北京雨燕幼鸟羽毛生长发育研究初报

北京雨燕是中国北方常见鸟类,作者于1985年4月至1988年8月对北京雨燕幼鸟羽毛发育进行了初步研究。研究表明,幼鸟羽毛发育有严格的规律性。在呼和浩特地区常见窝雏数为两雏鸟,所以仅对两雏幼鸟的羽毛发育进行描述。刚孵化的北京雨燕全身裸露,8日龄时长出飞羽鞘与尾羽鞘,18日龄时羽毛覆满全身。30日龄时两翅可在背部重迭。背部羽毛生长早于腹部羽毛。幼乌离巢时羽毛分布情况与成体相似,仅羽色比成体为淡。     

Chicken welfare is influenced more by housing conditions than by stocking density

Intensive broiler (meat) chicken production now exceeds 800 million birds each year in the United Kingdom and 2 x 10(10) birds worldwide, but it attracts accusations of poor welfare. The European Union is currently adopting standards for broilers aimed at a chief welfare concern--namely, overcrowding--by limiting maximum 'stocking density' (bird weight per unit area). It is not clear, however, whether this will genuinely improve bird welfare because evidence is contradictory. Here we report on broiler welfare in relation to the European Union proposals through a large-scale study (2.7 million birds) with the unprecedented cooperation of ten major broiler producers in an experimental manipulation of stocking density under a range of commercial conditions. Producer companies stocked birds to five different final densities, but otherwise followed company practice, which we recorded in addition to temperature, humidity, litter and air quality. We assessed welfare through mortality, physiology, behaviour and health, with an emphasis on leg health and walking ability. Our results show that differences among producers in the environment that they provide for chickens have more impact on welfare than has stocking density itself.     

Flock-feeding on fish schools increases individual success in gulls

Flock-foraging and the role of white plumage in gulls and other seabirds have been the subject of much debate. At first sight it seems that competition within the flock would render flock formation against the interest of the bird who finds the fish school, as the fish must then be shared with birds joining the flock. However, it is also possible that flock formation is neutral or even beneficial to the individual members, including the bird that found the fish (the 'first finder'). Here we show that the fishing success of individual black-headed gulls, Larus ridibundus, increases with flock size up to at least eight birds. Part of the reason is that the fish school is more vulnerable when attacked by several gulls. The first gull to reach a fish school therefore benefits from being joined by others, and conspicuous white upper parts in gulls may act as a means of attracting other gulls to the flock and hence improving hunting success.     

壮族食异风俗及其文化生态功能转换

以食鼠风俗为问题的切入点,从壮族食异文化的民俗事象表现,食鼠风俗的渊源与汉壮文化心理差异,农耕文化观念与食鼠风俗的仪式化,食鼠风俗的弱化脱落与文化生态功能转换等方面,对壮族食异文化心态及其文化生态功能转换作一些尝试性探讨。结论认为,壮族食鼠风俗不是一种单独残存的饮食文化现象,而是壮族饮食文化系统中的重要一环,并且是与整个南方侗台语族、苗瑶语族和汉越饮食文化结合产生的广东汉族共有的饮食文化现象,要想改造传统食异文化中落后的风俗,就要壮大雅正文化的影响,突显并重构壮族传统的鱼羹稻饭、禽畜副食和杂粮果蔬三个系列的饮食文化生态体系。     

人类种群活动无度鸟类多样性保护负效应 --宿鸭湖水库湿地水鸟观察

报道河南宿鸭湖水库野生湿地水鸟多样性，种群分布的季节性变化特点，湿地群落中明显的优势种群－冬候鸟；湖库水体污染，湿地水鸟种类与种群数量急剧减少。     

原子荧光光谱法测定野猪肉中的硒含量

采用湿法消解原子荧光光谱法对野猪肉中的硒元素含量进行了分析测定。该方法加标回收率为96.1 %~103.6 %,RSD为3.02 %。结果表明,野猪肉中硒元素的含量是家猪肉的1.3倍,是新鲜瓜果蔬菜的几十倍。该实验为肉类中微量元素的定量检测提供了一种简单准确的方法,实用价值高,可为开发富硒猪提供科学依据。     

国际贸易中的最小质量标准研究

提出最小质量标准(MQS)作为贸易技术壁垒(TBT)来考虑，因为贸易技术壁垒的实质就是设定一个高于进口产品质量的标准，以阻碍进入．在此前提下，根据当前企业所遭遇的贸易技术壁垒的实际情况，考虑了在一个开放的经济体中，在两个国家生产技术非对称的情况下．技术的非对称对于企业利润的影响以及国内外企业的利润及社会福利随MQS的变化情况．研究结果表明．当政府设定MQS，国外企业的利润增加，本国企业的利润减少，但消费者剩余增加，且消费者剩余的增加幅度要大于本国企业利润的减少，故社会福利增加．因此，政府有动机设定MQS．     

Fossil that fills a critical gap in avian evolution

Despite the discoveries of well-preserved Mesozoic birds, a key part of avian evolution, close to the radiation of all living birds (Aves), remains poorly represented. Here we report on a new taxon from the Late Cretaceous locality of Ukhaa Tolgod, Mongolia, that offers insight into this critically unsampled period. Apsaravis and the controversial alvarezsaurids are the only avialan taxa known from the continental deposits at Ukhaa Tolgod, which have produced hundreds of fossil mammals, lizards and other small dinosaurs. The new taxon, Apsaravis ukhaana, is the best-preserved specimen of a Mesozoic ornithurine bird discovered in over a century. It provides data important for assessing morphological evolution across Avialae, with implications for, first, the monophyly of Enantiornithes and Sauriurae; second, the proposition that the Mesozoic sister taxa of extant birds, as part of an 'ecological bottleneck', inhabited exclusively near-shore and marine environments; and third, the evolution of flight after its origin.     

