However, relatively little is known about the pattern of telomere loss under natural conditions. We examined telomere dynamics during growth under natural conditions in the lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus. Although telomere length significantly decreased with age during the chick period, there was a considerable amount INK 128 datasheet of inter-individual variation in both absolute telomere length and

the rate of telomere shortening. While no one factor explained a significant amount of this variation, the trends in the data suggested that circumstances during embryonic growth were linked to hatching telomere length. There was a trend for larger hatchlings to have shorter telomere lengths [effect size=−0.18±0.11 kb, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.40, 0.05], suggesting that embryonic growth rate could have affected telomere attrition. Independent of this trend, males tended to have longer telomeres at hatching than females (effect size=0.77±0.40 kb, 95% CI: 1.55, −0.02). Egg find more volume and laying date had no relation to telomere

length. There was a strong relationship between telomere length at hatching and at 10 days old (effect size=0.52±0.22, 95% CI: 0.94, 0.09), demonstrating that the variation in hatching telomere length caused by embryonic growth conditions remained consistent during the initial post-hatching period. “
“Species distribution modelling can be a powerful tool in species conservation. Przewalski’s gazelle Procapra przewalskii is an endangered ungulate and a conservation focus on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. To identify the

potential range and provide a conservation base for the species, we used the maximum entropy approach to build a habitat suitability map and took into account: (1) the comparison among three competing models (the full, uncorrelated and pruned models) with different sets of environmental predictors; and (2) scale effects on model spatial output and performance. Elevation, maximum temperature of the warmest month, mean temperature of the 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 wettest and warmest quarter and isothermality were the five most effective predictors. The 11 threshold-determining approaches identified different thresholds. Spatial patterns of ranges predicted with the three models were similar, although the uncorrelated model was outperformed by the other two models. All three models identified regions in the eastern part of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau as the most suitable habitat for Przewalski’s gazelle. Cross-validation area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the full model decreased slightly as the scale increased; spatial congruence AUC fluctuated with the small range, and the predicted range increased disproportionately. This study identifies areas to find new populations and representative habitats of a rare and endangered species.