Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dianlei Han, Hairui Liu, Zhiqian Tong, Jiahang Pan, Xinzhong Wang
Summary: This study analyzed the effect of speed on the webbed foot locomotion of mallards using reliable indoor test data. The results showed that increasing speed led to an increase in stride length and a decrease in stance phase duration. The gait transitioned from walking to grounded running between 0.73 and 0.93 m/s. The mallards primarily adjusted the intertarsal joint rather than the tarsometatarso-phalangeal joint with increasing speed. The webbed foot played a role in speed adjustment through coupling and quick recovery of the foot web.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
John T. Veon, Brett A. DeGregorio, Luke W. Naylor, Kenneth J. Reinecke, Brad C. Dabbert, Dean W. Demarest, Kevin M. Hartke, David G. Krementz
Summary: Body mass of overwintering waterfowl has increased in recent decades, potentially due to changes in winter climate, food availability, and population dynamics. This study analyzed mallard body mass in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and found that it has increased by approximately 6% from 1979 to 2021. Within-year variation in body mass was related to rainfall and river flooding, while long-term increases were not associated with changes in these factors. Further research is needed to determine the specific mechanisms driving these changes and their implications for waterfowl fitness.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Robert J. Dusek, Matthew M. Smith, Caroline Van Hemert, Valerie Shearn-Bochsler, Sherwood Hall, Clark D. Ridge, D. Ransom Hardison, Robb S. A. Kaler, Barbara L. Bodenstein, Erik K. Hofmeister, Jeffrey S. Hall
Summary: Multiple species of seabirds have experienced large-scale mortality events in the Arctic seas in recent years, potentially due to exposure to saxitoxin (STX) in the marine environment. The impact of STX on birds remains poorly understood, presenting challenges for further research.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Elzbieta Bombik, Katarzyna Pietrzkiewicz, Antoni Bombik
Summary: The contemporary human diet is high in saturated fatty acids compared to that of our Palaeolithic ancestors, and the ratio of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has greatly increased. This lifestyle and unsuitable diet have contributed to the rise of civilization diseases and sudden deaths. A study on mallard ducks aimed to analyze the fatty acid composition of selected tissues in relation to the human diet, where they were obtained, and their sex. The results showed that mallards from the Siedlce hunting district had lower levels of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, and higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-6 PUFAs, and n-3 PUFAs in their breast muscles, indicating a higher health-promoting value in the meat from this region.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sonja T. Jesse, Pau Ribo-Molina, Wendy K. Jo, Silke Rautenschlein, Oanh Vuong, Ron A. M. Fouchier, Martin Ludlow, Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus
Summary: This study analyzed samples from wild mallards in the Netherlands from 2017 to 2019 and identified seven cases of AMPV-C infections, with two samples showing the closest sequence identity to AMPV-C strains found in Muscovy ducks in China in 2011. Furthermore, analysis of the G protein revealed structural characteristics of AMPV-C. This study provides the first report of full-length AMPV-C genome sequences derived from wild birds in Europe, emphasizing the need for further surveillance efforts.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Philip Lavretsky, Flor Hernandez, Thomas Swale, Jonathon E. Mohl
Summary: This study presents the first high-quality genome assembly and annotation of a genetically vetted wild mallard. It provides a valuable resource for studying genome evolution, speciation, adaptive processes, and identifying functional genes that have been significantly altered during domestication.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Avishai Lublin, Nikki Thie, Irina Shkoda, Luba Simanov, Gila Kahila Bar-Gal, Yigal Farnoushi, Roni King, Wayne M. Getz, Pauline L. Kamath, Rauri C. K. Bowie, Ran Nathan
Summary: Avian influenza viruses pose a global threat to animal and human health. This study isolated H4N6 for the first time in Israel, emphasizing the importance of continuous monitoring of migratory birds in understanding virus transmission.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah T. Saalfeld, Brooke L. Hill, Christine M. Hunter, Charles J. Frost, Richard B. Lanctot
Summary: Climate change in the Arctic is causing a phenological mismatch between the hatching of insectivorous birds and the availability of invertebrate prey, impacting chick survival. While longer, warmer summers may increase annual bird productivity, chick survival is likely limited by food availability.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Elzbieta Bombik, Antoni Bombik, Katarzyna Pietrzkiewicz
Summary: A qualitative analysis of mallard ducks' tissues and organs revealed the potential hygienic and toxicological threats related to lead and cadmium concentrations. The study found that mallards have a measurable response to environmental pollution with lead and cadmium, making them potential bioindicators of contamination levels. The ban on lead pellets in Poland may help reduce lead contamination in mallards' tissues and organs.
