Mountain Sheep Research Articles

Fauna and Landscapes of the Southern Minusinsk Basin (Southern Siberia) at the End of the Late Pleistocene.

Paleolandscapes of the first half of MIS 2 or the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) were reconstructed based on the study of the first mammoth fauna locality found in the Abakan River valley and a comparison with other localities of the South Minusinsk Basin. Sediments of the Uytag geological section under study included silt interlayers underlain and overlain by sandstone rock slack fragments and were interpreted as weakly eroded diluvium. Studies of the Uytag locality made it possible to clarify the time and range of distribution in southern Siberia for several mammals (Ovis ammon, Equus ferus, Marmota baibacina, Sicista subtilis, Lagurus lagurus, and Microtus gregalis) and the Pleistocene bird Aquila chrysaetos. The age of the locality was confirmed by radiocarbon dating. The species composition of the Uytag fauna was similar to that of other localities of the same age and region. All known localities and single finds of faunal remains indicate that open steppe landscapes were widely developed in the South Minusinsk Basin during the LGM.

Current Status of Marco Polo Sheep (Ovis ammon polii) in the Pamir Mountains of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Current Status of Marco Polo Sheep (Ovis ammon polii) in the Pamir Mountains of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

Facts about Wildlife Diseases: Things You Should Know about Mule Deerpox Virus in Farmed White-Tailed Deer in Florida

Pox viruses are widespread and infect many hosts, including insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Some, like chicken pox, are highly adapted to humans, and others, like monkeypox, can be transmitted from species to species. All are highly contagious and usually cause lesions or rashes. Poxvirus infections occur in domestic hoofstock, including cattle, sheep, goats, camels, horses, and swine, and they have been reported in wild ungulates, including mountain sheep, mountain goats, reindeer, mule deer, musk-ox, caribou, moose, and white-tailed deer. In 1983, Mule deerpox virus, a genetically distinct pox virus, was found in free-ranging mule deer in Wyoming. Since the 1990s, several cases of mule deerpox virus have been reported from black-tailed deer from California and Oregon and a white-tailed deer from Mississippi, suggesting that this virus may be a potential emerging pathogen for white-tailed deer. It is unclear whether the virus is more prevalent or whether detection has increased.

Metabarcoding analysis provides insight into the link between prey and plant intake in a large alpine cat carnivore, the snow leopard.

Species of the family Felidae are thought to be obligate carnivores. However, detection of plants in their faeces raises questions about the role of plants in their diet. This is particularly true for the snow leopard (Panthera uncia). Our study aimed to comprehensively identify the prey and plants consumed by snow leopards. We applied DNA metabarcoding methods on 90 faecal samples of snow leopards collected in Kyrgyzstan, employing one vertebrate and four plant markers. We found that argali (Ovis ammon) was detected only from male snow leopards. Myricaraia sp. was the most consumed among 77 plant operational taxonomic units found in snow leopard samples. It frequently appeared in samples lacking any prey animal DNA, indicating that snow leopards might have consumed this plant especially when their digestive tracts were empty. We also observed differences in the patterns of plant consumption between male and female snow leopards. Our comprehensive overview of prey and plants detected in the faeces of snow leopards and other sympatric mammals will help in formulating hypotheses and guiding future research to understand the adaptive significance of plant-eating behaviour in felids. This knowledge supports the enhancement of their captive environments and the conservation planning of their natural habitats.

Geometric morphometric evaluation of mandibles of four sheep breeds: Bardoka, İvesi, Polish Mountain sheep and Turcana.

