keyword
https://read.qxmd.com/read/32521014/phylogenomics-of-monitor-lizards-and-the-role-of-competition-in-dictating-body-size-disparity
#21
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Ian G Brennan, Alan R Lemmon, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Daniel M Portik, Valter Weijola, Luke Welton, Stephen C Donnellan, J Scott Keogh
Organismal interactions drive the accumulation of diversity by influencing species ranges, morphology, and behavior. Interactions vary from agonistic to cooperative and should result in predictable patterns in trait and range evolution. However, despite a conceptual understanding of these processes, they have been difficult to model, particularly on macroevolutionary timescales and across broad geographic spaces. Here, we investigate the influence of biotic interactions on trait evolution and community assembly in monitor lizards (Varanus)...
January 1, 2021: Systematic Biology
https://read.qxmd.com/read/32244374/total-eclipse-of-the-zoo-animal-behavior-during-a-total-solar-eclipse
#22
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Adam Hartstone-Rose, Edwin Dickinson, Lisa M Paciulli, Ashley R Deutsch, Leon Tran, Grace Jones, Kaitlyn C Leonard
The infrequency of a total solar eclipse renders the event novel to those animals that experience its effects and, consequently, may induce anomalous behavioral responses. However, historical information on the responses of animals to eclipses is scant and often conflicting. In this study, we qualitatively document the responses of 17 vertebrate taxa (including mammals, birds, and reptiles) to the 2017 total solar eclipse as it passed over Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina. In the days leading up to the eclipse, several focal teams, each consisting of researchers, animal keepers, and student/zoo volunteers conducted baseline observations using a combination of continuous ad libitum and scan sampling of each animal during closely matched seasonal conditions...
March 31, 2020: Animals: An Open Access Journal From MDPI
https://read.qxmd.com/read/31984486/komodo-dragons-are-not-ecological-analogs-of-apex-mammalian-predators
#23
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Tim S Jessop, Achmad Ariefiandy, David M Forsyth, Deni Purwandana, Craig R White, Yunias Jackson Benu, Thomas Madsen, Henry J Harlow, Mike Letnic
Apex predators can have substantial and complex ecological roles in ecosystems. However, differences in species-specific traits, population densities, and interspecific interactions are likely to determine the strength of apex predators' roles. Here we report complementary studies examining how interactions between predator per capita metabolic rate and population density influenced the biomass, population energy use, and ecological effects of apex predators on their large mammalian prey. We first investigated how large mammal prey resources and field metabolic rates of terrestrial apex predators, comprising large mammals and the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), influenced their biomass densities and population energy use requirements...
April 2020: Ecology
https://read.qxmd.com/read/31470795/the-komodo-dragon-varanus-komodoensis-genome-and-identification-of-innate-immunity-genes-and-clusters
#24
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Monique L van Hoek, M Dennis Prickett, Robert E Settlage, Lin Kang, Pawel Michalak, Kent A Vliet, Barney M Bishop
BACKGROUND: We report the sequencing, assembly and analysis of the genome of the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), the largest extant lizard, with a focus on antimicrobial host-defense peptides. The Komodo dragon diet includes carrion, and a complex milieu of bacteria, including potentially pathogenic strains, has been detected in the saliva of wild dragons. They appear to be unaffected, suggesting that dragons have robust defenses against infection. While little information is available regarding the molecular biology of reptile immunity, it is believed that innate immunity, which employs antimicrobial host-defense peptides including defensins and cathelicidins, plays a more prominent role in reptile immunity than it does in mammals...
August 30, 2019: BMC Genomics
https://read.qxmd.com/read/31358948/genome-of-the-komodo-dragon-reveals-adaptations-in-the-cardiovascular-and-chemosensory-systems-of-monitor-lizards
#25
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Abigail L Lind, Yvonne Y Y Lai, Yulia Mostovoy, Alisha K Holloway, Alessio Iannucci, Angel C Y Mak, Marco Fondi, Valerio Orlandini, Walter L Eckalbar, Massimo Milan, Michail Rovatsos, Ilya G Kichigin, Alex I Makunin, Martina Johnson Pokorná, Marie Altmanová, Vladimir A Trifonov, Elio Schijlen, Lukáš Kratochvíl, Renato Fani, Petr Velenský, Ivan Rehák, Tomaso Patarnello, Tim S Jessop, James W Hicks, Oliver A Ryder, Joseph R Mendelson, Claudio Ciofi, Pui-Yan Kwok, Katherine S Pollard, Benoit G Bruneau
Monitor lizards are unique among ectothermic reptiles in that they have high aerobic capacity and distinctive cardiovascular physiology resembling that of endothermic mammals. Here, we sequence the genome of the Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis, the largest extant monitor lizard, and generate a high-resolution de novo chromosome-assigned genome assembly for V. komodoensis using a hybrid approach of long-range sequencing and single-molecule optical mapping. Comparing the genome of V. komodoensis with those of related species, we find evidence of positive selection in pathways related to energy metabolism, cardiovascular homoeostasis, and haemostasis...