Article
Biology
Dianlei Han, Hairui Liu, Jinrui Hu, Qizhi Yang
Summary: The webbed foot structure of mallards exhibits effective anti-subsidence properties when walking on soft ground. Mallards adjust their joint angles in response to changes in quartz sand particle size and thickness, with the tarsometatarso-phalangeal joint being mainly adjusted during touchdown and lift-off stages, and the intertarsal joint being predominantly adjusted during mid-stance. Mallards modify their leg posture to decrease the touch-down foot angle upon encountering sandy terrain, forming a depression beneath their feet and preventing significant subsidence.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Carlos De la Cruz, Juliana Valencia, Monica Exposito-Granados, Elena Solis, Olga Jimenez, Susana Alarcos, Jose Maria Abad-Gomez, Maria Jesus Garcia-Baquero, Jorge S. Gutierrez
Summary: Renesting is an important strategy for birds to compensate for nest failure. In some species, helpers can lighten breeders' workloads and increase survival prospects. Renesting can increase the chances of receiving help in replacement clutches.
Article
Microbiology
Taichiro Tanikawa, Kotaro Fujii, Yuji Sugie, Ryota Tsunekuni, Momoko Nakayama, Sota Kobayashi
Summary: This study evaluated the susceptibility of mallards to Gs/Gd H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses and found that they may disseminate the virus in the environment, thereby influencing outbreaks in Japan.
VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marielu Voit, Katrin Baumgartner, Lorenzo von Fersen, Roswitha Merle, Lukas Reese, Mechthild Wiegard, Hermann Will, Oriol Tallo-Parra, Annais Carbajal, Manel Lopez-Bejar, Christa Thoene-Reineke
Summary: The study compared two methods, plucking and cutting feathers, for determining corticosterone levels in feathers. Results showed no significant differences in corticosterone levels between the two methods for both species, indicating that cutting feathers is a valid alternative sampling method.
Article
Virology
Taichiro Tanikawa, Kotaro Fujii, Yuji Sugie, Ryota Tsunekuni
Summary: This study found a positive correlation between USP18 expression and pathogenicity during high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infections. These findings are important for understanding the immune response and virus resistance mechanisms in mallards.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Kun Guo, Xiang-Mo Li, Yan-Qing Wu, Yan-Fu Qu, Xiang Ji
Summary: The study of female reproductive traits of the red-banded wolf snake (Lycodon rufozonatus) in Zhejiang, East China over four years showed that postpartum body mass, clutch mass, and egg size were significantly greater in 2010 compared to other years, after accounting for female size. Contrary to traditional views, females did not trade off egg size against number.
Article
Ornithology
Jennifer L. Sheppard, Courtney L. Amundson, Todd W. Arnold, David Klee
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lorraine Scotson, Steven Ross, Todd W. Arnold
Summary: The Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus and sun bear Helarctos malayanus populations in South-east Asia are declining due to habitat loss and human disturbance. Their distribution and status are poorly known in the region. A study in Laos found that bears prefer higher elevations, rugged terrain, and areas less accessible to humans, with the highest abundance in the north and east. Suitable bear habitats are rare in the southern lowland plains.