The enduring relationship between humans and domestic sheep has evolved over millennia, showcasing diverse uses such as meat, milk, wool, leather and fur, shaped by geographical, historical, cultural and social factors. The sheep breeds discussed include the Ivesi from Southeastern Anatolia, known for its varied animal products; the resilient Turcana breed of Romania; Kosovo's Bardoka, valued for its triple-purpose characteristics; and Poland's Polish Mountain Sheep, uniquely utilized for milk production in cheese making. Sheep, with their enduring relationship with humans and significant economic importance, have attracted scientific interest in morphometric studies of their mandibles, yielding valuable data applicable across various fields including basic anatomy, veterinary clinical anatomy, zooarchaeology and veterinary forensic medicine. Traditional morphometric studies rely on statistical methods to compare length, depth and angular ratios between anatomical formations, often highlighting differences between specific points but not fully revealing shape variations between distinct groups. Geometric morphometric analysis has emerged as a preferred method in recent years, enabling shape analyses using coordinate data from various imaging techniques, facilitating a comprehensive examination of mandibular morphometrics among sheep breeds across different countries. This study involved four sheep breeds from different countries, namely İvesi from Turkey, Bardoka from Kosovo, Polish Mountain Sheep from Poland and Turcana from Romania, with a total of 70 mandibles sourced from various veterinary faculties. Mandibular photographs were meticulously captured, focusing on the right side of mandible pairs and placing landmarks and semi-landmarks along the entire edge, enabling geometric morphometric analysis using tpsUtil, tpsDig2 and MorphoJ software. The analysis included principal component analysis, canonical variate analysis and discriminant function analysis for pairwise comparisons, facilitating a comprehensive examination of mandibular shape variations among the different sheep breeds. Using geometric morphometric methods, this study analysed mandibles from four distinct sheep breeds sourced from different countries, revealing notable variations in regions such as the ramus mandibula, angulus mandibula and incisive areas, attributed to genetic, geographical and dietary influences, highlighting the importance of continued research to better comprehend these shape differences.

Development of a high-density sub-species-specific targeted SNP assay for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis).

Due to their abundance and relative ease of genotyping, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are a commonly used molecular marker for contemporary population genetic and genomic studies. A high-density and cost-effective way to type SNP loci is Allegro targeted genotyping (ATG), which is a form of targeted genotyping by sequencing developed and offered by Tecan genomics. One major drawback of this technology is the need for a reference genome and information on SNP loci when designing a SNP assay. However, for some non-model species genomic information from other closely related species can be used. Here we describe our process of developing an ATG assay to target 50,000 SNPs in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, using a reference genome from domestic sheep and SNP resources from prior bighorn sheep studies. We successfully developed a high accuracy, high-density, and relatively low-cost SNP assay for genotyping Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that genotyped ~45,000 SNP loci. These loci were relatively evenly distributed throughout the genome. Furthermore, the assay produced genotypes at tens of thousands of SNP loci when tested on other mountain sheep species and subspecies.

Traditional smoking of Wallachian cheeses and sausages in Polish and Slovak parts of the Carpathian Mountains

AbstractWallachian expansion brought to the Carpathian Mountains a system of shepherd economy—farming, production of Wallachian cheeses, animals adapted to life in difficult mountain conditions—mainly sheep of the Cakiel breed group. Mountain sheep's milk is used to produce traditional cheeses: bundz, bryndza podhalańska, oscypek, redykołka—on the Polish side and Slovenská bryndza, Slovenská parenica, Slovenský oštiepok, Ovčí hrudkový syr salašnícky—on the Slovak side. Also sausages are made from sheep meat. These cheeses and sausages are salted and then traditionally smoked. The source of heat and smoke is hard wood with appropriate humidity, burned in the hearth located in the shepherd's hut, over which the cheeses are placed under the roof. Among several hundred smoke components, there are also polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which, on the one hand, give the smoked product its taste and aroma, and on the other hand have carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Sausages and cheeses from Poland and Slovakia, made from milk and meat of native sheep breeds, preserved by traditional smoking, were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons content. The analyzed cheeses were characterized by a trace or low content of benzo[a]pyrene and the sum of benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and chrysene. In cheeses from outer Eastern Carpathians subprovince (Bieszczady), the high content of naphthalene, acenaphthylene, fluorene and phenanthrene is noteworthy. Polish lamb sausages were characterized by a higher content of benzo(a)pyrene and the sum of benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and chrysene. The differences result from the method of smoking (warm or cold in the south of the Carpathians—hot in the north) and the type of wood used for smoking.