August 2019: Nature Ecology & Evolution
https://read.qxmd.com/read/31010543/temporal-shifts-in-the-distribution-of-murine-rodent-body-size-classes-at-liang-bua-flores-indonesia-reveal-new-insights-into-the-paleoecology-of-homo-floresiensis-and-associated-fauna
#26
JOURNAL ARTICLE
E Grace Veatch, Matthew W Tocheri, Thomas Sutikna, Kate McGrath, E Wahyu Saptomo, Jatmiko, Kristofer M Helgen
Liang Bua, the type locality of Homo floresiensis, is a limestone cave located in the western part of the Indonesian island of Flores. The relatively continuous stratigraphic sequence of the site spans the past ∼190 kyr and contains ∼275,000 taxonomically identifiable vertebrate skeletal elements, ∼80% of which belong to murine rodent taxa (i.e., rats). Six described genera are present at Liang Bua (Papagomys, Spelaeomys, Hooijeromys, Komodomys, Paulamys, and Rattus), one of which, Hooijeromys, is newly recorded in the site deposits, being previously known only from Early to Middle Pleistocene sites in central Flores...
May 2019: Journal of Human Evolution
https://read.qxmd.com/read/30722046/shared-ancient-sex-chromosomes-in-varanids-beaded-lizards-and-alligator-lizards
#27
COMPARATIVE STUDY
Michail Rovatsos, Ivan Rehák, Petr Velenský, Lukáš Kratochvíl
Sex determination in varanids, Gila monsters, beaded lizards, and other anguimorphan lizards is still poorly understood. Sex chromosomes were reported only in a few species based solely on cytogenetics, which precluded assessment of their homology. We uncovered Z-chromosome-specific genes in varanids from their transcriptomes. Comparison of differences in gene copy numbers between sexes across anguimorphan lizards and outgroups revealed that homologous differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes are present in Gila monsters, beaded lizards, alligator lizards, and a wide phylogenetic spectrum of varanids...
June 1, 2019: Molecular Biology and Evolution
https://read.qxmd.com/read/30641525/isolating-chromosomes-of-the-komodo-dragon-new-tools-for-comparative-mapping-and-sequence-assembly
#28
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Alessio Iannucci, Marie Altmanová, Claudio Ciofi, Malcolm Ferguson-Smith, Jorge C Pereira, Ivan Rehák, Roscoe Stanyon, Petr Velenský, Michail Rovatsos, Lukáš Kratochvíl, Martina Johnson Pokorná
We developed new tools to build a high-quality chromosomal map of the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) available for cross-species phylogenomic analyses. First, we isolated chromosomes by flow sorting and determined the chromosome content of each flow karyotype peak by FISH. We then isolated additional Komodo dragon chromosomes by microdissection and amplified chromosome-specific DNA pools. The chromosome-specific DNA pools can be sequenced, assembled, and mapped by next-generation sequencing technology...
January 15, 2019: Cytogenetic and Genome Research
https://read.qxmd.com/read/30429305/exploring-mechanisms-and-origins-of-reduced-dispersal-in-island-komodo-dragons
#29
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Tim S Jessop, Achmad Ariefiandy, Deni Purwandana, Claudio Ciofi, Jeri Imansyah, Yunias Jackson Benu, Damien A Fordham, David M Forsyth, Raoul A Mulder, Benjamin L Phillips
Loss of dispersal typifies island biotas, but the selective processes driving this phenomenon remain contentious. This is because selection via, both indirect (e.g. relaxed selection or island syndromes) and direct (e.g. natural selection or spatial sorting) processes may be involved, and no study has yet convincingly distinguished between these alternatives. Here, we combined observational and experimental analyses of an island lizard, the Komodo dragon ( Varanus komodoensis , the world's largest lizard), to provide evidence for the actions of multiple processes that could contribute to island dispersal loss...
