Gaur Research Articles

Coincidence of low genetic diversity and increasing population size in wild gaur populations in the Khao Phaeng Ma Non-Hunting Area, Thailand: A challenge for conservation management under human-wildlife conflict.

The gaur (Bos gaurus) is found throughout mainland South and Southeast Asia but is listed as an endangered species in Thailand with a decreasing population size and a reduction in suitable habitat. While gaur have shown a population recovery from 35 to 300 individuals within 30 years in the Khao Phaeng Ma (KPM) Non-Hunting Area, this has caused conflict with villagers along the border of the protected area. At the same time, the ecotourism potential of watching gaurs has boosted the local economy. In this study, 13 mitochondrial displacement-loop sequence samples taken from gaur with GPS collars were analyzed. Three haplotypes identified in the population were defined by only two parsimony informative sites (from 9 mutational steps of nucleotide difference). One haplotype was shared among eleven individuals located in different subpopulations/herds, suggesting very low genetic diversity with few maternal lineages in the founder population. Based on the current small number of sequences, neutrality and demographic expansion test results also showed that the population was likely to contract in the near future. These findings provide insight into the genetic diversity and demography of the wild gaur population in the KPM protected area that can inform long-term sustainable management action plans.

Genetic Characterization of Endangered Indian Mithun (Bos frontalis), Indian Bison/Wild Gaur (Bos gaurus) and Tho-tho Cattle (Bos indicus) Populations Using SSR Markers Reveals Their Diversity and Unique Phylogenetic Status

Mithun (Bos frontalis) or gayal and Indian Bison or wild gaur (Bos gaurus) are listed among the rare and endangered bovine species of India. The remote location of mithun in four North Eastern Hill states (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram), scattered population size, and non-availability of genetic diversity status are major limitations towards devising a suitable breeding and conservation policy of these species. Since several studies have demonstrated the successful applicability of microsatellite/SSR markers across related genera/families in both crop plants and animal species, 30 FAO recommended cattle microsatellites were utilized for the assessment of the genetic diversity of Indian mithun, bison, and local Tho-tho cattle. Mitochondrial transmembrane protein coding cytochrome B (CYTB) complete sequence data of 71 bovine samples from India were also used to reinforce the study. Population structuring clustered the all bovines into three subgroups as per geographical location and species. Bottleneck analysis indicated a mode shift in the allelic frequency distribution of gaur, indicating minor genetic bottleneck events in the past, while no bottleneck was found in mithun and Tho-tho cattle. To our knowledge, this study represents the first report of molecular genetic characterization showing the population structure and status of genetic diversity in rare Indian bovines, namely, Mithun, Gaur, and Tho-tho cattle.

Drivers of human-megaherbivore interactions in the Eastern and Western Ghats of southern India

The global effort to protect megaherbivore populations is largely dependent on how human-wildlife conflict is identified, prioritized, and remedied. We examined the socio-ecological and landscape-scale factors determining spatial patterns of human-megaherbivore (Asian elephant Elephas maximus and gaur Bos gaurus) interactions across sixteen Forest Divisions in Tamil Nadu, India. Using a systematic grid-based design, we conducted questionnaire-based surveys of 1460 households at the human-wildlife interface adjacent to Protected Areas, Reserve Forest and Fringe Areas. We specifically collected information on elephant and gaur conflict incidents (e.g., human death/injuries, property damage, and crop-raiding), cropland type, extent of crop area and area lost to crop-raiding, from each household. We found that human-elephant conflict increased with percentage of crop cover, diversity of major and minor crops grown, proximity to water source, flat terrain, and lower rates of precipitation. Human-gaur conflict was greatest with a high diversity of major crops, proximity to water source, moderate precipitation, and more undulating terrain. We identified ca. 7900 km2 hotspot area of contiguous high-intensity elephant conflict. For gaur, we identified high-frequency conflict hotspot areas covering ca. 625 km2, which were patchily distributed, highly localised, and attributed mostly to the recent changing land-use patterns. Our findings will help policymakers and park managers in developing landscape-scale human-wildlife conflict mitigation plans in the identified conflict hotspots.

Gaur genome reveals expansion of sperm odorant receptors in domesticated cattle

BackgroundThe gaur (Bos gaurus) is the largest extant wild bovine species, native to South and Southeast Asia, with unique traits, and is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).ResultsWe report the first gaur reference genome and identify three biological pathways including lysozyme activity, proton transmembrane transporter activity, and oxygen transport with significant changes in gene copy number in gaur compared to other mammals. These may reflect adaptation to challenges related to climate and nutrition. Comparative analyses with domesticated indicine (Bos indicus) and taurine (Bos taurus) cattle revealed genomic signatures of artificial selection, including the expansion of sperm odorant receptor genes in domesticated cattle, which may have important implications for understanding selection for male fertility.ConclusionsApart from aiding dissection of economically important traits, the gaur genome will also provide the foundation to conserve the species.

