...

Den use can be crucial in buffering environmental conditions and especially to provide an insulated environment for raising altricial young. Through Sept-Dec 2016 we monitored temperature and humidity at 11 badger setts (burrow systems), using thermal probes inserted over 4–13 sett entrances to a depth of ca. 2 m, supplemented by continuous daily logging at one entrance per sett. Setts were cooler than exterior conditions Sept-Oct, and warmer than exterior conditions Nov-Dec. Setts cooled down when badgers left them to forage by night, and warmed up when badgers occupied them by day. Soil type and aspect also influenced sett temperature. Sett temperature did not affect the weight or body-condition of either adults or maturing cubs in autumn. However, cubs born into setts that were relatively warmer through the preceding autumn-winter were heavier in the following spring than contemporaries born in cooler setts (badgers exhibit delayed implantation), and so warmer setts might benefit early cub growth. We posit that sett quality may be important in providing badgers with a stable thermal refuge from variable weather conditions. More broadly, den use may buffer climate change effects for many fossorial carnivore species.

Willy Wonka, a chocolate maker, places golden tickets in five candy bars. The five children who find the Golden Tickets in the bars they purchase are invited to his chocolate factory. Each of them seems to be an only child. It is commonly believed that an only child can do whatever he or she wants to do because he or she has no siblings with competing desires. Each of the five children except for Charlie Bucket grew up in rather rich families so that they could get almost anything they wanted just by asking their parents. These rich children can, for example, buy as many candy bars as they want until they get the Golden Tickets. Since their parents spoil them, they have become very selfish. Charlie Bucket, however, must repress all his desires because his family is too poor to buy luxury foods such as candy bars. Poverty seems to be an obstacle which will prevent us from doing what we want, but actually it teaches Charlie the importance of doing what he should. Because of poverty, Charlie becomes a good boy who can control his feelings, trust other people and gain the power of observation. Also, Charlie, who is given a bar of candy as his birthday present, always feels happy when he eats it. Because he cannot eat delicious things whenever he wants, he truly appreciates it when he can. The four rich children but Charlie do not feel happy when they eat the bar of candy. They just bought them to get the Golden Tickets. Willy Wonka wants to make people happy with the candy bars he produces; only with Charlie he succeeds. For these reasons, Charlie inherits the Chocolate Factory.

In Europe, the range of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) has expanded since the mid-twentieth century, but little is known about how it interacts with other sympatric carnivores. Among European countries, Bulgaria has the largest population of golden jackals and jackal numbers have increased around two-fold during the past two decades, particularly in lowland habitats. Larger canids often competitively exclude, or even kill, smaller sympatric ones, especially when guild dynamics are in flux due to population re-establishment. We therefore investigate whether trophic niche segregation occurs between golden jackals and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in central Bulgaria, where both species are sympatric. Because jackals are more abundant in lowland than in upland Bulgaria, we further investigate whether habitat elevation affects the strength of trophic competition. From the analysis of stomach contents of both species, collected from lowland and upland areas during hunting seasons between 1997 and 2009, we found no significant food niche overlap, and no effect of elevation on trophic interactions. In lowland habitat, golden jackals mainly scavenged carcasses of domestic animals, whereas in upland habitat they consumed mostly carcasses of wild ungulates. In contrast, red foxes predominantly and consistently predated rodents in both habitats. This suggests that trophic segregation facilitates the coexistence of these canids under these prevailing population conditions. Nevertheless, we stress that as golden jackals colonize Eastern Europe, impacts on red foxes, and consequences for ecological communities, should be monitored carefully, especially in regions with less carrion available to support jackals.

Based on previous molecular and morphological analyses, Eurasian badgers are currently classified into Meles meles distributed in Europe, M. canescens in the Caucasus and Middle East, M. leucurus in continental Asia and M. anakuma in Japan. The precise locations of their distribution boundaries are still unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we clarified the phylogenetic relationships in the genus Meles around its distribution boundaries, based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosomal genes. From 71 badgers examined, 29 mtDNA haplotypes were identified, including new 26 types. Multiple haplotypes of SRY and CAN-SINEs were identified from 23 males, including two new haplotypes of SRY . The mtDNA phylogeny showed that the Ural Mountains were not a current distribution boundary between M. meles and M. leucurus . In addition, our results supported the hypothesis that the Bosphorus Strait is a geographical barrier between M. meles and M. canescens . The badgers from Bulgaria north of the Bosphorus Strait shared haplotypes with M. meles . On the other hand, badgers from Far Eastern Russia distributed in the eastern peripheral region of the Asian Continent had haplotypes of M. leucurus . The badgers from Norway and Finland shared haplotypes with M. meles .

