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Owen, Pamela Renee. "Phylogenetic relationships among American badgers (Taxidiinae) and the evolution of the badger ecomorph /." Digital version accessible at:, 2000. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/main.
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Greville, Caroline. "The Year of the Badger." Thesis, University of Kent, 2017. https://kar.kent.ac.uk/69099/.
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Da, Silva Jack. "Ecological aspects of Eurasian badger social structure." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.252789.
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Moore, Jude Arthur Hamilton. "Internal environment of badger (Meles meles) setts." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.360488.
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Rhodes, James I. (James Ian). "Phylogeographic structure of the honey badger (Mellivora capensis)." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/21732.
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Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate the phylogeographic structuring of the honey badger, Mellivora capensis, a highly mobile medium sized carnivore with an extensive distribution throughout sub-Saharan Africa extending into the Middle East and India. Particular focus was placed on providing preliminary data potentially useful for the development of translocation policies for this species in southern Africa. Where possible, genetic results were also compared with current trinomial designations to determine whether subspecies status given to geographical groupings was supported by the genetic data. Mitochondrial control region sequence data was obtained for most a selection of specimen’s available while nuclear microsatellite variation was determined for a subset of individuals where there were sufficient sample sizes available. Phylogeographic structuring of the maternal mitochondrial lineage was initially obscured by the coamplification of a closely related numt. To overcome co-amplification, the numt was identified and mtDNA specific primers were designed. Mitochondrial DNA results are based on the most variable 230 bp of the control region (sequenced for 78 individuals) while five polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers were scored (for 55 individuals). Analysis, employing both nuclear and mitochondrial data, showed that although a pattern of isolation by distance can be detected, there was evidence for the presence of phylogeographic structuring between eastern and southern Africa. This could be interpreted as due to vicariance, probably associated by rifting and climatic occilations during the Pleistocene. Analyses support the identification of distinct management units for eastern and southern African populations although some evidence exists for secondary introgression between these two regions. Following this, we recommend that translocations between these broad geographic areas should be avoided. Within these geographic areas, because of a general pattern of isolation by distance, we recommend that individuals for translocations come from geographically proximate populations. In some instances, phylogeographic structuring is concordant with subspecies designations but additional sampling will be needed to make any firm taxonomic conclusions.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doelwit van hierdie studie was om die filogeografiese struktuur van die ratel, Mellivora capensis, ‘n hoogs bewegende medium groot karnivoor met ‘n wydverspreide distribusie deur sub-Sahara Afrika wat strek tot in die Midde Ooste en India, te bepaal. Spesifieke fokus is geplaas op die voorsiening van preliminêre data potensieel bruikbaar vir dir ontwikkeling van verplasing strategieë vir hierdie spesie in suidelike Afrika. Genetiese resultate is, waar moontlik, vergelyk met huidige drieledige kategorieë om te bepaal of subspesies ondersteun word deur die genetiese data. Mitochondriale ‘control region’ DNS volgorde data was verkry vir die meeste van die monsters beskikbaar en kern mikrosatelliet variasie was bepaal vir ‘n gedeelte van individue waar voldoende monster groottes beskikbaar was. Filogeografiese strukturering van die materne mitochondriale merker was oorspronklik versteek deur die ko-amplifikasie van ‘n naby verwante ‘numt’. Om die ko-amplifikasie te oorkom is die ‘numt’ geïdentifiseer en mtDNS spesifieke voorvoerders is ontwerp. Mitochondriale DNS resultate is gebaseer op die mees veranderlike 230 bp van die ‘control region’ (waar die DNS volgorde vir 78 individue bepaal is) en vyf polimorfiese kern mikrosatelliet merkers (in 55 individue). Analises, wat gebruik maak van kern en mitochondriale data, toon wel ‘n patroon van isolasie deur afstand, maar ook ‘n duidelike sigbare filogeograpfiese strukturering tussen oostelike en suidelike Afrika. Hierdie is geïnterpreteer as vikariansie, heel waarskynlik ge-assosieer deur berg verskuiwings en klimaatsveranderinge deur die Pleistocene. Analises ondersteun die identifikasie van definitiewe verkillende bestuurseenhede vir oostelike en suidelike Afrika maar sekere bewyse bestaan dat sekondêre introgressie tussen streke bestaan. Dit word aanbeveel dat translokasies tussen hierdie geografiese areas voorkom moet word. Binne geografiese areas, as gevolg van ‘n algemene patroon van isolasie deur afstand, is dit aanbeveel dat individue vir verplasing van nabygeleë populasies moet wees. In sommige gevalle het filogeografiese strukturering ooreen gestem met subspesies kategorieë, maar verdere materiaal is nodig voor definitiewe taksonomiese besluite geneem kan word.
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Stewart, Paul Dominic. "The social behaviour of the European badger : Meles meles." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.268202.
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Ostler, Jessica Ridley. "Sett use and sett function in the European badger." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.260920.
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Wright, Amanda. "Predicting the distribution of Eurasian badger (Meles meles) setts." Thesis, Manchester Metropolitan University, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.364059.
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Legarreta-Gonzalez, Martin Alfredo. "Spatial statistical methods in the reconstruction of badger territories." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2018. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/19688/.
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For decades, Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) have been the object of several studies trying to explain their primitive social organization, feeding, territory and lately, their relationship with bovine tuberculosis which can cost £1bn over the next 10 years. Badgers spend the day sleeping in their setts and foraging during the night. They live in clans, sharing and defending a communal territory but foraging and feeding individually. Several attempts to explain what influences the size and shape of badgers’ territories have been made, considering, for example whether they are determined by the dispersion of resources or by the location of the main sett which consists of several holes with large spoil heaps and obvious paths emanating from and between sett entrances. Since badgers use communal latrines to mark their territories, another approach is to use statistical methods based on this information to delineate their territories. A common method employed to reconstruct badger territories from latrines is the Min- imum Convex Polygon (MCP), another approach classifies the latrines as hinterland, boundary or extraterritorial excursions, based on elements surrounding them (fences, badgers paths, etc.). The use of extra information such as the presence of other latrines in the same direction from the main sett, can provide more robust models that can be used not only in a point estimation approach but in a sampling approach that uses the probability distribution fitted by a model and permits to quantify the uncertainty in the reconstruction of the territories. This thesis consists of 7 chapters: Chapter 1 is this Introduction. Chapter 2 is the literature review which looks at badger ecological behaviour, techniques used to obtain information about the territories of the badgers and methods used to reconstruct them. Chapter 3 is the Unconditional Outlier Prediction Model (UOPM). It is an extension of an unpublished paper that uses a logistic regression to estimate the probability that a latrine is part of the territory or, alternatively, is an extraterritorial excursion. This information is used with the 100% MCP to make the reconstructions. Chapter 4 talks about the Conditional Outlier Prediction Model (COPM), which is an extension to the UOPM that uses Gibbs sampling in the reconstruction of the territories to allow for dependance between latrines. This model uses the 100% MCP of the sampled latrines which are not outliers, in order to map the reconstructed territory at each iteration. Chapter 5 presents the Unadjusted Ordinal Model (UOM). This model uses the original classification from the 2010 baitmarking Woodchester Park Badger Survey made by the Food and Environmental Research Agency (FERA), applying a cumulative ordinal model to estimate the probability distribution fitted by the model using a sampling approach to reconstruct the territories. All the previous chapters employ information from only the territory being reconstructed; Chapter 6 adjusts the probabilities obtained by a territory and the territories sharing at least one latrine with it, to reconstruct the territory using a sampling approach. The last chapter discusses the results of the methods proposed in this research.
