Dingzhen Liu
Beijing Normal University, College of life sciences, Faculty Member
Anogenital gland secretions code for sex and age in the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca. Can
Research Interests:
Bashania fargesii, one of the dominant bamboo species distributed at the ele vation between 1 000-1 900 m of Qinling Mountains, is an important food source f or the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The habitat preference of the G... more
Bashania fargesii, one of the dominant bamboo species distributed at the ele vation between 1 000-1 900 m of Qinling Mountains, is an important food source f or the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The habitat preference of the G iant Panda for different bamboo forests is hardly known. To investigate the rel ationship between the bamboo and Giant Pandas, we conducted a study on the food selection of the Giant Pandas on the B. fargesii at Foping National Nature R eserve, Shaanxi Province in the winter of 2004 and the spring of 2005. Forty-fi ve transects (about 17.3 km/Each) across the reserve and 159 large samples (20 m×20 m each) were surveyed. The data about the density, coverage, basal diamete r, average height and proportion of the young B. fargesii were collected in the sample and the characteristic of the bamboo previously bitten by the Giant P andas. The result indicated that pandas mainly foraged on old bamboo in the B. fargesii forest in which the proportion of young bamboo was as low as the pro portion of died bamboo in the winter. In the spring, however, the pandas showed strong preference for B. fargesii forests with lower densities, larger basal diameters and higher proportion of young bamboos. Most pandas selected to habit at with a large density of growing B. fargesii, and young bamboos were the p andas' favorite food. When bamboo shoots bourgeoned, the thick shoots among the sparse B. fargesii forests with larger basal diameters became the major foo d source for those pandas.
Research Interests:
A wealthy of scientific data supports the substantial role played by social odor in mediation of rodents'social life; however, little efforts has been made to examine whether visual signals have similar roles in rodents'social... more
A wealthy of scientific data supports the substantial role played by social odor in mediation of rodents'social life; however, little efforts has been made to examine whether visual signals have similar roles in rodents'social life.This experiment was designed to test if exclusively visual signals from a strange male impose stress on a pregnant female and impact her reproductive characteristics. In this experiment, one male golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)caged in an airproof and transparent glass box was put into a pregnant female's cage till the female gave birth.The results showed that there was no significant difference in the body weight changes between those two groups of females during the two periods: mating to parturition and parturition to weaning.Nor did we find any significant differences in the pups' body weight gaining, litter size, visual development, survival rates and sex ratios. However, we did find significant differences in reproductive success between those two groups of females: one third of those exposed to male stranger either aborted or died birthing; control had normal birth pattern.The hypothesis of visual signals from a strange male hamster may impose stress on pregnant female hamster was partially supported by our current data.Our results indicate that while visual signals from strange male conspecifics might impact the pregnant females' reproductive success, and there is no extended impact on the female's body weight gain and offspring physiological development.This information should help to inform animal management and treatment procedures in handling lab animals such as rat and mouse in addition to golden hamster.
Research Interests:
The seed deposition pattern created by seed dispersers is important for plant,and ultimately may influence the regeneration of a plant species.In this study,a declining Chinese endemic plant,Quercus liaotungensis,was studied in... more
The seed deposition pattern created by seed dispersers is important for plant,and ultimately may influence the regeneration of a plant species.In this study,a declining Chinese endemic plant,Quercus liaotungensis,was studied in Xiaolongmen Forestry Centre,a Nation Park of Beijing from Sept.to Oct.in 2000.Seeds post-dispersal experiments of Q.liaotungensis were conducted with four different treatments (four different kinds of predators:Invertebrates,Invertebrates+rodents,all predators,and all predators with litter covering) in two plots.Sound and invalid seeds were used in 40 treatments;and totally 800 (sound and invalid seeds were 400 respectively) seeds were set in two plots.All of treatments were investigated 9 times during the period of field work.In the two plots,no seeds were moved in all treatment 1.The difference of dispersal seeds was no significant between all treatment 2 (rodents+invertebrates) and all treatment 3 (all predators) (P0.05);but the difference of seed dispersal was significant between in all treatment 2 and treatment 4,so did treatment 3 and treatment 4.The differences between sound seeds dispersal and invalid seeds dispersal were significant in all treatment 2 of two plots (Plot 1:t=2.407,P0.05;Plot 2:t=2.65,P0.05),so did all treatment 3 of two plots (t=3.209,P0.05;t=3.029,P0.05).Total gnawing of invalid seeds were much more than those of sound seeds in two plots (χ~2=14.75,P0.05;χ~2=9.85,P0.05).All of the results confirmed that the rodents in the area,particularly Apodemus peninsulae (74.4% of the community),were the principal post-dispersal predators;and indicated that the microenvironment could affect the speed of seed removal;and showed that the invertebrates and birds had not affection on the dispersal of ground seeds;and indicated that rodents were preferred to predate sound seeds and might judge the quality of the oaks.
