Head Width Research Articles

IMPROVEMENT OF THE METHOD FOR DETERMINING RELATIVE RAIL WEAR

Purpose. To evaluate the existing method of determining the relative wear of the rail in modern operating conditions of the railway track and to improve it. Methodology. An analysis of the existing method of determining the relative wear of rails was carried out to achieve the goal. 30 pieces of cross-sections of worn rails were processed. They were compared with the profile of the new rail. The actual wear area is determined digitally. Due to the measured values of vertical and lateral wear, calculations, corresponding analysis and research were carried out. Findings. The existing method of calculating the rail wear area is not relevant for modern rails and operating conditions. The inaccuracy is 60 %. A detailed analysis made it possible to establish a new mathematical dependence of the rail wear area on vertical and lateral wear. The condition of the wheels of the rolling stock is taken into account. Inaccuracy decreased to 3 %. Originality. On the basis of the conducted research, the concept of «pseudo lateral wear» was introduced for the first time. This is the vertical wear of the working face of the rail, measured as the lateral wear of the rail. Vertical wear of the rail is caused by the action of a vertical force. The mathematical dependence is given. This made it possible to clarify the value of parameter e for practical calculations and its physical meaning (e=50 mm2 with vertical wear greater than 1.5 mm, and e=20 mm2 with vertical wear equal to or less than 1.5 mm). Practical value. It is established that the relative wear of the rail is the sum of 94 % vertical wear and 30 % lateral wear for modern conditions. The physical essence of the specified percentages is the ratio of the average width and height of the vertical and lateral wear to the width of the rail head in the calculated plane. The physical meaning of relative wear is an estimate of the mass of worn metal. For every 1 mm of relative wear of the P65 rail, according to the refined methodology, there is 0.50 kg of worn metal per 1 m of the rail length.

Model Test and Numerical Simulation of Slope Instability Process Induced by Rainfall

Due to rainfall infiltration, slope instability becomes frequent, which is the main reason for landslide disasters. In this study, the stability of slope affected by rainfall was analyzed using an indoor model test and geo-studio simulation method, and the variation law of phreatic line, seepage field, the most dangerous sliding surface, and safety factor with time were studied under rainfall infiltration. Research results showed that under the effect of rainfall, the slope failure presented a typical traction development mode. With the increase of time, the phreatic line of the slope kept rising, the water head keeps increasing, the seepage depth in the slope became deeper, and the slope stability worsened until the slope was damaged. The water head height decreased gradually from the slope left boundary to the right, and the water head width decreased gradually. The soil at the slope back edge was damaged, and the sliding soil accumulated at the slope foot, forming a gentle slope, which increased the shear strength of the slope, making the slope finally reach a stable state. In this process, the overlying soil changed from an unsaturated state to a saturated state, the pore water pressure and soil pressure increased, and then the slope was damaged, both of which decreased. Under high rainfall intensity, the slope was damaged, the soil in the slope was rapidly saturated, and the time required to produce the sliding area was short. When the rainfall intensity was the same, the smaller the slope angle was, the smaller the safety factor was. When the slope angle was the same, the greater the rainfall intensity was, the smaller the safety factor was.

First Record and Morphology Study of Red Dwarf Honey Bees Apis Florea Fabricius (1787) in Basra Province

In this study, 25 Morphometric characters of dwarf honey bees Apis florea: 15 were for the body characters and 10 for wing venation, in four geographical areas in the province of Basra. a total Samples of 360 workers, Computer program ImageJ was used to measure Morphometric characters. The results of the statistical analysis of the averages showed a clear difference in the Basra area, as the least of them were in the characters of the Head length and width, femur length, width of the end of tibia, and 1st Wax mirror Length, followed by the Al-Siba area in the characters, tibia length, 3rd tergite length, and 3rd sternite length. As for the wing venation, which are forewing width, No. hamuli, A4 angle, B4 angle, G18 angle, and K19 angle. While the cluster analysis showed the hierarchical grouping method of Basra bees with some regional countries, the Basra bees group aligned with the Iranian bee group with a degree of lineage and genetic distance more than the rest of the groups, this study is considered a preliminary registration and diagnosis of Apes florea in Basra province.

