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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Marsupials'

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Published: 4 June 2021
Last updated: 9 June 2025

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1

com, Nevi Parameswaran@gmail, and Nivethitha (Nevi) Parameswaran. "Toxoplasma gondii in Australian Marsupials." Murdoch University, 2008. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20100203.145857.

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Diagnostic tools were developed and utilised to detect Toxoplasma gondii infection in a range of Australian marsupial species and identify epidemiological trends. An ELISA was developed to detect anti-T. gondii IgG in macropod marsupials. When compared with the commercially available MAT (modified agglutination test), the ELISA was in high agreement and yielded a ê coefficient of 0.96. Of 18 western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) tested for the presence of T. gondii DNA by PCR, the 9 ELISA positive kangaroos tested PCR positive and the 9 ELISA negative kangaroos tested PCR negative indicating that the ELISA protocol was both highly specific and sensitive and correlated 100% with the more labour intensive PCR assay. A T. gondii seroprevalence study was undertaken on free ranging Australian marsupials. There was a T. gondii seroprevalence of 15.5% (95%CI: 10.7-20.3) in western grey kangaroos located in the Perth metropolitan area. The T. gondii seroprevalence in male western grey kangaroos was significantly less than their female counterparts (p=0.038), which may be related to behavioural differences causing differences in exposure to oocysts or recrudescence of T. gondii infection in pregnant females. Marsupial populations located in islands free from felids had a low overall T. gondii seroprevalence. A case control study determined that marsupials located in areas where felids may roam are 14.20 (95%CI: 1.94-103.66) times more likely to be T. gondii seropositive than marsupials located on felid-free islands. PCR, immunohistochemistry and serological techniques were used to detect T. gondii infection in marsupial dams and their offspring. T. gondii DNA was detected in the pouch young of chronically infected western grey kangaroos and a woylie (Bettongia penicillata). T. gondii DNA was also identified in the mammary gland of the woylie dam suggesting that infection of the woylie pouch young was from suckling milk from the mammary gland. Results of the study demonstrate that vertical transmission of T. gondii occurs in Australian marsupials and may be of importance in the maintenance of T. gondii infection in Australian marsupial populations. Animal tissue and meat from Australia, predominately from Australian marsupials, were screened for T. gondii DNA using PCR primers for the multi-copy, T. gondii specific B1 gene. Sequencing of the B1 gene revealed atypical genotypes in 7 out of 13 samples from Australia. These 7 isolates contained single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the B1 gene that could not be matched with known sequences from strains I, II, III and X. Six unique genotypes were identified out of the 7 atypical isolates; two out of the 7 isolates had the same unique sequence at the B1 gene whereas the other 5 isolates each had different combinations of SNPs at the B1 gene. A majority of T. gondii isolates sampled from native Australian marsupials were of an atypical genotype. The discovery of atypical strains of T. gondii in Australia leads to further questions regarding the origin and transmission of these atypical strains. Additional studies linking atypical strains with their clinical manifestation are also warranted.
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2

Parameswaran, Nevi. "Toxoplasma gondii in Australian marsupials /." Murdoch University Digital Theses Program, 2008. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20100203.145857.

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3

Parameswaran, Nivethitha (Nevi). "Toxoplasma gondii in Australian Marsupials." Thesis, Parameswaran, Nivethitha (Nevi) (2008) Toxoplasma gondii in Australian Marsupials. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2008. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/1680/.

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Diagnostic tools were developed and utilised to detect Toxoplasma gondii infection in a range of Australian marsupial species and identify epidemiological trends. An ELISA was developed to detect anti-T. gondii IgG in macropod marsupials. When compared with the commercially available MAT (modified agglutination test), the ELISA was in high agreement and yielded a ê coefficient of 0.96. Of 18 western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) tested for the presence of T. gondii DNA by PCR, the 9 ELISA positive kangaroos tested PCR positive and the 9 ELISA negative kangaroos tested PCR negative indicating that the ELISA protocol was both highly specific and sensitive and correlated 100% with the more labour intensive PCR assay. A T. gondii seroprevalence study was undertaken on free ranging Australian marsupials. There was a T. gondii seroprevalence of 15.5% (95%CI: 10.7-20.3) in western grey kangaroos located in the Perth metropolitan area. The T. gondii seroprevalence in male western grey kangaroos was significantly less than their female counterparts (p=0.038), which may be related to behavioural differences causing differences in exposure to oocysts or recrudescence of T. gondii infection in pregnant females. Marsupial populations located in islands free from felids had a low overall T. gondii seroprevalence. A case control study determined that marsupials located in areas where felids may roam are 14.20 (95%CI: 1.94-103.66) times more likely to be T. gondii seropositive than marsupials located on felid-free islands. PCR, immunohistochemistry and serological techniques were used to detect T. gondii infection in marsupial dams and their offspring. T. gondii DNA was detected in the pouch young of chronically infected western grey kangaroos and a woylie (Bettongia penicillata). T. gondii DNA was also identified in the mammary gland of the woylie dam suggesting that infection of the woylie pouch young was from suckling milk from the mammary gland. Results of the study demonstrate that vertical transmission of T. gondii occurs in Australian marsupials and may be of importance in the maintenance of T. gondii infection in Australian marsupial populations. Animal tissue and meat from Australia, predominately from Australian marsupials, were screened for T. gondii DNA using PCR primers for the multi-copy, T. gondii specific B1 gene. Sequencing of the B1 gene revealed atypical genotypes in 7 out of 13 samples from Australia. These 7 isolates contained single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the B1 gene that could not be matched with known sequences from strains I, II, III and X. Six unique genotypes were identified out of the 7 atypical isolates; two out of the 7 isolates had the same unique sequence at the B1 gene whereas the other 5 isolates each had different combinations of SNPs at the B1 gene. A majority of T. gondii isolates sampled from native Australian marsupials were of an atypical genotype. The discovery of atypical strains of T. gondii in Australia leads to further questions regarding the origin and transmission of these atypical strains. Additional studies linking atypical strains with their clinical manifestation are also warranted.
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4

Parameswaran, Nivethitha (Nevi). "Toxoplasma gondii in Australian Marsupials." Parameswaran, Nivethitha (Nevi) (2008) Toxoplasma gondii in Australian Marsupials. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2008. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/1680/.

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Diagnostic tools were developed and utilised to detect Toxoplasma gondii infection in a range of Australian marsupial species and identify epidemiological trends. An ELISA was developed to detect anti-T. gondii IgG in macropod marsupials. When compared with the commercially available MAT (modified agglutination test), the ELISA was in high agreement and yielded a ê coefficient of 0.96. Of 18 western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) tested for the presence of T. gondii DNA by PCR, the 9 ELISA positive kangaroos tested PCR positive and the 9 ELISA negative kangaroos tested PCR negative indicating that the ELISA protocol was both highly specific and sensitive and correlated 100% with the more labour intensive PCR assay. A T. gondii seroprevalence study was undertaken on free ranging Australian marsupials. There was a T. gondii seroprevalence of 15.5% (95%CI: 10.7-20.3) in western grey kangaroos located in the Perth metropolitan area. The T. gondii seroprevalence in male western grey kangaroos was significantly less than their female counterparts (p=0.038), which may be related to behavioural differences causing differences in exposure to oocysts or recrudescence of T. gondii infection in pregnant females. Marsupial populations located in islands free from felids had a low overall T. gondii seroprevalence. A case control study determined that marsupials located in areas where felids may roam are 14.20 (95%CI: 1.94-103.66) times more likely to be T. gondii seropositive than marsupials located on felid-free islands. PCR, immunohistochemistry and serological techniques were used to detect T. gondii infection in marsupial dams and their offspring. T. gondii DNA was detected in the pouch young of chronically infected western grey kangaroos and a woylie (Bettongia penicillata). T. gondii DNA was also identified in the mammary gland of the woylie dam suggesting that infection of the woylie pouch young was from suckling milk from the mammary gland. Results of the study demonstrate that vertical transmission of T. gondii occurs in Australian marsupials and may be of importance in the maintenance of T. gondii infection in Australian marsupial populations. Animal tissue and meat from Australia, predominately from Australian marsupials, were screened for T. gondii DNA using PCR primers for the multi-copy, T. gondii specific B1 gene. Sequencing of the B1 gene revealed atypical genotypes in 7 out of 13 samples from Australia. These 7 isolates contained single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the B1 gene that could not be matched with known sequences from strains I, II, III and X. Six unique genotypes were identified out of the 7 atypical isolates; two out of the 7 isolates had the same unique sequence at the B1 gene whereas the other 5 isolates each had different combinations of SNPs at the B1 gene. A majority of T. gondii isolates sampled from native Australian marsupials were of an atypical genotype. The discovery of atypical strains of T. gondii in Australia leads to further questions regarding the origin and transmission of these atypical strains. Additional studies linking atypical strains with their clinical manifestation are also warranted.
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5

Fuss, Janet Megan. "Retinal anatomy of Australian marsupials /." Title page, contents and summary only, 1986. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09SM/09smf994.pdf.

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6

Wormington, Kevin Ray. "The habitat requirements of arboreal marsupials in dry sclerophyll forests of south-east Queensland, Australia /." St. Lucia, Qld, 2003. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe17558.pdf.

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7

Zabaras, Regina, University of Western Sydney, of Science Technology and Environment College, and of Science Food and Horticulture School. "The evolution of semiochemicals in Australian marsupials." THESIS_CSTE_SFH_Zabaras_R.xml, 2003. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/759.

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The aim of this project was to study the nature and relative proportion of the volatile components in the sternal-gland secretions obtained from a wide range of Australian marsupials.The results obtained were then used to investigate the evolution of semiochemicals in Australian marsupials by using the current phylogenetic tree as a template.The initial part of the study was dedicated to the investigation of some of the techniques available for the sampling and analysis of gland secretions. Individuals from 8 families within the Marsupialia and 1 family from the Monotremata were sampled over an 18 month period.The obtained results were then subjected to multivariate statistical analysis followed by cladistic analysis.In several species the secretion composition was found to be affected by the breeding status of individuals for both genders.Many other factors such as animal-age, hierarchical status, diet,and lifestyle were also observed to affect the secretion composition. Finally, cladistic analysis demonstrated the differences in the levels of divergence at the species, familial and ordinal levels and highlighted secretion components that could be used to differentiate between super families, species and even sexual status of individuals.<br>Master of Science (Hons)
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8

Young, Lauren Jill. "Cellular immune responses of marsupials : family Macropodidae /." View thesis, 2002. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030724.151428/index.html.

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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002.<br>"A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy" Bibliography : leaves 400-437.
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9

Zabaras, Regina. "The evolution of semiochemicals in Australian marsupials." Thesis, View thesis View thesis, 2003. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/759.

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The aim of this project was to study the nature and relative proportion of the volatile components in the sternal-gland secretions obtained from a wide range of Australian marsupials.The results obtained were then used to investigate the evolution of semiochemicals in Australian marsupials by using the current phylogenetic tree as a template.The initial part of the study was dedicated to the investigation of some of the techniques available for the sampling and analysis of gland secretions. Individuals from 8 families within the Marsupialia and 1 family from the Monotremata were sampled over an 18 month period.The obtained results were then subjected to multivariate statistical analysis followed by cladistic analysis.In several species the secretion composition was found to be affected by the breeding status of individuals for both genders.Many other factors such as animal-age, hierarchical status, diet,and lifestyle were also observed to affect the secretion composition. Finally, cladistic analysis demonstrated the differences in the levels of divergence at the species, familial and ordinal levels and highlighted secretion components that could be used to differentiate between super families, species and even sexual status of individuals.
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10

Zabaras, Regina. "The evolution of semiochemicals in Australian marsupials." View thesis View thesis, 2003. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030402.151527/index.html.

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Thesis (M.Sc. (Hons.)) -- University of Western Sydney, 2003.<br>"A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Honours), College of Science, Technology and the Environment, University of Western Sydney ... January, 2003" Bibliography : leaves 142-150.
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11

Fazenda, Inês Isabel Paulo. "Molecular and morphological characterization of the genus globocephaloides from macropodid marsupials in Australia." Bachelor's thesis, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/1302.

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Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária<br>The genus Globocephaloides (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) is a pathogenic group of parasitic nematodes present in the duodenum of kangaroos and wallabies (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) in Australia. Globocephaloides species (G. trifidospicularis, G. macropodis and G. affinis) have been poorly studied and thus, there are significant controversies regarding their systematics and population structures. In the present study, single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and targeted sequencing of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA, were used to assess the genetic variation within and among Globocephaloides populations and individuals, from different host species and geographical origins. No or minor (0.2%) variation was detected among individuals of G. trifidospicularis and G. affinis. However, within G. macropodis populations there was a consistent heterogeneity in the ITS sequences (5.2 - 7.1%) between worms derived from two different host species (Macropus agilis and M. dorsalis). Under light microscopy, these two G. macropodis genotypes differed by the length, arrangement and tip of the spicules, and by pattern of the bursal rays. Thus, they were considered to represent sibling species. The molecular and morphological evidence culminated with the erection of a new species, namely G. wallabiae, and provided further insights into the host affiliation and geographical ranges of Globocephaloides spp.: G. wallabiae occurs mainly in M. dorsalis (north/east), G. macropodis in M. agilis and Petrogale persephone (north), G. affinis in M. dorsalis (north-east), and G. trifidospicularis in various Macropus species (south). Moreover, in the present study, the phylogenetic analyses between the genus Globocephaloides and other trichostrongyloid genera, using divergent domains of the 28S rRNA genes, gave evidence for the exclusion of the genus Globocephaloides from the Herpetostrongylidae, with the suggestion of a new family, namely „Globocephaloididae‟, within the Heligmosomoidea.<br>RESUMO - CARACTERIZAÇÃO MOLECULAR E MORFOLÓGICA DO GÉNERO GLOBOCEPHALOIDES EM MARSUPIAIS MACROPODÍDEOS NA AUSTRÁLIA - O género Globocephaloides (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) é um importante grupo de nemátodes patogénicos presente no duodeno de cangurus e wallabies (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) na Austrália. O estudo das espécies de Globocephaloides (G. trifidospicularis, G. macropodis e G. affinis) tem sido limitado, e por isso, existem numerosas controvérsias em relação à sua sistemática e às suas estruturas populacionais. No presente estudo, as técnicas de análise de ácidos nucleicos, „single-strand conformation polymorphism‟ (SSCP) e sequenciação-alvo da região ITS („internal transcribed spacers‟) do DNA ribossomal foram usadas com o objectivo de analisar a variação genética entre indivíduos e populações de Globocephaloides provenientes de diferentes hospedeiros e áreas geográficas. Em ambas as espécies G. trifidospicularis e G. affinis pouca ou nenhuma variação foi encontrada (0.2%). Contudo, nas populações de G. macropodis foi detectada uma consistente heterogeneidade nas sequências ITS (5.2 - 7.1%) entre espécimes provenientes de dois hospedeiros distintos (Macropus agilis e M. dorsalis). Recorrendo à microscopia óptica verificou-se que os dois genótipos de G. macropodis diferiam no comprimento, conformação e ponta das espículas, assim como, no padrão dos raios da bolsa copuladora. Como tal, foi considerado que os dois genótipos representavam duas espécies congéneres. Os resultados da biologia molecular e do estudo morfológico determinaram o reconhecimento de uma nova espécie denominada G. wallabiae e, além disso, forneceram dados sobre a especificidade de hospedeiros e distribuição geográfica do género Globocephaloides. G. wallabiae ocorre principalmente no hospedeiro M. dorsalis (norte/este), G. macropodis no M. agilis e Petrogale persephone (norte), G. affinis no M. dorsalis (nordeste) e G. trifidospicularis em várias espécies do género Macropus (sul). Adicionalmente, a análise das relações filogenéticas entre o género Globocephaloides e outros tricostrongilídeos, empregando os domínios do gene 28S rRNA, deu provas para a exclusão do género Globocephaloides da família Herpetostrongylidae, com a sugestão de uma nova família, denominada „Globocephalidae‟, inserida na superfamília Heligmosomoidea.<br>Financial support provided to the supervisors for the present study was from bodies including the Australian Research Council (ARC) [to Robin B. Gasser] and Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) [to Ian Beveridge]
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12

Chapman, Jamie. "The marsupial zona pellucida : its structure and glycoconjugate content." Title page, abstract and contents only, 2003. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phc4661.pdf.

