Getting to the Meat of It: The Effects of a Captive Diet upon the Skull Morphology of the Lion and Tiger
Zoo animals are crucial for conserving and potentially re-introducing species to the wild, yet it is known that the morphology of captive animals differs from that of wild animals. It is important to know how and why zoo and wild animal morphology differs to better care for captive animals and enhance their survival in reintroductions, […]
Hybridization between ocelot (Felis pardalis) and puma (Felis concolor)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430120305.abs A captive-living male Felis pardalis and female F. concolor produced four litters between 1990 and 1992. Both the body size and spot pattern of the offspring showed characteristics intermediate between those of the parents, but, in general, there was greater phenotypic similarity to the sire. Contrary to previous cases of felid hybridization, neither […]
Saudi gazelle (Gazella saudiya) is not a subspecies of Dorcas gazelle
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430100607.abs Karyotypes of Saudi gazelle (2n = 47 female, 2n = 50/51 male) are presented for the first time. The three karyotypes shown here vary in the numbers of metacentric chromosomes, but the cause of this variation is not yet known. Although Saudi gazelle are often regarded as a subspecies of Dorcas gazelle, the […]
Chromosomal distinction between the red-faced and black-faced black spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus paniscus and A. p. chamek)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430090406.abs The two subspecies of the black spider monkey, Ateles paniscus paniscus and A. p. chamek, can be distinguished by their chromosome number, 2n = 32 in the former and 2n = 34 in the latter. This difference most probably is the result of a tandem fusion between chromosomes 4 and 13 of the […]
Phylogenetic Separation in Limb Use in Captive Gibbons (Hylobatidae): A Comparison Across the Primate Order
Although there have been few studies of self-scratching in primates, some have reported distinct differences in whether hands or feet are used, and these variations seem to reflect the evolutionary history of the Order. Monkeys and prosimians use both hands and feet to self-scratch while African great apes use hands almost exclusively. Gibbons represent an […]
Defining management units for European captive aardvarks
The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a very unique, but relatively widespread African mammal. Although some morphological variation has been observed between forest and savannah populations and among different African regions, they are all considered as a single species. However, no modern taxonomic revision is available. All captive aardvarks in Europe are believed to stem from […]