Not a limitless resource: Ethics and guidelines for destructive sampling of archaeofaunal remains

With the advent of ancient DNA, as well as other methods such as isotope analysis, destructive sampling of archaeofaunal remains has increased much faster than the effort to collect and curate them. While there has been considerable discussion regarding the ethics of destructive sampling and analysis of human remains, this dialogue has not extended to archaeofaunal material. Here we address this gap and discuss the ethical challenges surrounding destructive sampling of materials from archaeofaunal collections. We suggest ways of mitigating the negative aspects of destructive sampling and present step-by-step guidelines aimed at relevant stakeholders, including scientists, holding institutions and scientific journals. Our suggestions are in most cases easily implemented without significant increases in project costs, but with clear long-term benefits in the preservation and use of zooarchaeological material.</p

Odour-mediated orientation of beetles is influenced by age, sex and morph

The behaviour of insects is dictated by a combination of factors and may vary considerably between individuals, but small insects are often considered en masse and thus these differences can be overlooked. For example, the cowpea bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus F. exists naturally in two adult forms: the active (flight) form for dispersal, and the inactive (flightless), more fecund but shorter-lived form. Given that these morphs show dissimilar biology, it is possible that they differ in odour-mediated orientation and yet studies of this species frequently neglect to distinguish morph type, or are carried out only on the inactive morph. Along with sex and age of individual, adult morph could be an important variable determining the biology of this and similar species, informing studies on evolution, ecology and pest management. We used an olfactometer with motion-tracking to investigate whether the olfactory behaviour and orientation of C. maculatus towards infested and uninfested cowpeas and a plant-derived repellent compound, methyl salicylate, differed between morphs or sexes. We found significant differences between the behaviour of male and female beetles and beetles of different ages, as well as interactive effects of sex, morph and age, in response to both host and repellent odours. This study demonstrates that behavioural experiments on insects should control for sex and age, while also considering differences between adult morphs where present in insect species. This finding has broad implications for fundamental entomological research, particularly when exploring the relationships between physiology, behaviour and evolutionary biology, and the application of crop protection strategies

Patterns of homozygosity in insular and continental goat breeds

Background: Genetic isolation of breeds may result in a significant loss of diversity and have consequences on health and performance. In this study, we examined the effect of geographic isolation on caprine genetic diversity patterns by genotyping 480 individuals from 25 European and African breeds with the Goat SNP50 BeadChip and comparing patterns of homozygosity of insular and nearby continental breeds. Results: Among the breeds analysed, number and total length of ROH varied considerably and depending on breeds, ROH could cover a substantial fraction of the genome (up to 1.6 Gb in Icelandic goats). When compared with their continental counterparts, goats from Iceland, Madagascar, La Palma and Ireland (Bilberry and Arran) displayed a significant increase in ROH coverage, ROH number and F ROH values (P value &lt; 0.05). Goats from Mediterranean islands represent a more complex case because certain populations displayed a significantly increased level of homozygosity (e.g. Girgentana) and others did not (e.g. Corse and Sarda). Correlations of number and total length of ROH for insular goat populations with the distance between islands and the nearest continental locations revealed an effect of extremely long distances on the patterns of homozygosity. Conclusions: These results indicate that the effects of insularization on the patterns of homozygosity are variable. Goats raised in Madagascar, Iceland, Ireland (Bilberry and Arran) and La Palma, show high levels of homozygosity, whereas those bred in Mediterranean islands display patterns of homozygosity that are similar to those found in continental populations. These results indicate that the diversity of insular goat populations is modulated by multiple factors such as geographic distribution, population size, demographic history, trading and breed management

The "silver" Japanese quail and the MITF gene: causal mutation, associated traits and homology with the "blue" chicken plumage

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The <it>MITF </it>(<it>microphthalmia-associated transcription factor</it>) gene has been investigated in mice and various vertebrates but its variations and associated effects have not yet been explored much in birds. The present study describes the causal mutation <it>B </it>at the <it>MITF </it>gene responsible for the "silver" plumage colour in the Japanese quail (<it>Coturnix japonica</it>), and its associated effects on growth and body composition, and tests its allelism with the "blue" plumage colour mutation <it>Bl </it>in <it>Gallus gallus</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The semi dominant <it>B </it>mutation results from a premature stop codon caused by a 2 bp deletion in exon 11 of <it>MITF</it>. Homozygous "white" (<it>B/B</it>) quail which have a white plumage also show a slightly lower growth, lower body temperature, smaller heart, and lighter <it>pectoralis </it>muscles but more abdominal adipose tissue than the recessive homozygous "wild-type" (<it>+/+</it>) and heterozygous "silver" (<it>B/+</it>) quail. Similar observations on cardiac and body growth were made on mice (<it>Mus musculus</it>) homozygous for mutations at <it>MITF</it>. The production of chicken-quail hybrids with a white plumage obtained by crossing <it>Bl/+ </it>chicken heterozygous for the <it>blue </it>mutation with <it>B/B </it>white quail indicated that the mutations were allelic.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The "silver" Japanese quail is an interesting model for the comparative study of the effects of <it>MITF </it>in birds and mammals. Further investigation using a chicken family segregating for the "blue" plumage and molecular data will be needed to confirm if the "blue" plumage in chicken results from a mutation in <it>MITF</it>.</p

Microsatellite diversity of the Nordic type of goats in relation to breed conservation: how relevant is pure ancestry?

In the last decades, several endangered breeds of livestock species have been re-established effectively. However, the successful revival of the Dutch and Danish Landrace goats involved crossing with exotic breeds and the ancestry of the current populations is therefore not clear. We have generated genotypes for 27 FAO-recommended microsatellites of these landraces and three phenotypically similar Nordic-type landraces and compared these breeds with central European, Mediterranean and south-west Asian goats. We found decreasing levels of genetic diversity with increasing distance from the south-west Asian domestication site with a south-east-to-north-west cline that is clearly steeper than the Mediterranean east-to-west cline. In terms of genetic diversity, the Dutch Landrace comes next to the isolated Icelandic breed, which has an extremely low diversity. The Norwegian coastal goat and the Finnish and Icelandic landraces are clearly related. It appears that by a combination of mixed origin and a population bottleneck, the Dutch and Danish Land-races are separated from the other breeds. However, the current Dutch and Danish populations with the multicoloured and long-horned appearance effectively substitute for the original breed, illustrating that for conservation of cultural heritage, the phenotype of a breed is more relevant than pure ancestry and the genetic diversity of the original breed. More in general, we propose that for conservation, the retention of genetic diversity of an original breed and of the visual phenotype by which the breed is recognized and defined needs to be considered separately

Polizeialltag und Habitus: Eine sozialökologische Fallstudie

Hüttermann J. Polizeialltag und Habitus: Eine sozialökologische Fallstudie. Soziale Welt. 2000;51:7-24

The Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor Mitf Interacts with β-Catenin To Determine Target Gene Expression

Commitment to the melanocyte lineage is characterized by the onset of expression of the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf). This transcription factor plays a fundamental role in melanocyte development and maintenance and seems to be crucial for the survival of malignant melanocytes. Furthermore, Mitf has been shown to be involved in cell cycle regulation and to play important functions in self-renewal and maintenance of melanocyte stem cells. Although little is known about how Mitf regulates these various processes, one possibility is that Mitf interacts with other regulators. Here we show that Mitf can interact directly with β-catenin, the key mediator of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. The Wnt signaling pathway plays a critical role in melanocyte development and is intimately involved in triggering melanocyte stem cell proliferation. Significantly, constitutive activation of this pathway is a feature of a number of cancers including malignant melanoma. Here we show that Mitf can redirect β-catenin transcriptional activity away from canonical Wnt signaling-regulated genes toward Mitf-specific target promoters to activate transcription. Thus, by a feedback mechanism, Mitf can diversify the output of canonical Wnt signaling to enhance the repertoire of genes regulated by β-catenin. Our results reveal a novel mechanism by which Wnt signaling and β-catenin activate gene expression, with significant implications for our understanding of both melanocyte development and melanoma