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Bibliography: leaves 262-298. This thesis investigated the structure and glycoconjugate composition of the zona pellucida (ZP) surrounding marsupial oocytes and the changes that occur during ovarian development, following ovulation, and following cortical granule exocytosis. The glycoconjugates of the oviduct epithelial lining of the brushtail possum around the time of ovulation were also examined to determine if there was any contribution of the oviductal secretions to the post-ovulatory ZP.
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13

Jacinavicius, Fernando de Castro. "Ácaros trombiculídeos (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae) de pequenos mamíferos dos estados de São Paulo e Paraná: estudos morfológicos e investigação da presença de Rickettsia." Universidade de São Paulo, 2015. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/10/10134/tde-04082015-142832/.

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Para o Brasil foram reportadas 53 espécies de ácaros trombiculídeos. Destas, 5 espécies parasitam anfíbios, 6 espécies parasitam aves, 4 espécies parasitam répteis, 25 espécies parasitam roedores, 8 espécies parasitam marsupiais e 12 espécies parasitam outros mamíferos (incluindo humanos). Assim que os primeiros casos de Febre Maculosa Brasileira (FMB) foram diagnosticados em São Paulo nos anos 30, os ácaros hematófagos, como os trombiculídeos, foram sugeridos como potenciais vetores. No entanto, o papel desses ácaros na epidemiologia da riquetsiose não foi confirmado. Dessa forma, a situação fragmentária dos registros de ocorrência dos trombiculídeos, sua complexidade taxonômica e a escassez de informações sobre sua participação na epidemiologia de riquétsias, foram os principais motivos que levaram à proposição do presente estudo. Com isso, os ácaros que estão depositados nas coleções acarológicas do Instituto Butantan (IBSP), do Museu de Zoologia da USP (MZUSP) e da FIOCRUZ (CAVAIS-IOC), foram examinados e identificados. Igualmente, aqueles obtidos de roedores e marsupiais coletados em algumas localidades do estado de São Paulo e Paraná foram também identificados, bem como, investigados para a presença de Rickettsia spp. No total, foram identificadas as espécies Arisocerus hertigi, Eutrombicula sp. n., Kymocta brasiliensis, Quadraseta azulae, Q. brasiliensis, Q. mackenziei, Q. mirandae e Trombewingia bakeri. Além do encontro da nova espécie de Eutrombicula sp. n., foi ainda constatado que E. butantanensis e E. alfreddugesi são espécies distintas. As espécies Q. azulae, Q mackenziei e Q. mirandae, são assinaladas pela primeira vez no país. Com excessão de Q. brasiliensis em M. americana, todos os hospedeiros são novos registros para as espécies de ácaros examinados, bem como todas as localidades são novos registros de ocorrência. Assim, o número de espécies de trombiculídeos no Brasil aumentou para 59. Os ácaros investigados para Rickettia foram também preservados em lâminas, como testemunhos. Entretanto, nos espécimes analisados, a presença da bactéria não foi detectada.<br>For Brazil were reported 53 species of chigger mites. Of these, 5 species parasitize amphibians, 6 species parasitize birds, 4 species parasitize reptiles, 25 species parasitize rodents, 8 species occur on marsupials, and 12 species parasitize other wild mammals (including humans). In the 30s, as soon as the first cases of Brazilian Spotted Fever (BSF) in São Paulo were diagnosed, the haematophagous mites, such as chiggers, were suggested as potential vectors. However, the role of these mites in the epidemiology of the rickettsiosis was not confirmed. Thus, the fragmentary situation of the records of the chigger mites&#39; occurrence, their taxonomic complexity, and the lack of information about their participation in the BSF epidemiology, were the main reasons that led to the present study proposition. So, the mites deposited in the collections of the Instituto Butantan (IBSP), Museu de Zoologia of USP (MZUSP) and FIOCRUZ (CAVAIS-IOC), were identified. Also, those obtained from rodents and marsupials collected in some localities of the state of São Paulo and Paraná were identified and investigated for the presence of Rickettsia spp. In total, the species Arisocerus hertigi, Eutrombicula n. sp., Kymocta brasiliensis, Quadraseta azulae, Quadraseta brasiliensis, Quadraseta mackenziei, Quadraseta mirandae, and Trombewingia bakeri, were identified. Besides of the new specie of Eutrombicula sp. n., the mites E. alfreddugesi and E. butantanensis were found to be distinct species. The species Q. azulae, Q. mackenziei, and Q. mirandae, are highlighted for the first time in the country. Except for Q. brasiliensis in M. americana, all other hosts are new records for the species of examined mites, as well as all locaties are also new occurences. Thus, the number of chigger mite species in Brazil increased to 59. The mites investigated to Rickettsia were also preserved in slides, as voucher. However, in the analyzed specimens, the bacteria could not be detected.
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Ferreira, Juliana Isabel Giuli da Silva. "Diversidade, isolamento e filogenia de parasitas do gênero Trypanosoma em vertebrados silvestres da ilha pluvial e Estação Ecológica de Pirapitinga, Minas Gerais." Universidade de São Paulo, 2015. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/10/10134/tde-04092015-143212/.

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As espécies do gênero Trypanosoma parasitam vertebrados de todas as classes (peixes, anfíbios, répteis, aves e mamíferos) e possuem ciclos de vida com alternância entre vertebrados e invertebrados. A maioria das espécies se desenvolve em artrópodes hematófagos, que podem pertencer a diversas ordens e famílias. A maioria das espécies não é patogênica, T. cruzi é a única espécie patogênica para o homem nas Américas. Estudos realizados com algumas espécies de tripanossomas apontam uma grande complexidade do ciclo silvestre. Ressalta-se o fato que existam poucos trabalhos realizados no estado de Minas Gerais em animais silvestres. Até o momento, poucos estudos avaliaram os pequenos mamíferos terrestres e morcegos como reservatórios silvestres destes parasitas neste estado, com ausência de estudos com outros grupos de vertebrados. O presente projeto tem por objetivo principal, o conhecimento da diversidade de parasitas do gênero Trypanosoma em animais silvestres da ilha pluvial e Estação ecológica de Pirapitinga, Minas Gerais através do isolamento, caracterização molecular e estudos filogenéticos com marcadores tradicionais. Foram realizadas duas campanhas de captura nos meses de outubro de 2013 e março de 2014 totalizando 183 pequenos mamíferos terrestres, de 12 espécies pertencentes, a três diferentes Ordens (Calomys callosus, Cerradomys subflavus, Rhipidomys sp., Akodon sp., Hylaemys megacephalus, Delomys sp., Oligoryzomys sp., Didelphis albiventris, Micoreus sp., Gracilinanus agilis, Monodelphis domestica e Cabassous unicinctus, a espécie mais abundante foi Calomys sp, capturados com pitfalls e Shermann. Foram capturados 57 indivíduos de morcegos, com o auxilio de redes de neblina, de seis diferentes espécies (Glossophaga soricina, Artibeus sp., Platyrrhinus sp., Noctilio albiventris, Myotis sp., Choeronicus minor), a espécie mais abundante foi Glossophaga soricina. Todos os quirópteros foram negativos para tripanossomatídeos e dentre os pequenos mamíferos somente oito exemplares da espécie Monodelphis domestica foram positivas para o parasita, porém foram estabelecidas nove culturas (um dos animais estava parasitado por duas espécies de tripanossomas). Os isolados de M. domestica foram identificados como T. cruzi e uma nova espécie com morfologia distinta, mas agrupada nas filogenias com SSU rDNA e gGAPDH no Clado Lagartos/ Cobras. Esta nova espécie foi denominada T. gennarii. Os anuros e répteis foram capturados através de busca ativa e foram capturados 14 indivíduos de repteis pertencentes a 6 espécies e 88 indivíduos de anuros pertencentes a 4 espécies. Do total de anuros capturados 7 (7,95%) apresentaram hemocultura positivas e 2 (2,27%) de Leptodactylus latrans foram estabelecidas e criopreservadas com morfologia compatível a parasitas do gênero Trypanosoma. Filogenias baseadas em SSU rDNA segregou os isolados do Cerrado em um novo grupo denominado AN05 e a inclusão destes isolados evidenciaram um outro grupo, AN06 compostos de isolados obtidos de flebotomíneos.<br>The species of the genus Trypanosoma parasites of all vertebrate classes (Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) and have life cycles alternating between vertebrates and invertebrates. Most species develops in blood-sucking arthropods, which may belong to different orders and families. Most species are not pathogenic, T. cruzi is the only species pathogenic to humans in the Americas. Studies with some species of trypanosomes indicate a great complexity of the sylvatic cycle in biomes. We highlight the fact that there are few studies in the state of Minas Gerais in wild animals. To date, few studies have evaluated small terrestrial mammals and bats as wild reservoirs of these parasites in this state, with no studies with other groups of vertebrates. This project\'s main objective, knowledge of Trypanosoma parasites of the genus diversity in wild animals of the rain Island and Ecological Pirapitinga Station, Minas Gerais through isolation, molecular characterization and phylogenetic studies with traditional markers. Two arrest campaigns were conducted between October 2013 and March 2014 totaling 184 small terrestrial mammals, 12 species belonging to three different Orders (Calomys callosus, Cerradomys subflavus, Rhipidomys sp., Akodon sp., Hylaemys megacephalus, Delomys sp., Oligoryzomys sp., Didelphis albiventris, Micoreus sp., Gracilinanus agilis, Monodelphis domestica e Cabassous unicinctus, the most abundant species was Calomys callosus, captured with pitfalls and Shermann. The bats were captured with mist net and caught 57 individuals from six different species (Glossophaga soricina, Artibeus sp., Platyrrhinus sp., Noctilio albiventris, Myotis sp., Choeronicus minor), the most abundant species was Glossophaga soricina. All were negative for trypanosomatids bats and small mammals among only eight copies of Monodelphis domestica species were positive for the parasite, but nine cultures were established (one animal was infested by two species of trypanosomes). Isolates of M. domestica were identified T. cruzi and a new species with distinct morphology, but grouped in phylogenies with SSU rDNA and gGAPDH in Clade Lizards/ Snakes. This new species was named T.gennarii. Frogs and reptiles were captured through active search and were captured 14 individuals of reptiles belonging to 6 species of frogs and 88 individuals belonging to four species. Of the total of frogs captured 7 (7,95%) had positive blood culture and 2 (2.27%) of Leptodactylus latrans were established and cryopreserved with morphology compatible with the parasites of the genus Trypanosoma. Phylogenies based on SSU rDNA segregated the Cerrado isolated in a new group called AN05 and the inclusion of these isolates showed another group of compounds AN06 isolates from sand flies.
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15

Renfree, Marilyn B. "Marsupial reproduction and development." Thesis, Canberra, ACT : The Australian National University, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/142227.

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16

Martin, Meg Louise. "Morpho-functional adaptations to digging in Australian marsupials." Thesis, Martin, Meg Louise (2020) Morpho-functional adaptations to digging in Australian marsupials. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2020. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/58458/.

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Digging behaviour has evolved across multiple lineages of Australian marsupials and monotremes, some of which are amongst the most specialised diggers in the world. These animals forage for subterranean food sources, while others dig extensive burrow systems for shelter. The scratch-diggings, in turn, assist in soil turn over, water infiltration, nutrient cycling and dispersal of fungi and seeds, thus playing important roles in ecosystem health. Digging species are capable of generating high out-forces with their forelimbs to excavate soil. As form follows function, forelimb musculoskeletal morphology is expected to be driven by the forces that are imposed by their day-to-day activities, within the constraints imposed by phylogenetic background. In this thesis, I present four studies that quantitatively investigate intra- and inter-specific variation in forelimb adaptations to digging in Australian monotremes and marsupials to examine the link between skeletal morphology and muscle architecture. Representatives of all extant lineages of marsupials (Diprotodontia, Dasyuromorphia, Peramelemorphia, Notoryctemorphia) and monotremes (Monotremata) were used in a correlative study to examine the extent to which functional patterns of limb morphology are influenced by digging behaviour. Study 1 examined ontogenetic development of muscle architecture (muscle mass (mm) and muscle physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA)) in the Quenda (Isoodon fusciventer). This data demonstrated differential development of the muscles acting as main movers of the power-stroke during digging in comparison to recovery-stroke muscles for force production (PCSA) but on the whole suggested mechanical similarity throughout ontogeny in the sample. Study 2 examined the intraspecific relationship between the ontogenetic development of muscle architecture and 2D and 3D measures of bone shape to reveal that the shape of the scapula, humerus and third metacarpal show significant covariation with muscle anatomy. However, the relationship was not well-represented by bone indices. In study 3, the covariation between muscle PCSA and bone shape was quantified across a range of species. Bone shape was significantly different between species of different digging abilities; however, differences were not apparent after phylogenetic correction with the exception of the ulnar and third metacarpal shape. A significant link between muscles PCSA and shape was evident, especially for the scapula, humerus and third metacarpal. Study 4 extended the range of species examined for bone measures to reveal that ulnar shape and bone indices show significant differences between behaviour; this relationship was less evident in the scapula, humerus and third metacarpal. Overall, this collective body of work has quantified the extent to which forelimb muscle architecture and bone shape covary. This thesis also highlights the importance of ontogeny in quantitative studies of muscle architecture, and provides novel models of analysis of post-cranial anatomy. This information furthers the understanding of the complex links between vertebrate form and function. The application of these results will assist in making inferences of the behaviour and ecology of extinct species and the roles they may have played within the Australian ecosystem through time and space.
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17

Brandies, Parice Amber. "Conserving Australia's iconic marsupials; one genome at a time." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2021. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/26787.

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In the midst of a global sixth mass extinction event, conservation initiatives are now more crucial than ever. Australia houses the most diverse range of marsupial species in the world; however, the number that are threatened is growing every year. Genetic management of threatened populations is vital in species recovery, yet incorporation of genetic data in conservation management is currently limited. International and national genome sequencing consortia are currently producing reference genomes for a large variety of species, though there is currently a gap between the creation of these genomic resources and their downstream applications, particularly in conservation contexts. One of the major drivers of this gap is due to the bioinformatic expertise and resources that are required to analyse genomic datasets and to translate the findings into conservation management. This PhD employs a variety of bioinformatic and sequencing approaches to develop genomic resources for threatened Australian Marsupials and demonstrates how these resources can be used as a tool to assist species conservation. The value of genomic data for conservation is demonstrated for a range of species under varying scenarios including: i) using existing genomic datasets for the endangered Tasmanian devil to answer new conservation questions relating to reproduction, ii) creating a reference genome for the common brown antechinus, to act as a model species for its threatened congeneric counterparts and iii) generating and uniting a suite of genomic resources to assist in the management of the vulnerable greater bilby. In addition, ten simple rules for getting started with command-line bioinformatics are presented to facilitate the use of genomic data in wildlife conservation. Bridging the research-implementation gap is essential for harnessing the power of genomic resources for the conservation of threatened species. The findings from this PhD provide crucial steps into bridging this gap.
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18

Donahoe, Shannon. "Comparative pathogenesis of neosporosis and toxoplasmosis in Australian marsupials." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/17031.

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Clinical and subclinical Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii infections are reported in many animal species globally, including in Australia where little is known about the impact of parasite infection for native fauna. The investigations in this thesis were designed to fill existing knowledge gaps about the significance of neosporosis and toxoplasmosis in Australian marsupials. The fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) was used as an experimental model to study the immune response and susceptibility to infection of a native marsupial to N. caninum and T. gondii. Neospora-infected dunnarts had significantly more severe clinical and histopathological features of disease, higher tissue parasite burdens, and a less effective Th1 immune response than Toxoplasma-infected dunnarts. These results indicated the marsupial immune response may play a protective role in parasite infections analogous to what has been shown for eutherian models. This study was the first investigation of the marsupial immune response to N. caninum and T. gondii infection. To better understand toxoplasmosis and its significance in Australian wildlife, cases of naturally occurring disease were investigated in terrestrial and marine mammals. Clinicopathological features of disease were described and the causal parasite strains were genotyped. This work suggested that T. gondii may pose a disease threat to common wombats (Vombatus ursinus) and native marine fauna. Atypical and type II-like T. gondii strains accounted for all cases of toxoplasmosis investigated. Finally, to contextualize the possible significance of N. caninum for Australian wildlife, parasite-associated pathology in wildlife was comprehensively reviewed. As a whole, this thesis contributes substantial original knowledge about marsupial host-parasite interactions, pathological consequences of neosporosis and toxoplasmosis in native marsupials, and genetic diversity of T. gondii circulating in Australian wildlife.
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19

Andrew, Deborah. "Ecology of the tiger quoll dasyurus maculatus maculatus in coastal New South Wales." Access electronically, 2005. http://www.library.uow.edu.au/adt-NWU/public/adt-NWU20070501.155009/index.html.