Palaeontology: leg feathers in an Early Cretaceous bird

Here we describe a fossil of an enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous period in China that has substantial plumage feathers attached to its upper leg (tibiotarsus). The discovery could be important in view of the relative length and aerodynamic features of these leg feathers compared with those of the small 'four-winged' gliding dinosaur Microraptor and of the earliest known bird, Archaeopteryx. They may be remnants of earlier long, aerodynamic leg feathers, in keeping with the hypothesis that birds went through a four-winged stage during the evolution of flight.     

Energy saving in flight formation

Many species of large bird fly together in formation, perhaps because flight power demands and energy expenditure can be reduced when the birds fly at an optimal spacing, or because orientation is improved by communication within groups. We have measured heart rates as an estimate of energy expenditure in imprinted great white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) trained to fly in 'V' formation, and show that these birds save a significant amount of energy by flying in formation. This advantage is probably a principal reason for the evolution of flight formation in large birds that migrate in groups.     

我国部分家鸭和野鸭遗传多样性及亲缘关系的AFLP分析

利用AFLP技术分析我国8种常见家鸭和2种野鸭基因组DNA的多态性，在选取的17对引物中，有9对能得到重复性好的多态性扩增条带．每对引物扩增带数在44-83之间．共得到513个标记位点，其中498个为多态位点，多态位点比率达97．1％；根据AFLP图谱计算了不同样品间的遗传距离（D）和相似性系数（GS）．家鸭品种间的遗传距离在0．331～0．589范围内，绿头鸭、斑嘴鸭与家鸭品种（系）间的遗传距离分别在0．298～0．520和0．316～0．522之间．方差分析表明两组数据不存在显著差异（p〉0．05），由此得知绿头鸭和斑嘴鸭在家鸭品种的形成过程中都作出了贡献．并根据D值绘制了它们的聚类图谱．     

Positive correlation between recombination rate and nucleotide diversity is shown under domestication selection in the chicken genome

Positive correlation between recombination rate and nucleoUde diversity has been observed in a wide variety of eukaryotes on megabase scale. On the basis of genome-wide chicken genetic variation map generated by comparing three domestic breeds with wild ancestor and the positions of markers on the genetic linkage map, we found that SNPs rates were similar for all chromosomes while the recombination rates increased in micro chromosomes. In other words no correlation exists in chromosome size. Nevertheless, when we scanned the genome by calculating the values of each characteristic within non-overlapping windows, instead of single value for each chromosomes, the nucleoUde diversity was found to be significantly correlated with the recombination rate （r=0.27, P〈0.0005）. Furthermore, the significant association not only existed between these two features, but also existed between all 6 pairwise combinations of nucleoUde diversity, recombination rate, GC content and average gene length. This co-variation is very meaningful for the studies of sequence evolution.     

野生鸟类高致病性禽流感抗体水平检测方法研究

高致病性禽流感是A型流感病毒引起的一种禽类毁灭性疾病．从2004年1月27日我国公布首例确诊高致病性禽流感疫情以来,截止2004年2月4日,已出现高致病性禽流感疫情23例, 其中疑似18例,确诊5例;全国合计病禽56 417只,死亡49 236只,扑杀1 215 057只．H5N1亚型毒株除致鸡大量发病死亡外,还会使雉鸡科、鸭科、鸠鸽科和鹭科等野生鸟类致病．2005年5月4日, 在青海省刚察县泉吉乡年乃索麻村部分候鸟发生死亡,国家禽流感参考实验室5月18日从死鸟体内分离到H5N1亚型禽流感病毒．截止5月26日,仅青海省已有包括斑头雁、鱼鸥等在内的超过 1 000只候鸟死亡．自从2004年1月以来,全球因感染禽流感疫病,已造成了近百人死亡．研究结果表明,野生鸟类的迁徙,是造成疫病传播蔓延最主要的途径．西安市在2004年2月,对全市养殖的野生鸟类进行了禽流感疫苗接种,2005年的免疫工作即将展开,但目前在全国尚无野生鸟类疫苗接种注射剂量和方法的规范,已经接种过的野生鸟类是否具有禽流感抗体及产生抗体的效价还不清楚,更为严峻的是至今还没有可行的野生鸟类抗体水平检测的方法．所以,进行野生鸟类高致病性禽流感抗体水平检测方法课题研究,并为研究野生鸟类产生有效抗体的疫苗接种注射剂量,可为防控本病提供科学依据．     

