Mitochondrial Control Region Database of Hungarian Fallow Deer (Dama dama) Populations for Forensic Use
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Zorkoczy O
PROVIDER: S-EPMC11240637 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundAnimals living in social groups can benefit from conducting the same behaviour as other group members. If this synchronisation is achieved by copying the behaviour of other individuals, we would expect synchrony to be more likely when pairs of individuals are close together.ResultsBy comparing the behaviour of a focal individual with its nearest, second nearest and third nearest neighbour and a control individual, we show that pairings of fallow deer Dama dama are more likely to be active or inactive at the same moment in time if they are closer together. We also demonstrate that synchronisation in the group happens more often than would be expected by chance.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that there is a relationship between the synchronisation of behaviour and the spatial proximity of individuals. Spatial proximity is likely to be an important influence on how likely individuals are to be synchronised, although care needs to be taken to separate social and environmental influences on individual behaviour.
| S-EPMC8101042 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study analysed carcass features and the chemical composition of semimembranosus (SM) and longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscles from farmed-raised fallow deer (Dama dama L.) bucks (n?=?8). Mineral contents and fatty acid composition were also determined in the muscles and the fulfilment of the demand for minerals was calculated for adults. Dressing percentage was 55.2%, whereas the proportions of round, shoulder and loin were 38.4%, 15.5% and 14.4%, respectively. The highest content of meat tissue was found in round, followed by loin. There were no differences in moisture, fat, protein or ash contents between SM and LTL muscles, however differences in mineral contents and fatty acid composition were noted and affected the concentration of nutrients. Meat from farmed-raised fallow deer is a good source of iron and copper in the human diet and may be recommended as a part of a healthy diet.
| S-EPMC7374648 | biostudies-literature
Project description:(1) In mammals, the mineral nutrient and trace elemental composition of the body - the ionome - differs among individuals. It has been hypothesized that these differences may be related to age and sex, both for ecotoxic and essential elements. (2) We investigated whether and how intraspecific ionomic variation is related to age and sex in Fallow deer (Dama dama). We tested the predictions that concentrations of ecotoxic elements increase with age, that ionomic variation is lower among young individuals than among older individuals, and that reproductive females (does) have the lowest concentrations of essential elements. (3) Culled animals of different sex and age were obtained from a single protected area. The animals were dissected to collect 13 tissues, and concentrations of 22 different elements were measured in a sample of each tissue. (4) We described substantial ionomic variation between individuals. Some of this variation was related to age and sex, as predicted. Based on the limited existing knowledge on chemical element allocation and metabolism in the body, sex-related differences were more difficult to interpret than age-related differences. Since reference values are absent, we could not judge about the consequences of the elemental values that we found. (5) More extensive ionomic surveys, based on a wide range of elements and tissues, are needed to enlarge the understanding of within-species ionomic variation and potential biological, ecological, and metabolic consequences.
| S-EPMC10803548 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis paper describes the isolation and characterization of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) from fetal cotyledonary tissue (FCT) and maternal caruncular tissue (MCT) collected from fallow deer (Dama dama) pregnant females. Proteins issued from FCT and MCT were submitted to affinity chromatographies by using Vicia villosa agarose (VVA) or anti-bovine PAG-2 (R#438) coupled to Sepharose 4B gel. Finally, they were characterized by SDS-PAGE and N-terminal microsequencing.ResultsFour distinct fallow deer PAG (fdPAG) sequences were identified and submitted to Swiss-Prot database. Comparison of fdPAG with PAG sequences identified in other ruminant species exhibited 64 to 83% identity. Additionally, alpha-fetoprotein was identified in fetal and maternal tissues.ConclusionOur results demonstrate the efficacy of VVA and bovine PAG-2 affinity chromatographies for the isolation of PAG molecules expressed in deer placenta. This is the first report giving four specific amino acid sequences of PAG isolated from feto-maternal junction (FCT and MCT) in the Cervidae family.
| S-EPMC3896668 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Although fallow deer are abundant in South Africa, these cervids remain undervalued as a domestic protein source and little information exists on their meat quality. This study aimed to evaluate the proximate and mineral compositions of the meat from wild fallow deer (n = 6 male, n = 6 female) harvested in South Africa, as affected by sex and muscle. Proximate analyses were conducted on six muscles (longissimus thoracis et lumborum [LTL], biceps femoris [BF], semimembranosus [SM], semitendinosus [ST], infraspinatus [IS], supraspinatus [SS]), whereas mineral analyses were conducted on the LTL and BF. The proximate composition of the muscles ranged from 73.3-76.2% moisture, 20.4-23.1% protein, 2.2-3.2% fat, and 1.1-1.5% ash. Proximate composition was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced by muscle, but not by sex. The primary essential macro- and micro-minerals determined in the LTL and BF were potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and magnesium, as well as iron, zinc, and copper, with more variation in concentrations occurring with muscle than with sex. Minerals in the muscles contributing most notably to human recommended dietary requirements were potassium, iron, copper, and zinc. These findings indicate that wild fallow deer meat is a nutritious food source and should enhance utilisation of such products.
