Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah O. Valerio, Jurgen Hummel, Daryl Codron, Jean-Michel Hatt, Marcus Clauss
Summary: Dental wear caused by ingestion of dust and grit has negative effects on animals. To adapt to a diet with dust and grit, ruminants have evolved durable teeth and complex chewing surfaces. The rumen sorting mechanism and a possible internal washing mechanism allow ruminants to tolerate high levels of dust or grit in their diet.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marcin Przybylo, Jadwiga Flaga, Marcus Clauss, Kinga Szczepanik, Renata Miltko, Grzegorz Belzecki, Zygmunt M. Kowalski, Pawel Gorka
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of increased mono- and disaccharide intake on the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and blood parameters in Reeves's muntjac. The findings suggest that moderate increase in mono- and disaccharide intake can lead to increased concentrations of these sugars in the digestive system and increased expression of SGLT1 in the intestinal epithelium.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANIMAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Justin A. Ledogar, Sascha Senck, Brian A. Villmoare, Amanda L. Smith, Gerhard W. Weber, Brian G. Richmond, Paul C. Dechow, Callum F. Ross, Ian R. Grosse, Barth W. Wright, Qian Wang, Craig Byron, Stefano Benazzi, Kristian J. Carlson, Keely B. Carlson, Leslie C. Pryor McIntosh, Adam van Casteren, David S. Strait
Summary: Australopiths have cranial traits that strengthen the facial skeleton for feeding and increase bite force efficiency. The cranial strength of robust australopiths is thought to be superior to that of gracile australopiths. However, the hypothesis that gracile australopith crania are weaker and less efficient is not supported by the findings. Some gracile australopith crania are as strong as robust australopith crania, and their strength overlaps with that of chimpanzee crania. It is speculated that the evolution of cranial traits for bite force efficiency may have simultaneously weakened the face, leading to the evolution of additional traits to reinforce the facial skeleton.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eva Findeisen, Karl-Heinz Suedekum, Juergen Hummel, Marcus Clauss
Summary: Increased feed intake in goats led to increased gut fill, decreased digesta retention times, and an increase in faecal particle size. However, there was no difference in mean particle size when assessed based on particles below the typical escape threshold. This suggests that the effect of intake on chewing efficiency in ruminants may be more related to large particle escape from the forestomach rather than a reduced chewing intensity per bolus.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Cristiana Maduro Dias, Helder Nunes, Alfredo Borba
Summary: Nutrition plays a crucial role in animal performance, and optimizing forage quality is essential for the livestock industry in the limited agricultural area of the Azores. This study used near-infrared spectroscopy to determine chemical and biological parameters of pastures in the Azores and evaluated its predictive ability for fresh and dried samples. The results showed that near-infrared spectroscopy is a useful on-site technique for monitoring forage quality and optimizing management practices and diet design.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rachel S. Sender, David S. Strait
Summary: This study evaluated dome biomechanical models used to describe tooth strength, confirming their accuracy in predicting the distribution and orientation of tensile stresses. However, it also discovered heterogeneity of stress orientation across the lateral enamel, indicating that fractures may not fully propagate between cusp tip and cervix under certain loading conditions. The crown is most susceptible to failure during biting on a hard object with a single cusp, suggesting that geometrically simple biomechanical models do not fully capture the complex adaptations for strength in actual teeth.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
C. L. Girard, B. Graulet
Summary: Challenges in determining B vitamin status in ruminants include factors driving vitamin fate in the digestive tract, especially in the rumen, and the selection and thresholds of biomarkers reflecting animal status. Future research should focus on methodological approaches used to estimate B vitamin supply and status in ruminants.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Enri Nakayama, Haruka Tohara, Mayu Sakai, Masato Iida, Kimiko Abe, Koichiro Ueda
Summary: By analyzing kinematic data of mandibular movements, this study found that differences in these movements can be used as an indicator to determine if elderly individuals in long-term care facilities need a dysphagia diet.