Diet Composition and Prey Preference of Tiger, Leopard, and Dhole in Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Southern Western Ghats, India

Comprehensive information on prey availability and diet composition is important to formulate effective conservation strategies. Data on these of large apex predators, the tiger Panthera tigris, leopard Panthera pardus, and dhole Cuon alpinus, are deficient in Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, India, which harbors low prey density. Therefore, we investigated how these predators coexisted by partitioning limited food resources. We found that prey selection and activity patterns differed among predators. The leopard (D [Jacobs' preference index] = +0.916) and dhole (D = +0.937) preferred the Indian chevrotain Moschiola indica, whereas the tiger preferred the gaur Bos gaurus (D = +0.937). Biomass of tiger's diet mainly consisted of the gaur (75%). In the dhole, the Indian chevrotain and sambar Rusa unicolor together contributed 91% of biomass, whereas 79% of leopard's biomass was contributed by the Nilgiri langur Semnopithecus johnii and the Indian chevrotain. The leopard and dhole had the highest dietary overlap (Ojk [Pianka Index] = 0.46). The highest activity overlap was found among the leopard, Indian chevrotain, and sambar. The leopard and dhole would compete for the Indian chevrotain, although the competition may be avoided by different activity patterns. Managements of the Indian chevrotain and gaur are critical for conserving large predators in the region.

A draft genome of Drung cattle reveals clues to its chromosomal fusion and environmental adaptation

Drung cattle (Bos frontalis) have 58 chromosomes, differing from the Bos taurus 2n = 60 karyotype. To date, its origin and evolution history have not been proven conclusively, and the mechanisms of chromosome fusion and environmental adaptation have not been clearly elucidated. Here, we assembled a high integrity and good contiguity genome of Drung cattle with 13.7-fold contig N50 and 4.1-fold scaffold N50 improvements over the recently published Indian mithun assembly, respectively. Speciation time estimation and phylogenetic analysis showed that Drung cattle diverged from Bos taurus into an independent evolutionary clade. Sequence evidence of centromere regions provides clues to the breakpoints in BTA2 and BTA28 centromere satellites. We furthermore integrated a circulation and contraction-related biological process involving 43 evolutionary genes that participated in pathways associated with the evolution of the cardiovascular system. These findings may have important implications for understanding the molecular mechanisms of chromosome fusion, alpine valleys adaptability and cardiovascular function.

Characterization of olfactory receptor repertoires provides insights into the high-altitude adaptation of the yak based on the chromosome-level genome

Olfaction in vertebrates plays pivotal parts in many aspects, such as localizing prey or food, mating behavior, avoiding predators, and social communication. Yak (Bos grunniens) is the only Bos species that can thrive in high-altitude areas. In view of the critical role of olfactory receptors (ORs) in the specific recognition of diverse stimuli, investigating the evolutionary dynamics of ORs in the yak means a lot. In this study, we used the chromosome-level genome of the yak to identify the ORs genes and discussed the effects of high altitude on the yak's olfaction by comparing the yak with other low-altitude living Bos species (Bos frontalis (gayal), Bos gaurus (gaur), Bos indicus (zebu) and Bos taurus (cattle)). The yak had 400 OR genes, including 264 functional genes, 16 partial genes and 120 OR pseudo genes. There were 387 OR genes mapped to yak 31 chromosomes, and chromosomes 13 and 8 had the most OR genes and functional OR genes. Among these five Bos species, yak had the least number of OR gene subfamilies, OR genes and functional OR genes, while the total number of OR genes in gayal (n = 784) was almost twice as many as that of yak, indicating that the olfaction of yak may be less developed. In addition, the phylogenetic relationships of the functional Bos OR genes were illustrated, which comprised 79 families and 466 subfamilies distributed in two classes (Class I and Class II). There were 76 OR gene subfamilies shared by these five Bos species and 17 OR gene subfamilies were unique to the yak. The potential odor specificity of 44 yak OR genes was identified through the similarity to human OR protein sequences. Remarkably, yak lacks β-ionone and Isovaleric acid(IVA)-related ORs, which may be related to the decline of high-altitude herbaceous plant diversity and underdeveloped yak sweat glands. The conserved motifs of OR genes were highly conserved in Bos species. These results provided a solid foundation for further studies on the molecular mechanisms of the yak's adaptation to the high-altitude environment in olfaction.