Article
Ecology
Todd W. Arnold, Ray T. Alisauskas, James S. Sedinger
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michael L. Szymanski, Todd W. Arnold, Pamela R. Garrettson, Alan D. Afton
WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN
(2020)
Article
Forestry
Sergey S. Berg, John D. Erb, Vincent T. Spaid, Daniel L. Dewey, Pamela L. Coy, Barry A. Sampson, John R. Fieberg, Todd W. Arnold, James D. Forester
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Qing Zhao, Todd W. Arnold, James H. Devries, David W. Howerter, Robert G. Clark, Mitch D. Weegman
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pornkamol Jornburom, Somphot Duangchantrasiri, Sitthichai Jinamoy, Anak Pattanavibool, James E. Hines, Todd W. Arnold, John Fieberg, James L. D. Smith
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Fabiola Iannarilli, John Erb, Todd W. Arnold, John R. Fieberg
Summary: Camera traps were used to monitor North-American carnivores and found different species respond differently to survey design strategies. The study suggests using a mix of survey-design strategies for multi-species camera-trap studies to maximize encounter frequencies.
Article
Ecology
Mitch D. Weegman, Todd W. Arnold, Robert G. Clark, Michael Schaub
Summary: Research indicates that the dependence among data sets in Integrated Population Models (IPMs) does not significantly affect the estimation of demographic rates.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Oystein Wiig, Stephen N. Atkinson, Erik W. Born, Seth Stapleton, Todd Arnold, Markus Dyck, Kristin L. Laidre, Nicholas J. Lunn, Eric Regehr
Summary: The study estimated the abundance of polar bears in the Kane Basin subpopulation to be 190 bears, with a possible negative bias due to not surveying all areas. Aerial surveys may be a feasible method for obtaining abundance estimates for small subpopulations of polar bears.
Article
Ecology
David N. Koons, Thomas Riecke, G. Scott Boomer, Benjamin S. Sedinger, James S. Sedinger, Perry J. Williams, Todd W. Arnold
Summary: As global systems change rapidly, it is crucial to predict future ecological dynamics for successful natural resource management. Adaptive resource management (ARM) provides a rigorous platform for making sound decisions by incorporating stakeholder objectives and system uncertainty. However, the application of ARM could be improved by incorporating benchmarks for learning, especially in terms of identifying scientific evidence and improving model performance.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Stephen N. Atkinson, Kristin L. Laidre, Todd W. Arnold, Seth Stapleton, Eric Regehr, Erik W. Born, Oystein Wiig, Markus Dyck, Nicholas J. Lunn, Harry L. Stern, David Paetkau
Summary: Changes in sea-ice dynamics are impacting polar bears' demography and survival rates, with the Baffin Bay subpopulation estimated at 2826 individuals and annual survival rates of 0.90 and 0.78 for females and males, respectively. The study demonstrates the practicality of genetic sampling for assessing polar bear populations over large spatial and temporal scales.
ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Thomas Riecke, Benjamin S. Sedinger, Todd W. Arnold, Dan Gibson, David N. Koons, Madeleine G. Lohman, Michael Schaub, Perry J. Williams, James S. Sedinger
Summary: The management of sustainable harvest of animal populations is crucial for ecological and conservation purposes. However, most existing harvest models do not consider the simultaneous impacts of ecological and harvest factors on population parameters and trends. This study used Bayesian hierarchical models to estimate demographic parameters of female mallards, and also examined the effects of waterfowl hunters, habitat conditions, and anthropogenic and ecological processes on these parameters. The results highlight the importance of controlling for multicollinearity in harvest management models and provide insights into the mechanisms behind partial compensation of mallard harvest.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Alex Diana, Eleni Matechou, Jim Griffin, Todd Arnold, Simone Tenan, Stefano Volponi
Summary: Wildlife monitoring for open populations can be done using different survey methods. However, existing statistical models have limitations, and we propose a new Bayesian nonparametric framework for better modeling population patterns.
Article
Ecology
Thomas Riecke, Madeleine G. Lohman, Benjamin S. Sedinger, Todd W. Arnold, Cliff L. Feldheim, David N. Koons, Frank C. Rohwer, Michael Schaub, Perry J. Williams, James S. Sedinger
Summary: The harvest of wild organisms is important for human culture, economy, and recreation, but it can also endanger species. This study used a population model and long-term data to examine the relationships between hunting, natural mortality, habitat conditions, and population size of a North American duck species. The findings suggest that considering only the direct impact of hunting on survival may underestimate the true mechanistic impact of hunting on population dynamics due to multi-collinearity among demographic drivers.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)