Border fences reduce potential for transboundary migration of Marco Polo Sheep (Ovis ammon polii) in the Pamir Plateau

Border fences have severely impeded the transboundary migration of a number of large mammals worldwide, with central Asia being one of the most impacted. The Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii), an iconic species of Pamir, is threatened in its transboundary movement by increasing border fencing among their five distributed countries, including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. In this study, by building ensemble species distribution models, we found that eastern Tajikistan had the largest suitable Macro Polo sheep habitat (about 42 % of the total suitable habitat), followed by China (about 32 %). We used least-cost paths to identify 51 ecological corridors including 5 transboundary ecological corridors, which may be important to maintain connectivity in both domestic and transboundary regions. To assess the potential barrier effect of border fences, we assessed four scenarios (30, 40, 50 and 60°) corresponding to the upper limit of the slope for the construction of fences. In areas too steep for fencing, these could be used by wild sheep to cross barriers or borders and may represent migration or movement routes, defined as natural passages. In the most pessimistic Scenario 60, only 25 migratory passages along the border fences were identified, compared to 997 in the most optimistic scenario (Scenario 30), indicating a strong negative effect of intensive border fencing on the transboundary movement of Marco Polo sheep. The establishment of transnational conservation parks, and ensuring permeability is maintained in key areas, could have a positive impact on the connectivity and persistence of Marco Polo sheep populations, and provide important lessons for other large migratory mammals in transboundary regions.

Dall's sheep horn growth and harvest management in the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada

AbstractAcross most of their native North American range, the horns of mountain sheep (Ovis spp.) males are getting smaller, a pattern attributed to selective hunting pressure. We measured the horns of 755 Dall's sheep males (Ovis dalli dalli) in the southern Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, between 2002 and 2017. For each male, we measured the circumference and length of each annulus for the right horn and calculated horn volume for each year. We examined changes in horn size in 4 different outfitter areas, using age at harvest as a covariate. Hunting pressure across years in the study area was consistently low, and this population did not experience the decline in horn size observed in several other mountain sheep populations in Canada. Over the 16‐year period, the average horn volume of harvested males was stable and even increased in 1 outfitter area. Local management of Dall's sheep delivered independently by the guide outfitters in the Mackenzie Mountains appears to contribute to maintaining a population of males that has not been adversely affected by strong selective hunting pressure. The resilience of this management strategy may be challenged by environmental changes associated with rapid warming in northern mountain environments.

Analysis of allelic variants in genes associated with meat productivity in regionalized small cattle breeds

The purpose of the research was to study the polymorphism of allelic variants of genes associated with high meat productivity for further selection of parental pairs using genetic methods. Genotyping of the Dagestan mountain sheep breeds (broodstock and rams) was carried out using a polymerase chain reaction. Genotyping was carried out for the following genes: CAST, GH, GDF9 on a Tertsik thermal cycler. Analysis of the results of PCR carried out with samples of sires of the Dagestan rock breed indicates that the GH gene polymorphism is represented by the A allele, with a high (0.87) and allele B, with a low (0.13) frequency of occurrence. The GDF9 gene polymorphism is represented by the GDF9G allele with a high (0.82) and the GDF9A allele with a low (0.18) frequency of occurrence. The distribution of homozygous genotype GHAA and heterozygous GHAB reached 84% and 16%, respectively. At the same time, the homozygous GHBB* genotype was absent in the studied sample. As a result of the research, new knowledge was obtained on biodiversity and forms of associations of polymorphism of the genes calpastatin, somatotropin, differential growth factor; breed-specific, population-specific features of the allelic spectrum of the CAST, GH, GDF9 genes in sheep of the Dagestan mountain sheep breed were established.

Bioaccumulation of radionuclides in hoofed animals inhabiting the Semipalatinsk Test Site.