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Steward, Lucy Charlotte. "Badger social networks and their implications for disease transmission." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/27257.
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Diseases that infect wildlife populations pose a significant threat to public health, agriculture, and conservation efforts. The spread of these diseases can be influenced by the social structure of the population, and therefore often need to be accounted for in disease models. In this thesis I use high-resolution contact data to explore the social structure of a high-density population of European badgers (Meles meles). I explore how this structure might influence the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a debilitating disease of cattle for which badgers are a wildlife reservoir. Denning and home range data collected using radio tracking is also used to determine how this social structure is related to badger space use. I use social network analysis to identify the community structure of the badger population, revealing that badgers interact in fewer, more distinct groups than previously assumed. This is likely to inhibit the spread of disease through the population, given that the probability of infection entering a new social group will be reduced. However, among-group contact is still found to occur even between the most isolated groups. I show that this among-group contact is more likely to occur between less related individuals, possibly suggesting that breeding behaviour may drive among-group contact as a mechanism for inbreeding avoidance. To gain additional insight into this among-group contact, I determine how badger spatial behaviours are related. I show that the use of dens (setts) away from the social group’s main sett (outlier setts) in the spring is associated with extra-territorial ranging. I also show that this extra-territorial ranging is associated with more central network positions. The seasonality of this behaviour further suggests that this may be related to breeding activity. These findings suggest that behaviours associated with extra-group ranging may increase the risk of acquiring and transmitting infection. Therefore, use of outlier setts in the spring could act as a spatial proxy to identify high-risk individuals for disease spread, offering potential targets for disease control. Finally, I discuss the implications of these findings in regard to what they reveal about badger behaviour, disease transmission, and the design of effective disease control strategies. The importance of understanding population social structure for the study of wildlife disease in general is also discussed.
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McDonald, Jennifer Leslie. "Disease and demography in the Woodchester Park badger population." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/15336.
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The topic of badgers in the UK is often a contentious one, dividing opinions and sparking political debate. On one hand, badgers represent an important part of the British ecosystem but on the other a wildlife reservoir of disease implicated in the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (TB) to livestock in the UK. This has prompted strong interest in their population dynamics and epidemiology. Using data from a long-term study of a naturally infected badger population in Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire, this thesis explores a range of capture-mark-recapture (CMR) models to further understand disease and demographic processes. The first section examines long term population dynamics, simultaneously estimating demographic rates alongside their drivers using integrated population models (IPMs). The findings provide new insight into badger demography, highlighting density-dependent mechanisms, vulnerabilities to changing climate and disease prevalence and subsequently how multi-factorial analyses are required to explain fluctuating badger populations. The following sections use multistate models to answer pertinent questions regarding individual disease dynamics, revealing rates of TB infection, progression and disease-induced mortality. A key finding was sex-differences in disease response, with males more susceptible to TB infection. After applying a survival trajectory analysis we suggest sex differences are due to male immune defence deficiencies. A comparative analysis demonstrated similarities between epidemiological processes at Woodchester Park to an unconnected population of badgers from a vaccine study, supporting its continued use as a model population. The final study in this thesis constructs an IPM to estimate disease and population dynamics and in doing so uncovers disease-state recruitment allocation rates, demographic and population estimates of badgers in varying health-states and predicts future dynamics. This model aims to encapsulate the more commonly held notion of populations as dynamic entities with numerous co-occurring processes, opening up avenues for future analyses within both the badger-TB system and possible extensions to other wildlife reservoir populations.
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Davies, J. M. "Scent marking with faeces and anal secretion in the European badger." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.233010.
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defend feeding territories, and that the spatinl distribution of 'patches' of earthworms (their major prey) determines the size of badger territories. Such a food-based model has been widely accepted, but has a number of equivocal assumptions which are discussed. Recently Roper, Shepherdson & Davies (1986) proposed an alternative model of territorial organisation, based on the seasonal pattern of territory marking with faeces and anal gland secretion, which suggested that territoriality in badgers may be more related to defence of oestrus females by resident males than to defence of food resources. This hypothesis relies on an un-quantified correlation between seasonal patterns of territory marking, mating and road mortality. Here, I attempt to test the strength of the association between these distributions and to test predictions about the relative contribution of the two sexes to territorial defence. To do this I present further data on the deposition of faeces and anal secretion at latrines, together with new data on the seasonality of road mortality and bite-wounding in badgers. In addition, I report the results of experiments in which latrines were continually monitored in an attempt to assess the relative contribution of the two sexes to territory marking and patrolling. Finally, I report the results of a chemical investigation (using gas chromatography) of the scent profile of anal gland secretion. My results confirm the bimodal seasonal pattern of deposition of faeces and anal secretion at latrines, but whilst the two distributions were similar, there were differences which suggested that the two territorial markers may have different functions. The seasonal pattern of deposition of anal secretion showed essentially the same distribution as data on mating, testis weight, bite wounding and road mortality and I concluded that my results were consistent with the anti-kleptogamy hypothesis. However, the seasonal pattern of deposition of faeces at latrines could more easily be explained by seasonal changes in food availability. My results showed that the incidence of bite wounding and of patrolling at latrines, was higher in males than females, which is consistent with predictions derived from the anti-kleptogamy model, but not with food-based models which predict territory defence to be shared equally amongst group members. Finally, chemical analysis of anal secretion revealed that whilst it probably did not signal the sex or identity of it's producer it may carry information about group membership. In addition, the secretion was found to be of low volatility and composed of long-chain fatty acids some fifteen of which were identified. These results are consistent with the idea that anal secretion acts as a long-term territory marker. In conclusion I suggest that my results for the deposition of anal gland secretion at latrines are consistent with the hypothesis proposed by Roper et al., (1986) that territoriality in badgers may at least be partly linked to the defence of oestrus females by resident males. By contrast seasonal variation in defecation at latrines may at least be partly explained by seasonal changes in food availability. Given that food and mates are the most important resources for the survival of an animal, in the short-term and long-term respectively, it is likely that models of the territorial spacing pattern of badgers would have to take both resources into account.
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Shepherdson, D. J. "Foraging behaviour and space use in the European badger (Meles meles L.)." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1986. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.377581.
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Latour, Paul B. "The individual within the group territorial system of the European badger (Meles meles L.)." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1988. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU010238.
