Chemical communication is the most important way of communication in the house mouse. Traditionally, the urine of the house mouse was the most studied source of signals. Typical way of scent marking, relatively simple way of collection and analysis was the main reason. The analysis of physical interaction of two mouse conspecifics has shown that there are several other very important sources of chemical signals. My ethological analysis has revealed that during the first interaction of two individuals of opposite sex, the most investigated body part is the orofacial region, and that the oral contact with salivary exchange is very frequent. At the same time, the results of this research have demonstrated the significant influence of reproductive status on behavioural patterns in individuals of both sex. One of these important sources of chemical signals is the saliva. During the interaction between two individuals, saliva is actively investigated by sniffing and physically exchanged. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for chemical analysis of saliva. It has revealed that saliva is a sexually dimorphic signal, which may represent individual odour profiles. Uniqueness of this odour is not based on the presence of special substances typical just for one sex, unique is the blend,...

Η αποκάλυψη της παρουσίας ενός νέου είδους ποντικού, του Mus cypriacus Cucchi et al., 2006, ενδημικού της Κύπρου, απέδειξε πόσο ελλιπείς είναι οι γνώσεις μας ως προς την πανίδα των μικροθηλαστικών της Κύπρου. Στην Κύπρο θεωρούνταν γνωστά τα είδη Mus musculus domesticus και Mus macedonicus. Τελικά απεδείχθη ότι το μέχρι τότε γνωστό ως Mus macedonicus ήταν το ενδημικό Mus cypriacus. Προκειμένου να μελετηθούν τα μικροθηλαστικά του γένους Mus στην Κύπρο, στα πλαίσια της παρούσας μελέτης πραγματοποιήθηκαν δειγματοληψίες για πέντε δειγματοληπτικές περιόδους (άνοιξη 2008 - άνοιξη 2009), σε δύο περιοχές της Κύπρου, στην πεδινή περιοχή της επαρχίας Αμμοχώστου (περιοχή Λίμνης και Νοσοκομείου Παραλιμνίου), καθώς και στην ορεινή περιοχή του Όρους Τροόδους (περιοχή Κάτω Πλατρών). Στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας ήταν να ελεγχθεί η ύπαρξη των δύο ειδών στις δύο περιοχές οι οποίες χαρακτηρίζονται από διαφορετικούς βιοτόπους και να ελεγχθεί κατά πόσον ισχύουν οι οικολογικές τους προτιμήσεις. Μέχρι τώρα, θεωρείται ότι το Mus cypriacus είναι αγροδίαιτο είδος, ο βιότοπός του περιλαμβάνει εγκαταλειμμένους αμπελώνες, λιβάδια και θαμνώδεις εκτάσεις και εξαπλώνεται στην περιοχή του Όρους Τρόοδος σε υψόμετρο 300 - 900 m, ενώ δεν εξαπλώνεται σε περιοχές με ισχυρή ανθρωπογενή πίεση, όπως καλλιέργειες στη Μεσαορία (στο κεντρικό τμήμα του νησιού), ανθρώπινες κατοικίες και φάρμες, όπου εξαπλώνεται κυρίως το Mus musculus domesticus. Σε επόμενο στάδιο, επειδή δεν έχουν γίνει πολλές μελέτες ακόμη για το Mus cypriacus και ο ταξινομικός προσδιορισμός του είδους των ζώων που συλλέχθηκαν δεν ήταν εφικτός με βάση τα γνωστά διακριτικά εξωτερικά μορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά των ειδών, αλλά και επειδή ο ταξινομικός προσδιορισμός δεν μπορούσε να γίνει με βεβαιότητα, λόγω της επικαλυπτόμενης μορφολογικής ποικιλότητας των ειδών, έγινε προσδιορισμός με τη χρήση μοριακών μεθόδων. Συγκεκριμένα, πραγματοποιήθηκε ανάλυση αλληλουχίας στο τμήμα της D-loop περιοχής ελέγχου του μιτοχονδριακού DNA το οποίο απομονώθηκε από κύτταρα του ήπατος. Περαιτέρω, για να γίνει μορφομετρική σύγκριση των πληθυσμών, εφαρμόστηκε γεωμετρική μορφομετρική ανάλυση σε κρανιακούς (ραχιαία και κοιλιακή κρανιακή επιφάνεια) και ανάλυση περιγράμματος σε οδοντικούς χαρακτήρες (κάτοψη περιγράμματος πρώτου άνω γομφίου, M1). Τα ευρήματα της παρούσας μελέτης διευρύνουν την περιοχή εξάπλωσης του Mus cypriacus, τόσο ως προς τον οικολογικό χαρακτήρα των βιοτόπων του (συλλέχθηκε όχι μόνο σε φυσικούς οικοτόπους, αλλά και σε οικοτόπους με έντονη ανθρωπογενή επίδραση) όσο και ως προς την οριζόντια (εξαπλώνεται μέχρι το νοτιοανατολικότερο άκρο της Κύπρου, το Παραλίμνι, μια περιοχή για την οποία δεν υπήρχαν στοιχεία έως τώρα) και κατακόρυφη εξάπλωσή του (εξαπλώνεται σε υψόμετρο από 44 m (Παραλίμνι, κοιλάδα Μεσαορίας) μέχρι 1015 m (Κάτω Πλάτρες, Όρος Τρόοδος). Η ανάλυση της αλληλουχίας ενός τμήματος της D-loop περιοχής του mtDNA αποκάλυψε ότι η ενδοπληθυσμιακή ποικιλότητα των κυπριακών πληθυσμών του είδους Mus musculus domesticus είναι πολύ μεγαλύτερη σε σχέση με τις αντίστοιχες τιμές ελληνικών πληθυσμών του ίδιου είδους. Σε αρκετές περιπτώσεις, και για τα δύο είδη του γένους Mus, η ενδοπληθυσμιακή ποικιλότητα ήταν μεγαλύτερη