Use of Bayesian, Lasso Binary Quantile Regression to Identify Suitable Habitat for Tiger Prey Species in Thap Lan National Park, Eastern Thailand

A Bayesian approach was used to develop binary quantile regression models featuring the lasso penalty. The models afford the advantages of all quantile regression models, such as robustness and detailed insights into covariate effects; they also handle issues associated with overfitting well. Thus, this model was used to investigate habitat suitability for the management of tiger prey species. Field data were collected from 150 sampling sites (2,416 sub-plots) in Thap Lan National Park of the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (DPKY) from August 2019 to March 2021. We focused on sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) and gaur (Bos gaurus) because they are the principal prey species of tigers. Vegetation was sampled for biomass and nutrient content to identify suitable habitat. The “bayesQR” package of R was used to identify habitats appropriate for these species. The correlation between forage crop biomass and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was significantly associated with tiger prey species presence. The habitat can be improved by increasing grass and forb biomasses as the prey species prefer open habitats, such as grassland and open areas of dry evergreen forest. Habitat management has ensured that the grass biomass of open forest is significantly higher than that of dense forest. In addition, the hemicellulose content of open forest was significantly greater than that of dense forest. We found that spatial modeling combined with Bayesian, lasso binary quantile regression could aid wildlife habitat management in a Thai National Park.

Effect of season and age on biochemical, antioxidant and oxidative profiles in mithun bull

Mithun (Bos frontalis) is a domesticated free-range bovine species primarily used as a meat animal and is apride of North Eastern Hilly regions of India. The present study was conducted to measure the effect of season onbiochemical, and antioxidant and oxidative stress profiles for different age groups at different seasons in mithunbulls. A total of 30 mithun males were selected from the mithun breeding farm, ICAR-NRC on Mithun, Medziphema,Nagaland and were equally divided into five classes based on their age. Each group consisted of six animals andthe groups were Gr A, Gr B, Gr C, Gr D and Gr E. Seasons were categorised into winter, spring, summer andautumn based on the meteorological parameters such as temperature humidity index (THI) and sunshine hours.Biochemical indices such as total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose and total cholesterol; antioxidant profilessuch as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GSHR) andsuperoxide dismutase (SOD); and oxidative profile such as malondialdehyde (MDA) were estimated. Statisticalresults revealed that these experimental profiles differed significantly between the different age groups for thedifferent seasons and between the seasons for different age groups. Blood biochemical indices increased significantlyas age advanced and higher concentration in spring and winter than in summer season. TAC, CAT, GSH, GSHRand SOD were significantly greater and MDA was significantly lower in spring and winter than in summer season.The antioxidants increased significantly from Gr A to Gr B and then reduced gradually to Gr E, whereas concentrationof MDA significantly increased as the age advanced. It can be concluded that spring and winter season hassignificantly greater beneficial effects than summer season on production and reproduction programme in semiintensivemanagement of mithun in tropical humid hilly ecosystem of Nagaland.

Use of Gaur (Bos gaurus) dung as a foraging site by Sarojamma's Leaping Frog (Indirana sarojamma)

Use of Gaur (Bos gaurus) dung as a foraging site by Sarojamma's Leaping Frog (Indirana sarojamma)

Carcass characteristics and proximate composition of Mithun (Bos frontalis) carcass

In order to study the carcass characteristics, six mithun (Bos frontalis) of either sex were slaughtered and their body tissues were analysed for proximate principles in the present investigation. The physical carcass characteristics like the carcass length, weight, dressing percentage etc. were also determined. The data analysis revealed that the mean carcass length and weight were measured as 162.10±6.15 cm and 242.25±36.75 kg, respectively. The overall dressing percentage was found to be 60.65±1.68% in mithun, while the subcutaneous fat thickness was recorded to be 42.15±2.15 mm. The heaviest organ of the mithun carcass was observed to be the stomach (68.2±0.1 kg), the lightest was recorded to be the pancreas (0.45±0.10 kg). The nutrient composition of mithun meat was excellent with protein content of 18.74±1.25% and fat content of 0.48±0.03%. This study further recommended the need of a detailed study on the effect of mithun meat consumption on human health in future.

