The Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a member of the rail family that usually inhabits slow moving or still bodies of water and can spread relatively rapidly and colonize a wide range of habitats. This species is a common resident bird, but a study of its basic ecology has not been published in Taiwan. The objective of this study was to examine the Common Moorhen¡¦s general breeding biology, as well as its diurnal activity patterns. I also made an attempt to describe its breeding behavior and time course. The possibility of morphometric characters difference between the male and female of the species was also examined. The study was conducted from December 2003 to May 2005 in Tainan county and Kaosiung Zhouzai wetland park. The majority of Common Moorhen breeding groups recorded during the study were monogamous. Both male and female birds share the tasks such as incubating the eggs, repairing nest and feeding chicks. The incubation period lasted about 21 days. Our study indicates that the clutch sizes of Common Moorhens ranged between 1 and 8 per female with two to five is typical. The primer P2 and P8 sexing method was successful in identifying the sexes of 52 Common Moorhen. The male was a little bigger than the female. There was significant difference in egg length, width and weight among individual females. Only a nest¡¦s inside diameter correlated to (linear regression) the number of eggs. I think that the number of Common Moorhen populations studied in this study can be quite high, which may be due to :(1) they seem to be breed all year long with good parental care and a successful breeding system (2) some individuals may have well concealed nesting areas, and (3) they have few predators in Taiwan, (4) high survival rate of chicks.

O rápido declínio da vida silvícola do planeta tem levado inúmeros pesquisadores a discutirem diferentes estratégias de conservação, tanto com a manutenção dos animais em seus próprios habitats naturais, como pela propagação em cativeiro. A reprodução de aves em cativeiro é dificultada quando esses animais não apresentam dimorfismo sexual (ausente em muitas espécies, especialmente em psitacídeos), requerendo a realização de métodos de sexagem para a formação de casais. Dessa forma, foi estudado o uso da tomografia por ressonância magnética nuclear (TRMN) para a sexagem de aves silvestres sem dimorfismo sexual, por meio da visualização de seus órgãos reprodutivos. Dez animais da espécie Aratinga leucophthalmus foram anestesiados e submetidos a exames tomográficos. Nas imagens tomográficas adquiridas, pôde-se visualizar os testículos determinando o sexo masculino em aves sexualmente maduras. Entretanto, nas fêmeas, o formato anatômico do ovário esquerdo (provavelmente imaturo) não permitiu que ele fosse caracterizado com precisão por esse método. Para a confirmação dos resultados dos exames tomográficos, foram realizadas análises de polimorfismo de DNA. / The fast decline of wild life on the planet has led innumerable researchers to discuss different conservation strategies by both maintaining animals in their own natural habitat and reproducing in captivity. Reproduction in captivity becomes difficult when these animals do not present sexual dimorphism (absent in many species, specially in psittacines), requiring the use of methods for sex identification to form couples. Thus the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify the sex of birds without sexual dimorphism through the visualization of their reproductive organs has been studied. Ten animals of the Aratinga leucophthalmus species were anaesthetized and subject to tomographic exams. In the tomographic images obtained it was possible to visualize the testicles identifying the male sex in sexually mature birds. However, in the females, the left ovary (possible immaturity) could not be precisely characterized by this method, due to its anatomical shape. To confirm the results of the tomographic exams, analyses of DNA polimorphism were performed.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2002-07-19Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:23:23Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 zaidan_ha_dr_jabo.pdf: 4337197 bytes, checksum: 7ae2ec067707658825aa60218487dc27 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O mamoeiro (Carica papaya L.) é uma planta normalmente propagada por sementes. Um dos seus principais cultivares é o Sunrise Solo, que em plantios comerciais, apresenta plantas hermafroditas e femininas em proporção 2:1, sendo que o sexo dessas plantas só pode ser identificado de 3 a 4 meses após o plantio, quando surgem os primeiros botões florais. Por outro lado, o cv. Cariflora, que é dióico, apresenta plantas masculinas e femininas, em proporção 1:1, e tem a vantagem de ser tolerante ao vírus do mosaico do mamoeiro. Um dos objetivos deste trabalho, foi desenvolver um protocolo de micropropagação, a partir de plantas matrizes do cv. Sunrise Solo que apresentassem características desejáveis como sexo hermafrodita bem definido. A imersão dos explantes em solução contendo rifampicina (300 mg.L-1), foi imprescindível para a obtenção de ápices caulinares provenientes do campo livres de contaminação por bactérias endógenas. Carvão ativado (1 g.L-1) inibiu totalmente o enraizamento in vitro do mamoeiro e proporcionou um maior desenvolvimento da parte aérea, em comparação com os meios sem carvão. O maior número de plântulas com rizogênese foi obtido com o uso de 0,8 mg.L-1 de AIB (Ácido 3-Indolbutírico), em meio MS (Murashige e Skoog) modificado, contendo