Twinning in Bighorn Sheep

ABSTRACTBighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations in the western United States have undergone widespread declines and extirpations since the late nineteenth century as a consequence of introduced diseases, competition with livestock, and unregulated hunting. Washington, Idaho, USA, and British Columbia, Canada were historically thought to be occupied by 2 bighorn lineages or subspecies: Rocky Mountain (O. c. canadensis) and California (O. c. californiana). The putative California lineage was completely extirpated in the United States, and reintroductions to reestablish populations were sourced directly or indirectly from a single region in southern British Columbia. Restoration efforts have attempted to maintain the diversity and divergence of these 2 lineages, sometimes referred to as subspecies although taxonomic classifications have changed over time. In this study we describe genetic variation in a subset of native and reintroduced herds of California and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. We examined genetic diversity and divergence between bighorn sheep herds using 15 microsatellite loci, including 4 loci linked to genes involved in immune function. We analyzed 504 samples from reintroduced herds in Washington (n = 10 California herds, n = 4 Rocky Mountain herds) and Idaho (n = 5 California), and source herds in Oregon (n = 1 Rocky Mountain) and British Columbia (n = 5 California, 1 Rocky Mountain). Genetic structure reflected known reintroduction history, and geographic proximity also was associated with decreased genetic divergence. Herds in Washington and Idaho sourced from California bighorn sheep were less genetically diverse than those sourced from Rocky Mountain herds. Also, levels of relatedness within and across California herds were higher than in Rocky Mountain herds and similar to what would be expected for full and half siblings. Lower diversity and higher relatedness among California herds is a concern for long‐term fitness and likely related to past population bottlenecks, fewer source populations, and management history, such as entirely sourcing California herds from British Columbia. Genetic divergence of neutral loci between California and Rocky Mountain herds was greater than that of adaptive loci, potentially indicating that balancing selection has maintained similar genetic diversity across lineages in loci associated with immune and other adaptive functions. Thus, we recommend future reintroductions and augmentations should continue to use source populations from the appropriate California or Rocky Mountain lineage to avoid potential outbreeding depression and maintain possible adaptive differences. This could be accomplished by obtaining sheep from ≥1 source within the genetic lineage, while avoiding sourcing from admixed herds. Future work encompassing a broader geographic sampling of populations and a greater portion of the genome is necessary to better evaluate the degree to which contemporary divergence between lineages is associated with recent founder effects and genetic isolation or evolutionary adaptation. © 2021 The Wildlife Society

Little information exists on dormant seeding of buffalograss [ Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.]. The objectives of these two studies were to determine how seeding rate affects establishment of ‘Sundancer’ buffalograss when dormant and spring-seeded, and to evaluate if cultivar or seeding date affects establishment of ‘Cody’, ‘Bowie’, or ‘Sundancer’ buffalograss when seeded at various dates during the winter and spring. In the first study, ‘Sundancer’ buffalograss was dormant seeded at 146, 244, or 293 kg·ha −1 in late November in 2012 and 2013 or spring-seeded in early May in 2013 and 2014. In the second study, ‘Sundancer’, ‘Bowie’, or ‘Cody’ was seeded at 146 kg·ha −1 in late November in 2013 and 2014, late January, March, and May in 2014 and 2015. Dormant seeding of buffalograss resulted in >80% cover by the following August in all studies. Increasing seeding rate had no effect on establishment of ‘Sundancer’, regardless of seeding date. Furthermore, there was no difference in turf cover by August following seeding of ‘Sundancer’, ‘Bowie’, or ‘Cody’ at 146 kg·ha −1 in late November, January, March, or May. Our results suggest that ‘Sundancer’, ‘Bowie’, or ‘Cody’ can be successfully dormant seeded at 146 kg·ha −1 from late November through late March, which allows establishment before the following winter.

Breeding populations of Double-crested (Phalacrocorax auritus) and Pe- lagic Cormorants (P. pelagicus) were surveyed in the Strait of Georgia, British Colum- bia, in 1983. Double-crested Cormorant numbers have increased 2.4-fold and Pelagic Cormorant numbers 1.1-fold since 1975. Double-crested Cormorant populations are presently not only increasing in British Columbia but all across Canada and in the northeastern United States. These increases are thought to be the result of decreased disturbance and persecution by man. Drent and Guiguet (1961) provided the first overview of the status of nesting seabirds in British Columbia. Those authors reported population increases for surface-nesting seabirds for which information was available, including the Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) and Pelagic Cormorant (P. pelagicus). Drent and Guiguet (1961) suggested that cormorant increases resulted from climatic amelioration and the cessation of egg collecting by man. Campbell (1976) conducted an extensive survey of nesting seabirds in southern British Columbia in 1974 and 1975 and found that cormorant pop- ulations had increased considerably since Drent and Guiguet's survey. In 1983, we conducted a survey of the breeding populations of Double-crested and Pelagic Cormorants in the Strait of Georgia and southeastern Vancouver Island to con- tinue the assessment of population trends of cormorants. The second objective was to compare population trends of Double-crested Cormorants in British Columbia with those elsewhere in North America.