A genetic variation map for chicken with 2.8 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms

We describe a genetic variation map for the chicken genome containing 2.8 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This map is based on a comparison of the sequences of three domestic chicken breeds (a broiler, a layer and a Chinese silkie) with that of their wild ancestor, red jungle fowl. Subsequent experiments indicate that at least 90% of the variant sites are true SNPs, and at least 70% are common SNPs that segregate in many domestic breeds. Mean nucleotide diversity is about five SNPs per kilobase for almost every possible comparison between red jungle fowl and domestic lines, between two different domestic lines, and within domestic lines--in contrast to the notion that domestic animals are highly inbred relative to their wild ancestors. In fact, most of the SNPs originated before domestication, and there is little evidence of selective sweeps for adaptive alleles on length scales greater than 100 kilobases.     

Disruptive sexual selection for plumage coloration in a passerine bird

The theory of sexual selection was developed to explain the evolution of highly exaggerated sexual ornaments. Now supported by vast empirical evidence, sexual selection is generally considered to favour individuals with the most extreme trait expression. Here we describe disruptive selection on a sexual ornament, plumage coloration, in yearling male lazuli buntings (Passerina amoena). In habitats with limited good-quality nesting cover, the dullest and the brightest yearlings were more successful in obtaining high-quality territories, pairing with females and siring offspring, than yearlings with intermediate plumage. This pattern reflects the way that territorial adult males vary levels of aggression to influence the structure of their social neighbourhood. Adult males showed less aggression towards dull yearlings than intermediate and bright ones, permitting the dull yearlings to settle on good territories nearby. Fitness comparisons based on paternity analyses showed that both the adults and dull yearlings benefited genetically from this arrangement, revealing a rare example of sexually selected male-male cooperation.     

禽流感及其对经济社会影响的研究综述

综述了近年来国内外关于禽流感的发生与传播、社会经济影响及其风险评估方法研究进展.从野鸟、家鸭、水稻种植及交通贸易等角度归纳总结了各因素与禽流感发生及传播的关系,分析总结了禽流感发生造成的社会经济影响,探讨了基于这些影响下的风险评估方法.对已有研究,在研究方法、研究对象和研究范围等方面探讨了存在的问题及不足,展望了今后禽流感及其对经济社会影响的研究重点.     

A long-tailed,seed-eating bird from the Early Cretaceous of China

The lacustrine deposits of the Yixian and Jiufotang Formations in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Group in the western Liaoning area of northeast China are well known for preserving feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds and mammals. Here we report a large basal bird, Jeholornis prima gen. et sp. nov., from the Jiufotang Formation. This bird is distinctively different from other known birds of the Early Cretaceous period in retaining a long skeletal tail with unexpected elongated prezygopophyses and chevrons, resembling that of dromaeosaurids, providing a further link between birds and non-avian theropods. Despite its basal position in early avian evolution, the advanced features of the pectoral girdle and the carpal trochlea of the carpometacarpus of Jeholornis indicate the capability of powerful flight. The dozens of beautifully preserved ovules of unknown plant taxa in the stomach represents direct evidence for seed-eating adaptation in birds of the Mesozoic era.     

野菜与种植蔬菜的营养比较

随着生活水平的日益提高,保健蔬菜越来越受到人们的欢迎。食用野菜因其是无污染的绿色食品而成为时尚。本文从食用野菜的保健功效,野菜的矿物质含量,维生素含量上与种植蔬莱进行对比,从而说明野菜的营养高于种植蔬菜。     

A fundamental avian wing-stroke provides a new perspective on the evolution of flight

The evolution of avian flight remains one of biology's major controversies, with a long history of functional interpretations of fossil forms given as evidence for either an arboreal or cursorial origin of flight. Despite repeated emphasis on the 'wing-stroke' as a necessary avenue of investigation for addressing the evolution of flight, no empirical data exist on wing-stroke dynamics in an experimental evolutionary context. Here we present the first comparison of wing-stroke kinematics of the primary locomotor modes (descending flight and incline flap-running) that lead to level-flapping flight in juvenile ground birds throughout development. We offer results that are contrary both to popular perception and inferences from other studies. Starting shortly after hatching and continuing through adulthood, ground birds use a wing-stroke confined to a narrow range of less than 20 degrees , when referenced to gravity, that directs aerodynamic forces about 40 degrees above horizontal, permitting a 180 degrees range in the direction of travel. Based on our results, we put forth an ontogenetic-transitional wing hypothesis that posits that the incremental adaptive stages leading to the evolution of avian flight correspond behaviourally and morphologically to transitional stages observed in ontogenetic forms.     

实验动物福利及IVC 系统对实验动物福利的优势体现

摘要: 随着生命科学和医学研究工作的快速发展,实验动物的地位越来越受到重视。本文旨在探讨实验动物福利及其国内外的现状,并对普通层流架、屏障系统和IVC( 独立通气笼盒) 系统进行比较,综合体现IVC 系统在实验动物设施建设及饲养过程中对于保障动物福利有其独特的优势。