Article
Ecology
Matheus de Toledo Moroti, Philip Teles Soares, Mariana Pedrozo, Diogo B. Provete, Diego Jose Santana
Summary: Morphology and phylogenetic distance are more influential on trophic niche overlap, while body size affects niche breadth. Trophic niche breadth is usually smaller when considering prey traits and availability, whereas values of niche overlap increase when these data are not considered.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Nadur Lakkanna Naveena, Suryanarayana Subramanya, Siddappa Setty
Summary: The structure of the stored grain insect community was examined in this study, and a classification system was established to categorize different species. The results showed that the feeding guild structure of the community varied with different food resources available.
JOURNAL OF STORED PRODUCTS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Vasile Alexe, Adrian Burada, Liliana Teodorof, Mihai Marinov, Alexandru-Catalin Dorosencu, Lucian-Eugen Bolboaca, Cristina Despina, Dana Seceleanu, Marta Peraita, Marian Tudor, Janos Botond Kiss, Dumitru Murariu
Summary: The white-tailed sea-eagle is a top raptor that can serve as a model for contaminants transfer. In this study, significant differences were found in the concentrations of contaminants between juvenile and adult eagles in the study area, suggesting that juveniles are better indicators for pollutants in the region.
TURKISH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Nicolaos Kassinis, Elli Tzirkalli, Michalis Miltiadou, Michaella Moysi, Iris Charalambidou, Alexandre Roulin, Ioannis N. Vogiatzakis
Summary: Interspecific competition was studied between the Long-legged Buzzard and the Bonelli's Eagle on the island of Cyprus. Analysis of their diets showed that the Long-legged Buzzard mainly consumed mammals and reptiles, while the Bonelli's Eagle primarily fed on birds. The low dietary overlap indicated a lack of significant competition between the two species in terms of food resources.
JOURNAL OF RAPTOR RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Zoology
K. E. Walters, J. D. Reynolds, R. C. Ydenberg
Summary: The movement of Bald Eagles in the Pacific Northwest is heavily influenced by the availability of post-spawning Pacific salmon carcasses during the non-breeding period. The study found that Bald Eagle abundance matched the seasonal progression of salmon carcass availability, with a positive but lower-than-expected relationship between eagle and salmon numbers.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Andrea-Carolin Menzel, Oliver Krone
Summary: Anthropogenic lead intoxication is the main cause of death of White-tailed Sea-Eagles in Germany, largely due to ingestion of lead fragments from hunted game animals. Research findings suggest a higher presence of metal contamination in regurgitated pellets during the hunting season and in pellets containing mammalian remains.
JOURNAL OF RAPTOR RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Nachiket Vartak, Georgia Guenther, Florian Joly, Amruta Damle-Vartak, Gudrun Wibbelt, Joerns Fickel, Simone Joers, Brigitte Begher-Tibbe, Adrian Friebel, Kasimir Wansing, Ahmed Ghallab, Marie Rosselin, Noemie Boissier, Irene Vignon-Clementel, Christian Hedberg, Fabian Geisler, Heribert Hofer, Peter Jansen, Stefan Hoehme, Dirk Drasdo, Jan G. Hengstler
Summary: The study challenges the current theory of bile flow in the liver by showing that diffusion mainly drives the flux in the canalicular domain, while regulated advection enhances diffusion flux only in the interlobular ducts.
Article
Ecology
Eve Davidian, Bettina Wachter, Ilja Heckmann, Martin Dehnhard, Heribert Hofer, Oliver P. Hoener
Summary: The study demonstrates that physiological costs of intrasexual competition in male spotted hyenas vary with social rank, shaping behavioral trade-offs between social integration, reproduction, and self-maintenance. This suggests that physiological and social constraints play a key role in the emergence of rank-related male reproductive success.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ximena A. Olarte-Castillo, Joana F. dos Remedios, Felix Heeger, Heribert Hofer, Stephan Karl, Alex D. Greenwood, Marion L. East
Summary: The study, based on long-term data and molecular analysis, revealed two outbreaks of Alphacoronavirus-1 infection in spotted hyenas associated with genetically distinct canine coronavirus type II variants. The residues directly binding to the APN receptor within the S protein receptor binding domain were conserved in all studied variants, even infecting phylogenetically diverse host taxa.
Article
Ecology
Susana C. M. Ferreira, Miguel M. Veiga, Heribert Hofer, Marion L. East, Gabor a. Czirjak
Summary: Research using noninvasive methods can enhance understanding of the complex relationship between gastrointestinal parasites and local immune responses in wild large mammals and reveal fitness-relevant effects of these responses. Concentrations of immunoglobulins and mucin in spotted hyena feces were associated with hookworm load, with higher concentrations in juveniles than adults, and more mucin in females than males.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Ornithology
Marc Engler, Oliver Krone
Summary: The study analyzed GPS tracking data of juvenile White-tailed Sea Eagles in northeast Germany, revealing that post-fledging excursive behavior was influenced by the natal environment, with migration timing delayed by the quantity of excursive behavior and varying significantly among individuals.