Phylogenetic tree analysis for Bali Cattle based on partial sequence 16S rRNA Mitochondrial DNA

Mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) as a source of genetic information based on the maternal genome, can provide important information for phylogenetic analysis and evolutionary biology. The objective of this study was to analyze the phylogenetic tree of Bali cattle with seven gene bank references (Bos indicus, Bos taurus, Bos frontalis, andBos grunniens) based on partial sequence 16S rRNA mitochondria DNA. The Bayesian phylogenetic tree was constructed using BEAST 2.4. and visualization in Figtree 1.4.4 (tree.bio.ed.ac.uk/software/figtree/). The best model of evolution was carried out using jModelTest 2.1.7. The most optimal was the evolutionary models GTR + I + G with p-inv (I) 0,1990 and gamma shape 0.1960. The main result indicated that the Bali cattle were grouped intoBos javanicus. Phylogenetic analysis also successfully classifyingBos javanicus, Bos indicus, Bos taurus, Bos frontalisandBos grunniens. These results will complete information about Bali cattle and useful for the preservation and conservation strategies of Indonesian animal genetic resources.

Taurine in semen extender modulates post-thaw semen quality, sperm kinematics and oxidative stress status in mithun (Bos frontalis) spermatozoa

Objective: To assess the effect of taurine on post-thaw semen quality parameters, sperm kinematics, antioxidant and oxidative stress profiles and sperm cholesterol efflux in mithun (Bos frontalis). Methods: A total of 50 ejaculates (n=25 samples) were selected based on biophysical parameters. Each sample was split into four equal aliquots after dilution with the Tris-citrate-glycerol extender. Group I, II, III and IV contained 0 mM (the control), 25 mM, 50 mM and 100 mM of taurine, respectively. Frozen-thawed samples were analysed for motility parameters (progressive forward and in bovine cervical mucus penetration test), kinetic and velocity parameters by computer-assisted sperm analyzer, viability, sperm and nuclear abnormalities, acrosome integrity, plasma membrane and nuclear integrities, sperm enzymatic leakage and biochemical (sperm cholesterol and oxidative stress) profiles. Results: The extender containing 50 mM taurine led to a significant enhancement in viability, acrosomal integrity, plasma membrane integrity, motility (progressive and in cervical mucus), and sperm cholesterol content and notably reduced sperm morphological and nuclear abnormalities, and leakage of intracellular enzymes compared to other taurine treated and untreated control groups (P<0.05). Moreover, in addition to significant improvement in kinetic and velocity profiles, 50 mM taurine protected the integrity of acrosome and biochemical membranes than in the untreated control and other taurine treated groups. Inclusion of 50 mM taurine held a clear advantage over the control or 25 mM or 100 mM taurine in cryopreservation of mithun semen. Conclusions: Taurine (50 mM) supplementation in semen extender can be effectively utilized to reduce oxidative stress and improve post-thaw semen quality in mithun.

Vaccine induced immune response against foot and mouth disease virus in mithun (Bos frontalis)

Vaccine induced immune response against foot and mouth disease virus in mithun (<i>Bos frontalis</i>)

Comparative ejaculatory response, fresh and frozen semen quality and fertility to artificial vagina vs electroejaculation method of semen collection in mithun (Bos frontalis) bulls.

The study aimed to describe a comparative ejaculatory response, fresh and frozen-thawed semen quality and fertility of semen collected by artificial vagina and electroejaculation in mithun. Experimental bulls were divided into two groups, G-I: young bulls (n=4; 4-5years of age) and G-II: older bulls (n=4; 8-10years of age). Sixteen ejaculates were collected from each group G-I (AV1 ) and G-II (AV2 ) by artificial vagina method (control). Thirty-six ejaculates were collected from the same bulls from each group G-I (EE1 ) and G-II (EE2 ) by electroejaculation method (treatment). The study did not reveal any significant (p>0.05) difference in the ejaculatory responses between EE1 and EE2 . Mann-Whitney U test indicated that salivation discomfort sign score was significantly (p<0.05) higher in EE1 . Fresh and frozen-thawed semen quality parameters, and motility and velocity profiles recorded by computer-assisted sperm analyser were significantly (p<0.05) lower in electroejaculation than the artificial vagina. The conception rates (AV1 vs EE1 & AV2 vs EE2 ) at day 35-45 post insemination were nonsignificantly higher (p>0.05) in the artificial vagina group. It concluded that, although artificial vagina method has better semen quality, nevertheless, electroejaculation has the potential for semen collection from free-range mithun bulls to incorporate in assisted reproductive technology procedures.