The article assesses the content of radionuclides in hoofed animals inhabiting the Semipalatinsk Test Site by calculation. Hoofed animals' faeces were sampled to determine the content of radionuclides in their diets. Based on values determined for the content of radionuclides in animals; diets, the content of radionuclides in the meat and milk of farm animals-cows (Bos taurus taurus), sheep (Ovis), goats (Capra hircus) and horses (Equus caballus Lin., 1758) as well as in the meat of wild animals-european moose (Alces alces Lin., 1758), argali (Ovis ammon Lin., 1758), roe deer (Capreolus pygargus Pal., 1771) and saiga (Saiga tatarica Lin., 1766) was calculated. No excess of permissible values of the content of 137Cs and 90Sr in the meat of farm animals was found to be expected, even for a conventional 'conservative' scenario, in which maxima of the radionuclide activity concentration in a vegetable feed (faeces) are taken as a basis. 241Am and 239+240Pu in the meat of farm hoofed animals are not standardized. Their predicted maxima of activity concentration are very low, and even in the 'conservative' scenario, they do not exceed 1.8×10-2 Bq kg-1, 1.4×10-1 Bq kg-1 and 1.6×10-1 Bq kg-1, respectively. In the milk of farm animals, the content of 137Cs and 90Sr does not exceed permissible values. 241Am and 239+240Pu in the milk of farm animals are not standardized. Their predicted activity concentration values in the milk of sheep and goats do not exceed 6.5×10-2 Bq l-1, for cows- 2.6×10-2 Bq l-1, for horses- 3.1×10-2 Bq l-1. Permissible values of 137Cs and 90Sr in the meat of wild hoofed animals are not exceeded either. In the meat of argali, roe deer and saigas, relatively high levels of 137Cs are predictable. 241Am and 239+240Pu in meat of wild animals are not standardized. Their predicted activity concentration values in the meat of moose and argali do not exceed 3.2×10-1 Bq kg-1 and 1.6×10-1 Bq kg-1, respectively, for roe deer and saiga-5.4×10-2 Bq kg-1. Thus, in case of free grazing in the STS territory, no excess of permissible values of standardized radionuclides (137Cs and 90Sr) in the meat and milk of hoofed animals is predictable.

Tradycja i innowacyjność w ochronie środowiska przyrodniczego regionów górskich

Aim of the study: Pastoral management in Europe is an important element in protecting biodiversity and the landscape. Shepherding stimulates the development of the market of traditional and regional products, handicrafts and services. Pastoral farming in Europe is an important element of biodiversity and landscape protection. Shepherding stimulates the development of the market for traditional, regional products, handicrafts and services. For many years, wool was an important product obtained in mountain areas from local sheep breeds, now treated as a waste product. The aim of the study is to describe farming methods in mountain areas, indicating innovative possibilities of using sheep wool. Material and methods: The material consisted of literature studies and own research on management in mountain areas. Own research and literature analyzes have shown that, due to its properties, wool obtained from mountain sheep can be used as a natural fiber in a biodegradable composite and constitute an alternative to plastic packaging. The introduction of natural fibers in the fertilizer composite can improve not only soil fertility but also bring economic effects, such as the use of wool of Polish mountain sheep as part of the circular economy. Results and conclusions: Summarize, the search for alternative directions for the use of sheep wool is of strategic importance for maintaining and even increasing the sheep population in Poland and in other European Union countries. Occurring soil droughts in the summer period affect the reduction of plant yields, and for this reason, the application of biodegradable biocomposite to the soil will not have a negative impact on the environment of mountain pastures and meadows.

Endoparasitofauna of Altai mountain sheep (Ovis ammon ammon), Siberian mountain goats (Capra sibirica) and small cattle of the Saylyugemsky National Park, Altai Republic

The theriofaunal list of wild bovids of the South-Eastern Altai includes the Altai mountain sheep (Ovis ammon ammon), as well as the Siberian mountain goat (Capra sibirica). The predominant types of farm animals in the Altai Republic are goats and sheep. Parasite fauna and the interchange between wild bovids and small cattle in these areas is not well understood. Samples were taken by employees of the Sailyugemsky National Park. At the department, V.L. Yakimov, ovoscopic and larvoscopic research methods were carried out. The calculation of the average number of eggs was carried out using a VIGIS counting chamber (VNIIP named after K.I. Skryabin). According to the results obtained, an analysis of cross-invasion was carried out. In wild bovids from 120 samples studied and in small cattle from 31 samples, endoparasites belonging to four large taxonomic groups were found: protists, trematodes, cestodes, and nematodes. In wild bovids from the group of nematodes, invasion with eggs of the genus Trichuris was established, according to morphological and morphometric characteristics, eggs of the ascarid type were found, eggs of nematodes of the order Strongylida, the genus Marshallagia, Nematodirella, Nematodirus spp., as well as larvae of the genus Protostrongylus were also found. From the group of trematodes, eggs of the species Hasstilesia ovis, as well as Dicrocoelium sp. From the group of cestodes, eggs of the genus Moniezia sp. From the group of protists, oocysts of the genus Eimeria spp. In small cattle, in contrast to wild bovids, nematodes of the genus Strongyloides sp. The number of cases of detection in small cattle of the nematode of the genus Protostrongylus sp. significantly lower than in wild bovids, and eggs of the strongylid type were more common. Also, no eggs of the trematode of the genus Dicrocoelium sp. Otherwise, the endoparasite fauna was similar to wild bovids. This study will help to compile a complete picture of the parasite fauna and cross-invasion of wild bovids and small cattle.

