Wildlife Research Center Seminars

Wildlife Research Center Seminar

Date: June. 21th 2017 (Wed) 13:30-
@Wildlife Research Center B1 floor
(Please see the map below.)
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

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Wildlife Research Center Seminar

Date: June 14th 2017 (Wed) 13:30-
@Wildlife Research Center B1 floor
(Please see the map below.)
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

■Moe Yanagi■ (Chairperson: Dr. Muramatsu)

Comparison of feeding habits between African savanna elephants, forest elephants and hybrids in Kibale National Park, Uganda

There are two species of African elephants : savanna elephant Loxodonta africana and forest elephant L. cyclotis. These two species can be distinguished genetically, morphologically and ethologically. Previous study showed hybridization between forest and savanna elephants in some areas, especially around the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - Uganda border. Many areas along the border including the Albertine Rift have had a long history of high-density human occupation and their poaching. Increase of transboundary elephant movement between Uganda and DRC and hybridization may result from human pressures. I would like to conduct census to quantify the relative abundance of elephants and their habitat use in Kibale National Park, Uganda. I also would like to confirm their diet by stable isotope analysis from dung samples, then compare with the results from their genetic analysis so that we can evaluate the relationship between their genetic information and their diet.

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Upcoming seminar
6/21 (Wed) Prof. Sugiura
6/28 (Wed) Matsushima
7/5 (Wed) Sakakibara
7/12 (Wed) Sato (M1)
7/19 (Wed) Mi Yeon KIM

Wildlife Research Center Seminar

Date: June 7th 2017 (Wed) 13:30-
@Wildlife Research Center B1 floor
(Please see the map below.)
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

■Momoko Oka■ (Chairperson: Dr. Kinoshita)

Environmental Enrichment for captive tigers and its application to promote visitors’ interest in animals

The purpose of my graduation study was to clarify the reproductive cycle and the estrous cycle of the sumatran tiger to promote the captive breeding at zoo. I compared the fecal concentrations of steroid hormones and the behaviors. Androstenedione were found to be reliable indicators of the estrous cycle. From now, I am planning to study about the validity of the environmental enrichment for captive tigers. Additionally, I will also investigate whether the enrichment can promote visitors’ interest and understanding of animals.
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Upcoming seminar
6/14 (Wed) Yanagi
6/21 (Wed) Dr. Sugiura

Wildlife Research Center Seminar

Date: May. 24th, 2017 (Wed) 13:30-
@Wildlife Research Center B1 floor
(Please see the map below.)
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

■Kodzue Kinoshita■

Introduction of studies on breeding in orangutans and chimpanzees which I had conducted at Primate Research Institute

I will present three introductions of breeding research that I had conducted at Primate Research Institute of Kyoto University for two and a half years until this March. The first one is the differences of leucine aminopeptidase and sex steroid hormone concentrations between a stillbirth and live births in Bornean orangutan. The second one is the change of sex steroid hormone concentration in a chimpanzee whose estrus returned early after birth. And the last one is the difference of semen characteristics between Borneo orangutan and chimpanzee.


■Reiko Takizawa■

Designation of Yanbaru National Park and land use of the forest by local
people


Upcoming seminar
5/30 (Tue) CET Bio International Seminar
5/31 (Wed) No seminar
6/7 (Wed) Oka-san
6/14 (Wed) Yanagi-san

Wildlife Research Center Seminar

Date: May.17th 2017 (Wed) 13:30-
@Wildlife Research Center B1 floor
(Please see the map below.)
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

◼︎Dr. Sherif Ramadan◼︎ Chairperson: Hiroko Sakuragi

DNA polymorphism of Androgen receptor gene (AR) is associated with fear responses in camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Camel is an important livestock species in many regions of the world. It can be used for milk, meat and wool production, for transportation, racing contests, tourism, agricultural work, and for beauty contest. Reduced fear and increased tolerance for stress were assumed to have been an early prerequisite for the successful domestication of all species including camels. Fear greatly influences health, quality of life and social interactions. Genetic markers for behavioural characteristics have already been identified in different livestock species. Androgens reduce fear reactions in human and different animals and this was proved by injections of exogenous testosterone. Melanin-based coloration is often associated with variation in physiological and behavioural traits and this association stems from pleiotropic effects of the genes regulating body coloration. In this study, we found DNA polymorphisms (16, 17, 18 and 19 repeat) in the glutamine repeat in the androgen receptor gene (ARQ repeat) and one non-synonymous (C/T) SNP in exon1 of the tyrosinase gene (TYR) which resulted in an amino acid substitution (Pro/Leu). We examined the association between both of ARQ repeat and (C/T) SNP of TYR gene polymorphisms with fear response in dromedary camel. We assessed the fear response of 32 individuals to the approach of an unfamiliar person and 33 individual camels to a novel object (a red Pilate’s ball) tests based on videos recording for each behavioural test. Results showed that there was a significant association of AR polymorphism with camel fear response with a trend that individuals carrying shorter genotypes (16 Q repeat) recorded greater fear responses to both tests, while (C/T) SNP of the TYR gene showed non-significant association. This study is a first step in the identification of potential genetic markers associated with camel personality. However, many other genes involved and affect camel personality, so investigating more genes affecting camel personality are eagerly anticipated.
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Upcoming seminar
5/24 (Wed) Dr. Kinoshita, Takizawa-san
5/30 (Tue) CET Bio International Seminar
5/31 (Wed) No seminar
6/7 (Wed) Oka-san

