This study, concerned with perceptions of relatedness, is partly based on tape-recorded, semi-structured discussions with ninety-seven English women. Except in the case of my principal informant, these discussions took place in a London family planning clinic over two six-month fieldwork periods during 1985 and 1987. Discussions with my principal informant, who was recruited through an ante-natal clinic, took place over a four and a half year period. The study also analyses eighty drawings of the body made by sixteen of the informants. The study suggests that the expressions 'blood' and 'flesh and blood' which are used by informants to describe 'kinship' relationships denote the recognition of a common identity, but do not consistently refer to a biological relationship. Instead, these expressions appear to indicate a complex model of procreation which incorporates both social and biomedical knowledge. This model appears to inform a view of relatedness which includes understandings of biomedical genetics and certain notions of 'openness', 'closeness' and 'sameness' which can be interpreted in either physical or metaphysical terms. These notions have implications for the way in which the body and individuality are perceived. It is suggested, for example, that in certain circumstances, the 'person' and the 'body' are not isometric for those of the same 'flesh and blood'. The study is thus particularly concerned with the cultural construction of the body and the way in which the relationships between such constructed bodies are understood. It aims to contribute towards an understanding of the little-examined ontological basis of western 'kinship', particularly in the context of new reproductive technologies which stress genetic relatedness.

The sex of and genetic relatedness among interacting individuals are known to be biologically fundamental features that characterize the composition of animal groups. Current work continues to illuminate reasons for the variety of animal social patterns, including patterns in group membership. I investigated the composition of dusky dolphin groups relative to sex and relatedness at two locations in New Zealand. In Kaikoura, dusky dolphins are found year-round, foraging nocturnally on verticallymigrating prey and socializing in distinct group types (mating, nursery, and adult) during the day. By contrast, dusky dolphins use Admiralty Bay, where they feed diurnally on small schooling fishes, primarily in the winter. Molecular sexing revealed the sex of 107 dusky dolphins. The Kaikoura data support previous findings that small mating groups consist mostly of males and indicate that small adult groups can consist of either or both sexes. In Admiralty Bay, the percentage of female dolphins present during the study was estimated to be only 7.4%−22.2% (95% confidence interval, n=88). A randomization test further indicates that dusky dolphins in Admiralty Bay grouped preferentially with same-sex individuals. Nuclear and mitochondrial markers were used to investigate patterns of relatedness. Dusky dolphins sampled in Kaikoura (n=17) and Admiralty Bay (n=47) were genotyped at seven microsatellite loci, and genetic relatedness among all genotyped pairs was estimated. A randomization test indicates that dusky dolphins did not group preferentially by relatedness in Admiralty Bay. Grouping history for 13 genotyped samples was also known from a multi-year photographic record of individually distinctive dusky dolphins. No relationship was found between these longer-term grouping patterns and genetic relatedness. The d-loop region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was sequenced for 197 dusky dolphins. The pattern of grouping among dolphins with different haplotypes indicates that dusky dolphin groups are not strongly structured by maternal lineages. However, data from eight individual dusky dolphins hint that nursery groups in Kaikoura tend to consist of dolphins that share a maternal ancestor. This investigation raises many questions about the nature of dusky dolphin social organization and suggests promising avenues for finer-grained investigations into the causes and consequences of dusky dolphin group structure.

