Dataset Information

Taphonomic criteria for identifying Iberian lynx dens in quaternary deposits.

ABSTRACT: For decades, taphonomists have dedicated their efforts to assessing the nature of the massive leporid accumulations recovered at archaeological sites in the northwestern Mediterranean region. Their interest lying in the fact that the European rabbit constituted a critical part of human subsistence during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. However, rabbits are also a key prey in the food webs of Mediterranean ecosystems and the base of the diet for several specialist predators, including the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). For this reason, the origin of rabbit accumulations in northwestern Mediterranean sites has proved a veritable conundrum. Here, we present the zooarchaeological and taphonomic study of more than 3000 faunal and 140 coprolite remains recovered in layer IIIa of Cova del Gegant (Catalonia, Spain). Our analysis indicates that this layer served primarily as a den for the Iberian lynx. The lynxes modified and accumulated rabbit remains and also died at the site creating an accumulation dominated by the two taxa. However, other agents and processes, including human, intervened in the final configuration of the assemblage. Our study contributes to characterizing the Iberian lynx fossil accumulation differentiating between the faunal assemblages accumulated by lynxes and hominins.

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez-Hidalgo A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7190858 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Taphonomic criteria for identifying Iberian lynx dens in quaternary deposits.

Rodríguez-Hidalgo Antonio A Sanz Montserrat M Daura Joan J Sánchez-Marco Antonio A

Scientific reports 20200429 1

For decades, taphonomists have dedicated their efforts to assessing the nature of the massive leporid accumulations recovered at archaeological sites in the northwestern Mediterranean region. Their interest lying in the fact that the European rabbit constituted a critical part of human subsistence during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. However, rabbits are also a key prey in the food webs of Mediterranean ecosystems and the base of the diet for several specialist predators, including th ...[more]

PMID: 32350363

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Project description:Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen in Europe. In the Iberian Peninsula, wild boar (Sus scrofa) is considered the main wildlife reservoir of HEV. This wild ungulate shares habitat and resources with other potential HEV carriers in Iberian Mediterranean ecosystems, although information about the role of such sympatric species in the HEV epidemiological cycle is still very limited. The aims of the present large-scale, long-term study were: (1) to determine the seroprevalence and prevalence of HEV in both free-living and captive populations of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), the most endangered felid in the world; (2) to determine potential risk factors associated with HEV exposure in this species and (3) to evaluate the dynamics of seropositivity in longitudinally sampled animals during the study period. Between 2010 and 2021, serum samples from 275 Iberian lynxes were collected in free-ranging and captive populations across the Iberian Peninsula. Forty-four of the 275 lynxes were also longitudinally sampled during the study period. A double-antigen sandwich ELISA was used to test for the presence of antibodies against HEV. A subset of seropositive samples was analysed by Western blot (WB) assay to confirm exposure to HEV. In addition, serum, liver and/or faecal samples from 367 individuals were tested for orthohepevirus RNA by RT-PCR. A total of 50 (18.2%; 95% CI: 14.1-23.2) of the 275 animals analysed had anti-HEV antibodies by ELISA. Exposure to HEV was confirmed by WB in most of the ELISA-positive Iberian lynxes analysed. Significantly higher seroprevalence was found in captive (33.6%) compared to free-ranging (7.4%) individuals. Within captive population, the GEE model identified 'age' (senile, adult and subadult) as risk a factor potentially associated with HEV exposure in the Iberian lynx. Thirteen (29.5%) of 44 longitudinally surveyed individuals seroconverted against HEV during the study period. HEV RNA was detected in the faeces of one (1/364; 0.3%; 95% CI: 0.0-0.8) free-ranging adult animal sampled in 2021. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequenced strain belongs to HEV-3f subtype and shared a high nucleotide sequence identity (97-99.6%) with human HEV-3f sequences from Spain and France. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first survey study on HEV in the Iberian lynx and the first molecular report of HEV-A infection in free-ranging felines. Our results indicate high exposure to HEV-3 in Iberian lynx populations, particularly those kept in captivity. The serological results suggest widespread but not homogeneous circulation of HEV in Iberian lynx populations. Further studies are required to assess the epidemiological role of this endangered species as a potential spillover host of HEV.

