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Warren E Johnson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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assessing cross species transmission of hemoplasmas at the wild domestic Felid interface in chile using genetic and landscape variables analysis
Scientific Reports, 2019Co-Authors: Irene Sacristan, Warren E Johnson, Francisca Acuna, Emilio Aguilar, Sebastian Garcia, Maria Jose Lopez, Aitor Cevidanes, Ezequiel Hidalgohermoso, J CabelloAbstract:The co-occurrence of domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) and wild Felids in rural landscapes can facilitate pathogen transmission. However, in the relatively-isolated regions of southern South America there have been no comprehensive studies to assess disease transmission risks between domestic cats and forest-dwelling wild Felids such as guigna (Leopardus guigna). We evaluated hemoplasma infection and the possibility of transmission between domestic cats and guignas by comparing spatial and phylogenetic patterns of pathogen prevalence. Blood/spleen samples were collected from 102 wild guignas and 262 co-occurring rural domestic cats across the entire distribution range of guigna in Chile. Hemoplasma infection was assessed by direct sequencing of the 16S RNA gene. Infection with hemoplasmas was common and geographically widespread across different bioclimatic areas for both species. The most common feline Mycoplasma species in guigna and domestic cats were Candidatus M. haemominutum (CMhm) (15.7% guigna; 10.3% domestic cat) and Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf) (9.8% guigna, 6.1% domestic cat). A previously undescribed Mycoplasma sp. sequence was found in two guignas and one cat. Continuous forest-landscapes were associated with higher hemoplasma-prevalence in guignas. Shared hemoplasma nucleotide sequence types between guigna and domestic cats were rare, suggesting that cross-species transmission between guignas and domestic cats may occur, but is probably uncommon. Ectoparasites, which have been linked with hemoplasma transmission, were not found on guignas and were infrequent on domestic cats. Our results suggest that transmission pathways vary among hemoplasma species and, contrary to our predictions, domestic cats did not appear to be the main driver of hemoplasma infection in guignas in these human-dominated landscapes.
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sympatric asian Felid phylogeography reveals a major indochinese sundaic divergence
Molecular Ecology, 2014Co-Authors: Yue Zhang, Stephen J Obrien, Warren E Johnson, Lin Miao, Paolo Martelli, Agostinho Antunes, James L SmithAbstract:The dynamic geological and climatological history of Southeast Asia has spawned a complex array of ecosystems and 12 of the 37 known cat species, making it the most Felid-rich region in the world. To examine the evolutionary histories of these poorly studied fauna, we compared phylogeography of six species (leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis, fishing cat P. viverrinus, Asiatic golden cat Pardofelis temminckii, marbled cat P. marmorata, tiger Panthera tigris and leopard P. pardus) by sequencing over 5 kb of DNA each from 445 specimens at multiple loci of mtDNA, Y and X chromosomes. All species except the leopard displayed significant phylogenetic partitions between Indochina and Sundaland, with the central Thai–Malay Peninsula serving as the biogeographic boundary. Concordant mtDNA and nuclear DNA genealogies revealed deep Indochinese–Sundaic divergences around 2 MYA in both P. bengalensis and P. marmorata comparable to previously described interspecific distances within Felidae. The divergence coincided with serial sea level rises during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene, and was probably reinforced by repeated isolation events associated with environmental changes throughout the Pleistocene. Indochinese–Sundaic differentiations within P. tigris and P. temminckii were more recent at 72–108 and 250–1570 kya, respectively. Overall, these results illuminate unexpected, deep vicariance events in Southeast Asian Felids and provide compelling evidence of species-level distinction between the Indochinese and Sundaic populations in the leopard cat and marbled cat. Broader sampling and further molecular and morphometric analyses of these species will be instrumental in defining conservation units and effectively preserving Southeast Asian biodiversity.