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20

Hope, Perdita Jane. "Regulation of food intake, body fat stores and energy balance in the marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata." Title page, contents and summary only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phh7908.pdf.

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Bibliography: leaves 363-421. This thesis presents studies relating to the regulation of appetite, body fat stores and energy balance in the marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata. All of the studies presented have been published in international journals, accepted for publication, or submitted for publication. These studies have provided novel data on the regulation of food intake, body fat stores and energy balance in the marsupail Sminthopsis crassicaudata, representing fundamental advances in marsupial biology.
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21

Brewer, Philippa Biological Earth &amp Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science UNSW. "Palaeontology of primitive wombats." Publisher:University of New South Wales. Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, 2008. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/43156.

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Wombats (Vombatidae, Marsupialia) are fossorial marsupials that are most closely related to koalas amongst living marsupials. The cheek teeth of wombats are unique amongst Australian marsupials in being hypselodont (the condition where the teeth continue to grow throughout life and the formation of roots is suppressed). Hypselodonty is an adaptation to high degrees of tooth wear. The fossil record of vombatids is largely restricted to Pliocene to recent deposits and is largely represented by isolated teeth. Six genera are currently recognised from these deposits, all of which have hypselodont teeth. To date, a single isolated vombatid tooth has been described from pre-Pliocene deposits of South Australia and is the only example of a vombatid cheek tooth that possesses roots. Seventy specimens, representing five species of vombatid, have been recovered from Oligo-Miocene deposits in the Riversleigh World Heritage Site in northwestern Queensland and are described here. Among these are four new species and one new genus. A new species of Warendja from Riversleigh is described. It represents the oldest known hypselodont vombatid. This species is compared with additional specimens of the Pleistocene species of Warendja (W wakefieldi). Three species of Rhizophascolonus and a new monotypic genus are also described. Phylogenetic analysis of these taxa indicates that Rhizophascolonus may represent a sister taxon to the other vombatids. These specimens comprise almost all known examples of Oligo-Miocene vombatids. Most of the specimens are isolated teeth and are highly variable in size and morphology. Cusp detail is clearly preserved on many, allowing for omparison with the cusp morphology on juvenile cheek teeth of the common wombat (Vombatus ursinus). All of the taxa found in the deposits at Riversleigh share a number of characters such as marked differences in enamel thickness and height around the cheek teeth. It is argued here that these shared characters are indicative of high amounts of tooth wear and/or occlusal stresses acting on the trailing edge enamel. Combined with evidence of scratch-digging adaptations of the forelimbs it is suggestive of a rhizophagous niche for at least some of these early vombatids.
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22

Rondon, Michelle Viviane Sá dos Santos. "Biodiversity of intestinals parasites in wild mammals from two locations of São Paulo States." [s.n.], 2010. http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/315158.

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Orientador: Marlene Tiduko Ueta<br>Tese ( doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia<br>Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T12:24:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rondon_MichelleVivianeSadosSantos_D.pdf: 5998356 bytes, checksum: 92f7ee4c29f1458fa4d49e970a955c26 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010<br>Resumo: Os parasitas ocorrem praticamente em todos os níveis tróficos e sua transmissão pode depender da presença de uma variedade de hospedeiros intermediários, paratênicos e definitivos dentro do ecossistema. Exercem importantes efeitos sobre as populações de seus hospedeiros, alterando o comportamento, sucesso reprodutivo e a mortalidade. Por esse motivo, alguns autores os consideram importantes indicadores ambientais. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a epidemiologia e a biodiversidade de parasitas intestinais em mamíferos silvestres do reservatório do Jaguari, situado na cidade de Vargem/SP e do Parque Ecológico Prof. Hermógenes de Freitas Leitão Filho em Campinas/SP, e relacionar com os hábitos dos hospedeiros. Os espécimes de mamíferos foram capturados por armadilhas, posteriormente foram medidos, pesados, marcados, e após a coleta de fezes, os animais foram soltos. Para a pesquisa dos parasitas intestinais utilizaram-se os métodos de sedimentação, flutuação, e necrópsias foram realizadas em alguns casos. No reservatório de Jaguari foram realizadas 23 coletas entre os meses de agosto de 2005 a agosto de 2007. Os pequenos mamíferos capturados (N= 235) foram: Akodon montensis (71,5%), Calomys sp. (6,8%), Oligoryzomys nigripes (14%), Didelphis aurita (3,4%), Gracilinanus sp. (0,4%), Lutreolina crassicaudata (0,4%), Monodelphis sp. (2,1%) e Sylvilagus brasiliensis (1,3%). Também fora recolhidas amostras fecais (N=44), encontradas nas margens do reservatório de: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (56,8%), Lontra longicaudis (38,6%) e Puma concolor (4,5%). Das 303 amostras, 205 apresentaram-se positivas para parasitas, representando 67,6%. Foram encontrados: adultos de Cruzia tentaculata (0,5%), larvas de Nematoda (18,5%), ovos de Ascarididae (2,9%), Cruzia tentaculata (1,5%), Oxyuridae (0,9%), semelhantes à Dioctophyma sp. (0,5%), Syphacia sp. (0,5%), Toxocaridae sp. (0,5%), Trichostrongylidae (79%), Trichuridae (17%), Hymenolepis diminuta (0,9%), Hymenolepis nana (5,4%), Pseudophyllidea (0,9%), Taeniidae (0,5%), Trematoda (6,3%) e Acanthocephala (3,4%). Cistos de Amoebidae (1,9%), Giardia sp. (0,9%), semelhantes à Balantidium sp. (0,5%), oocistos de Coccidiida (10,2%), Eimeria sp. (0,9%) e trofozoitos de Amoebidae (2,4%), também foram encontrados. No Parque Ecológico, foram realizadas 16 coletas entre os meses de novembro de 2006 a fevereiro de 2008. Os pequenos mamíferos capturados (N= 103) correspondem aos roedores Myocastor coypus (6,8%), Nectomys squamipes (1,0%), Rattus rattus (20,4%), e o marsupial Didelphis albiventris (71,8%). O total de amostras fecais coletadas foi de 279, e 207 apresentaram-se positivas para parasitas, representando 74,2%. Foram encontrados adultos de Cruzia tentaculata (1,4%), larvas de Nematoda (24,1%), ovos de Ascarididae (3,4%), Capillaridae (2,9%), Cruzia tentaculata (67,6%), Oxyuridae (3,4%), semelhantes à Dioctophyma sp. (1,0%); semelhante à Syngamus sp. (6,3%), Spiruroidea (1,0%), Trichostrongylidae (21,2%), Trichuridae (19,8%), Hymenolepis diminuta (0,5%), Trematoda (8,2%), e Acanthocephala (1,9%). Oocistos de Coccidiida (39,6%), Eimeria sp. (4,3%) e Isospora sp. (1,0%) também estiveram presentes. Akodon montensis foi o animal mais frequente e com maior número de morfotipos de parasitas do reservatório de Jaguari, o mesmo ocorreu com o marsupial Didelphis albiventris no Parque Ecológico. Os parasitas mais frequentes foram os de ciclo monoxênico, que estão intimamente ligados aos hábitos dos animais estudados.<br>Abstract: The parasites occur practically in all trophic levels and their transmission can depend by the presence of a variety of intermediate, parathenic and definitive hosts within the ecosystem. They have important effects over their host populations as, behaviour changing, reproductive success and mortality. By these reasons, some authors consider then important environmental indicators. The objective of this studying was the epidemiology and the intestinals parasites biodiversity in wild mammals from the reservoir of Jaguari, located at the City of Vargem, São Paulo state, and relates with the hosts habits. The specimens were captured by traps, than measured, checked the weight, marked, the faeces were collected and the animals were released. For the intestinals parasites research, the sedimentation and fluctuation methods were used, and autopsies were performed in some cases. In the Jaguari reservoir 23 collects were performed between august 2005 to august 2007. The smalls captured mammals (N= 235) were: Akodon montensis (71.5%), Calomys sp. (6.8%), Oligoryzomys nigripes (14%), Didelphis aurita (3.4%), Gracilinanus sp. (0.4%), Lutreolina crassicaudata (0.4%), Monodelphis sp. (2.1%) and Sylvilagus brasiliensis (1.3%). Also faeces samples were collected (N=44) from the margins of the reservoir as: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (56.8%), Lontra longicaudis (38.6%) and Puma concolor (4.5%). From the 303 samples, 205 showed positive for parasites, representing 67.6%. Were found: adults of Cruzia tentaculata (0.5%), larvae of Nematoda (18.5%), Ascarididae eggs (2.9%), Cruzia tentaculata (1.5%), Oxyuridae (0.9%), similars to Dioctophyma sp. (0.5%), Syphacia sp. (0.5%), Toxocaridae sp. (0.5%), Trichostrongylidae (79%), Trichuridae (17%), Hymenolepis diminuta (0.9%), Hymenolepis nana (5.4%), Pseudophyllidea (0.9%), Taeniidae (0.5%), Trematoda (6.3%) and Acanthocephala (3.4%). Cysts of Amoebidae (1.9%), Giardia sp. (0.9%), similars to Balantidium sp. (0.5%), oocysts of Coccidiida (10.2%), Eimeria sp. (0.9%) and trophozoites of Amoebidae (2.4%), also were found. In the Ecological Park, were done 16 collects between November 2006 to February 2008. The small mammals captured (N= 103) were the rodents Myocastor coypus (6.8%), Nectomys squamipes (1.0%), Rattus rattus (20.4%), and the marsupial Didelphis albiventris (71.8%). The total faeces samples collected was 279, and 207 showed positive for parasites, representing 74.2%. Were found adults of Cruzia tentaculata (1.4%), Nematoda larvae (24.1%), Ascarididae eggs (3.4%), Capillaridae (2.9%), Cruzia tentaculata (67.6%), Oxyuridae (3.4%), similars to Dioctophyma sp. (1.0%); similar to Syngamus sp. (6.3%), Spiruroidea (1.0%), Trichostrongylidae (21.2%), Trichuridae (19.8%), Hymenolepis diminuta (0.5%), Trematoda (8.2%), and Acanthocephala (1.9%). Oocysts of Coccidiida (39.6%), Eimeria sp. (4.3%) and Isospora sp. (1.0%) were present as well. Akodon montensis was the most frequent animal and with the highest number of parasites morphotypes from the Jaguari reservoir, the same happened with the marsupial Didelphis albiventris in the Ecological Park. The most frequent parasites were those which have monoxenic cycle, which are intimately connected to the feed habits from the studied animals.<br>Doutorado<br>Parasitologia<br>Doutor em Parasitologia
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23

Walia, Charanjiv Singh. "Development of a method for the identification of novel viruses in marsupials with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)." Thesis, View thesis View thesis View thesis, 2002. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/815.

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Four main types of viruses capable of causing systemic and gastrointestinal infections, namely Coronavirus, Rotavirus, Parvovirus or Morbillivirus (Tennant et al, 1991) have been investigated in marsupials. A pilot study to develop and optimise the methodology was undertaken using Canine Coronavirus and the study was then extended to marsupials and other target viruses.In the marsupial portion of the study, a fragment of the correct size for the amplification of pol gene, 409 bp, was obtained from two different faecal samples from tammar wallaby (from Macquarie Fauna Park) and one western grey kangaroo (from Taronga Zoo). The results from tests are studied and compared. It is suggested that future further investigation should be directed at: 1/. Applying the protocols in this body of work to the testing of faecal samples from animals that have been diagnosed as positive with other diagnostic protocols. 2/. Examining more faecal samples from animals that present with active diarrhoea
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24

Coldham, Thosaporn Biotechnology &amp Biomolecular Sciences Faculty of Science UNSW. "The detection and characterisation of Helicobacter species in Australian marsupials." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, 2004. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/22370.

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This thesis examined the hypotheses that the mucus lining of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of Australian marsupials is colonised with large populations of spiral and fusiform shaped bacteria, many of which belong to the genus Helicobacter and that these Helicobacter species are likely be unique. The presence of spiral and fusiform shaped bacteria in the GIT of 8 Australian marsupial species (32 animals in total) was examined using microscopy, culture and Helicobacter genus specific PCR. The marsupials studied included the brushtail possum, ringtail possum, koala, wombat, Eastern grey kangaroo, Tasmanian devil, Eastern quoll and long nosed bandicoot. The spiral and fusiform shaped isolates were characterised and identified using morphological appearance, Helicobacter genus specific PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons. The spatial distribution of Helicobacter species in the GIT sections was examined microscopically in silver stained sections of the GIT and using Fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) with a Helicobacter genus specific probe. Spiral and/or fusiform shaped bacteria were detected and/or isolated from all marsupials studied. The prevalence and bacterial load of these organisms was found to differ in each marsupial species. These bacteria were found to belong to 3 different genera (Helicobacter, Campylobacter and Desulfovibrio). Each marsupial species appeared to be colonised with one or more unique Helicobacter species. Comparison of the detection of Helicobacter species in different groups of marsupials (herbivores, omnivores and carnivores) suggests that diet as well as the function and structure of the GIT may have a significant impact on their colonisation. Phylogenetic analysis of the new possum Helicobacters showed that they shared a common ancestor. Comparison of Helicobacter species isolated from different species of marsupial and placental mammals, as well as birds, showed that differences in environmental location i.e. gastric vs lower bowel had a major impact on the position of the Helicobacters on the phylogenetic tree.
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25

Pereira, Viviane Morlanes. "Ecologia de pequenos mamíferos (Didelphimorphia e Rodentia) em uma área de caatinga do Rio Grande do Norte." Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, 2016. http://bdtd.ufersa.edu.br:80/tede/handle/tede/635.

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Submitted by Socorro Pontes (socorrop@ufersa.edu.br) on 2017-03-27T15:32:23Z No. of bitstreams: 1 VivianeM_DISSERT.pdf: 2379104 bytes, checksum: 52e3047f467ee1b880b505c71e68f077 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-27T15:32:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 VivianeM_DISSERT.pdf: 2379104 bytes, checksum: 52e3047f467ee1b880b505c71e68f077 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-19<br>Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior<br>The Caatinga biome occurs in the states of the states of Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia and Minas Gerais, in Brazil. Despite being the only exclusively Brazilian ecosystem, few resources for research on biodiversity and conservation are devoted to this biome. The generation of knowledge on biodiversity of the Caatinga is essential for establishing effective strategies for management and conservation of species and habitats, particularly in a biome as sensitive and as threatened this one. The present work is divided into two chapters. The first one is an extensive literature review on the occurrence, distribution and chromosomal characteristics of species of small terrestrial mammals recorded in the Caatinga. The second chapter presents data on diversity, ecology and seasonality of a community of small terrestrial mammals (Didelphimorphia and Rodentia) using capture-marking-recapture methods throughout twelve successive months in a well-preserved native forest fragment of Caatinga located at the Experimental Farm Rafael Fernandes from the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró-RN<br>O bioma Caatinga ocorre nos estados do Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia e Minas Gerais, no Brasil. Apesar de ser o único ecossistema exclusivamente brasileiro, poucos recursos para pesquisas sobre biodiversidade e conservação são voltados para este bioma. A geração de conhecimento sobre a diversidade biológica da Caatinga torna-se essencial para estabelecer estratégias eficazes de gestão e conservação de espécies e habitats, particularmente em um bioma tão sensível e ameaçado como esse. O presente trabalho se divide em dois capítulos e, o primeiro, consiste em uma extensa revisão bibliográfica sobre a ocorrência, distribuição e características cromossômicas das espécies de pequenos mamíferos terrestres que habitam a Caatinga. O segundo capítulo, apresenta dados sobre diversidade, ecologia e sazonalidade de uma comunidade de pequenos mamíferos terrestres (Didelphimorphia e Rodentia) através de um estudo usando o método de captura-marcação-recaptura ao longo de doze meses sucessivos de amostragem em um fragmento de mata nativa de Caatinga bem conservada situada na Fazenda Experimental Rafael Fernandes da Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró-RN<br>2017-03-24
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26

Van, der Ree Rodney, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "Ecology of arboreal marsupials in a network of remnant linear habitats." Deakin University. School of Ecology and Environment, 2000. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050804.104814.