Research Interests:
Infant call structure should have evolved to elicit maximum maternal attention and investment. Neonates of giant pandas produce three types of vocalizations reported to be vitally important in the context of mother–infant communications.... more
Infant call structure should have evolved to elicit maximum maternal attention and investment. Neonates of giant pandas produce three types of vocalizations reported to be vitally important in the context of mother–infant communications. However, how cubs, 0–15 days old, communicate with their mothers to elicit maternal care remains unknown. We analyzed 12 different call parameters of 3475 squawks, 1355 squalls, and 491 croaks from 11 captive giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) neonates from age 0 to 15 days. In playback experiments, we also tested whether mothers could detect ultrasound. Our results show that neonates use broadband calls with ultrasonic frequencies up to 65 kHz to convey information about their physiological needs and to attract maternal care. In playback experiments, we tested if mothers reacted differently to broadband calls (BBC) than to artificially altered calls that included only frequencies <20 kHz (AUDC) or calls that included only frequencies >20 kHz (USC). Playback confirmed that, although adult females responded significantly less often to USC, BBC than to or AUDC, they could detect USC, BBC and generally made appropriate behavioral responses, indicating a potential benefit for neonates to utilize ultrasonic and broadband frequencies. Our findings provide a new insight into mother–infant communication in giant pandas and will be helpful for reducing the mortality of cubs, younger than 1 month old, in captivity.
Research Interests:
This study was carried out in Anxi desert,Gansu province from March to Octoberin 1990. the different type of plant community as sample plots were elected. Nine desertrodent communities were investigated in order to reveal the... more
This study was carried out in Anxi desert,Gansu province from March to Octoberin 1990. the different type of plant community as sample plots were elected. Nine desertrodent communities were investigated in order to reveal the interrelations between thecommunity structure of desertrodents and the environmental factors, and found out thedeterminants of community structure. A kind of method of detrended correspondenceanalysis(DCA)was used by means of computer. In spring ,the locations of 9 communities on the second ordinate axis(informationwas 37.3%)of DCA was positive correlation with the ground water level , altitude andmean precipitation(r=0.08, p0. 01; r=0. 81, p 01 respectively),and negativecorrelation with the mean temperature(r=-0. 83, p0.01). In summer, the locations of 9 communities on the second ordinate axis (informationwas 36.9%)of DCA was positive correlation with the vegetation coverage, plant height,soil moisture content and soil hard+degree(r=0. 86, p0.01; r=0. 6, p0. 05; r=0. 75,p0. 01;r=0. 82, p0. 01 respectively).In autumn,the locations of 6 communities on the first ordinate axis (information was 59.8%)of DCA was significantly negative correlation with the soil moisture content(r=-O.86,pO.01).In general , the locations of 9 communities on the first ordinate axis(information was 60.3%)of DCA was significantly negative correlation with the vegetation coverage, soilmoisture content and soil hard-degree(r=-0. 89, p0. 01; r=-0. 63, p0. 05; r=-0. 68, p0. 05 respectively). The vegetation coverage, soil moisture content and hard-degree were the determinants of community structure of desert rodents in Anxi, further-more, water was the most important determinant.
Research Interests:
Rodent communities in the forest of Quercus liaotungensis in Xiaolongmen Forest Farm of Dongling Mountain Area were surveyed by mark-recapture method from 1999 to 2001.There were 2?936 trap nights and 268 captures in live traps with an... more
Rodent communities in the forest of Quercus liaotungensis in Xiaolongmen Forest Farm of Dongling Mountain Area were surveyed by mark-recapture method from 1999 to 2001.There were 2?936 trap nights and 268 captures in live traps with an overall trapping success rate of 9%.The results showed that the rodent community in Oak forest was comprised with three families and four genera,including the Large Field Mouse( Apodemus peninsulae ),White-Bellied Rat( Niviventer confucianus ),Grey Red-Backed Vole( Clethrionomys rufocanus) and Siberian Chipmunk( Eotamias sibiricus), with a species composition rate of 85.5%,8.6%,3.0% and 2.6% respectively.The sex ratio was F∶M=0.84,and no significant difference was found. A.peninsulae was the dominant rodent species and trap response heterogeneity among sexes did not emerge by mark-capturing,which indicated that Large Field Mouse did not show any response heterogeneity for the living traps( t =0.913, P 0.05).Both species diversity and richness showed patterns of “low-high-low” from 1999 to 2001,while the index of species dominance was just converse.However,the differences in indexes of species diversity,richness and dominance between two plots do not make statistical significance( t =0.165, P 0.05; t =0.064, P 0.05).Our findings suggest that there is substantial intrinsic of the rodent community in the Oak forest.