Kudoid parasites are common in marine fish and their affects range from relatively benign to pathogenic. They are notorious in the seafood industry for spoiling fish meat, either by muscle liquefaction or by producing unsightly macroscopic cysts. Kudoids also infect several other tissues such as brain, heart, gills, connective tissue, intestinal smooth muscle, and epithelia. Since the revised classification of the Kudoidae in 2004, kudoid myxospores have a range of shapes, but with two main characteristics: they have four or more spore valves with the equivalent number of polar capsules. With relatively few morphological traits to base kudoid species descriptions, DNA has proven to be increasingly useful to specifically diagnose infections. However, to properly utilise genetic information, there is a need to understand how genetics relates to the biological characteristics of species. This will ensure the genetic markers used are appropriate for species characterisation. This project aimed to develop an understanding of how biological characteristics including morphology, tissue tropism, host specificity, and geographic distribution correlate with genetic relatedness of kudoid species, and how this information could be employed to facilitate diagnosis and characterisation of species. A taxonomic investigation of kudoid isolates, mostly from the east coast of Queensland, Australia, was conducted using information on host identity, locality, infection status, tissue of infection and histological response to infection. Together with spore morphology and DNA relationships, comparisons were made with existing data from literature. Forty-three small subunit and 68 large subunit ribosomal DNA sequences were generated from kudoid isolates for this project. The two gene regions showed similar relationships amongst the kudoids, however the genetic variability between closely related species was less conserved in the large subunit, and showed superior species resolution that correlated with subtle morphological differences of spores. Broadly speaking, genetic relatedness of kudoids is closest for species infecting the same type of tissue with similar spore morphology. Within these tissue/morphology groups, some relationships were emerging from genetic correlations with pathology, however there are weaknesses in utilising this characteristic since pathology may change with host species or host age. Similar relationships to pathology were seen from geographic locality; however, the limited number of areas that genetic data originates from may have introduced some bias. Lastly, there were very few genetic relationships that correlated with host relatedness. The taxonomic affinities of the new kudoid isolates lead to the characterisation of six novel kudoid species and four additional host-parasite combinations. The investigation into these new species highlighted the broad host ranges and geographic distribution of some kudoid species. Genetic mixing of kudoid species populations from the east coast of Queensland, Australia with Japan was noted. For example, Kudoa amamiensis was discovered from carangid and pomacentrid fish from Queensland, increasing the host range from eight (seven from Japan, one from north Queensland) to 11 host species. Also, geographic distribution was extended to Heron Island on the south Great Barrier Reef (Queensland). The distribution did not extend to rocky temperate reefs further south. Another example is Kudoa yasunagai which was previously recorded from four fish species in Japan and one from the Philippines. Now the distribution has been extended to North Stradbroke Island in Southern Queensland from three additional host species. The connection was made between these host isolates with the assistance of DNA and a novel way of analysing morphological data in species that have variable morphotypes i.e. different numbers of polar capsules in the spores. It was confirmed that the dominant morphotype can vary between different hosts and even host samples of the one species. Genetic data has also proven useful in the determination of host range. An analysis of kudoid host specificity showed just over two thirds of the described kudoid species have been recorded from a single host; the remainder have been recorded from two to 38 host species. By using DNA data, 17 new hosts were recorded for K. thalassomi (total 18 hosts). The new hosts came from six different host families, but these fish shared the same habitat on the Great Barrier Reef. Other high host range kudoid species may be disproportionately broad as similar morphological species may have been misidentified from some hosts. For example, the host range of K. thyrsites (38) is likely to represent a species complex that may be split pending further genetic analyses. From this study, it has been reinforced that a holistic approach to species definition is important. Genetic analysis has become a particularly valuable tool; however, in conjunction with biological data such as spore morphology, pathology, host range, and geographic distribution, our understanding of kudoid parasites becomes more robust and provides important knowledge for diagnostics and aquaculture management. In the future, significant improvements in kudoid understanding will coincide with the solving of kudoid life cycles and transmission patterns.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF REGINA HELEN MOSSOTTI, for the Master of Science degree in ZOOLOGY, presented 23 October 2009, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: FEMALE REACTION TO MALE URINE SCENTS AS POTENTIAL INDICATOR OF MATE CHOICE IN CAPTIVE CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS) MAJOR PROFESSOR: GEORGE A. FELDHAMER Genetic variation in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) has become dangerously low because of dramatic population decline and fragmentation. Zoos throughout the world manage captive cheetahs with breeding programs to maximize genetic heterozygosity. Unfortunately, the zoo community has not accomplished consistent breeding success with cheetahs, possibly because of a general lack of information on sociosexual behavior. Currently, individual cheetahs are assigned mates based primarily on genetic relatedness; however, evidence from many species suggests that allowing animals to choose mates increases breeding success. When animals, primarily females, are allowed to choose mates they will often pick the best genetic match. I tested whether female cheetahs can determine their genetic relatedness to males by investigating their urine scents. Voided male urine was collected following scent marking. The female was offered scents from three different males: one from an unrelated male, a "good" mate choice (A), another from a male that was equivalent to a second cousin, an "average" mate choice (B), and one from a male that was closely related, equivalent to a brother/father, a "poor" mate choice (C). Every female was also offered "blank" gauze as a control (D). The scents were offered in a pair-wise forced choice paradigm for a total of six possible combinations. All behaviors displayed toward each scent (and their duration) were recorded. The estrous cycling of each female was monitored through fecal hormone evaluation for approximately six weeks, including the weeks during scent trials. In every pairing except C vs. D, the females spent more time overall with the better mate choice in the pair; with three of the comparisons being significantly different (A>C, t=2.38, df=11, P=0.039; A>D, t=1.88, df=11, P= 0.087 and B>D, t=2.62, df=8, P=0.045). Proximity was the most frequently observed behavior and females spent more time in proximity to the most distantly related male scent in all pairings. They spent significantly more time in proximity with A in AC pairing (t=2.25, df=10, P=0.049) and with B in the BC and BD pairings (t=6.37, df=8, P=0.0002; t=2.46, df=6, P=0.049; respectively). Sniffing was the next most frequently observed behavior, and in all pairings (except CD) females spent more time sniffing the most distantly related male's scent; but was only significantly different for A in the AD pairing (t=2.31, df=7, P=0.055). Lag time of estradiol in fecal samples varies between individuals; therefore, the affect of daily estradiol concentrations on scent choices could not be determined. This is the first mate choice study using urine with a mammalian carnivore.

