The acquisition of hypsodont molars is often regarded as a key innovation in the history of ruminant ungulates. Hypsodont ruminants diversified rapidly during the later Neogene, circa 15-2 Myr ago, and came to dominate the ruminant fossil record in terms of species diversity. Here we show that hypsodont clades had higher speciation and diversification rates than other clades. Hypsodont species ...

Water quality in the United States is threatened by contamination with nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus. Animal manure can be a valuable resource for farmers, providing nutrients, improving soil structure, and increasing vegetative cover to decrease erosion potential. At the same time, application of manure nutrients in excess of crop requirements can result in environmental contami...

Since 2006, arboviruses transmitted by Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) have caused significant disruption to ruminant production in northern Europe. The most serious incursions involved strains of bluetongue virus (BTV), which cause bluetongue (BT) disease. To control spread of BTV, movement of susceptible livestock is restricted with economic and animal welfare impacts. The...

BACKGROUND Brucellosis is a neglected tropical zoonosis allegedly reemerging in Middle Eastern countries. Infected ruminants are the primary source of human infection; consequently, estimates of the frequency of ruminant brucellosis are useful elements for building effective control strategies. Unfortunately, these estimates are lacking in most Middle East countries including Egypt. Our objecti...

BACKGROUND Methane (CH(4)) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), having a global warming potential 21 times that of carbon dioxide (CO(2)). Methane emissions from agriculture represent around 40% of the emissions produced by human-related activities, the single largest source being enteric fermentation, mainly in ruminant livestock. Technologies to reduce these emissions are lacking. Ruminant metha...

Food systems exert major pressures on the environment. This paper reviews what is known and not about environmental impacts along food supply chains, looking at contribution of different stages chain, impact products, heterogeneity among producers, role international trade. review shows that most in chains occur through land use change or stage agricultural production. Livestock (especially rum...

The recent arrival in Northern and Western (NW) Europe of bluetongue virus (BTV), which causes the ruminant disease 'bluetongue', has raised the profile of this vector-borne ruminant disease and sparked discussions on the reasons for its sudden emergence so far north. This expansion has not happened in isolation and the disease has been expanding into Southern and Eastern Europe for the last de...

Coenurosis due to Taenia multiceps has emerged as a major concern small ruminant-owning communities in northern Tanzania. Although high incidence of disease been reported, gaps still remain our knowledge the problem across different agro-ecological settings. The study aimed determine prevalence coenurosis ruminants and taeniid infection dogs identify risk factors for infection. Questionnaire su...

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the main forages grown in the world. Alfalfa is a winter hardy, drought tolerant, N-fixing legume with a good longevity, high yield, high nutrient levels, high digestibility, unique structural to non-structural components ratio, high dry matter intake, and high animal productivity per hectare. However, its main limitation is its excessively rapid initial r...