Research Interests:
The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) has supported many projects on mammalogy since its inception in 1986, yet the detailed information of the supports and its impact on the development of mammalogy of China remained... more
The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) has supported many projects on mammalogy since its inception in 1986, yet the detailed information of the supports and its impact on the development of mammalogy of China remained unknown. To reveal these information, both the numbers and amount of funds for projects concerning mammalogy supported by the Department of Life Science, NSFC, since 1986 were statistically analyzed. All the projects including general programs, key programs, major programs and other special funds such as the National Natural Science Fund for distinguished young scholars and various special funds such as projects for developing regions and programs in high technology were analyzed. The results showed that 131 projects (21.98% of the total) and 13.619 million Yuan RMB (29.60% of the total) were used to support the basic research in mammalogy in zoological subject while 49 projects and 5.368 million Yuan RMB(7.47% and 7.09% of the total, respectively) were granted in mammalogy in ecological subject. There were also 39 projects with 3.111 million yuan RMB grants in genetics to be used in mammal genetics. The funding for the discipline of zoology was one of the most important supports for basic research in mammalogy in China, and the increases in number and amount of funds in ecology and animal-genetics indicated a trend of interdisciplinary with the combination of mammalogy, ecology and genetics. The branches of two disciplines of zoology and ecology were further analyzed and the impact of NSFC funding on the developmental trends of mammalogy were also discussed.
Research Interests:
The composition of the rodent community and the reproductive characte ristics of the large field mouse Apodemus peninsulae were studied in the Quercus liaotungensis forest of the Dongling Mountains from May to Octo ber 2000. 1 297 traps... more
The composition of the rodent community and the reproductive characte ristics of the large field mouse Apodemus peninsulae were studied in the Quercus liaotungensis forest of the Dongling Mountains from May to Octo ber 2000. 1 297 traps were set and 107 rodents were captured. The capture ra te was 0 0 82. The rodent community in this area was comprised of 5 species:89 Apodemu s peninsulae, 11 Rattus niviventer, 5 Apodemus agrarius, 1 Clethrionomys ru focanus and Eutamias sibiricus respectively. The community belongs to the warm forest forest grassland farm animal group. Apodemus peninsulae was the dominant specie s and breeds from April to October. The female may reproduce 1-3 times per yea r. The sex ratio (F M) of Apodemus peninsulae was 0 935. Adult group Ⅱ fe males ha d the highest pregnancy rate (76 92%) with the senile group second (70%). The t o tal index of reproduction was 3 36, and the mean litter size was 5 88±1 03. Th e senile group had both the highest index of reproduction (4 50) and mean litte r size (6 43±0 98) among all age groups. The average testicular weight was 1 0 6±0 45 g. Some significant differences were found in testicular weight, leng t h and width between the two adult groups ( P 0 05). Our results indicate tha t Apodemus peninsulae has a high reproductive ability, and might have a sig nificant impact on the regeneration of Quercus liaotungensis .
Research Interests:
Giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca exhibits are popular attractions for zoos and wildlife parks. However, it remains to be investigated whether such exhibits enhance visitor knowledge about pandas and broader conservation issues. We... more
Giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca exhibits are popular attractions for zoos and wildlife parks. However, it remains to be investigated whether such exhibits enhance visitor knowledge about pandas and broader conservation issues. We conducted questionnaire surveys at giant panda exhibits at three city zoos and five wildlife parks in China. Although visitors were generally interested in the giant panda, this was not reflected in their post-exhibit knowledge of giant panda biology. Socio-demographically, men were more knowledgeable of giant panda biology than women. Knowledge correlated positively with respondent level of education. Younger respondents (< 45 years) knew most about giant pandas and expressed an interest in learning more about them using social media. The most informed respondents had visited other giant panda exhibits previously. Respondents were generally satisfied with the giant panda exhibits (mean score 4.44/5). Wildlife parks delivered a better educational outc...