Linkage disequilibrium, historical effective population size and haplotype blocks in selected native sheep breeds

This study was conducted to investigate linkage disequilibrium (LD), historical effective population size (Ne) and haplotype blocks structure in genomes of nine Polish conserved sheep breeds or varieties: Black-headed (BH), Colored Mountain Sheep (CMS), Old-type Merino (MPOT), Podhale Zackel (PZ), Polish Merino of Coloured Variety (MPC), Polish Mountain Sheep (PMS), Świniarka (SW), Uhruska (UHR) and Wrzosówka (WRZ), based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the OvineSNP50 DNA Analysis Kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA). LD analysis was performed based on the pairwise r2 statistic of SNPs at a distance up to 5 Mb. At a short distance, up to 100 kb, the lower average r2 was observed in PZ (0.10) breed and the highest average r2 was observed in MPC (0.21) breed. At a distance of 4–5 Mb, the highest average r2 was observed in SW (0.08) breed and the lowest average r2 was observed in PZ (0.02) and PMS (0.02) breeds. All studied Polish sheep breeds, showed mean r2 > 0.3 (‘useful’ LD level for QTL mapping) at shorter distances than average distances between adjacent SNP markers and only for MPC, SW, UH, WRZ breeds mean r2 > 0.2 (high enough to attain an accuracy of 0.85 for genomic breeding value estimation) was observed at similar or longer distances than average distances between adjacent SNP markers. Obtained results showed that the Illumina OvineSNP50 BeadChip assay is not a suitable tool to perform reliable genome-wide association for all studied Polish sheep breeds and only for MPC, SW, UH and WRZ it is potentially possible to perform reliable genomic breeding value estimation. For most of the studied sheep breeds, effective population size 5 generations ago was close or less to the FAO recommended Ne of 50 per generation required to maintain fitness in breed. From 2,051 (SW) to 1,265 (PZ) haplotype block structures, spanning from 148.9 (SW) to 26.3 (PZ) of the genome were detected. Across all studied sheep breeds the highest average block length was observed in MPC (82.5 ± 114 kb) breed and the lowest average block length was observed in PZ (20.9 ± 43 kb) breed. For all studied Polish sheep breeds, as many as 280 haplotype block structures with overlapping segments were detected, within which 182 genes were identified.

Sulfur and Cystine Content in Various Sheep Wool Breeds and Their Correlation with Wool Growth and Strength

