Do Nest Materials and Nest Substrates affect the Breeding of \u3ci\u3eButeo hemilasius\u3c/i\u3e in the Mongolian Steppe?

Upland buzzards occur across Mongolia excluding lush taiga forest and breeds from the Mongolian Altai mountains to the western foothills of the Great Khyangan Mountains. Our field work was conducted during the breeding season of the species in Mongolia from 2001 to 2007. Nest materials of the studied nests contained natural (twigs of elm tree, shrubs, tail, and mane of horse, hair of cows, fur of sheep, goats and camels), and artificial or man-made (cotton, plastic bags, wires, cables, and others) materials. Contents of the nesting materials of the species were differed by location, region and breeding pair’s behavior. A total of 24 different nest sites were selected by breeding pairs during the study periods. Most nests were placed on the ground (22.7%), 19.7% on artificial nest platforms (three-legged poles, single poles, car tire on poles, pylons), 16.8% on rocky outcrops, 8.8% on rocky columns or cliffs, 5.26% on type A wooden poles of high power electric lines and 26.74% others. Average clutch was comparatively high for breeding pairs that nested on rock columns 3.9, abandoned buildings 3.7, ground 3.6, cliffs 3.3, type “A” wooden poles of the high power electric lines 3.3, sandy precipice 3 and others less than three. Average number of nestlings on the ruins of buildings was 3, rock columns 2.8, ground, telegraph poles and concrete poles of the high power electric lines 2.5, wooden poles of the high power electric lines and pylons 2.4, well building and livestock shelter 2, cliffs 1.6 and sandy precipices 1.5. There was a significant difference between the number of nestlings on natural and artificial substrates, including artificial nest platforms. We documented a breeding pair that was incubating three of its own eggs and a Saker falcon egg on a cliff of a mountain outcrop. We also observed twice the number of second clutches on natural substrates, which we consider to be dependent on food abundance and accessibility

The scaffold protein c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase-associated leucine zipper protein regulates cell migration through interaction wity the G protein Gα13

Division of Molecular Cell Signalin

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ПОЛИМОРФИЗМА ГЕНОВ ИНТЕРФЕРОНА III ТИПА У БОЛЬНЫХ ВИРУСНЫМ ГЕПАТИТОМ С НА СОПРЕДЕЛЬНЫХ ТЕРРИТОРИЯХ РОССИИ И МОНГОЛИИ

Aims: determine the structure of IFNL3/IFNL4 interferon genes’ polymorphism in healthy people and in HCV patients and the frequency of spontaneous viral clearance in ethnic groups of Caucasians and Mongolians, living in the Asian part of Russia (Irkutsk Region) and in Mongolia. Materials and methods: population genetic studies were conducted at 669 patients with hepatitis C, including 567 representatives Caucasian and 102 Mongoloid races. The control group consisted of 1520 healthy individuals, blood donors (800 Caucasians and 720 Mongoloids). Results: it was found that in Caucasians patients with chronic hepatitis C were significantly less common CC genotype rs12979860, TT genotype rs8099917 and TT/TT genotype rs368234815, than in the general population. However, in patients with chronic hepatitis C, the representatives of the Mongoloid race, compared with healthy individuals, significant differences were found only in relation to the TT genotype rs8099917 IFNL3 gene. Spontaneous clearance of the virus was significantly more common in the Mongoloid race than in Caucasians. Conclusions: the spontaneous viral clearance after clinical evidence or latent suffering hepatitis C was significantly more common in the Mongoloid race than in Caucasians that genetically determined high rate of prevalence in the population of the Mongols CC genotype rs12979860, TT genotype rs8099917 and TT/TT genotype rs368234815 polymorphisms of interferon type III genes.Цель исследования: определить структуру полиморфизма генов интерферона IFNL3/IFNL4 у здоровых лиц и больных вирусным гепатитом С и частоту спонтанного клиренса вируса в этнических группах европеоидов и монголоидов, проживающих в азиатской части России (Иркутская область) и Монголии. Материалы и методы: популяционно-генетические исследования проводились у 669 больных хроническим гепатитом С, в том числе у 567 представителей европеоидной и 102 монголоидной рас. Контрольную группу составили 1520 практически здоровых лиц, доноров крови (800 европеоидов и 720 монголоидов). Результаты: обнаружено, что у больных хроническим гепатитом С, представителей европеоидной расы, значимо реже встречались СС-генотип rs12979860, ТТгенотип rs8099917 и ТТ/ТТ-генотип rs368234815, чем в общей популяции здоровых лиц. Вместе с тем, у больных хроническим гепатитом С, представителей монголоидной расы, по сравнению со здоровыми лицами, значимые отличия обнаружены только в отношении ТТ-генотипа rs8099917 гена IFNL3. Спонтанный клиренс вируса значимо чаще (в 1,6 раза) встречался у представителей монголоидной расы, чем у европеоидов. Заключение: спонтанный клиренс вируса после клинически выраженного или латентно перенесенного гепатита С значимо чаще встречается у представителей монголоидной расы, чем у европеоидов, что генетически детерминировано высокой частотой распространенности в популяции монголов СС-генотипа rs12979860, ТТ-генотипа rs8099917 и ТТ/ТТ-генотипа rs368234815 полиморфизмов генов интерферонов III типа

