Hunting Activities Research Articles

Основні особливості переформування берегів Канівського водосховища

Reservoirs provide an electricity generation, promote the development of water transport, municipal and industrial water supply, irrigation, fisheries, recreation and other economic and social needs. However, calls are increasingly being made to limit the creation of new artificial reservoirs and even to destroy existing ones. The reason for this is the significant and very real negative environmental consequences of their creation and functioning – flooding of large areas of valuable land in river valleys, relocation of large numbers of people to new areas, flooding of low and erosion of high banks of reservoirs, deterioration of river water quality due to stagnation and "blooming” and many others. The aim of this work is to analyze the peculiarities of reforming the shores of the Kaniv Reservoir under the impact of hydrological and morphological processes, measures for the coast protection from erosion, deepening the channel and alluvium of new lands by dredging (mainly in the upper part of the reservoir) are considered. The study of this problem in the reservoirs of the Dnieper cascade, including Kaniv, we started from 1993-1997. Therefore, research methods have changed significantly at different stages. Standard methods of soil science were used to study the impact of the reservoir on the coastal soils, primarily on flooding, waterlogging and soil erosion. Since 2010, more detailed terresrial and water expeditionary routes (land) studies have been started to study the overgrowth of the reservoir with hydrophytic and hygrophytic vegetation with the formation of hydromorphic soils on the islands of the reservoir and its coast. Remote sensing methods of the Earth for analyzing the series of space images Landsat-2, 4-5, 7 and 8 were used to study the temporal and spatial changes of landscapes, as well as geospatial positioning of observation points by GARMIN GPS receiver. The important role of the dams construction and pumping stations to protect the low shores of the reservoir from flooding was noted, which, however, created significant problems in the operation of the facility due to rising electricity prices. Attention is paid to the ecological consequences of the new alluvial lands development within the reservoir water area, in particular to “blooming” and deterioration of water quality, as well as to the limitation of the ability to pass extreme floods and the threat of adjacent territories submergence. The nature of erosion and abrasion of the high right bank was studied with the use of a quadcopter, mainly in the area from the village of Rzhishchiv to the village of Trakhtemiriv. The role of marl clays in weakening the abrasion of shores is emphasized and their vulnerability to destruction is shown. The role and development of ravines on the coast and their participation in the fragmentary formation of hydromorphic landscapes along steep cliffs are noted. On the low left bank there is a reformation of the shores in the area from the village of Kyiliv to the Rzhyshchiv military range, where large areas are set aside for fisheries, hunting and recreational activities, as a result of which the wetlands are reduced. The uncertainty of the problem of pumping the water of the Trubizh River into the reservoir to protect the floodplain lands from submergence is emphasized. It is not recommended to use “Raketa” ships for water transport in this reservoir due to their negative impact on shoreline abrasion.

Nesting Activity of the Chinese Softshell Turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis, on the Yellow River, Northwestern China

The nesting activity of the Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) in its natural habitat is largely undocumented despite its broad geographical distribution across East Asia. Here, we report on female nesting behaviors, egg incubation, and hatchling emergence of P. sinensis on the Yellow River in northwestern China. In this region, the turtle is currently threatened by overharvesting, and successful conservation strategies should include strict monitoring of hunting and trade activities.

Recreation and hunting differentially affect deer behaviour and sapling performance

