Pets becoming established in the wild: free–living Vietnamese potbellied pigs in Spain

Mascotas que se establecen en la naturaleza: cerdos vietnamitas que viven en libertad en España Los cerdos vietnamitas (Sus scrofa) son una mascota habitual en Norteamérica y Europa; sin embargo, su popularidad ha disminuido recientemente y esto ha provocado que se abandonen cada vez más. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es identificar casos de cerdos vietnamitas que viven en libertad en España a través de una búsqueda exhaustiva en Google. Se han identificado 42 casos de cerdos vietnamitas que viven en libertad distribuidos por todo el país. El número de casos aumenta cada año, aunque la abundancia de la especie aún parece ser baja. También se han observado indicios de que los cerdos vietnamitas se reproducen en libertad y de posibles híbridos de éstos con jabalíes o cerdos asilvestrados. El hecho de que los cerdos vietnamitas vivan en libertad podría reducir el patrimonio genético de la población española de jabalí, así como agravar los daños que este ya causa en España (como los daños a cultivos o los accidentes de tráfico). Con vistas a evitar que se establezcan en hábitats naturales, es urgente evaluar y gestionar debidamente las observaciones de cerdos vietnamitas salvajes.Vietnamese potbellied (VPB) pigs (Sus scrofa) are a common pet in North America and Europe, but their recent decrease in popularity has increased their abandonment. Our main aim was to identify potential cases of free–living VPB pigs in Spain through an in–depth Google search. We identified 42 cases of free–living VPB pigs distributed throughout the country. The number of free–living VPB pigs reported increased by year but the species abundance still seems to be low. Signs of VPB pig reproduction and possible hybrids between VPB pigs and wild boar or feral pigs have been also reported. Free–living VPB pigs could erode the gene pool of the Spanish wild boar population and exacerbate the damage (e.g. crop damage or spread of diseases) already caused by wild board. Urgent evaluation and adequate management of wild VPB pig sightings is needed to prevent their establishment in natural habitats.Mascotas que se establecen en la naturaleza: cerdos vietnamitas que viven en libertad en España Los cerdos vietnamitas (Sus scrofa) son una mascota habitual en Norteamérica y Europa; sin embargo, su popularidad ha disminuido recientemente y esto ha provocado que se abandonen cada vez más. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es identificar casos de cerdos vietnamitas que viven en libertad en España a través de una búsqueda exhaustiva en Google. Se han identificado 42 casos de cerdos vietnamitas que viven en libertad distribuidos por todo el país. El número de casos aumenta cada año, aunque la abundancia de la especie aún parece ser baja. También se han observado indicios de que los cerdos vietnamitas se reproducen en libertad y de posibles híbridos de éstos con jabalíes o cerdos asilvestrados. El hecho de que los cerdos vietnamitas vivan en libertad podría reducir el patrimonio genético de la población española de jabalí, así como agravar los daños que este ya causa en España (como los daños a cultivos o los accidentes de tráfico). Con vistas a evitar que se establezcan en hábitats naturales, es urgente evaluar y gestionar debidamente las observaciones de cerdos vietnamitas salvajes

Observation of feeding groups in the Spanish lynx (Felis pardina) in the Doñana National Park, SW Spain

The research was supported by CSIC-DGICYT (project PB87-0405)and Fundacion Ramón ArecesPeer Reviewe

Spitting seeds from the cud: a review of an endozoochory exclusive to ruminants

Given their strong masticatory system and the powerful microbial digestion inside their complex guts, mammalian ruminants have been frequently considered seed predators rather than seed dispersers. A number of studies, however, have observed that ruminants are able to transport many viable seeds long distances, either attached to the hair or hooves (i.e., epizoochory) or inside their body after ingesting them (i.e., endozoochory). However, very few studies have investigated a modality of endozoochory exclusive to ruminants: the spitting of usually large-sized seeds while chewing the cud. A systematic review of the published information about this type of endozoochory shows a marked scarcity of studies. Nonetheless, at least 48 plant species belonging to 21 families are dispersed by ruminants in this manner. Most of these plants are shrubs and trees, have fleshy or dry fruits with large-sized seeds, and are seldom dispersed via defecation. Many cases have been observed in tropical areas, where more frugivorous ruminant species occur, but other records are from temperate and dry areas, covering thus all continents except Antarctica. Twenty-one species of ruminants from 18 genera have been reported as endozoochore spitters. They involve domestic and wild species belonging to the families Tragulidae, Cervidae, and Bovidae. This suggests that almost any ruminant species could potentially eat fruits and regurgitate large hard seeds during rumination. Likely, this seed dispersal mechanism has been neglected due to the difficulty of observing rumination behavior and locating spat seeds. Further research on the potential of wild and domestic ruminant species as long-distance seed dispersers through spitting seeds from the cud appears particularly important given their increasing pervasiveness and abundance worldwideinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Eyespot resistance gene Pch-1 in H-93 wheat lines. Evidence of linkage to markers of chromosome group 7 and resolution from the endopeptídase locus Ep-Dlb

