Recently added

Please note that UPSpace will be unavailable from Friday, 2 May at 18:00 (South African Time) until Sunday, 4 May at 20:00 due to scheduled system upgrades. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.

Research Articles (Mammal Research Institute): Recent submissions

  • Angolan highlands peatlands : extent, age and growth dynamics 
    Lourenco, Mauro; Fitchett, Jennifer M.; Woodborne, Stephan M. (Elsevier, 2022-03)
    Please read abstract in the article.
  • Hot and bothered : alterations in faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations of the sungazer lizard, Smaug giganteus, in response to an increase in environmental temperature 
    Scheun, Juan; Campbell, R.; Ganswindt, Andre; McIntyre, Trevor (NISC (Pty) Ltd and Informa UK Limited (trading as Taylor & Francis Group), 2021)
    Despite the commonly held belief that reptiles are immune to extreme temperatures, global warming is predicted to result in the loss of 40% of all reptile species by 2080. In order to understand the effects of elevated ...
  • Laterality in the Cape mole-rat, Georychus capensis 
    Jacobs, Paul Juan; Oosthuizen, Maria Kathleen (Elsevier, 2021-04)
    Behavioural lateralization, the differential use one side of the body, and/or the bilateral use of sensory organs or limbs, is common in many vertebrates. One way in which behavioural lateralization can be detected in ...
  • Socioeconomic characteristics of suitable wolf habitat in Sweden 
    Dalerum, Fredrik (Springer, 2021-06)
    Large carnivores are ecologically important, but their behaviour frequently put them in conflict with humans. I suggest that a spatial co-occurrence of suitable habitat and relatively poor socioeconomic conditions in rural ...
  • How often should dead‑reckoned animal movement paths be corrected for drift? 
    Gunner, Richard M.; Holton, Mark D.; Scantlebury, David M.; Hopkins, Phil; Shepard, Emily L.C.; Fell, Adam J.; Garde, Baptiste; Quintana, Flavio; Gomez‑Laich, Agustina; Yoda, Ken; Yamamoto, Takashi; English, Holly; Ferreira, Sam; Govender, Danny; Viljoen, Pauli; Bruns, Angela; Van Schalkwyk, Ockert Louis; Cole, Nik C.; Tatayah, Vikash; Borger, Luca; Redcliffe, James; Bell, Stephen H.; Marks, Nikki J.; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Tonini, Mariano H.; Williams, Hannah J.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Van Rooyen, Martin C.; Bertelsen, Mads F.; Tambling, Craig J.; Wilson, Rory P. (BMC, 2021-10-16)
    BACKGROUND : Understanding what animals do in time and space is important for a range of ecological questions, however accurate estimates of how animals use space is challenging. Within the use of animal-attached tags, ...
  • Social and seasonal factors contribute to shifts in male African elephant (Loxodonta africana) foraging and activity patterns in Kruger National Park, South Africa 
    Du Plessis, Kara; Ganswindt, Stefanie Birgit; Bertschinger, Hendrik Jan; Crossey, Bruce Gareth; Henley, Michelle Deborah; Ramahlo, Mmatsawela; Ganswindt, Andre (MDPI, 2021-10-27)
    African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) are well-known as ecosystem engineers with the ability to modify vegetation structure. The present study aimed to examine how male elephant foraging behaviour is affected ...
  • Optimising the cost of roadkill surveys based on an analysis of carcass persistence 
    Henry, Dominic A.W.; Collinson-Jonker, Wendy J.; Davies-Mostert, Harriet T.; Nicholson, Samantha K.; Roxburgh, Lizanne; Parker, Daniel M. (Elsevier, 2021-08)
    Reliable estimates of wildlife mortality due to wildlife-vehicle collisions are key to understanding its impact on wildlife populations and developing strategies to prevent or reduce collisions. Standardised approaches for ...
  • Optimised ICP-MS quantification method for using animal faeces as a measure of protected area ecosystem health 
    Webster, A.B. (Andrea); Ganswindt, Andre; Small, Charney; Rossouw, Riana (Elsevier, 2021)
    Pollution is a key threat to biodiversity and ecosystem health within protected areas. Using a non-invasive, multi-matrix approach, sediment, vegetation and faecal material from lion (Panthera leo) and giraffe (Giraffa ...
