Plains zebras (Equus quagga antiquorum) occur in few large, but many small, isolated populations in KwaZulu-Natal. Problems identified in small populations include reduced striping patterns on hind quarters, smaller size, elevated mortality rates and high number of still-births. Inbreeding may be implicated. Population viability analysis (PVA) was conducted with a computer model (VORTEX), and DNA and allozyme analyses were conducted to test the findings of the model. Using standard methods, DNA (PCR-RAPD) and allozyme diversity was assessed in blood samples from 72 plains zebra from four KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Services (KZN-NCS) protected areas: Umfolozi Game Reserve (UGR), Albert Falls (AFNR), Vernon Crookes (VCNR) and Harold Johnson (HJNR) Nature Reserves. Populations of the latter three, small-sized (9-110 individuals) populations were seeded from the same source population (UGR: current population of 2000) during the past 25 years. Information from PCR-RAPD and allozyme analyses were compared with each other as well as to that predicted by population genetic modelling (using VORTEX). Allozyme heterozygosities were consistently high in all populations (12.1-12.9%), with no observable losses associated with reduced population size. On the other hand, percentage loss of polymorphism (20-39%) calculated from the PCR-RAPD study appeared to be positively correlated with the loss of heterozygosity predicted by population viability analysis (PVA), and negatively correlated with population size. On the basis of the above results, a policy of translocation was advocated for small, intensely managed populations of zebras, whereby a harem should be translocated every five years for a population size of nine (HJNR), while for a population size of 110 (VCNR) translocations should take place every 15 years if heterozygosity is to be maintained at more than 90% within each population over 100 years.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0305-1978(00)00097-1 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives: synthesis, characterization, antifungal activity, DNA binding investigations, TD-DFT calculations, and molecular modelling.
J Biomol Struct Dyn
March 2025
Department of Chemistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
1,3,4-Oxadiazole-based heterocyclic analogs (3a-3m) were synthesized cyclization of Schiff bases with substituted aldehydes in the presence of bromine and acetic acid. The structural clarification of synthesized molecules was carried out with various spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR,H and C-NMR, UV-visible spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. antifungal activity was performed against , and and analogs 3g, 3i, and 3m showed potent MIC at 200 µg/ml and excellent ZOI measurements of 17-21 nm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRates and Predictors of Malignancy in Bethesda III and IV Thyroid Nodules: A Prospective Study.
Cureus
December 2024
Internal Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, EGY.
Aim: Thyroid nodules, based on high-resolution ultrasonography (HRUS), are among the most common endocrine abnormalities that affect the general population because of their high estimated prevalence rates. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a safe, cost-effective modality to differentiate between benign and malignant thyroid nodules based on the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC), thus avoiding unnecessary surgery. However, categories III and IV of BSRTC remain a controversial issue in clinical practice, encompassing a wide range of risks of malignancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevalence of MRI lesions in men responding to a GP-led invitation for a prostate health check: a prospective cohort study.
BMJ Oncol
August 2023
Urology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Objective: In men with a raised prostate-specific antigen (PSA), MRI increases the detection of clinically significant cancer and reduces overdiagnosis, with fewer biopsies. MRI as a screening tool has not been assessed independently of PSA in a formal screening study. We report a systematic community-based assessment of the prevalence of prostate MRI lesions in an age-selected population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDomestic water consumptions and associated factors in rural household of Harari region, Eastern Ethiopia; A cross sectional study.
Front Public Health
January 2025
Department of Environmental Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.
Background: Sustainable rural water supply management requires accurate estimations of water consumption and understanding factors influencing consumption. Climate change exacerbates challenges, especially in developing countries with high poverty and limited access to clean water. Ethiopia has the lowest municipal water supply in Africa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDemography of the Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat () in Ghana.
J Mammal
February 2025
Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research, Ebenezer Laing Road, GA 490-3153, University of Ghana, Legon, P.O. Box LG 67, Accra, Ghana.
We provide the first estimates of survival and reproductive rates for a population of the Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat in Ghana. We focused on a large colony of ca. 5,000 bats over 3 years to estimate population parameters including population size, birth rates, survival, and sex ratios for this species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!