Gene Pch1, which confers resistance to eyespot disease (Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides Fron), has been located on chromosome 7D in the H-93 wheat-Aegilops ventricosa transfer lines using isozyme markers and DNA probes corresponding to group 7 chromosomes. Previous experiments had failed to ascertain this location. The lack of segregation of the resistance trait in progeny from reciprocal crosses between lines H-93-70 and VPM1 indicates that their respective resistance factors are allelic. Line H-93-51 carries the endopeptidase allele Ep-D1b but is susceptible to eyespot, which indicates that resistance to eyespot is not a product of the Ep-D locus, as had been proposed in a previous hypohesi

Genetic transfer of resistance to powdery mildew and of an associated molecular marker from Aegilops ventricosa to hexaploid wheat.

Resistance to powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Erysiphe graminis f.sp. tritici, has been transferred from Aegilops ventricosa (genomes DvMv) to hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum, ABD). In two transfer lines, H-93-8 and H-93-35, the resistance gene was linked to a gene encoding protein U-1, whereas one line, H-93-33, was resistant but lacked the molecular marker, and another line, H-93-1, was susceptible but carried the gene for U-1, indicating that the original Mv chromosome from Ae. ventricosa, carrying the two genes, had undergone recombination with a wheat chromosome in the last two lines

Factores ambientales condicionantes de la presencia de la lagartija de Carbonell Podarcis carbonelli (Pérez-Mellado, 1981) en la comarca de Doñana

The Carbonell lizard (Podarcis carbonelli) is an Iberian endemism. The region of Doñana is its southernmost and more isolated stronghold. We used logistic regressions to investigate the factors conditioning the presence of this lizard in Doñana. All selected models retained the distance to the coast as the main variable. This variable is related with less humidity and more continental climatic conditions, including more extreme temperatures, when further from the coast. This climatic factor was observed both spatially and temporarily, with adult lizards drastically reducing their activity both in winter and in summer. We observed juveniles from June to January, with a maximum in September. Scrubland management was another important environmental factor affecting the presence of lizards. The probability of finding this species was higher where the scrubland was partially cleared, and lower in areas with a high plant cover (hygrophytic scrubland) or in areas with sparse vegetation (dune scrubland), probably due to a lower amount of incident light and less protection when moving between refuges, respectively.La lagartija de Carbonell es un endemismo ibérico que encuentra en la comarca de Doñana el reducto más meridional y aislado de su área de distribución. Mediante el uso de regresiones logísticas se ha intentado conocer qué factores condicionan la presencia de la lagartija de Carbonell en Doñana. La variable principal de los distintos modelos fue la distancia a la costa. Ésta se relaciona con un menor grado de humedad y una mayor continentalidad del clima, con temperaturas más extremas, a medida que nos alejamos del mar. Este condicionante climático se ha observado tanto espacial como temporalmente, reduciéndose drásticamente la actividad de los animales adultos en verano e invierno. Los juveniles se observan desde junio a enero con un máximo en septiembre. Otro de los factores importantes ha resultado ser la gestión del matorral. Se ha observado una mayor probabilidad de encontrar la lagartija de Carbonell en zonas en las que el matorral ha sido parcialmente clareado, ya que evita los lugares con elevadas densidades de plantas (matorral hidrofílico), que reducirían el paso de la luz, o con una densidad muy baja (matorral de las dunas), que no permitiría el tránsito seguro entre refugios

Biochemical markers associated with two Mv chromosomes from Aegilops ventricosa in wheat-Aegilops addition lines

The distribution of three biochemical markers, U-1, CM-4 and Aphv-a, -b, among wheat-Aegilops addition lines carrying Mv chromosomes from Aegilops ventricosa (genomes DvMv) has been investigated. Addition lines which had been previously grouped together on the basis of common non-biochemical characters carried marker U-1, a protein component from the 2M urea extract. The added chromosome, in the appropriate genetic background, seems to confer a high level of resistance to the eyespot disease, caused by the fungus Cercosporella herpotrichoides. The other two markers were concomitantly associated with another similarly formed group of addition lines. Both CM-4, a protein component from the chloroform:methanol extract, and Aphv-a, -b, alkaline phosphate isozymes, have been previously shown to be associated with homoeologous chromosome group 4, which suggests that the added chromosome in the second group of addition lines is 4Mv

Present progress in the characterization of Triticum aestivum/Aegilops ventricosa transfer lines

In the laboratory of M. Metzlaff, genome specific DNA probes from Hordeum vulgare were cloned and characterized by H. Junghans. Regarding repeated DNA sequences our further investigations will concéntrate on the proofof alien chromatin in the wheat -Ae. markgrafii crossing material and on the enlargement of the investigation to their distribution in Poaceae species