Differences in morphometric characterization of female BSA hybrid chickens fed on wet fermented diet containing a combination of maggot flour (Hermetia illucens) and active digestive enzymes in ration

The present study was aimed to examine the effect of feeding fermented diet containing a combination of maggot flour and active digestive enzymes in the ration on feed consumption, weight gain and exterior appearance or morphometric parameters of female BSA hybrid chickens (BSA-HC). The present study was carried out at Field Laboratory of Animal Sciences, Department of Animal Science, University of Syiah Kuala-Banda Aceh for 90 days, starting from December 1, 2021 to March 1, 2022. The study used a completely randomized design consisting of 4 treatments which were: P0 (control: chicken fed on commercial diet), P1 (chicken fed on a wet fermented diet, 9% maggot flour and 0.5% enzyme), P2 (chicken fed on a wet fermented diet, 12% maggot flour and 1 % enzyme), and P3 (chicken fed on a wet fermented diet without maggot flour and without digestive enzymes). Each treatment was repeated 4 times and total number of chickens used in the study was 80 female hybrid chickens. The data obtained were analyzed by Analysis of Variance and it was continued with Duncan’s Multiple Test by SPSS program. The results showed that difference in a combination of maggot flour and active digestive enzymes percentage in wet fermented diet had an effect on the increased in morphometric parameters such us: thigh circumference, height, and head width of chicken until 9 weeks of chicken age. However, feeding of wet fermented diet containing maggot flour and digestive enzymes resulted the same effect on morphometric parameters as commercial diet on BSA-HC hens resulted a high efficiency feed. It was presumably due to the nutritional value contained in wet fermented diet was absorbed by part of chicken body which was supported by the development of body and digestive organs. Although a combination of maggot flour and active digestive enzymes percentage in wet fermented diet does not significantly affect the morphometric parameters, the nutritional content such as protein and energy contained in the feed increased the process of performance and growth process of female hybrid chicken which was comparable to commercial diet.

Indução de mutagênese em crisântemo

Abstract Crop genetic diversity has a significant role in improving new plants through breeding. The chrysanthemum contains the most mutant varieties, making mutation breeding one of the most widely utilized breeding procedures for ornamental plants. The goal of this research is to use gamma irradiation to induce genetic variation and mutation breeding to improve chrysanthemum features. In vitro bud explants of the white ‘Bacardi’ type were treated with gamma rays at 20 Gy on this scope. The explants were subcultured until M1V4 growing period occurred, and observations were made during blooming on this time. Variable flower head widths, distinction on plant heights and widths, numerous flower numbers, color and size variations of ray florets were among the mutagenic changes observed in plants and flowers. Ray florets varied in length, width, number of rows, and color. The mutation frequency of the population was estimated 1.1% and yellow-colored florets were developed whereas the control group remained white. The dendrogram was grouped into five groups with 1, 28, 31, and 41 mutants in each based on the plant height and width, plant stem height and width, number of shoots and flowers per plant, flower head width, ray florets’ number- height- color, number of leaves, leaf length and width, and weight of flowering stems. The yellow-colored mutants were located in the first, second, and fourth groups. The advantageous mutations could result in improving new varieties. Gamma radiation is an effective mutagen for creating new chrysanthemum types when applied to in vitro bud explants.