a metade da concentração dos macronutrientes. Os mamoeiros clonados, crescendo em condições de campo, apresentaram características morfológicas e sexo das flores compatíveis com as plantas matrizes que as originaram, e apresentaram menor altura de inserção de flores no caule, quando comparados às plantas matrizes. Foram encontrados marcadores moleculares RAPD (DNA polimórfico amplificado ao acaso), SCAR (Região amplificada de sequência caracterizada) e fAFLP (Polimorfismo de comprimento de fragmentos amplificados, com marcação fluorescente) capazes de identificar precocemente o sexo das mudas... . / Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is usually propagated from seeds. One of the principal papaya cultivars is Sunrise Solo, which when planted commercially presents hermaphrodite and feminine plants at a ratio of 2:1, although these plants can only be sexed three or four months after planting, when the first floral buds emerge. The cultivar Cariflora is dioecious, presenting equal numbers of male and female plants, and is tolerant to the papaya ringspot virus (PRV). One of the objectives of the work presented in this thesis was to develop a micropropagation protocol for cv Sunrise Solo plants presenting desirable characteristics such as well-defined hermaphrodism. To produce shoot apices free from endogenous bacterial contamination the explants collected in the field were immersed in a solution containing 300 mg.L-1 rifampicin. Activated carbon added to the culture medium at 1 g.L-1 totally inhibited in vitro rooting and allowed greater development of the aerial parts of the plantlets than that which occurred on culture medium without activated carbon. The greatest number of plants with rhizogenesis was obtained in modified MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium containing half-strength of macronutrients supplemented with 0.8 mg.L-1 IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid). When grown in the field, the cloned papaya presented morphological and sexual characteristics typical of the plants from which they had been obtained. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR), and fluorescent Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (fAFLP) markers were found which were capable of the early sexing of seedlings. The UBC210438 RAPD marker was efficient at precociously sexing both cloned plants and the S1 progeny of cv. Sunrise Solo, as well as differentiating between male and female plants of cv Cariflora... (Complete abstract, access undermentioned eletronic address)

Orientadora: Eliana Gertrudes Macedo Lemos / Banca: Carlos Ruggiero / Banca: Maria Helena de Souza Goldman / Banca: Luiz de Souza Corrêa / Banca: Walter José Siqueira / Resumo: O mamoeiro (Carica papaya L.) é uma planta normalmente propagada por sementes. Um dos seus principais cultivares é o Sunrise Solo, que em plantios comerciais, apresenta plantas hermafroditas e femininas em proporção 2:1, sendo que o sexo dessas plantas só pode ser identificado de 3 a 4 meses após o plantio, quando surgem os primeiros botões florais. Por outro lado, o cv. Cariflora, que é dióico, apresenta plantas masculinas e femininas, em proporção 1:1, e tem a vantagem de ser tolerante ao vírus do mosaico do mamoeiro. Um dos objetivos deste trabalho, foi desenvolver um protocolo de micropropagação, a partir de plantas matrizes do cv. Sunrise Solo que apresentassem características desejáveis como sexo hermafrodita bem definido. A imersão dos explantes em solução contendo rifampicina (300 mg.L-1), foi imprescindível para a obtenção de ápices caulinares provenientes do campo livres de contaminação por bactérias endógenas. Carvão ativado (1 g.L-1) inibiu totalmente o enraizamento in vitro do mamoeiro e proporcionou um maior desenvolvimento da parte aérea, em comparação com os meios sem carvão. O maior número de plântulas com rizogênese foi obtido com o uso de 0,8 mg.L-1 de AIB (Ácido 3-Indolbutírico), em meio MS (Murashige e Skoog) modificado, contendo a metade da concentração dos macronutrientes. Os mamoeiros clonados, crescendo em condições de campo, apresentaram características morfológicas e sexo das flores compatíveis com as plantas matrizes que as originaram, e apresentaram menor altura de inserção de flores no caule, quando comparados às plantas matrizes. Foram encontrados marcadores moleculares RAPD (DNA polimórfico amplificado ao acaso), SCAR (Região amplificada de sequência caracterizada) e fAFLP (Polimorfismo de comprimento de fragmentos amplificados, com marcação fluorescente) capazes de identificar precocemente o sexo das mudas... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo). / Abstract: Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is usually propagated from seeds. One of the principal papaya cultivars is Sunrise Solo, which when planted commercially presents hermaphrodite and feminine plants at a ratio of 2:1, although these plants can only be sexed three or four months after planting, when the first floral buds emerge. The cultivar Cariflora is dioecious, presenting equal numbers of male and female plants, and is tolerant to the papaya ringspot virus (PRV). One of the objectives of the work presented in this thesis was to develop a micropropagation protocol for cv Sunrise Solo plants presenting desirable characteristics such as well-defined hermaphrodism. To produce shoot apices free from endogenous bacterial contamination the explants collected in the field were immersed in a solution containing 300 mg.L-1 rifampicin. Activated carbon added to the culture medium at 1 g.L-1 totally inhibited in vitro rooting and allowed greater development of the aerial parts of the plantlets than that which occurred on culture medium without activated carbon. The greatest number of plants with rhizogenesis was obtained in modified MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium containing half-strength of macronutrients supplemented with 0.8 mg.L-1 IBA (Indole-3-butyric acid). When grown in the field, the cloned papaya presented morphological and sexual characteristics typical of the plants from which they had been obtained. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR), and fluorescent Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (fAFLP) markers were found which were capable of the early sexing of seedlings. The UBC210438 RAPD marker was efficient at precociously sexing both cloned plants and the S1 progeny of cv. Sunrise Solo, as well as differentiating between male and female plants of cv Cariflora... (Complete abstract, access undermentioned eletronic address) / Doutor

O rápido declínio da vida silvícola do planeta tem levado inúmeros pesquisadores a discutirem diferentes estratégias de conservação, tanto com a manutenção dos animais em seus próprios habitats naturais, como pela propagação em cativeiro. A reprodução de aves em cativeiro é dificultada quando esses animais não apresentam dimorfismo sexual (ausente em muitas espécies, especialmente em psitacídeos), requerendo a realização de métodos de sexagem para a formação de casais. Dessa forma, foi estudado o uso da tomografia por ressonância magnética nuclear (TRMN) para a sexagem de aves silvestres sem dimorfismo sexual, por meio da visualização de seus órgãos reprodutivos. Dez animais da espécie Aratinga leucophthalmus foram anestesiados e submetidos a exames tomográficos. Nas imagens tomográficas adquiridas, pôde-se visualizar os testículos determinando o sexo masculino em aves sexualmente maduras. Entretanto, nas fêmeas, o formato anatômico do ovário esquerdo (provavelmente imaturo) não permitiu que ele fosse caracterizado com precisão por esse método. Para a confirmação dos resultados dos exames tomográficos, foram realizadas análises de polimorfismo de DNA. / The fast decline of wild life on the planet has led innumerable researchers to discuss different conservation strategies by both maintaining animals in their own natural habitat and reproducing in captivity. Reproduction in captivity becomes difficult when these animals do not present sexual dimorphism (absent in many species, specially in psittacines), requiring the use of methods for sex identification to form couples. Thus the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify the sex of birds without sexual dimorphism through the visualization of their reproductive organs has been studied. Ten animals of the Aratinga leucophthalmus species were anaesthetized and subject to tomographic exams. In the tomographic images obtained it was possible to visualize the testicles identifying the male sex in sexually mature birds. However, in the females, the left ovary (possible immaturity) could not be precisely characterized by this method, due to its anatomical shape. To confirm the results of the tomographic exams, analyses of DNA polimorphism were performed.

I conducted this study to better understand the greater roadrunner’s (Geococcyx californianus) spatial use, nest site selection, and sexual morphometrics. Data were first collected from a roadrunner population in Fisher County, Texas. I trapped, measured, and removed feathers for sex confirmation through DNA PCR analysis. I then fit the roadrunners with a radio transmitter and released them at the capture site. I captured a total of 10 birds (1 male and 9 females) and triangulated the location of each bird 2-4 times per week from February to August 2011 during the roadrunner nesting season. The data produced a mean minimum convex polygon nesting range of 43.01-ha, a 50% core utilization distributions of 11.88-ha, and an overlap index of 33.05 percent. Habitat selection ratios showed a preference for ridge as well as grassland habitat and avoidance of bare ground and flatland habitats. The location data from west Texas was further analyzed to build a predictive logistic regression model to understand the significant site characteristics in roadrunner land use during the nesting season. It was determined that percent rock (-0.12, P = 0.0001) and percent litter (-0.05, P = 0.0052) were the best predictors in determining actual from random locations. Rock references open area for hunting, transportation as well as ridge habitat. Litter alludes to region below dense stands of shrubs and is used by roadrunners for evasion from threats and as shade for thermoregulation. The measurements from the roadrunners in west Texas as well as museum specimens from across their natural range were combined to develop an easy, inexpensive, and field-relevant sex identification model. The strongest model consisted of bill depth (0.79, P< 0.0001) and bill tip to the back of the head (0.05, P = 0.1573) which were both found to be larger in males. The final portion of this study concerned roadrunner nest site selection. Data were collected in Wilbarger County, Texas from May 2006 to October 2009. A predictive logistic regression model of nesting locations determined that mesquite nesting tree (-0.89, P = 0.0064), oval tree shape (1.58, P = 0.0118), mesquite density (-0.004, P = 0.0080), and topographic edge (1.37, P = 0.0027) were the best predictors in determining actual nest sites from random locations.