Research Interests:
Individual recognition has been studied across a number of taxa and modalities; however, few attempts have been made to combine chemical and biological approaches and arrive at a more complete understanding of the use of secretions as... more
Individual recognition has been studied across a number of taxa and modalities; however, few attempts have been made to combine chemical and biological approaches and arrive at a more complete understanding of the use of secretions as signals. We combined behavioral habituation experiments with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry of glandular secretions from the left and right flank gland and midventral gland of the rat-like hamster, Tscheskia triton. We found that females became habituated to one scent and then could discriminate individuals via another scent source from the same individual only when familiar with the scent donor. However, this prior social interaction was not required for females to discriminate different individuals in single-stimulus habituation–dishabituation tests. Chemical analyses revealed a similarity in volatile compounds between the left and right flank gland and midventral gland scents. It appears that individually distinctive cues are integratively cod...
Research Interests:
A study on the growth and development of two captive-born cubs (male:female=1:1) from age of 8 to 421 days was conducted at China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda at Wolong. The regressions of the cub^s body weight with... more
A study on the growth and development of two captive-born cubs (male:female=1:1) from age of 8 to 421 days was conducted at China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda at Wolong. The regressions of the cub^s body weight with age by day and month are analyzed respectively by SPSS for windows. The results show that the average body weight of the male cub is greater than that of the female at the same age by ay or by month, yet there is a remarkable difference between two genders in daily and monthly average body weight growth.
Research Interests:
The role that visual discriminative ability plays among giant pandas in social communication and individual discrimination has received less attention than olfactory and auditory modalities. Here, we used an eye-tracker technology to... more
The role that visual discriminative ability plays among giant pandas in social communication and individual discrimination has received less attention than olfactory and auditory modalities. Here, we used an eye-tracker technology to investigate pupil fixation patterns for 8 captive male giant pandas Ailuropoda melanoleuca. We paired images (N = 26) of conspecifics against: 1) sympatric predators (gray wolves and tigers), and non-threatening sympatric species (golden pheasant, golden snub-nosed monkey, takin, and red panda), 2) conspecifics with atypical fur coloration (albino and brown), and 3) zookeepers/non-zookeepers wearing either work uniform or plain clothing. For each session, we tracked the panda’s pupil movements and measured pupil first fixation point (FFP), fixation latency, total fixation count (TFC), and duration (TFD) of attention to each image. Overall, pandas exhibited similar attention (FFPs and TFCs) to images of predators and non-threatening sympatric species. Im...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Different responses of gut microbiota diversity affect host health in term of nutrient metabolism and disease immunity, the reason and the impact of low diversity level of giant panda needs to be studied. Therefore, to explore the impact... more
Different responses of gut microbiota diversity affect host health in term of nutrient metabolism and disease immunity, the reason and the impact of low diversity level of giant panda needs to be studied. Therefore, to explore the impact of intestinal type and diet on gut microbiota diversity of giant pandas, we conducted a multi-species comparison (n=73), and the effects of different diets on gut microbiota function of giant panda were analyzed by PICRUSt method. The gut microbiota of giant panda was significantly lower than the same diets type herbivores and the same intestinal type carnivores. High-fiber bamboo culm diet significantly reduced the gut microbiota diversity of giant panda than bamboo shoot and leaf. The low diversity of gut microbiota led to the low nutritional metabolic function of giant panda, including energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism. These results showed that the short intestinal tract and high fiber diet caused the decrease of gut microbiota diversi...
Different responses of gut microbiota diversity affect host health in term of nutrient metabolism and disease immunity, the reason and the impact of low diversity level of giant panda needs to be studied. Therefore, to explore the impact... more
Different responses of gut microbiota diversity affect host health in term of nutrient metabolism and disease immunity, the reason and the impact of low diversity level of giant panda needs to be studied. Therefore, to explore the impact of intestinal type and diet on gut microbiota diversity of giant pandas, we conducted a multi-species comparison (n=73), and the effects of different diets on gut microbiota function of giant panda were analyzed by PICRUSt method. The gut microbiota of giant panda was significantly lower than the same diets type herbivores and the same intestinal type carnivores. High-fiber bamboo culm diet significantly reduced the gut microbiota diversity of giant panda than bamboo shoot and leaf. The low diversity of gut microbiota led to the low nutritional metabolic function of giant panda, including energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism. These results showed that the short intestinal tract and high fiber diet caused the decrease of gut microbiota diversi...