| S-EPMC7278756 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Species that have been translocated and otherwise manipulated by humans may show patterns of population structure that reflect those interactions. At the same time, natural processes shape populations, including behavioural characteristics like dispersal potential and breeding system. In Europe, a key factor is the geography and history of climate change through the Pleistocene. During glacial maxima throughout that period, species in Europe with temperate distributions were forced south, becoming distributed among the isolated peninsulas represented by Anatolia, Italy and Iberia. Understanding modern patterns of diversity depends on understanding these historical population dynamics. Traditionally, European fallow deer (Dama dama dama) are thought to have been restricted to refugia in Anatolia and possibly Sicily and the Balkans. However, the distribution of this species was also greatly influenced by human-mediated translocations. We focus on fallow deer to better understand the relative influence of these natural and anthropogenic processes. We compared modern fallow deer putative populations across a broad geographic range using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA loci. The results revealed highly insular populations, depauperate of genetic variation and significantly differentiated from each other. This is consistent with the expectations of drift acting on populations founded by small numbers of individuals, and reflects known founder populations in the north. However, there was also evidence for differentiation among (but not within) physically isolated regions in the south, including Iberia. In those regions we find evidence for a stronger influence from natural processes than may be expected for a species with such strong, known anthropogenic influence.
| S-EPMC5520134 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Antlers function as primary weapons during fights for many species of ungulate. We examined the association between antler damage and (i) contest dynamics: the behavioural tactics used during fighting including fight duration, and (ii) mating success, fighting rate and dominance. Structural damage of the antlers was associated with contest dynamics: damage was negatively associated with jump clash attacks by individuals with damaged antlers, whereas opponents were more likely to physically displace individuals with damaged antlers during fighting. We found a positive association between dominance and damage indicating that high-ranking individuals were likely to have breaks to their antlers. We found no evidence that damage was associated with either mating success or the number of fights individuals engaged in. Our study provides a new perspective on understanding the association between contest dynamics and weapon structure, while also showing that damage has limited fitness consequences for individuals.
| S-EPMC5719384 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV-3) and coronaviruses (CoV) are commonly found in respiratory tracts of ruminants and capable of causing clinical disease. Here, we investigated the cause of ill-thrift and sudden death in a five-month-old male fallow deer which occurred in December 2019. The calf was one of the five calves in a herd of 170 deer that, along with three adult hinds, died during a 2-week period. The deer calves were in a shed, sharing airspace with young cattle that had been reported to be coughing. Significant gross pathology was observed in the respiratory and alimentary tracts of the deer calf and histopathology of the lung and trachea was suggestive of likely involvement of PIV-3. Strong and specific cytoplasmic labeling of bronchiolar epithelium and terminal airway, alike those seen with PIV-3 pneumonia in cattle, was observed using a polyclonal bovine PIV-3 antibody. Metagenomic analysis detected a PIV-3 and a CoV in the lung tissue. The PIV-3 L protein gene had the highest sequence identity with those of bovine PIV-3 (83.1 to 98.4%) and phylogenetically clustered with bovine PIV-3 in the genotype C. The CoV spike protein gene shared 96.7% to 97.9% sequence identity with those of bovine CoVs, but only 53.1% identity with SARS-CoV-2 reference virus. We believe this is the first report of PIV-3 and CoV co-infection in fallow deer and their association with fatal pneumonia; major pathology caused by PIV-3.
| S-EPMC9763933 | biostudies-literature
Project description:(1) Background: Wild cervids play an important role in transmission cycles of tick-borne pathogens; however, investigations of tick-borne pathogens in sika deer in Germany are lacking. (2) Methods: Spleen tissue of 74 sympatric wild cervids (30 roe deer, 7 fallow deer, 22 sika deer, 15 red deer) and of 27 red deer from a farm from southeastern Germany were analyzed by molecular methods for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia species. (3) Results: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia DNA was demonstrated in 90.5% and 47.3% of the 74 combined wild cervids and 14.8% and 18.5% of the farmed deer, respectively. Twelve 16S rRNA variants of A. phagocytophilum were delineated. While the infection rate for A. phagocytophilum among the four cervid species was similar (71.4% to 100%), it varied significantly for Babesia between roe deer (73.3%), fallow deer (14.3%), sika deer (27.3%) and red deer (40.0%). Deer ≤2 years of age tested significantly more often positive than the older deer for both A. phagocytophilum and Babesia species. (4) Conclusions: This study confirms the widespread occurrence of A. phagocytophilum and Babesia species in wild cervids and farmed red deer in Germany and documents the co-occurrence of the two tick-borne pathogens in free-ranging sika deer.
| S-EPMC7699845 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Most studies on ungulate reproduction have focused on the covariates of male reproductive success, while there is much less information on female tactics of mate choice. The aim of this work is to fill this gap and to assess condition-dependent variations in female tactics in a lekking fallow deer (Dama dama) population. In particular, we investigated three indirect selection mechanisms: i) aggregation: when females join an already formed female group; ii) copying: when females copy the mate choice of other females and iii) territory choice: when females select a territory where many copulations had previously occurred. Our results show that female fallow deer, which are less experienced (younger) and/or incur higher travel costs (home range far from the lek), adopt indirect forms of mate selection more often than older females or females residing near the lek, respectively. Compared to adults, younger females remained longer in the lek (almost three times) and in male territories, returning to the lek after copulation. However, despite the time spent at the lek, younger females were not able to select the highest-rank males, and relied on territory choice more often than older females. Farther does visited the lek less frequently (farthest females only once) and arrived on average 5 days later than closer females (which performed up to 7 visits), but they were seen more often within female groups (aggregation). We did not find a different amount of copying in younger or in farther females. Our results contribute to advance our understanding of female behaviours in ungulate leks.
| S-EPMC7046612 | biostudies-literature