November 14, 2018: Proceedings. Biological Sciences
https://read.qxmd.com/read/30114686/komodo-dragon-predation-on-crab-eating-macaques-at-the-rinca-island-s-visitor-centre-indonesia
#30
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Muhammad Ali Imron, Ryan Adi Satria, Mohamad Faqih Pratama Ramlan
We investigated the proportion of crab-eating macaques in the diet of Komodo dragons and quantified the spatial habitat use between the species as a proxy for predation threat and in relation to prey availability due to ecotourism. In 2013, in Loh Buaya valley of Rinca Island, Komodo National Park, we conducted macroscopic identification of hairs, claws, dentition and osteological remains of consumed prey. For habitat use, we quantified the use of vertical strata by macaques through focal animal sampling. For Komodo dragons in the valley, macaques were a significant component of their diet (20...
2018: Folia Primatologica; International Journal of Primatology
https://read.qxmd.com/read/29236745/facultative-parthenogenesis-validated-by-dna-analyses-in-the-green-anaconda-eunectes-murinus
#31
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Hiroki Shibata, Shuichi Sakata, Yuzo Hirano, Eiji Nitasaka, Ai Sakabe
In reptiles, the mode of reproduction is typically sexual. However, facultative parthenogenesis occurs in some Squamata, such as Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) and Burmese python (Python bivittatus). Here, we report facultative parthenogenesis in the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus). We found two fully developed female neonates and 17 undeveloped eggs in the oviduct of a female anaconda isolated from other individuals for eight years and two months at Ueno Zoo, Japan. To clarify the zygosity of the neonates, we analyzed 18 microsatellite markers of which 16 were informative...
2017: PloS One
https://read.qxmd.com/read/28828271/late-pleistocene-songbirds-of-liang-bua-flores-indonesia-the-first-fossil-passerine-fauna-described-from-wallacea
#32
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Hanneke J M Meijer, Rokus Awe Due, Thomas Sutikna, Wahyu Saptomo, Jatmiko, Sri Wasisto, Matthew W Tocheri, Gerald Mayr
BACKGROUND: Passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) dominate modern terrestrial bird communities yet their fossil record is limited. Liang Bua is a large cave on the Indonesian island of Flores that preserves Late Pleistocene-Holocene deposits (∼190 ka to present day). Birds are the most diverse faunal group at Liang Bua and are present throughout the stratigraphic sequence. METHODS: We examined avian remains from the Late Pleistocene deposits of Sector XII, a 2 × 2 m area excavated to about 8...
2017: PeerJ
https://read.qxmd.com/read/28649410/komodo-dragon-inspired-synthetic-peptide-drgn-1-promotes-wound-healing-of-a-mixed-biofilm-infected-wound
#33
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Ezra M C Chung, Scott N Dean, Crystal N Propst, Barney M Bishop, Monique L van Hoek
Cationic antimicrobial peptides are multifunctional molecules that have a high potential as therapeutic agents. We have identified a histone H1-derived peptide from the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), called VK25. Using this peptide as inspiration, we designed a synthetic peptide called DRGN-1. We evaluated the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of both peptides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. DRGN-1, more than VK25, exhibited potent antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity, and permeabilized bacterial membranes...
2017: NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes
https://read.qxmd.com/read/28363070/multihormonal-islet-cell-carcinomas-in-three-komodo-dragons-varanus-komodoensis
#34
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Ronan Eustace, Michael M Garner, Kimberly Cook, Christine Miller, Matti Kiupel
  Multihormonal pancreatic islet cell carcinomas were found in one female and two male captive geriatric Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis). Gross changes in the pancreas were visible in two of the cases. Clinical signs noted in the Komodo dragons were lethargy, weakness, and anorexia. Histologically, the tumors were comprised of nests and cords of well-differentiated neoplastic islet cells with scant amounts of eosinophilic cytoplasm and round, euchromatic nuclei, with rare mitoses. Infiltration by the islet cell tumor into the surrounding acinar tissue was observed in all cases, but no metastatic foci were seen...
March 2017: Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine: Official Publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
https://read.qxmd.com/read/28164707/discovery-of-novel-antimicrobial-peptides-from-varanus-komodoensis-komodo-dragon-by-large-scale-analyses-and-de-novo-assisted-sequencing-using-electron-transfer-dissociation-mass-spectrometry
#35
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Barney M Bishop, Melanie L Juba, Paul S Russo, Megan Devine, Stephanie M Barksdale, Shaylyn Scott, Robert Settlage, Pawel Michalak, Kajal Gupta, Kent Vliet, Joel M Schnur, Monique L van Hoek
Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards and are the apex predators in their environs. They endure numerous strains of pathogenic bacteria in their saliva and recover from wounds inflicted by other dragons, reflecting the inherent robustness of their innate immune defense. We have employed a custom bioprospecting approach combining partial de novo peptide sequencing with transcriptome assembly to identify cationic antimicrobial peptides from Komodo dragon plasma. Through these analyses, we identified 48 novel potential cationic antimicrobial peptides...