  • A non-invasive assessment of essential trace element utilization at different trophic levels in African wildlife 
    Webster, Andrea B.; Callealta, F.J.; Ganswindt, Andre; Bennett, Nigel Charles (Elsevier, 2021-09)
    The complex relationships that exist between terrestrial mammals and their habitats make African ecosystems highly interactive environments. Anthropogenic activities including climate change have altered geochemical cycles, ...
  • Investigating public support for biosecurity measures to mitigate pathogen transmission through the herpetological trade 
    Pienaar, Elizabeth Frances; Episcopio-Sturgeon, Diane J.; Steele, Zachary T. (Public Library of Science, 2022-01)
    The expanding global trade in herpetofauna has contributed to new infectious disease dynamics and pathways that allow for the rapid spread of pathogens geographically. Improved biosecurity is needed to mitigate adverse ...
  • Nutrient enrichment increases invertebrate herbivory and pathogen damage in grasslands 
    Ebeling, Anne; Strauss, Alex T.; Adler, Peter B.; Arnillas, Carlos A.; Barrio, Isabel C.; Biederman, Lori A.; Borer, Elizabeth T.; Bugalho, Miguel N.; Caldeira, Maria C.; Cadotte, Marc W.; Daleo, Pedro; Eisenhauer, Nico; Eskelinen, Anu; Fay, Philip A.; Firn, Jennifer; Graff, Pamela; Hagenah, Nicole; Haider, Sylvia; Komatsu, Kimberly J.; McCulley, Rebecca L.; Mitchell, Charles E.; Moore, Joslin L.; Pascual, Jesus; Peri, Pablo L.; Power, Sally A.; Prober, Suzanne M.; Risch, Anita C.; Roscher, Christiane; Sankaran, Mahesh; Seabloom, Eric W.; Schielzeth, Holger; Schuetz, Martin; Speziale, Karina L.; Tedder, Michelle; Virtanen, Risto; Blumenthal, Dana M. (Wiley, 2022-02)
    Plant damage by invertebrate herbivores and pathogens influences the dynamics of grassland ecosystems, but anthropogenic changes in nitrogen and phosphorus availability can modify these relationships. Using a globally ...
  • Mapping out a future for ungulate migrations 
    Kauffman, Matthew J.; Cagnacci, Francesca; Chamaillé-Jammes, Simon; Hebblewhite, Mark; Hopcraft, J. Grant C.; Merkle, Jerod A.; Mueller, Thomas; Mysterud, Atle; Peters, Wibke; Roettger, Christiane; Steingisser, Alethea; Meacham, James E.; Abera, Kasahun; Adamczewski, Jan; Aikens, Ellen O.; Bartlam-Brooks, Hattie; Bennitt, Emily; Berger, Joel; Boyd, Charlotte; Cote, Steeve D.; Debeffe, Lucie; Dekrout, Andrea S.; Dejid, Nandintsetseg; Donadio, Emiliano; Dziba, Luthando; Fagan, William F.; Fischer, Claude; Focardi, Stefano; Fryxell, John M.; Fynn, Richard W.S.; Geremia, Chris; Gonzalez, Benito A.; Gunn, Anne; Gurarie, Elie; Heurich, Marco; Hilty, Jodi; Hurley, Mark; Johnson, Aran; Joly, Kyle; Kaczensky, Petra; Kendall, Corinne J.; Kochkarev, Pavel; Kolpaschikov, Leonid; Kowalczyk, Rafal; Van Langevelde, Frank; Li, Binbin V.; Lobora, Alex L.; Loison, Anne; Madiri, Tinaapi H.; Mallon, David; Marchand, Pascal; Medellin, Rodrigo A.; Meisingset, Erling; Merrill, Evelyn; Middleton, Arthur D.; Monteith, Kevin L.; Morjan, Malik; Morrison, Thomas A.; Mumme, Steffen; Naidoo, Robin; Novaro, Andres; Ogutu, Joseph O.; Olson, Kirk A.; Oteng-Yeboah, Alfred; Ovejero, Ramiro J.A.; Owen-Smith, Norman; Paasivaara, Antti; Packer, Craig; Panchenko, Danila; Pedrotti, Luca; Plumptre, Andrew J.; Rolandsen, Christer M.; Said, Sonia; Salemgareyev, Albert; Savchenko, Aleksandr; Savchenko, Piotr; Sawyer, Hall; Selebatso, Moses; Skroch, Matthew; Solberg, Erling; Stabach, Jared A.; Strand, Olav; Suitor, Michael J.; Tachiki, Yasuyuki; Trainor, Anne; Tshipa, Arnold; Virani, Munir Z.; Vynne, Carly; Ward, Stephanie; Wittemyer, George; Xu, Wenjing; Zuther, Steffen (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2021-05)
    Migration of ungulates (hooved mammals) is a fundamental ecological process that promotes abundant herds, whose effects cascade up and down terrestrial food webs. Migratory ungulates provide the prey base that maintains ...