Establishment of a laboratory‐rearing technique for the rove beetle Anotylus amicus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) with investigations of its life cycle, behavior and morphological variations

AbstractRove beetles (Staphylinidae) are one of the largest families in Coleoptera. Although the ecological features of rove beetles are important subjects in terms of understanding their diversification processes, laboratory‐rearing studies have only been conducted for a few species to date. In this study, we established a continuous rearing method for Anotylus amicus (Bernhauer, 1923) (Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) using bell cricket food. In addition, its life cycle, behavior and morphological variations were investigated using the rearing technique. The mean duration of egg, first, second and third instars, prepupa and pupa were 4.3, 4.0, 4.0, 7.8, 1.7 and 4.7 days at 24°C, respectively. Adults and larvae used substrate, food and excrement for nesting. Mate guarding by males and associated male–male combat were observed. Head width and body size sexually varied; most males were larger than females, but some were comparable to females. Many individuals possessed undeveloped short hindwings, while some, especially large females, had long ones. As A. amicus can be reared simply, have a fairly short generation period, and exhibit interesting behavioral and morphological characteristics, A. amicus is suitable for clarifying the ecological aspects of rove beetles.

Effects of six kinds of sperm staining methods on human sperm size and evaluation of their staining effects.

Large- and small-headed sperm are common morphological abnormalities. If different sperm staining methods affect sperm size, they will make a difference in the accuracy of sperm morphological analysis results. In this case, the normal reference values of sperm head parameters for different staining methods should be established. Six sperm staining methods, including Papanicolaou, Diff-Quik, Shorr, Hematoxylin-eosin (HE), Wright, and Wright-Giemsa staining, were used to stain the sperm smears of 25 semen samples, respectively. Sperm head parameter's length (L), width (W), area (A), perimeter, acrosomal area (Ac), and the derived values L/W and Ac/A of 2500 sperm (100 for each specimen) per staining method were measured by a computer-aided sperm morphological analysis system. The highest sperm head length and width were observed with the Wright-Giemsa and Wright staining, followed by the Diff-Quik. The lowest sperm head length and width were observed with the Papanicolaou staining, and the sperm head length and width of HE and Shorr staining were between those of Papanicolaou and Diff-Quik staining. There was the same trend in changes in sperm head area and perimeter. Diff-Quik and Shorr staining could clearly distinguish acrosome and nucleus, followed by HE staining, whereas the boundary between acrosome and nucleus was not evident in Papanicolaou, Wright, and Wright-Giemsa staining. Different staining methods influence sperm size, and the normal reference values of sperm head parameters of each staining method should be established. Diff-Quik and Shorr staining may be suitable methods for routine sperm morphological analysis.

Changes in the condylar head after orthognathic surgery in Class III patients: a retrospective three-dimensional study.

To evaluate the axial and dimensional changes of the condylar head after orthognathic surgery, including Le Fort I and bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomies, and to assess condylar remodeling through three-dimensional (3D) surface superimposition. Twenty-four patients (15 females, 9 males; mean age: 32.22 ± 6.92 years) with skeletal Class III deformity were included in the study. Cone-beam computed tomography data obtained in the preoperative (T0) and postoperative (T1) periods were examined using Mimics and 3-Matic software. The height, depth, and width of the condylar head and its angular changes were measured. The volumes of the 3D reconstructed models were calculated, and remodeling amounts were evaluated through regional surface superimposition. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. Following the surgery, there was a significant decrease in the size of condyles (P < .05). An inward rotation of the condyles was found in the axial plane (T0: 79.60 ± 6.01°, T1: 76.6 ± 6.48°, P < .05). The maximum resorption, maximum apposition, mean remodeling, and mean absolute remodeling were -2.63 ± 1.23 mm, 1.15 ± 0.4 mm, -0.30 ± 0.34 mm, and 0.73 ± 0.43 mm, respectively. No correlation was found between the angular changes and remodeling parameters or linear and volumetric changes of the condylar head (P > .05). Condyles undergo a remodeling process with a resorptive character following orthognathic surgery, without clinically significant effects in the present study.

