Modern Zoology Research Articles

The ecology of <i>Lepus europaeus</i> Pallas, 1778 common in the fauna of the Nagorno Karabakh

Mechanisms for the rational use and preservation of wildlife are considered to be one of the most important problems in modern zoology in Nagorno Karabakh. In our case, this is all the more relevant, since as a result of the military conflict initiated by Azerbaijan, the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh was exposed to ammunition prohibited by international norms. In this regard, we have chosen as the object of research the only species of Lagomorpha in the fauna of Nagorno Karabakh Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778. As a result of studies, we have found out the prevalence of these beasts, the preferred places, which are located at vertical heights, from 200250 MAMSL to 28003000 MAMSL, and the reasons for the reduction of areas. At the same time, the work presents the results of our observations on the dynamics of the number change of Lepus europaeus from 1999 to 2021 and the factors influencing these changes. We have clarified the active hours of Lepus europaeus in plain and foothill zones, as well as the factors affecting their activity and the frequency of encounters with Lepus europaeus during the daylight in different seasons and places represented in percentage. The paper also presents the density and distribution according to zones.

Phylogeography of Lanius senator in its breeding range: conflicts between alpha taxonomy, subspecies distribution and genetics

Implementing efforts to understand biogeographic distribution patterns and taxonomic limits within animal groups is crucial for addressing several challenges of modern zoology. Although avian phylogeography has been extensively investigated within the Western Palearctic, several families, such as shrikes, still display unresolved or neglected biogeographic patterns both between and within species, thus requiring further investigations. The Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) is a long-distance migratory species that exhibits three morphologically well-recognizable subspecies, whose boundaries have never been phylogenetically investigated. Here, we aimed to define the phylogeographic structure of Lanius senator throughout its breeding range and assess the genetic coherence with respect to the phenotypically described subspecies. We assembled a collection of 34 samples mainly from breeding populations of each subspecies and analysed them using four mtDNA and two nuDNA markers. We did not find clear phylogenetic structure in nuclear Ornithine Decarboxylase (ODC) and Myoglobin intron 2 (MYO), but all the four mtDNA loci (i.e., ND2, COI, cytb and CR) highlighted two main haplogroups: one including both the nominate subspecies L. s. senator and L. s. badius and a second one consisting of L. s. niloticus (the easternmost part of its range). Surprisingly, individuals phenotypically assigned to L. s. niloticus from Israel were genetically assigned to the senator/badius haplogroup. Moreover, genetic distances between haplogroups showed intermediate values between inter-intraspecies diversity usually reported for Passerines. We estimated a divergence time at ca. 890 kya (554–1.259 kya HPD). Our findings showed a mismatch in subspecies assignment using morphology and genetic information and a marked differentiation between the eastern L. s. niloticus and all other L. senator populations sampled.

Lemurs before Lemur : depictions of captive lemurs prior to Linnaeus

In 1758, Carl von Linné (Linnaeus) published the tenth edition of Systema Naturae , in which he formally described the most unique group of primates: lemurs. The story of the early human-mediated dispersal of lemurs from Madagascar, prior to their formalized descriptions, is a complex one. It touches on the birth of the standardization of modern zoology, empire building, and the growth of international trade and commerce, with many Fellows of the Royal Society contributing to the earliest observations of these animals in captive settings. Through the use of historical documents and artwork, we present this history in four parts: ‘Part I: The lemurs that became ‘lemurs’ (1746–1756)’, discusses the specific lemurs that Linnaeus used to describe the genera in the tenth and twelfth editions of Systema Naturae ; ‘Part II: Establishing the trade routes (1500–1662)’, examines seventeenth century captive lemurs and the role of the trade routes of the East India Companies in the transportation of lemurs from Madagascar; ‘Part III: Tracing the Bugée (1693–1732)’, reviews the lemurs identified by late seventeenth and early eighteenth century pre-Linnaean naturalists; and ‘Part IV: The chained lemur (1732–1761)’, concludes with eighteenth century lemurs in menageries and as luxury goods.

Metafory zwierzęce w Błogosławieństwie Jakuba (Rdz 49, 1-28)

The relatively numerous references to animals in the blessing of Jacob(Gen 49: 1-28) show that the biblical author had a broad knowledge of nature.According to the current classification of living organisms and method ofresearch used by modern zoology, it is stated that these observations donot have the characteristics of scientific research. In spite of this, they arethe evidence of the clear-sighted observation of animals, which is reflectednot only in the knowledge of the appearance of individual species, but alsoof specific behaviours related to their way of life. It concerns not only domesticanimals, like the ass (cf. Gen 49: 14), but also wild representativesof the fauna. References concerning the latter apply to the species perceivedas highly dangerous to man and domestic animals, that is the lion(cf. Gen 49: 9), snake (cf. Gen 49: 17) or wolf (cf. Gen 49: 27). Amongstthe animals mentioned in the blessing of Jacob one can also distinguishthose which aroused admiration because of their appearance, such as thedoe (cf. Gen 49: 21). At the same time, it is essential to emphasise the factthat the wealth of animal metaphors is just a tool used to translate “God’saddress” into human language.