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Three groups of European badger (Meles meles L.) were studied during 1985 and 1986 on an area of mixed farmland in the Spey Valley, Scotland. The European badger is group territorial but individuals forage solitarily. Group size was 6 (Milton group), 3-5 (Sheilich group) and 2-4 (Little Loch group). Data were obtained by means of radio tracking on five of the Milton group, three of the Sheilich group, two of the Little Loch group plus two single males. The three group territories ranged in size from 75-146 ha. and each contained a unique habitat structure. Spatial autocorrelation and graphical analyses indicated that individuals within each group distributed their intensity of use of the group territory similarly; the three groups, however, differed from one another in this respect. When examined over the long-term, individuals' total ranges and core areas overlapped widely, however, overlap of 50x50 m grid cells was low between pairs of individuals and the individual and the rest of the group suggesting partial spatial separation of individuals within the group. Over three week intervals the Milton badgers showed a complex, shifting arrangement of activity centres with no association between particular group members. On a nightly basis, an individual's total range overlapped widely with the rest of the group, but spacing of observation points for all individuals suggested that each individual's movement was concentrated in relation to the movements of the rest of the group. Diet comparisons between groups, within groups between years and between seasons suggested that availability, as indicated by the differing vegetational composition of each group territory, affected diet. Initial evidence was that individual's diets were similar within groups. Individuals within the three groups had similar range composition, showed similar preferences for the vegetation zones within each group territory and appeared to use the zones similarly. Individuals within each group exploited the group territory similarly, at least within the sensitivity of the present data. Above surface activity was strictly nocturnal and individuals showed the same pattern of varying length activity bouts interspersed with periods of rest underground; there was no common schedule, however, between individuals. Overall activity budgets were similar between individuals within the group. Individuals used the same ongoing movements each night, often travelling 3-4km, returning occasionally only to those areas that had received light use earlier in the night, and avoiding previously used areas more than expected from models of random badger movement. Group members were seldom observed in close proximity and appeared to be either spacing themselves each night randomly or avoiding one another. The three groups differed in the distribution of communal defaecation sites (latrines). All group members visited latrines and latrine paths, behaviours associated with demarcation of the group range, at similar rates. It is suggested that the spatial organization of the three groups of badgers was non-competitive. At first glance, the data indicated a large potential for spatial competition, however, a detailed analysis suggests that group members intensively used a number of different parts of the group territory ('patches'), these were shared with only a part of the group, and individuals were seldom in close contact with one another on a given night as predicted by patch based models of Carnivore group territoriality. However, territory size and configuration were not determined by the location of key feeding areas, in contradiction to the patch based models. Possible advantages gained by individuals within the group by spatial non-competitiveness are discussed in light of possible territory inheritance by related individuals. Possible advantages to all individuals contributing to demarcation of the group territory are also discussed. Group formation in European badgers is also compared with a model of group formation in birds.
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Newman, Christopher. "The demography and parasitology of the Wytham Woods' badger population." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.343438.
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George, S. C. "Stress, energetics and disease in the Eurasian badger (Meles meles)." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.557418.
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The Eurasian badger is a wildlife reservoir of bovine tubersculosis (bTB) in the UK and Ireland. Many aspects of badger behaviour, ecology and disease dynamics are well understood. However, data for Northern Ireland are scarce and knowledge of their physiology is almost non-existent. This thesis aimed to determine the prevalence of bTB in badger groups in Northern Ireland and use a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate badger physiology, epidemiology and ecology, as well as how these factors interact with each other. A 75% increase in group size of grassland groups was recorded in the current study. Group composition changed, with a greater number of animals under three years of age than in previous studies in Northern Ireland. Significant differences were recorded between woodland and grassland groups with regard to body mass and there was a strong seasonal pattern in body mass and body condition in both habitat types. 88% of badgers tested showed no signs of prior exposure to bTB, 7% had been exposed, 5% were excreting and 2% were super excreters. 3 of culture positive badgers were infected with the most common strain found in cattle in the same area. The remaining culture positive badger was infected with a rare strain, confirmed in only six cattle herds and geographically isolated to an area within approximately 10km of the badger sett. Badger faecal cortisol levels were related to body mass and body condition in both males and females and displayed seasonal variation. Faecal cortisol levels were not significantly different between sero-positive and sero-negative \ animals but culture positive animals had elevated faecal cortisol. Badger RMR was 1234kJ/day. Activity is, on average, 30% lower on the first day post-release. Acceleration data offer the meansto calculate a correction factor for doubly lebelled water data. '. 'f,'~'.
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Goodman, Emily Louisa. "Quantifying interactions in a high-density badger (Meles meles) population." Thesis, University of York, 2007. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/11021/.
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McClune, David William. "Energy expenditure and behaviour of the European badger (Meles meles)." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2016. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.707834.
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This thesis begins by examining the factors that affect metabolic rate, before turning to the measurement of energy expenditure and the quantification of behaviour in the European badger (Meles meles). Resting metabolic rate and daily energy expenditure (DEE) were measured (by respirometry and doubly labelled water, respectively) in a population of free-ranging badgers and analysed in terms of age, sex, season, and bovine tuberculosis (bTB) disease status. In a pilot study with a captive tame badger, a tri-axial accelerometer equipped collar was used to gather data on badger movement. Custom software was also developed to classify badger behaviour. This software was then applied to accelerometer data collected on a wild badger (along with global positioning system (GPS) information) to construct a detailed behaviour-time budget and elucidate habitat use. Resting metabolic rate was found to be significantly lower during the winter (1845±109 kJ d-1) compared to the summer (2366±70 kJ-d-1). Measurements during the summer were significantly higher than mustelid specific basal metabolic rate allometric predictions. Evidence was also found for seasonal variation in DEE, with values during the winter (2309±736 kJ-d-1) being significantly lower than both summer (2566±1011 kJ-d-1) and autumn (3070±780 kJ d-1). Based on the available data, there was no detectable effect of bTB disease status on DEE. In the captive badger accelerometer study, behavioural classification had an accuracy of 99.4% for resting, 78.7% for trotting, 77.5% for snuffling, and 77.4% for walking. When applied to accelerometer and GPS data collected on a free-ranging badger, resting was the most commonly identified behaviour (67.4%) followed by walking (20.9%), snuffling (9.5%) and trotting (2.3%). An acceleration based proxy for energy expenditure was derived for each behaviour. Variation in badger behaviour with habitat type was also investigated. This work provides new insights into the energy expenditure and behaviour of the European badger, as well as the development of techniques that have potential to be applied to a range of other species.
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Woodroffe, Rosemary Brigitte. "Factors affecting reproductive success in the European badger, Meles meles L." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.316891.
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Service, Katrina M. "Properties of badger urine as a substance used in scent marking." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.389146.
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Müller, Miguel. "Self-healing Javascript Errors Caused by the Browser Extension Privacy Badger." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för elektroteknik och datavetenskap (EECS), 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-303012.