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Linear strips of vegetation set within a less-hospitable matrix are common features of landscapes throughout the world. Depending on location, form and function, these linear landscape elements include hedgerows, fencerows, shelterbelts, roadside or streamside strips and wildlife corridors. In many anthropogenically-modified landscapes, linear strips are important components for conservation because they provide a large proportion of the remaining wooded or shrubby habitat for fauna. They may also function to provide connectivity across the landscape. In some districts, the linear strips form an interconnected network of habitat. The spatial configuration of remnant habitat (size, shape and arrangement) may influence habitat suitability, and hence survival, of many species of plant and animal in modified landscapes. Near Euroa in south-eastern Australia, the clearing and fragmentation of temperate woodlands for agriculture has been extensive and, at present, less than 5% tree cover remains, most of which (83%) occurs as linear strips along roads and streams. The remainder of the woodland occurs as relatively small patches and single isolated trees scattered across the landscape. As an assemblage, arboreal marsupials are woodland dependent and vary in their sensitivity to habitat loss and fragmentation. This thesis focusses on determining the conservation status of arboreal marsupials in the linear network and understanding how they utilise the landscape mosaic. Specifically, the topics examined in this thesis are: (1) the composition of the arboreal marsupial assemblage in linear and non-linear woodland remnants; (2) the status and habitat preferences of species of arboreal marsupial within linear remnants; and (3) the ecology of a population of the Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis in the linear network, focusing on population dynamics, spatial organisation, and use of den trees. The arboreal marsupial fauna in the linear network was diverse, and comprised seven out of eight species known to occur in the district. The species detected within the strips were P. norfolcensis, the Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps, Common Brushtail Possum Trichosums vulpecula, Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Brush-tailed Phascogale Phascogale tapoatafa, Koala Phascolarctos cinereus and Yellow-footed Antechinus Antechinus flavipes. The species not detected was the Feathertail Glider Acrabates pygmaeus. Survey sites in linear remnants (strips of woodland along roads and streams) supported a similar richness and density of arboreal mammals to sites in non-linear remnants (large patches or continuous tracts of woodland nearby). Furthermore, the combined abundance of all species of arboreal marsupials was significantly greater in sites in the linear remnants than in the non-linear remnants. This initial phase of the study provided no evidence that linear woodland remnants support a degraded or impoverished arboreal marsupial fauna in comparison with the nonlinear remnants surveyed. Intensive trapping of arboreal marsupials within a 15 km linear network between February 1997 and June 1998 showed that all species of arboreal marsupial (except A. pygmaeus) were present within the linear strips. Further analyses related trap-based abundance estimates to measures of habitat quality and landscape structure. Width of the linear habitat was significantly positively correlated with the combined abundance of all arboreal marsupials, as well as with the abundance of P. norfolcensis and T. vulpecula. The abundance of T. vulpecula was also significantly positively correlated with variation in overstorey species composition, Acacia density and the number of hollow-bearing trees. The abundance of P. norfolcensis was positively correlated with Acacia density and canopy width, and negatively correlated with distance to the nearest intersection with another linear remnant. No significant variables were identified to explain the abundance of P. tapoatafa, and there were insufficient captures of the remaining species to investigate habitat preferences. Petaurus norfolcensis were resident within the linear network and their density (0.95 -1.54 ha-1) was equal to the maximum densities recorded for this species in continuous forest elsewhere in south-eastern Australia. Rates of reproduction were also similar to those in continuous forest, with births occurring between May and December, a mean natality rate of 1.9, and a mean litter size of 1.7. Sex ratios never differed significantly from parity. Overall, the population dynamics of P. norfolcensis were comparable with published results for the species in contiguous forest, clearly suggesting that the linear remnants currently support a self-sustaining, viable population. Fifty-one P. norfolcensis were fitted with radio transmitters and tracked intermittently between December 1997 and November 1998. Home ranges were small (1.3 - 2.8 ha), narrow (20 - 40 m) and elongated (322 - 839 m). Home ranges were mostly confined to the linear remnants, although 80% of gliders also utilised small clumps of adjacent woodland within farm paddocks for foraging or denning. Home range size was significantly larger at intersections between two or more linear remnants than within straight sections of linear remnants. Intersections appeared to be important sites for social interaction because the overlap of home ranges of members of adjacent social groups was significantly greater at intersections than straight sections. Intersections provided the only opportunity for members of three or more social groups to interact, while still maintaining their territories. The 51 gliders were radiotracked to 143 different hollow-bearing trees on 2081 occasions. On average, gliders used 5.3 den trees during the study (range 1-15), and changed den trees every 4.9 days. The number of den trees used by each glider is likely to be conservative because the cumulative number of den trees continued to increase over the full duration of the study. When gliders shifted between den trees, the mean distance between consecutive den sites was 247 m. Den trees were located throughout a glider's home range, thereby reducing the need to return to a central den site and potentially minimising energy expenditure. Dens were usually located in large trees (mean diameter 88.5 cm) and were selected significantly more often than expected based on their occurrence within the landscape. The overall conclusion of this thesis is that the linear network I studied provides high quality habitat for resident populations of arboreal marsupials. Important factors influencing the suitability of the linear remnants appear to be the high level of network connectivity, the location on soils of high nutrient status, the high density of large trees and an acacia understorey. In highly fragmented landscapes, linear habitats as part of the remaining woodland mosaic have the potential to be an integral component in the conservation of woodland-dependent fauna. The habitat value of linear strips of vegetation should not be underestimated.
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27

Hemsley, S. "Investigations of mucosal immunology and diseases of mucosal surfaces in marsupials." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/19216.

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28

Hillman, Alison. "Urbanisation and small marsupials in the greater Perth region, Western Australia." Thesis, Hillman, Alison (2016) Urbanisation and small marsupials in the greater Perth region, Western Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2016. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/33177/.

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Background Quenda (Isoodon obesulus) and brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) remain in many areas of Perth, Western Australia, despite urbanisation. This thesis investigated the impacts of urbanisation on the parasitic infections, morphometrics and reproductive fitness of these marsupials. Parasite screening particularly investigated the presence of parasites that quenda and possums may be acquiring from humans and pets in urbanised environments. Methods This cross sectional study targeted free-ranging quenda and brushtail possums in Perth. Trapping was undertaken on 29 bushland sites and 35 urbanised sites. Trapped marsupials were sampled for gastrointestinal and macroscopic ecto- parasites and Toxoplasma gondii antibodies, and morphometrics were measured. Statistical analyses included linear and logistic regression, Kulldorff’s spatial scan statistic and analysis of similarities in parasite communities. Results 287 quenda and 33 brushtail possums were sampled across 55 sites. Parasitic infections were common in Perth quenda, and less so in brushtail possums. Twelve parasite taxa were identified infecting these host species for the first time. In quenda, some differences in parasite prevalences, odds of infection, intensities of infection, and parasite communities, were observed in quenda trapped in urbanised environments compared to bushland. In quenda, Giardia spp. infection was common, and typically the non-zoonotic G. peramelis. Analyses suggest that the primary influence on the distribution of Giardia spp. infection in quenda is population density. Quenda trapped in urbanised environments were heavier on average than quenda trapped in bushland, in the absence of convincing evidence of a difference in skeletal morphometrics. Bushland adult female quenda had increased odds of having an active pouch than those in urbanised environments. Conclusions Quenda and brushtail possums in Perth are not commonly infected with gastrointestinal and macroscopic ecto- parasites of humans and domestic animal origin. Quenda in urbanised environments have a tendency towards obesity. Urbanised environments may negatively impact fecundity of female quenda.
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Ferran, Vera de. "Pan-biogeografia dos gêneros Didelphis, Philander, Metachirus, Chironectes e Lutreolina (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae)." Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 2013. http://www.bdtd.uerj.br/tde_busca/arquivo.php?codArquivo=6523.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior<br>A ordem Didelphimorphia, de marsupiais americanos, apresenta 19 gêneros e 96 espécies, todos membros da família Didelphidae, que é dividida em duas subfamílias, Caluromyinae e Didelphinae. A subfamília Didelphinae contém (não apenas) as tribos Didelphini e Metachirini. A tribo Didelphini compreende 15 espécies de quatro gêneros: Chironectes (1 espécie), Lutreolina (1), Didelphis (6) e Philander (7) e a tribo Metachirini é monotípica, com apenas uma espécie do gênero Metachirus. Estes cinco gêneros encontram-se distribuídos amplamente pelas Américas, desde o sul do Canadá até a região central da Argentina. O objetivo deste estudo foi buscar identificar e explicar, através de análise pan-biogeográfica, os padrões de distribuição das espécies destes cinco gêneros. Para tal, foi feito um levantamento em banco de dados, coleções científicas e artigos científicos para a obtenção de dados sobre as localidades de registro de cada espécie. Estas foram então marcadas em mapas e a partir destes, as localidades de ocorrência foram conectadas com linhas de menor distância para formação dos traços individuais. Pela sobreposição dos traços individuais chegou-se aos traços generalizados e do encontro destes, aos nós biogeográficos. Os pontos de ocorrência foram também plotados em mapas de biomas para análise. Encontramos três traços generalizados e dois nós biogeográficos, um no centro da Bolívia na província biogeográfica de Puna e outro na Argentina, na província de Misiones. Quatro espécies não participaram de nenhum dos traços generalizados, provavelmente devido à sua distribuição mais restrita (Philander deltae, P. andersoni, P. olrogi e P. mcilhennyi). Chironectes minimus e Metachirus nudicaudatus tiveram seus traços coincidentes com dois traços generalizados, o que está de acordo com suas divisões de subespécies. Identificamos os diferentes padrões existentes para o norte da América do Sul (Venezuela) já apontado por diversos autores, porém apenas quando analisadas as subespécies em separado. Alguns limites para a distribuição das espécies puderam ser identificados, como por exemplo o istmo de Tehuantepec, no México, para Chironectes minimus e Metachirus nudicaudatus e o limite da região neotropical para P. opossum e D. marsupialis. O limite de distribuição sul de Philander opossum e P. frenatus é provavelmente o rio Paraguai, que deve servir de barreira para o contato entre as duas espécies. A descaracterização dos ambientes naturais pelo desmatamento vem alterando os padrões naturais de distribuição das espécies, com o registro de espécies de áreas abertas em biomas de mata. Lutreolina crassicaudata apresenta distribuição disjunta, ocupando duas áreas de vegetação aberta, uma no noroeste e outra no centro e sudeste da América do Sul, padrão provavelmente gerado pelos períodos de retração e expansão de áreas de savana do Mioceno superior ao Holoceno, levando à captura destes enclaves de vegetação aberta, com seu isolamento por áreas de floresta. Os nós e traços generalizados aqui identificados coincidiram com os encontrados por outros autores. Apesar da pan-biogeografia poder ser usada para propor áreas de proteção ambiental, nos locais em que encontramos os nós biogeográficos já existem unidades de conservação, não havendo assim necessidade de propor novas áreas no caso desses marsupiais. Ainda existe uma grande necessidade de um melhor conhecimento da distribuição e taxonomia das espécies estudadas, o que promoveria um melhor entendimento dos padrões biogeográficos existentes<br>The order Didelphimorphia, family Didelphidae of American marsupials includes 19 genera and 96 species and is divided into two subfamilies, Caluromyinae and Didelphinae. The subfamily Didelphinae contains (not exclusively) the tribes Didelphini and Metachirini. The tribe Didelphini comprises 15 species of four genera: Chironectes (1 species), Lutreolina (1), Didelphis (6) and Philander (7) and Metachirini tribe is monotypic, with only one species of the genus Metachirus. These five genera are widely distributed throughout the Americas, from southern Canada to central Argentina. The aim of this study was to identify and to explain the speciess distribution patterns trough pan-biogeographic analysis. So, a survey was carried on using databases, visiting scientific collections and searching for published records to obtain data on localities were species were registered. Localities, for each separate species were marked on maps and the most close localities were connected with lines (individual tracks). The overlapping of individual tracks are the generalized tracks and the intersection of two or more generalized tracks are called nodes. Localities were also plotted on biomes maps. We found three generalized tracks and two nodes, one in the center of Bolivia in the biogeographic province of Pune and the other in Argentina, in Misiones. Four species do not participated in any generalized tracks, probably due to its restricted distribution (Philander delta, P. andersoni, P. olrogi and P. mcilhennyi). Chironectes minimus and Metachirus nudicaudatus had their tracks overlapped with two generalized tracks, which is in accordance with their known subspecies geographic distribution. In those species which are divided in subspecies, a separate analysis was carried on. Different patterns on the northern South America (Venezuela) were identified, all already pointed out by authors. Some species distribution limits were identified, such as the Tehuantepec Isthmus in Mexico for C. minimus and M. nudicaudatus and the neotropical region north limit to P. opossum and D. marsupialis. The south limit of P. opossum and P. frenatus is the Paraguay river, which seems to be a barrier. The mischaracterization of natural environments by human activities is changing the natural distribution patterns, as we can see by the occurrence of open areas species in forest biomes. Lutreolina crassicaudata presents a disjunct distribution, occupying two open vegetation areas, in northwest and center-southeast South America, probably generated by periods of contraction and expansion of savanna areas during the later Miocene to Holocene, leading to open vegetation enclaves surrounded by forests. The generalized tracks that we identified coincided with those found by other authors. Despite the pan-biogeography methodology can be used to propose protected areas, our nodes are in areas where conservation units already exist. There still is a great need for a better data of the distribution and taxonomy of these species, which would promote a better understanding of their biogeographic patterns
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30

Stewart, Annabelle Greer. "Dibblers on the Jurien islands : the influence of burrowing seabirds and the potential for competition from other species /." Connect to this title, 2006. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2007.0066.

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31

Wong, Emily (Emily Sau Wai). "Characterisation of the marsupial and monotreme immunomes." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2010. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/28962.

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In this thesis I utilize the recently sequenced genomes of the South American grey short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica), tammar wallaby (Macropus eugeniz') and the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) to identify and characterize immune genes in order to fill in the gaps in our understanding of evolution of the immune systems in non-eutherian mammals. Many of these genes have proved elusive to identify using conventional lab strategies and automated genome annotation pipelines. I discovered divergent immune genes using bioinformatic protocols that I developed and compiled this sequence information in a publicly available database. I examined species—specific expansions of major immune gene clusters. Using these genes, I developed a comprehensive marsupial immune gene set which is used to compare the expression profiles of the two tammar wallaby thymuses to gain insights into the functional roles of these organs. The availability of these immune sequences allows for analysis of large-scale expression studies and development of marsupial- and monotremespecific reagents.
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32

Cascini, Manuela. "Evolution of marsupial biodiversity." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2020. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/197697/1/Manuela_Cascini_Thesis.pdf.

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This thesis explored the evolutionary trajectory of marsupials, focusing primarily on the Australasian marsupial fauna, and used a phylogenetic inference approach that combines molecular, ecological and fossil data sets. A first study provided the most complete and accurate (to-date) species-level marsupial phylogeny by using the most taxonomically complete set of nuclear and mitochondrial loci. In a second study, DNA and fossils from extinct and modern taxa were used to infer the evolution of macropods. A third project inferred the most complete (to-date) time-calibrated phylogeny of Diprotodontia. By incorporating fossil data, this last project revealed apparent competitive displacement of Vombatiformes (koala and wombats) by Macropodiformes (kangaroos) from the Late Miocene onwards, and a long (~25 million year) lag in the evolution of herbivory among marsupials compared to placental mammal faunas.
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Smith, Nicholas E. "Acquiring three-dimensional data from small mammalian teeth laser scanning Eocene marsupials /." Huntington, WV : [Marshall University Libraries], 2007. http://www.marshall.edu/etd/descript.asp?ref=779.

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34

Leiner, Natália Oliveira. "Padrões de uso do espaço em multiplas escalas por roedores e marsupiais de Mata Atlantica." [s.n.], 2009. http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/316274.