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reproductive status of endemic Felid species in latin american zoos and implications for ex situ conservation
Zoo Biology, 2003Co-Authors: William F Swanson, Stephen J Obrien, Warren E Johnson, Richard C Cambre, Scott B Citino, K Quigley, Dulce Maria Brousset, Rosana Nogueira De Morais, Nei Moreira, David E WildtAbstract:Reproductive evaluations were conducted on 185 male cats representing eight endemic Latin American species that were maintained in 44 zoos and private facilities in 12 Latin American countries. Reproductive assessments (testicular measures, ejaculate quality, and blood testosterone/cortisol concentration) were used to establish normative values for large- and small-sized cats in Latin American collections. Data also were analyzed using multiple regression to study the impact of proven breeder status, diet, and various animal housing combinations. Most Felids (>95%) in the survey were of wild-born origin, and 50% of males had low sperm counts (<1 million total sperm per ejaculate). Among large cats (jaguars and pumas), proven breeders had larger (P<0.05) testes, greater semen volume, and more normal sperm than nonbreeders. Males on adequate diets had higher (P<0.05) circulating cortisol. Among small-sized Felids, proven breeders had higher (P<0.05) testosterone, and males housed alone or paired with a conspecific female had more (P<0.05) total sperm per ejaculate and greater (P<0.05) seminal and testicular volumes. Fifty-nine ejaculates (potentially representing ∼100 artificial insemination (AI) or 26,000 in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures) were cryopreserved for a Felid genome resource bank. In conclusion, breeding success and reproductive traits for many endemic Felids in Latin American zoos appear to be suboptimal, and likely would benefit from improvements in diet and exhibitry. Technology transfer and continued training of zoo staff and scientists in Latin American countries are essential if these zoos are to achieve their tremendous conservation potential for Felids and other threatened endemic species. Zoo Biol 22:421–441, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
David W Macdonald - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Spatio-temporal ecology of sympatric Felids on Borneo. Evidence for resource partitioning?
PLOS ONE, 2018Co-Authors: Andrew J. Hearn, Samuel A. Cushman, Joanna Ross, Benoit Goossens, Luke T. B. Hunter, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Niche differentiation, the partitioning of resources along one or more axes of a species’ niche hyper-volume, is widely recognised as an important mechanism for sympatric species to reduce interspecific competition and predation risk, and thus facilitate co-existence. Resource partitioning may be facilitated by behavioural differentiation along three main niche dimensions: habitat, food and time. In this study, we investigate the extent to which these mechanisms can explain the coexistence of an assemblage of five sympatric Felids in Borneo. Using multi-scale logistic regression, we show that Bornean Felids exhibit differences in both their broad and fine-scale habitat use. We calculate temporal activity patterns and overlap between these species, and present evidence for temporal separation within this Felid guild. Lastly, we conducted an all-subsets logistic regression to predict the occurrence of each Felid species as a function of the co-occurrence of a large number of other species and showed that Bornean Felids co-occurred with a range of other species, some of which could be candidate prey. Our study reveals apparent resource partitioning within the Bornean Felid assemblage, operating along all three niche dimension axes. These results provide new insights into the ecology of these species and the broader community in which they live and also provide important information for conservation planning for this guild of predators.
