Carnivorous Feeding Research Articles

The enigmatic molar from Gondolin, South Africa: Implications for Paranthropus paleobiology

The specific attribution of the large hominin M2 (GDA-2) from Gondolin has significant implications for the paleobiology of Paranthropus. If it is a specimen of Paranthropus robustus it impacts that species' size range, and if it belongs to Paranthropus boisei it has important biogeographic implications. We evaluate crown size, cusp proportions and the likelihood of encountering a large-bodied mammal species in both East and South Africa in the Early Pleistocene. The tooth falls well outside the P. robustus sample range, and comfortably within that for penecontemporaneous P. boisei. Analyses of sample range, distribution and variability suggest that it is possible, albeit unlikely to find a M2 of this size in the current P. robustus sample. However, taphonomic agents - carnivore (particularly leopard) feeding behaviors - have likely skewed the size distribution of the Swartkrans and Drimolen P. robustus assemblage. In particular, assemblages of large-bodied mammals accumulated by leopards typically display high proportions of juveniles and smaller adults. The skew in the P. robustus sample is consistent with this type of assemblage. Morphological evidence in the form of cusp proportions is congruent with GDA-2 representing P. robustus rather than P. boisei. The comparatively small number of large-bodied mammal species common to both South and East Africa in the Early Pleistocene suggests a low probability of encountering an herbivorous australopith in both. Our results are most consistent with the interpretation of the Gondolin molar as a very large specimen of P. robustus. This, in turn, suggests that large, presumptive male, specimens are rare, and that the levels of size variation (sexual dimorphism) previously ascribed to this species are likely to be gross underestimates.

Biological traits analyses in the study of pollution gradients and ecological functioning of marine soft bottom species assemblages in a fjord ecosystem

In the present study, biological traits analysis (BTA) was used to explore and characterise effects of pollution on functional attributes of soft bottom infaunal species assemblages. The data comprised 38 sampling stations in the Oslofjord, Norway, ranging from heavily polluted to minimally impacted areas. At each station, species composition (113 taxa in total), contaminants (cadmium, mercury, lead, DDT, PCB) and sediment parameters were determined. Species functions were analysed for eight biological traits defined for activity and life history features. Traits were scored according to the fuzzy coding technique. The most distinct patterns were shown for mobility, size, sediment dwelling depth, feeding type and larval development in relation to contaminants, sediment physical structure and sediment oxidation status. At high levels of contaminants, particularly cadmium, features such as shallow sediment dwelling depth, small size, subsurface deposit feeding and lecitotroph larval development prevailed, while at low contaminant levels characteristic features included deeper sediment dwelling depth, larger size, surface deposit feeding and permanent attachment. Deep sediment dwelling depth (>15cm) was related to minimally contaminated oxidised sediments at greater water depths. Mobility and carnivorous feeding prevailed in coarser sediments. The study showed that BTA detected and depicted specific features that correlated with gradients in pollution and may be important for sediment reworking and nutrient cycling. As part of the present work, trait information for >500 macrofaunal taxa have been assembled and entered in a comprehensive database.

Human cystic echinococcosis: epidemiologic, zoonotic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects

This review represents an updated scenario on the transmission cycle, epidemiology, clinical features and pathogenicity, diagnosis and treatment, and prevention and control measures of a cestode parasite Echincoccus granulosus (E. granulosus) infection causing cystic echinococcosis (CE) in humans. Human CE is a serious life-threatening neglected zoonotic disease that occurs in both developing and developed countries, and is recognized as a major public health problem. The life cycle of E. granulosus involves a definitive host (dogs and other canids) for the adult E. granulosus that resides in the intestine, and an intermediate host (sheep and other herbivores) for the tissue-invading metacestode (larval) stage. Humans are only incidentally infected; since the completion of the life cycle of E. granulosus depends on carnivores feeding on herbivores bearing hydatid cysts with viable protoscoleces, humans represent usually the dead end for the parasite. On ingestion of E. granulosus eggs, hydatid cysts are formed mostly in liver and lungs, and occasionally in other organs of human body, which are considered as uncommon sites of localization of hydatid cysts. The diagnosis of extrahepatic echinococcal disease is more accurate today because of the availability of new imaging techniques, and the current treatments include surgery and percutaneous drainage, and chemotherapy (albendazole and mebendazole). But, the wild animals that involve in sylvatic cycle may overlap and interact with the domestic sheep-dog cycle, and thus complicating the control efforts. The updated facts and phenomena regarding human and animal CE presented herein are due to the web search of SCI and non-SCI journals.