Energetic metabolism, stress, and immunity—development of population physiology

This review shows that the interpenetration of population ecology and animal physiology positively affects the both scientific directions that are important fields of modern zoology. Due to progress in the development of telemetry and non-invasive methods to assess the animal state, as well as of moleculargenetic methods that permit to distinguish the markers reflecting the individual history of an individual, the possibilities of studying responses of an organism to environmental impacts have been greatly expanded. The combined use of traditional ecological and modern physiological, immunological, and molecular-genetic methods promotes to reveal mechanisms responsible for the stable existence of population in the dynamic environment. In addition, the analysis of the contribution of physiological and immunological processes to the formation of adaptations on the population level is a requirement to understand their adaptive importance, which is not always evident when considering a problem at the organism-centric level.

Starostinia, a new generic replacement name for Ironella Starostina & Krasnov, 1970 (Anthozoa: Scleractinia: Rhipidogyridae) non Cobb, 1920 (Nematoda: Ironidae)

The fossil genus Ironella Starostina & Krasnov (type species I. giseldonensis by original designation) was established (in Krasnov & Starostina 1970: 79) for distinctive scleractinian corals from Northern Caucasus of Russia (Northern Ossetia). However, Ironella Cobb (1920: 277), a living nematode (Adenophorea: Enoplida: Ironidae), preceded the fossil coral name, which becomes a preoccupied later homonym. The nematod Ironella is well recognized in modern zoology (Nematoda—LSID urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:227324), and in this connection a new generic designation is necessary for the later homonymic fossil scleractinian genus.

The Biblical Word of Animals

Liczne wzmianki o zwierzętach na kartach Biblii są potwierdzeniem dobrej znajomości świata przyrody przez autorów natchnionych. W odniesieniu do obowiązującej obecnie klasyfikacji organizmów żywych i metod badawczych, jakimi posługuje się współczesna zoologia, nie mają one charakteru dociekań naukowych. Świadczą natomiast o umiejętności wnikliwej obserwacji zwierząt, czego wyrazem jest nie tylko znajomość wyglądu przedstawicieli poszczególnych gatunków, ale także specyficznych zachowań związanych ze sposobem ich życia. Dotyczy to nie tylko zwierząt udomowionych i hodowanych przez człowieka w celu pozyskania mięsa, mleka, skór oraz siły roboczej, ale i dzikich reprezentantów świata fauny. Biblijne wzmianki o tych ostatnich odnoszą się do gatunków postrzeganych jako szczególnie niebezpieczne dla człowieka i zwierząt domowych, do których zaliczyć należy lwy, wilki, niedźwiedzie, lamparty czy węże. Wśród biblijnych dzikich zwierząt są również takie, które swym wyglądem i zręcznością budziły podziw, czego przykładem są odniesienia do gazeli, jeleni, koziorożców, a nawet gołębi. Równocześnie należy podkreślić, że ten bogaty świat zwierzęcy jest jedynie barwnym tłem dla biblijnej historii zbawienia oraz narzędziem pomocnym w przekładaniu orędzia Boga na język ludzki. Dlatego poznanie znaczenia i symboliki zwierząt pojawiających się na kartach Pisma Świętego pozwala współczesnemu człowiekowi lepiej zrozumieć perykopy biblijne, w których są one przywoływane.

Naturalia : the history of natural history and medicine in the seventeenth century

In 1712 the poet Elkanah Settle (1648–1724) published a funeral poem, Threnodia Apollinaris , dedicated to the memory of Dr Martin Lister.[1][1] Settle had a good deal of material to draw upon, because Lister had been Vice-President of the Royal Society, a physician to Queen Anne, and the first

Karl A. E. Enenkel and Paul J. Smith, eds. Early Modern Zoology: The Construction of Animals in Science, Literature and the Visual Arts. 2 vols. Intersections Yearbook for Early Modern Studies 7. Leiden: Brill, 2007. xxvii + 648 pp. index. illus. bibl. $205. ISBN: 978–90–04–13188–0.