Article
Ecology
Lucile Marescot, Mathias Franz, Sarah Benhaiem, Heribert Hofer, Cedric Scherer, Marion L. East, Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
Summary: The study indicates that in populations with communal nurseries, the probability of epidemic fade-out is higher for highly contagious pathogens, and communal nurseries can effectively counteract infection risk and play a key role in controlling pathogen transmission.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Deniz Menguellueoglu, Sarah Edwards, Heribert Hofer, Anne Berger
Summary: A study of Eurasian lynx in northwestern Anatolia revealed a high population density, small home ranges, and flexible spatial behavior, likely due to legal protection and low levels of poaching. Adult male lynx occupied small territories, while subadult males roamed large, stable home ranges. This behavior is not commonly seen in other studied populations and highlights the importance of data from felid populations in natural states for conservation planning.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Deniz Mengulluoglu, Huseyin Ambarli, Axel Barlow, Johanna L. A. Paijmans, Ali Onur Sayar, Hasan Emir, Irfan Kandemir, Heribert Hofer, Joerns Fickel, Daniel W. Foerster
Summary: The study conducted a systematic analysis of the mtDNA of Eurasian lynx, revealing three major clades and at least five lineages, indicating an earlier diversification of the species than previously estimated. The results suggest that the Anatolian peninsula served as a glacial refugium for the Eurasian lynx, with previously unconsidered implications for the species' colonization of Europe.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
S. Benhaiem, S. Kaidatzi, H. Hofer, M. L. East
Summary: Extensive bushmeat hunting poses a major threat to wildlife conservation. The use of wire snares can result in sublethal snare injuries and potential reproductive costs for the affected individuals.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Montan M. Kalyahe, Heribert Hofer, Marion L. East
Summary: The study investigates the relationship between livestock waste and predation on cattle, sheep, and goats by wild carnivores. The findings show that the likelihood of predation increases with the increase of waste from diseased and slaughtered cattle, and sheep deaths from starvation. However, the predation on goats is more likely in medium-sized villages, indicating a trade-off for predators between increased benefits of more livestock waste and the costs of higher human disturbance and diminishing natural prey abundance as village size category increases.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Walter Jetz, Grigori Tertitski, Roland Kays, Uschi Mueller, Martin Wikelski
Summary: Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is providing fine-scale animal movement data at near-global scale. When combined with remotely sensed environmental data, it offers valuable insights into habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health, creating a global network of animal sentinels for environmental change.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ute Ziegler, Felicitas Bergmann, Dominik Fischer, Kerstin Mueller, Cora M. Holicki, Balal Sadeghi, Michael Sieg, Markus Keller, Rebekka Schwehn, Maximilian Reuschel, Luisa Fischer, Oliver Krone, Monika Rinder, Karolin Schuette, Volker Schmidt, Martin Eiden, Christine Fast, Anne Gunther, Anja Globig, Franz J. Conraths, Christoph Staubach, Florian Brandes, Michael Lierz, Ruediger Korbel, Thomas W. Vahlenkamp, Martin H. Groschup
Summary: This report summarizes the monitoring results of birds in different regions of Germany, identifying the circulation of USUV and WNV, as well as analyzing the seroprevalence of the viruses in different regions. The findings suggest that wild bird monitoring can serve as an early warning system for predicting human exposure risk.
Article
Ecology
Marion L. East, Dagmar Thierer, Sarah Benhaiem, Sonja Metzger, Heribert Hofer
Summary: Infanticide by adult females significantly affects male reproductive success and generates sexual conflict. In spotted hyenas, female infanticide occurs through violent attacks and maternal neglect, and males do not have effective counterstrategies.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Morgane Gicquel, Marion L. East, Heribert Hofer, Sarah Benhaiem
Summary: Studies have shown that encountering multiple sources of adversity in childhood increases the risk of poor long-term health and premature death. This study focuses on the spotted hyena and examines the cumulative effects of adversity during early life, including ecological, maternal, social, and demographic factors, on its performance and fitness. The results suggest that the combination of specific conditions in early life may matter more than the accumulation of adverse conditions as such.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Michaela Wetzel, Alexandre Courtiol, Heribert Hofer, Susanne Holtze, Thomas B. B. Hildebrandt
Summary: The study investigates the determinants of early offspring survival in the naked mole-rat, a eusocial mammal. Factors such as pup body mass, maternal number of mammae, maternal body mass, and colony size significantly influence early pup survival. The influence of social factors on offspring survival in eusocial mammals is different from eusocial insects due to the level of sociality. The study contributes to a better understanding of the origin and maintenance of eusociality in mammals.