Article
Geography, Physical
Mark F. Teaford, Callum F. Ross, Peter S. Ungar, Christopher J. Vinyard, Myra F. Laird
Summary: The impact of exogenous grit on dental microwear patterns is a result of dynamic and complex interactions between factors such as grit size, food material properties, and feeding time, providing further evidence of the multifactorial nature of dental microwear formation.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Xuan Fu, Yaopeng Zhang, Bin Shi, Xiaokang Wu, Hongwen Zhao, Zhongbao Xin, Jinshui Yang
Summary: It is urgent to explore new ways to protect endangered wild animals and develop sustainable animal husbandry on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau due to its fragile ecological environment. In this study, the relationship between gut microbes and ruminant health was studied using yaks and goats in free-range and captive modes. The results showed that the gut microbial diversity differed between different breeding modes, and different microbial families were enriched in each mode.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Akihito Yasuoka, Toshitada Nagai, Seonmi Lee, Hitonari Miyaguchi, Yoshikazu Saito, Keiko Abe, Tomiko Asakura
Summary: This study found that mastication stimuli during the weaning period can increase dendrite branches of hippocampal CA1 neurons and regulate genes related to dendrite growth, enhancing the learning ability of rats.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Luiz Fernando Dias Batista, Madeline E. Rivera, Aaron B. Norris, James P. Muir, Mozart A. Fonseca, Luis O. Tedeschi
Summary: The study investigated the effects of adding quebracho tannin extract to ruminant diets on ruminal digestibility and metabolic parameters. Results showed a linear increase in in situ dry matter digestibility with quebracho tannin inclusion, while no significant changes were observed in total volatile fatty acid concentration and acetate-to-propionate ratio. Additionally, ruminal ammonia nitrogen concentration and protozoa count decreased as quebracho tannin inclusion increased. In vitro gas production improved slightly, resulting in reduced methane emissions.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Daniela E. Winkler, Marcus Clauss, Maximilian Rolle, Ellen Schulz-Kornas, Daryl Codron, Thomas M. Kaiser, Thomas Tuetken
Summary: The study found that different diets have varying impacts on dental microwear texture in animals, with posterior tooth positions experiencing more wear from plant diets and a more uniform wear distribution along the tooth row from pelleted diets. This is due to the continuous intake and comminution of plant material during feeding, resulting in opposing wear gradients for plant versus pelleted diets.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Kariny Cavalcante de Lira, Jose Carlos Batista Dubeux, Mario de Andrade Lira, Francisco Fernando Ramos Carvalho, Mercia Virginia Ferreira Santos, Marcio Vieira Cunha, Alexandre Carneiro Leao Mello, David M. Jaramillo, Jose Diogenes Pereira Neto
Summary: This study evaluated the proportions of grass and legume in sheep diet using C-13 stable isotopes, finding that using only faecal isotopes was sufficient to predict the contribution of C3 or C4 species in the diet with high accuracy. The models used in the study estimated the grass-legume proportions within the diets of sheep with an R-squared value of 0.97.
ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sahana Kuthyar, Karli Watson, Shi Huang, Lauren J. N. Brent, Michael Platt, Julie Horvath, Janis Gonzalez-Martinez, Melween Martinez, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino, Rob Knight, Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, Katherine R. Amato
Summary: Gut microbial communities are influenced by various factors, such as diet and environment. This study found that hosts in different environments can have different gut microbiomes, even with a shared diet, although the differences observed were relatively small. This suggests that sharing the same diet may limit the usual influence of environmental microbes on gut microbiota.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marleen Zschiesche, Andre Mensching, Henrike Maria Jansen, Ahmad Reza Sharifi, Dirk Albers, Jurgen Hummel
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between reticular pH and 18 different indicators in milk, blood, faeces, urine and chewing behavior in early lactating dairy cows. The results showed that eight of these indicators were significantly associated with the daily animal individual reticular pH average, however, none of the models including these indicators explained more than 5% of the pH variations.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANIMAL NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Xiaoyu Zhang, Yang Li, Melissa Terranova, Sylvia Ortmann, Michael Kreuzer, Juergen Hummel, Marcus Clauss
Summary: This study investigated the effect of individual chewing behavior on average retention time of fluids and particles in the gastrointestinal tract. The results showed that chewing intensity had a negative impact on the retention time of fluids and particles in the stomach, while chewing frequency was significantly related to the retention time of large particles outside the stomach.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANIMAL NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Xiaoyu Zhang, Yang Li, Melissa Terranova, Sylvia Ortmann, Saskia Kehraus, Christian Gerspach, Michael Kreuzer, Marcus Clauss, Juergen Hummel
Summary: Sheep with low methane yield had shorter retention times. Pilocarpine, a saliva stimulant, was applied to sheep to reduce retention times and methane yield. Increasing pilocarpine dosage linearly decreased the retention times but did not affect feed intake or methane yield.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANIMAL NUTRITION
(2023)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Marcus Clauss, Daryl Codron, Jurgen Hummel
Summary: Equids, like other odd-toed ungulates, had a higher species diversity in the past compared to today. There are theories suggesting competitive disadvantages of equids, such as having a single toe, lack of a specific brain cooling mechanism, longer gestation periods, and differences in digestive physiology. However, there is no empirical evidence supporting the theory that equids fare better on low-quality forage than ruminants. It is proposed that equids and ruminants evolved high chewing efficacy to facilitate high feed and energy intakes, but equids may be more susceptible to feed shortages due to their less effective digestive system.
JOURNAL OF EQUINE VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ethan S. Duvall, Brian M. Griffiths, Marcus Clauss, Andrew J. Abraham
Summary: Sodium (Na) is crucial in terrestrial ecosystems, affecting animal behavior, space-use, and co-existence. Larger herbivores are more likely to seek supplementary Na resources, such as mineral licks. Allometric scaling of Na requirements and body mass plays a role in mineral lick use, indicating that larger species may be more susceptible to Na limitation.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Anita Wittwer, Marco Roller, Dennis W. H. Mueller, Mads F. Bertelsen, Laurie Bingaman Lackey, Beatrice Steck, Rebecca Biddle, Lars Versteege, Marcus Clauss
Summary: Zoo animal husbandry is a skill that needs constant development to improve animal survivorship. Species at higher risk of extinction in the wild may face greater difficulties in zoo conditions. This study found that the survival rates of black, greater one-horned, and white rhinos in zoos were consistent with their extinction risk status. The survivorship of black and white rhinos has significantly improved over time, while the greater one-horned rhino's survivorship stagnated.
Article
Zoology
Daniel R. Green, Daniela E. Winkler, Jennifer N. Leichliter, Gregory S. Harms, Jean-Michel Hatt, Marcus Clauss, Thomas Tuetken
Summary: This study investigates the tooth and bone formation in green iguanas using fluorescence labels and laser confocal scanning microscopy. The results show that tooth elongation rate is slow during initial enamel deposition but increases significantly after crown completion. The total timing of tooth formation is around 40-60 days. Rates of hard tissue formation in long bones correlate with animal weight gain.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Annette Liesegang, Bettina Burger, Therese de Vries de Heekelingen, Corinne Schroeter-Vogt, Jean-Michel Hatt, Mariusz P. Kowalewski, Marcus Clauss