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As today’s web is filled with privacy-invasive third-party trackers, users are turning to privacy extensions to prevent their browsing habits from leaking. However, research has shown that privacy extensions can decrease website quality and even break meaningful functionality. Our research addresses this problem by performing automated repairs on Javascript code that has been broken by Privacy Badger, a heuristics-based privacy extension. First, we study how the use of Privacy Badger affects the prevalence of Javascript errors on 11 665 urls. We find errors caused by Privacy Badger on 758 (6.5%) urls. We also observe a 74% increase in Javascript errors, and a 27% increase in urls affected by Javascript errors when browsing with Privacy Badger. Using this data, we investigate how BikiniProxy, an automated HTML and Javascript rewriting proxy consisting of five self-healing strategies, performs on errors caused by Privacy Badger. Out of 751 web pages with errors caused by Privacy Badger, 215 (29%) had at least one such error healed by BikiniProxy. Additionally, we recognize a shortcoming of BikiniProxy’s line skipper strategy, and propose an improvement to it. Repairing web pages using our modified version of BikiniProxy reduces the number of errors on 12.9% more urls. Finally, we show that repairing errors using BikiniProxy can restore functionality that has been broken by Privacy Badger. But we can only detect such cases in two urls out of the hundreds repaired, which shows that the repair approach suffers from overfitting in our context. Our most important insight is that privacy extensions can break functionality without blocking any resource that the functionality is dependent on, and that these are the cases where BikiniProxy can restore the functionality.Eftersom dagens webb genomsyras av integritetskränkande tredjepartsspårare väljer många användare att installera integritetsskyddande webbläsartillägg som förhindrar otillbörlig tillgång till användarnas personliga information. Forskning har dock visat att integritetsskyddande webbläsartillägg kan sänka kvaliteten på hemsidor och förstöra meningsfull funktionalitet. Vårt examensarbete angriper detta problem genom att utföra automatiserade reparationer på Javascript-kod som har förstörts av Privacy Badger, ett heurestikbaserat integritetsskyddande webbläsartillägg. Först studerar vi hur användandet av Privacy Badger påverkar förekomsten av Javascript-fel på 11 665 webbsidor. Vi påträffar Javascript-fel orsakade av Privacy Badger på 758 (6.5%)webbsidor. Dessutom observerar vi en 74-procentig ökning av Javascript-fel, och en 27- procentig ökning av webbsidor påverkade av Javascript-fel, när Privacy Badger används. Vi använder dessa data för att undersöka hur BikiniProxy, en HTML- och Javascript- omskrivningsproxy bestående av fem självläkningsstrategier, presterar på Javascript-fel orsakade av Privacy Badger. Utav 751 webbsidor med Javascript-fel orsakade av Privacy Badger så har 215 (29%) minst ett sådant fel reparerat av BikiniProxy. Baserat på ett tillkortakommande vi identifierar i BikiniProxy så föreslår vi en förbättring av dess line skipperstrategi. Att reparera med vår förbättrade version av BikiniProxy minskar antalet Javascript-fel på 12.9% flerwebbsidor. Slutligen visar vi att reparerandet med BikiniProxy kan återställa funktionalitet som förstörts av Privacy Badger. Däremot kan vi bara upptäcka sådana fall på två webbsidor, vilket visar att reparationsstrategierna lider av överanpassning i vår kontext. Vår viktigaste insikt är att integritetsskyddande webbläsartillägg kan förstöra funktionalitet utan att blockera någon resurs som funktionaliteten är beroende av, och att det är dessa fall där BikiniProxy kan återställa funktionaliteten.
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Kostka, Berit Isabel. "Landscape ecology, diet composition and energetics of the Eurasian badger (Meles meles)." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.579755.
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In the British Isles, the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) is implicated in the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) to cattle. Growing concern about the efficacy of disease control measures has necessitated the need for more data on the species' ecology in a range of habitats, as variations in habitat use of badgers in heterogeneous landscapes may have implications for the management of the species as well as bTB. This study used a range of ecological technologies to investigate the variation of badger social group size, diet composition and individual foraging strategies throughout major habitat categories of Northern Ireland, and assessed how underlying physiological determinants of badger behaviour vary under the influence of environmental, life- history and disease effects. Badger social groups were overall smaller in landscape dominated by improved pasture and larger in areas with less 'suitable' habitat, although within habitat categories, there was considerable variation in social group size. Diet of badgers was mainly composed of vertebrates and earthworms, but particularly in upland areas was also supplemented with plant material. Some degree of specialisation on specific food items was detected throughout whole social groups located in 'prime' badger habitat, whereas badgers inhabiting less favourable habitat seemed to adopt unique foraging strategies within the same group. Investigations into the energy requirements of badgers revealed energetic benefits for badgers that were part of larger social groups compared to badgers that lived in smaller social groups. The high ecological plasticity of badgers throughout the landscape detected in this study largely stands in contrast to findings available from areas in Great Britain. Therefore, further knowledge on badger population structure and habitat use is required particularly for areas reflecting the majority of the landscape in the British Isles as well as at specific localities for an area-specific risk assessment for the transmission of bTB.
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Frantz, Alain Camille. "Non-invasive genetic typing in the study of badger (Meles meles) ecology." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.402675.
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Sadlier, Linda. "The behavioural ecology of the badger (Meles meles L.) on pastoral farmland." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.314145.
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Benton, Clare Helen. "Spatio-temporal distribution and persistence of Mycobacterium bovis in a badger population." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/28495.
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Studying the dynamics of pathogen transmission within wildlife populations presents an array of challenges. Where populations are socially structured, this can influence parasite transmission, impacting on the effectiveness of disease management strategies. In this thesis, I focus on a well-studied social mammal, the European badger (Meles meles) which is a key wildlife reservoir of a disease of economic importance; bovine TB (caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis). The social structuring, characteristic of high density badger populations, is of well-established importance in the transmission of bovine TB and has resulted in unexpected management outcomes. However, little is known about the role of kin structure or host genotype on transmission dynamics. In this thesis, I combine traditional spatial epidemiology and ecological analysis of a well-studied badger population with more novel genetic and genomic approaches. Firstly, I investigate the role of kin structure within badger social groups in determining early life infection risk (Chapter 3). Using host genotype data, I demonstrate that cubs who are related to infected adults experience enhanced infection risks. I then explore the role of badger genotype on outcomes of M. bovis exposure and demonstrate that inbred badgers are more likely to show evidence of progressive infection (Chapter 4). Where the social structure of badgers is stable and unmanaged, this is predicted to result in a stable spatial distribution of M. bovis infection. Motivated by an observation of change in the spatial distribution of M. bovis infection in the study population, in the absence of management, I characterise the attrition of a spatially stable infection distribution (Chapter 5). To explore the drivers of this, I detect changes in the genetic population structure (Chapter 6) and present evidence that the population has experienced a period of demographic flux. Finally, I use a novel dataset generated by whole genome sequencing of M. bovis isolates and present evidence of spatial spread of M. bovis infection across the study population (Chapter 7). To conclude, I discuss how my findings demonstrate how genetic and genomic approaches can complement traditional wildlife epidemiology approaches, how they contribute to our understanding of heterogeneity in transmission dynamics and discuss their implications for wildlife disease management.
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Thornton, P. S. "The density and distribution of badgers in south-west England." Thesis, University of Exeter, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.377313.
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McDevitt, Max James. "The LaFollettes, Progressivism, and the Wisconsin Idea: The 1930s in the Badger State." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/579269.
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This paper investigates the political economy of the state of Wisconsin during the years of the Great Depression. In the existing literature, state responses to the economic downturn have been overshadowed by the changes happening in the federal government during the period. The paper is broken into nine sections. Section I is an introduction. Section II gives an overview of Wisconsin during the 1930s. Section III explores the LaFollette family and the growth of the Progressive Party in Wisconsin. Section IV is a detailed discussion of the Unemployment Reserves and Compensation Act of 1932, the first of its kind in the United States. Section V looks into the debate over income taxes versus property taxes. Section VI discusses Chapter 15 of the 1935 Session Laws. Section VII describes data categorization I did to fill a gap in federal records. Section VIII is an early empirical look at the drivers of state tax revenue during the 1930s. Section IX is a bibliography.