Environments and hominin activities across the FLK Peninsula during Zinjanthropus times (1.84 Ma), Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

We establish through 13 excavations the landscape context and nature of hominin activities across the Zinjanthropus land surface from which the Leakeys recovered the FLK 22 and FLK NN 1 paleoanthropological assemblages. The land surface was created by fluvial incision of the eastern margin of paleo-Lake Olduvai following a major lake withdrawal. Erosion was uneven, leaving a peninsula bounded by a river channel, the FLK Fault, and a freshwater wetland. This FLK Peninsula supported groves of trees that attracted hominins and carnivores, and that preserved the dense concentrations of carcass remains and stone tools they left behind, including those at FLK 22. Some carcasses appear to have been acquired at the ecotone of the Peninsula and Wetland, where another dense artifact and bone assemblage accumulated. A lesser topographic high at the edge of a Typha marsh in the Wetland was the site of FLK NN 1 and a scatter of large stone tools used possibly for rootstock processing.Our landscape reconstruction delimits the vegetation mosaic indicated by previous work and provides a topographical explanation for the existence of FLK 22 and FLK NN 1. Both are unexpected if the FLK area was the flat, featureless lake margin terrain typical of lake basins similar to paleo-Olduvai. The results show that the Leakeys’ sites were not isolated occupation floors but rather parts of a land surface utilized intensively by hominins. Although commonly considered to have been home bases, their likely high predation risk, evidenced by large carnivore feeding traces and the remains of four hominin individuals, suggests visits to them were brief and limited to feeding. Finally, stratigraphic observations confirm that FLK NN 3 accumulated on an older land surface, refuting the hypothesis that the OH 8 foot found there is the same individual as the OH 35 leg from FLK 22.

Cell death and renewal during prey capture and digestion in the carnivorous spongeAsbestopluma hypogea(Porifera: Poecilosclerida)

The sponge Asbestopluma hypogea is unusual among sponges due to its peculiar carnivorous feeding habit. During various stages of its nutrition cycle, the sponge is subjected to spectacular morphological modifications. Starved animals are characterized by many elongated filaments, which are crucial for the capture of prey. After capture, and during the digestion process, these filaments actively regress before being regenerated during a subsequent period of starvation. Here, we demonstrate that these morphological events rely on a highly dynamic cellular turnover, implying a coordinated sequence of programmed cell death (apoptosis and autophagy), cell proliferation and cell migration. A candidate niche for cell renewal by stem cell proliferation and differentiation was identified at the base of the sponge peduncle, characterized by higher levels of BrdU/EdU incorporation. Therefore, BrdU/EdU-positive cells of the peduncle base are candidate motile cells responsible for the regeneration of the prey-capturing main sponge body, i.e. the dynamic filaments. Altogether, our results demonstrate that dynamics of cell renewal in sponge appear to be regulated by cellular mechanisms as multiple and complex as those already identified in bilaterian metazoans.

Validation of bone surface modification models for inferring fossil hominin and carnivore feeding interactions, with reapplication to FLK 22, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Resolving the issue of how Early Stone Age hominins acquired large mammal carcasses requires information on their feeding interactions with large carnivores. This ecological information and its behavioral and evolutionary implications are revealed most directly from the tooth, cut, and percussion marks on bone surfaces generated by hominin and carnivore feeding activities. This paper employs a bootstrap method, a form of random resampling with replacement, to refine published neotaphonomic models that use the assemblage-wide proportions of long bones bearing feeding traces to infer the sequences in which Plio-Pleistocene hominins and carnivores accessed flesh, marrow, and/or grease from carcasses. Results validate the sensitivity of the models for inferring hominin feeding ecology, which have been questioned on grounds shown here to be unfounded. The bootstrapped feeding trace models are applied to the late Pliocene larger mammal fossil assemblage from FLK 22 (Zinjanthropus site), Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. High frequencies of tooth and percussion marking on long bone midshaft fragments from FLK 22 are most consistent with those feeding trace models that simulate hominin scavenging from carcasses defleshed by carnivores, while cut mark data indicate that hominins more often had access to upper forelimb flesh than upper hind limb flesh. Together, the bone surface modification data indicate that hominins typically gained secondary access to partially defleshed carnivore kills, but they also allow for the possibility of some carcasses being processed only by carnivores and only by hominins.