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Learning from the past to prepare for the future: Felids face continued threat from declining prey
Ecography, 2017Co-Authors: Christopher J. Sandom, Dawn Burnham, Amy E Hinks, J. Williams, Amy J. Dickman, Ewan A. Macdonald, Søren Faurby, Jens-christian Svenning, William J. Ripple, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Many contemporary species of large-Felids (>15 kg) feed upon prey that are endangered, raising concern that prey population declines (defaunation) will further threaten Felids. We assess the threat that defaunation presents by investigating a late Quaternary (LQ), ‘present-natural’ counterfactual scenario. Our present-natural counterfactual is based on predicted ranges of mammals today in the absence of any impacts of modern humans (Homo sapiens) through time. Data from our present-natural counterfactual are used to understand firstly how megafauna extinction has impacted Felid communities to date and secondly to quantify the threat to large-Felid communities posed by further declines in prey richness in the future. Our purpose is to identify imminent risks to biodiversity conservation and their cascading consequences and, specifically, to indicate the importance of preserving prey diversity. We pursue two lines of enquiry; first, we test whether the loss of prey species richness is a potential cause of large-Felid extinction and range loss. Second, we explore what can be learnt from the large-scale large-mammal LQ losses, particularly in the Americas and Europe, to assess the threat any further decline in prey species presents to large-Felids today, particularly in Africa and Asia. Large-Felid species richness was considerably greater under our present-natural counterfactual scenario compared to the current reality. In total, 86% of cells recorded at least one additional Felid in our present-natural counterfactual, and up to 4-5 more large-Felids in 10% of the cells. A significant positive correlation was recorded between the number of prey species lost and the number of large-Felids lost from a cell. Extant Felids most at risk include lion and Sunda clouded leopard, as well as leopard and cheetah in parts of their range. Our results draw attention to the continuation of a trend of megafauna decline that began with the emergence of hominins in the Pleistocene.
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Deconstructed cat communities: Quantifying the threat to Felids from prey defaunation
Diversity and Distributions, 2017Co-Authors: Christopher J. Sandom, Dawn Burnham, Amy E Hinks, J. Williams, Amy J. Dickman, Ewan A. Macdonald, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Aim: Defaunation, the emptying of ecosystems of fauna, has been highlighted as a likely threat to the conservation of carnivores, but the magnitude of this threat has yet to be quantified. We quantify the potential threat defaunation presents to wild Felids. Location: Global Methods: For the 32 wild Felids that feed primarily on mammals, we used 5,330 prey records from 237 published sources to compile a new diet dataset, FelidDIET. This dataset was used to determine the relative importance of mammalian species as prey for each Felid. These data were used to quantify the relationship between Felid and prey species-richness, and to estimate the potential threat to wild Felids from the loss of their prey. Results: Our analyses reveal that models that include adjusted prey species-richness as a predictor of Felid-richness outperform those with less precise measures of prey-richness (potential prey-richness and total mammal-richness). This is true both when examined collectively and when split into those Felids that prey upon large-bodied prey and those that prey upon small-bodied prey. For seven Felid species, including six large Felids (over 15 kg), 33% or more of their primary prey-species are threatened. Of most concern is the Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi, for which 66.0% of its primary prey-species are threatened. In total, 57.6% of large Felids’ primary prey-species are threatened or declining, compared with 26.5% for small Felids. Large Felids are particularly vulnerable to primary prey decline in Indo-Malaya and East and Central Africa. Main conclusions: Our findings indicate that imminent prey loss is likely to have substantial negative effects on large Felids, many of which are already highly threatened. Considering the trophic cascades associated with large predators, the threat to large Felids through the loss of prey diversity presents an ecosystem-scale threat.