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Orientador: Wesley Rodrigues Silva<br>Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia<br>Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-13T16:39:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Leiner_NataliaOliveira_D.pdf: 1793051 bytes, checksum: 67b783e1e2d52a03688d55890fd30fc8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009<br>Resumo: Diversos fatores influenciam os padrões de uso de espaço de pequenos mamíferos, tais como estrutura de hábitat, riscos de predação e período reprodutivo. O objetivo desse estudo foi investigar a influência de tais fatores sobre o uso de espaço de roedores e marsupiais em diferentes escalas. No primeiro capítulo, analisamos a estrutura das comunidades de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores que ocorrem em fragmentos florestais e em áreas em restauração, e investigamos quais componentes do hábitat influenciam a composição de espécies dessas comunidades. De forma geral, os resultados mostraram que a composição de espécies é um reflexo das preferências que as espécies apresentam por determinados componentes do hábitat, de forma que características estruturais da vegetação e sensibilidade das espécies às alterações determinam a estrutura das comunidades de pequenos mamíferos nos hábitats amostrados. No segundo capítulo, testamos a hipótese de que a importância de diferentes fatores na seleção de hábitats por Marmosops incanus e Marmosops paulensis depende da escala de observação, e a hipótese de que o uso de hábitat funciona como um mecanismo para garantir a coexistência dessas duas espécies, de forma que essas espécies devem selecionar diferentes componentes do hábitat e/ou apresentar segregação no uso vertical do espaço. Os resultados demonstraram que ambas as espécies selecionam os fragmentos florestais pela presença de maior complexidade estrutural e sub-bosque denso, variável que também influenciou a distribuição dessas espécies na escala do meso-hábitat. Na escala mais fina, do micro-hábitat, foram detectados padrões contrastantes de seleção para cada espécie. Enquanto M. incanus preferiu locais com maior estruturação vertical entre 0.5 e 1.0 m, M. paulensis não apresentou padrões claros de seleção de hábitat. Esse resultado aponta a influência da escala de observação nos padrões de seleção de hábitat. Apesar das espécies não apresentarem segregação na seleção de componentes do hábitat, houve segregação no uso vertical do espaço e a abundância das espécies foi negativamente correlacionada, apoiando em parte a segunda hipótese. No terceiro capítulo, corroboramos a hipótese de que a cobertura de gramíneas determina o uso de hábitat e os padrões de forrageamento por espécies de roedores. Sugerimos que a seleção por áreas com maior cobertura vegetal está relacionada com a diminuição dos riscos de predação durante o forrageamento. Por fim, no quarto capítulo analisamos a organização espacial de machos e fêmeas de M. paulensis durante o ano. Os resultados indicaram que as fêmeas apresentam uma estratégia territorial que parece estar associada à distribuição e previsibilidade dos recursos alimentares, e não ao período reprodutivo e a presença de filhotes.<br>Abstract: Several factors may influence habitat selection and spatial organization of small mammals, such as habitat structure, predation risks and reproductive activity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of these factors on space use patterns of rodents and marsupials at multiple scales. In the first chapter, we evaluated community structure of non-volant small mammals inhabiting forest fragments and restored sites, and discussed which habitat components influenced species composition of these communities. Our results showed that species composition reflects species habitat selection, in a way that habitat structure and ability to occupy disturbed sites determine species composition and community structure in the sampled habitats. In the second chapter, we evaluated the hypotheses that 1) Marmosops habitat selection is scale dependent and 2) in order to coexist, M. incanus and M. paulensis should partition habitat use, through differential use of habitat components and/or segregation in the use of vertical strata. Both M. incanus and M. paulensis occurred almost exclusively at forest fragments, due to higher structural complexity and the presence of a dense and low understory, which also determined the distribution of these species inside the fragments. At a smaller, mesohabitat scale, both species selected areas providing dense understorey, especially vertical obstruction 0-0.5 m above ground. At a finer, micro-habitat scale, we detected contrasting patterns for each species. At this scale, M. incanus preferred places with higher plant cover and higher vertical obstruction 0.5-1.0 m above ground, while M. paulensis presented no evident pattern of habitat selection. Although our results failed to find selection for different habitat variables between M. incanus and M. paulensis, we found an inverse numerical association between species and segregation in the use of vertical strata, thus partially supporting the second hypothesis. In the third chapter, we confirmed the hypothesis that rodent habitat use and foraging behavior is determined by grass cover. We suggested that small rodents avoid foraging in reduced cover sites due to high perceived predation risks. Finally, the fourth chapter evaluated the spatial organization of M. paulensis males and females. As expected, evidence demonstrated that M. paulensis presents a promiscuous mating system, with females defending territories and males moving between these areas, as a strategy to maximize reproductive success. The occurrence of territoriality in females seems to be determined by the distribution and predictability of food resources, rather than reproductive activity and the presence of young.<br>Doutorado<br>Doutor em Ecologia
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Almeida, Marcos Vinicius de 1988. "Aspectos da ecologia populacional de Gracilinanus microtarsus (Mammalia: Didelphidae)." [s.n.], 2014. http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/315880.

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Orientadores: Sérgio Furtado dos Reis, Eduardo Guimarães Martins<br>Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia<br>Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-25T08:14:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida_MarcosViniciusde_M.pdf: 7387765 bytes, checksum: dbae53054702be911926e036e367711a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014<br>Resumo: O objetivo do presente trabalho foi investigar diversos parâmetros de interesse para a ecologia populacional de Gracilinanus microtarsus. Em particular os objetivos foram estimar probabilidade sobrevivência e verificar como a população de G. microtarsus do Cerrado de Mogi Guaçu no estado de São Paulo se comporta com relação ao contínuo de estratégias reprodutivas; estimar taxas de captura e recaptura e verificar se os indivíduos na população do Cerrado de Mogi Guaçu se comportam com relação a chance de ser mais ou menos capturados; estimar o tamanho populacional e verificar se existe variação temporal nesse parâmetro. As estimativas de sobrevivência obtidas para G. microtarsus nesse estudo no Cerrado da Fazenda Campininha no município de Mogi Guaçu em São Paulo variaram entre um mínimo de 0,484 e um máximo de 0,815. A população de G. microtarsus no Cerrado da Fazenda Campininha se comporta do ponto de vista demográfico como semalpara parcial. O tamanho populacional de G. microtarsus na área de cerrado da Fazenda Campininha mostrou-se mais elevado estatisticamente nos meses de maior pluviosidade. As estimativas nesses meses, novembro, dezembro (2005), janeiro e março (2006), variaram de 20 a 30. As estimativas nos meses de dezembro (2005) e janeiro (2006) foram as mais altas com 24 e 31, respectivamente. Nossos dados para o maior tamanho populacional estimado para os meses mais quentes descritos no trabalho, sugerem uma forte influência da estação quente e úmida, onde a oferta de alimentos, principalmente insetos, é maior na região de estudo e é aquela que parece melhor favorecer a reprodução e o desenvolvimento de filhotes da cuíca G. microtarsus<br>Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate aspects of the population ecology of Gracilinanus microtarsus. Specifically, the primary objectives were to estimate the probability of survival and to assess the behavior of the population of G. microtarsus from the Cerrado de Mogi Guaçu in the state of São Paulo with respect the semelparity-iteroparity continuum; to estimate probabilities of capture and recapture; and to estimate population size and temporal variation in this parameter. Estimates of survival varied between 0.484 and 0.815. The population of G. microtarsus in the Cerrado de Mogi Guaçu behaves as partial semelparous. Population size was higher in the months of higher pluviosity<br>Mestrado<br>Biodiversidade Animal<br>Mestre em Biologia Animal
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36

Paiva, Kaliane Alessandra Rodrigues de. "Rickettsia sp. em roedores e marsupiais silvestres do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil." Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, 2016. http://bdtd.ufersa.edu.br:80/tede/handle/tede/570.

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Submitted by Socorro Pontes (socorrop@ufersa.edu.br) on 2017-03-14T14:27:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 KalianeARP_DISSERT.pdf: 1933642 bytes, checksum: d81d7572738a12680036b924e51703d5 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-14T14:27:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 KalianeARP_DISSERT.pdf: 1933642 bytes, checksum: d81d7572738a12680036b924e51703d5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-22<br>Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior<br>Rickettsia are pathogens with zoonotic potential transmitted by wild and domestic animals, where the occurrence of infections by Rickettsia spp. It happens among populations of wild rodents and marsupials, which has a significant share in the maintenance cycle of these microorganisms in the wild environment. Thus, this study aimed to record the occurrence of Rickettsia sp. in wild rodents and marsupials in the Rio Grande do Norte semi-arid. The work consisted in a field research with wild rodents and marsupials, with data expressed in simple frequency and percentage using IBM SPSS (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.), version 22.0. Were captured in Sherman and Tomahawk traps, 02 Thrichomys, 03 Wiedomys, 30 Gracilinanus agilis and 06 Monodelphis domestica, which were collected by venipuncture of julgular vein, 36 blood samples of marsupials and 05 of rodents. These were collected 64 Amblyomma auricularium, 07 Amblyomma parvum and 12 Amblyomma sp. Were obtained by centrifugation 36 samples of sera marsupials and 05 rodents and analyzed using Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA). All copies of A. auricularium, Amblyomma sp. and A. parvum were macerated and submitted to DNA extraction and amplification by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) directed to a fragment of gltA and ompA rickettsial genes. Of serum samples obtained from wild rodents and marsupials blood and tested in IFA showed seropositivity for Rickettsia amblyommii, 6.7% G. agilis, 83.3% M. domestica and 50% Thrichomys. Eight samples of A. auricularium were positive for genes in R. amblyommii fragment analysis gltA (350 bp) and ompA (587 bp) with 100% similarity to Candidatus R. amblyommii Bahia and AaPE strain, corresponding to a low circulation agent from the vectors and high among the population of M. domestica. This research records for the first time the occurrence of R. amblyommii in marsupial species G. agilis and M. domestica belonging to Didelphidae family and Echimyidae family rodents Thrichomys genre, in the semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil<br>Rickettsia são patógenos com potencial zoonótico transmitidos por animais silvestres e domésticos, onde a ocorrência de infecções por Rickettsia spp. acontece entre populações de roedores e marsupiais silvestres, os quais tem relevante participação na manutenção do ciclo desses microrganismos no ambiente silvestre. Desta forma, esse estudo objetivou registrar a ocorrência de Rickettsia sp. em roedores e marsupiais silvestres no semiárido do Rio Grande do Norte. O trabalho consistiu em uma pesquisa de campo, com roedores e marsupiais silvestres, com os dados expressos em frequência simples e porcentagem através do programa estatístico IBM SPSS (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.), versão 22.0. Foram capturados nas armadilhas Sherman e Tomahawk, 02 Thrichomys, 03 Wiedomys, 30 Gracilinanus agilis e 06 Monodelphis domestica, dos quais foram coletados por venopunção da veia julgular, 36 amostras de sangue de marsupiais e 05 de roedores. Destes foram coletados 64 Amblyomma auricularium, 07 Amblyomma parvum e 12 Amblyomma sp. Foram obtidas por centrifugação 36 amostras de soros de marsupiais e 05 de roedores e analisadas utilizando a Reação de Imunofluorescência Indireta (RIFI). Todos os exemplares de A. auricularium, Amblyomma sp. e A. parvum foram macerados e submetidos a extração de DNA e amplificação através da Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase (PCR) direcionados para um fragmento dos genes gltA e ompA rickettsial. Das amostras de soro obtidas do sangue de roedores e marsupiais silvestres e testadas na RIFI, apresentaram soropositividade para Rickettsia amblyommii, 6,7% de G. agilis, 83,3% M. domestica e 50% Thrichomys. Oito exemplares de A. auricularium estavam positivos para R. amblyommii na análise de fragmentos dos genes gltA (350 pb) e ompA (587 pb), com 100% de similaridade com Candidatus R. amblyommii estirpe Bahia e AaPE, correspondendo a uma baixa circulação do agente dentre os vetores e elevada entre a população de M. domestica. Esta pesquisa registra pela primeira vez a ocorrência de R. amblyommii em marsupiais das espécies G. agilis e M. domestica pertencentes a família Didelphidae e roedores da família Echimyidae do gênero Thrichomys, no semiárido do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil<br>2017-03-13
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37

Firestone, Karen Beth School of Biological Science UNSW. "The Application of Molecular Genetics to the Conservation Management of Quolls, Dasyurus Species (Dasyuridae:Marsupialia)." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Biological Science, 1999. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/17491.

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The quolls are among the largest of the remaining carnivorous marsupials in the Australasian region, and thus occupy an important ecological niche as top predators and scavengers. All quolls are currently in decline and threatened to some degree yet the application of molecular information to the conservation and management of quolls has been unexplored until now. In this thesis I use two independent and highly variable genetic marker systems, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region and nuclear microsatellites, to explore various aspects of conservation genetics relevant to the management of quolls. These aspects include an examination of the phylogenetic or evolutionary relationships among all six species of quolls, an examination of the genetic diversity within populations and the degree of differentiation between populations of the four Australian species of quolls, and the definition of units for conservation within these species. The development of suitable nuclear markers was a vital first step in defining levels of genetic variability and differentiation within and between the different populations and species. These markers proved to be highly variable and provided a wealth of information of relevance to the conservation of these species, and will be extremely useful in further studies. The use of the mtDNA control region for phylogenetic analyses was a novel approach to examining this question in quolls and also proved to be highly informative. Results from these phylogenetic analyses highlight the necessity of 1) examining more than one exemplar of each species, as well as 2) finally bringing some consensus to the question of the evolutionary relationships among quolls. Results show that northern quolls form the earliest split from all other quolls and that western quolls are closely related to the two New Guinean species. Furthermore, there is evidence for distinct lineages within species, corresponding to geographically separate or isolated populations. Levels of genetic variability within populations were examined using the microsatellites developed previously. Genetic variation was significantly higher in western quolls than in any other species. This was surprising given the long term and widespread decline of this species. There were also significant differences between populations within species in the level of genetic variability. Low levels of variability were usually found in small or captive bred populations or populations in severe decline. Genetic differentiation between populations was also explored using microsatellites. Significant differentiation in allele frequency distributions was found between most pairwise population comparisons, indicating that each of these populations forms a separate management unit (MU) for conservation purposes. One notable exception was found among populations of tiger quolls from a highly localized area in the Barrington Tops region of New South Wales. Using microsatellites, these populations were not significantly subdivided and thus appeared to be one MU. Using mtDNA, however, these populations were significantly subdivided and thus should be considered separate MUs. Differences in the way these two genetic markers are inherited (mtDNA is maternally inherited, microsatellites are biparentally inherited) provides a clue as to the social structure and organization of these cryptic nocturnal species. Consequently, the use of different genetic marker systems shows that there is sex-biased migration within this species. Finally, the degree of genetic differentiation observed within tiger quolls does not conform to the currently recognized subspecific categories within this species. The major genetic split occurs between the Tasmanian and mainland populations of tiger quolls, not between Dasyurus maculatus maculatus and D. m. gracilis. Thus, the Tasmanian and mainland populations form two distinct evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) for conservation purposes, and I propose that the Tasmanian populations should be elevated to the subspecific status to account for this.
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38

Sponchiado, Jonas. "ESTRUTURA DAS COMUNIDADES DE PEQUENOS MAMÍFEROS DE DUAS UNIDADES DE CONSERVAÇÃO (TAIM E ESPINILHO) DO BIOMA PAMPA, SUL DO BRASIL." Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 2011. http://repositorio.ufsm.br/handle/1/5273.