This scholarly article presents a comprehensive analysis of sulfur and cystine content in the wool of various sheep breeds, with a particular focus on their relationship with wool growth and strength. The breeds under scrutiny include the Askanian fine-wool, Prekos, Latvian dark-headed, Ukrainian Carpathian mountain, and Karakul breeds. Our research revolves around wool samples extracted from the scapula area before the spring shearing process. Our findings reveal that the highest sulfur content is observed in the wool of Karakul sheep (3.05 %) and Prekos sheep (2.90 %), whereas the lowest sulfur content is noted in Latvian dark-headed sheep (2.65 %). Conversely, the highest cystine content is exhibited in the wool of Askanian fine-wool sheep (11.87 %) and Prekos sheep (11.46 %), while the lowest cystine content characterizes the wool of Karakul sheep (8.99 %) and the Latvian dark-headed breed (10.10 %). The genetic factors, specifically breed-specific characteristics, impact on the rate of wool growth. The most rapid growth rates are observed in Karakul sheep (873 mg/cm/day) and Askanian fine-wool sheep (857 mg/cm/day). Slightly lower growth rates are noted in Prekos breed sheep (844 mg/cm/day) and Ukrainian Carpathian mountain breed sheep (766 mg/cm/day). The lowest growth rates are recorded in Latvian dark-headed sheep (742 mg/cm/day). Furthermore, we establish that the highest tensile strength values are associated with the coarse wool of Karakul sheep (9.6 cN/tex) and the semi-coarse wool of Ukrainian Carpathian mountain sheep (9.3 cN/tex), as these fibers possess the thickest cuticular layer. Conversely, the lowest tensile strength values are observed in the wool of Latvian dark-headed sheep (7.0 cN/tex) and Prekos breed (7.1 cN/tex). An examination of the data reveals that there is no statistically significant correlation between the content of sulfur and cystine and the rate of wool growth. However, a robust direct correlational relationship is identified between the sulfur content and fiber strength (with correlation coefficients of r = 0.831 for Karakul breed sheep wool, 0.713 for Latvian dark-headed, 0.698 for Ukrainian Carpathian mountain, 0.544 for Askanian fine-wool, and 0.460 for Prekos breed wool).

Predation Patterns and Hunting Behavior of Snow Leopards: Insights from an Ibex Hunt

The hunting behaviours of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) are poorly understood. In this note, we describe the successful hunt of an adult male ibex (Capra sibirica) by a known male snow leopard. The hunt started in a mountain slope close to three large boulders and progressed downhill for 115 m until it concluded at the bottom of a drainage. By comparing the habitat where the ibex was killed to the kill sites of 158 ibex and 17 argali (Ovis ammon) that were killed by GPS-collared snow leopards, we demonstrate that the majority (62%) of these were kills occurred in drainages. We propose that in successful hunts, snow leopards commonly ambush from above, causing prey individuals to typically flee downhill. Thereby the prey maintain their momentum and it is not until they are slowed down upon reaching the bottom of the drainage that the snow leopards are able to subdue them.

Sound Absorption of Tufted Carpets Produced from Coarse Wool of Mountain Sheep

ABSTRACT Coarse wool from Polish mountain sheep, often treated as a useless by-product of sheep husbandry, was used to produce pile carpets with tufting technique. Raw wool was used in the small-scale spinning mill to spin prototype rug yarns, which were then used for the production of carpets. The carpets with cut and loop piles of two different heights and densities were manufactured. During examinations, the basic parameters of raw wool, yarns, and tufted fabrics were determined. Then, the soundproofing properties of carpets were analyzed. To characterize the acoustic properties of the carpets, the sound absorption coefficient and transmission loss were measured. The measurements were carried out in one-third octave bands in the frequency range of 80–5000 Hz using the impedance tube method. It was stated that the wool of Polish mountain sheep is coarse, highly differentiated both in thickness and length and contains a significant content of medullated fibers and kemp. Despite its poor characteristics, the wool can be used for the production of rag yarns suitable for the production of pile carpets with tufting technique. The carpets possess acceptable sound absorbing capacity comparable to other similar products obtained from other wool types, which is dependent on both pile types and their parameters. The carpets exhibit low transmission loss, which is influenced, to a lesser extent, by the change in the parameters of the pile layer.

Қазақстан Республикасының Қызыл кітабына енгізілген, "Көлсай көлдері"МҰТП аумағында фототұзақдарға түскен сүтқоректілер туралы ақпарат

The article provides information about mammals listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan, taken in camera traps on the territory of the State Research and Production Enterprise "Kolsai Kolderi". According to preliminary information and literature data, 51 species of mammals are represented. Of these, 7 species are the Ursus arctos isabellinus Horsfield, 1826), Lutra lutra seistanica Birula, 1912, Lynx lynx isabellinus Blyth, 1847, Uncia uncia Schreber, 1775, Ovis ammon ammon (Linnaeus, 1758), Martes foina Erxleben, 1777 and Otocolobus manul (Pallas, 1776) are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is registered in the International Red Book. From 2014 to 2022, only 4 species of rare animals listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan were recorded in camera traps on the territory of the Kolsai Kolderi State Scientific and Industrial Enterprise. These are Uncia uncia, Ursus arctos isabellinus, Lynx lynx isabellinus and Martes foina. In the course of the research, both traditional methods of field theriological research were used, including visual observations, identification and registration of various traces of animal activity, as well as remote methods using automatic animal tracking cameras (camera traps).