Stereotypic behavior is exhibited by a wide range of captive animals. Its association with hormones, especially elevated cortisol level and lack of naturalistic stimuli in the environment, has been little studied. This study hypothesizes... more
Stereotypic behavior is exhibited by a wide range of captive animals. Its association with hormones, especially elevated cortisol level and lack of naturalistic stimuli in the environment, has been little studied. This study hypothesizes that stereotypic behavior is caused by stress due to lack of appropriate, naturalistic stimuli in the environment. Using four adult pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in the Beijing Zoo from March–July in 2003, we tested the following predictions: 1) stereotypic behavior and fecal cortisol level will not change associated with the progress of reproductive state; 2) there is a positive correlation between the occurrence of stereotypic behavior and fecal cortisol level; and 3) environmental enrichment by adding a naturalistic stimulus will reduce both stereotypic behavior and fecal cortisol level. We did not find any significant differences in the occurrence of stereotypic behavior and fecal cortisol level but did find a significant difference in the tot...
Reproductive and life-history characteristics, such as age at first reproduction, interbirth interval (IBI), sex ratio of newborns, and infant mortality, are crucial for assessing the population dynamics and survival of threatened... more
Reproductive and life-history characteristics, such as age at first reproduction, interbirth interval (IBI), sex ratio of newborns, and infant mortality, are crucial for assessing the population dynamics and survival of threatened species. There are no longitudinal data on the life histories of the threatened northern white-cheeked gibbons ( Nomascus leucogenys ) and yellow-cheeked gibbons ( Nomascus gabriellae ). Here, we examine the reproductive parameters of these species in 19 Chinese zoos. Some of these captive individuals may be hybrids of N. leucogenys × N. gabriellae , but it is not possible to distinguish these hybrids from the parent species based on morphological characteristics. Thus, in this study we identified individuals to species level from the zoos’ archives. Based on breeding records, 46 infants were born to 14 female northern white-cheeked gibbons from 2000 to 2019 and 89 infants to 29 female yellow-cheeked gibbons from 1995 to 2018. The mean age at first reprodu...
Research Interests: Zoology and Primatology
Abstract Reintroduction plays a vital role in conservation for many endangered species, however, little long-term information is available on the population dynamics and conservation status. Here we provide a detailed account of the... more
Abstract Reintroduction plays a vital role in conservation for many endangered species, however, little long-term information is available on the population dynamics and conservation status. Here we provide a detailed account of the Chinese Milu (Elaphurus davidianus) conservation and reintroduction efforts over the past 35 years, and give updated information on current Milu distribution, population dynamics and conservation status based on long-term monitoring (1985–2020) and a detailed follow-up investigation (2013–2020) in 235 wildlife institutions throughout China. Milu conservation in China comprised three phases: i) establishing ex situ populations and increasing the number of Milu through captive breeding (1985–1992); ii) preparing captive Milu for life in the wild and establishing in situ conservation populations (1993–1997); and iii) reintroduction of Milu into the wild throughout their historic range (1998–ongoing). Currently, there are ca. 9062 Milu (including 2825 wild individuals) distributed across 83 sites with 7380 individuals living at Beijing Milu Park, Jiangsu Dafeng Milu Nature Reserve and Hubei Shishou Milu Nature Reserve. The average birth rates in three sites were all over 0.200, and the average adult mortality rates were below 0.085, resulting in a rapid population growth. We discuss a variety of factors that contributed to ex situ conservation success in the reintroduction of a species formerly extinct in the wild, and highlight past and present challenges of Milu conservation in China. Our results will provide helpful information on conservation and reintroduction for other endangered species around the world.
Research Interests:
Mammal gastrointestinal tracts harbor diverse bacterial communities that play important roles in digestion, development, behavior, and immune function. Although, there is an increasing understanding of the factors that affect microbial... more
Mammal gastrointestinal tracts harbor diverse bacterial communities that play important roles in digestion, development, behavior, and immune function. Although, there is an increasing understanding of the factors that affect microbial community composition in laboratory populations, the impact of environment and host community composition on microbiomes in wild populations is less understood. Given that the composition of bacterial communities can be shaped by ecological factors, particularly exposure to the microbiome of other individuals, inter-specific interactions should impact on microbiome community composition. Here, we evaluated inter-population and inter-specific similarity in the fecal microbiota of Przewalski’s gazelle (Procapra przewalskii), an endangered endemic ruminant around Qinghai Lake in China. We compared the fecal bacterial communities of three Przewalski’s gazelle populations, with those of two sympatric ruminants, Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) and T...