Exploring sexual differences in external morphology and limb muscles of Hylarana guentheri (Anura: Ranidae) during non‐breeding season

AbstractStudying sexual dimorphism facilitates better understanding of the general intersexual divergence of the same species and gives insights into the impact of selective forces on each sex. The sexual dimorphism in anuran external morphology or limb muscles has been well studied in reproductive context, but less so outside the breeding season. Herein, the intersexual differences in 12 external morphological characteristics, 11 forelimb and 12 hindlimb muscles of Hylarana guentheri during non‐breeding season were investigated. We found that the males possessed significantly greater head width and tympanum diameter, while the females had significantly larger body size and head length; there was no sexual differences in the examined limb muscles, except for the mass of flexor carpi radialis. The larger body size means greater fertility for the females, and the longer head may be related to the allometry and reduce resource competition. For the males, the wider head is likely correlated with prey size and male–male competition, and also, the larger tympanum and heavier flexor carpi radialis probably aid the productive success. This study provides the comprehensive morphological accounts about the sexual differences of H. guentheri during non‐breeding season, which will contribute to clarify the sex‐specific resource allocation and reproductive strategies of anurans.

Centris pallida(Hymenoptera: Apidae) male body size decreases across five decades

AbstractHistorical data suggest that many bee species have declined in body size. Larger‐bodied bees with narrow phenological and dietary breadth are most prone to declines in body size over time. This may be especially true in solitary, desert‐adapted species that are vulnerable to climate change such asCentris pallida(Hymenoptera: Apidae). In addition, body size changes in species with size‐linked behaviours could threaten the prevalence of certain behavioural phenotypes long‐term.C. pallidasolitary bees are found in the Sonoran Desert. Males use alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) and are dimorphic in both morphology and behaviour.C. pallidamale body size has been studied since the 1970s in the same population. The authors collected body size data in 2022 and combined it with published records from 1974–2022. The authors find a persistent decline in the mean head width of patrolling males, and shifts towards smaller body sizes in the populations of males found foraging and hovering. Both morphs declined in average body size, and the proportion of large‐morph males in the population decreased by 8%. Mating males did not decline in mean body size over the last five decades. The authors discuss hypotheses related to the decline inC. pallidamale head width. Finally, the authors advocate forC. pallidaas an excellent study system for understanding the stability of ARTs with size‐linked behavioural phenotypes.

Assessment of unique behavioral, morphological, and molecular alterations in the comparative developmental toxicity profiles of PFOA, PFHxA, and PFBA using the zebrafish model system

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals that are persistent in the environment. Due to adverse health outcomes associated with longer chain PFAS, shorter chain chemicals were used as replacements, but developmental toxicity assessments of the shorter chain chemicals are limited. Toxicity of three perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) [perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), composed of 8 carbon (C8), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA, C6), and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, C4)] was compared in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio). LC50s at 120 h post fertilization (hpf) assessed potency of each PFAA by exposing developing zebrafish (1–120 hpf) to range of concentrations. Zebrafish were then exposed to sublethal concentrations (0.4–4000 ppb, µg/L) throughout embryogenesis (1–72 hpf). Effects of the embryonic exposure on locomotor activities was completed with the visual motor response test at 120 hpf. At 72 hpf, morphological changes (total body length, head length, head width) and transcriptome profiles to compare altered molecular and disease pathways were determined. The LC50 ranking followed trend as expected based on chain length. PFOA caused hyperactivity and PFBA hypoactivity, while PFHxA did not change behavior. PFOA, PFHxA, and PFBA caused morphological and transcriptomic alterations that were unique for each chemical and were concentration-dependent indicating different toxicity mechanisms. Cancer was a top disease for PFOA and FXR/RXR activation was a top canonical pathway for PFBA. Furthermore, comparison of altered biological and molecular pathways in zebrafish exposed to PFOA matched findings reported in prior epidemiological studies and other animal models, supporting the predictive value of the transcriptome approach and for predicting adverse health outcomes associated with PFHxA or PFBA exposure.