A framework to simulate the blowout of CO2 through wells in geologic carbon storage

It is important to evaluate the risks associated with CO2 leakage in large scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. Leaky wells are considered a major concern for potential CO2 leakage in geologic carbon storage. The most rapid and spectacular mode of CO2 leakage is the blowout of a CO2 storage well. The Sheep Mountain CO2 blowout in March 1982 is an example of this type of catastrophe wherein several thousand tons of CO2 were released into the atmosphere every day. The blowout was stopped only in early April. In the current work we present a numerical framework to simulate blowouts of CO2 wells accounting for the supercritical-liquid–gas–solid phase transitions of CO2 during the process. It is an in-house finite volume method based code for CO2 transport in open wells, relying on a hybrid Span–Wagner equations of state. We present extensive verification and validation of the code against numerical and experimental data in the literature. When applied to well blowouts, our numerical method is able to identify the locations along the well where CO2 transitions between its different phases. Our simulations show that while the heat transfer between CO2 and the casing has a significant impact on the transient characteristics of the blowout, it does not affect the steady-state leakage rate significantly. We also find that the CO2 leakage rate increases as the total depth of the well increases, with an average leakage rate of 2.09×104 tons per day across all the well depths simulated ranging between 1 km and 3.5 km. Our simulations show that when the temperature and pressure at the well bottom are appreciably lower than the geothermal temperature and hydrostatic pressure at the given depth, CO2 is released as dry ice at the wellhead. The dry ice modeled here has a significant time-averaged mass fraction of 30% at quasi-steady state, and causes rapid fluctuations in the CO2 leakage rate.

Genome-Wide Insights into Intraspecific Taxonomy and Genetic Diversity of Argali (Ovis ammon)

Argali (Ovis ammon), the largest species among all wild sheep, is native to mountainous regions of Central and East Asia, spreading mainly throughout such countries as Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Russia and China. Intraspecific taxonomy of argali remains unclear, and currently, most researchers recognize up to nine subspecies. The aim of our work was to investigate the phylogenetic relationship between populations of O. ammon based on genome-wide SNP analysis. Five subspecies, Altai (O. a. ammon) (n = 6), Gobi (O. a. darwini) (n = 5), Pamir (O. a. polii) (n = 12), Tian Shan (O.a. karelini) (n = 15) and Kyzylkum (O. a. severtzovi) (n = 4), were genotyped using Illumina OvineHD BeadChip. In addition, complete mitogenome sequences from 30 of those samples were obtained. After quality control procedures, 65,158 SNPs were selected for the subsequent analyses. Neighbor-Net dendrogram and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the five subspecies could be grouped into four clusters. It was shown that a population from Altai formed a cluster with Gobi subspecies. The highest pairwise FST genetic distance was between O. a. ammon and O. a. severtzovi (0.421) and the lowest were between O. a. polii and O.a. karelini (0.083) and between O. a. ammon and O. a. darwini (0.040) subspecies. Genetic diversity was higher in Central Asian argali as compared to East Asian populations. O. a. severtzovi had an admixed origin and consisted of two genetic components—73.5 ± 0.2% of O. a. polli and 26.5 ± 0.2% of urial (O. vignei). TreeMix analysis revealed a migration event from urial to O. a. severtzovi argali. The analysis of complete mitogenomes supported the results based on whole-genome genotyping. Considering that all the mtDNA sequences of O. a severtzovi belonged to O. ammon and not to O. vignei, we concluded that gene flow in this group was associated with urial males. As this is only the first work on intraspecific taxonomy and genetic diversity of argali based on genome-wide SNP genotyping and the analysis of complete mitogenomes, we suggest that more genetic studies are needed to clarify the status of Gobi and Tian Shan argali.