της διαπληθυσμιακής. Το χαμηλό ποσοστό διαπληθυσμιακής ποικιλότητας υποδηλώνει ότι οι μελετηθέντες πληθυσμοί διαφέρουν πολύ λίγο σε γενετικό επίπεδο, αφού φαίνεται να υπάρχει γενετική ροή μέσω ενεργητικής μετανάστευσης ή παθητικής μεταφοράς ατόμων. Η νουκλεοτιδική και απλοτυπική ποικιλότητα έλαβαν τιμές από τις μεγαλύτερες που έχουν αναφερθεί σε παρόμοιες μελέτες. Η ύπαρξη προγονικών πολυμορφισμών σε συνδυασμό με τη δράση της γενετικής εκτροπής ευθύνονται για τα υψηλά επίπεδα πολυμορφισμού που εμφανίζουν οι κυπριακοί πληθυσμοί των δύο ειδών Mus, συγκρινόμενοι με άλλους πληθυσμούς της υπόλοιπης περιοχής εξάπλωσής τους. Η εφαρμογή της γεωμετρικής μορφομετρικής ανάλυσης και της ανάλυσης περιγράμματος που αφορούν αντίστοιχα στα κρανιακά και οδοντικά χαρακτηριστικά των ειδών της παρούσας εργασίας, αποκαλύπτει τη σαφή διάκριση των ειδών Mus cypriacus και Mus musculus domesticus, τα οποία διαχωρίζονται πλήρως ως προς τους χαρακτήρες που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν ως μορφομετρικοί δείκτες (ραχιαία και κοιλιακή κρανιακή επιφάνεια και περίγραμμα πρώτου άνω γομφίου, Μ1). / The discovery of a new endemic mouse in the island of Cyprus in 2006, Mus cypriacus Cucchi et al., 2006, proved how little we know about the Cyprus small mammal fauna. In order to study the two mouse species of the genus Mus occurring in Cyprus, two geographically distant and ecologically different areas were investigated. The first of these areas lies on Mt. Troodos, in abandoned fields near the forest edge, and the second is situated in the Famagusta area, in farmland with sparse shrub vegetation. In the context of this study, we conducted samplings for five sampling periods, (spring 2008 - spring 2009). The aim of this study was to determine the existence or not, of the two species in both areas and to check their ecological preferences. So far, it is known that Mus cypriacus seems to be absent from areas with strong anthropogenic pressure such as the overexploited agricultural fields, human dwellings and farms in the Mesaoria plain (which includes our second study area) where the House Mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, is almost exclusively dominant. As far as the altitudinal distribution range of Mus cypriacus is concerned, it has been reported mainly on Troodos mountain and the adjacent regions, on altitudes between 300-900 m. Since the taxonomic distinction between the two Mus species in our material was not always safe, on the basis of traditional morphological characters, we conducted mtDNA analyses. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region was sequenced from 44 mice collected from both studied areas. In addition, analysis of shape variation of cranial characters (venral and dorsal view) and outline analysis of dental characters (outline of first upper molar, M1) was conducted using Geometric Morphometrics and Elliptic Fourier Analysis (EFA). Our results suggest that Mus cypriacus inhabits a wider range of habitats than it was known, as it was collected not only in more natural areas but also in areas with strong anthropogenic pressure, such as farmlands, abandoned fields and other rural areas. Moreover, we revealed that this species has a more expanded altitudinal and horizontal geographical range, given that it was found from 44 m (Paralimni, Mesaoria plain) to 1015 m (Kato Platres, Mt Troodos). The sequence analysis of a part of the D-loop region of mtDNA region revealed that the values of intra-genetic distance calculated for Mus musculus domesticus populations are greater than the ones calculated for Greek populations of the species. In many cases, the intra-genetic distances were greater than the inter-genetic distances. The low percentage of inter-population genetic diversity observed indicates that the populations examined differ slightly on genetic basis since there is substantial genetic flow among them, possibly due to genetic drift and active migration or passive transportation. The values of nucleotide and haplotide diversity were among the greatest ones reported from similar studies. The presence of ancestral polymorphisms in combination with the genetic drift are accountable for the high levels of polymorphism of the two Mus species in Cyprus. According to our results, Geometric Morphometrics and Elliptic Fourier Analysis (EFA) for both cranial and dental characters resulted in a clear discrimination of the populations. These two characters were found to be suitable for discrimination for both species inhabiting Cyprus.