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priorities for global Felid conservation
Conservation Biology, 2015Co-Authors: Amy J. Dickman, Dawn Burnham, Amy E Hinks, Ewan A. Macdonald, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Conservation resources are limited, necessitating prioritization of species and locations for action. Most prioritization approaches are based solely on biologically relevant characteristics of taxa or areas and ignore geopolitical realities. Doing so risks a poor return on conservation investment due to nonbiological factors, such as economic or political instability. We considered Felids, a taxon which attracts intense conservation attention, to demonstrate a new approach that incorporates both intrinsic species traits and geopolitical characteristics of countries. We developed conservation priority scores for wild Felids based on their International Union for Conservation of Nature status, body mass, habitat, range within protected area, evolutionary distinctiveness, and conservation umbrella potential. We used published data on governance, economics and welfare, human population pressures, and conservation policy to assign conservation-likelihood scores to 142 Felid-hosting countries. We identified 71 countries as high priorities (above median) for Felid conservation. These countries collectively encompassed all 36 Felid species and supported an average of 96% of each species’ range. Of these countries, 60.6% had below-average conservation-likelihood scores, which indicated these countries are relatively risky conservation investments. Governance was the most common factor limiting conservation likelihood. It was the major contributor to below-median likelihood scores for 62.5% of the 32 Felid species occurring in lower-likelihood countries. Governance was followed by economics for which scores were below median for 25% of these species. An average of 58% of species’ ranges occurred in 43 higher-priority lower-likelihood countries. Human population pressure was second to governance as a limiting factor when accounting for percentage of species’ ranges in each country. As conservation likelihood decreases, it will be increasingly important to identify relevant geopolitical limitations and tailor conservation strategies accordingly. Our analysis provides an objective framework for biodiversity conservation action planning. Our results highlight not only which species most urgently require conservation action and which countries should be prioritized for such action, but also the diverse constraints which must be overcome to maximize long-term success. Prioridades para la Conservacion Global de Felidos Resumen Los recursos para la conservacion son limitados, por lo que necesitan de la priorizacion de especies y localidades para actuar. La mayoria de las estrategias de priorizacion estan basadas solamente en las caracteristicas biologicamente relevantes de los taxones o areas e ignoran la realidad geopolitica. Hacer esto lleva consigo el riesgo de un pobre retorno de la inversion en la conservacion debido a factores no-biologicos, como la inestabilidad economica o politica. Consideramos a los Felidos, un taxon que atrae una atencion intensa de conservacion, para demostrar una estrategia nueva que incorpora tanto los rasgos intrinsecos de la especie como las caracteristicas geopoliticas de los paises. Desarrollamos puntajes de prioridad de conservacion para los Felidos salvajes con base en su estado de acuerdo a la Union Internacional para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza, su masa corporal, habitat, extension dentro de un area protegida, peculiaridad evolutiva, y potencial como paraguas de conservacion. Utilizamos datos publicados sobre el gobierno, economia y bienestar, presiones de la poblacion humana, y politicas de conservacion para asignar puntajes de probabilidad de conservacion a 142 paises con poblaciones de Felidos. Identificamos a 71 paises como prioridades altas (por encima de la media) para la conservacion de los Felidos. Estos paises englobaron colectivamente a las 36 especies de Felidos y mantuvieron a un promedio de 96% de la extension de cada especie. De estos paises, 60.6% tuvo un puntaje de probabilidad de conservacion por debajo del promedio, lo que indica que estos paises son potencialmente riesgos de inversion para la conservacion. El gobierno fue el factor limitante mas comun para la probabilidad de la conservacion. Tambien fue el principal contribuyente para los puntajes por debajo del promedio del 62.5% de las 32 especies de Felidos que se presentaron en paises de menor probabilidad de conservacion. Al gobierno lo siguio la economia, para la cual los puntajes estuvieron por debajo de la media para el 25% de las especies. Un promedio de 58% de la extension de las especies se presento en 43 paises de prioridad alta con probabilidad baja. La presion de la poblacion humana fue segunda al gobierno como factor limitante al tomarse en cuenta el porcentaje de extension de las especies en cada pais. Conforme disminuya la probabilidad de conservacion, sera cada vez mas importante identificar las limitaciones geopoliticas y confeccionar estrategias de conservacion acordes a ellas. Nuestro analisis proporciona un marco de trabajo objetivo para la planeacion de acciones para la conservacion de la biodiversidad. Nuestros resultados resaltan no solo cuales especies requieren mas urgentemente de acciones de conservacion y cuales paises deberian ser prioridad para dichas acciones, sino tambien las restricciones diversas que se deben superar para maximizar el exito a largo plazo.