In this study, we investigated molecular phylogenetic status of the marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) from Bulgaria, using sequences of two Y-chromosomal genes (SRY and ZFY). The phylogenetic tree inferred using combined sequences of both genes indicated that the marbled polecat was split from genera Lutra, Neovison and Mustela after genus Martes was diverged in family Mustelidae. In addition, we analyzed molecular phylogeography of the Bulgarian population of the marbled polecat, using cytochrome b and control region sequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The phylogenetic tree of cytochrome b indicated that the haplotypes of the Bulgarian population comprised two haplogroups, which were the most ancestral clades. Additionally, the control region phylogeny showed that the haplotypes of Bulgaria formed two haplogroups: one was the most ancestral clade, and the other was the derivative clade. One individual with the most ancestral cytochrome b clade had a control region haplotype of the derivative clade. Thus, this study revealed that the most ancestral lineages of the marbled polecat are included in the population of Bulgaria. The Bulgarian population could be a remnant lineage from a basal for the species, which in Pleistocene occupied a relatively large area related to the Balkan-Caucasian.

Nishita, Yoshinori, Kosintsev, Pavel A., Haukisalmi, Voitto, Väinölä, Risto, Raichev, Evgeniy G., Murakami, Takahiro, Abramov, Alexei V., Kaneko, Yayoi, Masuda, Ryuichi (2017): Diversity of MHC class II DRB alleles in the Eurasian population of the least weasel, Mustela nivalis (Mustelidae: Mammalia). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 121: 28-37, DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blw028

The study was conducted in the area of the Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain and the Thracian Plain in period 1996-2014. On a total of 262 golden jackals (Canis aureus L., 1758) (119 males and 143 females) thirteen somatometric parameters were measured. The comparison of the linear body parameters and the weights between males and females showed apparent sexual dimorphism in the jackals with a high level of reliability, with an exception of the length of the tail. The index of body compactness and the weight index were calculated and compared. The index of body compactness did not differ between sexes. The body weight (10,994.24 g for males and 9,776.02 g for females in average) showed clear sexual dimorphism – male-female ratio was 11.08%. Our findings indicated that the sexual size dimorphism in golden jackal was weaker and lower than those in red fox and wolf.

The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides, Canidae, Carnivora) is highly adaptable to urban environments. Populations of carnivorans inhabiting urban areas sometimes differ ecologically and genetically from those in rural areas. However, there is little information on urban raccoon dogs. This study focused on raccoon dog populations in Tokyo, one of the most highly urbanized cities in the world. We examined the genotypes of 10 microsatellites for 101 fecal samples from raccoon dogs inhabiting the grounds of the Imperial Palace, a green space in central Tokyo. We successfully genotyped 58 samples originating from 31 individuals. We also analyzed muscle tissue samples from raccoon dogs from the grounds of the Imperial Palace, the Akasaka Imperial Grounds (a green space close to the Imperial Palace), and the surrounding urban area, and then investigated the genetic structure and diversity of these populations, and the genetic differentiation among them. The population on the grounds of the Imperial Palace was genetically differentiated from that in the Akasaka Imperial Grounds, suggesting that the roads and buildings act as barriers to gene flow. In addition, the population on the grounds of the Imperial Palace showed greater genetic difference from that in the surrounding area than that in the Akasaka Imperial Grounds. We speculate that the moats around the Imperial Palace restrict individual ranges within the palace grounds and limit migration and gene flow to other areas.