Establishment of open web platform based on 3D head model for product adaptability analysis and evaluation

With improved living conditions, the demand for wearable products has increased, particularly for headwear. Traditionally, the dimensions of headwear products are designed according to 1D anthropometric data, such as head length, width, and eye width. However, this design method, applied to fit the 3D human head, results in differences in adaptability, which affect the wearing comfort of the user. Hence, this study aimed to develop an aided design platform based on a three-dimensional standard head shape to evaluate the virtual wearing of headwear products and adaptability testing. Specifically, a WebGL-based service, named the Chinese Headwear Adaptability Testing (CHAT) platform, was established. Validation and user studies were then conducted using an eye massager device. After the product was redesigned according to evaluation by the proposed system, the results show that the comfort and adaptability of the redesigned eye massager were significantly improved. The findings suggest that using the CHAT platform to design headwear products can help achieve a better wearing fit for the products.

Nest Architecture, Prey, and Body Size in the Grass-Carrying Wasp, Isodontia auripes, at two sites in New York (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

Isodontia auripes [Fernald] females nested in fourteen 12-mm diameter artificial trap nests at two locations in New York State (Geneseo and Rensselaerville). We report broods of up to 14 pupae in a single chamber with an average of 5.8 pupae per chamber (previously reported range 2 - 6 pupae/chamber). Nest architecture, with plugs of finely shredded, packed grass and coarse, wound grass stems, was similar to other reports of I. auripes nests, except that only one nest contained a grass partition on the back wall of the chamber (in a case where mud-nesting wasps had preceded I. auripes). All prey items that could be identified to species were either the non-native drumming katydid, Meconema thalassinum [DeGeer], or the narrow-winged tree cricket, Oecanthus niveus [DeGeer]; M. thalassinum accounted for 71% of identified prey and is a new prey record for this wasp. Nests contained an estimated average of 11 prey per pupa, with a strongly female-biased prey sex ratio. The 116 collected pupae suffered from high pre-emergence mortality (65.5%), mostly due to the presence of parasitic flies and chalcid wasps in many nests. Adult females were larger than males in body mass and head width but did not differ in emergence time. Both male and female wasps could be found within single brood chambers, though the population was male-biased (2.4:1) and individual nests strongly favored one sex. In general, pupal cases closest to the nest entrance within a chamber were smaller than those found furthest away, suggesting size-related fitness impacts for offspring based on the order of egg laying.

Feeding Niche and Predator–Prey Size Relationship in the Whiptail Lizard Aspidoscelis lineattissima (Squamata: Teiidae) in Insular and Continental Populations of the Mexican Pacific

We explore the feeding habits of two populations of the lizard Aspidoscelis lineattissima from two localities (Cocinas = island and Xametla = mainland) under the hypothesis that in an insular environment, there is less selection of food, because it is a relatively comfortable environment to forage due to the presence of few competitors and predators. We also examine the predator–prey size relationship in this lizard species with the intention of distinguishing possible ontogenetic changes in the choice of prey sizes in the two localities. In stomach contents of the lizards from mainland, a total of 2,616 prey items were recorded, while on the island, 1,357 prey items were found. This number of prey was divided into 18 categories for the mainland and 20 for the island. In general terms, the most important prey in the diet of lizards from both localities were Isoptera, Coleoptera (adult and larvae), Araneae, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera (ants and others), Blattodea, and Diptera. Island lizards presented a greater amount of plant material in their stomach contents. The breadth of the food niche was greater on the island than on the mainland. Although statistically there were no differences regarding food overlap between localities, the highest overlap values between groups (age classes and sexes) were found on the mainland. We found a positive relationship between morphological variables of the lizards (snout–vent length, head width, and head length) with the maximum and mean values of the prey volume in both localities. This reveals an ontogenetic change that indicates that as lizards grow, they add a greater quantity of large prey to their diet and at the same time eat smaller prey. These results showed that the diet of the lizards from both localities was similar to other species of the genus. The feeding habits of a species in contrasting environments is evidence that is helpful for understanding the foraging patterns more clearly, and the possible connection with its life history characteristics, shedding more light on the hypothesis of niche amplitude and the optimal foraging theory.