Project description:The restoration of Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) populations in Extremadura (Southwestern Spain) have been carried out since 2014. One of the measures to ensure the success of this program is to examine the effects that diseases may have on reintroduction. Since diseases may be greatly located at certain sites because of the specific ecological requirements of the pathogens and/or vectors, reintroduced individuals may present a risk of infection once released. To determine which pathogens the reintroduced individuals may encounter, we performed a molecular and sero-epidemiological survey in reintroduced and wild-born lynxes. From 2015 to 2019, 69 Iberian lynxes (40 reintroduced and 29 wild-born) were sampled and screened against 10 viral, bacterial and piroplasmid agents. In parallel, 195 sympatric carnivores from the families Canidae, Felidae, Viverridae, Herpestidae and Mustelidae were tested against current or past infections to six common canine/feline viruses. In the Iberian lynx, low contact rates of active infection were obtained for the feline leukemia provirus (FeLV: 1.5%; 1/67), feline parvovirus (FPV: 1.5%; 1/67) and Cytauxzoon sp. (6.7%; 1/15). We also confirmed the emergence of Aujeszky's disease (suid herpesvirus-1) in this population (SuHV-1: 11.8%; 2/17). Evidence of previous exposure was detected for canine distemper virus (CDV: 5.8%; 3/52), feline coronavirus (1.9%; 1/52), FPV (7.7%; 1/13) and feline calicivirus (FCV: 5.3%; 1/19). From 25 recovered lynx carcasses, we could confirm infectious etiology involvement in the death of four individuals (SuHV-1 in two individuals, coinfection of Cytauxzoon spp. and Aeromonas veronii in one lynx and a Streptococcus canis myositis in another lynx). We confirmed the circulation of CDV, FPV, FeLV, FCV and the feline immunodeficiency virus within the sympatric carnivore community. Due to the low contact rate of infectious agents in such a small, endangered population, we recommend continuing a disease surveillance program to determine the prognostic factors of survival, understand the role that disease may play during the reintroduction and anticipate disease outbreaks that may pose a risk for the entire reintroduced population.

Project description:Knowledge on species' reproductive biology is a fundamental pre-requisite of every conservation effort, but is often lacking. Sex steroids can provide valuable information for the assessment of reproductive success, whereas glucocorticoids are used to assess adrenocortical activity and stress-related bodily adaption. However, due to their perilous condition, access to animals is often difficult, which makes hormone measurement in non-invasively collected hair samples an attractive option. We determined cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone, testosterone and progesterone in Iberian lynx hair using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Cross-validation was performed with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Finally, we statistically evaluated the variations of sex steroids and glucocorticoids according to age, sex, origin, behavior and management. All steroids except corticosterone were detectable in Iberian lynx hair. Hair progesterone measured by EIA was overestimated by cross-reaction with 5α-dihydroprogesterone, a biologically active gestagene, and was highly correlated with HPLC-MS/MS results. Progesterone was higher in adult females compared to all other age-sex groups. Cortisol measured by EIA was overestimated due to antibody cross-reactivity with cortisone and was correlated to the sum of HPLC-MS/MS measurements for cortisol and cortisone. Cortisol was higher in females than in males measured by HPLC-MS/MS, but the EIA results were confounded by the lack of specificity. When using cortisol-cortisone and cortisol-dihydroepiandrosterone ratios, differences were noted between wild-caught and captive-bred lynxes. Additionally, longitudinal EIA measurements of an Iberian lynx after a wildfire showed an inversion of the cortisol-cortisone ratio that later subsided. These results validate the use of hair progesterone measurement for Iberian lynx reproductive monitoring and add to the growing evidence supporting the need for a more comprehensive approach to hair steroid measurement that accounts for local interconversion and co-regulation mechanisms.