April 7, 2017: Journal of Proteome Research
https://read.qxmd.com/read/27822543/the-oral-and-skin-microbiomes-of-captive-komodo-dragons-are-significantly-shared-with-their-habitat
#36
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Embriette R Hyde, Jose A Navas-Molina, Se Jin Song, Jordan G Kueneman, Gail Ackermann, Cesar Cardona, Gregory Humphrey, Don Boyer, Tom Weaver, Joseph R Mendelson, Valerie J McKenzie, Jack A Gilbert, Rob Knight
Examining the way in which animals, including those in captivity, interact with their environment is extremely important for studying ecological processes and developing sophisticated animal husbandry. Here we use the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) to quantify the degree of sharing of salivary, skin, and fecal microbiota with their environment in captivity. Both species richness and microbial community composition of most surfaces in the Komodo dragon's environment are similar to the Komodo dragon's salivary and skin microbiota but less similar to the stool-associated microbiota...
July 2016: MSystems
https://read.qxmd.com/read/27450879/first-description-of-the-karyotype-and-sex-chromosomes-in-the-komodo-dragon-varanus-komodoensis
#37
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Martina Johnson Pokorná, Marie Altmanová, Michail Rovatsos, Petr Velenský, Roman Vodička, Ivan Rehák, Lukáš Kratochvíl
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest lizard in the world. Surprisingly, it has not yet been cytogenetically examined. Here, we present the very first description of its karyotype and sex chromosomes. The karyotype consists of 2n = 40 chromosomes, 16 macrochromosomes and 24 microchromosomes. Although the chromosome number is constant for all species of monitor lizards (family Varanidae) with the currently reported karyotype, variability in the morphology of the macrochromosomes has been previously documented within the group...
2016: Cytogenetic and Genome Research
https://read.qxmd.com/read/27161437/bitten-by-a-dragon
#38
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Stephen D Ducey, Jeffrey S Cooper, Michael C Wadman
Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are large lizards known to take down prey even larger than themselves. They rarely attack humans. A 38-year-old woman was bitten by a Komodo dragon on her hand while cleaning its enclosure. She was transiently hypotensive. The wounds were extensively cleaned, and she was started on prophylactic antibiotics. Her wounds healed without any infectious sequelae. Komodo dragon bites are historically thought to be highly infectious and venomous. Based on a literature review, neither of these are likely true...
June 2016: Wilderness & Environmental Medicine
https://read.qxmd.com/read/26936625/ecological-allometries-and-niche-use-dynamics-across-komodo-dragon-ontogeny
#39
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Deni Purwandana, Achmad Ariefiandy, M Jeri Imansyah, Aganto Seno, Claudio Ciofi, Mike Letnic, Tim S Jessop
Ontogenetic allometries in ecological habits and niche use are key responses by which individuals maximize lifetime fitness. Moreover, such allometries have significant implications for how individuals influence population and community dynamics. Here, we examined how body size variation in Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) influenced ecological allometries in their: (1) prey size preference, (2) daily movement rates, (3) home range area, and (4) subsequent niche use across ontogeny. With increased body mass, Komodo dragons increased prey size with a dramatic switch from small (≤10 kg) to large prey (≥50 kg) in lizards heavier than 20 kg...
April 2016: Die Naturwissenschaften
https://read.qxmd.com/read/26176757/evidence-of-egg-diversity-in-squamate-evolution-from-cretaceous-anguimorph-embryos
#40
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Vincent Fernandez, Eric Buffetaut, Varavudh Suteethorn, Jean-Claude Rage, Paul Tafforeau, Martin Kundrát
Lizards are remarkable amongst amniotes, for they display a unique mosaic of reproduction modes ranging from egg-laying to live-bearing. Within this patchwork, geckoes are believed to represent the only group to ever have produced fully calcified rigid-shelled eggs, contrasting with the ubiquitous parchment shelled-eggs observed in other lineages. However, this hypothesis relies only on observations of modern taxa and fossilised gecko-like eggshells which have never been found in association with any embryonic or parental remains...
2015: PloS One
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