Intraspecific Allometric comparison of Laboratory gerbils with Mongolian Gerbils Trapped in the Wild Indicates Domestication in Meriones unguiculatus (Milne-Edwards, 1867) (Rodentia: Gerbillinae)

Stuermer, Ingo W.; Plotz, Karsten; Leybold, Axel; Zinke, Olaf; Kalberlah, Otto; Samjaa, R.; Scheich, Henning

doi:10.1078/0044-5231-00102

Cited by 38 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 63 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The diet macronutrients were 6.2% crude fat, 18% crude protein, 23.1% neutral fibre, 5% crude fibre, 12.5% acid detergent fibre and 10.0% ash, and the caloric value was 17.5 kJ g −1 . Generally, body mass of wild-captured gerbils tends to increase after laboratory feeding (Stuermer et al, 2003). We also found that body mass of wild-caught striped hamsters tended to increase after laboratory feeding.…”

Section: Materials and Methods Animals And Experimental Designsupporting

confidence: 50%

Effect of temperature and food restriction on immune function in striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis)

Tian

2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Small mammals in temperate areas face seasonal fluctuations of temperature and food availability, both of which may influence their immune responses, which are critical to survival. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that low temperature and food restriction suppress immune function in striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis). Thirty-seven adult male hamsters were randomly assigned to warm (23±1°C) and cold (5±1°C) treatment groups, which were further divided into fed and food-restricted groups. Body mass was not affected by cold stress, food restriction or the interaction cold stress×food restriction. Cold stress decreased total body fat mass, haematological parameters including white blood cells, lymphocytes and neutrophilic granulocytes, and immunoglobin (Ig) M titres 5 days after injecting keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH). However, cold temperature increased bacterial killing capacity, indicative of innate immunity, and did not affect the mass of the thymus and spleen, intermediate granulocytes, the phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) response and the levels of blood glucose and serum leptin. Corticosterone concentration was affected significantly by the interaction cold stress×food restriction but not by cold stress or food restriction alone. Food restriction reduced thymus mass, but other immunological parameters including body fat mass, spleen mass, haematological parameters, innate immunity, PHA response, the titres of IgM and IgG, and the levels of blood glucose and serum leptin were all not affected by food restriction or the interaction cold stress×food restriction. Innate immunity was positively correlated with leptin levels, whereas no significant correlations were observed in the levels of blood glucose, serum leptin, corticosterone and all the detected immune parameters. Our results show that cold stress suppressed humoral immunity but enhanced innate immunity and did not affect cellular immunity in striped hamsters. Most immunological indices were not influenced by food restriction. Blood glucose, leptin and corticosterone could not explain the changes of innate, cellular and humoral immunity upon cold stress or food restriction in striped hamsters.

show abstract

Section: Materials and Methods Animals And Experimental Designsupporting

confidence: 50%

Effect of temperature and food restriction on immune function in striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis)

Tian

2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Almost all animals of those colonies descend from a group of 20 founders trapped in 1935 in Mongolia. Due to a long period of inbreeding and domestication in animals descending from those colonies, many changes are reported (Stuermer et al, 2003), like 18% decrease of brain weight (Stuermer et al, 1997), higher testicular activity (Blottner et al, 2000), increased sperm production , and improved reproductive fitness . These domestication effects are an adaptation to the modified living conditions in laboratory breeding colonies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Strain-dependence of age-related cochlear hearing loss in wild and domesticated Mongolian gerbils

Eckrich

Foeller

Stuermer³

et al. 2008

Hearing Research

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Wild gerbils trapped and dissected by MU1995 (n = 68) provided the most comprehensive set of morphological measurements since Allen (1940) and Stubbe and Chotolchu (1968) published data on this species. In addition, brain and eye weights in WILD compared to LAB allowed us to scrutinize our hypothesis that the laboratory strain had become domesticated as a consequence of genetic isolation and controlled selective breeding since 1935 (Stuermer et al 1996). Allometric brain weight reduction of 17.6 % in LAB marks the highest value found among rodents, and eye weight reduction of 26.0 % may point to serious reductions of sensory capabilities (Stuermer et al 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mongolian gerbils kept in laboratories since 1935 (strain Tum: MON) had become domesticated, and should be designated as M. unguiculatus forma domestica (LAB, for details see Stuermer et al 2003). In June 1995, German and Mongolian zoologists undertook the first expedition focused on Meriones in Mongolia (Stuermer et al 1996). To collect a representative sample of the species, wild M. unguiculatus (WILD) were captured east of the Changai mountain foothills, near the centre of their natural geographic distribution (see Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methods and Routes of two German-Mongolian Zoological Expeditionsthrough the Steppe, Semi-Desert and Desert Zones of Mongolia in 1995 and 2002

Stuermer¹,

Tittmann²,

Kalberlah³

et al. 2004

Mong. J. Biol. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Routes, methods and key results of two mammalian expeditions undertaken by German and Mongolian zoologists in 1995 and 2002 are described. The 1995 expedition trapped a sample of Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) (n = 167) with high genetic diversity for further breeding of a new wild gerbil strain in Germany. The 2002 expedition collected 265 mammals from 23 species during an extended west-eastern survey from 96°to 113°E along the transient zone of the semi-desert to the Gobi desert near 44°to 45°N. Methods applied included dissections, behavioural experiments, vocalization recording, determination of dominant plants and livestock. New techniques were introduced to record surface activity of small mammals. Most mammals trapped in the steppe were Mongolian gerbils with an estimated density of 2400 -6600 individuals per km 2 . The highest diversity was found in the desert and semi-desert region and included Hemiechinus auritus, Meriones unguiculatus, Salpingotus crassicauda, Pygeretmus pumilio and Cardiocranius paradoxus, which were restricted to southern Mongolia. The need for further complex expeditions through the arid zones of Mongolia are discussed.

show abstract

Intraspecific Allometric comparison of Laboratory gerbils with Mongolian Gerbils Trapped in the Wild Indicates Domestication in Meriones unguiculatus (Milne-Edwards, 1867) (Rodentia: Gerbillinae)

Cited by 38 publications

References 63 publications

Effect of temperature and food restriction on immune function in striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis)

Effect of temperature and food restriction on immune function in striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis)

Strain-dependence of age-related cochlear hearing loss in wild and domesticated Mongolian gerbils

Methods and Routes of two German-Mongolian Zoological Expeditionsthrough the Steppe, Semi-Desert and Desert Zones of Mongolia in 1995 and 2002

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About