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) is a major weed in United States cotton and soybean production systems. Originally native to the Southwest, the species has spread throughout the country. In 2004 a population of A. palmeri was identified with resistance to glyphosate, a herbicide heavily relied on in modern no-tillage and transgenic glyphosate-resistant (GR) crop systems. This project aims to determine the degree of genetic relatedness among eight different populations of GR and glyphosate-susceptible (GS) A. palmeri from various geographic regions in the United States by analyzing patterns of phylogeography and diversity to ascertain whether resistance evolved independently or spread from outside to an Arizona locality (AZ-R). Shikimic acid accumulation and EPSPS genomic copy assays confirmed resistance or susceptibility. With a set of 1,351 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), discovered by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), UPGMA phylogenetic analysis, principal component analysis, Bayesian model-based clustering, and pairwise comparisons of genetic distances were conducted. A GR population from Tennessee and two GS populations from Georgia and Arizona were identified as genetically distinct while the remaining GS populations from Kansas, Arizona, and Nebraska clustered together with two GR populations from Arizona and Georgia. Within the latter group, AZ-R was most closely related to the GS populations from Kansas and Arizona followed by the GR population from Georgia. GR populations from Georgia and Tennessee were genetically distinct from each other. No isolation by distance was detected and A. palmeri was revealed to be a species with high genetic diversity. The data suggest the following two possible scenarios: either glyphosate resistance was introduced to the Arizona locality from the east, or resistance evolved independently in Arizona. Glyphosate resistance in the Georgia and Tennessee localities most likely evolved separately. Thus, modern farmers need to continue to diversify weed management practices and prevent seed dispersal to mitigate herbicide resistance evolution in A. palmeri.

No description available.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are non-enveloped DNA viruses, currently comprising 52 serotypes which are divided into seven species, designated A to G. The HAdVs are associated with a number of diseases affecting respiratory, urinary, gastrointestinal tracts and the eye. Human AdVs have increasingly been recognized as important pathogens in immunocompromised individuals. Human AdVs are ubiquitous in the environment resulting in the possible contamination of treated and untreated drinking water supplies by human secretions and excretions. As AdVs do not have an envelope, they are extremely resistant to inactivation, allowing for prolonged survival in the environment. The presence of AdVs in water sources is considered important, as they are exceptionally resistant to selected water treatment processes. Precise typing of HAdVs is, therefore, essential for epidemiological surveillance and the understanding of infection chains. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and genetic heterogeneity of HAdVs circulating in communities in selected regions of Africa compared to the rest of the world. It is also important to determine the genetic relationship between HAdVs strains occurring in water sources and those detected in human clinical specimens, as this may give some indication as to whether or not water sources are a potential source of infection. As part of ongoing surveillance in southern Africa of treated and untreated water sources for enteric viruses, 765 water samples were tested using a nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for HAdVs. Of these samples, 65 (8.6%) water samples were positive for HAdVs, and selected samples were characterised. In the untreated water, HAdV-F was the dominant species (65.6%) and HAdV-D was second-most common (21.9%) species identified. Species HAdV–B, -A and –C were identified amongst the rest of the strains. From treated water, HAdV-D and –F were identified in one isolate each. Analysis of diarrhoeal stool specimens for HAdVs identified HAdV-F as the predominant species, comprising 77.8% of the identified strains, with species HAdV-C and –A less common, identified in 11.1% specimens. In the respiratory specimens from the same region, HAdV-C was identified in 28.6% of the specimens. Comparative genetic analysis of HAdVs from water sources and clinical specimens showed genetic relatedness between the strains. Water may therefore play an important role as source of infection in the surrounding communities. In developing countries, diarrhoea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and after rotaviruses HAdVs are considered to be the second-most important cause of viral infantile diarrhoea. Samples also were available from Kenya, where there are very little data on the prevalence and distribution of HAdV serotypes associated with diarrhoea in paediatric patients. From Kenya, 278 stool specimens were analysed, of which 104 (43 diarrhoea; 61 non-diarrhoea) were from an urban hospice for human immunodefiency virus (HIV)-seropositive children, 94 from selected urban clinics and 80 from the rural setting. From these, the detection of HAdVs in diarrhoeal and non-diarrhoeal stool specimens was 43.3% and 16.4%, respectively. In the urban hospice setting, 43.3% of the stool specimens from HIV-seropositive children tested positive for HAdV. The overall detection of HAdVs species and genotypes in the stool specimens showed HAdV-D to predominate, being detected in 36.1% of specimens with HAdV-C (29.5%), HAdV-F (16.4%), HAdV-B (13.1%), and HAdV-A (6.5%) present in lower numbers. This study provided valuable new data on the prevalence and distribution of HAdV genotypes in diarrhoeal stool specimens in Africa. In this study where nucleotide sequence comparison was used to determine the genetic relatedness of African HAdVs to those from the rest of the world, it was noted that in most cases the African strains differed from those from the rest of the world. The use of molecular techniques for the detection and characterisation of HAdVs, especially in Kenyan cohorts, was of importance, as it provided new baseline data for further burden of disease studies which are necessary for future prevention and treatment programmes. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Medical Virology / unrestricted