Background We present a cellular phone-enhanced GPS tracking system (GPS mobile with CTG-001G receiver triangulation) suitable for urban carnivores, in tandem with appropriate home range analysis, as an additional tracking technology option in metropolitan settings. We conduct this proof-of-concept study working with the management of introduced invasive raccoons in Japan (and conditions implicit to this control program). Results Each tracking period averaged 17 days, and a tracking accuracy of Conclusions As a proof of concept, these prototype collars were successful in tracking raccoons in the difficult suburban environment, where this system (CTG) made fixes against FOMA antennae-augmented GPS and yielded data that could support home range analysis. We advocate further research and development to refine this system, with broad application as a tool to diversify wildlife tracking technology options in urbanized environments, where synanthropic and/or invasive species can cause a nuisance warranting effective management.

Although urbanization is a leading threat to wildlife conservation, some species have adapted to a synanthropic lifestyle. We used a population of raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in the Akasaka Imperial Grounds in central Tokyo, Japan to investigate how latrine‐using carnivores can maintain their socio‐spatial organization with human disturbance. Between 2012 and 2014, we selected 4–11 latrines per year (from a max. of 18 latrines recorded in the area) using 1 camera per latrine. We focused on latrines that included varying levels of human disturbance. We analyzed the temporal patterns of 3,257 latrine visits, of which 878 included defecation events. Overall, latrine use (i.e., visits with and without defecation events) increased as winter approached, coinciding with dispersal, and showed a seasonal shift from diurnal to nocturnal use patterns as days got shorter. Generalized linear mixed model results confirmed that temporal visiting and defecation patterns were affected by human disturbance and shifted from diurnal to nocturnal, although overall frequency of visits and defecation events did not decrease at disturbed latrines and raccoon dogs continued to use disturbed latrine sites. Raccoon dogs likely perceive human disturbance as predation risk and avoided this by shifting their temporal, but not spatial, activity pattern to minimize disturbance. Minimizing the amount of disturbance around raccoon‐dog latrines at sensitive sites and times of day would allow them to co‐exist with people with the minimal compromise to their latrine‐centered socio‐spatial organization.

We studied the diet of the raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in the two urban parks by fecal analysis in winter, when their nutritional condition is important for breeding. From December 2015 to March 2016, we collected 39 feces from 14 latrines for defecation of raccoon dogs in the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (n = 31) and the Toyama Park (n = 8), located in central Tokyo. The samples were analyzed by the hand sorting method, and the frequency of occurrence for each food item was calculated. As a result, seeds (97.4%), birds (48.7%), and earthworms (48.7%) were detected as main food items. Major seeds of fruits detected were Hovenia dulcis (56.4%), Celtis sinensis (35.9%), Aphananthe aspera (25.6%), and Diospyros kaki (20.5%). These were planted tree species for gardens and urban greening. Preyed birds consisted mainly of Passeriformes (20.5%), Podicipedidae (7.7%), and Phalacrocoracidae (7.7%). Compared with other studies, fruits were main food items in not only urban parks but also other urban environments and mountain areas in winter. On the other hand, birds were more consumed in urban environments than mountain area, and therefore the availability of animal food items may be different between urban and mountain areas in winter.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the realism of Jane Austen's Novels with special attention to Northanger Abbey. Northanger Abbey is a parody of a Gothic Romance, a genre which was very popular at the time Northanger Abbey was written. Austen tries to show that Gothic Romances are exciting, but can also encourage arrested development. Isabella Thorpe is a good example of a person who never grows up, in part because she never reads novels, for example those written by Samuel Richardson, but restricts herself to Gothic Romances. On the other hand, the heroine, Catherine Morland, develops mentally because she recognizes her ignorance and is ashamed of it. Knowing that she is ignorant, she feels she must read novels and history. Novels have the power to make people recognize and be ashamed of their ignorance. Also, Catherine changes into a person who can judge others around her through their manners because novels have helped her to become more objective. As a result, she understands the differences between the appearance and the reality of the people around her and becomes a person with good judgement and manners.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins that play a critical role in vertebrate immune system and are highly polymorphic. To further understand the molecular evolution of the MHC genes, we compared MHC class II DRB genes between the Japanese weasel (Mustela itatsi), a species endemic to Japan, and the Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica), a closely related species on the continent. We sequenced a 242-bp region of DRB exon 2, which encodes antigen-binding sites (ABS), and found 24 alleles from 31 M. itatsi individuals and 17 alleles from 21 M. sibirica individuals, including broadly distributed, species-specific and/or geographically restricted alleles. Our results suggest that pathogen-driven balancing selection have acted to maintain the diversity in the DRB genes. For predicted ABS, nonsynonymous substitutions exceeded synonymous substitutions, also indicating positive selection, which was not seen at non-ABS. In a Bayesian phylogenetic tree, two M. sibirica DRB alleles were basal to the rest of the sequences from mustelid species and may represent ancestral alleles. Trans-species polymorphism was evident between many mustelid DRB alleles, especially between M. itatsi and M. sibirica. These two Mustela species divided about 1.7 million years ago, but still share many MHC alleles, indicative of their close phylogenetic relationship.