Research Interests:
Elevated glucocorticoid (GC) concentration and increased vigilance are two common responses to predation risk in mammals. Chronic high-level GC concentration and vigilance occur at the expense of other life maintenance and reproduction... more
Elevated glucocorticoid (GC) concentration and increased vigilance are two common responses to predation risk in mammals. Chronic high-level GC concentration and vigilance occur at the expense of other life maintenance and reproduction activities, reflecting a trade-off between individual survival and future fecundity. Przewalski’s gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) is a group-living ungulate endemic to the high-altitude Qinghai Lake region of China. Group-size effect on gazelle vigilance has been examined, yet little is known about how their GC concentration is affected by group size or reproductive status. In this study, we examined the effect of group size and reproductive status on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations and individual vigilance during different stages of the reproduction cycle (i.e. non-breeding, lambing and rutting) in free-ranging adult female Przewalski’s gazelles. Group size did not influence FGMs significantly, but mean vigilance duration increas...
Research Interests:
Exposure to sexual stimuli can lead to increased aggression in male mammals, but it is unclear whether the aggression is related to the receptiveness of the females. Interactions with receptive females elicit testosterone (T) pulses that... more
Exposure to sexual stimuli can lead to increased aggression in male mammals, but it is unclear whether the aggression is related to the receptiveness of the females. Interactions with receptive females elicit testosterone (T) pulses that are important for sexual behaviors. We investigated the effects of male–female interactions on subsequent aggressive behaviors and T responses in the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus (Waterhouse, 1839)). Three groups (n = 18, 17, and 18) of males were exposed to receptive females, nonreceptive females, and blank (control), respectively. Then, we randomly chose eight animals from each group and measured their aggression toward an unfamiliar male conspecific; the remaining 29 males were used for a T assay (to avoid effects of aggression on T levels). The results show that interactions with females led to significantly higher male aggression and T levels than were found in control males. The increased aggression was not related to the receptiveness...
Research Interests:
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) has evolved a large number of mucous glands in the intestinal lining to adapt to the digestion of high-fiber foods. However, in captive pandas, excessive mucus might form a mass and then be... more
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) has evolved a large number of mucous glands in the intestinal lining to adapt to the digestion of high-fiber foods. However, in captive pandas, excessive mucus might form a mass and then be eliminated, which is often accompanied by discomfort and decreased activity. This event is called ‘mucous excretion’. The causes of mucus excretions in captive pandas, however, remain unknown. The aims of this study were to document the occurrence of mucus excretion and to investigate its possible associations with pandas’ age, gender, and feces output. Eighteen giant pandas were studied at the Beijing Zoo from April 2003 to June 2017, and a total of 900 occurrences of mucous excretion and 32,856 daily defecation outputs in weight were recorded. The likelihood of mucous excretion occurrence decreased by 11.34% for each 1 kg of fecal output (Z = −4.12, p < 0.0001), while it increased by 5.89% per year of age (Z = 4.02, p < 0.0001). However, individual...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Vocal signaling represents a primary mode of communication for most nonhuman primates. A quantitative description of the vocal repertoire is a critical step in in-depth studies of the vocal communication of particular species, and... more
Vocal signaling represents a primary mode of communication for most nonhuman primates. A quantitative description of the vocal repertoire is a critical step in in-depth studies of the vocal communication of particular species, and provides the foundation for comparative studies to investigate the selective pressures in the evolution of vocal communication systems. The present study was the first attempt to establish the vocal repertoire of free-ranging adult golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) based on quantitative methods. During 8 months in Shennongjia National Park, China, we digitally recorded the vocalizations of adult individuals from a provisioned, free-ranging group of R. roxellana across a variety of social-ecological contexts. We identified 18 call types, which were easily distinguishable by ear, visual inspection of spectrograms, and quantitative analysis of acoustic parameters measured from recording samples. We found a great sexual asymmetry in the vocal...
Research Interests:
The objective of the present study was to examine whether wild rodents exhibit diverse obesity susceptibility and what factors predispose subjects to this divergence in response to a high-fat diet (HFD). Sixty male and female Brandt's... more
The objective of the present study was to examine whether wild rodents exhibit diverse obesity susceptibility and what factors predispose subjects to this divergence in response to a high-fat diet (HFD). Sixty male and female Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) were fed an HFD for 8 weeks, and the upper (obesity prone [OP]) and lower (obesity resistant [OR]) one-third for mass gain were selected. Energy budgets and pathologic changes were measured. Another 30 males were fed a low-fat control diet (LFD) for 10 weeks and then fed an HFD for 12 weeks. The energetic parameters of the rodents on an LFD were analyzed for the correlation with body mass of the rodents on an HFD. OP voles had higher energy intakes, higher levels of noradrenaline-induced nonshivering thermogenesis, and a greater impairment of insulin tolerance than OR voles. Unlike laboratory rodents, there were no differences in physical activity or resting metabolic rate between these groups of voles. The thermogenic...
