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Research Articles (Mammal Research Institute): Recent submissions

  • The generality of cryptic dietary niche differences in diverse large-herbivore assemblages 
    Pansu, Johan; Hutchinson, Matthew C.; Anderson, T. Michael; Te Beest, Mariska; Begg, Colleen M.; Begg, Keith S.; Bonin, Aurelie; Chama, Lackson; Chamaillé-Jammes, Simon; Coissac, Eric; Cromsigt, Joris P.G.M.; Demmel, Margaret Y.; Donaldson, Jason E.; Guyton, Jennifer A.; Hansen, Christina B.; Imakando, Christopher I.; Iqbal, Azwad; Kalima, Davis F.; Kerley, Graham I. H.; Kurukura, Samson; Landman, Marietjie; Long, Ryan A.; Munuo, Isaack Norbert; Nutter, Ciara M.; Parr, Catherine Lucy; Potter, Arjun B.; Siachoono, Stanford; Taberlet, Pierre; Waiti, Eusebio; Kartzinel, Tyler R.; Pringle, Robert M. (National Academy of Sciences, 2022-08-22)
    Ecological niche differences are necessary for stable species coexistence but are often difficult to discern. Models of dietary niche differentiation in large mammalian herbivores invoke the quality, quantity, and ...
  • How “science” can facilitate the politicization of charismatic megafauna counts 
    Gopalaswamy, Arjun M.; Elliot, Nicholas B.; Ngene, Shadrack; Broekhuis, Femke; Braczkowski, Alexander; Lindsey, Peter Andrew; Packer, Craig; Stenseth, Nils Chr. (National Academy of Sciences, 2022-05)
    Ideally, the practice of science stays independent, informs policy in real time, and facilitates learning. However, when large uncertainties go unreported or are not effectively communicated, science can, inadvertently, ...
  • Fence-related mortalities of Temminck's pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) in South Africa quantified through a citizen science approach 
    Stracquadanio, Leandra; Penny, Samuel; Ganswindt, Andre; Burnside, Niall; Tolhurst, Bryony (Wiley, 2024-01)
    Fence mortalities threaten Temminck's pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) in South Africa. Temminck's pangolins are bipedal, which leads to contact between their unprotected abdomens and electrified wires. We report findings of ...
  • Stakeholder perceptions of human–predator conflict in the South African fly-fishing industry 
    De Vos, Marie; McIntyre, Trevor (Wiley, 2024-01)
    Human–wildlife conflict in African aquaculture and fisheries is poorly understood. We investigated this conflict through a questionnaire aimed at owners and managers of fly-fishing properties in South Africa. While perceptions ...
  • The impacts of a global pandemic on the efficacy and stability of contemporary wildlife conservation : South Africa as a case study 
    Ehlers Smith, David A.; Ehlers Smith, Yvette C.; Davies-Mostert, Harriet T.; Thompson, Lindy J.; Parker, Daniel M.; De Villiers, Deon; Ricketts, Dean; Coverdale, Brent; Robertson, Peter J.; Kelly, Christopher; Macfadyen, Duncan N.; Manqele, Nomthandazo S.; Power, R. John; Downs, Colleen T. (Springer, 2023-03)
    Conservationists speculated on potential benefits to wildlife of lockdown restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic but voiced concern that restrictions impeded nature conservation. We assessed the effects of lockdown ...
  • Immune competence and spleen size scale with colony status in the naked mole-rat 
    Begay, Valerie; Cirovic, Branko; Barker, Alison J.; Klopfleisch, Robert; Hart, Daniel William; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Lewin, Gary R. (The Royal Society, 2022-04)
    Naked mole-rats (NM-R; Heterocephalus glaber) live in multi-generational colonies with a social hierarchy, and show low cancer incidence and long life-spans. Here we asked if an immune component might underlie such extreme ...
  • The ontogeny of at-sea behaviour in male southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Marion Island 
    Lasch, Kiara G.; Tosh, Cheryl A.; Bester, Marthan Nieuwoudt; De Bruyn, P.J. Nico (2023-11-22, 2023-01)
    Megafauna, such as southern elephant seals (SESs) (Mirounga leonina, Linn.), forage in diverse, seemingly limitless habitats. In pelagic settings, their behaviour is more likely to be limited by physiological ability and ...
  • Validation of enzyme immunoassays via an adrenocorticotrophic stimulation test for the non-invasive quantification of stress-related hormone metabolites in naked mole-rats 
    Majelantle, Tshepiso Lesedi; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Ganswindt, Stefanie Birgit; Hart, Daniel William; Ganswindt, Andre (MDPI, 2023-04)
    Small size in mammals usually restricts long-term, frequent monitoring of endocrine function using plasma as a matrix. Thus, the non-invasive monitoring of hormone metabolite concentrations in excreta may provide an ...