Environmental sampling for Dermacentor species (Acari: Ixodidae) in southern British Columbia, Canada in May, 2022

The A. M. breccia is part of the Giant Copper property of British Columbia, Canada. It is the only well-defined tourmaline breccia pipe (TBP) in the Canadian Cordillera. The A. M. breccia shares similarities with other TBPs, most notably those of South America. The A. M. breccia demonstrates concentric zonation with regard to breccia texture, consisting of an outer rim of shingle breccia surrounding a fragmental breccia core. Copper grades correlate to breccia zonation, with higher Cu grades within shingle breccias relative to the fragmental core. Hypersaline fluid inclusions were identified in quartz cement within the A. M. breccia, which reflects conditions expected in porphyry copper deposits. Breccia textures, mineralization, and fluid inclusions at the A. M. breccia are nearly identical to other well-studied porphyry-related TBPs. The strong similarities suggest the A. M. breccia is a porphyry-related TBP. This interpretation encourages deep drilling to identify further mineralization within the A. M. breccia pipe as well as discovery for conventional porphyry mineralization at depth. Similarities can also be drawn to Ancestral Cascadia arc porphyry copper deposits and associated TBPs. The proximity of Giant Copper to the Ancestral Cascadia porphyry district infers a genetic relationship and the interpretation that the Giant Copper porphyry system developed from magmatism related to the Ancestral Cascadia subduction. Classifying Giant Copper as an Ancestral Cascadia porphyry system extends the district into southern British Columbia, where Giant Copper marks its northernmost extent.

Depositional evidence of Early Pleistocene glaciations in British Columbia are documented at only a few sites. Near Kelowna, in southern British Columbia, a construction project exposed glacial sediments beneath Lambly Creek Basalt, providing a minimum age for this glaciation. The basalt is composed of a number of flows yielding ages that range from 0.76 ± 0.11 to 1.5 ± 0.1 Ma. The sediments consist of a diamicton, interpreted to be till, up to 3 m thick mantled by a weakly developed paleosol. The diamicton is underlain by fluvial sands up to 5 m thick, in places revealing injection features, and minor faulting. A unit of stratified gravel underlain by grey clay is inferred to underlie the exposed sediments, based on nearby outcrops and excavations. Sediments and overlying basalts are normally magnetized and are assigned to the Jaramillo normal subchron (1.069–0.987 Ma). The till is here referred to as the Westbank First Nation Till. It is Early Pleistocene in age and represents the earliest evidence of glaciation in the Okanagan Valley. Stone fabric analysis and clast lithologies suggest that ice movement was from northwest to southeast, and is here referred to as the West Kelowna Advance; we infer that this advance was part of a larger regional glaciation. Other Early Pleistocene glaciations in the Cordillera are briefly reviewed.

Forest grazing occurs on replanted or naturally regenerated cutblocks, giving temporary grazing opportunities for British Columbia's beef industry. However, grazing on forest cutblocks sometimes results in conflicts between the different interests of the timber and ranching industries. The forester's primary concern about cattle grazing and forage seeding on cutblocks is tree damage by trampling and browsing, followed by soil compaction and altered tree nutrition. This study evaluated the effect of long-term cattle grazing and forage seeding on growth and nutrition of lodgepole pine on three grazed forest cutblocks near Kamloops and Merritt, B.C.Grazing regimes consisted of ungrazed exclosures and pastures grazed at 50% forage utilization during 1989–1998. Forage seeding treatments were 0 and 12 kg/ha. Tree measurements and foliage samples were obtained in September 1999. Tree height, current-year growth (length of leader internode), and foliar nutrient levels of regenerating lodgepole pine have not been significantly affected by forage seeding rate and 9 years of cattle grazing. The absence of significant effects on tree growth and nutrition is particularly noteworthy because of the marginal or somewhat deficient status of several nutrients (N, P, B, Fe, and Cu) on these study sites.The management implications of this study relate to the benign effects of 9 years of cattle grazing on lodgepole pine nutrition and growth. The study provides evidence that cattle grazing is compatible with forestry. These results support the integrated use of forested rangelands in southern British Columbia. Attempting to extrapolate these findings to other site conditions should be done with caution.

