The trouble with border fences

Chagas disease and the link to new host animals

Chagas Disease is a tropical disease that is spread mostly by the kissing bug. Symptoms can range from not present to heart failure. 60-70% of those infected do not develop symptoms past headaches and localized swelling of the bite area. However 20-30% can develop an enlarged heart which can result in heart failure.

Although Chagas disease is widespread, little is known about the transmission of the disease (Science Daily). The parasite is transmitted to varied animal hosts when the kissing bug bites the animal or human. Infection occurs if the bug feces enters through the mucous membrane.

A recent study by Georgieva, et. al., has stated that existing host records are heavily biased towards well-studied primary vector species. Results of this study show

New host associations for several groups of arboreal mammals were determined including sloths, New World monkeys, coatis, arboreal porcupines and, for the first time as a host of any Triatominae, tayras. A thorough review of previously documented sylvatic hosts, organized by triatomine species and the type of observation (associational, antibody-based, or DNA-based), is presented in a phylogenetic context and highlights large gaps in our knowledge of Triatominae biology (Georgieva, et. al, p.1).

To read the complete study and find out the specifics and why this study is important in the management of this disease,  follow this link.

References:

Anna Y. Georgieva, Eric R.L. Gordon, Christiane Weirauch. Sylvatic host associations of Triatominae and implications for Chagas disease reservoirs: a review and new host records based on archival specimens. PeerJ, 2017; 5: e3826 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3826

Image credit: By Greg Hume - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27876162

Rise of the cephalopod

                                                    By © Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0,                                                                                    

A recently study published in Current Biology, looked at current trends in cephalopod abundance. They state that Cephalopod populations are extremely variable, can fluctuate wildly and are currently experiencing a boom in numbers.  Squid, cuttlefish and octopuses have a long history of being able to adapt rapidly to changing environments.

Researchers investigated long-term trends in abundance using a global time-series of catch rates. The study revealed cephalopod populations have increased over the last six decades and were unusually consistent across taxa. Study datasets spanned the last 61 years (1953 to 2013). Results show increases of 52% squid, 31% octopuses, 17% cuttlefish and sepiolids populations. One explanation could be due to elevated water temperatures due to ocean warming. This is thought to accelerate the life cycle of cephalopods when thermal ranges are not exceeded and food remains abundant.

To read the complete study [which is open access], follow the link here [and above]

References:

Doubleday, Zoë A. et al., 2016. Global proliferation of cephalopods. Current Biology, Volume 26, Issue 10 R406 - R407. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.04.002

Image credit: By © Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=385705 

Human/polar bear conflict study

                            Alan Wilson - www.naturespicsonline.com

Living in Florida, we often see human/animal conflicts with black bear and alligators. Western states also have to contend with grizzly bears. These attacks are well documented and studied. Conversely, polar bear attacks on humans are rare. Researchers state that concern for a rise in polar bear conflicts is warranted due to predictions of increasing numbers of nutritionally stressed bears spending more time hunting [closer to human populations]. One cause of this is loss of sea ice habitat.

The study done by Wilder, et. al., 2017 [Polar bear attacks on humans: Implications of a changing climate], published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, found that “from 1870–2014, we documented 73 attacks by wild polar bears, distributed among the 5 polar bear Range States (Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and United States), which resulted in 20 human fatalities and 63 human injuries” (Wilder, et. al., 2017). They also noted that attacks were mainly from stressed male bears looking for food. Attacks by females were rare and were in defense of their cubs.

Increases in human/wildlife conflicts result in negative public perceptions, which usually result in a negative outcome for the animals involved. Management goals are to educate and develop methods for coexistence. Before this study, there was no systematic data collected on polar bear conflicts.  Folklore and incomplete data help fuel the anxiety over polar bear encounters.

The study, which is very detailed and gives information about all recorded attacks, characteristics of attacking bears, bear behavior and seasonality of attacks, and the role of humans in these attacks, can be found from the reference below.

FAU library users can look up the article through Searchwise here.

References:

Wilder, J. M., Vongraven, D., Atwood, T., Hansen, B., Jessen, A., Kochnev, A., York, G., Vallender, R., Hedman, D. and Gibbons, M. (2017), Polar bear attacks on humans: Implications of a changing climate. Wildl. Soc. Bull.. doi:10.1002/wsb.783

Image credit: By Alan Wilson - www.naturespicsonline.com: [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38456823

The Applied Ecologist Blog

As a library, it is our job to share resources with faculty and students. Here is one that anyone interested in conservation and ecology may find interesting.

The Applied Ecologist blog is the official blog for Journal of Applied Ecology, “this is a place for authors to promote their research through written posts, podcasts, videos and images. We also hope it will be a place for authors, readers, practitioners and policymakers to discuss anything relating to the interface between ecological science and the management of biological resources”. You can sign up to get email alerts when they add new blog posts. 

A recent post, Poaching problems? More rangers, please… takes a closer look at the difficulties rangers face trying to protect endangered species within protected areas. They stated that over 1,000 rangers have died in the line of duty protecting wildlife.

Image:  

Ranger patrol (Image: Jennifer Moore / Wildlife Conservation Society - Rwanda Program)

To read the whole blog post and article published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, follow the links above and here:

Are ranger patrols effective in reducing poaching-related threats within protected areas is available in Journal of Applied Ecology. 

Information on the Wildlife Conservation Society can be found here and specifically their Rwanda Program here.

Solar Eclipse Information

Click here for  information from SciFri Science Club

 on the solar eclipse today.

Rhythm is gonna get you

A recent article published in Current Biology (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.035), shows that Northern elephant seals have the ability to memorize the rhythm and timbre of other seals. The ability to perceive rhythmic sound is thought to be rare in mammals other than humans. The documented cases are a result of behavioral training.

Mathevon, et. al., 2017,  state that “In the northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris, the calls of mature males comprise a rhythmic series of pulses, with the call of each individual characterized by its tempo and timbre; these individual vocal signatures are stable over years and across contexts”. Their research shows that elephant seals use this information to identify individual rivals. 

To read the entire study:

Nicolas Mathevon, Caroline Casey, Colleen Reichmuth, Isabelle Charrier, Northern Elephant Seals Memorize the Rhythm and Timbre of Their Rivals’ Voices, Current Biology, Available online 20 July 2017, ISSN 0960-9822, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.035.

(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982217307728)

Image: By original image by Jan Roletto, uploaded 18:58, Feb 26, 2004 - de:Wikipedia by de:User:Baldhur, edited by Matthew Field - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (http://www.noaa.gov), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3440642

Keywords: rhythm perception; metrical patterns; rhythm; timbre; individual vocal recognition; mammal; rival assessment