We have identified a novel nucleus of the mammalian brain and termed it the tectal longitudinal column (TLC). Basic histologic stains, tract-tracing techniques and three-dimensional reconstructions reveal that the rat TLC is a narrow, elongated structure spanning the midbrain tectum longitudinally. This paired nucleus is located close to the midline, immediately dorsal to the periaqueductal gra...

In mammalian neocortex, the orderly arrangement of columns of neurons is thought to be a fundamental organizing principle. In primary visual cortex (V1), neurons respond preferentially to bars of a particular orientation, and, in many mammals, these orientation-selective cells are arranged in a semiregular, smoothly varying map across the cortical surface. Curiously, orientation maps have not b...

Rax proteins comprise a small family of paired-type, homeodomain-containing transcription factors with essential functions in eye and forebrain development. While invertebrates possess only one Rax gene, vertebrates can have several Rax paralogue genes, but the evolutionary history of the members of the family has not been studied in detail. Here, we present a thorough analysis of the evolution...

Rodentia is the largest order of placental mammals, with approximately 2,050 species divided into 28 families. It is also one of the most controversial with respect to its monophyly, relationships between families, and divergence dates. Here, we have analyzed and compared the performance of three nuclear genes (von Willebrand Factor, interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein, and Alpha 2B adr...

804 BioScience • October 2013 / Vol. 63 No. 10 www.biosciencemag.org Islands harbor a disproportionate amount of Earth’s biodiversity and are characterized by the presence of a great number of endemic plant and animal species (MacArthur and Wilson 1967, Carlquist 1974, Myers et al. 2000, Kier et al. 2009). Invasive predator species, parti­ cularly mammals, are one of the primary extinction driv...

Abstract Highly cursorial animals are specialised for fast, sustained running via specific morphological adaptations, notably including changes in limb segment length and mechanical advantage. Members of the order Lagomorpha (hares, rabbits pikas) vary ability; hares generally highly cursorial, more frequently saltate, pikas predominantly trot. Previous investigations lagomorphs have identified...

Population density estimates are important for wildlife conservation and management. Several camera trapping-based methods estimating densities have been developed, one of which, the random encounter model (REM), has widely applied due to its practical advantages such as no need species-specific study design. Nevertheless, most studies in which REM assessed against referenced sampled population...

Wildlife management and conservation requires monitoring of species distribution population indicators, especially when the unbalanced demographic changes some can affect whole ecosystem functioning. The populations wild boar (Sus scrofa) have, over past few decades, undergone an expansion around world, reaching situations overabundance that cause serious economic, ecological health problems. T...