Features of reproduction and assisted reproduction in the white (Ceratotherium simum) and black (Diceros bicornis) rhinoceros

Despite the worldwide increase of rhinoceros calf numbers, the growth of the population of white and black rhinoceros is slowing down mainly due to anthropogenic causes, such as poaching and habitat loss. Assisted reproduction is one of the methods of preserving the valuable genomes of these animals from being lost, and assists in breeding them in captivity to maintain the specie(s) numbers and provide an option for possible reintroduction into the wild. Since wild rhinoceros are difficult to handle and examine clinically, most of the current information available on their reproductive characteristics has been gained from captive rhinoceros populations. Nevertheless, very little is known about rhinoceros reproduction. Since the rhinoceros belongs to the odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyls) group, like the horse and the tapir, the horse has been proposed as a suitable model to study reproduction and artificial reproductive techniques in the rhinoceros. In this review, the current knowledge of the reproduction of the rhinoceros is summarized

The impact of SFAS 157 on fair value accounting and future bank performance

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The predictive value of bank fair values

Fair value, the value of an item in an orderly exchange, has been shown to have greater value relevance than historical cost. However, there is limited literature on the predictive ability of fair value. Our study contributes to this emerging area of research by examining the predictive ability of the SFAS 107 fair value disclosures by U.S. banks for future performance as measured by operating cash flows and earnings over a three-year time horizon. Furthermore, we provide evidence on the influence of the 2007/2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) on the relationships between bank fair values and future performance, thereby showing whether market illiquidity affected the underlying relationships. We also test for the impact of bank characteristics - size, capital adequacy and growth prospects - on predictive ability. Our findings suggest that fair values have predictive ability for both the cash flow and earnings measures of performance and that the GFC did not have an adverse impact on the predictive ability of bank fair values. However, we find that the predictive ability of fair value is strongest for operating cash flows. The study supports the relevance of fair value, as indicated by predictive ability for performance, and thus makes an important contribution to the fair value accounting literature and accounting standard-settingfalsePublishe