Correlation between Medulla Oblongata and Feeding Habits in Two Teleosts

A comparative study of hindbrain was analysed on medulla oblongata especially facial, vagal and somatic sensory lobe in two teleost namely Aplocheilus lieneatus , a carnivorous surface feeder and Nemachilus rupecola a bottom feeder. The former feed largely by sight and correspondingly large eyes and upwardly directed mouth, facial and vagal lobes are poorly developed; Whereas, in N. rupicola , being a bottom feeder and downwardly directed mouth and poorly developed eyes. Surface feeders are constantly exposed to external sound at the surface of water, their auditory centres in the brain especially the central acoustic area is well developed in A. lieneatus and this area is poorly developed in N. rupicola .

Feeding by omnivores increases food available to consumers

Consumers are usually thought of as negatively affecting producers, but they can affect them positively by releasing nutrients (nutrient regeneration). The net effects of consumers on producers should depend on the balance between the effects of consumption and nutrient regeneration. In aquatic habitats, nutrient regeneration by consumers may increase microbial activity on leaf detritus as well as algal production, which in turn may stimulate further nutrient release and benefit herbivores or detritivores by increasing food quantity or quality. Omnivores can regenerate nutrients from animals, algae and detritus, creating diverse nutrient pathways. Many tadpoles are omnivores, and their nutrient regeneration may be important in aquatic food webs. To reveal the nutrient pathways created by tadpoles and examine whether omnivorous tadpoles can have positive effects on producers and consumers, we experimentally examined the effects of nutrient regeneration by three densities of tadpoles on primary producers, leaf litter, and other consumers in tank mesocosms. Tadpole exclosures were placed inside each mesocosm, allowing us to separate direct consumption effects from indirect nutrient regeneration effects. Nutrient regeneration caused by the herbivorous and carnivorous feeding activities of tadpoles positively affected rates of production of benthic algae, phytoplankton, and herbivorous benthic chironomid larvae, and rates of mineralization of leaf litter. The increased production of benthic algae and chironomid larvae was consumed by the tadpoles themselves, leaving no net change in the standing biomass of these resources. Our experiment thus demonstrated that omnivores created complicated nutrient pathways and accelerated rates of primary production and growth rates of other consumers, leading to increased rates of food availability to the omnivores themselves. Interactions of this nature may be common in many systems and could strongly moderate the effects of consumers on their resources and each other.

The Effects of Biting and Pulling on the Forces Generated during Feeding in the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)

In addition to biting, it has been speculated that the forces resulting from pulling on food items may also contribute to feeding success in carnivorous vertebrates. We present an in vivo analysis of both bite and pulling forces in Varanus komodoensis, the Komodo dragon, to determine how they contribute to feeding behavior. Observations of cranial modeling and behavior suggest that V. komodoensis feeds using bite force supplemented by pulling in the caudal/ventrocaudal direction. We tested these observations using force gauges/transducers to measure biting and pulling forces. Maximum bite force correlates with both body mass and total body length, likely due to increased muscle mass. Individuals showed consistent behaviors when biting, including the typical medial-caudal head rotation. Pull force correlates best with total body length, longer limbs and larger postcranial motions. None of these forces correlated well with head dimensions. When pulling, V. komodoensis use neck and limb movements that are associated with increased caudal and ventral oriented force. Measured bite force in Varanus komodoensis is similar to several previous estimations based on 3D models, but is low for its body mass relative to other vertebrates. Pull force, especially in the ventrocaudal direction, would allow individuals to hunt and deflesh with high success without the need of strong jaw adductors. In future studies, pull forces need to be considered for a complete understanding of vertebrate carnivore feeding dynamics.