Humans are increasingly acknowledged as apex predators that shape landscapes of fear to which herbivores adapt their behaviour. Here, we investigate how humans modify deer space‐use and their effects on vegetation at two spatial scales; zones with different types of human use (largescale risk factor) and, nested within that, trails (fine‐scale risk factor). In zones with three contrasting types of human activities: 1) no recreation, no hunting, 2) with recreation, no hunting and 3) with recreation and hunting, we linked deer space‐use (dropping counts) to browsing intensity, relative growth and survival of planted saplings. Plots were located at two distances to trails (20 versus 100 m) to test how trails affect deer space‐use and sapling performance. Additionally, plots were distributed over forest and heathland as risk effects are habitat‐dependent. Deer space‐use was highest in the zone without recreation or hunting, resulting in higher browsing levels and lower sapling growth and survival, but only in heathland. In contrast, deer space‐use and sapling performance did not differ between zones with recreation only and zones with recreation and hunting. Deer dropping counts were lower near trails used for recreation, but this was not associated with browsing impact or sapling performance. Our results show that recreational use modifies deer space‐use which is associated with browsing impact on woody vegetation, while seasonal hunting activities in zones with recreation did not have additive year‐round effects. Yet, effects were only observed at the larger scale of recreation zones and not near trails. Furthermore, deer space‐use was only associated with sapling performance in open heathland, where high visibility presumably increases avoidance behaviour because it increases detectability and decreases escape possibilities. This suggests that recreation creates behaviourally mediated cascading effects that influence vegetation development, yet these effects are context‐dependent. We advocate incorporating human‐induced fear effects in conservation, management and research.

Hominin paleoenvironment in East Asia: The Middle Paleolithic Xuchang-Lingjing (China) mammalian evidence

The Chinese open-air site Xuchang-Lingjing (Henan) is located near the border between the Palearctic and the Oriental biozone in a lowland depression at the southern edge of the North China Plain. The site yielded a Middle Palaeolithic assemblage that includes the two fragmented, incomplete human (possibly Denisovan) skulls (Xuchang 1 and Xuchang 2), more than 15,000 artefacts and more than 40,000 mammalian remains representing at least 20 taxa. The composition of the faunal assemblage is biased by hominin hunting activities; it is, however, diverse and “natural” enough to be used as a proxy to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental condition during the human occupation of the site. The Palearctic faunal assemblage indicates a grassland-dominated palaeoecological environment, with a mosaic of scattered forest and mixed forest vegetation as well as along rivers and/or lakes the occurrence of swampy areas and with bushes. The OSL-dates and the assumed correlation with the last interglacial (MIS 5) palaeosol strongly suggest that we are dealing with an interglacial fauna. However, the fact that the Lingjing assemblage represents the southernmost Palearctic fauna questions the assumption that the Lingjing Middle Palaeolithic finds date from an interglacial period. A late Middle Pleistocene (MIS 6) or Late Pleistocene glacial or stadial phase (MIS 4) seems more likely.

Exploring Cytotoxic and Atioxidant Properties of Heliotropium calcareum in Polar and Non-Polar Extracts

Background: Plants are a vital source of natural drugs as the traditional use of plants as therapeutic agents for a variety of ailments has been traced back thousands of years. The utilization of Heliotropium calcareum has been evident since ancient times for treating various disease states like inflammation associated with gout and rheumatism, poisonous bites, and other skin disorders. The current research work was carried out to determine the phytochemistry and biological activities of the crude methanolic extract obtained through maceration from the aerial parts of Heliotropium calcareum. Methods: The plant was collected from district Bhakkar, Punjab, Pakistan. Maximum phenolic (74.5 μg GAE/mg) and flavonoid contents (58.99 μg QE/mg) were observed in ethyl acetate fraction. Significant antioxidant potential was observed in ethyl acetate fraction with the highest free radical hunting activity of 92.6 ± 6.7 μM. Results: Cytotoxicity assay using MTT dye was performed where non-polar (n-hexane) and polar (ethyl acetate) fractions displayed excellent cytotoxicity against HeLa cells (IC50 = 79.95 ± 3.718 & 164 ± 4 μg/mL, respectively). Furthermore, the above fractions showed momentous results in cell cycle analysis and promising proapoptotic effect against cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines. An nhexane and ethyl acetate fraction were selected for cell cycle analysis to determine the quantitative measurement of the degree of apoptosis. According to the results given below in the figure, the cervical (HeLa) cancer cells were treated with n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions at various concentrations. An increase in the cell population at G0/G1 phase and a decrease in the S-phase population concerning untreated cells suggested the G0/G1 phase arrest in n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions treated HeLa cells. Conclusion: Taken together, n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions were found to be the most promising and active elements of H. calcareum and may be utilized to explore their cytotoxic effects further in the animal model.