Construction of a high density genetic map and QTL analysis of morphological traits in Aral barbel LucioBarbus brachycephalus (Teleost: Cyprinidae)

The cyprinid Aral barbel L. brachycephalus is endemic to the Aral Sea of Uzbekistan and was introduced in China in 2003. With increased cultivation, there is a need for more effective breeding strategies. We sequenced 146 individuals from a full-sib family and obtained 66,771 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using specific locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). Among these, 31,019 SNPs were assigned to 50 linkage groups. The linkage map contained 4304 unique loci and spanned 2419.2 cM in total, with an average length of 48.4 cM. The length for each linkage group ranged from 5.2 cM to 76.2 cM, with an average distance of 0.4 cM to 0.8 cM. Using the linkage map, 72 QTL regions were predicted to be significantly associated with three breeding-related traits: body height (BH), total length (TL), and head breadth (HB). This study provides useful tools for the molecular mark-assisted breeding of L. brachycephalus.

Molecular characterization of slc5a6a and its association with growth and body conformation in bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis)

The slc5a6 (solute carrier family 5 member 6) gene is associated with the transport of several water-soluble vitamins and plays an important role in growth and development. Meanwhile, slc5a6a was localized in a genome-wide association analysis of head size and shape in bighead carp. In this study, characterization of slc5a6a were performed in bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), an important food fish in Asia. The full-length sequence of slc5a6a gene is 21,355 bp, with a cDNA of 5483 bp and open reading frame encoding 625 amino acids. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis indicate that SLC5A6A is relatively conserved across vertebrates. Slc5a6a of bighead carp (Hynslc5a6a) is expressed in unfertilized eggs and embryonic stages like a maternal gene, with the highest expression in liver, followed by pituitary and muscle. In the expression of liver and pituitary of fast growing (Heavy group, HG) and slow growing (Light group, LG) individuals, HG is significantly higher than LG (P < 0.05). Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (g 0.5998 T > C, g.6104 A>G, g 0.21131 T > C) were identified in Hynslc5a6a and significantly associated with body weight (BW), body length (BL) and head length (HL). In one of the bighead carp populations, a combined triplotype CCGGCC of Hynslc5a6a was significantly better than TTAATC in the phenotype values of BW, HL and head width traits by 33.03 %, 12.26 % and 11.59 %, respectively. These results suggest that Hynslc5a6a plays an important regulation role in the growth and body conformation and dominant genotypes of this key gene are potentially applicable in marker-assisted selection in bighead carp.

Gross anatomy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and bone mineral densitometry of the ovine metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal joint.

This study was aimed to provide anatomical atlas of the ovine metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal joints using computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as to investigate bone mineral density (BMD) and morphometric features of this joint. The limbs of twenty adult Sanjabi sheep were examined. Imaging was performed using a 16-slice multi-detector CT scanner and a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner. The obtained images were correlated with corresponding anatomical sections. BMD was measured by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) method. Also morphometric features included distance between metacarpal and metatarsal heads, width of metacarpal and metatarsal head, length, width and the height of the proximal sesamoid bones were measured. In MRI images, compact bones, ligaments and tendons showed less signal intensity (hypointense). The fatty tissue and bone marrow had more signal intensity (hyperintense), but articular cartilage and synovial fluid showed moderate signal intensity. BMD in the left hind limb was significantly higher than other three limbs (p ≤0.05). The length of proximal sesamoid bones in left forelimb was higher than right forelimb (p ≤ 0.05). The thickness of proximal sesamoid bones in left limbs was higher than those in their counterparts (p ≤ 0.05). The width of the medial head in the forelimbs was significantly greater than the hind limbs (p ≤ 0.05). The present results might be useful in managing the clinical techniques on this joint. Larger volume of the proximal sesamoid bones and wider medial head in the forelimbs compared to the hindlimbs impel this speculation that the centre of gravity is closer to the forelimbs.