Ventral exoskeletal morphology of the trilobite Neodrepanura premesnili from the Cambrian Kushan Formation, Shandong, China

The polymerid trilobite Neodrepanura (family Damesellidae) is one of the most famous and abundant fossils from the Kushan Formation (Cambrian) of the North China Platform. Recent discovery of the first known complete exoskeleton of Neodrepanura premesnili, together with additional material, allows further description of the butterfly-shaped hypostome and wide doublure in this species. These new materials suggest that N. premesnili had a carnivorous feeding habit.

Intertidal life: field observations on the clingfish Gobiesox barbatulus in southeastern Brazil

The clingfish Gobiesox barbatulus shows nocturnal feeding activity, spending most part of the day stationary and adhered to the inferior part of stones. To feed, this species uses the sit-and-wait and particulate feeding tactics. It shows a carnivorous feeding habit mostly consuming small benthic crustaceans. It can move in two ways: (1) "stone-by-stone", sliding its ventral sucker disc across each stone and (2) "surf", when it takes advantage of the energy of the ebbing tide to quickly cross a distance up to four times its body length. Its reproductive season occurs between the end of spring and the beginning of summer, during which time it lays about 2,000 adhesive eggs of 1 mm each in a single layer under stones. It has more than one egg-laying session per reproductive season, therefore showing several different developmental stages. It performs fanning, mouthing and guarding of the eggs as forms of parental care. Data shown here also indicates that G. barbatulus has some shelter fidelity, being probably territorial.

Trophic ecology of the sea urchin Spatangus purpureus elucidated from gonad fatty acids composition analysis

Irregular sea urchins such as the spatangoid Spatangus purpureus are important bioturbators that contribute to natural biogenic disturbance and the functioning of biogeochemical cycles in soft sediments. In the coastal waters of the Balearic Islands S. purpureus occurs in soft red algal beds, and can reach high densities. The diet of S. purpureus is unknown and it is particularly difficult to analyze the stomach contents of this group; therefore, we analyzed the fatty acid (FA) composition of the gonads and potential food resources in order to assess the trophic relationships of this species. The FA profiles of the gonads of S. purpureus agree well with the FA composition of the potential trophic resources (algae and sediment) and reveals changes between localities with different available resources. Three polyunsaturated FAs mainly contributes in the composition in the S. purpureus gonads: eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3) and arachidonic acid (C20:4 n-6), both abundant in the macroalgal material, and palmitoleic acid (C16:1 n-7), which is characteristic of sediment samples. Trophic markers of bacterial input and carnivorous feeding were significantly more abundant in sea urchins caught on bottoms with less vegetation. The current study demonstrates that the FA content of S. purpureus gonads is a useful marker of diet, as differences in the profiles reflected the variations in detritus composition. The results of this study show that this species has omnivorous feeding behavior; however, viewed in conjunction with available abundance data the results suggest that phytodetritus found within algal beds is an important carbon source for this species.

Temporal changes in lipid biomarkers, especially fatty acids, of the deep-sea crustaceansBoreomysis arcticaandNematoscelis megalops: implications of their biological cycle and habitat near the seabed