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Butler, Juliana Mary. "The ecology of burrowing and burrow use in the European badger Meles meles." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.260903.
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Feore, Sarah Mary. "The distribution and abundance of the badger Meles meles L in Northern Ireland." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.296825.
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Hofer, Heribert. "Patterns of resource distribution and exploitation by the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) : a comparative study." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1986. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:18aae8d6-b540-46bb-87f0-3e0b296db609.
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Thirteen badgers and 20 foxes were radio-tracked in the Wytham Estate, Oxfordshire, between 1981 and 1983. Thirteen badger and 10 fox groups were identified from radio-tracking and bait marking. Badger groups (mean size 1982: 4.45, 1983: 5.82) occupied contiguous territories (size: 22-75 ha) with boundaries marked by latrines. Seasonal variation in marking intensity and choice of marking sites presumably were responses to changing intrusion pressure. Fox groups (mean size: 2.6) occupied stable territories (size: 22- 104 ha) with little overlap. Faeces deposition by foxes facilitated territory marking. Earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) dominated the diet of badgers (63 % estimated dry weight EDW, faeces), followed by cereals, fruits and other Invertebrates. Diet was highly variable between groups and seasons. For foxes, lagomorphs (20 % EDW) and earthworms (33 % EDW) were the most important prey, followed by scavenge and fruits. Variation in diet between groups and seasons was marked in lagomorphs but not earthworms. Multlvarlate analyses of habitat parameters revealed a low-dimensional 'resource space' that could be divided into conventional habitat categories. Censuses of prey species indicated that resource presence varied consistently between habitat categories. Key habitats occurred at fairly constant proportions in territories of both species) their dispersion partly determined the configuration of territory boundaries. The proportions of specific habitats per territory were correlated with the proportions of certain prey items in diets. space use by individuals was analysed by spatial autocorrelation methods, variation in space use by foxes was attributed to variation in resource dispersion. In contrast, individual badgers were similar in their use of space. Here, small-scale heterogeneity in intensity of use may reflect local earthworm availability, in one studied fox group, males and females differed in range use. Individuals in one studied badger group coordinated their use of space probably to minimize foraging interference. It is suggested that group living in Wytham badgers is a response to defending resources, and a model is proposed to explain how the spatial and social organisation of male and female badgers relate to the characteristics of the resources they require.
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Buesching, Christina D. "The subcaudal gland of the European badger (Meles meles), chemistry and scent-marking behaviour." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.365858.
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Palphramand, Katie Louise. "Patterns of territoriality and space use in a moderate-density badger (Meles meles) population." Thesis, University of York, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.428458.
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Wilson, Gavin John. "Patterns of population change in the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) in Britain, 1988-1997." Thesis, University of Bristol, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1983/e2874fa5-7955-48c1-bb16-ae29893e9f72.
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In this thesis, the patterns of population change in the British badger (Me/es me/es) population over a nine year period are presented. The results of a stratified, random survey undertaken between October 1994 and January 1997 were compared with those from an identical, baseline survey which was carried out between November 1985 and early 1988. l-km squares were the unit of survey: 22711-km squares were surveyed twice - once in the 1980s survey and again in the 1990s. The Institute ofTerrestrial Ecology's Land Classification Scheme was incorporated into the survey design to ensure that Britain's landscape types were evenly represented in the sample, and to facilitate reliable extrapolation to the whole country. There were estimated to be 50,241±4327 badger social groups in Britain in the 1990s, an increase of24% from the original survey. Average group size also increased. An estimate of relative abundance, based on a field sign index which was quantified for each sample l-km square, revealed that there had been an increase in badger numbers of75% between the surveys. Variables relating to habitat availability and persecution levels were recorded in both surveys. Changes in badger abundance were analysed with respect to changes in these variables between the two surveys. A decline in levels of persecution correlated with the increase in badger numbers. Tightening ofthe badger protection laws is believed to have brought this about. The relationships between badger group size, sett size and activity, and latrine use were investigated to further refine the survey results, and to provide a means to estimate badger numbers at a local scale. Social group size was found to be related to the number of active holes at the main sett. A predictive model was produced incorporating main sett active holes and latrine use within territories
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Guedes, Diana Alvim Pereira de Sousa. "Environmental drivers reveal fragmented spatial patterns of Eurasian badger (Meles meles) occurrence in Portugal." Master's thesis, Universidade de Aveiro, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10773/21545.
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Mestrado em Ecologia AplicadaPerceber os fatores ambientais que influenciam a ocorrência e distribuição de espécies é essencial para a formulação de medidas de conservação eficientes. O texugo Europeu (Meles meles) é um dos carnívoros mais comuns nos ecossistemas Mediterrânicos mas o aumento da fragmentação de habitat nas últimas décadas pode originar uma mudança no seu estatuto e distribuição. A sua ampla distribuição geográfica juntamente com o facto de ser uma espécie generalista em termos de habitat e alimentação torna difícil encontrar um padrão de seleção de habitat único. Neste estudo foram analisados os factores ambientais que influenciam a localização das tocas (vulgarmente conhecidas como texugueiras e usadas para reprodução e refúgio), a ocorrência de texugo e o risco de atropelamentos. O principal objectivo é avaliar os padrões espaciais de habitats de alta qualidade e de alto risco para a conservação do texugo em Portugal. Prospetámos o centro de Portugal à procura de texugueiras e compilámos os dados de ocorrência de texugo e de atropelamentos a nível nacional. Usámos modelos lineares generalizados (GLM) para examinar os fatores que influenciam a localização das texugueiras e modelos de entropia máxima (MaxEnt) para analisar o que leva à ocorrência de texugo e à sua mortalidade nas estradas. Por fim, os três modelos foram sobrepostos com o objetivo de identificar áreas prioritárias para a conservação do texugo. Os nossos resultados revelaram uma fragmentação no padrão espacial dos habitats primários. Surpreedentemente, o texugo evita áreas densamente florestadas para a seleção do local das texugueiras e a sua ocorrência está positivamente relacionada com a presença de alguma proporção de campos agrícolas, solos sedimentares e áreas abertas. O risco de atropelamento é mais elevado em autoestradas com sinuosidade baixa e perto de zonas abertas. Os nossos resultados realçam a importância da manutenção de florestas Mediterrânicas naturais, pastos e zonas agrícolas. Deve ser dada prioridade às zonas de alto risco em termos de investigação (validar os resultados com uma estimativa das taxas de atropelamentos) e conservação (incluir passagens para minimizar o número de atropelamentos). É necessário mais investigação para determinar se as áreas de habitat primário disponíveis têm algum efeito na viabilidade das populações de texugo ao longo do tempo.