Sexual and natural selection interplay in sexual head shape dimorphism of two sympatric racerunners (Squamata: Lacertidae)

Both natural and sexual selection can shape sexual dimorphism. However, determination of the contribution of these selection pressures is challenging. In lizards, sexual selection can contribute to the larger head size of males than that of females. However, males and females can also diverge in their head size to prey on different food resources under conditions of limited resources (and/or high competitors). Here, 109 individuals from two sympatric desert racerunners (Eremias grammica: 28 males and 30 females; Eremias velox: 25 males and 26 females) were studied to determine their sexual head shape (head length, width, and depth). Additionally, 191 and 169 feces samples of E. grammica and E. velox, respectively, were collected to assess the niche divergence hypothesis (a proxy for natural selection). We found that both species had dimorphic head shapes; male heads (i.e., length, width, and depth) were significantly larger than female heads (P &amp;lt; 0.05, in all cases) in E. grammica, and male heads of E. velox were significantly longer than those of females (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Chi-square test revealed that there were significant differences in the proportion (Hymenopteran and Orthopteran) and sizes of prey type between the two sexes of E. grammica; conspecific males and females of E. velox differed in the proportion of Coleopteran and Hymenopteran prey. Both males and females of these two species had a high niche overlap index (range from ∼ 0.78 to 0.99) with each other. There were also significant differences in the sizes of the heads and prey between the two species (P &amp;lt; 0.05). However, the interspecific differences were mainly caused by interspecific male–male differences in morphological and prey traits. In summary, we believe that both natural (pressures from resource competition) and sexual selection drive sexual head shape dimorphism in these two sympatric lizards, owing to high food resource competition in arid regions. Therefore, head trait divergence can reduce competition by resulting in a preference for different prey types.

Research Note: Comparison of two methods to measure broiler tibia morphology

The skeletal integrity of chickens is an important area of research and detailed measures are needed to better understand the influence of experimental manipulation on bone health. The objective of this experiment was to compare 2 methods to measure the superficial tibiotarsus (tibia) morphology of broiler chickens collected in the wet laboratory (WL) or from digital images (DIG). The length, width at 90%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and 10% of the length, proximal and distal head width, medial, lateral, and distal intercondylar groove depth (ID), and proximal head angle were measured on the right and left tibias collected from broilers in 2 experiments (E1, E2). In both experiments, tibias had a greater width at 90% of the length when measured with the WL method compared with the DIG method (P ≤ 0.04), while tibias measured with the DIG method had a greater length, distal ID, and widths at 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75%, of the length compared with the WL method (P < 0.0001). In E1, tibias measured with the DIG method had a greater medial, lateral, and distal ID compared with the WL method (P ≤ 0.04). In E2, compared with the DIG method, tibias measured with the WL method had a greater distal head width and lateral ID, yet a shallower distal ID (P ≤ 0.03). The use of the DIG method provided more precise measures but, due to the limitations of measures from digital images and the opportunity for more accurate measures to be collected with the WL method, the WL method is recommended to measure the superficial morphology of broiler chickens because it was more accessible and practical.

Study of Morphological and Morphometric Characteristics of Worker Bees Tetragonula clypearis in North Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia

This study aimed to describe the morphometric characteristics of the worker bee Tetragonula clypearis in Salut Village, District Kayangan, North Lombok Regency. The research material used was worker bee Tetragonula clypearis taken from 40 stup in two livestock groups, namely 20 stup in the Harapan Keluarga group and 20 stup in the Tunas Muda group in Salut Village, Kayangan District, North Lombok Regency. Each stup took three samples of worker bees for morphometric analysis (n=120). Morphological characters were observed under a stereo microscope connected to an Optilab camera. The character of T. clypearis is the thorax is black and hairy, and there are six hair bands on the mesoscutum and dark brown tibia. Metasoma has a variety of colours, ranging from pale yellow with black stripes, yellow and black, and pale yellow. The morphometric measurements included body length, head width, wing length, genna width, second flagellomere diameter, and body weight. The results showed that the seven morphometric measurement variables of the worker bee Tetragonula clypearis did not show significant differences (P&gt;0.05) in the two cultivation groups. The value of the diversity coefficient &lt;15% indicates that the morphometrics of the worker bee Tetragonula clypearis is uniform in both cultivation groups in Salut Village, District, Kayangan, North Lombok Regency.