SEBARAN JEJAK MACAN TUTUL DI KAWASAN HUTAN LINDUNG GUNUNG TIKUKUR KPH BANDUNG SELATAN

The Javan leopard (Panthera pardus) is an endemic species to Java and currently classified as critically endangered species on IUCN Red List, since there possibly even less than 100 left in the wild. One of habitat of Javan leopard is Protected Forest Area of Tikukur Mountain KPH Bandung Selatan. The object of research is to find out the existence signs, map the distribution, and describe the findings of leopard’s prey and any disturbances that occur to the java leopard in the Protected Forest Area of Tikukur Mountain KPH Bandung Selatan. The method of research are preliminary research and intensive research. Preliminary research was by interview, while intensive research by transect and album camera trap method. Based on the research, the number of leopard presence signs are one voice heard and two feces found. The existence of java leopard in the Protected Forest Area of Tikukur Moutain KPH Bandung Selatan is horizontally spread in 2 types of land use, namely forests and plantations. It vertically spreads at altitude of 1445-1617 masl with a sloping and sloping slope. The prey found are java langurs, partridge, and pigs. The disturbances occurred to the java leopard in the protected forest area of Tikukur mountain are in the form of PHBM, military training, hunting, and other activities namely, climbing activities.

Does moonlight affect movement patterns of a non‐obligate carnivore? Brown bears do not mind that the moon exists

AbstractMoonlight plays a significant role in prey–predator relationships. At full moon, predators' hunting success and activity rates generally increase. Even though the analysis of facultative carnivore movement patterns can improve our knowledge of how moonlight can change the behaviour of such a group of species with diverse ecological needs, few studies have been conducted with facultative carnivores and none with telemetric data. Here, we studied whether moonlight influences brown bear,Ursus arctos,movement behaviours. By analysing data collected from 2002 to 2014 for 71 collared individuals inhabiting Finland and Russian Karelia, we found that some internal and external factors are influencing brown bear movement patterns. In particular, this facultative carnivore moves more slowly and over shorter distances during hyperphagia periods than during the mating season. However, moonlight does not affect brown bear movements. Although brown bears are large carnivores, they are opportunistic omnivores with a high fruit diet and, therefore, the prey–predator relationships that are behind the dependence of carnivores on moonlight seem to be weaker than in obligate carnivores.

Is release of rehabilitated wildlife with embedded lead ammunition advisable? Plumbism in a Jaguar Panthera Onca (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae), survivor of gunshot wounds

Lead poisoning is a threat to wildlife, particularly after ingestion of lead ammunition derived from hunting activities. Little information, however, is available concerning plumbism in wild animals that survive the trauma associated with gunshot wounds. This study presents a possible example of lead intoxication by embedded pellets in a Jaguar Panthera onca nineteen months after being injured by a shotgun blast. In addition, the possible path of incorporation of lead into the trophic chain after the eventual release and death of an impacted animal, thereby expanding and prolonging the toxic effects of lead ammunition, is discussed. Direct intoxication by ammunition retained in the body of wild animals, as well as the indirect impacts on predators and scavengers that consume their flesh, should be sufficient reasons to reconsider the release of individuals with embedded lead ammunition into the wild.

Year-round spatial distribution and migration phenology of a rapidly declining trans-Saharan migrant\u2014evidence of winter movements and breeding site fidelity in European turtle doves