The top trophic level in many terrestrial food webs is typically occupied by mammalian carnivores (Order Carnivora) that broadly affect and shape ecosystems through trophic cascades. Their inter-specific interactions can further complicate effects on community dynamics as a consequence of intra-guild competition. The capacity for competitive mammalian carnivores to segregate their hunting and activity regimes is in major part a function of their similarity, in terms of body-size and dietary niche; termed the ‘niche variation hypothesis’. In this study, we used camera-trapping to investigate intra-guild interactions and spatio-temporal partitioning among five mesocarnivores, the golden jackal (Canis aureus), European badger (Meles meles), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), European wildcat (Felis sylvestris) and stone marten (Martes foina), in the Stara Planina Mountains, Bulgaria. We collected a total of 444 images of golden jackals, 236 images of European badgers, 200 images of red foxes, 171 images of stone martens, and 145 images of European wildcats, from 6612 camera-days across fifteen camera-trapping stations. With respect to body size, the three smaller species (fox, wildcat and marten) were active in different time periods than the two larger competitors (jackal and badger) through both the warm and cold season. The more similar the trophic niche between species pairs (particularly relating to rodent consumption), the greater the spatio-temporal partitioning we observed within the pair; however, this adapted to seasonal dietary shifts. In conclusion, spatial and temporal (fine-scale and seasonal) niche partitioning appeared to reduce encounter probabilities and competition and may act to facilitate sympatric coexistence among this regional mesocarnivore guild.

Examining biogeographical variations in species’ diet is important for linking key ecological traits between consumers and their environment. While the trophic ecology of the Holarctic martens has been globally synthesised, systematic information on the feeding ecology of martens (Martes spp.) in Asia is still deficient compared to species in Europe and North America. Here we conduct a meta-analysis based on literature describing regional and seasonal variation in diet composition of the Japanese marten (Martes melampus). Across nine study areas in the Japanese archipelago, annual marten diet mainly comprised fruits, invertebrates, and mammals. Cluster analysis divided these into three groups according to the similarity in composition. Dietary niche breadth and the relative frequency of occurrence of the mammalian prey was significantly higher in sub-alpine/cool-temperate than warm-temperate thermal forest zones, whereas the occurrence of fruits was significantly higher in warm-temperate than sub-alpine/cool-temperate zones. Seasonal analysis showed significant effects across all four seasons on the frequency of occurrence of mammals, invertebrates, and fruits. The Japanese marten is a flexible and opportunistic feeder with the potential to maintain its key macronutrient requirements by adapting its feeding strategy to changes in resource variability and environmental conditions. This trophic plasticity may advantage the Japanese marten in coping with human-induced rapid environmental change, as global analysis has projected for martens across other regions.

Because of their role in immune defense against pathogens, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are useful in evolutionary studies on how wild vertebrates adapt to their environments. We investigated the molecular evolution of MHC class I (MHCI) genes in four closely related species of Eurasian badgers, genus Meles. All four species of badgers showed similarly high variation in MHCI sequences compared to other Carnivora. We identified 7−21 putatively functional MHCI sequences in each of the badger species, and 2−7 sequences per individual, indicating the existence of 1−4 loci. MHCI exon 2 and 3 sequences encoding domains α1 and α2 exhibited different clade topologies in phylogenetic networks. Non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions at codons for antigen-binding sites exceeded synonymous substitutions for domain α1 but not for domain α2, suggesting that the domains α1 and α2 likely had different evolutionary histories in these species. Positive selection and recombination seem to have shaped the variation in domain α2, whereas positive selection was dominant in shaping the variation in domain α1. In the separate phylogenetic analyses for exon 2, exon 3, and intron 2, each showed three clades of Meles alleles, with rampant trans-species polymorphism, indicative of the long-term maintenance of ancestral MHCI polymorphism by balancing selection.