  • Species limits and phylogeographic structure in two genera of solitary African mole-rats Georychus and Heliophobius 
    Uhrova, M.; Mikula, O.; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Van Daele, P.; Pialek, L.; Bryja, J.; Visser, J.H.; Van Vuuren, B.J.; Sumbera, R. (Elsevier, 2022-02)
    African mole-rats (Bathyergidae) are an intensively studied family of subterranean rodents including three highly social and three solitary genera. Although their phylogenetic interrelations are clear, genetic diversity ...
  • Assessment of trace element concentrations in sediment and vegetation of mesic and arid African savannahs as indicators of ecosystem health 
    Webster, Andrea B.; Rossouw, Riana; Javier Callealta, F.; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Ganswindt, Andre (Elsevier, 2021-03)
    The savannah biome supports unique biodiversity and provides a multitude of ecosystem services. Defining background concentrations for trace elements in the environment is beneficial for the determination of nutrient ...
  • African naked mole-rats demonstrate extreme tolerance to hypoxia and hypercapnia 
    Park, Thomas J.; Smith, Ewan St. J.; Reznick, Jane; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Applegate, Daniel T.; Larson, John; Lewin, Gary R. (Springer, 2021-08)
    Please read abstract in the article.
  • Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical : rock surfaces 
    Everett, Michael C.; Elliott, Marina C.; Gaynor, David; Hill, Austin C.; Syeda, Samar M.; Casana, Jesse; Zipfel, Bernhard; DeSilva, Jeremy M.; Dominy, Nathaniel J. (Academy of Science of South Africa, 2021-11)
  • Home range and habitat use of roan antelope Hippotragus equinus in Northern Botswana 
    Havemann, Carl Peter; Retief, Tarryn Anne; Collins, Kai; Fynn, R.W.S.; Tosh, Cheryl A.; De Bruyn, P.J. Nico (Elsevier, 2022-01)
    Studies investigating animal movement and habitat use are essential for wildlife management and conservation. Northern Botswana represents some of the least modified landscapes in Africa. Studying the seasonal habitat use ...
  • Energetics suggest cause for even further conservation concern for Temminck’s ground pangolin 
    Boyles, J.G.; Swart, Jonathan Michael; Bennett, Nigel Charles; Ferguson, Jan Willem Helenus; Speakman, J.R.; Scantlebury, David M. (Wiley, 2020-06)
    Conservation of rare and declining species requires reliable information about life-history traits and population growth characteristics. Unfortunately, long-term studies necessary to obtain such data are often difficult ...
  • A 20-year review of the status and distribution of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in South Africa 
    Nicholson, Samantha K.; Marneweck, David G.; Lindsey, Peter Andrew; Marnewick, Kelly; Davies-Mostert, Harriet T. (Southern African Wildlife Management Association, 2020-02)
    South Africa is one of only seven countries with a viable population of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). The national population in 2017 was 372 adults and yearlings and comprised three subpopulations: 1) Kruger National ...
  • Quantifying imperfect camera-trap detection probabilities : implications for density modelling 
    McIntyre, Trevor; Majelantle, Tshepiso Lesedi; Slip, D.J.; Harcourt, R.G. (CSIRO Publishing, 2020-02)
    CONTEXT : Data obtained from camera traps are increasingly used to inform various population-level models. Although acknowledged, imperfect detection probabilities within camera-trap detection zones are rarely taken into ...