Three subspecies of house mice of different geographic origins have reached New Zealand; M. m. domesticus (10 haplotypes), M. m. musculus (1 haplotype) both from Europe, and M. m. castaneus (3 haplotypes) from Asia. Identifying the sources of the multiple historical introductions of the house mouse is a complex issue, particularly during the peak colonisation period of 1830-1880. The early European settlers came with many bags, crates, plants, seed and livestock, which provided ample travel opportunities for stowaway rats and mice. With the assistance of volunteers, I have collected mice from various locations throughout the New Zealand region, to confirm the previously recorded haplotypes and to look for evidence of hybridisation between the colonising subspecies. Morphological characteristics traditionally used for identification of subspecies were compared with genetic characters, to establish whether the use of morphology is still a viable method of identifying subspecific distinctions between mice in New Zealand. While no M. m. musculus haplotypes were found among these samples, some mice still had the coat colouration typical of M. m. musculus. Data from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) markers revealed some surprising results. I have found six new M. m. domesticus haplotypes, and three new M. m. castaneus haplotypes. The data have also revealed extensive hybridisation, particularly between M. m. domesticus and M. m. castaneus. The finding of the new haplotypes supports the previous assumption that there were multiple introductions of mice into New Zealand, but the finding of M. m. castaneus in inland towns and cities does not support the associated assumption that European mice were initially the only mice present in New Zealand. Rather, the wide distribution of M. m. castaneus suggests that this subspecies probably arrived during the early nineteenth century. The house mouse has long been recognised as an ideal organism for hybridisation studies, and the finding of a hybrid zone within New Zealand would provide an excellent opportunity to extend our knowledge of hybridisation and gene transfer. Previous studies found M. m. domesticus in Napier, and a M. m. musculus/M. m. castaneus hybrids in Wellington. A systematic sampling programme was undertaken between Wellington and Napier following State Highway 2 (SH2), in an attempt to locate a hybrid zone. Analysis of mtDNA and nDNA showed that, M. m. castaneus was found as far North as Dannevirke, and M. m. domesticus as far South as Featherston. There was also extensive evidence of integration of M. m. domesticus nDNA markers into mice with M. m. castaneus mtDNA. There was no clear support for a hybrid zone, but this does not mean that one has not existed in the past and that it has since been overrun by movement of mice with humans and their goods. Identification of subspecies by morphological characteristics, while used with confidence in other countries, is of little use in New Zealand. Extensive hybridisation/and or introgression between the subspecies has long since blurred any morphological distinctions the colonising mice may have had. I propose that these physical characters should be used in support of genetic analysis of the subspecies. The official classification of the New Zealand house mouse currently stands as M. m. musculus, however, data collected does not support this and it is proposed that the official classification should be changed to M. m. domesticus.

The Grey-bellied Pygmy Mouse (Mus triton) has been for a long time considered as a single species, although validity of the single species status was questioned. In order to revise current taxonomy of M. triton, I analyzed sequences of one mitochondrial (cytochrome b) and two nuclear genes (IRBP and Intron 7 of the fibrinogen) from specimens collected across the most of its known distributional range. Four well-supported phylogroups at species level, differentiated during the Plio-Pleistocene, were evidenced. Divergence dating suggests that the diversification of "triton" species complex was likely caused by Plio-Pleistocene climatic oscillations together with highly diverse topography of Eastern Africa

Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-02T00:15:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_9057_FERNANDA_DE_CASTRO_BARBOSA - Dissertação Versão Final20160621-173135.pdf: 3416370 bytes, checksum: 8bbbe26d64c78d66e1fb66deeea18d43 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-17 / O presente trabalho se filia a antropologia social e aos estudos sobre descendentes de africanos no Brasil e suas organizações sociais e políticas. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida no Museu Capixaba do Negro, situado na cidade de Vitória (ES) e tem como objetivo investigar a (des) construção das identidades e memórias negras, em especial os conflitos decorrentes desse processo. Para tanto, foram realizadas entrevistas com agentes sociais ligados direta e indiretamente o Museu Capixaba do Negro, bem como analisadas fontes primárias e secundárias. Os resultados descrevem as condições políticas de produção e reprodução de memórias e identidades negras.