Populations of migratory bird species have suffered a sustained and severe decline for several decades. Contrary to non-migratory species, understanding the causal mechanisms proves difficult (for migratory bird species) as underlying processes may operate across broad geographic ranges and stages of the annual cycle. Therefore, the identification of migration routes, wintering grounds, and stopover sites is crucial for the development of relevant conservation strategies for declining migrant bird species. We still lack fundamental data of the non-breeding movements for many migratory species, such as European turtle doves Streptopelia turtur, a trans-Saharan migrant. For this species, knowledge of non-breeding movements is mainly based on ringing data that are limited by a low recovery rate in Africa, and tracking studies with a strong bias towards individuals breeding in France. We used Argos satellite transmitters to obtain detailed year-round tracks and provide new insights on migration strategies and winter quarters, of turtle doves breeding in Central and Eastern Europe. The tracking data along with analysis of land cover data confirm previously assumed use of multiple wintering sites and the use of a wide range of forest and agricultural landscapes at the breeding grounds. Tracking data in combination with environmental parameters demonstrated that most environmental parameters and niche breadth differed between breeding and wintering grounds. “Niche tracking” was only observed regarding night-time temperatures. Furthermore, we provide evidence for breeding site fidelity of adult individuals and for home range size to increase with an increasing proportion of agricultural used areas.Significance statementThe European turtle dove, a Palearctic-African migrant species, is one of the fastest declining birds in Europe. The rapid decline is presumed to be caused mainly by habitat modification and agricultural changes. Here, we represent data on migration strategies, flyways, and behavior on European breeding and African non-breeding sites of turtle doves breeding in Central and Eastern Europe equipped with satellite transmitters. Our results confirm the use of different migration flyways and reveal an indication for “niche switching” behavior in terms of environmental factors during the different annual phases. The migratory behaviors revealed by the tracking approach, e.g., prolonged stopovers during autumn migration in Europe overlapping with time of hunting activities, stopovers in North Africa during spring migration, or evidence for loop migration, are important protection-relevant findings, particularly for the Central-Eastern flyway, for which no tracking data has been analyzed prior to our study.

A Model for the Economic Evaluation of Cultural Ecosystem Services: The Recreational Hunting Function in the Agroforestry Territories of Tuscany (Italy)

Cultural ecosystem services (CESs) are non-material benefits generated by natural and human ecosystems that substantially contribute to human wellbeing. Estimating the monetary value of CESs is challenging because there is no real market for these services and therefore there is no actual market price. This study seeks to define an economic evaluation method for these services, with special reference to a recreational CES that has so far received little discussion: hunting. We conducted an online survey in the province of Siena (Tuscany, Italy). The Consumer Surplus estimate of hunters was made using the travel-cost method with a detailed analysis of the annual expenditure on hunting activities, and a negative binomial statistical regression. The results reflect the nature of hunting activity and show the dynamics that have occurred over recent decades. In fact, whereas hunting used to be strongly connected to the rural world as it was an income supplement for local communities, nowadays it has turned into an elitist and almost exclusively recreational activity. In any case, knowing the economic value of ecosystem services constitutes an essential background for planning effective land management and development policies in the short and long term.

“Someday we will all learn anew through hands that love us”: Protecting a key insular population of the Sulawesi Fruit Bat Acerodon celebensis

“Someday we will all learn anew through hands that love us”: Protecting a key insular population of the Sulawesi Fruit Bat <i>Acerodon celebensis</i>

Serosurvey of anti-Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum antibodies in hunting dogs and hunters in Brazil.

Background and Aim:Although wild boar hunting activities and the hunting dog trade in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes of Brazil overlap both with endemic and with non-endemic areas for visceral leishmaniasis, no study to date has focused on Leishmania spp. exposure among hunting dogs and hunters. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of Leishmania spp. antibodies in hunting dogs and hunters in different anthropized areas of two Brazilian biomes.Materials and Methods:Blood samples were collected from 170 hunting dogs and 46 hunters between October 2016 and May 2018. The presence of antibodies against Leishmania spp. in hunting dogs was screened through a dual-path platform immunochromatographic test (DPP rapid test; Bio-Manguinhos/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and in hunters through an rK39-based rapid immunochromatographic test. Both tests were used in accordance with Brazilian Ministry of Health recommendations.Results:Overall, although antibodies were detected through the immunochromatographic test in 3/170 (0.02%) of these female asymptomatic hunting dogs, all living in anthropized areas of the Atlantic Forest biome in South Brazil, no sample was confirmed through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All the hunters were non-reactive in the rapid immunochromatographic test.Conclusion:Our study on three suspicious hunting dogs has suggested that Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum may circulate both in endemic and non-endemic areas in Brazil. In addition, a high rate of hunting dog replacement due to death and trade may have led to less chance of infection and transmission between animals and between animals and humans, which would corroborate the outcomes reported here. Further studies should be conducted to fully establish whether hunting dogs and hunters may be used as sentinels in other areas endemic for Leishmania spp.