Karl A. E. Enenkel and Paul J. Smith, eds. Early Modern Zoology: The Construction of Animals in Science, Literature and the Visual Arts. 2 vols. Intersections Yearbook for Early Modern Studies 7. Leiden: Brill, 2007. xxvii + 648 pp. index. illus. bibl. $205. ISBN: 978–90–04–13188–0. - Volume 61 Issue 3

The history of Hymenopteran parasitoid research in Germany

For many centuries, the detection of the true nature of Hymenopteran parasitism was greatly hindered by the prevalence of the ideas of Aristoteles, in particular his assumption of a Generatio Spontaneum. It was Conrad Gessner (1516–1565), the forerunner of modern zoology, who emancipated natural sciences from a medieval deadlock and opened up new aspects of viewing natural objects through his own observations. He greatly influenced the German flower painter Maria Sybilla Merian (1647–1717), who started to rear the insects she was painting herself to be able to observe them under natural conditions. When she exactly recognised the significance of the parasitoid is difficult to assess, but in the preface of the 1717 version of her “caterpillar” book she made clear that she knew the whole cycle of parasitoid development. So the first publication by a German, Merian, with a correct interpretation dates from 1717, although she might have discovered the phenomenon already 30 years earlier. Merian’s studies may have inspired Johann Leonhard Frisch (1666–1743) and August Johann Roesel von Rosenhof (1705–1759) to study insects in detail. Roesel von Rosenhof accurately described several behavioural aspects related to the life history of parasitoids. The first taxonomists working specifically on Hymenopteran parasitoids in Germany were Johann Ludwig Christian Gravenhorst (1777–1857) and Christian Godfried Nees von Esenbeck (1776–1856). The forestry entomologist Julius Theodor Christian Ratzeburg (1801–1871) was the first to describe the ecological relationships of parasitoids in detail. He influenced many other entomologists in the 19th century and founded the long tradition of Hymenopteran parasitoid research in Germany.

The scope of modern zoology

The scope of modern zoology

The Hardangervidda project for interdisciplinary cultural research. A presentation

Hardangervidda is a mountain plateau in the central part of South Norway covering some 8000 km2 with an altitude of between 1000 and 1400 m a.s.l. The exploitation of Hardangervidda is of great significance to the surrounding local communities, mainly through hunting, fishing, and grazing of domestic animals. The main goal of the Hardangervidda Project for Interdisciplinary Cultural Research (HTK) has been to study this exploitation and to show how the resources of the mountain plateau have been fitted into the different patterns of subsistence. The Project is composed of researchers from the disciplines Quaternary Geology, Paleobotany, Paleozoology, Modern Zoology, Archaeology, Ethno‐History, Place‐Name Research.

Homer's Wild She-Mules

Hellenists still debate whether the ‘wild she-mules’ (ἡμιόνων γένος ἀγροτεράων) of theIliad(ii 852) are domestic mules or wild equidae.The problem is further complicated by the fact that the ancients did not seem to differentiate adequately between the true wild ass and the wild hemione, although, according to Hančar's authoritative book—which incorporates the findings of modern zoology—the two are definitely distinct. There is, furthermore, a great deal of plausibility in Keller's statement that the ancients did not always differentiate properly even between wild horses and wild hemiones. In fact, the only author who seems to have had more than an inkling that there is a difference between wild asses and hemiones is Aristotle (Historia Animaliumvi 36=580b). Even the distinction between wild species and the domestic mule is sometimes so blurred that only the report that a ‘mule’ had a foal enables one to decide that the animal is a domesticated hemione or wild ass. Under these conditions little help can be derived from nomenclature, though, for the sake of completeness, we will indicate whether the animal is called hemionos, onos agrios, onagros, asinus ferus, or mula.

To know a fly

At the present time zoologists have in large part lost contact with "nature" in the older 19th-century sense. Modern zoology seems wedded to chemistry and physics, with a houseful of alreadyadult daughter sciences, and roomfuls of electronic furniture. It is consequently a matter of great satisfaction when we find a highly sophisticated biologist who not only presents the achievements of modern zoology but at the same time preserves the virtues of the old-time naturalist and who, as a special bonus, is also a talented writer bringing charm and wit to his pages. Professor Dethier, a specialist in insect physiology at the University of Pennsylvania, writes about flies, their anatomical structures and physiological functions, their habits and instincts, modes of integration and adaptation. He discusses them as whole organisms interacting with their environment, as well as composites of separate organs and functions. The book would come under the category of "popular