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life and dinner under the shared umbrella patterns in Felid and primate communities
Folia Primatologica, 2012Co-Authors: Dawn Burnham, Amy E Hinks, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Sympatry between primates and Felids is potentially relevant to both their behavioural ecology and their conservation. This paper briefly introduces Felids and primates, for the purposes of assessing their interrelationships and the patterns in their spatial congruence using IUCN spatial data. First, we review evidence and opportunity for predator-prey interactions between the Felids and primates. Second, we analyse the overlap between species of the two taxa to reveal the potential of particular Felid species or guilds (unique combinations of 2 or more Felids) to act as umbrellas for the conservation of co-occurring primates. Felid guilds vary in terms of their geographical ranges and numbers of members. Some Felid species overlap the ranges of many primate species, and the most speciose Felid guilds, while geographically limited in distribution, have the potential to act as protective umbrellas to large numbers of primate species. This prompts the hypothesis that threatened primates and Felids are facing similar threats and might thus benefit from similar interventions, which is evaluated in a sister paper by Macdonald et al. in this special issue.
Stephen J Obrien - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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sympatric asian Felid phylogeography reveals a major indochinese sundaic divergence
Molecular Ecology, 2014Co-Authors: Yue Zhang, Stephen J Obrien, Warren E Johnson, Lin Miao, Paolo Martelli, Agostinho Antunes, James L SmithAbstract:The dynamic geological and climatological history of Southeast Asia has spawned a complex array of ecosystems and 12 of the 37 known cat species, making it the most Felid-rich region in the world. To examine the evolutionary histories of these poorly studied fauna, we compared phylogeography of six species (leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis, fishing cat P. viverrinus, Asiatic golden cat Pardofelis temminckii, marbled cat P. marmorata, tiger Panthera tigris and leopard P. pardus) by sequencing over 5 kb of DNA each from 445 specimens at multiple loci of mtDNA, Y and X chromosomes. All species except the leopard displayed significant phylogenetic partitions between Indochina and Sundaland, with the central Thai–Malay Peninsula serving as the biogeographic boundary. Concordant mtDNA and nuclear DNA genealogies revealed deep Indochinese–Sundaic divergences around 2 MYA in both P. bengalensis and P. marmorata comparable to previously described interspecific distances within Felidae. The divergence coincided with serial sea level rises during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene, and was probably reinforced by repeated isolation events associated with environmental changes throughout the Pleistocene. Indochinese–Sundaic differentiations within P. tigris and P. temminckii were more recent at 72–108 and 250–1570 kya, respectively. Overall, these results illuminate unexpected, deep vicariance events in Southeast Asian Felids and provide compelling evidence of species-level distinction between the Indochinese and Sundaic populations in the leopard cat and marbled cat. Broader sampling and further molecular and morphometric analyses of these species will be instrumental in defining conservation units and effectively preserving Southeast Asian biodiversity.
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reproductive status of endemic Felid species in latin american zoos and implications for ex situ conservation
Zoo Biology, 2003Co-Authors: William F Swanson, Stephen J Obrien, Warren E Johnson, Richard C Cambre, Scott B Citino, K Quigley, Dulce Maria Brousset, Rosana Nogueira De Morais, Nei Moreira, David E WildtAbstract:Reproductive evaluations were conducted on 185 male cats representing eight endemic Latin American species that were maintained in 44 zoos and private facilities in 12 Latin American countries. Reproductive assessments (testicular measures, ejaculate quality, and blood testosterone/cortisol concentration) were used to establish normative values for large- and small-sized cats in Latin American collections. Data also were analyzed using multiple regression to study the impact of proven breeder status, diet, and various animal housing combinations. Most Felids (>95%) in the survey were of wild-born origin, and 50% of males had low sperm counts (<1 million total sperm per ejaculate). Among large cats (jaguars and pumas), proven breeders had larger (P<0.05) testes, greater semen volume, and more normal sperm than nonbreeders. Males on adequate diets had higher (P<0.05) circulating cortisol. Among small-sized Felids, proven breeders had higher (P<0.05) testosterone, and males housed alone or paired with a conspecific female had more (P<0.05) total sperm per ejaculate and greater (P<0.05) seminal and testicular volumes. Fifty-nine ejaculates (potentially representing ∼100 artificial insemination (AI) or 26,000 in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures) were cryopreserved for a Felid genome resource bank. In conclusion, breeding success and reproductive traits for many endemic Felids in Latin American zoos appear to be suboptimal, and likely would benefit from improvements in diet and exhibitry. Technology transfer and continued training of zoo staff and scientists in Latin American countries are essential if these zoos are to achieve their tremendous conservation potential for Felids and other threatened endemic species. Zoo Biol 22:421–441, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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prevalence of exposure to feline immunodeficiency virus in exotic Felid species
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 1993Co-Authors: Eric W Brown, Sriyanie Miththapala, Stephen J ObrienAbstract:Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a novel lentivirus that causes T-cell deficiency in the domestic cat (Felis catus). Recent studies have revealed the existence of antigenically similar lentiviruses in a large number of nondomestic Felid species. We summarize here a comprehensive serological survey for FIV cross-reactive antibodies in free-ranging and captive Felid populations. Serum or plasma samples from 1,645 animals representing 20 Felid species were screened by western blot analysis for exposure to one or more lentiviral proteins. Feline lentiviruses were confirmed to be endemic in several East and South African populations of lion (Panthera leo). Exposure was also detected in nearly all of the natural North American puma (Felis concolor) populations surveyed. Antibodies to FIV were also found in a free-ranging population of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Lentivirus presence among captive exotic cats in the United States and abroad appears to be sporadic and infrequent. Because FIV is endemic in certain natural populations and absent in others, these data suggest that lentivirus infection postdated the geographic separation of Felid populations; and therefore, spread of the virus into other seronegative populations may now be restricted by natural
Paulo Eduardo Brandao - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Felid herpesvirus 1 as a causative agent of severe nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis in a domestic cat
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2013Co-Authors: Aline Santana Da Hora, Paloma De Oliveira Tonietti, Juliana Mariotti Guerra, Maiara C Leme, Hilda Fatima De Jesus Pena, Paulo Cesar Maiorka, Paulo Eduardo BrandaoAbstract:ABSTRACT Felid herpesvirus 1 is an important respiratory pathogen of domestic cats. This report presents the first case of severe nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis caused by this virus in a cat.
Harold N Bryant - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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claw retraction and protraction in the carnivora the cheetah acinonyx jubatus as an atypical Felid
Journal of Zoology, 2001Co-Authors: Anthony P Russell, Harold N BryantAbstract:The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus is the most cursorial Felid and has been described as somewhat dog-like in both the shape and the diminished degree of retraction of the claws. In this study we evaluate and investigate the osteological correlates associated with claw retraction in the cheetah through a comparison of the morphology of its middle phalanges with those of other Felids and of the wolf Canis lupus. Compared to other Felids, the middle phalanges of the cheetah have better-developed grooving of the distal articulatory facets in both the manus and pes, reduced to absent angulation to the distal articulatory facets in the inner and outer digits, less marked asymmetry of the shaft, and a mid-shaft cross-section that is less triangular and more circular. In all of these features, the morphology of the cheetah is intermediate between that of other Felids and that of the wolf. The cheetah’s distinctive morphology is autapomorphic within Felidae and similarities between the cheetah and the wolf are the result of convergence. Study of an ontogenetic series of specimens of the domestic cat suggests that the morphology of the cheetah can be explained, at least in part, as a product of heterochrony in which the development of the middle phalanx is truncated at an earlier stage than is typical of the adults of other Felids. Some of the morphological differences in the middle phalanges of the cheetah can be associated with its distinctive hunting behaviour. The reduced manipulative capabilities of the forelimb associated with the evolution of cursorial adaptations seem to have limited the roles of the forepaws in both the subduing of prey and feeding.