Two species of benthopelagic deep-water crustaceans, the suprabenthic mysidBoreomysis arcticaand the bathypelagic euphausiidNematoscelis megalopswere analysed in their lipidic composition, with especial emphasis on fatty acids, from specimens obtained in the north-west of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean) at depths ranging between 650 and 780 m. Temporal shifts were studied seasonally, based on five cruises performed in August and November 2003, and February, April and June 2004, using a Macer-GIROQ suprabenthic sledge (0.5 mm mesh size). Evidences of omnivorous and carnivorous feeding habits were found for both species derived from their fatty acid and other lipid profiles.Boreomysis arcticashowed a more varied fatty acid profile thanN. megalops. This suggests thatB. arcticafeeds on a wider range of food sources and is a more opportunistic feeder. The high proportions of 16:1(n-7), 20:5(n-3) and 22:6(n-3) fatty acids in both species suggests a link between surface primary production and deep slope habitats, while markers such as 18:1(n-9) and the 20:1(n-9) and 22:1(n-11) fatty alcohols indicate a predatory activity, likely on calanoids. These components may arrive both via phytodetritus deposition to the seabed and by migratory movements of prey consumed byB. arcticaandN. megalopsclose to the sea bottom. Seasonal changes in the total lipids and fatty acid composition of both species are related to the seasonal dynamics in their food sources, coupled with changes in the physiological or developmental stage of individuals. The proportion of total lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the two species may be related to the different life histories ofB. arcticaandN. megalops. The mysid has direct development of embryos within brood pouches, so eggs with large amount of vitelum are generated and gonad is well developed. By contrast, the meso-bathypelagic euphausiids generate planktotrophic larvae, with a high number of free developmental larvae stages (fromnaupliustoFurcilia/Calyptopis), and eggs with poor storage of lipid compounds compared withB. arcticaembryos.

Feeding ecology of carnivores (Mammalia, Carnivora) in Atlantic Forest remnants, Southern Brazil

The diet of some sympatric carnivore species in three Atlantic Forest remnants of Southern Brazil was studied in order to assess their food niche. We conducted monthly field trips between February 2003 and January 2004 to collect fecal samples that were subsequently examined together with others collected sporadically between November 1994 and January 2003. Of the 416 samples analysed, 198 had the "author" species identified through microscopic analysis guard hairs, which revealed the presence of 10 carnivores and some information about their diet. Puma yagouaroundi had the largest dietary niche breadth, whereas Leopardus tigrinus and Nasua nasua showed the lowest values. Extensive niche overlap was observed between L. tigrinus and N. nasua, L. tigrinus and L. wiedii, and between L. tigrinus and L. pardalis. Data presented here not only increases the understanding of carnivore feeding ecology, but also contributes towards their conservation in the study region and other fragmented landscapes in Brazil and neighboring countries.

Cooking process evaluation on mercury content in fish

This study evaluated different cooking processes (roasted, cooked and fried) on total mercury (Hg) content in fish species most consumed by Manaus residents and surrounding communities, Amazon region. The results obtained for total Hg in natura and after the three types of preparation (roasted, cooked and fried) for 12 fish species showed a significant Hg concentration variation. In the present study the cooked and frying processes resulted in higher Hg losses for Pacu, Pescada, Jaraqui, Curimatã, Surubin and Aruanã fish species, most of them presenting detritivorous and carnivorous feeding habits. The higher Hg losses in the roasting process occurred for Sardinha, Aracu, Tucunaré, Pirapitinga, Branquinha and Tambaqui fish species, most of them being omnivorous and herbivorous fish species. Some micronutrients (Ca, Fe, K, Na, Se and Zn) in fish species in natura were also determined in order to perform a nutritional evaluation regarding these micronutrients.

Observations on an unusual behaviour in the Carpenter Bee Xylocopa aestuans (Latreille, 1802) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of the Western Ghats, India

The Carpenter Bee Xylocopa aestuans is a known pollen and nectar feeder. However, at Anshi National Park of Karnataka (India), the bee happens to be switching over to facultative carnivorous habit as they are found to feed on Red Tree Ants Oecophylla smaragdina. Such a kind of carnivorous feeding habit must have existed which is yet to be reported.

Was FLK North levels 1–2 a classic “living floor” of Oldowan hominins or a taphonomically complex palimpsest dominated by large carnivore feeding behavior?

From excavation at FLK North levels 1–2 in 1960–1962, Mary Leakey reported approximately 1200 Oldowan artifacts and 3300 large mammal fossils as a hominin “living floor”. Preliminary taphonomic analysis by Bunn seemed supportive, based on the presence of some cut-marked bones, the concentration of several dozen bovid individuals, and the relative abundance of limbs and mandibles over other axial elements. Recent taphonomic analysis of Leakey's entire fossil assemblage by Domínguez-Rodrigo and Barba, however, documents a minor hominin role at the site, contrasted to the dominant role of carnivores. Felids brought prey animals; hyenas scavenged from abandoned felid meals. At different times, hominins butchered several bovids and discarded artifacts at this dynamic location. Since 2006, renewed excavations at FLK North and other sites by the Olduvai Paleoanthropology and Paleoecology Project (TOPPP) have expanded artifact and fossil samples and implemented new analytical approaches to clarify taphonomic histories of the Olduvai paleolandscape. At FLK North, > 1000 new large mammal fossils from levels 1 to 2 show minimal butchery evidence amid abundant evidence of carnivore gnawing/fracture, rodent gnawing, and sediment abrasion. To help guide future excavation and analyses, we have developed several alternative working hypotheses of site formation.