The origins and spread of domestic horses from the Western Eurasian steppes

Analysis of 273 ancient horse genomes reveals that modern domestic horses originated in the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region.Domestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare(1). However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling(2-4) at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 bc(3). Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia(5) and Anatolia(6), have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 bc, synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots. We find that equestrianism involved strong selection for critical locomotor and behavioural adaptations at the GSDMC and ZFPM1 genes. Our results reject the commonly held association(7) between horseback riding and the massive expansion of Yamnaya steppe pastoralists into Europe around 3000 bc(8,9) driving the spread of Indo-European languages(10). This contrasts with the scenario in Asia where Indo-Iranian languages, chariots and horses spread together, following the early second millennium bc Sintashta culture(11,12).Descriptive and Comparative Linguistic

The origins and spread of domestic horses from the Western Eurasian steppes

Domestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare. However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 bc. Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia and Anatolia, have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 bc, synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots. We find that equestrianism involved strong selection for critical locomotor and behavioural adaptations at the GSDMC and ZFPM1 genes. Our results reject the commonly held association between horseback riding and the massive expansion of Yamnaya steppe pastoralists into Europe around 3000 bc driving the spread of Indo-European languages. This contrasts with the scenario in Asia where Indo-Iranian languages, chariots and horses spread together, following the early second millennium bc Sintashta culture

The Origins and Spread of Domestic Horses from the Western Eurasian Steppes

Domestication of horses fundamentally transformed long-range mobility and warfare1. However, modern domesticated breeds do not descend from the earliest domestic horse lineage associated with archaeological evidence of bridling, milking and corralling2–4 at Botai, Central Asia around 3500 bc3. Other longstanding candidate regions for horse domestication, such as Iberia5 and Anatolia6, have also recently been challenged. Thus, the genetic, geographic and temporal origins of modern domestic horses have remained unknown. Here we pinpoint the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region, as the homeland of modern domestic horses. Furthermore, we map the population changes accompanying domestication from 273 ancient horse genomes. This reveals that modern domestic horses ultimately replaced almost all other local populations as they expanded rapidly across Eurasia from about 2000 bc, synchronously with equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots. We find that equestrianism involved strong selection for critical locomotor and behavioural adaptations at the GSDMC and ZFPM1 genes. Our results reject the commonly held association7 between horseback riding and the massive expansion of Yamnaya steppe pastoralists into Europe around 3000 bc8,9 driving the spread of Indo-European languages10. This contrasts with the scenario in Asia where Indo-Iranian languages, chariots and horses spread together, following the early second millennium bc Sintashta culture11,12. © 2021, The Author(s).We thank all members of the AGES group at CAGT. We are grateful for the Museum of the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology (UB RAS, Ekaterinburg) for providing specimens. The work by G. Boeskorov is done on state assignment of DPMGI SB RAS. This project was supported by the University Paul Sabatier IDEX Chaire d’Excellence (OURASI); Villum Funden miGENEPI research programme; the CNRS ‘Programme de Recherche Conjoint’ (PRC); the CNRS International Research Project (IRP AMADEUS); the France Génomique Appel à Grand Projet (ANR-10-INBS-09-08, BUCEPHALE project); IB10131 and IB18060, both funded by Junta de Extremadura (Spain) and European Regional Development Fund; Czech Academy of Sciences (RVO:67985912); the Zoological Institute ZIN RAS (АААА-А19-119032590102-7); and King Saud University Researchers Supporting Project (NSRSP–2020/2). The research was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (19-59-15001 and 20-04-00213), the Russian Science Foundation (16-18-10265, 20-78-10151, and 21-18-00457), the Government of the Russian Federation (FENU-2020-0021), the Estonian Research Council (PRG29), the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (PRG1209), the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (Project NF 104792), the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Momentum Mobility Research Project of the Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities); and the Polish National Science Centre (2013/11/B/HS3/03822). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (grant agreement 797449). This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreements 681605, 716732 and 834616)

Buddhist Symbolism in the System of Kalmyk Tamgas

Introduction. The Kalmyks had converted to Buddhism centuries ago, and its symbolism is naturally integral to material and spiritual culture of the ethnos. The article examines Buddhist symbols used in tamgas ― Kalmyk clan markers that served to brand family or clan livestock, primarily horses and camels. Despite the tradition died away in the Soviet era, tamgas are still venerated, remaining symbols of clan identity. Goals. The paper reveals and describes sacred symbols incorporated into the system of Kalmyk tamgas. The materials are most essential to restore the developmental panorama of ethnic material and spiritual culture, which stays understudied and, thus, topical enough. Materials. The work analyzes field data collected by the author and students of the Gorodovikov Kalmyk State University during comprehensive research expeditions to Kalmykia’s districts between 1971 and 1990. Results. The study attests to quite a wide distribution of Buddhist symbols among Kalmyk tamgas, which indicates that people did revere them as sacred averters capable of protecting livestock, the herders’ main treasure