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Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico<br>The small-mammal community structure of two conservation unit (CUs), Taim Ecological Station (TES) and Espinilho State Park (ESP), of the Pampa biome in southern Brazil, was investigated and compared regarding species richness, composition and abundance. Additionally, a Deciduous forest area was compared with those ones. For this purpose, ten transects with live-traps pitfall traps were used. In addition, sixteen environmental variables were measured in the TES to verify the small-mammal micro-spatial distribution. During six field phases in each area, 11 species were capture at TES, while nine species were captured in the ESP. The two areas of the Pampa biome showed high species richness when compared to forested areas, since both are influenced by other biomes: TES by the Atlantic Forest, as it is close to the coastal region, and the ESP by the interior of the continent biomes, Chaco and Espinal. The abundance and composition were different due to environmental heterogeneity, biogeography effect, size areas and degree of disturbance. However, environmental heterogeneity allows both areas to have similar species richness. When compared with the Atlantic forest CU, they differ in species richness, composition and abundance of individuals due to greater homogeneity and complexity of the forested area. With respect to the microspatial distribution, species richness and abundance were associated with sites close to water, with greater availability of arthropods and herbs. Since there is great variability of environments at TES, the heterogeneity is primarily responsible for the variation in richness and abundance of small mammals among microhabitats. The analysis indicated a significant effect of environmental variables on species abundance, showing the selection of some environments more often than others.<br>A estrutura da comunidade de pequenos mamíferos de duas Unidades de Conservação (UCs), a Estação Ecológica do Taim (ESET) e o Parque Estadual do Espinilho (PEE), do bioma Pampa no sul do Brasil, foi investigada e comparada quanto à riqueza, composição e abundância de espécies. Adicionalmente, uma área de Floresta Estacional Decidual, foi comparada com essas duas. Para tanto, foram utilizadas transecções com armadilhas convencionais e de queda. Ainda, na ESET dezesseis variáveis ambientais foram mensuradas para verificar a distribuição micro-espacial de pequenos mamíferos. Durante seis fases de campo em cada área, 11 espécies foram capturadas na ESET, enquanto nove foram capturadas no PEE. As duas áreas do bioma Pampa apresentaram alta riqueza de espécies quando comparadas a áreas florestadas, já que ambas sofrem influência de outros biomas: a ESET da Mata Atlântica, por se situar na região costeira, e o PEE dos biomas do interior do continente, Chaco e Espinal. A abundância e a composição foram diferentes, devido à heterogeneidade ambiental, efeito biogeográfico, diferença no tamanho das áreas e grau de perturbação. Porém, a heterogeneidade ambiental permite que ambas as áreas possuam riqueza de espécies similar. Quando comparadas com a UC de Floresta Atlântica, diferem na riqueza, composição e abundância de espécies devido à maior homogeneidade e complexidade da área florestada. Com relação à distribuição micro-espacial, a riqueza e a abundância estiveram associadas a locais próximos à água, maior disponibilidade de artrópodes e herbáceas. Uma vez que existe uma grande variabilidade de ambientes na ESET, a heterogeneidade é a principal responsável pela variação na riqueza e abundância de pequenos mamíferos entre os microhabitats. As análises mostraram um efeito significativo das variáveis ambientais na abundância das espécies, evidenciando a seleção de alguns ambientes mais favoráveis em detrimento a outros.
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39

Peres, Paulo Henrique Asfora Lopes. "Diversidade, diferenciação e biogeografia de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores na Mata Atlântica ao norte do rio São Francisco Centro de Endemismo Pernambuco." Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 2011. http://www.bdtd.uerj.br/tde_busca/arquivo.php?codArquivo=8949.

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro<br>As florestas tropicais brasileiras (Amazônia e a Mata Atlântica) possuem alta diversidade de espécies e atualmente estão separadas por um cinturão de vegetação aberta. Parte deste cinturão é ocupada pela Caatinga, onde se encontram os Brejos de Altitude, testemunhos das conexões históricas entre a Mata Atlântica e a Amazônia. O Centro de Endemismos Pernambuco (CEPE) é a unidade biogeográfica que compõe a Mata Atlântica ao norte do rio São Francisco e contém diversos táxons endêmicos. Esta região apresenta uma mastofauna compartilhada com a Amazônia, devido às conexões existentes durante o Cenozóico. A presença do rio São Francisco em seu limite sul pode atuar como barreira ao fluxo gênico e explicar os endemismos encontrados no CEPE. Contrastando com sua situação peculiar, a mastofauna do CEPE ainda carece de estudos aprofundados sobre a identificação de suas espécies, padrões geográficos e relações filogenéticas. Revisões recentes têm identificado espécies diferentes ao norte e ao sul do rio São Francisco, mas poucos trabalhos têm proposto hipóteses biogeográficas para o CEPE. Para ampliar o conhecimento sobre a identidade e distribuição geográfica dos pequenos mamíferos do CEPE e sua estrutura filogeográfica, foram realizados levantamentos de espécies e análises de diversidade genética e morfométrica para algumas espécies. Os levantamentos consistiram de visitas às coleções científicas a fim de identificar as espécies ocorrentes no CEPE e excursões de coleta com 5 a 17 noites consecutivas em 12 localidades ao longo do CEPE, que totalizaram 64691 armadilhas noites e resultaram na coleta de 476 exemplares de 31 espécies. As espécies foram identificadas com base na morfologia externa e craniana e por análises citogenéticas. Para investigar a biogeografia do CEPE, análises de genética de populações, filogeográficas e morfométricas foram realizadas para os marsupiais Caluromys philander, Didelphis aurita, Marmosa murina, Metachirus nudicaudatus e os roedores Akodon cursor, Oecomys catherinae e Rhipidomys mastacalis para avaliar a existência de diferenciação nas populações do CEPE e suas relações com as linhagens Amazônicas e Atlânticas. Estes resultados mostraram que a diversificação dos pequenos mamíferos do CEPE ocorreu tanto no Terciário quanto no Quaternário. Algumas populações, como em Caluromys philander e Oecomys catherinae, mostraram afinidades com linhagens amazônicas, enquanto outras, como em Metachirus nudicaudatus e Rhipidomys mastacalis, apresentaram afinidades com linhagens atlânticas. Os pequenos mamíferos do CEPE apresentaram diferenciação em relação às suas linhagens irmãs, com algumas linhagens podendo tratar-se de espécies ainda não descritas (e.g. Didelphis aff. aurita e Rhipidomys aff. mastacalis). Esta diferenciação provavelmente foi causada pelos eventos cíclicos de flutuações climáticas que provocaram elevações no nível do mar e retração das florestas tropicais, isolando as populações do CEPE. Por fim, para auxiliar na identificação das espécies em novas coletas, de suas distribuições geográficas e de suas características citogenéticas e ecológicas, foi elaborado um guia reunindo todas as informações disponíveis sobre as espécies de pequenos mamíferos do CEPE.<br>The Brazilian tropical rainforests (Amazon and Atlantic Forest) present high species diversity and are currently separated by a belt of open and dry vegetation. Part of this belt is occupied by the Caatinga, where are found the Brejos de Altitude, evidence of the historical connections between the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon. The Pernambuco Endemism Center (CEPE) is the biogeographic unit of the Atlantic Forest located north of the São Francisco River and contains several endemic taxa. Part of its mammal fauna is shared with the Amazon, due to former connections in the Cenozoic. The presence of the São Francisco river in its southern limit may act as a barrier to gene flow and explain the endemism found in CEPE. In contrast to their peculiar situation, the mammalian fauna from CEPE still lacks detailed studies on its taxonomic composition, geographic patterns and phylogenetic relationships. Recent reviews have identified different species in the north and south of the San Francisco river, but few studies have proposed biogeographical hypotheses for the CEPE. In order to increase knowledge on the identity and geographical distribution of the small mammals in the CEPE and their phylogeographic structure, species surveys were carried out and the genetic and morphometric diversity of some of the species found were assessed. The surveys consisted of visits to scientific collections to identify the species occurring in CEPE and trapping trips, with 5 to 17 consecutive nights, in 12 sites throughout the CEPE, totaling 64,691 trap-nights, resulting in the collection of 476 specimens of 31 species. The specimens were identified based on external and cranial morphology and cytogenetic analysis. To investigate the biogeography of CEPE, genetics, phylogeographic and morphometric analysis were performed with the marsupials Caluromys philander, Didelphis aurita, Marmosa murina, Metachirus nudicaudatus and the rodents Akodon cursor, Oecomys catherinae and Rhipidomys mastacalis to assess the existence of differentiation in CEPE populations and their relationships with the Amazon and Atlantic Forest lineages. These results showed that diversification of small mammals in CEPE occurred in both the Tertiary and Quaternary. Some populations, such as Caluromys philander and Oecomys catherinae showed affinities with amazonian lineages, while others, like Metachirus nudicaudatus and Rhipidomys mastacalis, showed affinities with atlantic lineages. The small mammals from CEPE showed differentiation from their sisters lineages, with some lineages probably being, in fact, undescribed species (eg Didelphis aff. aurita and Rhipidomys aff. mastacalis). This differentiation was probably caused by cyclical events of climate fluctuations that led to sea level rises and retractions of the tropical forests, thus isolating the populations in CEPE. Finally, to help identifying species in future field surveys, their geographic distributions and ecological and cytogenetic features, a guide was prepared by gathering all available information on the species of small mammals from CEPE.
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Weisbecker, Vera Biological Earth &amp Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science UNSW. "Postcranial evolution in marsupials: comparative analyses of autopodial diversity and postcranial skeletal ontogeny." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, 2008. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/43330.

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Marsupial evolution and morphological diversity is traditionally viewed against the background of marsupial life history, central to which are the highly altricial neonates that actively move towards the teat. It has been suggested that this mode of birth leads to a constraint on the marsupial postcranial diversity. However, apart from phylogenetic investigations, few empirical studies have assessed diversity, patterns of adaptation, or ontogeny of the marsupial postcranium. This thesis contributes to the debate by providing diverse, large-scale empirical data on selected issues of marsupial postcranial evolution, using multidisciplinary approaches with focus on quantitative analysis. Chapter 1 provides an overview on previous research on this topic. Chapter 2 assesses the phylogenetic and functional-anatomical implications of marsupial carpal diversity. Chapter 3 is a phylogenetically informed morphometric analysis of diprotodontian manual digits, demonstrating locomotor adaptations similar to those in placentals and allowing the development of a new locomotor predictor ratio. Chapter 4 shows that functional correlates of digit proportions in Diprotodontia also exist in the placental hystricomorph rodents, which resemble Diprotodontia in ecological diversity. Chapter 5 applies the results from Chapters 2-4 to the mostly extinct diprotodontian suborder Vombatiformes, revealing functionally related parallelism in the hand of vombatiforms and kangaroos and questioning previous concepts of locomotion in early vombatiforms. Chapter 6 focuses on the evolution of marsupial syndactyly using a multidisciplinary approach including morphometrics and ossification sequence analysis. The results suggest that syndactylous digits evolve as a functional unit; syndactyly may arise through alteration of developmental patterns as suggested by ossification sequence heterochrony. Chapter 7 is a combined analysis of ossification sequences in marsupial and placental postcrania. The results suggest that the special locomotor and developmental requirements on marsupial neonates may metabolically and mechanically impact postcranial ossification patterns, delaying hindlimb development and accelerating ossification of the anterior torso. Chapter 8 summarises the research presented in this thesis and suggests directions for future work on marsupial postcranial evolution, particularly with respect to integrating information on postcranial diversity with ontogenetic work on morphogen expression patterns.
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Stegun, Vidigal Vera Cristina. "Studies on the genealogical relationships within the genus Monodelphis Burneu, 1830 (Didelphidae, Marsupialia) based on basicranial anatomy and external morphology." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/291829.

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The short-tailed opossums of the genus Monodelphis Burnett, 1830 are small-bodied semifossorial marsupials which inhabit almost all major biomes of South America up to 2200 m. Even though it is one of the most speciose genera of neotropical marsupials with over 30 species proposed, most taxonomic reviews of the genus have been limited to few species, and even the latest most conprehensive molecular revision enabled only an estimate to phylogenetic species groups. The present research is a fine scale search for intra and interspecifically basicranial variation, expanded from the first character list in Vidigal (2004), across 8 species groups and 21 species to provide detailed comparative characterizations and an insight into the philogeographical history of the genus. A pelage pattern and geographic classification into six groups was described for the identification of specimens. With over 165 specimens coded and 102 characters, the basicranial anatomy proved to be a stable, diverse and numerous source of phylogenetic information. I described 17 characters of the basisphenoid, 4 of the pterygoid, 7 of the orbitosphenoid, 2 of the basioccipital, 25 of the alisphenoid, 11 of the ectotympanic, 20 of the petrosal, 2 of the exoccipital, 4 of the stapes, 5 of the squamosal, and 5 of the contact among the petrosal, the exoccipital and the basioccipital. The cladistic analysis yielded a final 275 steps tree, where Marmosa comes out as the sister group to a three synapomorphies based monophyletic Monodelphis. To minimize missing data, as a post-coding data treatment, specimens were aggregated into ecoregion populations. Within Monodelphis, the supported monophyletic clades were: (M. emiliae (M. americana from NT0170 – Tocantins-Araguaia-Maranhão moist forests, M. rubida (M. umbristriata, M. americana from NT0104 – Bahia Interior Forests))), (M. henseli (brevicaudata species group, M. domestica (M. kunsi, M. adusta), and (M. touan, M. brevicaudata from NT0143 – Negro-Branco moist forests, M. brevicaudata from eastern Venezuela). An additional analysis recovered M. scalops as sister to a clade containing the americana s.l. group and M. emiliae. The phylogeographic patterns recovered from the plotted cladogram are much similar to those obtained by the pelage and basicranial analysis in Vidigal (2004), though with better resolution. According to the present analisis, Monodelphis provides three examples of the overlaping multiple evolutionary species diversity models proposed by Costa (2003) and Patton and Costa (2003) for South America. The (M. kunsi, M. adusta) sister group indicates a relationship among the Andean and the Atlantic forests, enabling a scenario of dispersion events via Central Brasil or of exploitation of corridors of more homogeneous dispersal habitats (Costa 2003), like that of the Paraná River basin “pathway”. The close relationship among the brevicaudata group, with Amazonian distribution, and M. domestica, with Cerrado and Caatinga distribution, to the kunsi-adusta pair, points to a common history among these ancient biomes, with the most recent link species possibly being M. kunsi. Despite the lack of support, considering the close relationship between M. palliolata from Venezuela and the kunsi-adusta pair, the scenario suggested for M. reigi and M. adusta (Lim et al. 2009), through an Andean link is an alternative. The here resulting poliphyletic brevicaudata species complex provides the second example, with species uniting the eastern Tepuis region of Venezuela with Negro-Branco rivers interfluve down to southeastern Amazonia, connecting Wallace’s (1852) envisioned Amazonian subdivisions. Finally, the monophyletic group (M. scalops (M. americana species group, M. emiliae)) comprises a phylogeographic gradient uniting, respectively, the Atlantic Forest linking to Cerrado with M. umbristriata, through Bahia Interior Forests with M. rubida, turning the northeastern corn of Brasil until the Tocantins-Araguaia-Maranhão moist forests with M. americana, to southern Amazonia from the Xingu-Tocantins-Araguaia Moist forests, through the Tapajós river until the westernmost Rondônia with M. emiliae. It is imperative to fill the geographic sample gaps, minimize missing data, and diversify the source of phylogenetic characters in order to complete the Monodelphis puzzle.<br>El gènere Monodelphis és un marsupial que ocupa gairebé tots els biomes de Sud-Amèrica. Amb més de 20 espècies, la seva taxonomia i filogènia resta encara per dilucidar. Aquest treball és una extensió en l’estudi de l’anatomia basicraniana en 8 grups i 21 espècies amb l'objectiu de caracteritzar-lo comparativament i fer una aproximació filogeogràfica. S'ha descrit una classificació en sis grups basats en el pelatge i la geogràfia. Examinant més de 165 espècimens i 102 caràcters, s’ha constatat que el basicrani és una font abundant d'informació filogenètica. L'anàlisi cladística de poblacions per ecoregió ha resultat en un arbre de 275 passes, amb Marmosa com germà d'un Monodelphis monofilètic en base a très sinapomorfies i els clades: (M. emiliae (M. americana de Tocantins-Araguaia-Maranhão, M. rubida (M. umbristriata, M. americana de Bahia))), (M. henseli (grup brevicaudata, M. domestica (M. kunsi, M. adusta), i (M. touan, M. brevicaudata del Negro-Branco, M. brevicaudata de l'est de Veneçuela). M. scalops apareix com germà de (M. emiliae + grup americana). Monodelphis proveeix tres exemples del model múltiple de diversitat evolutiva d’espècies per Sud-Amèrica. La relació entre M. kunsi i M. adusta ratifica la relació entre els boscos dels Andes i l’Atlàntic, possibilitant un escenari de dispersió pel Brasil Central o la conca del riu Paraná. La conexió entre el grup brevicaudata, de l’Amazònia, i M. domestica, del Cerrado i Caatinga, amb la parella kunsi-adusta, apunta a la relació entre aquests biomes, amb M. kunsi com a possible espècie connectora. El pas Andí és una altra alternativa considerant la relació entre M. palliolata de La Costa (Veneçuela) amb kunsi-adusta. El grup polifilètic brevicaudata uneix els Tepuis de l’est de Veneçuela amb la regió interfluvial dels rius Negro-Branco i fins el sud-est de l’Amazònia, conectant les subdivisions amazòniques de Wallace (1852). Finalment s’observa un gradient filogeogràfic que comença al bosc Atlàntic amb M. scalops, continua per el Cerrado, amb M. umbristriata, segueix pels boscos de Bahia amb M. rubida, es perllonga per la punta nord-est de Brasil fins els boscos humits del Tocantins-Araguaia-Maranhão, amb M. americana sensu estricto, i finalitza travessant el sud de l’Amazònia cap a l’oest a Rondônia amb M. emiliae. L’origen aproximadament sincrònic de Monodelphis i de la serralada est dels Andes colombians, fa uns 26 milions d’anys, proporciona un escenari fascinant per esbrinar la coevolució del gènere en relació a aquest canvi massiu medi-ambiental a Sud-Amèrica.
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42

Amaral, Heloiza Helena de Oliveira Morelli. "Ecologia de Phthiraptera, Siphonaptera e Acari (Ixodidae) de pequenos roedores e marsupiais do Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil." Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, 2008. https://tede.ufrrj.br/jspui/handle/tede/488.