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Cette thèse comprend cinq manuscrits d'articles. Deux de ces manuscrits sont publiés, l’un est actuellement en révision et deux sont en préparation pour soumission.Les animaux diffèrent de manière stable au cours du temps et dans différents contextes dans leur comportement, un phénomène souvent nommé personnalité animale. Les animaux diffèrent ainsi dans leur niveau d’expression de différents traits de personnalités. Cependant l’étude de la stabilité des traits de personnalité chez les jeunes animaux apporte des résultats controversés. Les deux principaux objectifs de cette thèse ont donc été d’évaluer comment l’environnement précoce des animaux façonnait leur personnalité et si l’expression de leur comportement était stable au cours du développement. Notre modèle d’étude était un petit rongeur d’origine sauvage, la souris glaneuse Mus spicilegus. Cette souris se trouve dans les zones agricoles d’Europe centrale et orientale. Il s'agit d'une espèce monogame et la femelle et le mâle participent aux soins parentaux. Les principaux résultats de cette thèse soulignent la stabilité des réponses comportementales des souris glaneuses dans des contextes sociaux et non-sociaux tôt lors de la période post-natale jusqu’à la maturité. De nombreux traits de personnalité étaient associés à travers différents contextes ; formant ainsi ce qu'il est convenu d'appeler un syndrome comportemental. Cette stabilité dans le comportement était avérée que l'analyse porte sur la totalité de l'échantillon ou qu'elle prenait en compte les différences intra-portées. L’environnement précoce et en particulier la présence du père apparaissent déterminants dans l’émergence et la modulation de la personnalité. Les individus élevés sans père montraient une plus grande réactivité dans deux tests différents par rapport à ceux élevés avec les deux parents. Différentes personnalités étaient associées à des mécanismes physiologiques. Confrontés à un stresseur chronique, les individus exprimant différentes personnalités montraient des différences physiologiques caractérisées par des profils immunologiques et hormonaux distincts. D'autre part les couples possédant des scores similaires d’anxiété, indépendamment du score des deux partenaires du couple, avaient une plus grande probabilité de reproduction durant la période d’observation, que les couples aux scores différents suggérant de potentiels avantages évolutifs. Cette thèse aborde en parallèle les aspects proximaux et ultimes du comportement chez un même modèle biologique ce qui est un but rarement atteint dans une étude éthologique. / This thesis includes five manuscripts. Two are already published, one is currently under review and two others are in preparation for submission.Animals frequently show consistent individual differences in behaviour across time and contexts, a phenomenon called animal personality. Animals have been thus described to differ in the expression level of different specific personality traits. However, consistencies in animal personality traits in young animals are especially controversial. One of the main aims of this thesis was therefore to investigate how the early environment experienced shapes the behavioural phenotype and whether the expression of behaviour remains stable over ontogeny. To this end, we used a small rodent of wild origin, the mound-building mouse Mus spicilegus, as an animal model. This monogamous mouse occurs in a variety of agricultural and steppe-like habitats in Central and South Eastern Europe, and is characterized by bi-parental care. The main results of this thesis highlight the consistency of personality traits in the mound building mouse from the early postnatal period until around maturity, both in social and non-social contexts. Various personality traits were associated across context, thus forming a behavioural syndrome. Such consistencies across time and context were present when looking at the individual level but also when focusing on the relative differences among siblings within a litter. The early developmental environment proved to be decisive in modulating the emergence personality of the individual, via the presence or absence of the father. Pups growing up in absence of the father showed indications of a higher responsiveness in two different tests compared to pups raised by mothers only. We showed how personality differences are related to physiological parameters. Different personality types coped physiologically different with a chronic stressor, apparent by their hormonal and immunological profiles. Pairs with similar anxiety scores, independently of the scores of both partners of the pair, had a higher probability of breeding, and brought forward the onset of breeding during the observation period, which carries along potential fitness benefits. This dissertation brings thus together some insights into the proximate and ultimate aspects underlying consistent individual differences in behaviour, which is seldom the case in a same model species.