Responses of mammal dispersers to fruit availability: Rowan ( Sorbus aucuparia) and carnivores in mountain habitats of northern Spain

Despite the well known fact that carnivore mammals are important fruit consumers and legitimate seed dispersers in temperate habitats, little is known about their quantitative responses to fruit availability. Here we show the results of two studies conducted at two different temporal and spatial scales, that were intended to assess the response of pine martens ( Martes martes) and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes) to variations in the supply of rowan ( Sorbus aucuparia) fruits in the Cantabrian Range (northern Iberia). First, we studied the association between fruit availability and the importance of rowan fruit in the diet of carnivores during a period of 11 consecutive years. This was accomplished by comparing fruit-crop size in 54 trees and the analysis of faecal contents in a sample of 863 faeces. Secondly, we assessed the consumption of fruits by these two species underneath the canopy of 20 rowan trees along 10 consecutive days. In the first study, the diet of martens and foxes consistently tracked interannual variations in rowan fruit availability, despite large fluctuations in fruit yield that included three mast years of heavy rowanberry crops and three non-fruiting years. For both carnivores total crop size was correlated with the frequency of occurrence and the proportion of rowan by volume in faeces. The second study suggested that carnivores feeding on fallen fruit tended to visit the trees that exhibited a higher density of fruits under the canopy. Thus, carnivores apparently choose to feed on high-density patches of fruit, which in turn were located underneath the canopy of the trees that produced the larger crops. Our results stress the need to pay proper attention to the role of carnivores as seed dispersers, in order to disentangle the evolutionary and ecological outcomes of plant-animal interactions in mixed-dispersed plants.

Parasitic wasps' DNA laid bare

The Nasonia genomes indicate that the wasps lack the genes required to synthesize certain amino acids, possibly owing to their exclusively carnivorous feeding habits. That finding could help researchers to develop artificial diets to rear wasps for large-scale pest-control efforts. "That would be an incredible breakthrough down the line," says Hackett. Once Nasonia wasps have mated, the female (bottom) injects her fertilized eggs into insect hosts.

Contribution to the knowledge of the Sparassocynidae (Mammalia, Metatheria, Didelphoidea), with comments on the age of the Aisol Formation (Neogene), Mendoza Province, Argentina

ABSTRACT A new specimen of a sparassocynid didelphoid, consisting of a single skull, is described and analyzed. The specimen comes from the middle section of the Aisol Formation cropping out in Mendoza Province (Argentina) and constitutes the first marsupial hitherto described for the unit. The entire Aisol Formation was originally regarded as middle Miocene based on the fossil content. The discovery of new specimens, however, suggests that the stratigraphic level where the marsupial was found may have been deposited during the late Miocene (not older than Huayquerian times). The specimen studied here is identified as belonging to a new genus, Hesperocynus, of the family Sparassocynidae, Didelphoidea. A new combination is proposed for the already known species, H. dolgopolae (Reig 1958), previously recognized as a species of Thylatheridium Reig 1952. The new specimen from the Aisol Formation is assigned to the hypodigm of this taxon. The genus Hesperocynus encompasses small-sized carnivorous feeders as evidenced by their dental specializations and palate morphology; however, this taxon is more generalized than species of Sparassocynus, the other genus of the family. Sparassocynids have traditionally been considered the closest relatives of living didelphids. If this hypothesis is correct, then the sparassocynid clade has a long ghost lineage that covers at least 10 million years (as evidenced by the oldest known sparassocynid and didelphid remains). Sparassocynids and other didelphoids probably radiated after the global cooling event that occurred after the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.