Effect of inter‐annual meteorological fluctuations and wild boar disturbance on the vegetation of Mediterranean temporary ponds

AbstractQuestionsWhich are the effects of inter‐annual meteorological fluctuations on plant species richness and vegetation dynamics in Mediterranean temporary ponds, shallow wetlands characterized by alternating phases of drought and flooding? Which are the effects of wild boar disturbance? How do the responses of specialist or non‐specialist species of the habitat differ?LocationNW Sardinia Island (Italy).MethodsWe assessed plant cover during six years within one 60 cm × 60 cm quadrat in each of five areas. To measure the effect of inter‐annual meteorological fluctuations on vegetation, we used two indices: the evapotranspiration and the synthetic agrometeorological indicator. To quantify the effect of disturbance by boars, we compared two treatments: disturbed and non‐disturbed (located outside and inside 1.5 m × 1.5 m exclosures respectively). As a whole, we monitored 60 plots (6 years × 2 treatments × 5 replications). We analyzed data using ANOVA, PERMANOVA and BIO‐ENV.ResultsPlant species richness and composition showed significant differences between years and treatments. Species composition was correlated with the evapotranspiration before the vegetative peak during the last period and with the agrometeorological indicator during the whole vegetative period. Specialist species showed much weaker growth, quantified as cover, in the drier years. Starting from the third survey year, plant richness and cover of specialist species were significantly higher in disturbed than in not‐disturbed plots. The extent of bare soil generally was not affected by the treatment.ConclusionsMeteorological fluctuations affect plant species composition and vegetation dynamics in Mediterranean temporary ponds. The sensitivity of specialist species could make them particularly vulnerable to climate change. Nevertheless, they are resilient to unpredictable disturbances such as burrowing by wild boar. However, our results concerning the positive impact of wild boar disturbance on the vegetation cannot be generalized. Elsewhere, the lack of hunting activity could also be a problem for these habitats.

MATERIALS OF KALBAJAR MUSEUM OF REGİONAL STUDIES AS A SOURCE IN THE STUDY OF ROCK PAINTINGS

This article deals with the role of the materials of Kalbajar Museum of Regional Studies as a source in the invstigation of rock carvings in Azerbaijan and important proofs in its study. In Kalbajar, called second Gobustan, written monuments, including rock carvings, are known as Bronze Age monuments in our country. For the first time, rock paintings were studied on the basis of materials from the Kalbajar Museum of Regional Studies. The article deals with about 4.000 rock paintings recorded by the museum’s expedition team in one of the charming corners of Azerbaijan – in Gelin qayasi, Zalkha gholu, Sercheli dagh, Soltan Heydar. Gonag ghormez, Yuzbulaq, Peri chingili, Ayi chingili, Gurbagali chay, Qizil tepe, Gara ghol areas of Kalbajar. The ancient hunting activities of our ancestors, their economic life, as well as the activities of cattle-brreders and farmers, their religious ideas are described on the basis of paintings. In the article is emphasizes that hundreds of rock carvings of the region still needs for research.