Research Interests: Obesity, Multidisciplinary, Rodentia, Female, Animals, and 4 moreBody Composition, Male, Body Weight, and Arvicolinae
The giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca belongs to the family of Ursidae; however, it is not carnivorous, feeding almost exclusively on bamboo. Being equipped with a typical carnivorous digestive apparatus, the giant panda cannot get... more
The giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca belongs to the family of Ursidae; however, it is not carnivorous, feeding almost exclusively on bamboo. Being equipped with a typical carnivorous digestive apparatus, the giant panda cannot get enough energy for an active life and spends most of its time digesting food or sleeping. Feeding and mating are both regulated by odors and pheromones; therefore, a better knowledge of olfaction at the molecular level can help in designing strategies for the conservation of this species. In this context, we have identified the odorant-binding protein (OBP) repertoire of the giant panda and mapped the protein expression in nasal mucus and saliva through proteomics. Four OBPs have been identified in nasal mucus, while the other two were not detected in the samples examined. In particular, AimelOBP3 is similar to a subset of OBPs reported as pheromone carriers in the urine of rodents, saliva of the boar, and seminal fluid of the rabbit. We expressed this pr...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The postural origin hypothesis and the task complexity hypothesis propose that hand preference in non-human primates evolved in association with body posture and task complexity, respectively. The results of previous studies testing these... more
The postural origin hypothesis and the task complexity hypothesis propose that hand preference in non-human primates evolved in association with body posture and task complexity, respectively. The results of previous studies testing these two hypotheses, however, vary greatly with the different primate species and methods used. To investigate the effect of body posture and task complexity on hand preference, we recorded bouts of hand usage in nine captive northern white-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys) housed at Beijing Zoo as they reached for food items in a ground-reaching task, a box task, and a tube task. The results showed that four to seven of the nine gibbons displayed a hand preference at the individual level in different tasks, and that hand preference in individuals was task-specific; there was no group-level hand preference in any task. The box task seemed to elicit a greater strength of hand preference than the ground-reaching task at the individual level. Although ...
Research Interests: Zoology, Psychology, Animal Ecology, Medicine, Primates, and 8 moreFemale, Animals, Male, Posture, Hand, Hylobatidae, Functional Laterality, and Motor activity
... to the substrate odor of the opposite sex may be due to seasonal effects and sexual ... and females, the larger the possibility would be for a successftil natural mating and breeding in captivity. ... JD, 1977, The use of urine... more
... to the substrate odor of the opposite sex may be due to seasonal effects and sexual ... and females, the larger the possibility would be for a successftil natural mating and breeding in captivity. ... JD, 1977, The use of urine marking in the scavenging behavior of the red fox {Vulpes ...
Research Interests:
Wild animals are affected by growing human interference in their habitats and inevitably react internally to such stimuli. This study explores inherent physiological parameters to assess the effect of human interference on giant pandas in... more
Wild animals are affected by growing human interference in their habitats and inevitably react internally to such stimuli. This study explores inherent physiological parameters to assess the effect of human interference on giant pandas in their wild habitat. Ninety-one fecal samples were collected within four nature reserves on Qinling Mountain. Fecal cortisol determinations were performed by radioimmunoassay. We categorized the intensity of local human disturbance and tested for correlations between the intensity of human disturbance and fecal cortisol metabolite levels. The results show a significant positive correlation between giant panda fecal cortisol metabolite levels and the degree of disturbance in their habitat. This study is the first to use a non-invasive monitoring method to analyze wild giant panda habitat disturbance, and demonstrates that cortisol metabolite levels in panda dung can objectively reflect the degree of panda habitat disturbance. The results provide a re...
Research Interests:
Parker's sperm competition model predicts a negative relationship between pre-copulatory (social status) and post-copulatory (sperm quality and quantity) sexually selected traits, however, empirical studies have revealed considerable... more
Parker's sperm competition model predicts a negative relationship between pre-copulatory (social status) and post-copulatory (sperm quality and quantity) sexually selected traits, however, empirical studies have revealed considerable inconsistency in this relationship. We hypothesized that there was a trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory sexually selected traits, and hormones (corticosterone, CORT; testosterone, T) orchestrate this relationship. In this study, we measured energetic parameters in the dominant-subordinate Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), whose relationship was established under chronic social encounters in a neutral arena, and then tested the relationship between their social status and sperm quality and quantity. Our results showed that dominant males initiated attack sooner and displayed more aggression, self-grooming and locomotion behaviors in daily social encounters across seven consecutive days. Dominant gerbils also had more and better quali...