Understanding the environmental features that influence organism’s occurrence and distribution is essential to formulate efficient conservation measures. The European badger (Meles meles) is one of the most common carnivores in Mediterrranean environments but the increase of habitat fragmentation over the last decades may lead to a change in their status and distribution. Badger have an wide geographic distribution and together with the fact that are generalist in terms of habitat and food makes it difficult to find a unic habitat selection pattern. In this study we address to analyse the environmental drivers that influence the location of badger setts (used for reproduction and refuge), the occurrence of badgers and their risk of road mortality. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the spatial patterns of habitats of high quality and high risk for badger conservation in Portugal. We surveyed the centre of Portugal in search of badger setts and compiled badger occurrence and road-kill data at a national level. We used generalized linear modelling (GLM) to examine which factors influence the badger sett sites and maximum entropy modelling (MaxEnt) to analyse the drivers of badger occurrence and road mortality. Finally, we overlapped the three models to identify priority areas for badger conservation. Our results reveal a fragmented pattern of primary habitats for badgers. Surprisingly, when selecting the location of badger setts they seem to avoid densily forested areas and their occurrence is positively related to some amount of agricultural fields, sedimentary ground and open areas. Road mortality risk is high at highways with low sinuosity and close to open areas. Our results highlight the importance of the mantainance of natural Mediterranean forests, pastures and some agricultural lands. Priority should be given to risky areas in terms of reasearch (by validating the results with the estimation of road-kill rates) and of conservation (inclusion of crossing structures to minimize the number of road-kill events). Further research should be performed to determine whether the available primary habitat have an effect on populations viability over time.
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Sin, Yung Wa. "The major histocompatibility complex, mate choice and pathogen resistance in the European badger Meles meles." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2014. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:951310f6-63d8-4fbc-893a-dcd319e1a1d9.
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Studies of the evolution of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been central to the understanding sexual selection and pathogen-mediated selection. The European badger Meles meles is well suited for exploring such questions because of its life history characteristics, reproductive biology and mating system. In this thesis, I examined both MHC class I and class II genes. Seven putatively functional sequences were found for class I genes and four for class II DRB genes. Evidence of past balancing selection of both genes was demonstrated by the dNdS ratio, by positive selection at the antigen-binding site (ABS) and by trans-species polymorphism of alleles within other mustelids and carnivores. MHC class I genes also showed evidence of concerted evolution, but domains showed different evolutionary histories. MHC genes may influence microbiota and odour of an individual and influence mating preferences. I examined the bacterial community of the subcaudal gland secretion and demonstrated a high number of bacterial species (56 operational taxonomic units), which cubs exhibited a higher diversity than adults. The microbiota may lead to an individual-specific odour as a cue signaling the MHC genotype of potential mating partners. I report the first evidence for a MHC- based mating preference in carnivores. Female badgers showed a MHC-assortative mate choice towards breeding with males that had functionally similar MHC genes, for MHC class II DRB genes. This applied to neighbouring-group matings. I also found considerable annual fluctuation in the occurrence of MHC-based mate choice. Based on genome-wide background in the same mating randomizations I found no evidence of inbreeding, which indicated that MHC similarity was apparently the actual target of mate choice. In line with MHC-assortative mate choice, MHC heterozygosity had no influence on the co-infection status. Individual MHC alleles did, however, associate with resistance and susceptibility to specific pathogens, suggesting that MHC diversity may be driven and maintained by pathogen-mediated selection through rare-allele advantages and/or fluctuating selection. My study of genetic characteristics, mate choice and pathogen pressures in a wild population revealed past and contemporary evolutionary process of the MHC genes. This increases knowledge of how the MHC may affect mating behaviour and sexual selection, ultimately influencing population processes.
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Silva, Inês Malheiro Guise da. "Sett entrances characteristics of the Eurasian badger(Meles meles) in sharpham estate, southwest of England." Master's thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/24750.
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A fragmentação e a degradação de habitats estão entre as maiores ameaças aos carnívoros. O Texugo-euroasiático (Meles meles) é um carnívoro com facilidade de adaptação que, embora não esteja ameaçado globalmente, exige atenção na compreensão das características dos seus habitats. Este estudo pretendeu analisar que fatores ambientais caracterizam e influenciam o uso de entradas de tocas de texugo na propriedade de Sharpham (Reino Unido). A abordagem incluiu variáveis topográficas, de vegetação local, usos de solo e de influência humana. O teste U de Mann-Whitney foi executado para todas as variáveis ambientais. Os resultados sugerem que valores mais elevados de declive, cobertura de vegetação e de distância das áreas com pastagem e estruturas antropogénicas, como as estradas, promoveram uma maior probabilidade de uso das entradas. Devem ser incentivadas políticas de manutenção e conservação das características ambientais propícias à utilização das entradas de tocas, de modo a promover a integridade dos habitats de texugos e a sobrevivência das populações; Abstract:
Fragmentation and degradation of habitats are among the most important threats to carnivores. The Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) is a very adaptable carnivore that, while is not considered an endangered species globally, requires attention when it comes to understanding its habitats characteristics. This study intended to analyze which environmental factors characterize and influence the use of badger’s sett entrances in Sharpham Estate (UK). The approach included topographical, local vegetation, land uses and human-influenced variables. Univariate U Mann-Whitney test was performed for all environmental variables. The results suggest that high slope, high cover provided by vegetation and high distance from pastures areas and anthropogenic structures, such as roads, promoted a higher use probability of entrances. Maintenance and conservation policies of environmental characteristics conducive to the use of sett entrances should be encouraged in order to promote the integrity of badger habitats and the survival of populations.
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Moore, Alexis L. "Functional specialization in the intrinsic forelimb musculature of the American badger (Taxidea taxus)." Youngstown State University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1323718161.
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Christian, Sean Francis. "The behavioural ecology of the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) : space use, territoriality and social behaviour." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.357263.
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King, Hayley C. "Non-invasive monitoring of environmental Mycobacterium bovis shedding in wild European badger (Meles meles) populations." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2015. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/77509/.
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The herd-level incidence of Mycobacterium bovis has been increasing in the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic or Ireland (RoI) for the past thirty years, resulting in substantial economic and animal welfare issues. Failure to control this pathogen in cattle is in part due to European badgers (Meles meles), a wildlife reservoir that are responsible for a proportion of transmission of M. bovis to cattle. Monitoring infection in badger populations is currently limited due to the need to trap badgers, which requires highly trained field staff and is expensive. In addition, although contact with infected badger faeces is a potential transmission route to cattle, very little is known about the extent and variability of the environmental pool of M. bovis shed by badgers. In this project we evaluated the suitability of using environmental badger faeces and a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay to diagnose and monitor M. bovis in badger populations and described the extent of this environmental pool of potential infection. The first study identified that intensive environmental faecal sampling and analysis with qPCR is at least, if not more, sensitive at diagnosing M. bovis in badger populations than the currently used immunoassays. This study also identified that even within a high prevalence population, the levels of shedding of M. bovis in faeces are highly variable between groups and between seasons, suggesting that there may be heterogeneity in transmission risk throughout the year. Using this non-invasive qPCR method to monitor the first field trial of oral BCG vaccination identified a trend of decreasing levels of M. bovis in faeces with increasing vaccination levels however, these results failed to reach statistical significance, highlighting the importance of adequate sample sizes when implementing this method. Finally, characterisation of the gut and faecal microbiota from animals shedding M. bovis in faeces confirmed that the source of faecal M. bovis is most likely sputum that has been expelled from the lungs, and not from colonisation of the gut. The work presented here suggests that this non-invasive monitoring method can be applied to examine the variable pool of M. bovis over periods of time and large areas, providing an epidemiological tool which has the potential to be implemented to monitor infection in badger populations and disease intervention strategies.
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Karlsson, Linda. "Människovana grävlingar som testdjur för grythundar. En studie om hur grävlingars beteende och fysiologi påverkas av hundars aggressivitet." Thesis, Linköping University, Department of Thematic Studies, 2003. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-2313.