Hunting dogs bark differently when they encounter different animal species

Previous studies have shown that vocalizations of dogs can provide information to human companions. While acoustic signals of dogs have been intensively studied during the last decade, barking during hunting activities remains unstudied. The experiences of hunters indicate that owners can recognize what animal species has been found based on the bark of their dog. Such a phenomenon has never been tested before. We tested such an ability by comparing barks that were produced when dogs encountered four different animal species: wild boar, red fox, rabbit and fowl. Classification results of a discrimination analysis showed, that based on barks of dachshunds and terriers, it is possible to categorize towards which animal species barks were produced. The most distinctive barks were produced during encounters with the most dangerous of these animals, the wild boar. On the contrary, barks evoked by red fox encounters were classified similarly as those towards other smaller and non-dangerous animals like rabbits and fowl. Although the red fox represents a potentially dangerous species, the barking provoked was not classified with a much higher result than barking at animals that pose no threat. This might indicate that the key parameter could be the body size of the animal the dog meets. We further tested whether the degree of threat from the species of animal the dog encounters is reflected in the structure of the acoustic parameters based on the valence-arousal model. We found that barks produced in contact with a wild boar showed significantly lower frequency parameters and longest duration compared to other barks. According to these results, it seems that the variability of barking depending on the species of animal a dog encounters is an expression of the dogʼs inner state rather than functionally reference information.

Tick exposure and risk of tick-borne pathogens infection in hunters and hunting dogs: a citizen science approach.

Citizen science may be described as a research involving communities and individuals, other than scientists. Following this approach, along with the evidence of a high prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in Dermacentor marginatus from wild boars in hunting areas of southern Italy, this study aimed to assess the occurrence of tick‐borne pathogens (TBPs) in ticks collected from hunters and their hunting dogs. From October 2020 to May 2021, ticks were collected from wild boar hunters (n = 347) and their dogs (n = 422) in regions of southern Italy (i.e., Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania and Sicily). All ticks were morphologically identified, classified according to gender, feeding status, host, geographic origin, and molecularly screened for zoonotic bacteria. Adult ticks (n = 411) were collected from hunters (i.e., n = 29; 8.4%; mean of 1.6 ticks for person) and dogs (i.e., n = 200; 47.4%; mean of 1.8 ticks for animal) and identified at species level as D. marginatus (n = 240, 58.4%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (n = 135, 32.8%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (n = 27, 6.6%) and Ixodes ricinus (n = 9, 2.2%). Overall, 45 ticks (i.e., 10.9%, 95% CI: 8.3‐14.3) tested positive for at least one tick‐borne agent, being Rickettsia slovaca the most frequent species (n = 37, 9.0%), followed by Rickettsia raoultii, Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia monacensis, Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia lusitaniae and Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii (n = 2, 0.5% each). Data herein presented demonstrate a relevant risk of exposure to TBPs for hunters and hunting dogs during the hunting activities. Therefore, the role of hunters to monitor the circulation of ticks in rural areas may be considered an effective example of the citizen science approach, supporting the cooperation toward private and public health stakeholders.

Potensi Birdwatching sebagai Salah Satu Daya Tarik Wisata di Desa Wisata Jatimulyo, Kecamatan Girimulyo,Kabupaten Kulon Progo

This study aims to identify the response of tourists in Jatimulyo Tourism Village towards the plan of developing birdwatching tourism. Birds have a strong attractiveness for certain groups of people, such as bird hobbies due to their diverse characteristics which have a high selling value. Jatimulyo Tourism Village is one of the tourism villages known for its bird diversity. Regarding that situation, the Jatimulyo government issued a Village Regulation (so-called Peraturan Desa or PerDes) about the prohibition of hunting activities. It was already applied by sanctioning wildlife hunters, including bird hunters. However, the application of PerDes was not strong enough to protect bird diversity. Thus, there must be alternatives programs by utilizing bird diversity to give economic advantages for the people. Birdwatching tourism is one of the alternatives and there is the possibility to develop it in this village, considering this village has already been recognized as a tourism village. This research was quantitative research and employing a survey with a questionnaire as the instrument. There were 100 questionnaires given to the tourists in Jatimulyo Tourism Village to gather valid data. The term birdwatching is still a foreign term for the people. The observation results show that most of the tourists had ever heard the term but did not know its meaning. However, most of the tourists were agreed with the alternative of developing this tourism village with birdwatching as one of the attractions but in one condition i.e. the tour package was not more than one day with an affordable budget. They also wanted bird observation and photography as the activities of birdwatching. Furthermore, they needed a professional guide to guide them along the tour.