The coexistence of humans and rodents lasts from the beginnings of the history of agriculture. Many rodent populations accepted to synanthropic way of life and as commensals accompany human societies until today. In the first study we wanted to find out, how the evolution of non-commensal rodent species, a Cypriot mouse (Mus cypriacus), was influenced by people. This endemic island species evolved on the Cyprus Island without presence of any mammalian competitors or predators. In last 10.000 years humans arrived on the island, bringing several mammalian species, which affected the environment markedly. A black rat (Rattus rattus) is now dominant species there and presumably it is an important competitor for the Cypriot mouse. We supposed that the mice should avoid its odour. Nevertheless the rats odour was preferred by the mouse, probably as an odour of phylogenetically related species. On the contraty, the odour of domestic cat (species, which is also widespread on the island), was avoided. In conclusion, the long-term isolation from mammalian predators did not affect the antipredatory reactions of the Cypriot mouse. Our next study was focuse on changes in behavioural strategies of different populations of mice: the main question was how the commensal way of life affects their exploratory...

The coexistence of humans and rodents lasts from the beginnings of the history of agriculture. Many rodent populations accepted to synanthropic way of life and as commensals accompany human societies until today. In the first study we wanted to find out, how the evolution of non-commensal rodent species, a Cypriot mouse (Mus cypriacus), was influenced by people. This endemic island species evolved on the Cyprus Island without presence of any mammalian competitors or predators. In last 10.000 years humans arrived on the island, bringing several mammalian species, which affected the environment markedly. A black rat (Rattus rattus) is now dominant species there and presumably it is an important competitor for the Cypriot mouse. We supposed that the mice should avoid its odour. Nevertheless the rats odour was preferred by the mouse, probably as an odour of phylogenetically related species. On the contraty, the odour of domestic cat (species, which is also widespread on the island), was avoided. In conclusion, the long-term isolation from mammalian predators did not affect the antipredatory reactions of the Cypriot mouse. Our next study was focuse on changes in behavioural strategies of different populations of mice: the main question was how the commensal way of life affects their exploratory...

The gut microbiome is a community of closely interacting microbes living in the gastrointestinal tract. Its structure has direct relevance to health. Disturbances to the microbiome, such as due to antibiotic use, have been implicated in various diseases. The goal of this study was to determine how the gut microbiome reacts to and recovers from disturbance caused by antibiotics. Because diet also influences the microbiome, this study included the interaction between diet and antibiotics. Half of the mice in each diet treatment were given antibiotics to disturb their microbiomes. After cessation of antibiotics, mice were paired in combinations within diets to determine whether the microbiomes of control mice influenced the disturbed microbiomes of formerly antibiotic mice. Chapter 1. Diet significantly altered the structure of the gut microbiome but its effect was significantly smaller than the effect of antibiotics. There was a significant interaction between diet and antibiotics; the antibiotic effect was larger in the cornstarch diet than in the glucose diet. Dysbiotic microbiomes resulting from antibiotics were characterized by an increase in Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, and a decrease in Firmicutes. Antibiotic administration also resulted in an initial increase OTU diversity, mainly because it reduced the abundance of dominant OTUs, resulting in greater evenness. Chapter 2. Seven weeks after the cessation of antibiotics (experiment termination), the effect of the antibiotics on the microbiome was still evident. The structure of the dysbiotic microbiome had not returned to that of control mice. Antibiotics significantly increased the relative abundance of some taxa and significant decreased the relative abundance of others. It was unexpected that the taxonomic hierarchy within the microbiome did not recover after 7 weeks following cessation of antibiotics. It would appear, therefore, that antibiotics established a new, semi-stable hierarchy. Chapter 3. When paired together, the assumption was that dysbiotic microbiomes of antibiotic mice would be positively influenced by microbiomes of control mice, based on the assumption that the control mouse would act as a probiotic for the antibiotic mouse, either via coprophagy or consumption of food contaminated by feces. Contrary to that hypothesis, the microbiomes of control mice became more similar to that of antibiotic mice. One can offer at least two hypotheses to explain this result, but neither was tested. First, compared to the control microbiome, the dysbiotic microbiome may have been more stable and thus more resistant to change due to invasion by OTUs from the control microbiome. Other research has shown that dysbiotic microbiomes have a high degree of stability. If this were true, the use of probiotics is questionable. Second, one or more of the antibiotics could still have been active at the initial phase of pairing, and coprophagy caused the microbiome of the control mice to rapidly become dysbiotic. If this is true, the experiment should have been conducted with a waiting period between the cessation of antibiotic administration and pairing.