Summary: Hindgut fermenting herbivores, such as tortoises and certain mammals, absorb more calcium from their diet than they need and excrete the excess calcium through urine. The exact reasons for this mechanism are still unclear, but it may be related to ensuring phosphorus availability for gut microbes by removing calcium. Ussing chamber experiments on rabbits showed that active calcium absorption increased with higher dietary calcium levels, contradicting the assumption that passive uptake would be more prevalent at higher levels. This finding supports the hypothesis of deliberate removal of calcium. However, the distribution of proteins involved in active calcium absorption suggests that other factors not investigated in this study play a major role in rabbits' calcium absorption.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANIMAL NUTRITION
(2023)
Review
Biology
Marcus Clauss, Julia Fritz, Jurgen Hummel
Summary: Both teeth and the digestive tract have adaptations related to trophic guilds, with size reduction of plant particles and utilization of microbes as key features. The utilization of microbes as prey by most "herbivorous" (and possibly "omnivorous") mammals is less emphasized and not reflected in trophic labels. Microbes can be harvested through coprophagy or a washing mechanism from the forestomach. The connection between teeth and guts is achieved in an innovative way through sorting and cleaning of not-yet-sufficiently-size-reduced food followed by rumination.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Annika Avedik, Marcus Clauss
Summary: The chewing and dentition of common hippos and pygmy hippos were investigated to understand their chewing mechanisms and dental morphology. The study found that hippos have a mainly up-and-down chewing motion, with slight differences between the two species. The presence or absence of lateral jaw movement affects their tooth wear patterns. This study also suggests that hippos evolved orthal (up-and-down) chewing secondarily, which explains several other characteristics of hippos such as their low degree of hypsodonty and the evolution of their dental enamel folding pattern.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Cellina L. M. Kleinlugtenbelt, Marcus Clauss, Anita Burkevica, Annelies De Cuyper
Summary: Many large carnivores in zoos are traditionally exposed to fasting days, although it is not their natural behavior. In this study, feeding routines in 44 European zoos were recorded, and it was found that fasting days were not preceded by gorge-feeding as suggested by husbandry guidelines. The observation of providing special enrichment on fasting days might be due to the impression that animals are not at ease when fasting, without a feeling of satiety from gut distension. These current feeding regimes should be re-assessed and future studies should investigate the combination of fasting days with preceding gorge-feeding.
JOURNAL OF ZOO AND AQUARIUM RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Line Enemark, Marcus Clauss, Linn Lagerstrom, Anita Burkevica, Jenny Gustafsson, Julia Johnsson, Peter Lundgren, Helle Lottrup Halkjaer Rhode
Summary: This study investigates how two different feed types (lean beef and whole rabbits) affect the behaviour of zoo jaguars. The results show that feeding behaviour occurred significantly more frequently when whole rabbits were fed, particularly during the first hour after feed presentation. However, the increase in feeding time represents less than 1% of the overall 24-hour budget.
JOURNAL OF ZOO AND AQUARIUM RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Louise Francoise Martin, Daryl Codron, Daniela Eileen Winkler, Thomas Tuetken, Jean-Michel Hatt, Marcus Clauss
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different diet types on tooth wear and compensatory hypselodont tooth growth in guinea pigs. The results showed that guinea pigs fed with bamboo had the lowest tooth height with deep dentine basins, similar to those fed with pelleted diets. Deeper dentine basins were generally correlated with higher occlusal surfaces, suggesting that changes in pressure signals due to lower basins could initiate compensatory growth in hypselodont teeth.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2023)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Katharina Radeke-Auer, Marcus Clauss, Julia Stagegaard, Linda G. R. Bruins-Van Sonsbeek, Javier Lopez
Summary: The husbandry of black rhinoceros is challenging due to peculiar diseases. An evaluation of necropsy reports revealed that iron overload disorder (IOD) was almost ubiquitous, while skin disease, excessive tooth wear, and gastric ulceration were particularly prevalent. Further investigation of IOD and other diseases, as well as measures to reduce stress, is recommended. Proactive approaches in providing dicot-based forages are necessary for species-adequate nutrition.
JOURNAL OF ZOO AND AQUARIUM RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Zoology
J. Bosch, A. McGrosky, A. Tuuga, J. Tangah, M. Clauss, I. Matsuda
Summary: Studies on diurnal primates have found that nocturnal periods are not just for sleeping but also for digestive activity. A study on proboscis monkeys in Malaysian Borneo revealed that they frequently awake at night, but their rumination-like behavior does not occur more frequently than during the day. Further research is needed to determine whether the frequent waking up at night is an adaptive strategy for predation avoidance or a result of disturbances.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2023)