Military supply, everyday demand, and reindeer: Zooarchaeology of Nazi German Second World War military presence in Finnish Lapland, Northernmost Europe

During the Second World War, in 1941–1944, Nazi German troops held the frontal responsibility of the Arctic front in Finnish Lapland. In this paper, we present the first zooarchaeological study of the wartime faunal remains from German military camps in Lapland. This illustrates the supply situation of both the German soldiers and their multinational prisoners. The official military supply was substantially supplemented with local food sources, namely, with the local semi-domesticated reindeer that dominates the bone assemblage. Bones of cattle, ovicaprines, and pig occur in lower numbers and appear to represent the German long-distance supply chain stretching from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Ocean. The remains of reindeer and wild species remind of the close interactions with locals and of the prisoners' hunting activities to supplement their meager diet. Even if the reindeer bones dominate both the soldiers' and prisoners' faunal assemblages, there are notable differences in the body parts, with bones from meatier portions always found in the soldiers' food waste. Besides highlighting a tension between the military supply and everyday demands, the faunal remains can draw attention to wider anthropological questions that reach beyond the information available in historical documents, such as adaptations into an alien northern environment. This emphasizes the importance of zooarchaeological analyses of recent past faunal materials from superficially familiar contexts.

Global hunter-gatherer population densities constrained by influence of seasonality on diet composition.

The dependence of hunter-gatherers on local net primary production (NPP) to provide food played a major role in shaping long-term human population dynamics. Observations of contemporary hunter-gatherers have shown an overall correlation between population density and annual NPP, but with a thousand-fold variation in population density per unit NPP that remains unexplained. Here we build a process-based hunter-gatherer population model embedded within a global terrestrial biosphere model, which explicitly addresses the extraction of NPP through dynamically-allocated hunting and gathering activities. The emergent results reveal a strong, previously unrecognized effect of seasonality on population density via diet composition, whereby hunter-gatherers consume high fractions of meat in regions where growing seasons are short, leading to greatly reduced population density due to trophic inefficiency. This seasonal carnivory bottleneck largely explains the wide variation in population density per unit NPP, and questions the prevailing usage of annual NPP as the proxy of carrying capacity for ancient humans. Our process-based approach has the potential to greatly refine our understanding of dynamical responses of ancient human populations to past environmental changes.

Canine Leishmaniasis in Morocco: A Descriptive Prospective Clinical Study.

Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is a zoonotic vector-borne disease that is endemic in the Mediterranean Basin including Morocco. Dogs play a major epidemiological role in this zoonosis as reservoir hosts. This study investigated the clinical manifestations of CanL in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. A total of 96 dogs presented to the Small Animal Clinic of the Hassan II Agronomy and Veterinary Institute (IAV Hassan II) of Rabat, Morocco, and were tested by RT-PCR and/or serology. Among them, 32 (33.3%) were positive to Leishmania infantum infection. The majority of the positive dogs (93.7%) came from urban areas. Most of them were male (62.5%) and purebreds (65.6%), were aged between 3 and 7 years (71.8%), and had outside activities (guarding, hunting, livestock guarding, and service activities) (71.8%) and all of them were living exclusively outdoor or had free access to the outdoor environment. Lymphadenomegaly (81.2%), dermatological disorders (65.6%) (mostly exfoliative dermatitis), weight loss (59.3%), exercise intolerance (56.2%), anorexia (28.1%), hyporexia (15.6%), and ocular lesions (28.1%) were the most frequent clinical signs and complaints recorded. Anemia and hyperproteinemia due to hyperglobulinemia were observed in 68.7% and 72.7% of the cases, respectively. These results suggest that CanL leads to various nonspecific clinical signs as described previously, making the diagnosis challenging. Since CanL is endemic in Morocco, it should be recommended to systematically test dogs displaying clinical signs compatible with this disease and to regularly screen asymptomatic at-risk dogs. It is also crucial to educate dog owners about the zoonotic aspect of the disease and to encourage intersectorial collaboration following the “One Health” concept, in order to contribute to a more effective control/prevention of human and canine leishmaniasis.