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Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T14:56:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2008 - Heloiza Helena de Oliveira Morelli Amaral.pdf: 1392333 bytes, checksum: e9a8a156b5bb7fbc58a31fe201039311 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-11-28<br>From October 2005 to October 2007, rodents and marsupials were captured at Pedra Branca State Park, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. This research aimed to characterize the vegetation concerning the study area; to check the existence of a correlation between mesoclimate and microclimate in relation to the presence of parasites and hosts; to identify the dynamics of the hosts and parasites population throughout the seasons and verify the stratification of the small rodents and marsupials fauna as well as the ectoparasitarian fauna. Six spaces of capture were highlighted, in different levels of height. Three types of traps were used, Sherman, Tomahowk and Francesinha, with different baits distributed in five transects. A hundred and sixty mammals were captured, 96 specimens of marsupials and 64 of rodents from the following species: Akodon cursor, Oligoryzomys nigripes, Rattus norvergicus, Rattus rattus, Guerlinguetus ingrami, Sphigurus villosus, Didelphis aurita, Marmosops incanus, Micoureus paraguayanus, Metachirus nudicaudatus, Monodelphis americana and Philander frenatus. It was possible to observe that in hotter (July and August) and drier (December, January and February) months, the number of animals captured is much lower. The vegetation present in the collection areas (in the six levels researched) is composed by secondary vegetation in different stages of regeneration. The areas placed in levels 150, 200, 300 and 400 m can be classified as areas at initial and medium stage of regeneration, while, the areas situated in levels 500 and 600 m the classification is of areas at medium to advanced stage of regeneration. The correlation between the environment (relative humidity, temperature and pluviometric index) and the ectoparasites was only significant to the ticks, showing that, the higher the temperature, the higher is the number of ticks. The dominant species is D. aurita (35%). Three hundred and seventy specimens of ectoparasites were collected: 162 fleas, 105 ticks and 103 lice. The parasites found were: Siphonaptera: Adoratopsylla (Adoratopsylla) antiquorum ronnai, Adoratopsylla (Tritopsylla) intermedia intermedia, Polygenis (Polygenis) occidentalis occidentalis, Polygenis (Polygenis) rimatus, Polygenis (Polygenis) steganus, Polygenis (Neopolygenis) atopus, Ctenocephalidae felis felis, Acari (Ixodidae): Amblyomma geayi, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma scutatum, Amblyomma spp., Ixodes amarali, Ixodes auritulus, Ixodes didelphidis, Ixodes loricatus, Ixodes luciae, Ixodes spp., Phthiraptera: Poliplax spinulosa, Hoplopleura sciuricola, Eutrichophilus minor and Eutrichophilus cercolabes. The siphonapterus obtained the highest prevalence coefficient (28,13%) and the highest abundance index (1,01 flea/host). The phthirapters presented the highest mean intensity of parasitism (17,17 lice/host). The correlation between the numbers of rodents captured and the levels was not significant (rs = 0,23, p = 0,6) and for the marsupials the correlation was negative and also not significant (rs = -0,6, p = 0,2). Polygenis (P.) occidentalis occidentalis was found at the highest frequency (20,8%) among the rodents and in relation to the marsupials, Adoratopsylla (T.) intermedia intermedia was the most frequent (77,7%). E. cercolabes presented the highest frequency (91,5%) among lice; among ticks the highest frequency was of Ixodes loricatus.<br>No per?odo de outubro de 2005 at? outubro de 2007, foram capturados roedores e marsupiais no Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Este trabalho objetivou caracterizar a vegeta??o da ?rea de estudo; verificar se existe correla??o entre mesoclima e microclima com rela??o ? presen?a de parasitos e hospedeiros; identificar a din?mica das popula??es de hospedeiros e parasitos ao longo das esta??es do ano e verificar a estratifica??o da fauna de pequenos roedores e marsupiais e da fauna ectoparasit?ria. Foram marcados seis pontos de captura, em diferentes cotas. Utilizou-se tr?s tipos de armadilhas, Sherman. Tomahowk e Francesinha, com diferentes iscas e dispostas em cinco transectos. Capturou-se 160 mam?feros, sendo 96 esp?cimes de marsupiais, das esp?cies: Didelphis aurita, Marmosops incanus, Micoureus paraguayanus, Metachirus nudicaudatus, Monodelphis americana e Philander frenatus, e 64 de roedores, das esp?cies: Akodon cursor, Oligoryzomys nigripes, Rattus norvergicus, Rattus rattus, Guerlinguetus ingrami, Sphigurus villosus,. A vegeta??o presente nas ?reas de coleta (nas seis cotas pesquisadas) ? composta por vegeta??o secund?ria em diferentes est?gios de regenera??o. As ?reas situadas nas cotas 150, 200, 300 e 400 metros podem ser classificadas como ?reas que est?o em est?gio de inicial a m?dio de regenera??o, enquanto, as ?reas situadas nas cotas 500 e 600 metros a classifica??o ? de ?reas em est?gio de m?dio a avan?ado de regenera??o. A correla??o entre o ambiente (umidade relativa do ar, temperatura e ?ndice pluviom?trico) e os ectoparasitas s? foi significativa para os carrapatos, demonstrando que, quanto maior a temperatura, maior ? o n?mero de carrapatos. Observou-se que nos meses de julho e agosto (meses mais secos) e nos meses de dezembro, janeiro e fevereiro (mais quentes) o n?mero de animais capturados ? muito baixo. A esp?cie dominante ? D. aurita (35%). Coletou-se 370 esp?cimes de ectoparasitas, sendo: 162 pulgas, 105 carrapatos e 103 piolhos. Os parasitos encontrados foram: Siphonaptera: Adoratopsylla (Adoratopsylla) antiquorum ronnai, Adoratopsylla (Tritopsylla) intermedia intermedia, Polygenis (Polygenis) occidentalis occidentalis, Polygenis (Polygenis) rimatus, Polygenis (Polygenis) steganus, Polygenis (Neopolygenis) atopus, Ctenocephalidae felis felis; Acari (Ixodidae): Amblyomma geayi, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma scutatum, Amblyomma spp., Ixodes amarali, Ixodes auritulus, Ixodes didelphidis, Ixodes loricatus, Ixodes luciae, Ixodes spp.; Phthiraptera: Poliplax spinulosa, Hoplopleura sciuricola, Eutrichophilus minor e Eutrichophilus cercolabes. As pulgas obtiveram o maior coeficiente de preval?ncia (28,13%) e o maior ?ndice de abund?ncia (1,01 pulga/hospedeiro). Os piolhos apresentaram a maior intensidade m?dia de parasitismo (17,17 piolhos/hospedeiro). A correla??o entre o n?mero de roedores capturados e as cotas n?o foi significativa (rs = 0,23, p = 0,6) e para os marsupiais a correla??o foi negativa e tamb?m n?o significativa (rs = -0,6, p = 0,2). Polygenis (P.) occidentalis occidentalis foi encontrada com a maior freq??ncia (20,8%) entre os roedores e em rela??o aos marsupiais, Adoratopsylla (T.) intermedia intermedia foi a mais freq?ente (77,7%). E. cercolabes apresentou a maior freq??ncia (91,5%) entre os piolhos; entre os carrapatos a maior freq??ncia foi de Ixodes loricatus.
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43

Rosa, Pamela Laiz Paré da. "Evolução dos genes da rede OXT - AVP - PRL: Aspectos moleculares, fisiológicos e comportamentais em mamíferos." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/180703.

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A busca pelo repertório genético por trás de características comportamentais e reprodutivas de espécies de primatas tem desafiado nosso grupo de pesquisa. A premissa principal nesse tipo de estudo baseia-se na hipótese de que um traço fenotípico (seja ele fisiológico, comportamental, etc) compartilhado por um grupo taxonômico inteiro deve ser determinado por um repertório genético comum a esses táxons. Considerando a complexidade de muitas dessas características, temos ampliado nossos estudos para vários genes da rede OXT – AVP – PRL, usando abordagens in silico, in vitro, e in vivo. Na presente Tese, o conjunto gênico de estudo foi selecionado por uma metodologia baseada na ontologia biológica, com critério de seleção para características como comportamento materno, amamentação e aspectos reprodutivos, tais como comportamento de acasalamento e de corte. Essa seleção resultou em 12 genes candidatos para o estudo: AVP, AVPR1A, AVPR1B, ESR1, FOS, HCRT, OXT, OXTR, PRL, PRLH, PRLR e TRH. Exploramos aqui esse conjunto gênico da rede OXT – AVP – PRL através da mineração de dados, buscando por seus ortólogos nas várias espécies de primatas e de outros mamíferos, bem como através de novos dados de sequências da região codificadora dos genes PRLR e PRLH, em um conjunto de espécies de primatas do Novo Mundo (NWM, conforme sigla em inglês). Adicionalmente, sequências das regiões codificadoras de PRLR foram também obtidos em espécies de marsupiais. Com o objetivo de elucidar os padrões evolutivos dos genes de interesse, utilizamos análises como os testes NsSites e Branch Sites do pacote PAML, assim como vários testes populacionais clássicos, para diferentes conjuntos amostrais. Além disso, foi feita a predição da estrutura secundária das proteínas-alvo, utilizando metodologia específica do programa PSIPRED, bem como o PONDER-FIT, para a caracterização de aminoácidos intrinsecamente desordenados. Nossos resultados das análises in silico sugerem que os genes da família de receptores da vasopressina (AVPR1A, AVPR1B, e AVPR2) apresentam um padrão compatível com seleção positiva em mamíferos placentários. Alguns dos sítios com sinal de seleção apresentam motivos lineares (SLiMS) preditos no receptor AVPR2, que podem ter facilitado a emergência de novidades adaptativas, conforme foi sugerido para a espécie do rato-canguru Dipodomys ordii, que habita regiões áridas. As análises dos dados originais da região codificadora do gene PRLR em 17 espécies de NWM revelaram vários sítios presentes na forma longa do receptor com alta probabilidade de estarem sob seleção positiva, sendo que alguns deles (posições 507, 532 e 572) estão associados com o parto gemelar, uma característica das espécies de Callitrichidae. Adicionalmente verificamos no ramo dos Siimiformes um motivo linear de interação que reconhece domínios SH3 (Src Homology 3). Os domínios SH3 e os seus locais de ligação foram descritos para centenas de proteínas; eles fornecem à célula um meio particularmente conveniente e adaptável de interação específica proteína-proteína, que pode ser de importância funcional. Esse trabalho como um todo contribuiu para o conhecimento do repertório genético relacionado à complexa rede de mecanismos neuroendócrinos associados à emergência de traços adaptativos, tanto fisiológicos quanto comportamentais em diferentes clados de mamíferos.<br>The search for the genetic repertoire behind behavioral and reproductive features of Primate species has challenged our research group. The principal premise in this kind of study is based on the hypothesis that a phenotypic trait (either physiological, behavioral, etc.) shared by an entire taxonomic group should be determined by a genetic repertoire common to these taxa. Considering the complexity of many of these features, we have expanded our studies for several genes of the OXT - AVP - PRL network, using in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches. In the present Thesis, the set of genes for the study was selected by a methodology based on biological ontology, with features like maternal behavior, breastfeeding, and reproductive aspects, such as mating and courtship behavior. This selection resulted in 12 candidate genes for the study: AVP, AVPR1A, AVPR1B, ESR1, FOS, HCRT, OXT, OXTR, PRL, PRLH, PRLR, and TRH. We explored here this gene set of the OXT – AVP – PRL network through data mining, searching for their orthologues in many Primate species and other mammals, as well as through new sequence data from the PRLR and PRLH coding region in a set of New World Monkey (NWM) species. Additionally, sequences from the PRLR coding regions were also obtained in marsupial species. To elucidate evolutionary patterns of the genes of interest, we used the NsSites and Branch Sites tests from PAML package, as well as several classic population tests, for different sample sets. In addition, we predicted the secondary structure of target proteins, using a specific methodology of the PSIPRED program, as well as PONDER-FIT for prediction of intrinsically disordered amino acids. Our in silico results suggest that the genes of the vasopressin receptor family (AVPR1A, AVPR1B, and AVPR2) present a pattern compatible with positive selection in placental mammals. Some of the sites with selection signals have linear motifs (SLiMS) predicted in the AVPR2 receptor, which may have facilitated the emergence of adaptive novelties, as was suggested for the kangaroo rat Dipodomys ordii, which inhabits arid regions. Analyses of the original PRLR coding region data on 17 NWM species revealed several sites present in the long form of the receptor with a high probability of being under positive selection, some of them (positions 507, 532 and 572) being associated with twin births, a characteristic of Callitrichidae species. Additionally, we verified in the Siimiformes branch a linear interaction motif that recognizes SH3 domains (Src Homology 3). The SH3 domains and their ligands were described for hundreds of proteins; they provide a particularly convenient and adaptable medium of specific protein-protein interaction to the cell, which can be of functional importance. This work as a whole contributed to the knowledge of the genetic repertoire connected to the complex network of neuroendocrine mechanisms associated to the emergence of physiological and behavioral adaptive traits in different mammalian clades.
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44

Norton, Melinda A. "Habitat associations of the long-nosed potoroo (potoroos tridactylus) at multiple spatial scales." School of Biological Sciences - Faculty of Science, 2009. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/832.