Forage Plants of Gaur (&lt;i&gt;Bos gaurus&lt;/i&gt; H. Smith, 1827) in Tropical Forest of Southern India

Forage plant species of Gaur ( Bos gaurus ) were studied by direct observation using focal sampling (90 hours) about 30 hours of sampling in three major habitats (Tropical dry deciduous forest, Moist deciduous forest and Thorn forest) in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Southern India from Jan-2003 to Aug-2004, also studied by feeding trail plots (924 1m2 plots and 495 5m2 plots) sampled in all the habitats. Gaur was observed to forage on 155 species of plants belonging to 38 families under 23 orders. Among different plant, physiognomic types trees and shrubs constituted a greater proportion by orders Rosales and Malvales. Herbs constituted 32% of the overall plant selected and consisted of 49 species in 17 orders and dominated by Asterales. The plant families such as Poaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae and Malvaceae collectively formed the major food species. Among the different species 29 grass, 9 herb species, 9 shrubs and 11 tree species were having more than one preference value. Gaur prefers to forage on Cenchrus purpureus, Axonopus compressus, Sprobolus diander, Themeda triandra, Oplismenus undulatifolius among grasses and Asystasia chelonoides and Sida cordifolia among herbs. The forage plant species of gaur was compared and discussed with other habitats of gaur distributional range.

Analysis of Rumen Microbial Protein Abundance of Gayals based on Metaproteomics

Background: Presently, our understanding of the rumen of Gayals is still very shallow, which is recognized as the most effective and developed fiber degradation system in nature, with abundant microorganisms. Molecular biology technology is an effective means to study the microbial resources in the rumen. Methods: Rumen contents of 3 Gayals (Gayals, Bos frontalis; G) and 3 Yellow Cattle (Yunnan Yellow Cattle, Bos taurus; Y) were collected in this study. Rumen microbial proteins were extracted by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), then to analyze the bioinformatics of protein abundance was performed through the bovine rumen transcriptome database (gene.uniGeneset.fasta). Result: The results were as follows: the differences in protein abundance of Gayals rumen bacteria in Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Ruminococcus and Olsenella were significantly higher than Yellow cattle (P less than 0.05) and the difference in protein abundance of Chytridiomycota and Batrachochytrium in rumen fungus of Gayals was significantly less than that of Yellow cattle. Enrichment analysis by KEGG metabolism pathway of differentially expressed proteins in rumen microorganisms was performed, Gayals have higher abundance of β-glucosidase and 6-phosphate-β-glucosidase than Yellow Cattle.

Kouprey (Bos sauveli) genomes unveil polytomic origin of wild Asian Bos

SummaryThe evolution of the genera Bos and Bison, and the nature of gene flow between wild and domestic species, is poorly understood, with genomic data of wild species being limited. We generated two genomes from the likely extinct kouprey (Bos sauveli) and analyzed them alongside other Bos and Bison genomes. We found that B. sauveli possessed genomic signatures characteristic of an independent species closely related to Bos javanicus and Bos gaurus. We found evidence for extensive incomplete lineage sorting across the three species, consistent with a polytomic diversification of the major ancestry in the group, potentially followed by secondary gene flow. Finally, we detected significant gene flow from an unsampled Asian Bos-like source into East Asian zebu cattle, demonstrating both that the full genomic diversity and evolutionary history of the Bos complex has yet to be elucidated and that museum specimens and ancient DNA are valuable resources to do so.

Farmers’ Perception of the Feasibility of Mithun (Bos frontalis) Farming and its Constraints in Nagaland, India

The present study was conducted on a sample of 126 mithun farmers randomly drawn from three districts of Nagaland to assess the perception of the farmers regarding the feasibility of mithun farming and its constraints that can contribute to a better understanding of the mithun production systems and its declining population in Nagaland. The farmer’s perception of the feasibility of mithun farming and its constraints was measured using a 3 and 5 point continuum Likert scale, respectively, drawing various inferences based on the respondents’ responses. A low mean perception score (MPS) of 1.06, reveals that the majority (99.21%) of the respondents are in disagreement with the statement that mithun farming is not profitable. Mithun farming according to them is very profitable which needs the right hand-holding support from financial institutions for the exploitation of its marketable potential. Due to the lack of institutional efforts in promoting mithun rearing as bankable and insured schemes, 99.21 percent of farmers held a strong perception (MPS=2.98) that mithun farming, in the long run, may not be feasible and may result in discontinuity of mithun farming in some villages. Also, the high cost of inputs for fencing (Mean value=3.91) and constant predator attack on the animal particularly the young calves (Mean value= 3.88) renders mithun farming difficult with the existing system of rearing. The findings indicate that though mithun farming is profitable, there is a strong need to promote a scientific and alternative semi-intensive method of mithun rearing and encourage the diversified use of mithun for meat, milk, hide, and draught potential to stop the slaughter of mithun for table purpose only. Therefore, considering the socio-cultural linkages of the tribes with the mithun proper strategies and policies are essential for its conservation.

Recent population expansion in wild gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus) as revealed by microsatellite markers

Recent population expansion in wild gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus) as revealed by microsatellite markers