Observations on the occurrence of a species of <i>Lomentaria</i> in southern British Columbia and northern Washington

The development of social behaviour was studied in three natural populations of Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Individuals in all populations exhibited the same behavioural repertoires, but the utilization of specific behaviours among both infants and adults differed between populations. It was suggested that differences in the adult utilization of behaviour patterns result in part from behaviours used during infancy. In turn, the social and physical environments affected the development of subsequent behaviour patterns in sheep older than lambs.Desert sheep (in southern California) used mounting behaviours often, presumably because they matured sexually at an early age. Sheep in a more northern environment (British Columbia) used different behaviour patterns more frequently perhaps as a consequence of interactions experienced in larger bands. Additionally, playful interactions were reduced due to physical hazards in the desert, but they were at least nine times as frequent in the northern study population. Play in large groups resulted in the utilization of more different kinds of behaviour patterns. These behavioural findings are interpreted ecologically as consequences of inhabiting environments that differ socially and physically.

Molecular identification of dorsal-spined larvae (DSL) from fecal samples indicates that the protostrongylid parasite Parelaphostrongylus odocoilei occupies a broader geographic range in western North America than has been previously reported. We analyzed 2,124 fecal samples at 29 locations from thinhorn sheep (Ovis dalli dalli and O. d. stonei), bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis and O. c. californiana), mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus), and black-tailed deer (O. h. columbianus). The DSL were recovered from populations of thinhorn sheep south, but not north, of the Arctic Circle, and they were not recovered from any of the bighorn sheep populations that we examined. In total, DSL were recovered from 20 locations in the United States and Canada (Alaska, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, and California). The DSL were identified as P. odocoilei by comparing sequences of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region of ribosomal RNA among 9 protostrongylid species validated by adult comparative morphology. The ITS2 sequences were markedly different between Parelaphostrongylus and other protostrongylid genera. Smaller fixed differences served as diagnostic markers for the 3 species of Parelaphostrongylus. The ITS2 sequences (n = 60) of P. odocoilei were strongly conserved across its broad geographic range from California to Alaska. Polymorphism at 5 nucleotide positions was consistent with multiple copies of the ITS2 within individual specimens of P. odocoilei. This work combines extensive fecal surveys, comparative morphology, and molecular diagnostic techniques to describe comprehensively the host associations and geographic distribution of a parasitic helminth.

Entomological Photography in Practice, by E. F. Linssen, F.Z.S., F.R.E.S., F.R.P.S. (former editor of the Entomological Monthly) 112 pp. 54 figs. The Fountain Press, London, England, price 32s. 6d. - Cytochemistry, a Critical Approach, by J. F. Danielli, Professor of Zoology, King's College, London, W.C. 2. 139 pp. 12 plates, 8 text figures. John Wiley &amp; Sons, Inc., New York, Chapman &amp; Hall, Limited, London, England. Price $4.00. - A Manual of Entomological Techniques, by Alvah Peterson, Ohio State University, Seventh Edition, Lithoprinted in U.S.A. by Edwards Brothers, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan; pp. v plus 367, 182 plates, 17 tables. - Volume 85 Issue 10

James Wilkinson Miller. Exercises in introductory symbolic logic. Lithoprinted from typewritten manuscript. Published by the author, McGill University, Montreal; wholesale from Edwards Brothers, Ann Arbor, Michigan; 1955, ix + 59 pp. - Volume 22 Issue 3

A sequence of non-metamorphosed, little deformed, fossiliferous, sedimentary rocks, near Keremeos, southern British Columbia, unconformably overlies rocks having a history similar to that of the Vaseaux Formation, the most westerly exposed part of the Shuswap Complex of the southern Okanagan Valley. Fossils from the younger sequence have a late Mississippian – early Pennsylvanian age.This part of the southern Okanagan region has a deformational history that is pre-mid-Carboniferous and likely related to the Caribooan orogeny. This is in contrast to Late Paleozoic rocks at northern Okanagan localities and elsewhere in British Columbia that have under-gone strong deformation of probably Mesozoic age.

Northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) are well known as cavity-nesting birds very adept at excavating their own holes, which are usually in trees (Godfrey 1986, The Birds of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa.). There are also records of this species foregoing excavation and nesting in boxes, buildings, stumps, telephone poles, hay stacks, fence posts, wagon hubs, barrels, unused chimneys, and in the nests of other species of birds (Bent 1939, Life Histories of North American Woodpeckers. U.S. National Museum Bulletin 174. Washington, D.C.; Cannings et al. 1987, Birds of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria). However, there are few published data on the roosting behavior of these birds at night (Bent 1939), especially outside of the breeding season when both sexes are known to participate in the incubation of eggs and chicks (Harrison 1984, A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Toronto). This paper reports observations of unusual night roosting behavior by northern flickers in the Okanogan valley of northern Washington and southern British Columbia. While searching for night roosting bats, we observed flickers on four different nights, roosting under the concrete bridge supporting Highway 97 and spanning the Okanogan River 1 km south of Oroville, Washington (5 km south of the Washington-British Columbia border; Table 1). The underside of the bridge consisted of 45 compartments which resembled open upside down boxes, arranged end to end in a 15 x 3 pattern. Each compartment was approximately 2.5 m wide (making the bridge approximately 7.5 m wide), 4 m long (making the bridge approximately 60 m long) and 1 m deep. The compartments varied from 2-15 m above the ground or water, with the compartments at the north end of the bridge closest to the ground. The middle third of the bridge (i.e., 15 compartments) was above the river, with the north and south thirds spanning the north and south river banks respectively. On each of the four nights when observations were made, 2-4 birds easily identified as flickers by the characteristic spotting on their backs and white rump, roosted in compartments on the underside of the bridge. The flickers always roosted in compartments over the south bank of the river (Table 1) and we never found more than one bird in any compartment at a time. The birds hung in an upright position by their toes on the vertical wall of the compartment and appeared to use small rough edges in the concrete as toeholds. In all cases, the birds roosted within several centimeters of the ceiling with their heads tucked into their breasts. Of 11 observations of birds roosting on the four different nights, 10 birds roosted on the north wall of a compartment whereas only one roosted on a south wall. On each of the four nights that we checked the bridge, observations were continued until at least 1.5 hr after sunset. We examined all compartments for roosting animals. On three of the four nights, big brown (Eptesicus fuscus), little brown (Myotis lucifugus) or Yuma (M. yumanensis) bats were also

To the Editor, Anencephaly can be reliably diagnosed using ultrasound late in the first trimester of pregnancy [1]. The prevalence of anencephaly in twins is higher than that in singleton pregnancies, and the prevalence of discordance in anencephaly in monochorionic twins is higher than that in dichorionic twins [2]. There have been only two reports on conventional twodimensional (2D) sonographic assessment of fetal behavior in twins discordant because of anencephaly after 20 weeks of gestation [3, 4]. However, there has been no report on four-dimensional (4D) sonographic assessment of intertwin contact in twins discordant because of anencephaly in utero. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on 4D sonographic assessment of inter-twin contact in a case of monochorionic diamniotic (MD) twins with acrania of one twin fetus late in the first trimester. A 28-year-old Japanese woman, gravida 3, para 1, visited our hospital because of secondary amenorrhea, and MD twin pregnancy at 7 weeks and 4 days was diagnosed. At 11 weeks and 4 days, twin pregnancy with acrania of one twin fetus was diagnosed (Fig. 1). The parents were informed about the lethality of the affected twin fetus, but they elected to continue the pregnancy. At 25 weeks and 1 day, she was admitted to our hospital because of threatened premature labor (short cervix and irritable uterine contractions). At 38 weeks and 4 days, the first of two female infants (anencephalic twin), weighing 1,948 g, and the other infant (second twin), weighing 2,372 g (Apgar score 7 at 1 min and 9 at 5 min; umbilical artery blood pH 7.089), were delivered by elective cesarean section because of two previous cesarean sections. The anencephalic twin died soon after delivery. Permission to conduct an autopsy was not granted by the parents. The second twin is doing well. Detailed descriptions of the data-collecting methods and measurement procedures used in this patient have been presented in a previous publication [5]. In brief, examinations were performed for 30 min with transabdominal 4D sonography at 11 weeks and 4 days and 13 weeks and 1 day of pregnancy, respectively. She was asked whether she would agree to a 30-min observation of fetal movements and inter-twin contact after undergoing routine sonographic examinations. This study was approved by the local ethics committee of Kagawa University School of Medicine, and standardized written informed consent was obtained from the patient. All 4D examinations were performed using Voluson 730 Expert (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI) with a transabdominal 2–5-MHz transducer. Ten types of inter-twin contact (head to head, head to arm, head to trunk, head to leg, arm to arm, arm to trunk, arm to leg, trunk to trunk, trunk to leg, and leg to leg) were analyzed during playback of the video recordings. The total number of all inter-twin contacts was determined by a single experienced observer (M.S.) and compared to the quartile range obtained from normal MD twins [5]. The frequencies of ten types of inter-twin contact were also compared to the quartile ranges obtained from normal MD twins [6]. The total number of inter-twin contacts in this patient was low compared to those of normal MD twin fetuses at 10–11 and 12–13 weeks’ gestation (Fig. 2). The frequencies of 10 types of inter-twin contact at 10–11 weeks were almost within quartile ranges (Fig. 3), T. Hata (&) K. Kanenishi U. Hanaoka M. Sasaki T. Yanagihara Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, Kagawa University School of Medicine, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan e-mail: toshi28@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp