An Albino Muskox near the Atkinson Point River, Northwest Territories

Gavin during his stay near the mouth of the Perry River (67°48'N, 102°16'W) from 1937-1941 reported only few muskoxen. The largest herds were 12 and 15, seen in 1938 on the mainland a few miles west of the mouth of the Perry River. Aleksiuk saw no muskoxen during his period of field work in the Perry River area from 21 May to 10 August 1963 but reported that, according to local Eskimos, muskoxen were still found in the region of MacAlpine Lake, at the headwaters of Perry River. During waterfowl surveys on 11, 15, and 16 August 1971, between Perry River and the Atkinson Point River (103°18'W) and between 67°10'N and 67°45'N we saw the following numbers of muskoxen: 1, 26, 48, 1, 1, 23, 16, 1, 1. Dates of observation of herds, their location and numbers of yearlings preclude the possibility of duplication. Of particular interest was the occurrence of a light-coloured individual in the herd of 23 observed on 15 August along the Atkinson Point River at 67°45'N, 103°18'W. The animal in question was a large adult of a pale creamy-yellow colour. Photographs taken at the time show the animal to be accompanied by a yearling of normal colouration. At first the pale-coloured individual was thought to be a bull but the persistent proximity of the yearling and the adult's behaviour in running at the forefront of the herd when chased (in opposition to bulls which normally follow the herd) suggested that the muskox in question was a cow.... We were unable to get a good look at the cow's horns but they appeared paler than in muskoxen having the typical pelage; just then we had run into low cloud and rain and were in fact retreating to our camp on the Perry River. Only one albino muskox has been recorded previously. Tener quotes McDougall's observation of an adult albino cow muskox on 18 June 1853 at Cape Smyth, Melville Island. That cow was followed by a black calf

Riboflavin-responsive complex I deficiency

Three patients from a large consanguineous family, and one unrelated patient had exercise intolerance since early childhood and improved by supplementation with a high dosage of riboflavin. This was confirmed by higher endurance power in exercise testing. Riboflavin had been given because complex I, which contains riboflavin in FMN, one of its prosthetic groups, had a very low activity in muscle. Histochemistry showed an increase of subsarcolemmal mitochondria. The low complex I activity contrasted with an increase of the activities of succinate dehydrogenase, succinate-cytochrome c oxidoreductase and cytochrome c oxidase. Isolated mitochondria from these muscle specimens proved deficient in oxidizing pyruvate plus malate and other NAD+-linked substrates, but oxidized succinate and ascorbate at equal or higher levels than controls. Two years later a second biopsy was taken in one of the patients, and the activity of complex I had increased from 16% to 47% of the average activity in controls. In the four biopsies, cytochrome c oxidase activity correlated negatively with age. We suspect that this is due to reactive oxygen species generated by the proliferating mitochondria and peroxidizing unsaturated fatty acids of cardiolipin. Three of the four patients had low blood carnitine, and all were found to have hypocarnitinemic family members

A red knot as a black swan:How a single bird shows navigational abilities during repeat crossings of the Greenland Icecap

Despite the wealth of studies on seasonal movements of birds between southern nonbreeding locations and High Arctic breeding locations, the key mechanisms of navigation during these migrations remain elusive. A flight along the shortest possible route between pairs of points on a sphere ('orthodrome') requires a bird to be able to assess its current location in relation to its migration goal and to make continuous adjustment of heading to reach that goal. Alternatively, birds may navigate along a vector with a fixed orientation ('loxodrome') based on magnetic and/or celestial compass mechanisms. Compass navigation is considered especially challenging for summer migrations in Polar regions, as continuous daylight and complexity in the geomagnetic field may complicate the use of both celestial and magnetic compasses here. We examine the possible use of orientation mechanisms during migratory flights across the Greenland Icecap. Using a novel 2 g solar-powered satellite transmitter, we documented the flight paths travelled by a female red knotCalidris canutus islandicaduring two northward and two southward migrations. The geometry of the paths suggests that red knots can migrate across the Greenland Icecap along the shortest-, orthodrome-like, path instead of the previously suggested loxodrome path. This particular bird's ability to return to locations visited in a previous year, together with its sudden course changes (which would be appropriate responses to ambient wind fields), suggest a map sense that enables red knots to determine location, so that they can tailor their route depending on local conditions

MORTALITY IN FLEDGED WHOOPING CRANES OF THE ARANSAS/WOOD BUFFALO POPULATION

A total of 1,893 whooping cranes (Grus americana) overwintered at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge from 1950 through spring 1987. Winter losses (dead and disappeared) amounted to only 1.3% of the population, but 3.7% of the juveniles. About 19% of the annual losses occurred in the wintering area where birds spend 5 to 6 months of the year. Eighty-one percent of the losses occurred from April to November. Losses on the summering area appear to be low. The most significant losses seem to occur during migration and may comprise between 60 and 80% of the annual losses. Migration involves only 17-20% of the birds\u27 year, but a period when losses are high because they are exposed to new hazards as they travel through unfamiliar environments

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Clinical and genetic studies on 12 preaxial polydactyly families and refinement of the localisation of the gene responsible to a 1.9 cM region on chromosome 7q36

Polydactyly is the most frequently observed congenital hand malformation with a prevalence between 5 and 19 per 10 000 live births. It can occur as an isolated disorder, in association with other hand/foot malformations, or as a part of a syndrome, and is usually inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. According to its anatomical location, polydactyly can be generally subdivided into pre- and postaxial forms. Recently, a gene responsible for preaxial polydactyly types II and III, as well as complex polysyndactyly, has been localised to chromosome 7q36.
In order to facilitate the search for the underlying genetic defect, we ascertained 12 additional families of different ethnic origin affected with preaxial polydactyly. Eleven of the kindreds investigated could be linked to chromosome 7q36, enabling us to refine the critical region for the preaxial polydactyly gene to a region of 1.9 cM. Our findings also indicate that radial and tibial dysplasia/aplasia can be associated with preaxial polydactyly on chromosome 7q36.
Combining our results with other studies suggests that all non-syndromic preaxial polydactylies associated with triphalangism of the thumb are caused by a single genetic locus, but that there is genetic heterogeneity for preaxial polydactyly associated with duplications of biphalangeal thumbs. Comparison of the phenotypic and genetic findings of different forms of preaxial polydactyly is an important step in analysing and understanding the aetiology and pathogenesis of these limb malformations.


Keywords: preaxial polydactyly; chromosome 7q36; localisatio