Project description:BackgroundThe only natural hosts of Pseudorabies virus (PRV) are members of the family Suidae (Sus scrofa scrofa). In species other than suids infection is normally fatal. In these mammals, including carnivores, PRV typically causes serious neurologic disease. The endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is a wild feline endemic to south-western Europe (Iberian Peninsula). The Iberian lynx was found to be the world's most endangered felid species in 2002. In wild felines, PRV infection has only been previously reported once in a Florida panther in 1994. No seropositive lynxes have ever been found, nor has PRV been detected in dead Iberian lynxes to date.Case presentationWe describe the first reported case of pseudorabies in an Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Pseudorabies was diagnosed in a young wild Iberian lynx from Extremadura (SW Spain) by histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis. Gross lesions included alopecia of the ventral neck, bloody gastro-intestinal contents and congestion of the brain. Histopathological analysis showed a moderate nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis with diffuse areas of demyelination, necrotizing gastritis and enteritis of the small intestine. Pseudorabies virus (PRV) antigen was found in neuronal and non-neuronal cells of the brain, tonsils, and gastric glandular epithelial cells by immunohistochemical analysis. The presence of the virus in the brain was confirmed by nested PCR. The sequence analysis of the 146 bp fragment (from the viral glycoprotein B gene) showed that the amplified sequence matched (with 100% identity) the PRV genome. Furthermore, specific DNA from glycoprotein D and E encoding-genes was detected by conventional and real-time PCR, respectively, confirming the latter that this infection was produced by a wild-type PRV strain.ConclusionsThis study supports the suspicion that PRV could infect the Iberian lynx. The detection of PRV in a dead Iberian lynx suggests that the virus may have a negative impact on the survival of endangered lynxes in the wild. However, because this is the first verified instance of lynx mortality resulting from pseudorabies, its true impact on the population is unknown.

Project description:The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is considered the most endangered felid species in the world. In order to save this species, the Spanish authorities implemented a captive breeding program recruiting lynxes from the wild. In this context, a retrospective survey on prevalence of selected feline pathogens in free-ranging lynxes was initiated.We systematically analyzed the prevalence and importance of seven viral, one protozoan (Cytauxzoon felis), and several bacterial (e.g., hemotropic mycoplasma) infections in 77 of approximately 200 remaining free-ranging Iberian lynxes of the Doñana and Sierra Morena areas, in Southern Spain, between 2003 and 2007. With the exception of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), evidence of infection by all tested feline pathogens was found in Iberian lynxes. Fourteen lynxes were feline leukemia virus (FeLV) provirus-positive; eleven of these were antigenemic (FeLV p27 positive). All 14 animals tested negative for other viral infections. During a six-month period in 2007, six of the provirus-positive antigenemic lynxes died. Infection with FeLV but not with other infectious agents was associated with mortality (p<0.001). Sequencing of the FeLV surface glycoprotein gene revealed a common origin for ten of the eleven samples. The ten sequences were closely related to FeLV-A/61E, originally isolated from cats in the USA. Endogenous FeLV sequences were not detected.It was concluded that the FeLV infection most likely originated from domestic cats invading the lynx's habitats. Data available regarding the time frame, co-infections, and outcome of FeLV-infections suggest that, in contrast to the domestic cat, the FeLV strain affecting the lynxes in 2007 is highly virulent to this species. Our data argue strongly for vaccination of lynxes and domestic cats in and around lynx's habitats in order to prevent further spread of the virus as well as reduction the domestic cat population if the lynx population is to be maintained.

Dataset Information

Taphonomic criteria for identifying Iberian lynx dens in quaternary deposits.

Publications

Taphonomic criteria for identifying Iberian lynx dens in quaternary deposits.

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