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In Sweden live badgers are used in tests in order to train and prepare earth dogs for hunting underneath ground. This has for several years causeddebate concerning the welfare of the badgers. It is questioned whether the purpose of the dog training, i.e. to reduce injuries in both dogs and prey, is worth the suffering that is reflected on the badgers.
The aim of this investigation was to study
1) stress levels in badgers when used in earth dog training,
2) if the stress load differs when the badgers are exposed to dogs with varying aggression levels (low, moderate, high).
Behaviour, body temperature and heart rate were studied during the different treatments and for three consecutive nights following each treatment. These nights were compared to undisturbed conditions. Several effects of the treatments were found on behaviour, body temperature and heart rate. The result from this study suggest that badgers are likely to be affected (possible stressed) when used in earth dog training and that they react differently when exposed to dogs with varying levels of aggression.
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Tulsiani, Urvi Kotak. "Factors influencing natural attenuation of dinitrotoluenes in surface soils: Badger Army Ammunition Plant a case study." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/7196.
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Factors influencing natural attenuation of dinitrotoluenes (DNT) in surface soils and the application of monitored natural attenuation (MNA) as a remediation strategy were examined using contaminated soils from Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP). Based on the previous research involving contaminated media obtained from locations at BAAP, and the fact that groundwater at the site is not contaminated, it seemed likely that aerobic biodegradation of DNT is active without intervention, and that natural attenuation may be an effective strategy for managing the contamination that exists at BAAP. Microcosms showed that microbes indigenous to soils are capable of 2,4-DNT mineralization and that DNT will adsorb reversibly and become bioavailable. In column studies 2,4-DNT biodegradation was observed and the nitrite evolved during DNT degradation was presumably removed due to oxidation by nitrite oxidizers. The use of simulated rainwater as influent with no nutrient amendments suggests that nutrients do not limit the biodegradation of low concentrations of DNT in the soil tested. In the chemostat study carried out to study effect lowering of temperature (22㬠15㬠10㬠7.5㠡nd 4㩠on biodegradation of DNT at hydraulic retention time of 2.5 days, no sustained change in the DNT substrate removal was observed with change in temperature, but it had a large effect on the nitrite oxidizers. This suggests that the seasonal fluctuations in temperature will have minimal effect on the DNT removal via biodegradation at temperatures above 0㮠Nitrite oxidizers were active at 22㬠their activity decreased at 15㠡nd ceased at temperatures 10㠡nd lower. Nitrite is generally taken as a line of evidence for biodegradation of DNT. The results from the soil column study and chemostat showed that nitrite measurement should not be always taken as a conclusive indicator of DNT degradation. It should be taken into consideration that absence of nitrite does not necessarily mean absence of DNT biodegradation (probably at high temperatures).
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Tulsiani, Urvi Kotak. "Factors influencing natural attenuation of dinitrotoluenes in surface soils : badger army ammunition plants : a case study." Available online, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005, 2005. http://etd.gatech.edu/theses/available/etd-07142005-000016/.
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Russell, William. "Development and evaluation of serological assays to detect Mycobacterium bovis infection in the badger (Meles meles)." Thesis, Brunel University, 1995. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.311276.
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York, Glen J. "Perceptions of teachers, guidance personnel and administrators at Badger High School of technology and technology education." Online version, 2002. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2002/2002yorkg.pdf.
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Annavi, Geetha. "Genetic, socio-ecological and fitness correlates of extra-group paternity in the European badger (Meles meles)." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2012. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:8d7304b2-84a2-4d5d-bbbc-63270d309e2e.
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The evolution of extra-group paternity (EGP) is a contentious issue in evolutionary biology. This thesis examines the factors and adaptive benefits driving EGP in a high-density, group-living population of European badgers (Meles meles). To improve power to assign parentage, I isolated and characterised 21 new polymorphic microsatellite markers. I genotyped 83% of 1410 badger trapped 1987‒2010 using 35 autosomal microsatellite markers. Maternity and paternity were assigned at 80% confidence ca. 82% of individuals. 48% of paternities were extra-group, where 85% were attributable to neighbouring-group males and EGP was detected in 47% of litters; thus badger social group do not correspond with a breeding unit. I tested whether indirect genetic benefits explain these high EGP rates. (1) ‘Good-gene-as-heterozygosity Hypothesis’: Paternal heterozygosity, but not maternal or an individual’s own heterozygosity, associated positively with first-year survival probability. Under benign environmental conditions, cubs fathered by more heterozygous males had a higher first year survival probability. Despite this correlation, the EGP rate per litter correlated with neither average nor maximum within-group heterozygosity of candidate fathers. (2) Fitness benefit Hypothesis: Extra-group offspring (EGO) had lower first-year survival probability and lived 1.3 years less than within-group offspring (WGO). Female WGO produced more litters and offspring over their lifetime than female EGO, whereas male EGO produced more offspring than male WGO. (3) Inbreeding avoidance hypothesis: The EGP rate within a litter increased with greater average pair-wise relatedness between mothers and within-group candidate fathers. No inbreeding depression on first-year survival probability was detected, but small sample sizes limited statistical power. Socio-ecologically, at the litter level, EGP correlated negatively with the number of within-group candidate fathers, and positively with neighbouring-group candidate fathers. In conclusion, EGP in badgers may reduce inbreeding and be maintained in the population through a sex-specific antagonistic selection and indirect genetic benefits may occur when the total fitness benefits of producing extra-group sons outweigh the costs of producing extra-group daughters. These indirect genetic benefits only partially explain the evolution of promiscuity in European badgers, highlighting that evolutionary factors underlying promiscuity remain unclear.
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Bilham, Kirstin Louise. "The effects of oxidative stress and innate immunity on European badger (Meles meles) life-history dynamics." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:043151e5-54da-47b1-86a1-14cef09f67e0.