Transliteration of Greek to Latin in the Formation of Names of Zoological Taxa

MOST of names of taxa of animals are derived from Greek, as are also many of specific (trivial) and subspecific names. Under Zoological Rules Greek words are to be transliterated and treated as Latin words. Throughout history of modern zoology there has been tacit assumption that precedent as established by Latins should be followed in such transliteration. Linnaeus himself stated that when Greek names are transliterated into Latin the equivalents used by Romans from all time must be adopted in representing Greek letters. He twice outlined in part classic rules and gave examples of good form. However, an examination of names of taxa proposed in zoology shows that in practice there exist variations in transliteration that have led to confusion. Proposed here is correction and emendation of current outlined schema appended to Zoological Rules of for transliteration of Greek words into Latin form suitable for use in formation of names of taxa in zoology. Directives and a tabulation for such transliterations have been published in connection with several editions and reprintings of Zoological Rules, as in Smallwood mimeographed International Rules of Nomenclature (1915), Proceedings of Biological Society of Washington (1926), Schenck and McMaster's Procedure in Taxonomy (1948 revision), and Follett's Unofficial Interpretation (1955). Apparently, this tabulation (after revision?) is to be included in Second Schedule (formerly Appendix) of revised Rules. This formulation has evidently been used with succeeding editions without careful scrutiny. When examined it is found in several particulars to be incorrect, misleading, and inadequate. It is assumed to be a guide to classical usage in GreekLatin transliteration. An analysis of errors and omissions of present Schedule is not necessary here. Instead following emended tabulation is proposed for consideration for inclusion as a replacement in forthcoming Second Schedule of Rules. It is believed to be much more inclusive than previously published tabulation, to have eliminated certain errors, and to represent classical usage. It should be scrutinized by those who have both classical and biological training, and, when suitably emended, considered for approval for guidance of zoological nomenclators and taxonomists.

A New Approach to Infraspecific Categories

DURING the past few years the author has become increasingly concerned with the trend of modern systematic zoology toward the perpetuation of latinized names for extremely insignificant and poorly delimited population categories. His views on this subject, with proposals for alleviating the situation before it becomes completely chaotic, were mimeographed in 1952 and copies were mailed to most of the leading systematists and geneticists in the United States. The comments received in answer were varied, but there was almost unanimous agreement that present practices are not ideal and that it is high time for a serious reconsideration of the principles of infraspecific nomenclature. The gravest danger in the present system of zoological nomenclature is the potential accumulation of tremendous quantities of relatively unimportant subspecies names, all (under present rules) being governed by the Law of Priority. Ornithologists and mammalogists deal with relatively small numbers of species, each of which is comparatively well known, and thus can avoid the tremendous difficulties with which students of invertebrates will be confronted if present concepts of the subspecies category continue to be adhered to. Many subspecies today may be recognized only if a random sample of the subspecies is collected and the data concerning it are treated statistically. Consequently, many variants occurring in two adjacent subspecies of this sort may actually resemble members of

The Borders and Beyond: Arctic, Cheviot, Tropic

THIS book is a fine record of personal observation of wild life at home and abroad, and sets forth the opinions arrived at by the author as the result of many years of practical experience of his subjects. He opens by discussing many points of interest in the life of the red grouse and other game birds. Faced with such questions as “Do grouse drink?” Mr. Chapman does riot need to weigh the pros and cons or to meet opposing arguments: he simply knows, and has known from boyhood, that grouse do drink, and he can tell us how, and when, and where, with a wealth of circumstantial detail. Not least interesting are the chapters on what Mr. Chapman calls the “globe spanners,” those species of waders, particularly, which breed only on the Arctic tundras but migrate so far as South Africa, Patagonia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. He knows some of them in their northern homes and on their migrations in Spain and in Africa, but especially he knows them on passage on the Northumbrian coast. Various aspects of wild-fowling are also dealt with, and it is only a wild-fowler who readily becomes familiar with such birds as the brent goose. Further chapters are devoted to “salmonology,” and finally the author sums up his far from complimentary views about modern zoology and bird protection laws respectively.

Some Developments of Modern Zoology

Some Developments of Modern Zoology

Some Aspects of Progress in Modern Zoology

Some Aspects of Progress in Modern Zoology

Some Aspects of Progress in Modern Zoology 1

IT is our privilege to live in a time of almost unexampled progress in natural science, a time distinguished alike by discoveries of the first magnitude and by far-reaching changes in method and in point of view. The advances of recent years have revolutionised our conceptions of the structure of matter, and have seriously raised the question of the transmutation of the chemical elements. They have continually extended the proofs of organic evolution, but have at the same time opened wide the door to a re-examination of its conditions, its causes, and its essential nature. Such has been the swiftness of these advances that some effort is still required to realise what remarkable new horizons of discovery they have brought into view. A few years ago the possibility of investigating by direct experiment the internal structure of atoms, or the topographical grouping of hereditary units in the germ-cells, would have seemed a wild dream. To-day these questions stand among the substantial realities of scientific inquiry. And lest we, should lose our heads amid advances so sweeping, the principles that guide scientific research have been subjected as never before to critical examination. We have become more circumspect in our attitude towards natural “laws.” We have attained to a clearer view of our working hypotheses—of their uses and their limitations. With the best of intentions we do not always succeed in keeping them clear of metaphysics, but at least we have learned to try. We perceive more and more clearly that science does not deal with ultimate problems or with final solutions. In order to live science must move. She attempts no more than to win successive points of vantage which may serve, one after another, as stepping stones to further progress. When these have played their part they are often left behind as the general advance proceeds.