2017年5月10日（水）13:30～＠野生動物研究センター地下１階会議室
（場所は以下をご参照ください。）
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

来週の野生動物研究センター（WRC）のセミナーでは、海外からの招聘学生のみなさまに自己紹介をしていただきます。

今後のセミナー予定
5/17 (水) ラマダンさん
5/24 (水) 木下さん、滝澤さん（野生動物学特論）
5/30 (火) CET Bio国際セミナー
5/31 (水) お休み

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Wildlife Research Center Seminar

■Self introduction by students from foreign countries■

Date: 10th May 2017 (Wed)　13:30-
@Wildlife Research Center B1 floor
(Please see the map below.)
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

Upcoming seminar
5/17 (Wed) Dr. Ramadan
5/24 (Wed) Dr. Kinoshita, Takizawa-san
5/30 (Tue) CET Bio International Seminar
5/31 (Wed) No seminar

Wildlife Research Center Seminar
Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017 (13:30-)
@Wildlife Research Center B1 floor
(Please see the map below.)
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

■Hiroko SAKURAGI■

Wild Chimpanzee Mothers and Nonmothers are Attentive to Infants at Onset of Travel

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have a fission-fusion group pattern, meaning an individual could travel alone or with other group members. The only members within a community (or unit-group) that always travel together are mother-infant pairs. Certain pairs have a third member traveling with them most of the time, if not at all times, making them a triad. An older sibling of the infant or a close associate of the mother would be the third member. It could be assumed that a mother, who would likely avoid endangering her infant’s life, would not leave it when she starts to travel. If she does, wouldn’t that be when certain other individuals are available – individuals that she can expect to attend to her child? In chimpanzees, older siblings and nulliparous young females are known to show caretaking behavior toward infants, such as carrying. Those individuals overlap with the third members of triads described above. In this study, a mother’s preceding distance from her infant at the onset of travel was found to be large in the following order: 1) triads; third member was closer to the infant than the mother, 2) pairs (no third members exist), 3) triads; third member was farther from the infant than the mother. I also found that the larger the mother’s preceding distance was, the more the third member tended to wait for the infant. The former result suggest that mothers precede their infants at the onset of travel being aware that the third member is able to attend to the infant, and that they expect the third member to behave appropriately. The latter result suggest that third members are aware of both the mother’s and infant’s situations, and that they flexibly adjust their behaviors if necessary. This study was conducted in Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. The study period was from November 2016 to January 2017. Focal animals were 12 mother-infant pairs.

Wildlife Research Center Seminar
Date: April 19th, 2017 (Wed) 13:30-
@Wildlife Research Center B1 floor
(Please see the map below.)
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

■Miho Tanaka■ Chairperson Matsushima

Wounds of wild indo pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus)

We can find many wounds and scars on the body of wild dolphins. These wounds and scars could be an information source to understand ecology and behavior of wild dolphins that is difficult to observe directly. For example, we might estimate their habitat use in nighttime and aggressive social interaction from these wounds and scars. In this study, we studied crater-like wounds and white scars on the body of the wild indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin formed by cookie-cutter sharks (CCS, isistius brasiliensis) and by conspecific dolphins. We studied wild indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin around Mikura Island, Tokyo. In this area, long-term identification surveys were conducted using video records. We collected images of newly formed wounds from the video records between 2013-2016 and examined morphological changes of each wounds during the study period.

2017年4月12日(水)　15:10～　@野生動物研究センター地下１階会議室
（場所は以下をご参照ください。）
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/map.html

安全講習会をおこないます。
普段とは開始時刻が異なり、15時10分からです。
ご注意ください。