  • Social isolation does not alter exploratory behaviour, spatial learning and memory in captive Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis) 
    Blecher, Arantxa Silvia; Oosthuizen, Maria Kathleen (MDPI, 2023-02)
    Exploratory behaviour, spatial learning and memory affect the survival of animals and appear to be dependent on the specific habitat that a species occupies. Good spatial navigation and memory are particularly important ...
  • On the fence : the impact of education on support for electric fencing to prevent conflict between humans and baboons in Kommetjie, South Africa 
    Walsh, Debbie; O'Riain, M. Justin; Nattrass, Nicoli; Gaynor, David (MDPI, 2023-07)
    Few studies test whether education can help increase support for wildlife management interventions. This mixed methods study sought to test the importance of educating a community on the use of a baboon-proof electric ...
  • Laterality in the Damaraland mole-rat : insights from eusocial mammal 
    Jacobs, Paul Juan; Oosthuizen, Maria Kathleen (MDPI, 2023-02)
    Lateralization is the functional control of certain behaviors in the brain being processed by either the left or right hemisphere. Behavioral asymmetries can occur at an individual and population level, although population-level ...
  • The deterrent effects of individual monoterpene odours on the dietary decisions of African elephants 
    Bester, Twane; Schmmit, Melissa H.; Shrader, A.M. (Adrian) (Springer, 2023-06)
    African savanna elephants use pre-ingestive olfactory cues when making dietary choices, and previous research has observed that elephant diet choice is negatively correlated with vegetation species that contain high ...
  • Density-related reproductive costs and natal conditions predict male life history in a highly polygynous mammal 
    Lloyd, Kyle J.; Oosthuizen, Wessel Christiaan; Rotella, Jay J.; Bester, Marthan Nieuwoudt; De Bruyn, P.J. Nico (Elsevier, 2023-06)
    Polygynous males allocate substantial resources to sexual traits and behaviours to improve their chances of winning competitions for mates often at the cost of body maintenance. However, the degree to which males experience ...
  • Haemoplasma prevalence and diversity in three invasive Rattus species from Gauteng Province, South Africa 
    Retief, Liezl; Chimimba, Christian Timothy; Oosthuizen, Marinda C.; Matshotshi, Asiashu; Bastos, Armanda D.S. (MDPI, 2022-08-12)
    Invasive Rattus species are carriers of haemotropic Mycoplasmas (haemoplasmas) globally, but data from Africa are lacking. Using a PCR-sequencing approach, we assessed haemoplasma prevalence and diversity in kidney and ...
  • Physiological validation of the use of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites as a measure of stress in a passerine and a columbid from southern Africa 
    Ngcamphalala, Celiwe Angel; Nicolson, Sue W.; Ganswindt, Andre; McKechnie, Andrew E. (Taylor and Francis, 2023)
    Faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) analysis provides a non-invasive, feedback-free approach for monitoring adrenocortical responses to natural and anthropogenic stressors. The use of enzyme-immunoassays (EIAs) to ...
  • The evolution and ecology of oxidative and antioxidant status : a comparative approach in African mole-rats 
    Jacobs, Paul Juan; Hart, Daniel William; Merchant, Hana N.; Voigt, Cornelia; Bennett, Nigel Charles (MDPI, 2023-07)
    The naked mole-rat of the family Bathyergidae has been the showpiece for ageing research as they contradict the traditional understanding of the oxidative stress theory of ageing. Some other bathyergids also possess increased ...
  • A field-friendly alternative to freeze-drying faeces for glucocorticoid metabolite analyses of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) 
    Postiglione, Gabriella; Accorsi, Pier Attilio; Ganswindt, Andre; Crossey, Bruce Gareth (Elsevier, 2022-01-16)
    Endocrine studies using faeces as hormone matrix have become increasingly popular to examine adrenocortical activity in wildlife. A prerequisite for this approach is to minimize alteration of faecal glucocorticoid metabolite ...
  • Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns 
    Tucker, Marlee A.; Schipper, Aafke M.; Adams, Tempe S.F.; Attias, Nina; Avgar, Tal; Babic, Natarsha L.; Barker, Kristin J.; Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume; Behr, Dominik M.; Belant, Jerrold L.; Beyer, Dean E.; Blaum, Niels; Blount, J. David; Bockmuhl, Dirk; Pires Boulhosa, Ricardo Luiz; Brown, Michael B.; Buuveibaatar, Bayarbaatar; Cagnacci, Francesca; Calabrese, Justin M.; Cerne, Rok; Chamaillé-Jammes, Simon; Chan, Aung Nyein; Chase, Michael; Chaval, Yannick; Chenaux-Ibrahim, Yvette; Cherry, Seth G.; Cirovic, Dusko; Coban, Emrah; Cole, Eric K.; Conlee, Laura; Courtemanch, Alyson; Cozzi, Gabriele; Davidson, Sarah C.; DeBloois, Darren; Dejid, Nandintsetseg; DeNicola, Vickie; Desbiez, Arnaud L.J.; Douglas-Hamilton, Iain; Drake, David; Egan, Michael; Eikelboom, Jasper A.J.; Fagan, William F.; Farmer, Morgan J.; Fennessy, Julian; Finnegan, Shannon P.; Fleming, Christen H.; Fournier, Bonnie; Fowler, Nicholas L.; Gantchoff, Mariela G.; Garnier, Alexandre; Gehr, Benedikt; Geremia, Chris; Goheen, Jacob R.; Hauptfleisch, Morgan L.; Hebblewhite, Mark; Heim, Morten; Hertel, Anne G.; Heurich, Marco; Hewison, A.J. Mark; Hodson, James; Hoffman, Nicholas; Hopcraft, J. Grant C.; Huber, Djuro; Isaac, Edmund J.; Janik, Karolina; Jezek, Milos; Johansson, Orjan; Jordan, Neil R.; Kaczensky, Petra; Kamaru, Douglas N.; Kauffman, Matthew J.; Kautz, Todd M.; Kays, Roland; Kelly, Allicia P.; Kindberg, Jonas; Krofel, Miha; Kusak, Josip; Lamb, Clayton T.; LaSharr, Tayler N.; Leimgruber, Peter; Leitner, Horst; Lierz, Michael; Linnell, John D.C.; Lkhagvaja, Purevjav; Long, Ryan A.; Lopez-Bao, Jose Vicente; Loretto, Matthias-Claudio; Marchand, Pascal; Martin, Hans; Martinez, Lindsay A.; McBride, Roy T.; McLaren, Ashley A.D.; Meisingset, Erling; Melzheimer, Joerg; Merrill, Evelyn H.; Middleton, Arthur D.; Monteith, Kevin L.; Moore, Seth A.; Van Moorter, Bram; Morellet, Nicolas; Morrison, Thomas; Muller, Rebekka; Mysterud, Atle; Noonan, Michael J.; O'Connor, David; Olson, Daniel; Olson, Kirk A.; Ortega, Anna C.; Ossi, Federico; Panzacchi, Manuela; Patchett, Robert; Patterson, Brent R.; De Paula, Rogerio Cunha; Payne, John; Peters, Wibke; Petroelje, Tyler R.; Pitcher, Benjamin J.; Pokorny, Bostjan; Poole, Kim; Potocnik, Hubert; Poulin, Marie-Pier; Pringle, Robert M.; Prins, Herbert H.T.; Ranc, Nathan; Reljic, Slaven; Robb, Benjamin; Roder, Ralf; Rolandsen, Christer M.; Rutz, Christian; Salemgareyev, Albert R.; Samelius, Gustaf; Sayine-Crawford, Heather; Schooler, Sarah; Sekercioglu, Cagan H.; Selva, Nuria; Semenzato, Paola; Sergiel, Agnieszka; Sharma, Koustubh; Shawler, Avery L.; Signer, Johannes; Silovsky, Vaclav; Silva, Joao Paulo; Simon, Richard; Smiley, Rachel A.; Smith, Douglas W.; Solberg, Erling J.; Ellis-Soto, Diego; Spiegel, Orr; Stabach, Jared A.; Stacy-Dawes, Jenna; Stahler, Daniel R.; Stephenson, John; Stewart, Cheyenne; Strand, Olav; Sunde, Peter; Svoboda, Nathan J.; Swart, Jonathan; Thompson, Jeffrey J.; Toal, Katrina L.; Uiseb, Kenneth H.; VanAcker, Meredith C.; Velilla, Marianela; Verzuh, Tana L.; Wachter, Bettina; Wagler, Brittany L.; Whittington, Jesse; Wikelski, Martin; Wilmers, Christopher C.; Wittemyer, George; Young, Julie K.; Zięba, Filip; Zwijacz-Kozica, Tomasz; Huijbregts, Mark A.J.; Mueller, Thomas (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2023-06)
    COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance of ...
  • Understanding rabbit owners’ willingness to engage in disease prevention behaviors 
    Shapiro, Hannah G.; Ruder, Mark G.; Nimlos, Nicole M.; Pienaar, Elizabeth Frances (Elsevier, 2023-10)
    Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) is a fatal, highly contagious pathogen that infects wild and domestic lagomorphs (rabbits and hares). RHDV2 is an important cause of disease in pet and companion rabbits, has ...
  • The endocrine control of reproductive suppression in an aseasonally breeding social subterranean rodent, the Mahali mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus mahali) 
    Hart, Daniel William; Janse van Vuuren, Andries Koch; Erasmus, Andine; Suess, Tobias; Hagenah, Nicole; Hagenah, Nicole; Ganswindt, Andre; Bennett, Nigel Charles (Elsevier, 2022-06)
    Cooperative behaviour, sociality and reproductive suppression in African mole-rats have been extensively studied. Nevertheless, endocrine correlates of some species of social mole-rats have been neglected, and these species ...