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Wild animals are faced with many stressors from starvation to infections, which will affect individual survival and population dynamics. Free radicals and reactive oxygen species are involved in many of these processes, from cell signalling and immunity, to potentially being a causal factor in ageing. Oxidative stress is posited as a major factor in population dynamics, ultimately driving the evolution of life-history traits in wild species, acting as the 'currency' through which various trade-offs operate. In this thesis, I present a series of studies on the Wytham population of European badgers (Meles meles) focussed on dissecting the effects of host responses to stressors and pathogen recognition on life-history success. The first part of this thesis investigates intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting oxidative stress and antioxidant defences, linked to population-dynamic effects and life-history traits. I model the crucial intrinsic (development, ageing, reproduction) and one important extrinsic (weather conditions) factors affecting oxidative stress levels in a wild mammal, in relation to survival and reproductive investment. Benefitting from a long term study with marked individuals of a known age, I found that cubs trade-off the development of antioxidant defences against growth, and that juvenile survival is dependent on levels of oxidative damage. These factors are interactive with prevailing yearly weather conditions; investment in antioxidant defences has the greatest survival benefit for young cubs in harsh years (dry, cold spring). I also show that weather affects age-classes in different ways, but I did not find any link between higher oxidative damage and ageing, even following individual responses. The second major focus for the thesis is to explore the immune capability of badgers, focussing on macrophage function and the initial recognition of pathogens. Wildlife immunology represents a "neglected area" of ecology that has potential for large impacts in terms of conservation and disease management. Indeed, wildlife can be a reservoir for infections that affect humans (zoonotic infections) and their livestock. The badger is a classic example of this effect being considered an important reservoir for Mycobacterium bovis, the cause of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). I employed molecular immunology methodologies to develop a methodological tool box to assess immune responses in badgers, which are then employed to investigate the response of blood monocyte-derived macrophages to microbial agonists that stimulate Toll-like receptors. The major findings are that badger macrophages fail to produce nitric oxide or meaningfully upregulate inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA after exposure to TLR agonists, bacterial lysates and / or recombinant badger Interferon gamma. The TLR system is demonstrated to be largely intact in badger macrophages since exposure to TLR agonists did induce upregulation of cytokine mRNA. The only agonists that stimulated very low responses are those that target TLR9, but this was due to very low levels of expression of TLR9 mRNA. Both nitric oxide and TLR9 are implicated in responses to bTB and these deficiencies would significantly impact on the susceptibility of badgers to infection. There are numerous wider implications of my work: My thesis foremost highlights the importance of taking an integrated approach to eco-physiology and eco-immunology, as these processes are heavily intertwined. The weather correlates of oxidative stress not only highlight the potential vulnerability of all species to human induced rapid environmental change, but provide a stark warning especially for less resilient specialists. The immunology work confirms the importance of carefully analysing immune responses of wildlife species, especially in the context of designing effective species management strategies for diseases such as bTB, providing indicators of why a species may be susceptible to infection and indicating potential ways to improve vaccination.
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Noonan, Michael James. "The socio-ecological functions of fossoriality in a group-living carnivore, the European badger (meles meles)." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:69ea12af-f012-41ec-9359-6983cee8590a.
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This thesis examines the role played by den use in socio-ecology, especially in leveraging group formation (i.e., the Fossorial Benefits Hypothesis; FBH), using badgers as a model species. In particular, I benefit from recent technological developments, facilitating detailed measurements of activity, energetic expenditure, ranging behaviour, and underground localisation, enabling the examination of hitherto intractable facets of badger socio-ecology, allowing a comprehensive investigation. Group-living is theorised to evolve when the benefits of living with conspecifics outweigh the costs. While pack hunting, and allo-parenting play a specific role in fostering communal living, I demonstrate in Part I that continued cohabitation at natal dens can often acts as a precursive mechanism initiating cohabitation, that can persists into adulthood among small, omnivorous/insectivorous, den-using carnivores. In this context, I then consider the implications of delayed dispersal and reproductive suppression. This provides an evolutionary basis linking fossoriality and group-living in the Carnivora, where sociality is, in part, explained by burrow-dwelling. Part II establishes that the energetic benefits of using fossorial dens as refugia from adverse weather provide a functional basis for persistent co-occupation of a common den by conspecifics. Badgers use setts strategically, with reference to their body-condition and their imperative to forage, to reduce energy expenditure and optimise their capacity for achieving minimal food security. This section also considers how badgers may compensate for ongoing rapid climate change. Part III demonstrates that cohabitation at dens does not infer group collaboration or social structure; individuals may still act independently. Nevertheless, burrow use patterns were coordinated between badger group members, evidencing that dens act as social foci. Collectively these lines of evidence support the FBH as a playing a causal role promoting spatial group formation and a complementary role driving persistent benefits of group-living in suitable resource-scapes; resulting in 'spatial' though not necessarily 'social' -groups.
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Pigozzi, Giorgio. "Behavioural ecology of the European badger (Meles meles) : diet, food availability and use of space in the Maremma Natural Park, central Italy." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1987. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=130725.
Full textAbstract:
The diet of the European badger in the Maremma Natural Park consisted of fruits and insects and these food categories constituted about 90% of the total amount of food eaten (by volume) in each year of the study. Faecal analyses showed that earthworms and the remaining food resources played a secondary role in the diet. Temporal and spatial variation occurred in the diet; insects were exploited mainly during winter and spring, and fruits mainly during summer and autumn. The bulk of the food comprised juniper berries in the pinewood, and Coleoptera larvae and adults, strawberry-tree fruits and blackberries in the grazing areas and maquis. Most food resources showed spatial variation, being regular (e.g. junipers, blackberries) in the pinewood, but contagious (e.g. blackberries, grasshoppers) or random (junipers, strawberry-trees) in the grazing areas and maquis. The occurrence of contagiously-distributed and long-lasting food resources in the diet was correlated with their availability in the grazing areas, whereas the occurrence in the diet of regularly-distributed and long-lasting foods was not correlated with their availability in the pinewood.To investigate the spacing pattern and use of space by badgers, seven individuals were radio-tracked. Badgers were solitary, with adult males living in a territory 4--5 times larger than that of adult females, which had a territory of 30--40 ha. The size of individual territories was fairly constant with latrines located mostly near the territory boundary. The movement pattern and use of space by badgers appeared to reflect the spatial and temporal availability of the most important food resources in their territory. This study confirms the relationship between feeding ecology and social organisation of badgers and suggests that in areas where they rely on markedly seasonal, less abundant food resources the spacing of badgers reverts to the basic mustelid pattern of solitary individuals.
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Ford, Brett. "On the edge : a spatial and temporal analysis of genetic variation for endangered, peripheral American badger populations." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/63142.
Full textAbstract:
Peripheral populations are often characterized by small population size and low genetic diversity, with many at risk of extirpation. Threats to these populations may be even more pronounced in human-modified landscapes and areas of recent recolonization, that further reduce resiliency to environmental change. The western American badger (Taxidea taxus jeffersonii) is an endangered mammal in Canada inhabiting the sparse grasslands of south-central British Columbia (BC). In addition to being situated at the northwestern edge of the species’ range, recent human development and vehicle-induced mortalities have limited population recovery, causing unknown consequences on the genetic variation of these peripheral populations. By collecting mitochondrial haplotypic data and microsatellite genotypic data from roughly 300 samples in BC and neighboring regions, we assess how geographical isolation, anthropogenic disturbance, and glaciation history have shaped the genetic structure of peripheral American badger populations in this region. We discovered that the genetic structure of BC American badger populations epitomizes expectations for peripheral populations, with low levels of genetic diversity, significant differentiation, and population genetic structure all intensifying with an increase in marginality. We find evidence that these patterns, which vastly contrast those observed in central populations, are likely being influenced by geographical and anthropogenic features, that were both significantly correlated with genetic distance between individuals in western BC. Roadways were identified as potential barriers to gene flow across various scales and analyses. We also provide evidence for several glacial refugia impacting population genetic structure across the American badger range, two of which may have existed in British Columbia and the greater Pacific Northwest. Taken together, our study suggests that American badgers in British Columbia exemplify dynamics of peripheral populations, with genetic variation shaped by a unique glacial history and atypical landscape matrix, vastly contrasting central populations. Mitigating the impact of anthropogenic barriers as well as increasing connectivity between populations in BC and with populations in the United States will be essential for conserving the distinct genetic diversity of this endangered species.Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences (Okanagan)
Biology, Department of (Okanagan)
Graduate
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Duquette, Jared F. "Population Ecology of Badgers (Taxidea taxus) in Ohio." The Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1222187943.
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