Central to the application of genomics to animal agriculture are DNA markers, especially microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms. These markers are the resources necessary for constructing genetic maps and for determining how improved and unimproved animal breeds are related. Here, DNA markers were developed for two avian species, the turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, and the budgerigar (budgie), Melopsittacus undulatus. Genomic libraries enriched for simple sequence repeats were used to generate about 70 budgie sequences of a total length of 38 kb. From these sequences, 9 primer pairs were designed and used to screen for informativeness in a panel of DNA samples from unrelated budgie samples. All but one of the nine primers evaluated were polymorphic with the number of alleles ranging from two to four. Comparative analysis involving the use of these budgie primers showed moderate sequence similarity to turkey and chicken. The genomic libraries and the comparative sequences provide useful genomic reagents that could be used to construct a budgie genome map. In the turkey, ten previously described microsatellites and a gene-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were used to evaluate the relatedness of heritage varieties to a commercial strain. Estimates of Nei's genetic distance (D) and genetic differentiation (Rst) between populations using microsatellite markers showed that the commercial strain is genetically more closely related to the Bourbon Red and Narragansett and least related to the Royal palm and Spanish Black. Gene flow (Nm) level was highest between the commercial and Bourbon Red populations. The SNP analysis by PCR-RFLP revealed that the commercial strain was more closely related to the Spanish black and Narragansett and least related to the Bourbon red and Blue slate. Though results of the two marker systems, microsatellite and SNP, were inconsistent, they provide insights into using heritage turkeys to genetically improve commercial populations by introgression. The present thesis investigation showed that DNA markers provide a strong opportunity to develop genomic reagents needed to test hypotheses in little-studied agriculturally important and model avian species. / Master of Science

<p>Analysis of genetic relatedness is of great importance in forensic casework such as immigration and identification cases. The conventional methods for relationship testing are not sufficient in the most complicated cases, because more genetic markers are required to obtain results with satisfactory statistical security. This study demonstrates that microarrays, which can be used to genotype thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), could be a promising solution to this problem. The microarray technique used in this study performed very well on blood samples and also worked well in combination with whole genome amplification, but did not generate any results when used on severely degraded materials.</p><p>Markers suitable for relatedness analysis were selected from the microarray and were successfully tested on families with known genetic relations. Although a maximum of 64 autosomal markers were used, there is a great potential of selecting the hundreds or thousands of markers that may be required in some cases of relatedness investigation.</p>

<p>Genetic structuring is common in natural populations. It is important to identify and consider population structure when studying evolutionary processes. Recently, the discovery of genetic structuring in some lekking bird species has opened up new perspectives on our understanding of the evolution of lek mating systems.</p><p>This thesis uses molecular data to identify patterns of broad and fine scale genetic structuring in the lekking white-bearded manakin Manacus manacus. Additionally, data on male mating success, female visiting patterns and behavioural, morphological and territorial characteristics of individual males are used to identify variables that may influence the distribution of matings in this species.</p><p>Analysis of genetic divergence within the genus Manacus revealed genetic sub-structuring and limited gene flow between species/subspecies. There was no significant isolation by distance relationship. Factors such as physical barriers to gene flow may play a role in shaping the genetic structure of the bearded manakin genus.</p><p>White-bearded manakin leks on Trinidad were composed of groups of related males. More than one such kin group existed on each lek. That related males gather in groups suggests that genetic structuring is not simply a consequence of limited dispersal. Active choices must take place by both residential and newly arrived birds.</p><p>Female visits to, and matings with, males were non-random. Centrality of male display court was the only measured variable that consistently correlated with male mating success. More aggressive displays were made as the distance between courts decreased. There was no significant relationship between the number of aggressive displays made between males and relatedness levels. Males with high mating success spent more time in aggressive behaviours.</p><p>In conclusion, white-bearded manakin lek formation and display court acquisition is likely to be influenced by genetic relatedness levels and male-male interactions. Centrality of court seemed important in mating success and may be an indicator of male dominance. However, a variety of other factors may also influence mating success and may be variable over time.</p>