Understanding whether and how carnivores can adapt to urbanised environments is becoming increasingly important, as human populations grow and undeveloped landscape is lost. The stone marten (Martes foina) is often found in urban habitats across continental Europe, due to its flexible foraging behaviour. We compare the utilisation of food types for martens living in villages in a more populated region with that of martens living in a less populated mountainous forest region, over the summer fruiting season (May–July) of 2013, inferred from the analysis of 310 faecal samples. Fruits were the primary food for martens in both regions, but comprised a significantly greater proportion of the diet in villages. Invertebrates and rodents were utilised significantly more in the natural habitat. Garbage and domestic animals were rarely exploited in either region; however, village-dwelling martens appeared to rely heavily on being subsidised by cultivated fruits grown in gardens and orchards, and along the streets. ...

Although the impacts of the legal and illegal wildlife trade are broadly recognised for flagship species (e.g., elephant, rhino and tiger), less is known about how exploitation affects more common, and less charismatic species. This is of especial concern in Asia in general, and particularly in China, where demands for wild game species, and derived products are increasing, but a lack of data on illegal bushmeat hunting limits the development of effective species and ecosystem conservation measures. Genetic monitoring provides an informative tool to assess the pressures on regional populations, particularly for species that are difficult to monitor, for example, using arboreal or subterranean refugia. Here, using microsatellite markers, we investigated the effect of hunting on the genetic diversity of a regional population of the hog badger. Samples were collected from hog badgers confiscated from illegal traffickers and local hunters by forest authorities in the market towns of Wufeng and Yuguan, which lie 40 km apart in Hubei Province, China. To isolate novel hog badger microsatellite loci, we constructed a biotin-enriched microsatellite DNA library. Furthermore, we also tested the suitability of microsatellite loci designed for the European badger in the hog badger. Using these microsatellite markers, we found that these seized hog badgers exhibited a high level of genetic diversity—mean alleles per locus (A) were 8.33 and mean expected heterozygosities (H E) were 0.77. Despite 40 km separation between sample sites, spatial segregation was not apparent from genetics. This suggests that our confiscated hog badgers belong to the same meta-population. Although limited by a lack of geographical data on the source of these hog badgers, preventing the analysis of isolation by distance effects, hunting likely eroded hog badger population social structure, promoting gene flow among demes. We conclude that the exploitation of this wild source population seems unsustainable.

Twelve toy soldiers which Mr. Bronte bought for Branwell were used as characters in the juvenilia of the Bronte children. Their stories were written from 1826 to 1839, and unfolded in an imaginary "Glass Town" in Africa where twelve men had been cast up. Charlotte composed some of the stories, which can be divided into three periods. The hero of the first period is the Duke of Wellington. Since he was based on a real person, she was somewhat constrained in her depiction of him. He had to be absolutely perfect. During the second period, the main characters were imaginary; therefore she could make them as she wanted. She created a kind of Byronic hero, the Duke of Zamorna. She so adored the works of George Gordon Byron that she even quoted some parts of Child Harold's Pilgrimage. As for the female characters, they just endured and kept loving him. During the third period, we can see a plain heroine, Miss Hastings. She made an effort to be economically independent. Miss Hastings would develop into heroines such as Jane Eyre and Lucy Snowe in the future.