Research Interests: Psychology, Nonparametric Statistics, Medicine, Biological Sciences, Testosterone, and 13 moreAggression, Animals, Corticosterone, Male, Body Mass Index, Respiration, Time Factors, Spermatozoa, Sperm Motility, Energy Intake, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Gerbillinae, and Medical and Health Sciences
... 4, SUN Shu-Cun and Chen Ling-Zhi(Institute of Botany,the Chinese Academy ... Dispersal of Quercus liaotungensis Acorns by Chinese Rock Squirrel and Eurasian Jay [J];植物学报 ... 1, LU Wen-jun (The Qinghai Professional college of... more
... 4, SUN Shu-Cun and Chen Ling-Zhi(Institute of Botany,the Chinese Academy ... Dispersal of Quercus liaotungensis Acorns by Chinese Rock Squirrel and Eurasian Jay [J];植物学报 ... 1, LU Wen-jun (The Qinghai Professional college of livestock and veterinary Qinghai Huangyuan ...
Research Interests:
The urinary volatile profiles of captive giant pandas (4 males and 2 females) are analyzed by gas chromatograph (GC) and compared between two genders, sexually active and inactive males, breeding season and nonbreeding season,... more
The urinary volatile profiles of captive giant pandas (4 males and 2 females) are analyzed by gas chromatograph (GC) and compared between two genders, sexually active and inactive males, breeding season and nonbreeding season, respectively. It is found that there are ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
It has been documented that social isolation imparts deleterious effects on gregarious rodents species, but caging in group imparts such effects on solitary rodents. This study was attempted at examining how kinship to affect body weight,... more
It has been documented that social isolation imparts deleterious effects on gregarious rodents species, but caging in group imparts such effects on solitary rodents. This study was attempted at examining how kinship to affect body weight, behavioral interaction, mate choice and fitness when we caged male and female rat-like hamsters Tscheskia triton in pair, a solitary species. We found that females paired with nonsibling males became heavier than the females paired with sibling males, but both agonistic and amicable behavior between paired males and females did not differ between sibling and nonsibling groups. This indicated that kinship might reduce females’ obesity in response to forced cohabitation, and dissociation might exist between physiological and behavioral responses. Furthermore, binary choice tests revealed that social familiarity between either siblings or nonsiblings decreased their investigating time spent in opposite sex conspecific of cage mates and/or their scents...
The scent of a novel male can elicit pregnancy block in recently mated female mice (Mus musculus), a phenomenon known as the Bruce effect. Despite abundant literature on the Bruce effect in rodents, it remains unclear whether males... more
The scent of a novel male can elicit pregnancy block in recently mated female mice (Mus musculus), a phenomenon known as the Bruce effect. Despite abundant literature on the Bruce effect in rodents, it remains unclear whether males related to a female's original mate can induce the Bruce effect in out-bred, communally living mice. We investigated this question using Kunming (KM) male mice of varying genetic relatedness. Recently mated females were subjected to three treatments: exposure to the urine of the mate, urine of the mate's male littermate, and urine of a male unrelated to the mate. It was found that the urine of male littermates of the females' mates did not elicit more pregnancy block than that of the females' mates. However, the urine of novel males caused a higher rate of female miscarriage than that of the females' mates. By using a habituation-dishabituation paradigm, we found that unmated females could discriminate the urine scents of two male litt...
Research Interests:
Environmental regionalization (ER) is the basis of environmental assessment, prediction, planning and decision-making. ER techniques were applied to the management of Township and Village Enterprises (TVEs) in China. TVEs are generally... more
Environmental regionalization (ER) is the basis of environmental assessment, prediction, planning and decision-making. ER techniques were applied to the management of Township and Village Enterprises (TVEs) in China. TVEs are generally middle and small-scale enterprises widely distributed in rural areas with rapid development and high discharge rates of pollutants, which impact heavily on the environment. A set of 13 indicators was chosen to evaluate TVEs in China: (1) runoff depth (P = 75%); (2) rainfall; (3) atmospheric pollution coefficient; (4) percent of forest coverage; (5) national income per capita; (6) economic density of TVEs; (7) population density; (8) environmental management staff at county level; (9) cultivated area per capita; (10) technical advancement of TVEs; (11) environmental impact of TVE industrial structure; (12) ratio of waste water to runoff; and (13) coal consumption density. Fuzzy cluster analysis was employed to conduct quantitative classification. Four zones and seven subzones were obtained. The classification system was adapted to the requirements of environmental management for TVEs at national level.