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The long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) is a threatened, ground-dwelling marsupial known to have been highly disadvantaged by changes brought about since European settlement in Australia. Key threats to the species are believed to be fox predation and habitat loss and/or fragmentation. In order to conserve the species, the important habitat elements for the species at both the coarse and fine scale need to be identified and managed appropriately. The aims of this study were to examine the coarse- and fine-scale habitat preferences of the long-nosed potoroo, using a variety of techniques, in two National Park reserves (Barren Grounds Nature Reserve and Budderoo National Park) in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales in order to inform management. The ecology of the long-nosed potoroo in this region is poorly understood, making this study both timely and critical. Assessments of the morphometrics of the local long-nosed potoroo populations and their relative abundance, in addition to fox predation pressure at these localities, were also undertaken to assist in the conservation of the local potoroo population.Live-trapping was conducted in autumn and spring, from 2004 to 2008, at 103 trap sites across the two study areas and morphometric data were collected. The local long-nosed potoroos were found to be larger in size than Victorian animals but smaller than north-eastern NSW animals supporting the concept of a cline in body size for the species with weight increasing with latitude on the mainland. Sexual dimorphism was also observed with adult males having larger body weights, head lengths and pes lengths. Between one to two thirds of all males and females at either study area were only captured in a single trapping session, indicative of high levels of transience and/or low levels of survivorship. Of the two study areas, Barren Grounds Nature Reserve supported a larger number of individuals and appeared to have a greater degree of home range overlap between individuals, which was considered indicative of a higher quality habitat at this study area. Overall, the two study area populations appear to have increased over the course of the study. The sand plot technique, used in both study areas each Autumn and Spring from 2005 to 2008 as a second technique to monitor potoroo relative abundance, was considered less effective than trapping. This was due to its inability to decipher between individuals with overlapping home ranges in higher density populations and the species’ reduced utilisation of tracks compared to many other species. A number of habitat attributes were examined at each trap site to allow comparison with trap success ratings as an indication of macrohabitat preferences. In Spring 2007 and Autumn 2008, microhabitat use was also examined at both study areas, using the spool-and-line technique and an assessment of forage diggings. The results indicated that while potoroos were trapped at sites with a wide range of macrohabitat attributes, the species displayed a number of macrohabitat preferences, particularly for greater levels of canopy and shrub cover, for ferns as a dominant ground cover type and for lower levels of floristic diversity in ground cover. Differences in the macrohabitats present at each study area, as well as those preferred at either study area, were also observed. Microhabitat attributes were assessed along the spool paths as well as in the available habitat to allow comparison of observed and expected usage. The spooling results revealed that while most individual potoroos had significant preferences for some microhabitat attributes, no clear trends were evident across all individuals spooled. Comparison of the presence/absence of forage diggings and associated microhabitat attributes at systematic sample points within the available habitat was also undertaken. Potoroos also displayed preferences for foraging in locations with higher shrub cover densities and more open ground cover. Between the two scales of investigation, patterns of habitat preferences differed. The species’ habitat use appears to be influenced by both macro- and micro-scale preferences, highlighting the importance of examining habitat associations at multiple scales.The relative abundance of foxes fluctuated over the study as indicated by sand plots monitored in both Autumn and Spring from 2005 to 2008 in both study areas. Yet despite the often high fox predation risks, individual potoroos were not all preferentially utilising higher levels of ground cover or habitat complexity. Despite dense vegetative cover being a common attribute in potoroo habitat, my results support the theory that the species requires habitat patchiness, with structural and floristic preferences varying during different activities. This includes the use of relatively open, floristically-diverse patches for foraging activity, providing some level of cover from aerial but not ground predation during foraging. Analysis of fox scats at the same study sites indicated a high prevalence of potoroo remains. Consequently, it was not considered likely that the species is afforded adequate protection against fox predation by its use of habitat. Future management should aim to perpetuate the diversity of vegetation attributes at each of the study areas while avoiding practices that simplify such habitat. The effective control of foxes in and around potoroo habitat was also considered likely to assist in the conservation of the species.
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45

Warburton, Natalie Marina. "Functional morphology and evolution of marsupial moles (Marsupialia, Notoryctemorphia)." University of Western Australia. School of Animal Biology, 2003. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2004.0038.

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Marsupial moles (genus Notoryctes) are the most highly specialised burrowing marsupials. The specialisations of the appendicular musculo-skeletal system of the marsupial moles are extensive and widespread; the major alterations are concentrated in, but not restricted to, the forelimb. Many of the derived features of the muscular system appear to be adaptations for improving the mechanical advantage of the limbs for burrowing. A number of the specialisations of the muscular system of the marsupial moles are convergent with those previously documented in other fossorial mammals, including golden moles, rodents and armadillos. There are, however, a number of unique specialisations of the musculo-skeletal system of Notoryctes. The functional morphology of the locomotor apparatus of marsupial moles is interpreted on the basis of the descriptions of the anatomy of the skeletal and muscular systems. The burrowing technique of the marsupial moles is a modified form of the parasagittal digging method that is used by other fossorial mammals, such as golden moles, armadillos and some rodents including pocket gophers. Differences in the functional morphology of the hindlimb between marsupial moles and other fossorial mammals are a reflection of the fact that marsupial moles do not construct permanent open burrow systems, but instead constantly dig through loose soil, backfilling as they progress. The functional morphology of the tail is uniquely specialised in the marsupial moles to function as the fifth limb during the pentapedal burrowing locomotion of marsupial moles. The remains of Miocene fossil marsupial mole, while clearly pleisiomorphic with respect to the appendicular skeletal morphology of modern notoryctids, demonstrate a high degree of specialisation for digging. It is hypothesised that the Miocene marsupial mole was already substantially specialised for a fossorial lifestyle, and thus pre-adapted for a subterranean lifestyle developed in correlation with the desertification of the Australian continent. Phylogenetic affinities of marsupial moles within the Marsupialia have long been enigmatic. While specialisation of the musculo-skeletal system have been so widespread as to obscure almost any phylogenetically relevant patterns, there is some evidence to support an association between notoryctids and peramelid bandicoots. Interspecific differences between the two species of marsupial moles, Notoryctes typhlops and N. caurinus, are minor but do support the separation of the two species.
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Uribe, Lina Cristina Vásquez. "Use of silvicultural landscapes by small mammals in the state of São Paulo, Brazil." Universidade de São Paulo, 2018. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/91/91131/tde-26072018-140321/.

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Studies in agricultural landscapes have shown that anthropogenic environments may be relevant to wildlife species. Given the extent of these areas efficient research methods are needed to assess its ecological value in terms of local diversity, such as the use of biological indicators. The main goal here was to evaluate the possible relationship between the native vegetation biomass and diversity of small mammals in a silvicultural landscape of São Paulo. The study was developed at Fazenda Três Lagoas, which is part of the \"Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade\" (PPBio), at Angatuba municipality, State of São Paulo, and lasted nine months. From May 2015 to March 2016 nine sampling campaigns were carried over a grid of 15 pitfall traps, five in Eucalyptus plantations, five in native vegetation and five in abandoned pastures. In the Chapter 1 the distribution and abundance patterns of small mammals on a silvicultural landcape during the early second cycle of Eucalyptus plantation in Southeastern Brazil was evaluated. A total of 672 individuals from 15 species of the orders Rodentia (9 spp.) and Didelphimorphia (6 spp.) were captured and five new species were detected in the study area in comparison to the first cycle. Although these species are predominantly generalists, there were differences in the abundance of small mammals in the three environments. The presence of native vegetation patches associated with riparian areas and abandoned pastures and the role of small mammals as a food resource for predators on a trophic structure, gives a certain conservation value to silvicultural landscapes in southeastern Brazil. In the Chapter 2 the relationship between landscape metrics and patterns of diversity, distribution and abundance of small mammals in a silvicultural landscape were evaluated. The species richness and family diversity of small mammals have been predominantly determined by the percentage of native vegetation. However, the abundance of small mammals can be determined by an indirect estimate of the native vegetation biomass (i.e., NDVI), which can be considered a 3D landscape metric as it is related to volume. Therefore, to succeed in assessing the value of agricultural landscape, future studies should consider landscape context, as well as the landscape metrics associated with geospatial data analysis and the distinct responses of species.<br>Estudos em paisagens agrícolas têm mostrado que ambientes antrópicos podem ser relevantes para muitas espécies selvagens. Dada a extensão destas áreas, são necessários métodos eficientes de pesquisa para avaliar seu valor ecológico em termos de diversidade local, tais como o uso de indicadores biológicos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo geral avaliar a possível relação entre a biomassa de vegetação nativa e a diversidade de mamíferos de pequeno porte em uma paisagem silvicultural do estado de São Paulo. O estudo foi desenvolvido na Fazenda Três Lagoas, que é parte do Núcleo Angatuba do Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade (PPBio), no município de Angatuba, Estado de São Paulo e teve a duração de nove meses. De maio de 2015 a março de 2016, foram realizadas campanhas mensais de amostragem em uma grade amostral com 15 conjuntos de armadilhas de interceptação e queda (pitfall), sendo cinco nas plantações de Eucalyptus spp., cinco em vegetação nativa e cinco em pasto abandonado. No Capítulo 1 foram avaliados os padrões de distribuição e abundância de pequenos mamíferos em uma paisagem silvicultural ao início do segundo ciclo de plantações de Eucalyptus no Sudeste do Brasil. Um total de 672 indivíduos de 15 espécies das ordens Rodentia (9 spp.) e Didelphimorphia (6 spp.) foram capturados e cinco novas espécies foram detectadas na área de estudo em relação ao primeiro ciclo. Embora as espécies presentes sejam predominantemente generalistas, houve diferença na abundância de pequenos mamíferos nos três ambientes. A presença de fragmentos de vegetação nativa associados a áreas ripícolas e pasto abandonado e o papel dos pequenos mamíferos como recurso alimentar para predadores em uma estrutura trófica, atribui um valor de conservação às paisagens silviculturais no sudeste do Brasil. No Capítulo 2, o objetivo foi avaliar a relação entre métricas da paisagem e padrões de diversidade, distribuição e abundância de pequenos mamíferos em uma paisagem silvícultural. A riqueza de espécies e a diversidade de famílias dos pequenos mamíferos tem sido predominantemente determinada pela área porcentual de vegetação nativa. No entanto, a abundância de pequenos mamíferos pode ser determinada por uma estimativa indireta da biomassa da vegetação nativa (e.g., NDVI), que pode ser considerada uma métrica de paisagem 3D, pois está relacionada ao volume. Portanto, para ter sucesso na avaliação do valor da paisagem agrícola, os estudos futuros devem considerar o contexto da paisagem, bem como as métricas da paisagem associadas à análise dos dados geoespaciais e as distintas respostas das espécies.
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47

Walia, Charanjiv Singh, University of Western Sydney, of Science Technology and Environment College, and of Science Food and Horticulture School. "Development of a method for the identification of novel viruses in marsupials with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)." THESIS_CSTE_SFH_Walia_C.xml, 2002. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/815.

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Four main types of viruses capable of causing systemic and gastrointestinal infections, namely Coronavirus, Rotavirus, Parvovirus or Morbillivirus (Tennant et al, 1991) have been investigated in marsupials. A pilot study to develop and optimise the methodology was undertaken using Canine Coronavirus and the study was then extended to marsupials and other target viruses.In the marsupial portion of the study, a fragment of the correct size for the amplification of pol gene, 409 bp, was obtained from two different faecal samples from tammar wallaby (from Macquarie Fauna Park) and one western grey kangaroo (from Taronga Zoo). The results from tests are studied and compared. It is suggested that future further investigation should be directed at: 1/. Applying the protocols in this body of work to the testing of faecal samples from animals that have been diagnosed as positive with other diagnostic protocols. 2/. Examining more faecal samples from animals that present with active diarrhoea<br>Master of Science (Hons)
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48

Lloyd, Shan. "Reproduction in the musky rat-kangaroo, Hypsiprymnodon moschatus /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2006. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe19206.pdf.

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49

Scheibel, Raymond Philip. "THE SYSTEMATICS OF MARSUPIAL PARASITES IN VIANNAIIDAE (NEMATODA): A NEW SPECIES AND A RECONSTRUCTION OF CHARACTERS USEFUL IN THEIR CLASSIFICATION." OpenSIUC, 2013. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/1156.

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One of the most diverse groups of parasitic nematodes includes the nematodes of the suborder Trichostrongylina. Trichostrongyle systematic classification is based on the study of the anterior end, the female reproductive system, the male copulatory bursa and cuticular ridges, which make up the synlophe. These morphological characters also assist taxonomists to characterize species and assign them into one of the three superfamilies. Heligmosomoidea is the most diverse superfamily, including Viannaiidae. This family represents one of the major evolutionary radiations of trichostrongyles in South America. Members of Viannaiidae parasitize a variety of mammals endemic to the Neotropics including, but not limited to, the opossums. Viannaiids have great morphological variation in the reproductive organs of the females and the secondary sexual structures of the males (e.g., rays in the bursa). Consequently, the placement of these species in classification schemes has drastically changed over time. The prevailing taxonomy relies on the host used by the parasites as well as their geographic distribution. Viannaiidae has always included monodelphic nematodes with simple synlophes, yet it eventually included species in the genus Travassostrongylus, which the morphology is very distinct from the rest of the members of the family. Differences pertain to a greater number of ridges of the synlophe and the didelphic female reproductive system. These features are more similar to trichostrongyles in Herpetostrongylidae and Nicollinidae, which infect Australian vertebrates, the majority of which are marsupials. I herein document the diversity of this group by reporting the presence of a putative new species and use five gene regions to reconstruct the phylogeny of Viannaiidae exclusive of didelphid marsupials. I used the resulting phylogeny to test the monophyly of Travassostrongylus and Viannaia and to reconstruct the character evolution of the monodelphic/didelphic condition and the ornamentation of the cuticle. The phylogeny indicates that Viannaiidae is not monophyletic, recovering a clade with the Travassostrongylus species and trichostrongyles from Australian fauna. The tests for character reconstruction assist in determining that the didelphic condition and the presence of dorsal synlophe ridges in Travassostrongylus and Austrostrongylus may be traits inherited from a common ancestor. Furthermore, it was apparent that a character change from didelphic to monodelphic occurred in the common ancestor of the Viannaia species. This ancestor also underwent a change from a dorsal cuticle with ridges to a smooth cuticle. Though the study suggests that Viannaiidae is not monophyletic, the inclusion of more species from these genera and the viannaiids found in hystricognaths from the New World rodents will conclusively determine the affinities of the members of the family. Finally, I suggest that the relationship between the species in Travassostrongylus and the Australian parasites dates to the Gondwana landmass and that these trichostrongyles, or their ancestors, were present in the marsupials of that time period. The examination of microbiotheriids could provide more information and illuminate the factors that led to the evolutionary relationship between the parasites of America and Australia.
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50

Pinto, Sheila Serra Vieira. "Estudo complementar da glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase eritrocitária do marsupial brasileiro Didelphis marsupialis." Universidade de São Paulo, 2009. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/5/5160/tde-15042009-145222/.

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Abstract:
Sabe-se que a atividade da glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase eritrocitária do marsupial brasileiro Didelphis marsupialis é cerca de 15 a 20 vezes a encontrada nos eritrócitos humanos. Pretendendo-se investigar se esta hiperatividade também se encontra ou não aumentada nas outras enzimas eritrocitárias, levou-se a efeito a dosagem das atividades das enzimas glicolíticas bem de outras enzimas relacionadas ao metabolismo óxido-redutor do eritrócito do marsupial. Alguns dados bioquímicos sorológicos, hematológicos e imunológicos foram também obtidos. Assim sendo, as seguintes enzimas eritrocitárias foram estudadas: hexoquinase, glicose fosfato isomerase, fosfofrutoquinase, aldolase, triose fosfato isomerase, gliceraldeido-3-fosfato desidrogenase, fosfogliceratoquinase, difosfoglicerato mutase, monofosfoglicerato mutase, enolase, piruvato quinase, lactato desidrogenase, glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase, 6-fosfogliconato desidrogenase, glutationa redutase, glutationa peroxidase, glutationa S-transferase, nicotinamida adenina dinucleotideo fosfato diaforase, nicotinamida adenina dinucleotideo meta-hemoglobina redutase, superóxido dismutase, aspartato aminotransferase, adenilato quinase, adenosina desaminase e acetilcolinesterase. Embora a maioria das enzimas estudadas tenham revelado atividades semelhantes às encontradas nos eritrócitos humanos, foram observados aumentos significativos da hexoquinase, piruvato quinase e glutationa S-transferase. Entretanto, a atividade da glutationa peroxidase apresentou grande aumento de atividade, cerca de dez a doze vezes a encontrada nos eritrócitos humanos, talvez agindo em conjunto com a hiperatividade da glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase da ordem de dez a quinze vezes já descrita nos eritrócitos humanos<br>It is known that erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase specific activity of Didelphis marsupialis is about 15-20 times higher than human red cells. In order to investigate whether this hyperactivity is extended or not to other red cell enzymes, it was proposed to ascertain the activity of the glycolytic enzymes as well as other related to the redox metabolism of the opossum erythrocyte. Some biochemical, hematological and immunological data were also assayed as well. That being so, the following red cell enzymes were assayed: hexokinase, glucose phosphate isomerase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase, triose phosphate isomerase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase, diphosphoglycerate mutase, monophosphoglycerate mutase, enolase, pyruvate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide metahemoglobin reductase, superoxide dismutase, aspartate amino-transferase, adenylate kinase, adenosine deaminase and acetylcholinesterase . Although most of the enzymatic activities disclosed to be similar to humans, some enzymes exhibited high activities as the hexokinase, pyruvate kinase and glutathione-S-transferase, about three to four times in relation to human. However the glutathione peroxidase presented overwhelming activity, at the order of ten-twelve times the human enzyme, perhaps working together the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase hyperactivity at the order of ten-fifteen times already described in the marsupial erythrocytes
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