East Balkan Swine (EBS) Sus scrofa is the only aboriginal domesticated pig breed in Bulgaria and is distributed on the western coast of the Black Sea in Bulgaria. To reveal the breed's genetic characteristics, we analysed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosomal DNA sequences of EBS in Bulgaria. Nucleotide diversity (πn ) of the mtDNA control region, including two newly found haplotypes, in 54 EBS was higher (0.014 ± 0.007) compared with that of European (0.005 ± 0.003) and Asian (0.006 ± 0.003) domestic pigs and wild boar. The median-joining network based on the mtDNA control region showed that the EBS and wild boar in Bulgaria comprised mainly two major mtDNA clades, European clade E1 (61.3%) and Asian clade A (38.7%). The coexistence of two mtDNA clades in EBS in Bulgaria may be the relict of historical pig translocation. Among the Bulgarian EBS colonies, the geographical differences in distribution of two mtDNA clades (E1 and A) could be attributed to the source pig populations and/or historical crossbreeding with imported pigs. In addition, analysis of the Y chromosomal DNA sequences for the EBS revealed that all of the EBS had haplotype HY1, which is dominant in European domestic pigs.

Many carnivores use latrines, and investigations of latrine use have typically been concerned with territorial defense, often at the expense of fully evaluating other, not mutually exclusive, functions. In particular, the relationship between food abundance and latrine use patterns has been explored inadequately, where latrine location may be used to aid spatial memory, to stake a claim on access to temporally variable food resources, or to signal the local depletion of resources. Little is known about the hog badger (Arctonyx collaris), however the consensus is that they are solitary, but nonetheless deposit their feces in latrines, but without any group-territory defense function. This provides an ideal study system to investigate how temporal and spatial variation in latrine use strategy is associated with food resource availability throughout the year. We use generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) and an information-theoretic approach to test the hypothesis that seasonal latrine use patterns signal the resources most valued (i.e., the foraging book keeping hypothesis). We found that latrine use showed significant seasonal and habitat-related variations, where the number of feces per latrine reached seasonal maxima in early summer but was lowest in autumn, and was significantly higher in logged forest and selectively logged forest but lowest in farmland. The intensity of latrine use exhibited a significant negative relationship with environmental food abundance, and was related to dietary output (fecal contents). That is, hog badgers invested most in ‘marking' those more limited resources, concurring with the scarce factor paradox, which asserts that the value of any commodity is a function of its rarity.

Spatial and temporal fluctuations in the availability of food resources can affect adaptive foraging strategies substantially, with the potential to promote temporal dietary switching and specialisation among generalist carnivores. To understand this relationship better at the causal level, we examined spatial and temporal variation in diet composition and diversity in the hitherto little-known hog badger (Arctonyx collaris), in comparison to the environmental abundance of principal food resources, in a subtropical forest of central China. Here, hog badgers fed predominantly on earthworms and fruits, complemented with arthropod imagoes and invertebrate larvae, whereas vertebrate prey categories (mammals, birds and reptiles) were consumed infrequently. We observed strong seasonal variation in the consumption of different food categories. Earthworms predominated during spring, fruits in autumn, and earthworms, complemented by arthropods, in summer, with hog badgers apparently hibernating in winter. Fluctuation in dietary preferences between seasons and habitats correlated only partially with environmental food abundance; in autumn, when fruit abundance peaked, and despite a concomitant peak in earthworm abundance, hog badgers exhibited a dietary shift, indicating a preference for fruit, over earthworms. This resulted in autumnal minima in seasonal food niche breadth and evenness values. We conclude that, in this region, hog badgers exhibited a generalist diet but switched between food categories in response to changes in environmental seasonal abundance.

We studied the summer (June-August) diet of the masked palm civet (Paguma larvata) in a suburban area of Ibaraki Prefecture, using the stomach contents from road-killed carcasses. Specifically, our aim was to examine (i) monthly changes and (ii) if food habits differed between sexes, based on frequency of occurrence (FO) of the main food classes consumed. From 2009 to 2014, 61 civet carcasses were col lected along the three major national highways in Ibaraki Prefecture. Civets consumed a wide range of foods such as insects, fruits, mammals, and earthworms. The FO of mammals and fruit taxa (cherries, strawberries, and persimmons) differed substantially among months, which likely reflected the peak availability of each food category/item. Females consumed amphibians, insects, and persimmons significantly more frequently than did males, likely relating to the higher food security demands of females while raising offspring. Overall, masked palm civets in Ibaraki Prefecture proved to be opportunistic and generalist feeders, eating primarily fruits and insects with a high frequency of occurrence in summer.